THE IRISH OBSERVER: Continuity IRA, MI5, Sentences

Friday, November 13, 2020

Continuity IRA, MI5, Sentences

Seven men caught in a MI5 bugging operation targeting the Continuity IRA were on Friday, 13th November, 2020, handed prison sentences totaling 33 years.

The defendants pleaded guilty at Belfast Crown Court in January this year to charges arising from of a covert MI5 surveillance operation against the Continuity IRA in Newry almost six years ago.

Continuity IRA

Continuity IRA while not a large organisation has small dedicated groups of individuals who are prepared to work with others to carry out attacks. It is no secret that 2021 is going to be one of the most dangerous times for the security services, as NI celebrates its 100th year.

Update: On 14 January, 2021 Continuity in south Fermanagh claimed to have fired shots from a Draganov Russian Assault Rifle (above) at a PSNI helicopter, however, PSNI stated that no PSNI helicopter was in the area at the time. To add to the confusion, an alleged landmine could not be found. A civilian helicopter may have been in the area at the time, however, no confirmation of any attack hoax or otherwise on 19 January 2021.

Update: Liam Campbell who was found Guilty in a Civil case for his role in The Omagh Bombing in 1998. In 2021 Liam Campbell continues to fight extradition back to Lithuania. The Lithuanian authorities allege that during the end of 2006 to 2007, Liam Campbell “made arrangements with Seamus McGreevy, Michael Campbell (his brother), Brendan McGuigan and other unidentified persons to travel to Lithuania for the purposes of acquiring firearms and explosives, including, automatic rifles, sniper guns, projectors, detonators, timers and trotyl (TNT)”.

The NI Centenary is viewed as the most significant event for those who are opposed to both The British and Protestant presence in Ireland, in many years. Sinn Fein/PIRA members in south Armagh have already indicated to both The New IRA and Continuity IRA that they are prepared to collude in a 'Spectacular' attack to highlight 'republican' opposition to the presence of NI as a state.

This spectacular may be anything from a bomb in London to the murder of security force personnel, that decision has not yet been taken, but be sure, it will happen. Sinn Fein/PIRA for their part simply want to reset the clock at political level as it has been a bad year for them, after an attack, which will be exclusively blamed on their proxies, Sinn Fein/PIRA will present themselves once again as the delivery drivers of 'peace' as they did in 1998 following Omagh.

Recent operations directed at The New IRA and CIRA have had a significant impact on capacity. However, as we seen with the visit of Queen Elizabeth to Dublin in 2011, SF/PIRA and their proxies will pool together in small numbers to at least try and deliver a successful attack.

Sinn Fein/PIRA in south Armagh are simply in it for the money, they are prepared to facilitate murder simply to get the police off the back roads of south Armagh. An Garda Siochana now has specialist units across the frontier and this is frustrating the terrorists, however, south Armagh remains Bandit Country and this is where SF/PIRA continue to ply their trade.

Patrick Joseph 'Mooch' Blair

Patrick Joseph 'Mooch' Blair (65), of Lissara Heights, Warrenpoint, Co Down, Joseph Matthew Lynch (79), of Beechgrove Avenue, Weston, Co Limerick, Liam Hannaway (50) of White Rise, Dunmurry in west Belfast, John Sheehy (36), of Erskine Street, Newry and Colin Patrick Winters (49), of Ardcarn Park, Newry, all pleaded guilty to charges of belonging or professing to belong to a proscribed organisation, providing weapons and explosives training, conspiring to possess explosives, firearms and ammunition with intent to endanger life.

They further admitted conspiracy to possess explosives, firearms and ammunition with intent, along with preparing acts of terrorism.

Blair, Hannaway and Winters also admitted collecting information likely to be of use to terrorists.

Sheehy further pleaded guilty to attending a meeting at Ardcarn Park for the purposes of terrorist training.

Winters also admitted to allowing his Ardcarn Park home to be used for the purposes of a terrorist meeting.

The court was previously told that Winters had passed away in August.

As well as admitting he received weapons training, Joseph Lynch further pleaded guilty to two counts of attending a meeting for terrorist purposes.

Seamus Morgan (64), of Barcroft Park, Newry, Kevin John Paul Heaney (47), of Blackstaff Mews, Springfield Road in West Belfast and Terence Marks (60), of Parkhead Crescent, Newry, all pleaded guilty to belonging or professing to belong to a proscribed organisation.

Marks also admitted to a further charge of receiving training in the making or use of explosives for terrorism.

All of the offences took place on dates between August 11, 2014 and November 11, 2014.

'Mooch' Blair and Hannaway on Friday received five years in jail and were also found to pose a danger to the public in the future because of their previous terrorist convictions.

Passing sentence on the pair, Mr Justice Colton said neither men had "disavowed their involvement in dissident republican activity''.

The senior judge said that it was evident from the tape recordings that both men played "significant and leading roles'' at those meetings of the Continuity IRA.

He told the two-hour sentencing hearing that after serving five years in jail, it would be up to the Parole Commissioners to decide if it was safe to release them back into the community.

Mr Justice Colton told Belfast Crown Court that the contents of the discussions, which included plots to kill and make bombs, made for "grim an depressing reading''.

He added that "all right thinking people and law abiding citizens believe that the days of shootings, killings and explosions are in the past''.

Although the defendants faced only conspiracy charges, Mr Justice Colton said the plots had been "thwarted'' when police raided the meeting house in Newry's Ardcarn Park on November 10, 2014.

The court was told on Friday that the secret recordings revealed:

a plot to target a senior prison governor while out walking in Co Down;
a plot to target specific police officers;
robbery plots on homes for cash an legally-held firearms;
a plot to steal sulphur from a factory in Dublin to make explosives;
a plot to buy a silencer for £2,000 for an automatic handgun which 'Mooch' Blair had in his possession;
frustrations at the lack of weapons, ammunition, low membership numbers and finances to fund its terror campaign;
training of individuals in the making of pipe bombs and the use of firearms

It was the prosecution case that 'Mooch' Blair was the leader of the Continuity IRA while Hannaway was his number two.

The third in the pecking order of the Continuity IRA leadership was Joseph 'Tiny' Lynch, said the prosecution.

Unlike Blair and Hannaway, Mr Justice Colton said Lynch had now cut all ties with dissident republican activity, quoting the defendant telling his defense counsel: "It's all over for me.''

The judge said that like Hannaway and Blair, Lynch had pleaded guilty to "serious and specified'' offences but he did not believe he posed a danger to the public in the future.

Lynch received a six-and-a-half year sentence, with three years and three months to be spent in custody and the remainder on supervised license on his release.

John Sheehy, who travelled from his home in Listowel, Co Kerry to receive instructions in bomb making, was handed a six year sentence - half to be spent in custody and half on license.

Terence Marks, who received instructions in the use of explosives for terrorist purposes, was told he would serve two years in jail followed by two years on license.

Kevin Heaney was handed a three-and-a-half year sentence, divided equally between custody and probation.

Seamus Morgan, who was jailed in 1975 for causing an explosion at the Ardmore Hotel in Newry, was told he would serve 18 months in custody followed by 18 months on license.

All the defendants were made the subject of counter terrorism notifications, ranging from ten years up to 30 years.