Stolen Vermeer, Dessie's Divine Intervention, Slab's Saintly Salvation !!

The Sunday Times December 17, 2006
Bad boy Dessie a saint, say his friends,




A Saintly Task for this New Saint !!

Art Hostage says, Sincerity is, by the Discovery of the Stolen Vermeer in a Confession Box ??

Liam Clarke
LAST week he was accused of being involved in vicious gangland crime in Dublin, but friends of Dessie O’Hare insist he is something of a saint. The former terrorist is said to have been working with children’s charities, accompanying pilgrims to Lourdes and supervising handicapped people on retreat.

Last Tuesday, O’Hare was accused by tabloid newspapers in Dublin and Belfast of murdering Martin “Marlo” Hyland, reputedly Ireland’s most important drug dealer, and Anthony Campbell, an innocent plumber.

The double murder was supposed to have borne the hallmarks of O’Hare, who chiselled off the fingers of a dentist he kidnapped in 1987. Newspapers claimed the gardai were looking for the Border Fox and that he had gone on the run.

Now authoritative security sources say O’Hare is not a suspect and that his whereabouts are known to gardai.

Willie Gallagher, a spokesman for the IRSP and who works with former INLA prisoners including O’Hare, said: “The first we heard he was being accused was when a journalist rang an IRSP member on the day of the murders to ask if it was true. I rang Dessie and he was in a convent outside Dublin. That’s where he told me he was. I am sure it was true.”

Gallagher says O’Hare did meet Hyland in prison. Security sources say that the drug dealer sent O’Hare money on his release from jail, but they put this down to an effort by Hyland to buy friends.

“Dessie met all sorts of people in jail but I would be very surprised if he involves himself in illegal activity,” Gallagher said. “Apart from anything else, he was released on licence under very strict conditions. He knows the Irish government would return him to prison if he gives any excuse or reason to do so.”

Under the terms of his licence, O’Hare must not mix with criminals or give press interviews. As a result he has not been able to deny in person the allegations that newspapers have made against him since his release.

O’Hare has worked with a number of religious charities as a result of contacts made through a nun who visited him in jail and campaigned for his release.

One religious group he has been helping is the Brothers of Charity in Galway. Patrick McGinley, the group’s director of services, said that last month O’Hare acted in a volunteer support role on a retreat for adults with learning difficulties.

McGinley said: “The Brothers of Charity sought and received three written references about Mr O’Hare. On foot of these three references Mr O’Hare acted in a volunteer support role on November 21, 22 and 23 as part of a pastoral care project. This work was fully supervised at all times by our experienced permanent staff.”

O’Hare was described by a person associated with the retreat as “very respectful and helpful” and it is understood that there were no problems related to his involvement.

Gallagher said that O’Hare has been to Lourdes “a few times” with handicapped children’s groups. “Even in jail, he said he would like to work with disadvantaged kids.”

Dessie O’Hare has a home in Moycullen, Co Galway, and also stays in a religious community near Dublin and visits his wife Clare and daughter Julie who live near Keady in Co Armagh.

One of the most notorious figures to emerge from the Troubles, O’Hare, 50, once boasted that he had killed 26 people in a paramilitary career that spanned the Provisional IRA, freelance terrorist activity in his native Co Armagh, and the INLA.

He and two accomplices were jailed in 1987 for the kidnapping and torture of John O’Grady, a millionaire dentist from Dublin. After ransom demands were not met O’Hare cut off two of O’Grady’s fingers with a hammer and chisel.

O’Grady escaped after a gun battle between the kidnappers and gardai. O’Hare received a 40-year sentence and was considered so dangerous that he was not released as part of the Good Friday agreement. He was released on licence last April and there has since been speculation that he is hanging around with Dublin criminals.

Art Hostage comments:

The best way for Mr Dessie O'Hare to demonstrate his sincerity is to facilitate the Stolen Vermeer from Boston being discovered in a confession box.

He clearly has connections to the Catholic Church and so i challenge Mr O'Hare to use his undoubted ability to see this happens sooner rather than later.

