What role did Boston Irish mafia head Whitey Bulger play in one of the most notorious IRA gun running episodes of The Troubles?
In 1984 a fishing boat named the Valhalla left Boston harbor for the Irish coast, carrying seven tons of guns and ammunition valued at over $1 million.
There were strong suggestions that Bulger, whose maternal grandparents were from Ireland, had helped supply the weapons.
Patrick Nee, a Connemara native living in Boston, had collected most of the guns, grenades and bulletproof vests that were in the shipment.
Sean O’Callaghan, a high level British spy within the IRA, is said to have tipped off the British and Irish authorities when the ship was on the high seas.
The guns were intercepted aboard the Marita Anne, an Irish trawler, by Irish police after the Valhalla had transferred them. Aboard the Marita Ann were four IRA men, including IRA commander Martin Ferris, now a prominent member of the Dail (Irish Parliament).
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The Valhalla made its way back to Boston unscathed, having avoided the earlier interception. The crew were arrested by federal agents but released after nothing was found on the boat.
That might have been the end of the affair until a shipmate began talking.
Aboard the ship was John McIntyre, a former Marine who was arrested on a domestic violence charge unconnected to the Valhalla incident, a few months later.
While in custody McIntyre spilled the beans on the Valhalla episode and allegedly named associates of Bulger, and probably Bulger himself, as being involved. He agreed to wear a wire when meeting with Bulger and Nee.
He spilled his guts to the FBI, not knowing that the senior FBI commander, John Connolly, had struck a deal with Bulger to cover up his crimes in return for information on the Italian mobsters in Boston.
Connolly, now serving a lengthy term for his cooperation with Bulger, told the Irish mafia head that he had been named by McIntyre.
It was Connolly who tipped off Bulger in 1995 that an extortion and racketeering charge was being prepared against him, which led to Bulger going on the run.
After Connolly told Bulger that McIntyre had named him, what happened next was quick and savage. McIntyre was lured into Bulger’s company by Nee, where he was tortured and murdered by Bulger and his associates. It was 15 years before his body turned up.
The McIntyre family won a $3.1 million wrongful death suit from the federal government because the feds had set their son up for murder. The judge stated that Connolly was the "proximate cause" of McIntyre's death and said the federal government should be held responsible.
Connolly is now serving 40 years in prison. Perhaps he might meet up with Whitey behind bars once again.
That would be a conversation worth taping.
8 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.sinnfein | Mar 10, 2013, 09:49 PM EDT
I don't think it's I know that WhiteyBulgar was doing nothing wrong in my book. THERE SHOULD BE MORE PEOPLE LIKE HIM SUPPORTING THE IRISH WITH ARMS. SO THEY CAN CONTINUE THEIR WORTHWHILE CAUSE IN IRELAND.MY GRANDPARENTS HAD TO MOVE TO THE UNITED STATES DUE TO MY GRANDFATHER HIDING ITS SOLIDERS IN HIS RESIDENCE. I RESPECT THAT SO MUCH BECAUSE NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE SAYS WHITEYBULGAR AND THE IRA ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING WRONG. THEY ARE DOING IT FOR A GREAT CAUSE AND FOR THAT I am grateful to be irish and to tell you the truth if there was a way of if there is anyone out there who has any ties to anyone involved please contact sinnfein63com@icloud.com THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THEN FIGHTING FOR THE IRISH CAUSE.
joycean | Jun 30, 2011, 12:12 PM EDT
People like Archbishop Martin, Walter Ellis love this stuff. It "proves" Irish-Americans are responsible Ireland's problems, and probably why "Irish-American" is a cuss word in Ireland.
cillowen | Jun 29, 2011, 08:35 PM EDT
another movie of wild imagining
mamaginnty | Jun 29, 2011, 05:50 PM EDT
A fable is one way of catching your eye with journalist, and Niall does it well. 1..Bolgers secret links..WHAT role did he play? 2..strong SUGGESTIONS Bolger had helped. 3..Spy IS SAID to have tiped off. 4..McIntyre ALLEGEDLY named associates. So full of holes a whale could get through. Propaganda is a form of brainwashing on those who are willing. Like over and over again the words... (weapons of mass destruction)
Woodman | Jun 29, 2011, 04:57 PM EDT
Somehow I bet this fantastic fable will never make into the actual indictment.
seanaci | Jun 29, 2011, 01:14 PM EDT
There was also a suspicion that Bulger was playing both sides and tipped off the FBI about the shipment for more brownie points with the Bureau. It would certainly fit his MO.
mcbreen | Jun 29, 2011, 10:20 AM EDT
Not only old news but a re-hashed canard manufactured by the British media. If half of the stories about IRA gun-running with the Mafia, Libya, Columbians, dissillusioned Irish Americans, and numerous other boogy-men were true, the IRA would have more weapons than every army in Europe. Guilt by association made good press,but always seemed to be short on details when investigated.
OleSarge | Jun 29, 2011, 08:06 AM EDT
Old news. It has been written about many times "The Black Mass" published in 2000. While it shows Bulger as his murderer he is, nothing new in your article.