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COUNCILLOR FRANCIS TIMMONS represents the Dublin suburb of Clondalkin as an independent at South Dublin County Council.
He spent the first years of his life at Madonna House, a mother and baby home run by the Sisters of Charity in Blackrock in Dublin.
Timmons has recently learned that, as a toddler in the home, he was an unwitting participant on an infamous vaccine programme, and now has received confirmation that he received two injections as part of a medicines trial in the 1970s.
In a letter seen by TheJournal.ie, GlaxoSmithKline Ireland confirmed to Timmons that he received a diphtheria tetanus pertussis (DTP) vaccine and a “Plain New” vaccine as part of the Trivax study.
The letter states that he was one of 19 individuals to receive the DTP and one of 30 on the Trivax study at Madonna House in 1973.
The vaccines trials came to light when the public was made aware of them in the 1990s.
Designed to test new vaccines for a range of diseases, from diptheria to whooping cough, the ethical and regulatory issues around performing trials on these children led to numerous investigations into the practice, one of which continues to this day.
“I’d had no idea that I could have been given these injections,” he told TheJournal.ie. “I’m a local councillor so people come to me for help on all kinds of things that I have to then do some research on.
I just came across this and decided to look into it further to see if I’d gotten the vaccines too. I’ve only just found out recently. It’s a lot to take in.
Vaccine trials
For over two decades now, questions asked about vaccine trials carried out on children in the 1960s and 70s have not yielded definitive answers, with State investigations still ongoing.
A 2000 HSE report from then-chief medical officer James Kiely provided details of three vaccine trials that occurred during this period by a company called Wellcome (now called GlaxoSmithKline).
The first took place for an 11-month period, beginning on December 1960, at four mother and baby homes at St Patrick’s on the Navan Road in Dublin, Dunboyne, Castlepollard in Westmeath and Bessborough in Cork.
In all 52 children were participants in this trial to test out a four-in-one vaccine for diptheria, whooping cough, tetanus and polio.
Dozens more received a rubella vaccine in 1970 at St Anne’s Industrial School in Booterstown in Dublin and in Kilcullen, Co Westmeath.
Further trials took place at a number of residential institutions in Dublin in 1973, and this included Timmons’ residence of Madonna House.
In 2014, Newstalk Breakfast reported that more than 298 children across 10 mother and baby homes were subject to experimental vaccine trials during the 1960s and 1970s.
Sister Sarto, a retired nun, who was working in Bessborough told Newstalk Breakfast that parental consent was given for these trials.
An article in the British Medical Journal in 1962 on the first trial, however, would suggest that parental consent was not sought for this one, at the very least.
The final paragraph of that article opens: “We are indebted to the medical officers in charge of the children’s homes… for permission to carry out this investigation on infants under their care.”
Answering questions in the Dáil on the matter when the issues first began to gain political traction, then-Minister for Health Brian Cowen said that the “study was carried out in accordance with the then-prevailing ethical guidelines”.
Inquiries
The 2000 report by Kiely, however, propelled the government to establish a commission to look specifically at these matters in 2001. That commission was tasked with investigating “into the circumstances, legality, conduct, ethical propriety and effects on the subjects” of these trials and potentially others.
That tribunal of inquiry did not get very far however, and was shut down after a successful legal challenge by a retired doctor who had participated in the trials.
As the Irish Times reported at the time, Professor Patrick Meenan appealed to the Supreme Court after the High Court ordered him to give evidence in the trial. Meenan said that he should not have to appear before the commission on grounds of his age and ill-health.
In the following years, there has been little in the way of official action on the matter of vaccines until quite recently, although press coverage has uncovered further details about the programme in recent years.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner last year, one woman detailed how she’d made a freedom of information and data protection requests to GlaxoSmithKline.
Mari Steed said: “The file from GSK was slim but contained what was needed to confirm my participation.” She added that both the HSE and the pharma company were transparent in their dealings with her.
Investigating these matters now falls under the terms of reference for the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation, which uncovered evidence of mass graves at the Tuam mother and baby home earlier this year.
