Irish Americans across the East Coast are being asked to support next week’s book launch and tour in support of families whose loved ones were murdered by the British and paramilitary forces in County Tyrone
The new book"Counterinsurgency and Collusion in Northern Ireland," by Professor Mark McGovern, will be launched at a number of events beginning on Sunday, June 2 in Philadelphia. McGovern, a professor of sociology at Edge Hill University in Lancashire, England, will be accompanied by Mark Thompson, the CEO of the Relatives for Justice group.
The sister of a man murdered by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) in 1991 is asking that Irish Americans turn their attention to the tour and attend the events where McGovern and Thompson will speak. The tour is being organized by the Ancient Order of the Hibernians.
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Poilin Quinn, sister of John Quinn murdered by the UVF alongside three other men in Cappagh, Co. Tyrone, on March 3, 1991, said, “This book tells the definitive narrative of British state collusion in east Tyrone and elsewhere across the north of Ireland. It provides a voice to the families and is essential reading for anyone interested in Ireland, the conflict, the peace process, families’ struggle for truth and justice and addressing the legacy of the past.”
A press release noted that McGovern spent years conducting research for his book which was released in March of this year.
“Working alongside the NGO Relatives for Justice, his work draws on forensic and ballistic evidence, eyewitness accounts, and legal actions by families involving disclosures, court cases, and inquests. The book contains key interviews with the families of those targeted and killed by the U.K. government through its proxies within loyalist paramilitary gangs,” the release said.
“Placing these experiences in the context of British colonial policies, 'Counterinsurgency and Collusion' examines the deliberate targeting of republicans and their uninvolved relatives across the Mid-Ulster region of east Tyrone and south Derry from the late 1980s until 1994 in a series of attacks in which collusion was a key feature.
“The UVF murder of Roseanne Mallon, the elderly aunt of Tyrone republican Martin Mallon features prominently in the book. This attack on the Mallon family home, in which Martin’s mother Bridget was also shot and wounded by the notorious UVF gang lead by Billy Wright, was watched by a covert unit of the British Army who also recorded the attack.
“Mr. Mallon said, ‘This book is an important contribution to exposing the policy of British state collusion in east Tyrone. It speaks truth to power.
“I’d call on all Tyrone people living in the U.S. to attend the launches and support the families in getting the truth out about exactly what did happen to us and to expose Britain’s dirty war of terror and murder in Ireland.”
Poilin Quinn concluded, “The families continue the struggle for truth and accountability. This book lifts the lid on Britain’s shameful and murderous record in Ireland through pseudo terror gangs. It shatters the myth that the British were neutral observers.”
The New York launch takes place on Monday, June 3 at O’Lunney’s Times Square, 145 West 45th Street, New York, from 7-9 p.m. Visit www.relativesforjustice.com for remaining dates.
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