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Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland

Fine Gael, Sinn Féin in war of words over Dessie Ellis claims

FG chairman Charlie Flanagan said Dessie Ellis’s refusal to discuss British claims that he was involved in IRA murders were “utterly disgraceful”.

A WAR OF WORDS has broken out between Fine Gael party chairman Charlie Flanagan and Sinn Féin’s Dessie Ellis over claims that the latter was involved in up to 50 IRA murders.

Communications between Downing Street and the British embassy in Washington, released yesterday under the ’30 year rule’, claim that Ellis had been linked by “forensic evidence to some 50 murders” in both the Republic and Northern Ireland.

Sinn Féin immediately responded to the claims, published in the Irish Independent, as an “Indo smear” and said Ellis – a veteran councillor from Finglas who was elected to the Dáil last year – had defeated the “trumped-up charges” in court.

Flanagan said Ellis’s dismissive attitude towards the reports – having told the Independent that he “wouldn’t be bothered” commenting on the British allegations – was “utterly disgraceful”.

He said Ellis’s response “shows a clear disregard not only for the position Deputy Ellis holds but also for the victims of our troubled past and the families they left behind”.

Flanagan pointed to suggestions from Gerry Adams for the establishment of an Independent Truth Commission as a method of re-examining past elements of the Northern Irish conflict.

He said:

If this is to be the case, let Dessie Ellis be the first person to be brought before it, so that questions can be answered in respect of the 50 people murdered, to which the British Government suggests he is in some way linked.

‘Shadowy forces’

Ellis responded by noting the importance placed by Flanagan on what he described as “unsubstantiated claims of British intelligence – the same shadowy forces who murdered so many Irish citizens over the years”.

“I’m sure that it hasn’t escaped Deputy Flanagan’s attention that I was cleared by a British court of these trumped up allegations which begs the question as to where he is coming from,” the Dublin North-West TD said.

“Mr Flanagan mentions without any hint of irony the need for an Independent Truth & Reconciliation Commission, despite the fact that it is Sinn Féin who have led such calls and despite the fact that Mr Flanagan’s government has done nothing at all to support the establishment of such a process.

“I enthusiastically support the establishment of an Independent International Truth and Reconciliation Commission to deal with the legacy of conflict in Ireland,” Ellis said.

I hope Charlie Flanagan will follow up his new found support for such a process with positive action to pressurise his colleagues in government to act on this.

Ellis, who said he was “very proud of my involvement in the republican struggle over the years”, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in the 1980s on charges of possessing explosives.

He skipped bail after his arrest in 1981 and fled to New York, where he was arrested in 1982, prompting the communication between the UK’s Washington embassy and the Foreign Office in Whitehall.

Ellis was extradited back to Ireland where he served his ten-year sentence in Portlaoise Prison, only to then be faced with a British arrest warrant upon his release. He unsuccessfully fought against extradition to Britain but was acquitted of any further charges.

Read: Sinn Féin TD Dessie Ellis rejects allegations of involvement in 50 IRA murders

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    Mute Colin Treacy
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:09 AM

    Well done on a fabulous month of prizes. Many more happy years to you all on the Journal.

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    Mute Declan Carr
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:09 AM

    They were all great prizes, well done .

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    Mute Dan Higgins
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:05 AM

    Liked and shared hun xoxo

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    Mute noodlez
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:39 AM

    WOW incredible prize it would be a fantastic way to start 2016

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    Mute catkins407
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    Oct 31st 2015, 9:49 AM

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    Mute Paul Dunne
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:40 AM

    was on royal Caribbean a couple of weeks ago fantastic stuff altogether.

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    Mute Kathleen Henderson
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:17 AM

    Take me on A Sunday Holidays Royal Carrabean Cruise….please

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    Mute Brianog2
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:53 AM

    Happy Halloween everybody.

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    Mute Shane Freeney
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:42 AM

    Oh yes please !

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    Mute The Viking
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:26 AM

    Now that would be nice.. !!!!!

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:20 AM

    for the grand finale I hope one of your regular commenters win ! x

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Oct 31st 2015, 9:06 AM

    ha ha , I was talking about all regular commenters !

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    Mute Jonathan McKee
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    Oct 31st 2015, 10:31 AM

    great prizes all month and what a way to finish :-)

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    Mute Kevin Halpin
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    Oct 31st 2015, 12:04 PM

    Never once twigged after entering a lot of these competitions that I was sending it to the wrong email address. Where’s that Delorean

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    Mute Little Diddy No
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    Oct 31st 2015, 12:09 PM

    Pick your time carefully if you win – extreme heatwaves hotter than ever in human history on this planet predicted for this area! http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/26/extreme-heatwaves-could-push-gulf-climate-beyond-human-endurance-study-shows

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    Mute Jack Mitchell
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    Oct 31st 2015, 12:36 PM

    Amazing price. Good luck too everyone

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    Mute Teresa O'Meara
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    Oct 31st 2015, 7:43 PM

    Entered everyday… I have a feeling I didn’t win anything cos they were waiting to give me this hum dinger of a prize at the end!!!! One can hope!!!!

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    Mute Little Diddy No
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    Oct 31st 2015, 12:07 PM

    Reminds me of this hysterical video of a New Zealand cruise ship caught in a massive storm! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj9gq6um3FE

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    Mute Anto Curran
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    Oct 31st 2015, 8:37 AM

    *awaits waddlers copy and paste about neo – liberal holiday destinations*

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    Mute Lily
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    Oct 31st 2015, 10:33 AM

    Considering I get really bad motion sickness this would be my worst nightmare, fitting for the day that’s in it.

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    Mute Sandra Turner
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    Oct 31st 2015, 11:14 AM

    Hope you win Hun x

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    Mute Lily
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    Oct 31st 2015, 7:24 PM

    Not in, can’t win. :)

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    Mute Liam Brophy
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    Oct 31st 2015, 10:16 AM

    deadly

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