Friday, November 18, 2022

Doctor Clifford McCord, GP, Aughnacloy, County Tyrone

Doctor Clifford McCord, GP, Aughnacloy, County Tyrone

Doctor Clifford McCord, was among the first on the scene when an IRA roadside bomb ripped through a bus full of young soldiers near Ballygawley in August 1988.

Eight men died and 28 others were injured, the army's worst loss of life after the Narrow Water atrocity, but the Co Tyrone GP is credited with preventing a higher death toll.

Survivors described him as a "true hero" for his efforts to administer first aid and bring the most seriously injured to hospital.

But for those who knew Dr McCord, they were not surprised when he brushed off any praise.

A man of great kindness as well as skill, his funeral heard that throughout the Troubles he remained "the doctor for everyone", irrespective of race, religion or political persuasion.

Clifford McCord was born in North Parade in Belfast in 1926, the youngest of six children.

He was educated at Rosetta Primary School and Ardmore College and worked in McFadden and Wylie’s Accountant and Estate Agency and his father's linen finishing business before sitting the entrance exam to study medicine at Trinity College Dublin.

It was there he met Betty Adams, employing the unusual gambit of throwing a fish at her to attract her attention.

She judged him a good catch and they married in 1951 and had two children, Jennifer and David.

His first posts were in Moyle Hospital, Larne and as a GP in Reading and Birmingham, as well spending four years with the RAF in Hong Kong.

In 1957 Dr McCord then embarked on 40 years' service in the border village of Aughnacloy, where he became part of the fabric of family life.

Rev Ian McKee told mourners at Aughnacloy Presbyterian Church that the early days were like a Tyrone version of Dr Finlay's Casebook - the family home doubled up as a surgery and he was on call 24/7 to deliver babies, tend the dying and deal with all manner of unusual ailments.

"Nothing was written down – Dr McCord just remembered things," he said. "He had an amazing memory for names, but more than that he took a genuine interest in his patients. They were not just patients – indeed many became good friends.

"He was a legend in his time – he was a one-man health service. If you had a skin legion affecting you badly, he would simply cut if off there and then. It was only if it was beyond him that he bothered to send a patient elsewhere."

Although firmly a doctor of the 'old school', he employed the first practice nurse in Northern Ireland, and was eventually joined by his son David - 'Dr Junior' to his Dr Senior.

Outside medicine he enjoyed golf and bowls and ventured into horse breeding.

Dr Clifford McCord, who received an MBE for services to medicine in Co Tyrone, died aged 89 at his Aughnacloy home on March 1.

He was predeceased by his wife and is survived by his son and daughter and three granddaughters.

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Unquiet Graves, Anne Cadwallader, Journalist, Sinn Fein, Provisional IRA

Anne Cadwallader, Professional Journalist or Provo Propagandist?

Anne Cadwallader joined BBC NI in 1981. Ann trained as a journalist in London before joining BBC NI in 1981 and in the 1980s Ann married Sinn Fein/PIRA Terrorist Gerry O’Hare. Gerry O’Hare was known to me, as my cousin Jeff McKenna, who had been in charge of The POW Department at Blessington Street in Dublin, had been one of The Provisional IRA members who had removed Gerry O’Hare from Sinn Fein/PIRA Headquarters at 44 Parnell Square, Dublin. Gerry O’Hare had initially been married to Rita O’Hare who was also known to me.

Gerry O’Hare was also known to me as one of the IRA prisoners who restrained prison officers in the exercise yard of Mountjoy prison in October, 1973 when a helicopter was used in the escape of three leading IRA members, Seamus Twomey, Kevin Mallon and JB O’Hagan. JB O’Hagan being my Commanding Officer in Monaghan Town in the 1980s.

Anne Cadwallader only became known to me in 1996, she had approached me and spoken to me at Queens University where I was running a series of high profile, pro-peace events.

When I completed my under-graduate dissertation, I asked Anne if she would read the dissertation for me to see if it would be a good publication, Anne had taught some courses in Journalism and I was dependent on her journalistic integrity, with hindsight, I was somewhat naive.

Anne brought me to her home, when I entered Anne’s house in Belfast, I noted that the walls were adorned with framed pictures of PIRA Terrorists. The latter did not concern me as I knew that Anne was married to Provisional IRA member Gerry O’Hare.

Within days of providing Anne with my dissertation, 'A Fairly Secret Army', which was heavily critical of Sinn Fein/PIRA, I was contacted at Queens University by a female republican from Tyrone, who told me that two members of The Provisional IRA from west Belfast wanted to speak with me. I said that was no problem. The male and female members of the Provisional IRA in their early 20s meet with me in Cloisters Café in The Students Union at Queens University.

