NEW YORK BOSTON |#Popular: Irish Celebrity Gossip Irish in US Politics Irish Festivals Irish Roots Irish Entertainment Offbeat Irish

Home Page > News > Northern Irish GAA players receive medals with images of dead IRA members

Northern Irish GAA players receive medals with images of dead IRA members

Controversial shoot to kill allegations reawakened by gesture

ANTOINETTE KELLY,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, June 5, 2012, 7:53 AM

Updated Tuesday, June 5, 2012, 7:53 AM

Larger Text

E-mail

66 Comments

Medal with IRA member Martin McCaughey's images

Photo by Google Images

A Country Tyrone Gaelic Athletic Club (GAA) was yesterday criticized by the mother of an 11-year-old boy angry that children were given medals bearing the picture of a dead IRA man after a football blitz at the weekend.

The controversial medals given to the Under-12 boys at Galbally Pearses Club in Tyrone featured a picture of Martin McCaughey and fellow IRA man Dessie Grew, both of whom were shot dead by the SAS in County Armagh in October 1990.

'It was outrageous. My son was asking what the hero did,' the mother, who did not want to be named told the BBC. 'We had no warning that the medals would be dedicated to a dead IRA man. I think we should have at least been told what the medals would have on them and given a chance to decide whether we wanted our children to take part or not.'

Responding to the criticism a press officer for Tyrone Gaelic Athletic Association said: 'If the mother has a comment, she should make it to Tyrone County offices, they would obviously look at it.'

Martin McCaughey and Dessie Grew, who were both armed with AK47 rifles, were shot more than 30 times by an SAS unit at an isolated farm building in 1990. The deaths prompted allegations the British government was operating a 'shoot to kill' policy. An investigation later revealed that neither man had fired a shot during the incident, which led to charges that the SAS had opened fire without making any attempt to arrest them.

Responding to the circumstances of their deaths, the men's families campaigned for an inquest for more than 20 years. In May of this year a jury found that the SAS had used 'reasonable force' during the operation and that the IRA men's own actions had contributed to their deaths.

'They were both armed with guns, wearing gloves and balaclavas and were approaching soldiers who believed that their lives were in immediate danger,' the verdict said.

Nster.com

E-mail

66 Comments

15 - 66 | See all comments

Bythebay | Jun 22, 2012, 02:17 PM EDT

seanomelb, taunts like a primary school dropout, Aussie British Subject.

Report abuse

Bythebay | Jun 22, 2012, 02:14 PM EDT

seanomelb, Aussie Brit name caller, never graduated from primary school and it shows with her taunts.

Report abuse

seanomelb | Jun 13, 2012, 07:24 PM EDT

You do mean Norn Areland bythebay??

Report abuse

Bythebay | Jun 13, 2012, 01:26 PM EDT

Northern Ireland UK, not Northern Irish. Northern Irish are in the northern part of Ireland.

Report abuse

IrelandNorth | Jun 13, 2012, 09:00 AM EDT

Ms. Dexy! How do you square your thinly disguised ageist/racism hostility towards elderly Americans with you unrequited xenophilia for foreign nationals in Ireland. It's clear to me at least that abandonmen by your American natural mother in childhood not only poisoned you affections towars her fellow nationals of like generation, but also unconsciously influenced your choice of occupation. Also your understandible outrage apropos Omagh because of the pregnant woman killed. PS All terrorism is morally wrong, whether State or paramilitary.

Report abuse

RedBranch | Jun 12, 2012, 06:05 PM EDT

George congratulations on that Master's from Columbia, they have an extensive Holacaust section in their library if I remember correctly. I do not mean to pry but what were the 'things' that intervened to prevent you going for the doctorate?

Report abuse

DanOLoingsigh | Jun 12, 2012, 03:05 AM EDT

Having read through previous posts on this string, I can’t see where I ‘spewed out hatred’…or is that ‘Dillon-speak’ for disagreeing with his twisted views on modern Ireland? Most of the offensive comments are from Dillon himself….

Report abuse

Bythebay | Jun 11, 2012, 04:59 PM EDT

IRA Provo Terrorist medals should not be given to participants in GAA matches. Period. The GAA wants to be inclusive and is bemoaning the loss of players. No wonder they're losing players and they'll have none if they continue that madness. The terrorists lost. Get over it.

Report abuse

GeorgeDillon | Jun 11, 2012, 04:38 PM EDT

CiaraBythebay: "George, you really are stupid. How far did you get in school?" Masters from Columbia. Should have gone for the Ph.D but other things intervened. But may yet do a Ph.D in Irish at Harvard. How about you? Irish Intermediate Cert? As regards the British National Front, you're too stupid to have followed my point. I was showing up the viciously anti-Irish poster Lynch, who had been spewing out some hatred or other.

Report abuse

ancavker | Jun 11, 2012, 10:46 AM EDT

As far as the Omagh bombing, wrong plain and simple. Regardless of warnings, and who warned who etc. If you put a bomb in a crowded shopping center.Putting a bomb in a crowded shopping center, you know there is a high probability that Innocent people could be killed or injured. No justification period.

Report abuse

ancavker | Jun 11, 2012, 10:41 AM EDT

ciara: Unless these Yanks were rude to you prior to the (so called breakfast incident), why the need to beat them up about who is Irish, and who is not. And as far as the breakfast incident, a savvy proprietor would have fed the people, as it is good for business. That is how it is done in so many other places, including the U.S. Stop beating up the Yanks, you need them more over there, than they need you. You really should be embarrassed of what your government and people have done to the place, rather than picking on Americans, Irish or otherwise. Ireland is a failed state.

Report abuse

IrelandNorth | Jun 11, 2012, 09:10 AM EDT

Like the canonical gospels, journalists submit copy on a range of topics they may not have personally witnessed. In matters of press or media, always remember that they were written or reported by highly subjective individuals and edited out by highly selective editors wit hagendas to follow. Alas, with the horror of Omagh, we are merely discussing the virulent symptoms of a much protracted imperialist disease.

Report abuse

seanomelb | Jun 11, 2012, 09:07 AM EDT

In fact "know all Ciara" I was in Ireland when the bombing took place. Your history of the event is very flawed, but why spoil a good story with the truth pea brain, as I've stated before a warning was given by the silly fools who undertook the bombings.the Omagh bombing was a stupid act which backfired on the perpetrators. Simple facts seem to escape you and your mean spirited buddy from England Dan Lynch.

Report abuse

ciaradexy | Jun 11, 2012, 06:38 AM EDT

George, you really are stupid. How far did you get in school? You're telling someone to go back to the national Front but the NF are anti migrants which seems to be YOUR problem. The difference is, the NF are anti-migrants into THEIR own country, you are anti-migrant into MINE yet at the same time you mock and try to belittle the Irish but claim to be Irish. Have you been diagnosed as schizophrenic? Poles and latvians ( I mention them because you did) are as entitled to claim the dole here as you are entitled to claim the dole in Florida. Do you understand that yet?

Report abuse

ciaradexy | Jun 11, 2012, 05:30 AM EDT

Seano, the Omagh bombing WAS a deliberate act to kill civilians! Why else would a massive bomb be left on a shopping street!? But you were in Australia when all this was going on here so what would you know and why would you even care! George, i was in Killarney and Killadoon at the weekend. We got great milage laughing at the Yanks like yourself who kept telling us they were Irish. Great craic indeed. I think they finally got the message and you should tell your yank mates that when it says breakfast served till 1030am, please dont start shouting at hotel staff at 1050am cos you cant get breakfast. You lot are idiots! No wonder youre the most disliked people on the planet.

Report abuse