A spokesperson for Ireland’s Future – its Secretary, Belfast solicitor Niall Murphy – recently stated to a sceptical Irish parliamentary committee that the organisation has no links to Sinn Féin or is not an affiliate of Sinn Féin.
Why is Sinn Féin suddenly so toxic to you and to your Ireland’s Future comrades, Niall?
Why shouldn’t a largely Irish republican organisation – with Irish republican aims – have links to Sinn Féin?
What did Sinn Féin ever do – apart from support 30 years of IRA terrorism and glorify IRA terrorists whose Human Rights’ atrocities no republican now wants to admit – to deserve to be ostracized by Ireland’s Future?
For the purpose of argument, let’s imagine that Ireland’s Future is NOT linked to Sinn Féin and let’s try to uncover why Irish parliamentarians and many others believe it IS LINKED to Sinn Féin.
I mean, everybody remembers when hundreds of Irish republican Concerned Civic Citizens were declared to have spontaneously aggregated like migratory birds or murmurating starlings and suddenly began firing off letters to the Free State government demanding action on behalf of Northern nationalists and republicans…
Remember when that strange behaviour was thought to have no links to Sinn Féin, Niall?
It wasn’t until the Press Association came into possession of a Sinn Féin email that it became clear that Sinn Féin was indeed a driving force behind the Concerned Civic Citizens letters appealing to the Free State government for relief…
But you must know that, Niall, since you were one of the organisers of the Civic Citizen letters yourself – you must have discovered the Sinn Féin infiltration of the campaign?
Indeed, the Sinn Féin statement quoted above declares that “We were asked to assist by the organisers of this initiative in garnering support for a civic lobby in support of the rights-based agenda in the north” – but you were declared in the press to be The Organiser in Chief – were you the person who sought the Sinn Féin support behind the scenes?
If the Sinn Féin statement is indeed true that the organisers asked for help, then it’s entirely possible that you were the Organiser who secretly sought Sinn Féin help Niall – so you must understand the scepticism of the Irish parliamentary committee about the Ireland’s Future claim to have no links to Sinn Féin – I mean, it’s a fair scepticism when you look at the evidence.
You’re a great man for demanding Truth and Transparency from the British Government over Legacy matters, Niall – can we have Truth and Transparency from you over who asked for Sinn Féin help in the matter of the Concerned Civic Citizen letters?
Ireland’s Future Funding
When the Staters were demanding to know the source of Ireland’s Future funding – and they were broadly hinting that Sinn Féin monies might be involved either directly or indirectly though American proxies – you were quite right to shut down that avenue of questioning.
I mean – for argument’s stake – you could have just told them that any single Legacy Solicitor or Barrister in Northern Ireland could have easily donated all the monies for Ireland’s Future based on the British Exchequer’s generosity in funding Northern Ireland’s Legal Aid mi££ions going to wealthy solicitors and barristers…
I had a wee gander at the Legal Aid funding received by a single solicitors’ firm over a few short years – before the publication of such information was stopped in 2015 – and it’s clear that any republican Mi££ionaire Legacy solicitor or barrister who wished could easily fund Ireland’s Future and still laugh all the way to the bank…
Anyone can check these payments at this link.
So I think the funding questions are plain stupid with so much British Legal Aid and Legacy money swilling around Northern Ireland.
You could have just told those Free Stater Partitionist Feckers to Feck Off with their biased questions.
But then again, one of your Board Members, former SDLP stalwart, Brian Feeney, is on record as declaring to ITV’s investigative Cook Report programme and later to The Irish Times that Sinn Fein IRA “Pinstripe Terrorists” are a Mafia-style criminal conspiracy linked to murder, extortion and money laundering and that for years the Sinn Féin IRA Mafia operated in plain sight hidden behind legitimate companies in Conway Mill.
Sinn Féin IRA infiltrated Conway Mill in effect – let’s hear Brian Feeney tell us about the Sinn Féin IRA “Pinstripe Terrorists”:
Brian Feeney reiterated for The Irish Times in 2015 that the IRA had NOT GONE AWAY and that Sinn Féin should stop lying about this matter.
Brian thundered that Sinn Féin IRA had a clandestine criminal financial empire – let’s read Brian’s own words:
In 2005, the Department of Justice estimated the IRA’s global assets at €400 million.
Since then it has been privatised, with individual IRA members holding property portfolios and businesses in Ireland, Britain, Europe and the US in trust. Who controls it all? How?
For some reason, both governments and unionists seem obsessed that individual IRA men killing a former IRA man is a terminal threat to political stability in the North, yet ignore the implications of the IRA’s clandestine financial empire.
