Post by Papa C. on Feb 1, 2006 15:51:29 GMT
Starry Plough
January/February 2006
Gino Gallagher: Examining His Impact on the IRSP Ten Years On
By Gerry Ruddy, Belfast IRSP
It is ten years since the murder of Gino Gallagher. Gino was shot a
number of times in the head on January 31, 1996 as he signed on in the
Falls social security office. It is only right and proper to remember
Gino. Gino was a long time member of the Republican Socialist Movement
and his mother had been on the first Ard-Chomhairle of the Irish
Republican Socialist Party.
Gino was a very shy, soft spoken but very articulate person well read
up in Irish history. He was born in Belfast in 1963 and his parents
were Paddy and Teresa. The oldest of three children, Brendan and
Soirsa, Gino joined the movement first as a member of the Patsy O'Hara
Youth Movement and went on to become an active member of the Irish
National Liberation Army. He served three spells in gaol, two remands
for possession of a rifle and the other for explosives.
He served seven of a 14-year sentence for the killing of a cop and
wounding two others during a police raid on a safe house. His close
friend and comrade Paul "Bonanza" McCann was also killed during the
same gun battle in June 1984. He continued his struggle in gaol by
politicising and educating himself for his release. On his release, he
rejoined the army and took part in a number of high profile operations.
While living in the Ormeau Road, he survived a pipe bomb attack on him
and the family so they moved to the Glen Road. He was there just
under two years when cops intercepted five loyalists (UFF) preparing
to assassinate Gino.
Gino was more than a militant army comrade. He also had an astute
political brain. Even at a time when the RSM was been run into the
ground by a leadership that was working to an agenda that had nothing
to do with republican socialism, Gino could still see the bigger
picture. Below we reprint a copy of a letter he sent to the
Andersonstown News. It was written amidst all the hullabaloo about the
Provo ceasefire and accurately predicts what was subsequently to take
place.
"Despite the euphoria surrounding the IRA ceasefire many nationalists
are already beginning to express doubts. At first if someone was to
speak out against what has been termed the 'peace process', you were
immediately viewed as being politically short-sighted or a war-monger.
The British response to the IRA ceasefire, in their typically arrogant
attitude was to argue and delay over the words 'complete' and
'permanent;' brand Republican prisoners as criminals; and again
reiterate that there will be no constitutional change to this
sectarian statelet.
"Amidst media speculation, nods and winks and hints about secret
deals, the advocates of the laying down of arms have gained no binding
agreement concerning political change. British soldiers will wear
berets instead of helmets and this is portrayed as a step in the right
direction. In reality, it amounts to nothing but a ridiculous gesture.
Proposed U.S. investment is portrayed in some kind of charitable
fashion. If capitalists invest millions in Ireland, you can be certain
that the fat cats expect to reap millions in return. Partition and the
Unionist veto remain firmly in place; publicly ratified by both London
and Dublin.
"The leadership of the IRA has ordered a halt. Sinn Fein has aligned
itself with the constitutional reformists of the SDLP and the Dublin
government in an unarmed strategy. The Republican Movement appear to
have put their faith in a diplomatic war against Britain in the hope
that the British Government will react positively. This course can
only lead into a political cul-de-sac. This is undoubtedly a critical
period in this campaign and all concerned must speak out, must
come together and pool their thoughts in order to ensure that an
alternative strategy is advanced. A real peace, a lasting peace cannot
be achieved until the British are confronted and forced to
withdraw from Ireland. Gino Gallagher, Andersonstown, 11th September
1994."
Gino was calling in effect for what Bernadette McAliskey was
subsequently to call Plan B. Although a member of the leadership of
the movement, Gino's ideas did not have the approval of the then
leadership of the army grouped around Hugh "Cueball" Torney.
Apolitical himself, Torney distrusted those with political ideas and
had gradually shut down all political activity by the IRSP.
He poured scorn on attempts to rally against the politics of the Provo
peace process. Subsequently when the leadership around Torney were
arrested in Balbriggan, Gino as next in line took over much to the
horror of the Torney clique. They subsequently began negotiating
with the Irish Government for release on condition of an INLA
ceasefire, which they announced in a farcical gesture in court.
