Stephen and Breige Quinn, the parents of murdered Armagh man, Paul, are interviewed in this morning’s Irish News ahead of a public meeting in South Armagh tonight. The dead man’s family reiterate their belief that the IRA were responsible for his killing: “We have been told that it wasn’t sanctioned by the leadership but that there were members or former IRA members involved.”
The Quinns say they are not interested in turning their son’s death into a political football; they just want to see justice for him: “I don’t think they actually went out to kill Paul. I think they set out to make an example of him. They wanted to show that the IRA is in charge of south Armagh and no-one else. But at the end of the day they killed him. The broke nearly every bone in his body. They robbed me and Breige of a son and Paul of his life.
“People trusted Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness when they said they wanted peace. Well, they’ve got that now, so why do they need the IRA? There’s no need for the boys hiding in the ditches anymore but they don’t want to give up control down here. They need to leave people alone so that we can get on with our lives.”
The Quinns also say that sisters of murdered east Belfast man, Robert McCartney, will also be in attendance at the meeting.
Writing in the Irish Independent recently about the Quinn murder and a previous public meeting held to highlight the Quinns’ case, former Senator Maurice Hayes noted: “What republicans, and especially Sinn Fein, will find, like the ANC in South Africa, is that if you encourage young people over a lengthy period to defy authority, to break the law, to destroy public property and to enforce rough justice, they get into the habit and continue to do so, even when you have become the authority …
“It is an encouraging sign of political stability, and people’s belief that it will continue in the future, that they are prepared to tell those who wish to perpetuate the rule of fear based on possession of guns and the willingness to use strong-arm methods that their day is coming to a close. For most, it could not come quickly enough.”
Amen to that, brother.
The meeting will take place tonight in the community centre, Crossmaglen, at 8pm
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Quinns talk ahead of public meeting
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21 comments:
The Quinns are fine and courageous people. Having witnessed first hand the grief that they are suffering, it is amazing that they have the strength to carry on. However, when someone does that to your son, and then adds insult to injury by besmirching his name, you can start to understand.
El Mat
Can I ask what part you have in the Quinn Support group?
The website? The bebo page?
Any chance of an honest answer?
Chris I would say elmats part is to do all they can to stir it up against Sinn Fein. The Quinn case like the McCartney case is used by the likes of elmat as a way of getting at Sinn Fein. The result in the glens today give them their answer. For the record I can honestly say no matter who was responsible for the murder of Paul Quinn I hope they rot in jail.
Chris Gaskin
Why can you not 'understand' that the Quinn murder is primarily a moral issue? Like Adams from the early days, you continue to insinuate this is not a moral issue by suggesting it is primarily a political issue. Moral first, politics later. SF attempted politicization will not deter friends and neighbors of the Quinns determination to have justice for the murdered man and then clear the area of all criminal scum, including republican scum. After the scum clearance stage, the political landscape will look quite different. 'Oh, we have a mandate and there is no voter intimidation' the chipmunks will soon chirp.
New Yorker do you or anyone else really believe that over 300000 people are intimidated and told how to vote. Sinn Fein's mandate is for leadership and working hard for constituents. The difficulty that people like elmat is that they cannot see their party is devoid of leadership, direction and most importantly devoid of political activists.
Oakleaf
Paul Quinn was murdered for not showing respect to the local IRA mafia. There were 20 or more of them. If they knocked on your door told you to vote SF, what would you do? Any so-called SF "activists" who rap on people's doors have the same effect, how do you know if they are murderers or not? They would certainly know IRA gangsters who break the law all the time. It is very reasonable to assume a large percentage of the SF vote is due to intimidation. I have heard it from people there over the years. It's the type of thing they can whisper to a trusted Yank without any links to SF/IRA.
The Paul Quinn murder reinforces the intimidation. But slowly things are changing. A large round-up of the low-life element will hasten the changes.
New Yorker that is complete and utter nonsense. The electoral comission has reported in the last number of elections that they have been the cleanest they have ever been and its no coincidence that this when the Sinn Fein vote has increased. The SDLP cried for years that the SF vote was stolen they lobbied to have stricter measures put in place for registration and the likes and funny enough they were the one who vote fell by tens of thousands. Sinn Fein gets itvote for hard honest work for its constituents.
Oakleaf
It is quite reasonable to reach the conclusion I stated above. When a group murders and beats local people, it is highly unlikely there is no direct or indirect voter intimidation. I note you did not answer my question on what you would do. Moreover, how do you explain the large disparity in voting preference between areas controlled and terrorized by the group and the vote for that group just a few miles across the border where the local population is largely not intimidated? You do not successfully make the case for no intimidation. On the contrary, your dodging of the issue inadvertently strengthens the case for the illegitimacy of the SF vote as denials from SF are now a sure sign the opposite of what is said by SF is usually true, as in the Paul Quinn murder case.
If Sinn Fein's 'hard honest work for its constituents' is like their work in my area then I feel sorry for anyone living in Sinn Fein-dominated regions. We've just lost our chance at getting a civic centre because SF voted with Unionists to oppose the measure and now we're left with no local community centre and an eyesore of an incomplete building. All done because the SF councillors were told centrally to oppose the measure and work towards setting up a centre in a more electorally advantageous area.
nineteensxtyseven I'll bet sinn fein in your area are regarded as hard working councillors as are many sdlp concillors. the point i am making is refuting the crap that new yorker is stating. Furthermore newyorker if your theory is right how do the 10000 who vote sdlp and the thousands who don't vote get away with it.