The statutory terms state that the commission is “to establish the extent of compliance with relevant regulatory and ethical standards of the time of systemic vaccine trials found by the commission to have been conducted on children resident in one or more of these institutions during the relevant period”.
“We can’t move on”
For Francis Timmons, learning that he was part of these vaccines trials is just another revelation to add on to his history at Madonna House.
“My memories of Madonna House are of a dark, gloomy place,” he said. “I remember feeling sad and crying a lot. A lot of the staff were aloof and distant. I remember they were very strict.
I remember feelings of hunger and a deep sadness a lot. I still get flashbacks.
He says that the country will never truly move on from the scandals surrounding mother and baby homes until all the most important questions get some answers.
“I just don’t think we can move on properly as a society,” he said. “Not yet. I’ve spoken to 100s of people who were in my position in one of these homes. And what they tell me is always similar to my own experience.”
He is unsure as to whether his mother gave permission for him to be vaccinated on these trials but said that his mother, whom he was lucky enough to connect with years later, had never mentioned it to him.
Timmons feels it is essential that everyone who was vaccinated on these trials becomes aware of it, as it is another detail of their lives that may have been denied to them for decades.
“They should be made write to everybody to let them know,” he said. “When I realised this, it made sense afterwards.
It filled in a lot of blanks of things I’d thought I’d remembered. People don’t know they were part of it. And now we need to get to the bottom of all that.
Timmons received this information based on a data protection request to GlaxoSmithKline, and is urging others who were in mother and baby homes around the time to find out if they received one too.
“I have been on a long journey, and I’m happy and honoured to be where I am now,” he added. “Me, and others like me, deserve the truth on what happened to us in these homes.”
If you were at a mother and baby home and would like to look into the matter of vaccinations further, please contact us here.
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You can’t say that though you can call for Jihad
If he has used the term Isreali rather than Jew and called for destruction of Israel woukd he have got jail sentence…
Whilst the libtards want the world to be lined with cotton wool, I also agree this is ridiculous. Obviously if there is outright incitement to and encouragement to violence then jail. But otherwise, free speech should be paramount. Yes this man is a horrible person but we should hear what he says, listen to his arguments and learn from him, then demonstrate the stupidity and hatred in his philosophy. Hiding him in jail just facilitates them even more.
So many rightards who don’t understand the difference between Free Speech and Hate Speech, not surprising given the low levels of intelligence amongst the Alt-Right cohort.
I think that a longer sentence would be appropriate as a deterrence.
@OpenBorders: I agree. The statements were false, prejudiced, extremely hateful, a dangerous denial of the human status of the victims and likely to stir up anti Semitic violence.
I disagree with his statements, but I’m not right leaning. Whether or not what he did was disgusting (and I think people who think like him are disgusting), I still think he should have the right to do so, once he does not specifically invite people to violence. And I want to know these people rather than have them locked up. Essentially he is being locked up for thought crime. He still thinks what he said I am sure. Also, because he said it without the protection of religion (some religions look unfavourably upon Jews) he could be prosecuted. If he stated the same thing from a religious stand he would not even be prosecuted.
@Clever Jake: What you point to is to a certain extent correct, but there is still an unimaginable lack of accountability at higher levels. Those people , are unfortunately above, and protected from all laws, national and international. Still a few brave and honest people around though. :
VIDEO: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Introduces Legislation to Stop Arming Terrorists
Washington, DC—Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) introduced the Stop Arming Terrorists Act today. The legislation would prohibit the U.S. government from using American taxpayer dollars to provide funding, weapons, training, and intelligence support to groups like the Levant Front, Fursan al Ha and other allies of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, al-Qaeda and ISIS, or to countries who are providing direct or indirect support to those same groups.
https://gabbard.house.gov/news/press-releases/video-rep-tulsi-gabbard-introduces-legislation-stop-arming-terrorists
@John B: I don’t think that there should be a right to spread hate, prejudice and hold up any group to contempt and hate by adopting the viewpoint of the Nazis.