But away from this pantomime Gino was engaged in rebuilding the
movement using the famous Ta Power document as the ground rock
on which a revitalised and politically motivated movement would emerge.
A comrade involved in actions with Gino wrote, "When released he
became involved both politically and militarily being one of the most
brave and courageous volunteers and born leader I have the pleasure of
working with and he had no time for negativity always to the fore
leading by example.
"In 1995 a suspension of military operations the IRSP and was POW
spokesperson fighting for equality and repatriation of INLA POWs from
British gaols and also involved in ending the hunger strike of INLA
POWs in Portlaoise gaol for parity of esteem.
"While doing a TV interview for RTE re the RSM he put it to the
interviewer than he felt more comfortable in a balaclava than in front
of a camera -- that was Gino."
In the short period of time that he had left in the leadership
Gino and the new leadership and without any help, information,
or money from the gaoled people of Balbriggan had an impressive list
of achievements.
All INLA prisoners in England had been returned to Ireland following a
"No Wash" protest and after the leadership met with a Labour
delegation to the prisons and outlined a method for getting our
prisoners off the protest and back home. Less than one week later,
they were back in Ireland.
The IRSP achieved official party visits to Long Kesh on a parity with
all other groups.
The IRSP had negotiating rights with the Northern Ireland Office on
prison conditions.
The IRSP had an enormous press coverage amounting to five times what
the previous leadership had over a 7-year period.
The party brought Tony Gregory, Labour TDs and Fianna Fail as well as
Bernadette McAliskey and others to publicly and privately exert
pressure on the Irish Government to end the hunger strike in the
South, and in the process severely embarrass the Provos who remained
silent during that 30 odd day protest.
Such achievements meant that Gino became a target for those working to
different agendas. All efforts to secure agreement with the Torney
faction failed when Torney ordered Gino's death. The son of a drug
dealer, and a drug dealer himself, Kevin McAlorum carried out the
dirty deed on behalf of the Torney gang. McAlorum himself met his
death in mysterious circumstances about 8 years after Gino's death. He
was gunned down in Belfast.
www.irsm.org/irsp/
January/February 2006
Gino Gallagher: Examining His Impact on the IRSP Ten Years On
By Gerry Ruddy, Belfast IRSP
It is ten years since the murder of Gino Gallagher. Gino was shot a
number of times in the head on January 31, 1996 as he signed on in the
Falls social security office. It is only right and proper to remember
Gino. Gino was a long time member of the Republican Socialist Movement
and his mother had been on the first Ard-Chomhairle of the Irish
Republican Socialist Party.
Gino was a very shy, soft spoken but very articulate person well read
up in Irish history. He was born in Belfast in 1963 and his parents
were Paddy and Teresa. The oldest of three children, Brendan and
Soirsa, Gino joined the movement first as a member of the Patsy O'Hara
Youth Movement and went on to become an active member of the Irish
National Liberation Army. He served three spells in gaol, two remands
for possession of a rifle and the other for explosives.
He served seven of a 14-year sentence for the killing of a cop and
wounding two others during a police raid on a safe house. His close
friend and comrade Paul "Bonanza" McCann was also killed during the
same gun battle in June 1984. He continued his struggle in gaol by
politicising and educating himself for his release. On his release, he
rejoined the army and took part in a number of high profile operations.
While living in the Ormeau Road, he survived a pipe bomb attack on him
and the family so they moved to the Glen Road. He was there just
under two years when cops intercepted five loyalists (UFF) preparing
to assassinate Gino.
Gino was more than a militant army comrade. He also had an astute
political brain. Even at a time when the RSM was been run into the
ground by a leadership that was working to an agenda that had nothing
to do with republican socialism, Gino could still see the bigger
picture. Below we reprint a copy of a letter he sent to the
Andersonstown News. It was written amidst all the hullabaloo about the
Provo ceasefire and accurately predicts what was subsequently to take
place.
"Despite the euphoria surrounding the IRA ceasefire many nationalists
are already beginning to express doubts. At first if someone was to
speak out against what has been termed the 'peace process', you were
immediately viewed as being politically short-sighted or a war-monger.