Within these turbulent times for the Irish Republican movement, what better way to reach out across the ocean, to America, a hand of friendship, showing grateful appreciation for the support of Irish Republicans during the Struggle, than for Dessie O'Hare and General Thomas Slab Murphy to be the chosen ones to send the Missive, (Vermeer's, "The Concert")



Sunday Life Home > News

RIRA Rambos!

By Chris Anderson and Stephen Gordon
17 December 2006

Dissident republicans are planning a spectacular 'ram raid' style attack on the security forces in south Armagh using an armoured van.

The Army has been hunting for the armour-plated van for the past fortnight on the back of intelligence that dissidents are planning to use it to force a mobile patrol vehicle off the road and launch a gun attack on the occupants.

Security sources say the van was moved into the area several weeks ago and believe it has been reinforced with metal panels to the front and sides.

"We need to find this van before it's used in any attack. We know it has been modified for an attack," said one source.

"Dissidents are flexing their muscles at the minute and all they need is to get lucky once. If they pull this off it will be a big boost to their morale."

The sources refused to rule out the possibility that hardliner Dessie O'Hare is involved in the 'ram raid' attack plan.

Following his release from jail earlier this year the ex-INLA terrorist - known as the Border Fox - has reportedly aligned himself with dissident republicans in south Armagh.

"Dessie O'Hare has a track record of this type of attack. In his INLA days he used a mechanical digger in a gun attack on the security forces," said a source.

"He is a diehard republican who is capable of anything."

It was reported last week that convicted kidnapper O'Hare was suspected of involvement in a gangland double-murder in Dublin, although the claims have been rubbished by a representative of O'Hare.

The security forces are currently on a heightened state of alert in the south Armagh area and there has been increased military helicopter activity in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, victims' group FAIR claims there are insufficient police officers in south Armagh to deal with the current dissident republican threat.

FAIR spokesman Willie Fraser said: "Dissident Republicans must be stopped in their tracks.

"At the minute Republicans can operate at will because there aren't enough PSNI officers on the ground. The rule of law must be applied in south Armagh before there is further loss of life."

Freed Provos are gangland 'guns for hire'

JIM CUSACK and

JODY CORCORAN

FORMER Provisional IRA men freed under the Good Friday Agreement are selling terrorist expertise to Dublin and Limerick criminal gangs, creating the most serious security crisis in the State since the IRA ceasefire in 1994.

Dublin Garda sources say organised crime has now reached its worst ever levels.

With further killings expected, high visibility armed patrols - involving gardai wearing body armour and carrying sub-machinguns - will, for the first time, be on duty over Christmas.

Gangland crime is again so serious that the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern and the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, will hold a crisis meeting with Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy and Deputy Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy tomorrow. They will discuss the deployment of resources in the short to medium-term, the tightening of bail procedures and the need for speedier trials.

There is great public anger that 23 of the 24 known close associates of slain crime boss Martin 'Marlo' Hyland were on bail when he was murdered on Tuesday.

There was public revulsion when Hyland's killers also murdered an innocent young plumber, Anthony Campbell, who had witnessed the attack.

Hyland was known to be linked to the Provisional IRA, although the Taoiseach has said he does not believe the IRA was directly involved in his murder.

Gardai have indicated to Government that additional support staff is necessary to free officers on the ground

ANALYSIS

from subsequent office-bound duties; extra staff are also needed in the courts system to allow cases come to trial quicker.

But the current application of the bail laws, in particular, will be top of the agenda on Monday. In a 1996 referendum, provision was made for the courts to refuse bail to a person charged with a serious offence where it was reasonably considered necessary to prevent the commission of a serious offence.

Judges, however, are not taking a consistent line on the outcome of that referendum, something which is causing great concern at the heart of Government. Mr McDowell has criticised "soft judges" allowing hardened criminals out on bail despite strong Garda objections. Mr Conroy has said he supports the minister's views.

Although they have not yet publicly responded, judges do intend to make their views known "in their own time in their own way".

The discussions tomorrow between the country's most senior politicians and Garda will examine what gardai, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the judiciary can reasonably do to resolve this situation.

Public demand for immediate action is reflected in a Sunday Independent telephone poll of 500 homes, which has found an overwhelming majority (96 per cent) want the non-jury Special Criminal Court to deal with organised criminal gangs, with just 4 per cent opposed.