@Pat O’Dwyer: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said, “Under U.S. law it is illegal for any American to provide money or assistance to al-Qaeda, ISIS or other terrorist groups. If you or I gave money, weapons or support to al-Qaeda or ISIS, we would be thrown in jail. Yet the U.S. government has been violating this law for years, quietly supporting allies and partners of al-Qaeda, ISIL, Jabhat Fateh al Sham and other terrorist groups with money, weapons, and intelligence support, in their fight to overthrow the Syrian government.[i]
“The CIA has also been funneling weapons and money through Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and others who provide direct and indirect support to groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda. This support has allowed al-Qaeda and their fellow terrorist organizations to establish strongholds throughout Syria, including in Aleppo.
“A recent New York Times article confirmed that ‘rebel groups’ supported by the U.S. ‘have entered into battlefield alliances with the affiliate of al-Qaeda in Syria, formerly known as al Nusra.’ This alliance has rendered the phrase ‘moderate rebels’ meaningless. Reports confirm that ‘every armed anti-Assad organization unit in those provinces [of Idlib and Aleppo] is engaged in a military structure controlled by [al-Qaeda’s] Nusra militants.’
@OpenBorders: I have little doubt that you are highly excremental but you are entitled to your opinion and to express it as you wish since you are merely attempting to ridicule me as an individual and not because I belong to a particular group or type.
So press ahead all you wish.
You’ve probably sussed it Tony but that last reply was from one of my admirers from Cork!
@OpenBorders: I knew that but it allowed me make a point.
The point is that people can express hate, abuse, contempt, ridicule and insult but as long as it is towards the individual as an individual it is legitimate and fair expression.
@Tony Daly: and the remark was directed to your admirer since yiu already know the point.
Free speech ?? As a counterbalance to (Mis) and (Dis ) information :
Jeff Bezos, Amazon endorse holocaust denial! (UPDATED)
By Kevin Barrett, Veterans Today Editor
In what amounts to a ringing endorsement of the claims of Holocaust revisionists, Amazon.com has apparently concluded that their books cannot be effectively refuted – and therefore must be banned.
M.S. King, author of The Bad War, has been notified that his book has been banned from Amazon. The explanation:
We’re contacting you regarding the following book: The Bad War: The Truth NEVER Taught About World War II. During our review process, we found that this content is in violation of our content guidelines. As a result, we cannot offer this book for sale.
Amazon did not explain precisely which guidelines had been violated, nor did it cite specific passages. Therefore the “violations” claim is an obvious lie. The real reason King’s book and others were banned is that Jewish-Zionist pressure groups have mounted a campaign (timed to accompany the “cemetery desecration” PR stunt?) aimed at making Holocaust revisionism books unavailable. Obviously they believe the revisionists’ claims are irrefutable — and have convinced Amazon that such is the case.
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2017/03/08/bezos-denial/
Hate speech, as damaging as it is, is just that – speech. You wouldn’t see 4 years sentences for serious assaults yet putting hateful comments online, which people have to follow you to see, is deemed worthy of a substantial sentence.
These fashionable offences are dragging all the attention away from the old-skool but more harmful theft and violent crime.
Israeli politicians have made similar disgusting remarks about Palestinians but there’s not even condemnation of that!
Its par for the course with some extremists in that part of the world. You get Palestinian politicians/ clerics telling their people to go stab jews etc etc. Im guessing you condemn this too?
@Jimmy Ireland: this was extreme,y dangerous hate speech and hadca hugh likelihood of leading to attacks on people who are Jewish or suspected of being Jewish. I think that, for the purposes of effective deterrence, a longer sentence would have been appropriate.
@Tony Daly: you not going to respond to David Rafferty or Honeybadger197? didnt think so
I know it’s important for you to tell us about what some nobody in England said and all but will you be doing an article about the dangerous armed Albanian ‘refugees’ that we recently received into *this* country?
That’s the UK too.
