Picture by Woodkern
If you go looking on Wikipedia for background on Michael Tighe, you’ll find he was an American singer/songwriter and actor. In other words, the Michael Tighe we know doesn’t exist. Just as the tape-recording made of his final moments didn’t exist. Not after it’d been destroyed, anyway.
According to a report that’s now emerged, security service people concealed the existence of an audio recording of Michael Tighe’s final moments, when the unarmed teenage boy was was shot dead. An inquiry at the time recommended that the highest-ranking M15 officers here should be prosecuted for perverting the course of justice. Were they? Don’t – you’re making my cat throw up. Attorney-General Patrick Mayhew said the British government didn’t think it’d be in the interests of national security to bring the men to trial.
The case of Michael Tighe matters first of all because as a young lad barely embarked on life, he was killed by the authorities here and his killing lied about. Even more important, his killing and official reaction blows a hole through the comfortable belief that the conflict here was about decent policemen and soldiers being killed by cowardly republicans. You can try – and some do – to justify acts like this by saying the IRA didn’t give any warning when it struck, as countless RUC and UDR widows can testify. True. Except that you also have to abandon the notion of the ‘security’ forces here as people who tried to hold the line and keep the good people in our society safe.
It shouldn’t be necessary to say it again, but the years of conflict were replete with acts of savagery. What makes the killing of Michael Tighe stand out is that it was carried out at the behest of senior MI5 people, their actions colluded in by the Attorney-General of the day, and evidence destroyed. When Britain wants to kill and lie here, it does so.
The poignancy of Tighe’s death – unarmed, in a rural hay-shed – is just one of many cruel acts here that British authorities have stretched every sinew to conceal. Because if they didn’t, the hypocritical narrative of Britain as peace-keeper would fall apart as surely as Michael Tighe’s body fell to the hay-shed floor under a hail of bullets in 1982.
Brilliant Jude, thank you very much for the work that you do.
Grma, Gerard
This is one among many many cases where state forces have murdered and lied with impunity(Majella O’Hare, Steven McConomy are but two instances) Thank you for this article, Loyalists call for TAIGS to be cruciufied, security forces murder children, yet there is silence. Not a great outlook on the future or the past
Police officers alleged that Michael Tighe was armed and pointed a weapon at police. A trial judge expressed concerns about forensic evidence and found the police account to be unreliable. Audio recordings and logs were not preserved for evidential purposes. It was stated that John Stalker and Colin Sampson were not informed of the existence of the relevant information.
The British government is determined to pursue austerity policies with targets and timelines. It is not so keen to address the role of the state in collusion and is apparently unconcerned with the millions of pounds currently being squandered at interface areas at present or the ‘pound a brick peace walls’ that remain a feature of life in the north of Ireland.
As a combination of names goes, Esteemed Blogmeister, it would be difficult to come across one quite as Irish or Gaelic as ‘Michael Tighe’ in a day’s stalk.
Whether one be in an regional Undercover RUC unit or the premiership team of the S.A.S..
With the possible exception of a name involving Patrick or a variation of same, from Padraig to Paraic to Paddy to Paschal to Patsy to Pat to Patty or even to Tricky, Ricky or Whacker itself.
While we don’t of course have the S.A.S. operating down here in the Cahilliphate south of the Black Sow’s Dyke (as distinct from co-operating with) nonetheless the Amnesia surrounding the circumstances to do with the shooting dead of Michael Tighe expresses itself in different, yet in curiously similar ways, here and hereabouts.
Involving S.E.S. (see below).
(Note: Amnesia Ireland is not to be confused with Amnesty Ireland though the confusion is, betimes, understandable).
Take the latest beast to emerge from the vowel bowels of Failte Ireland: Ancient East Ireland (AEI). This is the new ‘touring region tapping into 5,000 years of Ireland’s history south and east which was launched recently as a follow up to the Wild Atlantic Way’.(WAW)
It is hoped AEI will wow ! tourists the way WAW has already done.Or indeed as Mrs. Saxe-Coburg-Goth did in her visit to, erm, Maryland.
