Ireland’s Justice Minister Alan Shatter has slammed a Real IRA paramilitary display at the Dublin funeral of one of its alleged leaders.
The Saturday funeral for Real IRA boss Alan Ryan in Dublin drew a number of Real IRA members and supporters in support and mourning for Ryan and shots were fired over his coffin.
Shatter called Sunday’s proceedings "reprehensible and absolutely unacceptable."
"Paramilitary trappings should not blind people to the fact that what is at issue is criminal terrorism carried on by people who, for their own reasons, want to drag the people of this island back to a dark past," Shatter said.
"In treating the will of the people, north and south, with contempt, they dishonour democracy.”
"I recognise fully the immediate difficulties which face An Garda Siochana when people take advantage of a funeral to behave in this fashion. But the Garda Commissioner has assured me that they are pursuing rigorously any breaches of the law which took place.”
The Belfast Telegraph reports that during Ryan’s funeral on Saturday, members of the Real IRA fired off rounds of gunshots as his body was taken from his North Dublin home for the funeral. The paramilitary group was out in strength, following the funeral procession from Ryan’s home to the Church and then onto the graveyard.
Ryan’s coffin was draped with a tricolor and escorted by hundreds of supporters and associates dressed in republican uniform, including a colour party with their faces covered. The funeral was held at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Donaghmede, North Dublin, and was monitored by a strong Garda presence.
Alan Ryan was gunned down last Monday near his home in the Grange Lodge estate in Clongriffin, Dublin. A suspect who is in his 40s was arrested on Thursday and can be questioned for up to 72 hours.
Ryan was no stranger to crime, and had served time in 2000 after the discovery of a Real IRA training camp. He was being investigated for crimes in both the North and Republic of Ireland.
"The gardai, together with their colleagues in the north, will continue to take every action open to them to deal with the activities of members of these groups, whether they are engaging in terrorism or organised crime."
While Sinn Fein councillor Micheal Mac Donncha admitted the murder of Ryan was shocking, he warned that dissidents do not have the support of the local community. "As a public representative, I have to reflect the views of the local community, and it has to be said that there is great resentment at attempts to portray the so-called 'Real IRA' as being supported by this community," said Mr Mac Donncha.
"Wall slogans and black flags cannot hide the fact that this violent faction is rejected by the community in Donaghmede and that they represent no-one but themselves. Genuine Irish republicans throughout the country totally reject the activities of this group and other such factions who abuse the good name of Irish republicanism to further their own ends."
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.seanomelb | Sep 13, 2012, 07:44 PM EDT
Begin was just another terrorist.maybe we should remember the British soldier hanged from a tree in Palestine by Begin and his terrorist friend. Nowadays the Israeli terrorists wear the uniform of the Israeli army.
DanOLoingsigh | Sep 13, 2012, 04:12 PM EDT
That would be the KING DAVID hotel...Polish-born Begin was condemned by Ben-Gurion as an enemy of the people...he later authorised the invasion of Lebanon...his contemporary, Russian-born Shamir, planned the assassination of UN EMISSARY Count Bernadotte...
IrelandNorth | Sep 12, 2012, 08:59 AM EDT
However non-ideal political violence or physical force republicanism is, (or is use to justify extra curricular activity), can't help wondering about Menachem Begin and the Irgun organisation in British mandated Palestine, who apparently emulated Michael Collins's IRA in bombing the St David hotel in Jerusalem convince the British to leave.
seanomelb | Sep 11, 2012, 07:24 PM EDT
I wonder what your past is Gordon!! I live for the now and entitled to my opinion,your use of the hackneyed old "living in the past" phrase is just an excuse for your inability to discus the issues raised and weakens you argument.
DanOLoingsigh | Sep 11, 2012, 06:40 PM EDT
Some unedifying, anti-semitic drivel crawled onto this site11
citizen69 | Sep 11, 2012, 04:19 PM EDT
@Ancavker: It's not only revisionists, as you call them, who claim these people are of the same linage of the men 0f 1916 but the groups themselves who promote this propaganda... it's the Real IRA, The Continuity IRA, The Provisional IRA, Oglaigh na hEireann, INLA, Provisional Sinn Fein, Republican Sinn Fein, and all the rest of them, who all claim to be a legitimate continuation of the original Irish Volunteers. And quite clearly many people of the diaspora fall for it hook line & sinker.
Happyhippo | Sep 11, 2012, 02:38 PM EDT
Are these face coverings the male equivalent of the Burka.if they are and you wear one in the land of Marie Antoinette you will be charged with breaking the law they are banned in France,discharge a firearm in a public place and you are invited to a spell in jail.
citizen69 | Sep 11, 2012, 12:46 PM EDT
@seanomelb: Ryan was suspected by most quarters to be taking 'protection money' from these drug dealers to allow them to continue their trade so it seems he may not be the anti-drug crusader you make him out to be.
Gordan Duggan | Sep 11, 2012, 11:31 AM EDT
Seanobelb, wounndedego and IrelandNorth: The terrorists will never win, REMEMBER 9/11. So give your brain a rest boys. Stop living in the past!
cillowen | Sep 11, 2012, 11:14 AM EDT
Shatter the jew/el in erin's crown is a media constant - no doubt tells everyone how it should be. such being one of his kind who'll utter a word - without devil a word against him/them.