Ten years ago, Michael McDowell also said that demanding the IRA disband was pointless without demanding its war chest be emptied. Apparently that was a needless complication.
https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/british-and-irish-governments-should-focus-on-ira-s-400-million-global-assets-1.2332550
So Niall – you have a Board Member in Brian Feeney who has for years warned about Sinn Féin’s ability to engage in clandestine activities, to infiltrate legitimate businesses and that it has access to an illegal “war chest” of nearly Half a Billion Euros – so you can understand why the Free Staters and many others wonder if your organisation has not also been infiltrated and perhaps even funded by these criminals – and you mightn’t even know it since Sinn Féin IRA does tell lies about its activities.
And it has been a founding principle of the IRA to engage in infiltration:
I mean – recently cremated IRA Army Council Intelligence Chief Bobby Storey himself declared it was the IRA Volunteer’s duty to lie for The Cause:
But, you’re bound to argue against Free State sceptics that with such an IRA-Sniffing Bloodhound as Brian Feeney on your Board, are you not secured by Fearless Feeney’s Watchful Eyes?
Prior to 2019, yes – we would all have known Brian Feeney to have been a stern critic of Sinn Féin IRA’s terrorist murder campaign, its criminal extortion and money laundering – but since 2019 we can no longer count on Brian Feeney’s word.
Brian contradicted everything he had previously warned us to believe by suddenly – and inexplicably – turning tail and endorsing a member of the previously excoriated Mafia organisation whom he had described as “Pinstripe Terrorists”!
He suddenly and inexplicably in November 2019 signed the nomination papers of a Sinn Féin “Pinstripe Terrorist” parliamentary candidate, the well known IRA supporter John Finucane – and here is a John Finucane Tweet with photographic evidence that Brian Feeney had been TURNED:
Imagine the consternation of people like me who had believed Brian Feeney’s previous homilies about the moral and legal evils of Sinn Féin IRA Pinstripe Terrorists – when suddenly he’s endorsing one of them – endorsing a man who refused to condemn IRA terrorism a number of times when asked to do so by a Belfast Telegraph reporter:
I can hear your shock that one of your esteemed Board Members – Brian Feeney – has been so TURNED – I feel it today even here in my mother’s townland of Redcastle, as I survey Lough Foyle over the screen of my laptop.
But that’s not all – there’s more!
This has all been by way of Introduction – now let’s address the headline material – Ireland’s Future Chairperson Frances Black and her public association with the IRA’s Leadership.
Ireland’s Future Chairperson Frances Black & The IRA Leadership
Chairperson of Ireland’s Future Frances Black has had a long association Sinn Féin and with the IRA’s highest leadership – with the IRA’s Chiefs of Staff no less.
Frances generously supported the IRA’s SAOIRSE campaign in 1997 demanding the release of all IRA prisoners – the SAOIRSE symbol was the Green Ribbon [Oh].
In 1999, Frances Black performed for the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis at the RDS in Dublin for her friend IRA Chief of Staff Gerry Adams, receiving a bouquet of flowers from “Brownie” Adams, gazing awestruck into his eyes…
Frances Black – who has campaigned against perceived Israeli Human Rights’ offences against Palestinians 4,000km from Ireland – appears to be blind to the IRA’s long list of appalling Human Rights atrocities on her doorstep in Ireland, in Northern Ireland and in Britain.
Frances joined IRA leader Gerry Adams in likening the IRA’s volunteer Hunger Strikers to Palestinian volunteer Hunger Strikers without appearing to acknowledge the violent crimes of the IRA terrorists (and Palestinian terrorists) she has lauded.
Nobody has a problem with IRA or PLO terrorists taking their own lives – that’s their choice – but almost everyone has a problem with IRA and PLO terrorists taking the lives of others.
“With its harrowing accounts of the bravery and strength of Palestinian and Irish republican hunger strikers, this book will inspire people to support the freedom struggles of oppressed people all over the world and will shine a light on the brutal Israeli apartheid regime. When people are prepared to sacrifice their own lives for a cause they will never be defeated.”
Senator Frances Black, Dublin, Ireland
Frances appears to ignore the IRA’s unilateral decision to annul the Human Rights of all of its many victims and to murder them.
The Irish Times recorded the terrorist crimes of the IRA Hunger Strikers:
- Bobby Sands: Member of the Provisional IRA. One of four people sentenced to 14 years each in September 1977 for possession of a revolver after bomb and gun attack.
- Francis Hughes: Member of the Provisional IRA. Serving life imprisonment and concurrent sentences of 83 years for the murder of a soldier and the attempted murder of another.
- Patsy O’Hara: Member of the Irish National Liberation Army. Sentenced to 8 years in January 1980 for possession of a hand grenade.
- Raymond McCreesh: Member of the Provisional IRA. Sentenced in March 1977 for 14 years, and lesser sentences, for attempted murder and possession of a rifle and ammunition.
- Joe McDonnell: Member of the Provisional IRA. Sentenced to 14 years in September 1977 for the same reasons as Bobby Sands.
- Kevin Lynch: Member of the Irish National Liberation Army. Sentenced to 10 years in December 1977 for a number of offences including conspiracy to disarm members of the security forces, taking part in a so-called punishment shooting, and the taking of legally held shotguns.
