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Europe
IRA Denies Pub Murder Link
2005-02-17
The IRA has said it was not involved in the murder of a man in a Belfast pub brawl. Robert McCartney, 33, was battered and stabbed to death after a bar fight which was witnessed by more than 100 people. His family claim the IRA have intimidated witnesses to prevent police identifying the killers. A man has been arrested tonight in connection with the murder.

The Provisionals moved to distance the organisation from the gang behind the slaying. In a statement, it said it was not involved in what it described as a brutal killing. But significantly, they added: "Those who were involved must take responsibility for their own actions which run contrary to republican ideals." A top IRA man is one of the chief suspects linked to the murder of Mr McCartney. He was was one of seven people questioned by police soon after the murder and later released.
Posted by:Seafarious

#6  "I can't believe they fuckin' whacked him..."
Posted by: Robert DeNiro   2005-02-17 1:36:18 PM  

#5  Sounds like the IRA version of "Goodfellas".
Posted by: tu3031   2005-02-17 9:28:26 AM  

#4  From reading the story I get the impression that the guy who did the killing is a IRA member, but that he did the killing on his own time for personal reasons having nothing to do with the IRA. So they are cutting him loose. Not that the IRA today is anything but a criminal gang, mind you.
Posted by: Steve   2005-02-17 8:34:48 AM  

#3  Just goes to show how out of control the IRA / splinter factions are .. The 'leadership' carry no weight when push comes to shove .. total farce .
Posted by: MacNails   2005-02-17 8:29:37 AM  

#2  Interesting to see that this murder has caused unprecedented public protest amongst the Catholic community in Northern Ireland. Maybe they've had enough of being pushed around by these thugs. Interesting to see Adams flip-flopping regarding the heist - considering he or McGuinness must have officially sanctioned it in the first place. Excellent point Bulldog - the ideologues must be McKevitt-Sands and their ilk!
Posted by: Howard UK   2005-02-17 5:08:56 AM  

#1  Meaniwhile, more tragic failings of the IRA's "republican ideals" come to the surface:

"The Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams hinted at a dramatic shift of position yesterday over his claim that the IRA was not involved in the £26.5 million Northern Bank robbery. Sinn Fein's refusal to acknowledge the IRA's role in the theft has led to a crisis in the political process, with allegations that some of its leadership knew that the heist was being planned while they held key political negotiations. But yesterday it appeared that the first steps towards a climb-down were being taken after Mr Adams admitted that he could be "wrong" to believe the IRA's claim that they did not carry out last December's robbery in Belfast."

If you take away all the bar brawlers, bank robbers, punishment beaters and drug dealers, it seems the only IRA members left pursuing lofty ideals must be the ones itching to get back to planting bombs and shooting people in uniform...
Posted by: Bulldog   2005-02-17 3:52:45 AM  

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