This meeting with the two PIRA members were somewhat bizarre as they clearly did not know that I was in 1996 still meeting with senior Sinn Fein/PIRA including Kevin McKenna and Martin McGuinness. The two PIRA members mentioned my thesis, and that is how I knew I had been naive to trust Anne Cadwallader, had I not been well connected to the Sinn Fein/PIRA Leadership in 1996, the outcome could have been very different. 

The next time I seen these two PIRA members, was when I entered The Northern Bank in the street in front of Belfast City Hall, and they were working there inputting data from cheque book stubs into computers.

Anne Cadwallader Liar and Fraudster

On Sunday, January 23, 2000, Anne Cadwallader, without contacting me, penned a three-page article about me in a Dublin based newspaper, Ireland on Sunday, the article began on the front page ‘Inside the world of Vincent McKenna’ and was continued in a double page spread on pages 10 and 11.

The timing of the publication of the article was significant, as I was about to go on trial in The Republic for allegations of sexual assault. However, lets look at the article from a journalistic and professional perspective, lets imagine for a moment that the article was not penned in order to ensure that any potential jury would be prejudiced by its content.

According to Ireland on Sunday (March 12, 2000) the paper was enjoying a Readership each Sunday of 197,000 this total not including other media coverage of the paper’s lead stories.

Anne Cadwallader’s article continues on pages 10 and 11 under the headline, ‘CONVERTED TERRORIST’ VINCENT MCKENNA ANGRILY DENIES CLAIMS AND ALLEGES THAT THE POLICE AND IRA ARE IN LEAGUE TO DISCREDIT HIM. Campaigner is facing sex abuse charge.

Anne Cadwallader begins her article with the bizarre observation that I am “Highly Televisual and articulate” and then claims that I have in 2000 come from obscurity only three years earlier, which of course is nonsense. Anne, herself, is not, "Highly Televisual and articulate".

She then claims that I was born in Tyrone, I was not.

“He has even appeared on the prestigious US television series, Sixty Minutes”, this is correct and my documentary, viewed by 80,000,000 Americans, cost Sinn Fein/PIRA millions in lost revenue after I exposed Sinn Fein/PIRA crimes including the Rape of thousands of women and children.

Anne then goes on to say that An Garda Siochana have confirmed to her that I am under investigation for sexual assault and the case is at an advanced stage. Ann knows that even in 2000, it was a criminal offence for any Garda Officer to speak to the media about any suspect in any case, and yet she dismisses any suggestion that An Garda Siochana are acting in any prejudice way against me?

At this point Anne has shown nothing but contempt for the Legal, Constitutional and Human Rights Guaranteed to the Complainant in such a case, where the Complainant’s rights and protections are enshrined in law.

Anne then goes on to claim that “Extradition Proceedings have begun” and this has been notified to The Attorney General. This is of course total nonsense, as extradition proceedings were never even considered in the case and were never mentioned in any proceedings.

Of course Anne would not know this as she did not attend any of the court proceedings. From the very outset of the allegations, I cooperated fully with An Garda Siochana, however, Garda Corruption in Monaghan would not be exposed until many years later.

The case of DPP v VincentMcKenna is in 2022 back before The Court of Criminal Appeal, based on New Findings of Fact, such Facts not known at the time of the trial in 2000. I do not expect to see Anne Cadwallader or any other Sinn Fein/PIRA Proxy writing extensively about the latter.

Anne continues, “He claims that police and Republicans are in league to denigrate him and undermine his work”, in fact it was a Garda Inspector who admitted that the senior investigating officer in the case, Inspector Joseph Sullivan, had lied under Oath and Perverted the Course of Justice. 

Anne in her article is articulating the fact that Gardai involved in the case are in fact briefing her and other journalists. While Anne Cadwallader may have had no concern for my rights under the law, surely, she should have given some consideration to the Complainant (who was a teenager under psychiatric care as she had been drugged by Sinn Fein/PIRA GP Dr Marian Smyth with an unlicensed mind-altering drug) for whom she would later cry crocodile tears.

Anne continues, “He claims he has been attacked by republicans” Anne fails to mention that a Sinn Fein/PIRA member had already pleaded guilty before the Courts for such attacks. Anne knows very well at this point that I was assaulted by six members of Sinn Fein/PIRA and one of them had pleaded guilty to that assault in court. Anne would also have been aware that Gerry Adams personally ordered all six Sinn Fein/PIRA members be suspended after they attacked me.