It was launched by two pillars of political life in the Free Southern Stateen: Paschal Donoghue and Michael ‘Mick’ Ring. Note there the prevalence of Gaelic Irish first names.
Which is, oddly enough, not quite so apparent in the Four Pillars upon which the concept of AEI is, erm, foundated upon.
1. Ancient Ireland (prehistoric sites like Newgrange, Brownshill Dolmen etc)
2. Early Christian Ireland (Clonmacnoise, not so noisy Glendalough etc).
3. Medieval Ireland (including Viking Ireland,if no Viqueen Ireland etc)
and, last but indubitably not the least in the beast that is Ancient East Ireland:
4. Anglo Ireland. (including Big Houses, but sadly not, for whatever reason, Anglo Irish Bank).
One word which is missing from the accompanying bumf of the launch is, oddly enough, the G-word: Gaelic. Which is where the S.E.S. factor enters the equation: Shifty Eyed Sifting.
And it certainly took some serious S.E.S.indeed to factor out the G-word.
This came to the mind of Perkie’s inner staycacioner when considering the impression placenames like, f’rinstance, Graiguenamanagh might make upon the vacationer from outside Paddy and Mick’s Emerald Isle East. (EIE, EIE, oh)..
Would they, perchance, take it as another instance of the Grecian influence on the Gaelic psyche (see under U for Ulysses) ?
Let us briefly, erm, deconstruct Graiguenamanagh for a moment: or, Graiguenamanagh sur Barrow to give it its full Ancient East Ireland beast of a title.
Graiguenamanagh: Graig na Manach Or, in the original leprechaun: Village of the Monks.
Hmmm.
Doesn’t quite cut the mustard, does it now? A village ? When unsuspecting touristy folk have been led to dream of Grecian Nymphets or even Grecian 2000 as in Grecian Hymphets depending of the individual’s position on the rainbow,in the AIE of the post-rainbow referendum era..
No, best leave it at Graiguenamanagh which is, erm, Greek to local and foreigner alike. Besides, the fundamental Failte Ireland idea being to wheelbarrow as many drachmas into the Irish coffers as possible, best leave it at Graiguenamanagh sur Barrow.
Meanwhile, Perkie’s inner philologist patiently awaits The Unionist Times, the paper of record’s decoding of the balaclavas’s and baseball boyos’ enigmatic message.
In other words, TUT’s take on VTOT.
PS The thought has struck one that perhaps the reason why Pascal and Michael have taken such pains,. shillings and pence to avoid the G-word is that it only serves to remind these two Pillars of the Anglo-Ireland memory bank of their G-nome origins as: Paddy Stink and Mickey Mudd. (see J. Joyce of To Hellenic and Back fame).
An unworthy t. which desrves to perish on the Spotify: out ! out! out !
Incidentally, compare and contrast the use of the Q’s English by Pascal D and Michael R, whose muddah tongue it is with the use of the same language by, say, at random, Vanis the Unflappable whose step-muddah tongue it merely is.
And innocent folk wonder why the once hugely lucrative Teaching English as a Second Language Industry in the Free Southern Stateen is currently coming apart at the seems.
Ooops, seams.
Jude isn’t it a bit low to use somebodies death as point scoring exercise in trying to prove everybody was equally bad?
Neill – I’m sorry if that is the case – I’m sure his family have suffered enough without additional pain being heaped on. I used it as an example of how the British forces will kill innocent people and then lie to cover up. Is that not worth saying? We’ve heard how foul the IRA were time and time again. Maybe time to right the balance a little by exposing clearly horrible actions
We know your position in relation to the republican movement but using somebody’s death as a stick to beat the army is a trifle cynical indeed when the media mentions Maria cahill Travers etc you immediately complain of a cynical attack on SF by the media yet you don’t notice it when you do it or perhaps you are just getting a little old and a little forgetful…
I AM getting old, neill – my only consolation is that so is everyone else. The thing is, we pay the security forces to protect us. I don’t think most nationalists/republicans fund the IRA. Or do you see no difference between the actions of the forces of law and order, and an illegal organisation?
let’s do this very slowly Jude using somebody’s death as a means to attack the army is cynical we know your position on the republican movement and how you regard them as the good guys however you are doing what you condemn the Irish Independent of doing to Sf doesn’t that cause even a moments pause for you?