Oakleaf
SDLP voters usually live in areas like Belfast, Derry and towns like Rostrevor where the Provo mafia cannot be as intimidating. In rural nationalist areas, it's a different story, as I'm sure you know. Those who don't vote cannot by definition be victims of voter intimidation.
With my overall point about it is reasonable to believe there is voter intimidation by the group, SF/IRA - one and the same, as recent events prove yet again, due to indirect and direct fear of harm: Can you tell me why it is not reasonable to believe that considering current events? You have not refuted the "crap" - you're only evading the truth of the argument.
New Yorker,
While I agree with you 100% on your views re Paul Quinn's murder, I am a wee bit puzzled about some of your remarks about SF. (I have no connection to SF btw).
You state that there is intimidation of voters (quite a statement!) but have no proof of this. I've never seen it myself. The secret ballot was introduced quite a while ago so I don't see how it could be done successfully. The SF vote increased significantly after the ceasefires - surely, by your logic, if the IRA were more active then, the would have "bullied" more voters into voting for them then, not less?
Also, your reference to the disparity in the SF vote on both sides of the border is bizarre. SF has a much higher vote in South Armagh because the national question is still very relevant to northern nationalists. To southerners it hasn't been of immediate concern since 1921 and, anyway, all the major southern parties profess to supporting national reunification (as opposed to merely 2 in the north).
Reg
Regarding the secret ballot, a while back a South Armagh man told me that if he voted he'd have to vote SF. I said you have a secret ballot so nobody knows how you vote. He replied 'They can get into the main vault of the Northern Bank in Belfast, don't you think they can find out how I voted?' I agreed as his logic was sound.
There is both direct and indirect intimidation. Although I think there is some direct intimidation, I believe there is massive indirect intimidation. Indirect intimidation occurs when someone thinks they have to vote for a certain party because there could be injurious consequences for them if they don't do so. People know SF spy on their neighbors, people know the other side of the SF coin is the brutality recently displayed in the Paul Quinn murder. It is very reasonable to hold that voter intimidation, direct or indirect, takes place. In fact, one would be a bit slow to think it does not take place in areas like South Armagh.
Regarding the disparity of the SF vote on both sides of the border, nationalists in the North have known for a long time that the national unification issue was lost many years ago. If they voted for SF for that issue, they haven't been keeping up with the news for several years. Do you think there ever was any possibility of unification with 1million unionists supported by the UK and much of the world? Unification was and is only possible if a majority of people in the North vote for it. So what is the reason for the vote disparity? There are reasons such as stronger competition in the South, lack of a relevant platform - but it is still possible an additional reason is that there is relatively little voter intimidation in the South.
Do you agree I have outlined a reasonable position?
"'They can get into the main vault of the Northern Bank in Belfast, don't you think they can find out how I voted?' I agreed as his logic was sound."
That's a bit silly (not to mention paranoid). How would they know?
"Do you think there ever was any possibility of unification with 1million unionists supported by the UK and much of the world?"
Of course there is a possibility. It won't happen in the near future though.
"Unification was and is only possible if a majority of people in the North vote for it."
Ah yes, the good old Principle of Contempt! Is it any wonder with the PoC officially turning the future of the 6 Counties into a sectarian headcount that both sides vote for the hardline parties?
"Do you agree I have outlined a reasonable position?"
Sorry, I didn't answer your question!
No.
Reg
That was an actual quote about the secrecy of the ballot from a voter. It is what he believed. You may think him silly and paranoid, I think he was being cautious. The issue is what the voters believe when they consider voting, not what you or I think.
The outline I presented is very reasonable to most people, though perhaps not yet in the North but times are changing.
I think that Oakleaf and Chris Gaskin have lost the plot - this is a young man - who suffered horricically at the hands of thugs and all they want to do is score political points - shame on them !
A bit of support fot the Quinn family would be more in their line and that of their erstwhile SF elected representatives - who are more worried in my opinion about SF and how they look and not about the reputation of a poor lad who never got the chance of having a trial by judge and jury - and then SF bleat on they talk about British Justice -- don't make me laugh - the only justice that was given out on Paul was the justice of bullies - which they can't seem to bring themselves to have - they must have the brains of Mr Blobby!!
I note Mr Gaskin asks elmat about honesty - whatabout asking his friends in SF about a bit of honesty as to who was responsible for the terrible death of Paul?
Honesty begins at home!!
I am not a member of the Quinn Support Group. I think, however, that it is quite clear that I support their goals and am proud to do so. I would have thought that that was obvious.
New Yorker
You seem awful confident that you know the facts, but why does it sound exactly like the propaganda spewed out by willie fraser?
And if you know the facts so well how come nobody official is willing to come with in a country mile of your pronouncements?
razorbeck
You say "And if you know the facts so well how come nobody official is willing to come with in a country mile of your pronouncements?" It is precisely because I am many miles away that I can tell the truth. At present in Ireland it is not considered appropriate to speak on the matter. But it will be in the not too distant future as more people see that the Quinn murder was a matter of "constituency" work in that part of the world.
BTW, I think Frazer is a head case.
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