Anne continues, “McKenna claims he has been the victim of a republican propaganda campaign”, Anne must surely have known about the articles being published in An Phoblacht about me at that time, particularly when her terrorist husband had been Editor for so many years.

Anne continues, “After he was questioned last January for 20 hours”, again, the facts are elusive, I was never questioned by Gardai about allegations of sexual assault, they spent their time trying to recruit me and I had given the name, address and telephone number of Garda Special Branch I was supposed to contact to Journalist Nell McCafferty. This piece of paper below is the handwriting of the officer concerned, who tried to recruit me.

Garda corruption and collusion in the border region would later be exposed before The Smithwick Tribunal, Morris Tribunal and the more recent conspiracy against Garda Sgt Maurice McCabe.

Anne continues, “McKenna claims republicans handed over guns voluntarily for his arrest”, in fact a Garda Special Branch Officer, Liam Donnelly (to whom I was reporting), had told me while in Monaghan Garda station that Owen Smyth (Sinn Fein/PIRA) had agreed to hand over weapons for my high-profile arrest, I told this to Journalist, Nell McCafferty after I was released and before the guns were found following my arrest.

Anne then continues by quoting The Andersonstown News as an authority source for what I had or had not said.

Anne continues, “He is subject to a banning order in Monaghan since 1998”, again, more lies, no such banning order ever existed. In fact, I had been granted a divorce against my ex-wife in 1998 and my ex-wife had agreed to joint custody of our children, and this is after, my ex-wife would later allege that she already knew I had abused the alleged victim.

Anne continues, “A Doctor has corroborated the abuse claims” Anne fails to mention that the GP Dr Marian Smyth is in fact Sinn Fein/PIRA and the Mother of a child, Michael, to PIRA Serial Killer and Paedophile, Michael ‘Pete’ Ryan, who was shot dead by the SAS in 1991 and is credited with dozens of murders, many of those murders were planned in Dr Marian Smyth’s home which was also her surgery.

Anne continues, “The Child’s Mother has corroborated the abuse claims”, below, the Complainant’s Mother attending a Paedophile themed party in Monaghan after the ‘trial’, during the trial the alleged victims Mother had admitted under cross-examination that she had been importing illegal pornography from the USA as early as the 1980s and that she often went to a dark place in her mind.

In post-Trial media interviews the Complainant’s mother states that her corroborating evidence was in fact lies, this can be clearly seen in The BBC Spotlight program aired in 2000 following the trial, this Spotlight program only brought to my attention for the first time in 2022 when it was posted on U-Tube.

Anne continues, “McKenna’s estranged sister Patricia Gordon…” I have never been estranged from any member of my family and Anne is in fact quoting from a FAKE NEWS story published in The Sunday Independent, one of those British papers Anne appears so critical of in her other comments. 

The Fake News story which claimed to have been written by three Journalists was later denied by two of those journalists named, one stating that he was not in the country when the FAKE STORY was written and the other taking legal action against his own paper for his name being attached to that Fake Story.

Anne continues, “He burned down a second-hand clothes shop in Aughnacloy” again, never happened, no such allegation ever made and no such charges ever brought.

Anne continues, “He arson targeted the home of former friends whose Father was an RUC officer” this charge was struck out by The Crown Prosecution Service.

Anne continues, “McKenna used fire-lighters and a can of petrol” more lies.

Anne continues with an absolute gem, “He was charged with endangering life and remanded to Crumlin Road Jail in Belfast, where he tried to ingratiate himself with us, but we knew even then that he was a wrong ‘un’”, according to Owen Smyth, now the Sinn Fein Chairperson of Monaghan District Council.

Anne’s authoritive source is in fact RUC Informer, Owen Smyth. Owen Smyth had told me in Crumlin Road Jail in 1981 that he and Jim Lynagh had planned the murders of 86-year-old Norman Stronge and his son James at Tynan Abbey in 1981. Why would Owen Smyth tell me the inner secrets of The PIRA if he thought I was “a wrong un”. Owen Smyth, being an RUC informer, and charged with two high profile murders, only served a short sentence in The Maze Prison.

When Owen Smyth was released from The Maze, I had to liaise with Jim Lynagh in Portlaoise Prison as some of The PIRA in Monaghan wanted to murder Owen Smyth upon his release for informing on the PIRA in Monaghan. It was Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and I that organised a function for Owen Smyth upon his release, this function was held in The Chieftain Bar in Park Street, Owen Smyth never turned up at the function as he thought The PIRA were going to kill him.