Oh dear Neill – you are a troublesome member of the class. As I think Emmet has suggested above – do you not think that the killing of an innocent young lad in a hayshed, deliberately and cold-bloodedly by the ‘security’ forces is worth mentioning – particularly as fresh revelations emerged t’other day? Or do you think claims By Mairia Cahill etc are more important? If you think I’m using young Tighe’s death as a stick with which to beat the security forces, that’s your prerogative. The fact is you’re wrong.
You always seem to put forward illogical arguments Neill. ‘somebody’s death as a stick to beat the army’- what does that even mean, don’t hold a murder against the army?? We should not comment on secret killings? Don’t question state execution? Britain doesn’t admit using Capital punishment, even worse it is carrying out capital punishment without trial, why there isn’t more scrutiny points to mass media manipulation. It’s not really a ‘stick’ more like grounds for a investigation by UNCHR.
‘trifle cynical indeed when the media mentions Maria cahill Travers etc you immediately complain’- [ I have self censored at the risk of offending]???? I think you have missed the point the media don’t mention Michael Tighe in fact the point being made is that it has been ignored/covered up/disappeared as an issue.
Emmet if you cant see double standards I feel sorry for you.
Neill, I do see the double standards that’s why I made the comment. Do you want to clarify your remark or rebut anything I said in response to your comment? I would like to try and understand your point of view.
Neill, pointing out that the British “security forces” murdered a teenager then covered up that murder isn’t beating the security forces with a stick. By your own logic then bringing up deaths caused by the IRA is being disrespectful to those who are dead, by your logic Neill thousands of Unionists are being disrespectful on a daily basis….
But as usual with you Neill, I cant help but think you just don’t want this teenagers murder (and the later cover up of his murder) mentioned because it destroys the Unionist narrative that the “security forces” were upholding law and order and were impartial to all, which everyone, including you Neill, know is complete nonsense…
The British state as far as we know did not “disappear” the bodies of its victims but it just about disappeared everything else – truth, justice, accountability, decency, empathy and regret.
Great read here.
http://www.theguardian.com/news/2015/jul/09/northern-ireland-terror-shoot-to-kill
Ach, sure the Guardian is only the Pulitzer Prize winning second most popular English language news website in the world. What does the Newsletter make of this story?
somebody most likely put the brits on to the dump they deserve a mention,but saying that the brits have done this the world over,its their culture as they.
We all know the British Government basically ran the likes of the UVF/UDA/RHC/etc here, that’s not to mention they had their own personal terror groups such as the FRU and MRF whose members sneered on TV about the murders of innocent civilians (all Catholics, of course) and said they would do it again and had no regrets. Then we had former UUP MP Ken Maginnis on TV last month basically admitting to handing the names of suspected IRA members to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on a late night phone call and those people later shot dead. Ken even said how glad he was about what he had done. I could go on and on but I think people get the idea.
Should we be surprised that the British State murdered a teenager then covered up his murder and actively protect those behind it and prevent those families getting Justice?
The question I want to ask is this: What are we going to do about this Government who is responsible for murdering hundreds of civilians, the vast majority Catholics, under its rule? Sitting back and letting them get away with it isn’t an option, in my opinion. The outside world, particularly Irish America, could help…..
in follow up to Ryan’s post there has been a recent call for hearings by Congressman Brendan Boyle D-PA, after the last panorama broadcast on the British Govt’s infiltration and manipulation of loyalist groups and IRA. Brendan’s parents I believe are from Donegal and this is his first term of Congress. Whether he’ll get the committee chairman to conduct a hearing is hard to say but it’s been on my list to find out.
