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Today, Mr Declan Brady aged 56 years, with an address at “The Dairy”, Rathasker Road, Naas, Co Kildare, and Mr Martin Aylmer aged 36 years, a resident of Casino Park, Marino, Dublin 3, were charged before the Special Criminal Court with helping a criminal gang murder father-of-four Mr Christopher (Noel ‘Duck Egg’) Kirwan, over five years ago.
Readers will remember Mr Christopher Kirwan, aged 62 years was shot six times as he sat in his car on December 22nd, 2016, at St. Ronan’s Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin 22.
Previously on Monday last, Mr Michael Crotty aged 40 years, a resident at Slí Aonghusa, Aras na Rí, Cashel, Co Tipperary, was charged with involvement in this same murder, contrary to Section 72 of the Criminal justice Act.
Today, both Mr Aylmer and Mr Brady and were in court, when similar charges were read out. The court was also informed that Mr Aylmer had been charged by Gardaí prior to his appearance in today’s court.
All three men will be tried before the Special Criminal Court, after the Director of Public Prosecutions deemed the normal courts inadequate to secure the effective administration of justice, under the Offences Against the State Act.
Both men charged today were also remanded in custody by Mr Justice Owens, until May 23rd next.
Minister McEntee launches justice sector programme of commemorative events for 2022-2024 as part of the Decade of Centenaries’ Programme.
- The year 2022 marks centenary of establishment of An Garda Síochána, occupation of Four Courts and enactment of Irish Free State constitution.
- ‘Justice in Ireland 1822-2022’ symposium to take place on 22nd November this year.
- Programme outlines range of commemorative initiatives and events taking place across the justice sector over the coming years as part of the Decade of Centenaries Programme.
The Minister for Justice, Mrs Helen McEntee TD, has today launched the justice sector programme of commemorative events for 2022-2024, as part of the Decade of Centenaries Programme.
The Minister stated: “Over the past decade, we have collectively reflected on many of the formative events in the history of our State as part of the Decade of Centenaries. The period which we are now considering saw the foundation of the State and the establishment, or, in some cases, the handing over of many of the institutions and administrative pillars which have served us since then.
Central to this was the justice sector. Indeed, 1922 was a particularly significant year. It saw the foundation of our national police service, An Garda Síochána. It was also, of course, a year which tragically saw the advent of the Civil War and this was reflected in the occupation of the Four Courts, and with it the destruction of the Public Records Office.
Both 1922 and the years that followed saw many developments and transitions, including the end to the revolutionary Dáil Courts regime and the establishment of the Courts system of the new State. These were tumultuous years as the new State came into being. Both the Department of Justice, its forerunner, the Department of Home Affairs, and the various other parts of the justice sector were central to that time and that work.
I hope that the Decade of Centenaries Justice Sector Programme 2022-24 will capture some of the importance of this work, and help bring some new insights and understanding to those years. This must be an open and honest discussion, and throughout we will attempt to consider all aspects of our history – those that are well known, and those which may not have received enough discussion in the past.
I would encourage all those with an interest in these events to join us in that spirit and participate.”
An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service are leading comprehensive programmes of events over the course of this year, to mark the key events of the establishment of An Garda Síochána, the occupation of the Four Courts and the impact which this had on the operation of the Courts at the time, and the development and enactment of the Constitution of the Irish Free State. Details of these events are available in the programme.
A justice sector symposium, titled Justice in Ireland 1822-2022, will take place in the Printworks of Dublin Castle in partnership with an academic institution, on November 22nd.
Falling on the 200th anniversary of the establishment of the County Constabulary and the 100th anniversary of the establishment of An Garda Síochána, the symposium will provide an opportunity for a consideration by academics and practitioners of the development of both policing and justice institutions more broadly over that time, including the evolution of the prison and probation services. Further details will be announced over the coming weeks.
The Decade of Centenaries Programme provides a critical opportunity to focus on the development of access to historical records and primary sources from this key period. To this end, the Department intends to commence a number of projects to provide access to records from the early decades of the State. This will include the cataloguing of early 20th century departmental files for release to the National Archives and the commissioning of a written history of the first fifty years of the Department.
In addition to those being announced today, the programme of events and initiatives will continue to develop over the life of the programme. Additions will be announced by the Department or relevant agency via their traditional and online channels.
The Minister concluded: “I would like to thank Dr. Maurice Manning, Chair of the Expert Advisory Group on Centenary Commemorations and the Group, for the guidance in developing this programme of events and initiatives. I also want to thank theJustice Sector agencies for engaging with my Department to produce a diverse range of sectoral commemorations and to congratulate An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service on their commemorative programmes for this year.
I would encourage members of the public to participate in the Justice Sector commemorations over the coming years and hope that they will find the programme informative and enjoyable in equal measure.”
The programme can be accessed via portable document format (pdf) from the Department of Justice website from HERE.