Owen Smyth, based on my lobbying of Kevin McKenna (PIRA Chief of Staff, 1983-97) warned that Owen Smyth would be allowed to return to the ranks of Sinn Fein/PIRA in Monaghan as he had not taken the stand against Sinn Fein/PIRA members. Owen Smyth had made dozens of statements to the RUC about Sinn Fein/PIRA in Monaghan, but having considered his position had not proceeded to full Super-grass status.

Owen Smyth having returned to Sinn Fein/PIRA had an enormous chip on his shoulder because everyone within Sinn Fein/PIRA knew he was an Informer, and some of the Sinn Fein/PIRA members such as James Fox was not shy about reminding Smyth of his treachery, when James would have a few pints.

Owen Smyth was allowed to participate in a Human Bomb attack in 1990, as the OC of that operation Michael ‘Pete’ Ryan was in a sexual relationship with Owen Smyth’s sister-in-law Dr Marian Smyth. Following Loughgall few in Monaghan were putting themselves forward for PIRA operations, and so desperate was Pete Ryan for manpower he brought an RUC informer to make up the numbers.

So, there are the facts about Anne Cadwallader, she wrote lies about me, while her husband, Gerry O’Hare was a globe-trotting Pedophile whose crimes while based at Sinn Fein/PIRA HQ in Dublin in the 1970s were even too much for Sinn Fein/PIRA to conceal, and that is saying something.

Anne Cadwallader Unquiet Graves

I did not become aware of Anne Cadwallader again until 2020 when a post about ‘Unquiet Graves’ appeared on my Twitter Newsfeed. Unquiet Graves is a documentary type program about the Mid-Ulster UVF who in the 1970s were also known as The Glenanne Gang, who had murdered dozens of Catholics including members of my own family, who were innocent Catholic going about their business. However, in my work for peace I did not allow the murders of family members to blind me from my duty to the wider community.

When the post appeared on my Twitter Newsfeed I posted a very reasonable reply, and that reply resulted in atorrid of abusive allegations being made against me by the Director of the program, Sean Murray. I had no idea who Sean Murray was at this point and then I realised that he is the son of a senior member of The PIRA in Belfast Sean ‘Spike’ Murray. Sean Murray Jnr simply another of those cease-fire soldiers living in his father’s shadow. Sean ‘Spike’ Murray and his exploits are well known to me.

As a result of the outrageous comments posted by Sean Murray, I had no choice but to make a formal complaint to ThePSNI as I felt my life was being threatened. What Sean Murray Jnr would not know, is that I prevented the murder of his father and possibly his family, while I was in Belfast. This can be confirmed with Gerry Adams, although Gerry did not know this until 2018.

Having made my complaint to the PSNI about Sean Murray, I then began to investigate the Unquiet Graves program and those involved in its production and funding.

I was shocked to find that the program was based on a book by Anne Cadwallader, when Anne Cadwallader had already proven herself to be a writer of lies and misinformation, in effect a fraudster, as she had benefited financially from those lies and misinformation. Anne had also enhanced her status by stating that she was a Human Rights activist based in the Pat Finucane Centre.

In fact, Pat Finucane was known to me as a member of The Provisional IRA, and he had acted as Interlocutor between the PIRA Leadership in Belfast and the PIRA Leadership in Crumlin Road Jail 1984-85, and I can attest to this fact.

Margaret Urwin, Coordinator at Justice for the Forgotten, a group representing the Victims of the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings, said “The film is actually based on the book entitled Lethal Allies, by Anne Cadwallader”.

I was further concerned about the ‘objectivity’ of the program Unquiet Graves, when I noted that, Paul O’Connor being presented as a Human Rights activist and Director of The Pat Finucane Centre, when I knew from my association with PIRA from Derry that Paul O’Connor was a Provisional IRA member.

Conclusion

Anne Cadwallader is from the evidence presented here a liar and a fraudster, and any publication with which she is associated must be suspect. While Unquiet Graves deals with very serious issues, and I have no problem with such issues being highlighted, I do not believe that the program is objective, as people such as Anne Cadwallader, Sean Murray and Paul O’Connor have proven themselves to be everything but objective.

Murder of Sophie Tuscan Du Plantier by Vincent McKenna

Murder of Sophie Tuscan Du Plantier by Vincent McKenna Introduction and Key Events On the 23 December, 1996, when 39-year-old French wom...