There can often be bipartisan cooperation in bringing these hearings to Capitol Hill, but when it comes to the Brits, Irish America gets little help from State Dept on pursuing anything that might affect that “special relationship” after the hearings are held. Congressional resolutions are useless because they don’t mean anything and forget about anything with teeth in it.
We saw it during the US UK Extradition hearings with not only State but DOJ getting nasty due to the pushback on the proposed changes to the treaty. it’s not just this administration it’s been going on for a long time. Congress and White House tend to look the other way regarding Britain’s state sponsored violence in Ireland, regardless of the rhetoric one might hear.
Now, if Britain had some oil in the vicinity of Buckingham Palace, we could possibly invade…..
It was indeed quite a read Jude, (or ‘The Long Read’ in the printed edition of The Guardian – a regular section) – and fair play and GRMA to Ceannaire for putting the link up so that anyone above can read the full (as it was) 3 pages in ‘The G’..(Possibly where you read the incredible – though not surprising – after so many other tales of mis-deeds, skullduggery etc by anyone connected with the British Govt.,MI5, the Northern Police Service & Judges etc – then / before – and to a certain %, since).
I read the tale this morning, whilst waiting (and waiting) for an Appointment. (Had the whole paper read by the time i was called in – so had time to take in what i already knew, but put perfectly in print by the UK’s best Journalists – how Osborne has completely outflanked Labour, effectively put them out of commission (as it were), for the next 10 years at least, and painted them right into the corner of ‘The Party Of The Skivers & Shirkers’, leaving them tainted and unvoteable – Despite putting forth a Budget that would have a Victorian Workhouse Owner hiding in shame. And much, much worse to come. The image of DIY Curriculum Vitae IDS screaming “Yes,Yes,Yes!” and pumping his fists, via the TV News, is forever horribly seared into my brain).
Though back to the night of two lads in their late teens. Doing exactly what a childhood friend of mine ‘back home’ used to do of an evening, when i’d spend a fair deal of my School holidays in Summer, living at his Mum & Dad’s farm (now passed to himself) – putting his Scrambler into the barn as the evening light was fading. Having a quick clean-up of the bike, checking we hadn’t clipped anything so there’d be no drip-drip of a fuel-leak overnight – and in for supper. Idyllic times. – And should have been for Michael and Martin – had it not been for yet another triumvirate of British collusion – legalised murder (again) – almost a double murder, as i carried on reading. Glancing occasionally at Martin’s picture, picturing at the same time (or trying to obviously), how he must have felt, being dragged out of the barn, blood pumping from himself, his thoughts as to that – and what the next minutes could bring – a rifle pointed at his head, threatened to be shot. – All this in the space of what literally was seconds. Not knowing what had happened to Michael.
So, i had the article read in no time. Remembering vividly John Stalker’s role – which caught my attention at the time (you yourself Jude, knowing my ‘home town’ and its region / proximity to Manchester) – it was just something way back then, that grabbed my attention and stayed with me – as i followed it through the attempts (hamfisted) to discredit him and in effect, whitewash a big stone wall that was full of graffiti that ‘The Powers That Be’ wanted absolutely no-one to read. (Meanwhile, before reaching the last few paragraphs, turning the page back to the previous right-hand side page with Martin’s picture, half a dozen times, thinking, “This chap looks familiar”….And “The tape….?”). Obviously should have seen that one coming – part of me was thinking the end would be, “And now it has been uncovered” – or a copy. Rather a gormless idea on my part. Though i was right about one thing. The familiarity, via where himself and his Wife finally settled. And its proximity to where the Council re-located me to a property that was more helpful for my requirements.
A small world indeed. – And a hell of a road he’s travelled to get here since that fateful night.
I am afraid that unfortunately Neill and Billy are typical of the Loyalist Community.
