Peter's Blog

Just commenting on things that interest me

Month: March 2016

Heroes of the 1916 Rising

The following is a list of the signatories of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic, read by Padraig Pearse outside the GPO on Easter Monday 1916. All of these men were executed by British firing squad following the Rising.

Seven Signatories
Name Place of Birth Age Profession
Thomas J. Clarke English 58 Tobacconist
Seán Mac Diarmada Leitrim 33 Manager of a newspaper
Thomas MacDonagh Tipperary 38 Lecturer, poet, and assistant headmaster
P. H. Pearse (Padraig) Dublin 36 Teacher, barrister, poet, writer
Éamonn Ceannt Galway 34 Accountant
James Connolly Edinburgh 47 Journalist and trade union leader
Joseph Plunkett Dublin 28 Poet, journalist

This is the Proclamation with the 7 signatories:

Proclamation

Easter Rising Celebrations

My previous posting on the centenary celebrations for the 1916 Rising may have created the impression that there were no very many people in Dublin to celebrate.

The photo above may help to dispel this possible misaprehension.

The photo below was taken from Westmoreland Street (close to Trinity College) looking towards O’Connell Bridge, where a large screen was positioned. On the screen you can perhaps see the president, Michael D. Higgins.

EasterRising2

Easter Rising

Last weekend was Easter weekend, and the 100 year anniversary of the 1916 rising.

I regard the 1916 leaders as true heroes and I was glad to be able to go into Dublin with my family on both Sunday and Monday to join in the festivities and the celebrate this very special anniversary.

I took the photo above on the way in to the parade on Sunday. In the photo you can see:

  • The Custom House
  • Liberty Hall (huge bedecked in posters)

 

Anglo Irish Bank

The Anglo Irish Bank saga rolls on, with little evidence that the people who brought this cancer into the Irish economy will be held accountable.

In April of 2014 I mentioned in my old blog that Sean FitzPatrick was found not guilty in his first criminal trial.

In July of 2014 I mentioned in my old blog that two men (Pat Whelan and William McAteer) were convicted of giving illegal loans to developers to buy shares in the bank but that the judge decided that they should not be fined and should not spend any time in jail. In the end they each got 240 hours of community service.

In July of last year, three people went convicted and sentenced in relation to hiding accounts, connected to the former chairman Sean FitzPatrick, from Revenue: Tiarnan O’Mahoney was given 3 year term, Bernard Daly 2 years, and Aoife Maguire 18 months. In December the Court of Appeal freed Maguire saying that the original sentence was “unnecessarily severe”. This month the convictions of the other two were quashed as the proceedings were not commenced within the 10 year limit.

On the 21st of January this year a trial commenced of four men: John Bowe, William McAteer, Denis Casey and Peter Fitzpatrick. They are charged with conspiring to defraud by misleading investors and depositors in Anglo Irish Bank. This trial is continuing.

Meanwhile David Drumm has arrived back in Ireland to face 33 charges, and has been freed on bail. Apparently up to 120 witnesses may be called during the trial. He has spent 5 months in jail in the US fighting extradition. It remains to be seen whether he will spend any time in jail in Ireland.

Oscar Pistorius

I mentioned in my old blog that Oscar Pistorius was sentenced to “only 5” years for the killing of Reeva Steenkamp.

In November of last year an appeal by the prosecution was heard by 5 Supreme Court judges. By a unanimous decision, the court overturned the “culpable homicide” conviction and found him guilty of murder in relation to her death.

I await with interest his new sentence which will be announced on 18 April.

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