Indeed, the public is showing little appetite for the niceties of current due process. A significant 75 per cent would support the use of administrative detention orders, effectively internment, suggested by Fine Gael, and used in the Netherlands, to keep petty dealers off the streets while they are being investigated; only 25 per cent would oppose such an initiative.

The Sunday Independent can reveal that there have been at least seven attempted murders in the north-inner city in the last 13 months. Another criminal, Gerard Byrne, 26, was shot dead at the Irish Financial Services Centre on Wednesday.

The manner of Byrne's murder has also given rise to suspicions that a hired assassin was responsible. He was shot dead with a single round to the back of the head, and then shot a further four times, reminiscent of two assassinations carried out by a former republican-turned-assassin in the border area.

This assassin shot dead former INLA boss Dominic McGlinchey's wife Mary at her home in Dundalk, Co Louth in 1987 and subsequently shot another ex-INLA man, 'Mad' Nicky O'Hare, also in Dundalk in 2000.

Gardai now believe that paramilitary links to criminality in Dublin continues with a former 'officer commanding' of the Dublin IRA who still has access to armaments. The former 'OC' was stood down at the start of 2004 after Justice Minister Michael McDowell highlighted Provisional IRA involvement in hijackings and other major crimes in the Dublin Port area.

However, gardai say the man is surrounded by former IRA associates and has links to criminality, including drug and cigarette smuggling.

His predecessor as Dublin IRA 'OC' is now based in Alicante, from where he is using former IRA supply routes to ship drugs and cigarettes - often accompanied by weapons - to Dublin crime gangs.

One man in his late 40s, who was serving a long sentence on explosives-related charges - and who was released under the Good Friday Agreement - is also closely associated with one of the city's biggest heroin gangs.

This ex-prisoner organises 'muscle' for the drugs gang which is run by a younger, close relative, who had connections with Sinn Fein in Dublin, but was not known as an IRA member.

This man dropped his political connections as his drugs operations grew. However, his gang has links to both major criminals and other former republicans now involved in crime. Gardai say their link to the IRA has caused other gangs to stay clear of their operations, which mainly involve supplying heroin in bulk to smaller gangs.

Another Belfast man, now in his 50s - also released under the Good Friday Agreement - has been linked to some of the so-called tiger kidnappings, in which families are held hostage while key-holders are brought to post offices, banks or business premises where money is held.

His gang was responsible for the tiger kidnapping in Rochestown, Co Cork, in May last year in which a businessman and his family were held hostage. Two men were caught at the scene when the family was freed, but the Belfast man escaped. He was later arrested and questioned, but released for lack of evidence.

In the North, PSNI sources report that a considerable number of ex-republican and loyalist prisoners have become heavily involved in crime there, and are exclusively responsible for a rise of extortion rackets.

A recent PSNI report stated: "Typical demands are in the region of £50-£100 a month for small retail outlets, £1,000-£10,000 for small businesses and private individuals and there is no upper limit for demands on larger companies."

Another senior figure, who recently left the IRA in protest at Sinn Fein's proposals to support the PSNI and join the Northern Ireland Police Board, is running a massive tax evasion scam in the building industry in the North, the Republic and Britain.

Gardai continue to investigate claims that some less senior, but more militarily experienced ex-IRA men have also been hiring their services. A number of feud-related killings have shown levels of expertise previously unknown among Dublin criminals.

Dublin Vermeer "Lady Writing a Letter With Her Maid"Targeted By Viper, for Fourth Time

An Artful Dodge
In Ireland, one splendid art collection keeps getting robbed. But the colorful crooks aren't just in it for the money

It was just past six on the cold morning of Sept. 29 when the dark green Mitsubishi Pajero off-roader pulled up at the back of Russborough House, a Palladian mansion outside the town of Blessington in County Wicklow, Ireland. At least three men wearing balaclavas and hooded sweatshirts affixed a plank to the back of the vehicle to turn it into a makeshift battering ram, then ran it in reverse up some steps and into one of the great windows of the 250-year-old house, shattering the glass and the shutters behind. Eleven paintings were hanging on the walls of the saloon inside, but the gang settled for five, including two by Rubens — Portrait of a Dominican Monk and Venus Supplicating Jupiter. Caught on video-surveillance cameras, the job was done in just 50 seconds, and the thieves made their getaway at speed, driving across three fields before hitting the open road.

