Needed: a new civil rights/ anti-corruption movement

The family of Georgina Eager would have experienced solidarity and support had they been present at Frankie's nightclub in Raphoe on Saturday afternoon 3 September, where 400 people from around Ireland gathered to tell stories of injustice, corruption and unfairness. The Eager family story of how the authorities here had treated them disdainfully when they enquired why the trial of the man accused of the murder in Dublin of their family member, Georgina, was taking place in London, and how the authorities here failed to provide them with financial support to enable them to attend the trial in London, would have struck a cord at the Raphoe meeting organised by the McBrearty family

Their story of the almost contemptuous response of Michael McDowell to questions about their treatment would also have resonated. The contempt in the unexplained assertion that the decision to hold the trial in London was taken on good legal grounds – as though the assertion were sufficient to explain a very curious decision to hold a trial in another jurisdiction from where the alleged crime took place and from where almost all the witnesses resided. Also the disdainful dismissal of suggestions that the family had been treated unfairly by being denied financial support in attending the trial in London, on the grounds that they would now apply for financial aid, as though a working class family would have no difficulty in financing travel back and forth and staying in London over several weeks.

This is part of a pattern of official contempt by establishment Ireland for the "little" people, those without money, power and influence. And it was these people in the main who congregated in Raphoe, Co Donegal on Saturday 3 September. Frank McBrearty Junior (jnr) made a telling point about the re-designation of the murder investigation into the death of Richie Barron. The gardaí had characterised their investigation initially as a murder investigation, with Frank McBrearty jnr and his cousin, Mark McConnell, being chief suspects. Then in February 2002, the gardaí re-designated this from a murder investigation to an investigation into a hit and run accident. No longer were Frank McBrearty jnr and Mark McConnell murder suspects.

And yet the gardaí failed to tell Frank McBrearty jnr and Mark McConnell this. They continued to believe for years afterwards the gardaí suspected they murdered Richie Barron. Not only that but the gardaí and the authorities failed to inform an inquest several months later that they no longer believed the death of Richie Barron was murder. But even more significantly, the Dáil was not told in March and April 2002 when the terms of the inquiry into the events surrounding the Garda investigation into this incident was debated.

The question arises, did the then Attorney General, Michael McDowell, and the then Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, John O'Donoghue, know at the time that An Garda Síochána had re-designated their investigation into Richie Barron's death from a murder inquiry into a hit and run inquiry? If the Garda did not so inform the Attorney General and/or the Minister, isn't that a scandal in itself, given that the Dáil was debating the terms of an official sworn inquiry into those issues? If they did inform the Attorney General and/or the Minister, where does that leave us? How, conceivably, could either continue to hold office if it is true that they knew of this crucial fact and failed to have the Dáil informed?

Dan Boyle of the Green Party made another telling point. It was that Michael McDowell, as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, did precisely nothing about the recommendations of the first report of the Morris Tribunal dealing with the hoax explosives finds in Donegal. He might have added the point that Michael McDowell has continued to do nothing about the key issue arising from that report: the culture of secrecy, cover-up and "stand by your own" that infects the entire Garda culture.

The plethora of complaint and anger that spilled out at that Raphoe meeting suggests there is something amiss in this society. A large section of our community feels excluded; feels there is deep injustice at the heart of our society, believes; with some considerable justification, that there is corruption and malpractice not just within An Garda Síochána but within the legal profession, the political establishment, business and some of the other professions.

The meeting agreed at Raphoe to establish a new civil rights/anti-corruption movement and to hold meetings throughout the country. Such an initiative should be welcomed.

Vincent Browne