@Lisa Saputo:
They were arrested in the UK. They applied for refugee status in Ireland. Being able to read is super!
And? What’s the connection to this story?
@Lisa Saputo:
No connection.
I’m just curious as to why thejournal writes about court cases in other countries that would barely make the local news yet they ignore stories about dangerous foreign criminals in Ireland.
Because it’s not that interesting to anyone apart from rampant xenophobes.
@Lisa Saputo:
I find the fact that we allow dangerous armed criminals to wander around this country and others to be interesting and I’m not a rampant xenophobe.
Reporting on foreign criminals who claim asylum in Ireland is now xenophobic?! The shark has been jumped.
What war is currently being fought in Albania that necessitates these guys to claim asylum here?
Speaking of dangerous armed criminals, how are the kinahans getting along?
@Dave Thomas:
Go read one of the multitude of articles about them to find out!
So because Ireland has a homegrown gangland problem we should allow foreign criminals in to, otherwise it’s xenophobic?! Take the rest of the weekend off, Dave.
Eh…. That’s in the UK bucko… Fact check much?
@Dubabroad:
Yeah, bucko – I fact check all the time!
If you did the same you would know that the Albanians in question applied for asylum in Ireland, as stated both in the article I linked to and by my handsome self earlier in this thread!
Ha ha! Take your medicine Naberius, you got owned!
@OpenBorders:
I own everyone, especially you!
He got what he desirved just because irish judges don’t like jailing people don’t think four years is harsh
Has the journal reported Dane Tyghe to the Gardaí for calling Republicans subhuman animals? ☺
@Andrew Corcoran: it is a false statement and utterly unjustified but I consider that Republicans are not a racial, ethnic or religious minority.
Tony> the hate crime laws in the UK are actually more inclusive than that. A goth girl was beaten to death for being a goth so they expanded the laws to include all sorts of groupings.
@Kal Ipers: I am not keen on beating people to death because of their identity or for any reason.
Hateful prejudice can be powerfully contagious.
@Tony: so it’s only wrong to call someone a subhuman animal if they’re a minority?!! Surely it doesn’t matter what religion you are, what ethnicity you are or what race you are.
As an American I find this appallingly retrograde. Still jailing heretics! Thought crime!
It’s not heresy, it’s the ramblings of a deluded, disgusting bigot.
That said, no one should be jailed for speech unless it’s a direct threat of violence or slander.
Locking up bigots will not stop bigotry.
It’s not a thought if you said it out loud.
Genocide> As an American your country doesn’t have laws that we have. Hate speech is illegal here in Europe and it isn’t thought police. We are fully aware of what can happen when you allow it. What do you care about it? Thinly veiled racist name along with the misappropriation of the celtic cross as racist symbol. Wonder why racists need to steal other cultural symbols to use do you not have any artist people about. Hitler was a painter why did he need to steal an indian symbol
As a European I find America appalling.
He was jailed for inciting hatred which is a crime.
“Make America White Again” LOL .How will you go about doing this ?
@StopWhiteGenocide: it was far more than thought crime. It was prejudiced, malevolent and potentially capable of leading to violence and ghettoisation.
@StopWhiteGenocide: When you say StopWhiteGenocide, I assume you are referring to the White Genocide inflicted on the indigenous people of North and South America, and Australia, by white people?
The conviction was by a jury of ordinary citizens. It was a conviction based on evidence. The statement were wholly false, unjustified and way beyond the scope of ordinary prejudice.
It is unfortunate but social media and easier means of broad communication is giving a small minority of people a platform for disseminating hate.
Hate tends to lead to violence.
Look at the assassination of the late Jo Cox MP by Thomas Mair when thevrhetiruc if the far right pushes impressiinable and disturbed people into cowardly assassination.
Killing a human being silences the human being.
Speech can be dangerous when it is poisoned with pure hate.
Would we be happy for such remarks to be made against the Irish living in England?
The Defendant, Lawrence Burns, got a fair trial more than he would have allowed his victims.
have your say