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IN 2001, a 57-year-old Irish priest called Rufus Halley was murdered in the Philippines by a gang of men who were attempting to abduct him.
He had left Ireland in the 1960s to work in dialogue and conflict resolution between Muslim and Christian communities in the country, which was rapidly descending into civil war.
On that day 18 years ago Fr Hally was on his way home from a visit to a local parish when he was stopped by four men who tried to kidnap him. When he resisted, he was shot in the head and killed.
Author Jean Harrington read a news article about Fr Halley’s murder at the time and said the warmth of the priest was “palpable” from the way his friends and family members spoke about him.
“He knew he was living in a dangerous situation and yet he remained there because he believed it was the right thing to do – that his actions of living peacefully would somehow influence his neighbours to live a more peaceful life.”
The news article also mentioned a Fr Des Hartford, who had been kidnapped in 1997 by the Moro National Liberation Front.
The Irish priest was held hostage, used as a bargaining tool in the insurgents’ negotiations with the Philippine government. He was released unharmed after 12 days.
In her new book, Murder in the Missions, Harrington writes that she was captivated by the stories of these two men. She contacted Fr Hartford in 2003 to to talk to him about her idea of writing a book about his life and that of Fr Rufus Halley.
At this time he had advanced cancer and Harrington said “he knew he would not live to see the book completed”.
He said he was happy for her to go ahead with the book and introduced her to friends and colleague who could help with her research after he had passed away.
As well as interviews with people who know the two men, Harrington pulled information for the book from diaries and letters to paint a complete picture.
Harrington said she hopes the book will allow others to know the two men and “give an insight into the many people who are still working for peace in the Philippines”.
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We pale in comparison to other small countries. Regardless there’s a demand, LSD, and DMT are nothing to fear if a little understanding of their strengths and properties are known. DMT had helped so many people, even after one dose, with an experience lasting a few short minutes bringing perspective where you ask and find answers to the questions locked deep within ourselves so we find truths and can get ppl out of ruts, help with addiction and depression, it’s like your personal spirit guide. Used by tribes for centuries for ceremonys. LSD is currently being tested to treat PTSD in soldiers and ppl suffering from trauma with remarkable results. The problem lies with abuse of substances, be they legal or not. That all comes down to education in the end, not further prohibition.
@Derek: a good news drug story, now that would be something
@Noel James Doherty: I know an Australian girl who was treated for phantom pain with ketamine and it worked. Drugs are great!!
@Derek: they should not even be considered drugs. Ayahuasca is a sacred medicine that will change your life.
@Bairéid Rísteard: why shouldn’t they be considered as drugs? They are some of the most potent drugs you can get. They might be life changing, and can be positive if taken wisely, but there is no such thing as sacred medicine.
Based on the last graph, Ireland spends less than €300k on drugs bought on the Darknet, of which approximately 1/3 (€100k) is spent on hallucinogens. How can you come up the statement that Ireland are a “huge” buyer of hallucinogens when our gross spend is less than 10% of the UK and Germany’s (approx €1.5m each) in that same category?
@Fergus Murphy: Headline should read “Ireland is not a major buyer of Hallucinogens on Europe’s Darknet”, but then that wouldn’t be sensational and attention grabbing.
@Fergus Murphy: seems to me by looking at the graphs, for as long as I’m arsed to which is not very long, ireland is the largest per capita purchaser of hallucinogens, and hence the headline. Having said that it’s a tiny category overall and they had to look quite hard to find a headline that straddles the intersection between factually correct and appropriately sensational
@WCS: Never let the truth get in the way of a good story. I’m really just upset that the Journal made me look at graphs at 8 am on a Saturday morning. Now where did I put my hallucinogens…..
Looks like a precursor to blocking sites, FG big brother alert
@David Huston: you can’t block TOR sites easily. The servers are well hidden on the onion network
so thats why you keep electing FF, FG etc.
@number24eu: I don’t understand your comment, could you explain further please?
@Gillian Weir Scully: because they are high on hallucinations, I think is what he means?
@goon4life: I see you had your coffee already :0)
@number24eu: why else would people keep voting for them? It all makes sense now!
Good to see at least one part of the economy switching reliance to the EU.
Explains some of the delusional, hysterical and bilious so-called logic being put forward by the repealthe8th crowd. Listen hipsters, the drugs don’t work, they just make things worse.
@Dr Richard DeWitt: worst shoe-in ever
I know a lad, took drugs before, had a great time. Nobody died.
Although it is common knowledge soft drugs like LSD can lead to more serious and addictive ones like cannabis.
@James Wond:
dafuq? you’ve got those two the wrong way round. if anything grass leads to lsd.
cannabis is not addictive, its the personality that makes it addictive.
just be glad we’re not like the usa, instead of grass/lsd, kids take their first hit of meth/fentanyl at parties. serious s**t
@Rear Admiral: you know what comes after cannabis? Tobacco. Once they hit the tobacco it’s game over.
@James Wond:
pure grass j’s are always best :)
A simple guide for drugs, if nature made it, its ok. If humans made it, or altered it, its not.
So we have been deluding ourselves all along!
have your say