The British response to the IRA ceasefire, in their typically arrogant
attitude was to argue and delay over the words 'complete' and
'permanent;' brand Republican prisoners as criminals; and again
reiterate that there will be no constitutional change to this
sectarian statelet.
"Amidst media speculation, nods and winks and hints about secret
deals, the advocates of the laying down of arms have gained no binding
agreement concerning political change. British soldiers will wear
berets instead of helmets and this is portrayed as a step in the right
direction. In reality, it amounts to nothing but a ridiculous gesture.
Proposed U.S. investment is portrayed in some kind of charitable
fashion. If capitalists invest millions in Ireland, you can be certain
that the fat cats expect to reap millions in return. Partition and the
Unionist veto remain firmly in place; publicly ratified by both London
and Dublin.
"The leadership of the IRA has ordered a halt. Sinn Fein has aligned
itself with the constitutional reformists of the SDLP and the Dublin
government in an unarmed strategy. The Republican Movement appear to
have put their faith in a diplomatic war against Britain in the hope
that the British Government will react positively. This course can
only lead into a political cul-de-sac. This is undoubtedly a critical
period in this campaign and all concerned must speak out, must
come together and pool their thoughts in order to ensure that an
alternative strategy is advanced. A real peace, a lasting peace cannot
be achieved until the British are confronted and forced to
withdraw from Ireland. Gino Gallagher, Andersonstown, 11th September
1994."
Gino was calling in effect for what Bernadette McAliskey was
subsequently to call Plan B. Although a member of the leadership of
the movement, Gino's ideas did not have the approval of the then
leadership of the army grouped around Hugh "Cueball" Torney.
Apolitical himself, Torney distrusted those with political ideas and
had gradually shut down all political activity by the IRSP.
He poured scorn on attempts to rally against the politics of the Provo
peace process. Subsequently when the leadership around Torney were
arrested in Balbriggan, Gino as next in line took over much to the
horror of the Torney clique. They subsequently began negotiating
with the Irish Government for release on condition of an INLA
ceasefire, which they announced in a farcical gesture in court.
But away from this pantomime Gino was engaged in rebuilding the
movement using the famous Ta Power document as the ground rock
on which a revitalised and politically motivated movement would emerge.
A comrade involved in actions with Gino wrote, "When released he
became involved both politically and militarily being one of the most
brave and courageous volunteers and born leader I have the pleasure of
working with and he had no time for negativity always to the fore
leading by example.
"In 1995 a suspension of military operations the IRSP and was POW
spokesperson fighting for equality and repatriation of INLA POWs from
British gaols and also involved in ending the hunger strike of INLA
POWs in Portlaoise gaol for parity of esteem.
"While doing a TV interview for RTE re the RSM he put it to the
interviewer than he felt more comfortable in a balaclava than in front
of a camera -- that was Gino."
In the short period of time that he had left in the leadership
Gino and the new leadership and without any help, information,
or money from the gaoled people of Balbriggan had an impressive list
of achievements.
All INLA prisoners in England had been returned to Ireland following a
"No Wash" protest and after the leadership met with a Labour
delegation to the prisons and outlined a method for getting our
prisoners off the protest and back home. Less than one week later,
they were back in Ireland.
The IRSP achieved official party visits to Long Kesh on a parity with
all other groups.
The IRSP had negotiating rights with the Northern Ireland Office on
prison conditions.
The IRSP had an enormous press coverage amounting to five times what
the previous leadership had over a 7-year period.
The party brought Tony Gregory, Labour TDs and Fianna Fail as well as
Bernadette McAliskey and others to publicly and privately exert
pressure on the Irish Government to end the hunger strike in the
South, and in the process severely embarrass the Provos who remained
silent during that 30 odd day protest.
Such achievements meant that Gino became a target for those working to
different agendas. All efforts to secure agreement with the Torney
faction failed when Torney ordered Gino's death. The son of a drug
dealer, and a drug dealer himself, Kevin McAlorum carried out the
dirty deed on behalf of the Torney gang. McAlorum himself met his
death in mysterious circumstances about 8 years after Gino's death. He
was gunned down in Belfast.
www.irsm.org/irsp/