On yesterday afternoon, a Cashel, Co. Tipperary male resident was charged before the Special Criminal Court, with helping a criminal gang to murder one Mr Christopher (Known as Noel ‘Duck Egg’) Kirwan.
Latter named, and father-of-four, was shot six times, resulting in his death, as he sat in his car, on December 22nd, 2016, at St. Ronan’s Drive, Clondalkin, Dublin 22.
The accused male, named as Mr Michael Crotty, aged 40, holding an address at Slí Aonghusa, Aras na Rí, Cashel, Co. Tipperary, was charged under Section 72 of the Criminal justice Act, with involvement/participation in the murder, between October 20th, 2016 and December 22nd, 2016.
Mr Michael Crotty had been charged at 7:00am on Monday morning in the precincts of the court, before being served with the ‘Book of Evidence’.
Mr Crotty’s Defence solicitor sought a six-week adjournment in the case, which was granted by presiding judge Mr Justice Alex Owens, latter sitting with Judge Martin Nolan and Judge Frank Griffin.
Mr Justice Owens further remanded Mr Crotty in custody; adjourning the case to May 23rd next.
Proceeds of crime fund to support community projects, opened for applications by Minister McEntee.
- Money seized from proceeds of crime to be used to support investment in communities.
- Community Safety Innovation Fund will have initial allocation of €2million.
- Call for applications for innovative ways to improve community safety.
The Minister for Justice, Mrs Helen McEntee TD, has today opened applications for a new fund, which will see the proceeds of crime re-invested in local projects to improve community safety.
Reflecting the success of An Garda Síochána and the Criminal Assets Bureau in seizing proceeds from criminal activity, the new fund will use money seized from the proceeds of crime to support investment in community safety projects.
The Community Safety Innovation Fund, which is expected to grow in the coming years, will have an initial outlay of €2m for this year.
It is anticipated that the kind of projects which may be supported will include activities intended to:
- tackle crime or reduce the fear of crime; improve community safety and feelings of safety.
- support the creation of safe and resilient communities;
- reduce reoffending.
- divert vulnerable individuals away from engagement in criminal behaviour.
The Minister has stated:
“An Garda Síochána and the Criminal Assets Bureau have achieved significant success in seizing the ill-gotten gains of criminal gangs who seek to inflict misery on so many communities.
This new fund will ensure that the success of An Garda Síochána and CAB is reflected in new investments in our communities, and on projects which will build strong and safe communities.
Community Safety is about people being safe and, just as importantly, feeling safe within their communities. This, of course, goes beyond policing alone.
This fund will ensure that the best proposals get the funding they need, and it will encourage the development of innovative ways in which to improve community safety from those people who understand local needs best.
For example, the new fund could help communities improve public spaces, or fund local sporting or arts facilities.”
The Fund is open to bodies involved in community safety and will support them in addressing local needs and opportunities for innovation not provided for in other funds managed by Departments and agencies. The call for applications for the Fund runs from April 6th until June 8th 2022 and grants will range from €20,000 to €150,000.
The development of innovative ideas will also allow best practice on community safety and youth justice to be shared with other partnerships and communities nationally as new proposals are developed.
This launch fulfils a commitment in Justice Plan 2022, to seek applications for community safety projects and similar initiatives from bodies involved in community safety.
Completed Application Forms are to be returned by 5:00pm on June 8th 2022 to CommunitySafetyInnovationFund@justice.ie.
For more information visit https://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/CSI-Fund-2022.
The Belfast Crown Court has ordered the BBC to hand over broadcast and withheld or withdrawn material, to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), from their documentary series about the Northern Ireland Troubles, first broadcast back in 2019.
The material is expected to includes interviews with Rev. Fr. Patrick Ryan, latter a Roman Catholic priest, who told the programme he had maintained a network of Europe-wide contacts, same used to generate arms and money for the IRA.
The priest in question, Fr. Patrick (Paddy) Ryan, now in his 92nd year, was born on June 26th, 1930, in Rossmore, Cashel, Co. Tipperary, one of six children born to a rural farming family.
Fr. Ryan had shown no great interest in politics beyond a hatred for past and present British rule on the island of Ireland; however the Roman Catholic Church and the Pallottine Order would formally suspend him from priestly duties, after he refused a transfer to a Parish Church in England.
Later on, during a trip to Rome in the summer of that same year, he is reported to have informed Italian priests that he hoped that the IRA would bomb the centre of London.
By the Autumn of 1973, he was shuttling back and forth between Dublin and Geneva, opening bank accounts and transferring funding (over £1,000,000) reportedly, granted by his newly acquired contacts within Libyan Military Intelligence in Tripoli.
You can find the full story HERE.
A PSNI lawyer told the court that there were reasonable grounds to believe that same material, currently the property of the BBC was likely to be of use in future terrorist investigations.
Keeping in mind the need to protect the public from terrorist activity; Mr Justice Neil Rafferty presiding in Belfast Crown Court, granted the order allowing the PSNI to access the gathered material.
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