There was no need to hurry. Russborough House's sole security guard was in another wing of the house — and anyway, he is in his seventies and would never have been a match for the thieves. The nearest police station, 4 km away in Blessington, is closed at night. And the district patrol car on duty was based in Baltinglass, 26 km away. By the time the police arrived the gang was long gone.

As if all of that wasn't embarrassing enough, this was the fourth time in 28 years that Ireland's best-known private art collection had been robbed. It belongs to the Beit family, which inherited 150 paintings — along with other objets d'art, antique furnishings and books — from Otto Beit, co-founder of the De Beers diamond-mining company. Deirdre Rowsome, administrator of Russborough House, claims the building has "a very sophisticated, up-to-date security system, but the house is in a rural area and it is open to the public. If a gang is really determined to rob the house, it is very difficult to deal with them." Security was being reviewed at the time of the robbery.

What's especially intriguing about the last two heists is that the thieves never intended to fence the artworks for money. The paintings were meant to serve as bargaining chips; senior police sources say that the gang hoped to trade them for lesser charges when caught on other criminal operations.

The thieves were following a tradition going back to the very first heist at Russborough House, in 1974. That caper, pulled off by a Provisional i.r.a. gang, was led by Rose Dugdale, an English millionaire's daughter turned republican rebel. The gang did want some money — over $200,000, according to the ransom note — but its real objective was to trade the paintings for the release of Dolours and Marion Price, sisters who were jailed for life on explosives charges and were on hunger strike in London's Brixton jail. The Dugdale gang took 19 paintings, including a Goya, a Vermeer and a Gainsborough. But their caper quickly came unstuck. Five paintings were found two weeks later in a wardrobe in a house in County Cork which Dugdale had rented. The rest were found rolled up in the boot of a Morris Minor which she had borrowed from her landlord. Dugdale, who was sentenced to 11 years in jail, now works in Dublin with a support group for former prisoners. She refuses to discuss the robbery, which made her a household name in Ireland.

If Rose Dugdale seemed a character out of a B-movie, the next gangster to target Russborough House actually inspired two feature films about his life and crimes. Dublin crime boss Martin Cahill — a.k.a. the General — had the posthumous privilege of being portrayed by Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey in the thinly fictionalized Ordinary Decent Criminal, released in 2000. (Two years earlier, Brendan Gleeson played the title role in The General.) The real-life Cahill was Ireland's most colorful crook. Fat and balding, he had a passion for pigeons, Harley-Davidson motorbikes and two Dublin sisters by whom he fathered nine children.

Cahill's gang arrived in Russborough House one night in May 1986; they cut a small pane of glass out of a French window, and entered the house to set off the alarm. They then retreated and hid in the bushes, until the gardaí — as Ireland's policemen are known — had come and gone, believing it was a false alarm. An hour later the thieves went back inside and took 18 paintings from the walls.

Like Dugdale's, Cahill's Russborough House caper may have had more than a commercial motive. Retired detective Gerry O'Carroll, who was in the police unit that carried out surveillance on the General, believes Cahill wanted to embarrass the Irish government. "He hated the State because of what happened to him as a child in [reform] school," O'Carroll says. "He had been beaten like an animal, and abused. Carrying out a 'spectacular' was his revenge." But the heist proved to be Cahill's undoing. He hooked up with the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force to get rid of the paintings — and that made him an I.R.A. target. He was killed in 1994, the victim of the last official i.r.a. assassination before the Good Friday peace treaty. All but two of the paintings Cahill stole were recovered.