When will they ever learn the Brits as a Government are awful people who have terrorised the World for Centuries!!!
Obviously then Jim you are typical of the Republican community that blames the British Government for all of the ills of the world.
And obviously neill, you are Very representative of the Protestant (Orange also as you may possibly be), that blames Republicans, Sinn Fein – maybe even Catholics, for all the ills of the World.
Your repetitivness, post after post, blog after blog, week after week – Is mildly laudable, but ultimately laughable. You denigrate Jude and Paddykool – nearly everybody that posts a thought, point of view etc on this Blog..
Why?…
Because, in my belief – you are an old, bitter and twisted man, who clings onto a past, that has passed – ie: Who ‘rules the roost’ in the North.
– Yet will not accept that The British Government – right through to the ‘Security Forces’, RUC etc – Murdered hundreds of innocent Catholics, at will, without fear of Prosecution etc for Decades. And still, time after time you try to defend the indefensible.
Myself, being of dual-nationality – am ashamed to think (which i very rarely do) – that a part of me is British. And always will do.
“that blames the British Government for all of the ills of the world”
Theres definitely a case to be made when it comes to that. Why not pick up a History book Neill, you can get them pretty cheap on Amazon.co.uk, I recommend “Empire: How Britain made the modern world” By Neill Ferguson, an Oxford educated Historian, that mind of yours Neill needs broadened, some facts about Britain might be very hard for you to swallow but they are still facts, whether you like them or not….
Oh dear Neill – you are a troublesome member of the class. As I think Emmet has suggested above – do you not think that the killing of an innocent young lad in a hayshed, deliberately and cold-bloodedly by the ‘security’ forces is worth mentioning – particularly as fresh revelations emerged t’other day?
Off course its worth mentioning!
Or do you think claims By Mairia Cahill etc are more important? If you think I’m using young Tighe’s death as a stick with which to beat the security forces, that’s your prerogative. The fact is you’re wrong.
No not more important at all however once again Jude and perhaps the teacher is having a bad day I shall try to explain this to you. You condemn other parts of the media for using others hurt to attack SF and yet you are doing the same and as of yet you have not noticed yourself doing the same…
Neill I don’t think you are explaining yourself well.
“You condemn other parts of the media for using others hurt to attack SF and yet you are doing the same and as of yet you have not noticed yourself doing the same…
I don’t think Jude was using people who were hurt to attack the army. I think he was pointing out the media silence when the British state is found to have behaved like terrorists. Also I think there is a difference in why the issues are being brought up. Sinn Fein is a democratically elected party that faces (and always has) a coordinated propaganda campaign aimed at limiting it’s electoral success as much as possible. Thankfully people get offended when they see the establishment sticking their fingers up at them and then will harden republican’s resolve to build a country where this dirty war will be finally stopped.
The media should be looking at the present, their is enough controversy for them to sensationalise from the present, in fact you couldn’t make up the news coming out of the north. The fire brigade is moving people out of their homes for a fire that is being built that could destroy lives and property. Tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of flags have been erected including: KKK, Confederate, Nazi, SS, Israeli, UVF. The orange order (White Anglo- Saxon Protestant supremacist group) which was founded in the 18th Century after a fight between Protestants and Catholics, is celebrating its culture by burning pictures of Catholics, Poles, and the national flag of Poland, Ivory Coast and Ireland, some of those fires are a danger to property and lives, meanwhile threats have been made to crucify Catholics. Meanwhile a loyalist is killed in s sword attack and the First Minister’s son is under investigation a few years after his mum and dad were investigated over some very dodgy property deals.
Neill if you can’t see the hole the loyalist community is climbing into (maybe they have been there for a long time) then you are in trouble. Surely there are moderate unionists, even some progressive or liberal minded people that can come out now and offer unionism a voice?? If the media were more critical of the present rather than falling in line with a narrow political agenda then I am sure the corrupt (morally and financially) dinosaurs in unionism would have been left behind a long time ago.