- Martin Hurson: Member of the Provisional IRA. Convicted in November 1977. Given 20 years for possession of landmines and conspiracy, as well as two other concurrent sentences of 15 and 5 years respectively.
- Thomas McElwee: Member of the Provisional IRA. Sentenced to 20 years in September 1977 for manslaughter and possession of explosives.
- Mickey Devine: Member of the Irish National Liberation Army. Sentenced to 12 years imprisonment in June 1977 for possession of rifles and ammunition.
- Kieran Doherty: Member of the Provisional IRA. Sentenced to 18 years in January 1978 for possession of firearms and explosives and four years for commandeering a car.
In April of 2002, Sinn Féin IRA decided to celebrate its “war dead” in an evening of commemoration, speeches and song in Dublin’s City West Hotel.
All of the republican movement’s Big Guns were present to also honour the families of the IRA’s dead Volunteers.
Guess who provided music for the occasion, Niall – your Chairperson, Frances Black no less.
The stage design on the night, loosely based on the US Vietnam memorial in Washington, has been designed by Bobby Ballagh and renowned Belfast mural artist Danny Devanney.
On the night, there will be a dinner, presentations to each of the families, speeches by Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams and a wealth of music.
The Fear and Bean an Tí will be Eamonn Nolan and actress Fionnuala Flanagan, respectively.
The music will be provided by Frances Black and her band, Anne and Francie Brolly, The Freemen, Barry Kerr and friends and traditional musicians Helen Lyons and Donal O’Connor.
An Phoblacht, 11/04/2002
Two years later, in July 2004, when IRA Chief of Staff Joe Cahill was buried in Belfast, leading Sinn Féin IRA royalty were present to honour one of their Chief Mass Murderers.
A piper led the cortege and Tricolour-draped coffin of Mr Cahill, who died on Friday aged 84 from asbestosis.
Among those who shouldered the coffin were Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness and the singer Frances Black, who at the graveside sang The Bold Fenian Men.
A republican guard of honour, four on the right side, three on the left, flanked the coffin.
There were five men and two women in the guard wearing dark suits and ties, white shirts and black berets. They marched in funeral time.
The Irish Times
Two years later again, the Bold Frances was once more keening at an IRA funeral, that of Gerry Adams’ aide, IRA Volunteer Siobhan O’Hanlon.
The following month, May 2006, Frances Black performed in honour of dead IRA Volunteer and Hunger Striker Bobby Sands in Belfast.
In May 2007, Frances Black attended the dedication of a Garden of Reflection in memory of women members of Cumann na mBan (women’s wing of the IRA) where her friend IRA Chief of Staff Gerry Adams presided – as he would – and where Frances sang a song in honour of the Women of Cumann na mBan.
In January of 2011, Frances Black performed for the IRA Directed Pat Finucane Centre in Derry at the 39th anniversary Bloody Sunday march commemoration and was joined for a rousing rendition of Amhrán na bhFiann (the Irish national anthem – The Soldier’s Song) by her good friend IRA Chief of Staff Gerry Adams.
In October of 2011, Frances Black backed IRA Chief of Staff and Sinn Féiner Martin McGuinness’ Presidential campaign at the Rotunda in Dublin, giving a speech in his honour and also singing for the massed Sinn Féin and IRA audience.
Frances gushed that Martin McGuinness gave her a poem he had written.
In May of 2016 Frances Black unashamedly volunteered in a press interview details of her alcoholism, but denied she was a member of Sinn Féin!
How strange that Frances would claim no links to Sinn Féin when the previous year she travelled from Dublin to Derry/Londonderry for the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis in a Sinn Féin car along with Three Shinners, Daithi Doolan, Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Miriam Murphy having a right old giggle…
At the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis in Derry/Londonderry, Frances Black pointedly posed with the Palestinian Ambassador and his Deputy Head of Mission while wearing her Sinn Féin I.D. badge.
In March of 2017, Frances Black sang at the funeral of Martin McGuinness, surrounded not only by his family, but by many of the leading IRA terrorists of the previous 30 years of IRA Human Rights’ atrocities.
What is it with Frances Black and IRA Chiefs of Staff occasions?
It would be naive and foolish to imagine that Frances Black, Chairperson of Ireland’s Future, has had no links to well known IRA leaders and Sinn Féin Chiefs – leaving the Ordinary Citizen the liberty to form an opinion that she is indeed a supporter of Sinn Féin and also a supporter of the IRA.
There is a strong rumour that Sinn Féin intends to run Frances Black as an “Independent” candidate in the next Irish Presidential election – really, it is time that Civic Citizens are granted full disclosure regarding the funding of Ireland’s Future and also the links – if any – of its Board Members to the Sinn Féin movement.
Frances Black dedicates a song at Reclaim 1916 to the ‘wonderful wonderful memory’ of those men and women who died for Ireland – presumably the IRA volunteers?
The Irish Peace Process 