General Election 2020 Part 2

[Copper_pipe]

New Limerick TD Maurice Quinlivan unapologetic for republican roots as Sinn Fein poll topper says ‘IRA don’t exist’

NEW TD Maurice Quinlivan is seen as a working class hero in the local authority housing estates of north Limerick city.

The 53-year-old who “grew up in council flats in Ballynanty” topped the poll for Sinn Fein in Limerick City last Sunday.

His impressive 11,006 votes relegated his political nemesis Willie O’Dea, 67, to second spot, more than 1500 votes behind.

Quinlivan says O’Dea’s entirely wrongful suggestions to a journalist ten years ago linking him to a brothel were “hurtful”.

At the time O’Dea was forced to step down as Minister for Defence and pay an undisclosed sum to Quinlivan in the High Court.

However, many in his Limerick City constituency still bear historic wounds from more sinister events, notably Quinlivan’s party’s support for the IRA killers of Limerick Detective Garda Jerry McCabe.

BROTHER JAILED

Quinlivan condemns the IRA massacre on June 7, 1996 which saw McCabe gunned down, and the serious wounding of his partner Det Gda Ben O’Sullivan in Adare.

But the new TD is unapologetic for his republican roots.

In 1991, Quinlivan’s older brother, Nessan Quinlivan, along with his cell mate and one of Garda McCabe’s killers, IRA gunman Pierce McAuley, shot their way out of Brixton Prison in London, UK.

Gardai alleged in court Nessan was then “an essential cog in the IRA”. Two years later, in 1993, Nessan was jailed for four years for possessing a revolver and three rounds of ammunition.

He was freed in 1995 as part of the government’s early-release programme for republican prisoners, following on from an IRA ceasefire.

He had faced extradition on allegations of conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to cause explosions in the UK, escaping lawful custody, and malicious wounding, but he was later informed the Crown Prosecution Service were no longer seeking his extradition.

In 1997, Nessan walked free from the Special Criminal Court in Dublin after a charge of false imprisonment was dropped.

BROTHER ‘CONVICTED OF NOTHING REALLY’

Maurice says: “There was lots said about my brother, but, he was convicted of nothing really. He has a small conviction for having a weapon for which he used to escape from prison in England.

“When he escaped from prison in England, the Birmingham Six were in the prison. I would have done the same if I was there.”

He excuses Sinn Fein’s support for McCabe’s killers as being part of the wider journey to peace, saying: “My view is that if you want to bring peace, you have to make difficult decisions — simple as that.

“I lived in England when that happened and what happened was terrible, and I’ve condemned that on numerous occasions, and it should never have happened.”

He laughs off claims by opposition TDs that “shadowy” figures are operating in the background, running Sinn Fein, saying: “The IRA don’t exist and they haven’t done so for years. They’re gone, they’re off the platform.”

He also shrugged off the controversy over a video recording of Sinn Fein TD David Cullinan shouting “Up the Ra” in a post-election celebration in Waterford, saying it was a nod to past republican heroes who were engaged in the 1980-1981 hunger strikes inside the Long Kesh/Maze Prison.

It’s a period which “politicised” him in secondary school.

Maurice believes there is a growing support for Irish unity, adding: “I do believe we’ll have a border poll within the next five to ten years and I believe we’ll win that.”

[anon61878697]

Willie O’Dea is a stain on Limerick’s proud history.

[anon61878697]

Maurice is a sound skin. Very approachable chap and you’ll nearly always see him at Limerick hurling matches…

Nessan was a mad bastard … Limerick had a group of mad bastards like him at the time that were involved in the struggle. Great days for the city.

[Corksfinedtboy]

O DEA was and is a typical parish pump politician FF/ FG are full of pricks like him who to keep SF out of forming a government will put the country last and unfortunately that’s how bad we are as a nation ATM ,small town mentality doesent work in Leinster house

[anon61878697]

He spends half his day looking up death notices

[anon61878697]

Pearse McAuley Nessan Quinlivan escape Brixton Prison | Prison Escape | TN-91-171-011

[anon61878697]

Any of the Limerick posters recall what part of the county had the large graffiti sprayed on a wall saying - Free Eddie Butler - I think it was out towards Annacotty

[Fagan_ODowd]

@anon61878697

Any of the Limerick posters recall what part of the county had the large graffiti sprayed on a wall saying - Free Eddie Butler - I think it was out towards Annacotty

Was that rugby related graffiti?

[anon61878697]

No.

It was in relation to freeing Eddie Butler.

[Fagan_ODowd]

@anon61878697

No.

It was in relation to freeing Eddie Butler.

The rugby player?

[glasagusban]

If we had another election would a voting pact between, say, SF SD and Greens to encourage voters to transfer between them, on a platform of fuck out FFG, make much difference?

[anon61878697]

I havent a clue who that is pal. Was there a rubby player locked up?

Maybe the bauld Eddie Played rubby … Eddie was a member of the Balcombe Street Gang and was on active duty in London for a few years before his arrest.

[anon61878697]

Balcombe Street siege

[TreatyStones]

@Fagan_ODowd do you remember much coverage around “The Jackel” Patrick Sheehy. He was the most wanted man in the UK and was eventually found shot dead in a phone box in nenagh

[myboyblue]

@anon98850436

…uldn’t believe it!He’s not with our company anymore but he told me today himself and his bird are still saving hard for a house but still can’t afford one. I presume he thinks FF will deliver it!He specifically mentioned abolishing Vat so I presume that is being mentioned by FF to reduce house prices.

Good to see you back commenting again mate, I’ve always enjoyed your contributions.

[Fagan_ODowd]

@TreatyStones

@Fagan_ODowd do you remember much coverage around “The Jackel” Patrick Sheehy. He was the most wanted man in the UK and was eventually found shot dead in a phone box in nenagh

God be with the days. Lads would get very annoyed when the fella in front of them was taking too long in the phone box, but shooting them was considered ott

[binkybarnes]

@TreatyStones

@Fagan_ODowd do you remember much coverage around “The Jackel” Patrick Sheehy. He was the most wanted man in the UK and was eventually found shot dead in a phone box in nenagh

An inauspicious ending by any standards.

[Fagan_ODowd]

A great wheeze was to do a reverse the charges call from a phone box to a phone box somewhere foreign at a pre arranged time. The operator twigged it one time I did the reverse the charges to a phone box in Cricklewood when I was making arrangements to go over to stay with a lad. He cut in and said we have you now you smart cunt. The guards are on the way. I put the phone down and legged it in a panic. I’d say he was laughing for a while at the good of it.

[tallback]

@glasagusban

If we had another election would a voting pact between, say, SF SD and Greens to encourage voters to transfer between them, on a platform of fuck out FFG, make much difference?

Possibly but they already transferred well I’d say and they’d want to give some sense that they’d actually go into government with each other. The noises out of the Greens and Social Democrats this week weren’t particularly encouraging in that light.

[tallback]

@Fagan_ODowd

A great wheeze was to do a reverse the charges call from a phone box to a phone box somewhere foreign at a pre arranged time. The operator twigged it one time I did the reverse the charges to a phone box in Cricklewood when I was making arrangements to go over to stay with a lad. He cut in and said we have you now you smart cunt. The guards are on the way. I put the phone down and legged it in a panic. I’d say he was laughing for a while at the good of it.

What was the gig with “tapping” a phone, as in some way of rigging it to get free or cheaper calls?