DanOLoingsigh | Sep 11, 2012, 05:23 AM EDT
The only ‘mob’ I can see here are Seano’s masked ‘heroes’...the ones he defends with all his usual delusional gusto...
lorcank | Sep 11, 2012, 02:02 AM EDT
seanomelb. You know that, I know that, people in Ireland know that, let the west brits and their apologists believe what they want!
seanomelb | Sep 10, 2012, 07:13 PM EDT
The usual anti-Irish mob are on the rampage again. As I stated before Ryan was an known anti drugs campaigner,he was murdered because he had the dealers on the run.The usual gutter press tie him to drug running because they hate his politics. Maybe Shatter should have taken a more proactive approach against drug runners instead of engaging in gutter politics to shore up his shortcomings in dealing with drug barons.
Seanmor | Sep 10, 2012, 06:30 PM EDT
I'm a strong believer in strict law-enforcement, greatly respect the Gardí and staunchly upport G.F.A. However, for almost a century it has been the tradition of the authorities in Ireland, North and South, not to interfere in the funeral services of a fallen para-military who opposed foreign rule - which still exists in the "Wee Six". In the Writeback page in today's "Belfast Telegraph (10 Sept.)is a letter titled "Armagh Firmly in Ireland" agus is mise an té a scríobh an litir sin. What happened to the North-South cooperation provided for in G.F.A. as part of the peace oprocess?
aloistmartin | Sep 10, 2012, 03:49 PM EDT
Never Forget !
edmundburke | Sep 10, 2012, 02:44 PM EDT
Where is the Church in all of this? In 1920, when the outrageous displays at the funeral masses of assassinated Chicago gangsters made the news, the Cardinal of the Archdiocese of Chicago put his foot down and forbade funeral masses for known gangsters. Neither Al Capone nor Frank Nitti had funeral masses due to this dictum. Thereafter, the Church, at least, could not be accused of aiding and abetting the Mob. Ireland's Church hierarchy should take a cue from this and ban all funerals for Real IRA men and unrepentant active Provos. It wouldn't stop the honor guards, but it would at least show that the Church is not a silent collaborator with this terrorist/gangster agenda.
lorcank | Sep 10, 2012, 01:41 PM EDT
A statement has been released in reply to the unelected Provisional Sinn Fein member, but I can't post it for some reason.
Gordan Duggan | Sep 10, 2012, 01:27 PM EDT
The Garda Special Branch (in plain clothes) were secretly filming amongst the crowds and despite umbrellas and raised hands caught the "colour party" without their paramilitary coverings and in the church. They also followed them back to their homes and they are now on Garda files. The Ryan family broke their agreement with the Security Forces as to how this funeral should be conducted. I doubt the Irish Ministers are afraid of these fools, the security forces are well versed in survellance of these people when the security of the Irish State is threatened.
WoundedKnee | Sep 10, 2012, 12:51 PM EDT
Irishstorm: "Shatter and his colleagues have absolutely betrayed the Irish people by selling Ireland off to the Banksters". Quite right, but don't forget Shatter's role in promoting the settlement of Ireland by foreigners. Just a week or so ago there was a Mass Naturalization ceremony in Dublin at which 4000 foreign migrants were given Irish citizenship. If that were just once in a year there'd be no problem, but it was one in a series of mass naturalization ceremonies that are coming every week or two in Ireland. 4000 in one ceremony in Ireland is the equivalent of the USA having a Mass Naturalization ceremony for a quarter of a million immigrants at a time. And that's Shatter's doing. Whatever harm the Real IRA is doing to Ireland, Shatter and his cronies are doing more.
Jacob | Sep 10, 2012, 12:43 PM EDT
The IRA was always funded through drug-dealing, extortion and the dole. The "Real IRA" just want to keep to the old way of making a living, rather than the "New Sinn Fein" way with Govt funded salaries.
Irishstorm | Sep 10, 2012, 12:11 PM EDT
How any Irish Government minister has the audacity to dictate to any Irish citizen about "democracy" is shameless hypocrisy. Shatter and his colleagues have absolutely betrayed the Irish people by selling Ireland off to the Banksters. Ireland's sovereignty has been sold to these gangsters. Now, they are forcing Irish people to pay for water, something completely unthinkable yesterday. Michael Collins will be turning in his grave.
butlerreport | Sep 10, 2012, 10:14 AM EDT
He can slam all he wants. He promised tight police presence and yet when they guys were firing handguns there were no arrests. I think real reason that politicians are easy on these terrorists is that they are afraid they may come knocking on their door.
ancavker | Sep 10, 2012, 10:00 AM EDT
Gerry: These thugs of the so called Real IRA, are just that criminal thugs drug dealers etc. who cover their activities by claiming they are fighting to free/reuntimte all of Ireland. They are a disgrace, and they play right into the hands of the revisionists who claim that they are the same as the men and women who fought in 1916-22. The Irish government should crush this grrbage once and for all.
billie061 | Sep 10, 2012, 09:11 AM EDT
What an ignorant plonker you are Gerry Adams, Gun salute for a drug selling thug, I don't think so. What a mockery to my Grandfather and his comrades who fought in 1922, and who when he died in 1969 had earned his right to a gun salute. Real I.R.A. nothing but a bunch of drug-running thugs, and how dare they insult our national flag by drapping it on his coffin, 43 years after my grandfathers funeral I have the flag that drapped his coffin and I treat it with the utmost respect unlike those that placed it on that thugs coffin.