The next man to loot Russborough House is believed by senior police sources to have been Martin Foley — known as the Viper, and one of Cahill's most loyal lieutenants. In a June 2001 raid, his gang took two paintings: Bellotto's View of Florence and Gainsborough's Madame Baccelli. It was the third time these paintings had been lifted. The gardaí believe the Viper, who is still at large, masterminded the theft for insurance purposes — to trade the art for his freedom. Former officers say such negotiations are not uncommon. "Deals are done all the time, let's be honest about it," says O'Carroll. "The Beit paintings are stolen for bargaining chips. [The thieves] know that they can't offload them, but when they are caught with drugs, or are facing charges on armed robbery, they can use the paintings for bartering. It's an Irish form of plea bargaining." In September the police recovered the paintings from a house in South Dublin. A portrait by Rubens, stolen in Cahill's raid, had turned up in a house in North Dublin a month earlier. The gardaí would not officially say if these finds were the result of tipoffs during plea bargaining.

The September robbery remains something of a mystery. Some gardaí believe the deal struck for the return of the last paintings soured and the Viper's gang hit Russborough House again in revenge. A second theory is that another gang was responsible, and the police are now investigating a number of criminals who could have been behind the raid.

Last Monday, a 45-year-old Dublin woman, Rose Quinn, appeared at a district court on charges of handling two paintings, worth €2.6 million, taken in the third Russborough robbery. Quinn had been arrested after leaving another courthouse where her son Ian was sentenced to 10 years in jail for his role in an attempted bank robbery. Outside the courthouse, Quinn swore her innocence. "I've done nothing wrong," she said. "I give you my word." But it may be that the Russborough House saga is about to take another bizarre turn.

Art Hostage comments:
Martin "The Viper" Foley offered these paintings back to Irish Authorities, and he showed good faith by facilitating their return.

However, the deal negotiated between Irish Police and Foley soured because Irish Police acted in a dishonest manner, thereby provoking Foley to order the last raid on Russborough House.

Rose Quinn was cleared of any indictments and the Mexican stand-off continues.

Vermeer, Viper, Venom !!

Martin Foley does have plans, if provoked by Irish Police, to set up a robbery of the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin, and the target is, yes you've guessed it, Vermeer's "Lady Writing a Letter with Her Maid"

This (Beit)Vermeer hangs in its new home, The National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin, in a place that would make it easy to steal, during a distraction, and the thief will make good his getaway by motor cycle across Dublin before Irish Police have time to react.




Then we will have the situation whereby Two first-rate Vermeer's are being held by the Underworld.



To those who may doubt the plausibility of the current plan to recover the stolen Vermeer from Boston, take note of this historical use of high value stolen art as a bargaining counter.

If there are delays in the recovery of the Stolen Vermeer from Boston, via a confession box, it is because authorities are dragging their feet, hoping that the delay will allow the Vermeer to surface without benefits, post recovery.

As soon as the go-ahead is given to General Thomas Slab Murphy that his tax demand will be written off, Vermeer's "The Concert" will appear.

I realise this will leave a bad taste in the mouth for some people, and quite rightly so, society does not want to encourage further high value, high profile art thefts.

However, The Gardner case is unique for many reasons.

First, the statute of limitations has run out so there will not be any charges bought against those who were the original thieves.

Second, and as a matter of public record, the Boston D.A. Office has agreed to immunity in this case.

Third, this deal requires no money to be paid by the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum to those who stole or have handled the Gardner art.

The Gardner Art Heist was committed by guys trying to use the art to have one of their INLA friends released from Jail, not forgetting Patrick Nee. When the FBI would not agree to this the original thieves sold the Gardner art to Joseph Murray for $300,000. Joseph Murray also tried in vain to use the Gardner art as a bargaining counter but was unable to reach a deal, the FBI was intending to sting Joseph Murray.

After Joseph Murray was shot to death by his wife the Gardner art was split up and some made its way to Ireland's West coast, Spiddal, Galway and Fanore, West Clare, Whitey Bulger was also at these locations, posing as a retired Doctor.

Because of the publicity surrounding the Gardner case certain Irish Republican godfathers were convinced by ***** to take control of the Gardner art and use the Gardner art as a bargaining counter for political purposes.

The sectarian prosecution of General Thomas Slab Murphy has proved an opportunity to allow the Stolen Vermeer from Boston to surface, via a confession box, (Symbolism of Absolution)

Martin "The Viper" Foley "Making Mischief"

What Next, A Job Guarding
The National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin ??

