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'White
trying to air brush me out of history' - rages O'Dochartaigh
by Donna Deeney, Sunday Journal (Derry)
A
feud has broken out between leading veteran republicans
over allegations that Irish Army Captain, James Kelly
came to Derry in 1969 to split the Republican movement.
Johnny
White, OC of the Derry branch of the IRA in 1969 interrupted
a meeting of the Captain Kelly Justice Campaign in
July and claimed he had been offered £50,000
to kill six members of the IRA.
Republican
and civil rights veteran Fionnbarra Ó Dochartaigh
totally rejected Johnny White's claims saying he would
have known about it, if the things Johnny White said,
were true.
However,
in a recent interview Johnny White stated that Mr
Ó Dochartaigh wasn't in a position of leadership
within the Republican movement and therefore would
not have known about the meeting with Captain Kelly.
Fionnbarra
Ó Dochartaigh slammed Johnny White's comments
and accused Mr White of 'trying to air brush' him
out of history, adding: "I was at the Army (IRA)
convention in 1969 and was one of four representatives
from Derry at the Ard Fheis in 1970.
"Johnny
White was one of the other three and if he had anything
to say about Captain Kelly he would have brought it
up then. Not 34 years later,"
Mystified
as to why Johnny White has, after 34 years of silence,
suddenly decided to go public with allegations against
Captain Kelly, Mr. Ó Dochartaigh added, "I
was actively involved with the Republican movement
and the civil rights movement from the outset and
until Johnny White stood up at last month's meeting,
I had never heard anything about payments being offered
by Captain Kelly.
"Why
didn't Johnny White make these claims when Captain
Kelly was alive?
"You
can't libel a dead person and if this was Johnny White's
reason for waiting until now to speak, it is very
ironic that someone, who describes himself as a Republican
would hide behind a British law.
"I
have spoken to other veteran Republicans about this,
and none of them have any knowledge of it either.
"Johnny
White had plenty of opportunities to make his allegations
before now, why did he not say them at the time of
the Dublin Arms Trial?"
Friend
and Comrade
Mr
Ó Dochartaigh said he was "saddened"
to hear someone he had considered a 'friend and comrade'
speak such calumny against Captain Kelly but added
that if Johnny White's intention was to sabotage the
Justice Campaign he had failed miserably.
The
Civil Rights veteran continued: "His plan to
wreck the campaign hasn't worked because there has
been a huge increase in the number of people who have
signed the petition since."
The
Justice Campaign was set up by Mr. Ó Dochartaigh
following the death of Captain Kelly in 2003.
Postscript:
The Campaign Kelly Justice Campaign website (and on-line
petition) can be accessed on www.captainkelly.org
Paper
petitions now available on request from oct5th_vets68@hotmail.com
OTHER RELATED SOURCES:
[1]
Sunday Mirror - Exclusive by Michelle O'Keeffe - July
18, 2004
"An
Official IRA source said the launch ended up like
the Ard Fheis of 1969. He added: "Johnny White
got up and made his allegations, but Johnny has
not been well of late."
[2]
'White should explain' - letter to Derry Journal -
published Friday following press conference of Fri.
July 16th - the first anniversary of the demise of
Capt. James J. Kelly
White
Should Explain
Sir,
I was not at the launch in the City Hotel of the
campaign to clear the name of the Irish army officer
Captain James Kelly.
However,
based on press reports and word of mouth I was more
than surprised to learn that Johnny White, IRA O.C.
in Derry, made allegations he was offered a £50,000
contract to carry out a number of assassinations
of IRA socialists.
I
find this difficult to believe since it would have
been hard to discover even one volunteer who would
have understood what the word socialism stood for.
I would ask Johnny if what he said was true why
did he withhold this information until now, and
why did he not alert A.S.U. * commanders at the
time.
It
would have been well known to him there were plenty
of others who would have undertaken these assassinations
for £50,000.
Maybe
he would like to explain in detail this very serious
allegation to what remains of his former comrades.
TED
BRADLEY
*A.S.U
- Active Service Units
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