Part-time force gets first taste of mean streets

GARDA (Irish Police) reservists took to the streets of our major cities for the first time last night - for on-the-job training.

The part-timers went out on patrol with their full-time colleagues to familiarise themselves with their districts.

A total of 37 reservists will be on the streets from this week as part of 'phase 4' of their training programme.

A dozen each have been assigned to Pearse Street and Store Street stations in Dublin while seven are being deployed at Anglesea Street in Cork, four at Mill Street in Galway and one in Sligo.

The 37 are due to graduate as fully fledged reservists from the Garda College in Templemore in the middle of next month.

Interviews are currently under way for the next batch of reservists, who are due to be assigned to stations in Dublin, Kerry, Limerick and Clare, and training will begin in January.

More than 7,000 applications for a reserve post have been received so far, ranging from bank officials to retired public servants such as prison officers and teachers.

Even notorious criminal Martin 'The Viper' Foley expressed an interest but his application was quickly rejected.

The reservists, who joined their stations yesterday evening, were immediately introduced to the staff on duty and then taken out in patrol cars.

The Garda Representative Association, which led the opposition to the concept of a reserve force, is currently balloting its members on whether it should accept the terms of a national pay deal, which includes a commitment to the reserve as part of a modernisation agenda.

The result of the ballot will be known before the end of the month but it is expected that the rank and file gardai will vote in favour.

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors last week accepted the pay terms by an overwhelming majority. Acceptance allows the two associations to include co-operation with the reserve force in their submissions on benchmarking.

Government negotiators had warned the gardai they would not qualify for their increases under the national pay deal, Towards 2016, unless they agreed to work with the reservists.

Initially, a GRA delegation walked out of talks on the pay deal and then advised its members not to accept the pay rise.

But internal discussions since then have resulted in a change of tactic as the gardai realised they must accept the reservists or risk breaking the law, while still opposing the concept.

Tanaiste and Justice Minister Michael McDowell yesterday told the gardai that the reserve force did not pose a threat to them but offered a huge bonus if they embraced the idea that there were people out there in the community who wanted to help.

"Right across Ireland we have turned back the tide on cynicism and despair and through the efforts of volunteers this can be done," he added.

In Cork yesterday, the first reservist, a former high ranking prison officer, arrived for duty at Anglesea Street station at 2pm and he will be joined by six

reserve colleagues later in the week.

Tom Brady

Art Hostage comments:

Hmmm, knowing what we do about the Irish Underworld, we can expect a larger number of criminals to apply.

Although most will be rooted out, as with the naughty Viper, who did this as a piss take, I am certain there will be a great number of relatives or associates of current criminals who slip through the net.

The long term outcome of this new Reserve Police Force will be the systematic infiltration of law enforcement on major operations.

I am certain there will be numerous cases in the future regarding corrupt reserve Police officers colluding with criminals.

This blatant attempt at "Policing on the cheap" will backfire spectacularly.

Dublin's gang war in the media
by Patrick Kennelly

Media reports on crime gangs are notoriously unreliable. This is because the two traditional sources for such stories – members of the criminal community and the police force – are themselves unreliable, for both have reasons to use the media to promote agendas. With that "health warning" we report here on what the media have said about the recent gangland wars. By Patrick Kennelly

"Viper"/Gavin/Thompson Gang: Dublin

Martin "Viper" Foley: Linked with both gangs but mentioned as a sympathiser towards the Gavin/Thompson gang (Sunday World, Ireland on Sunday, Sunday Independent).

However, Star Sunday claims he has influence over both gangs yet does not claim allegiance to either side due to fear of getting caught in the crossfire.

"Fat" Freddie Thompson (24): According to the Sunday World, "Fat" Freddie is the leader of the gang who shot dead Noel Roche in Clontarf on Tuesday, 15 November. Thompson was once part of the same gang as Brian Rattigan (leader of the rivals in the ongoing feud). Garda sources say he is their prime suspect in at least a dozen shooting incidents across the city.

Declan Gavin (20): First victim of the feud and one-time leader of the gang. Escaped raid in Holiday Inn drugs seizure that initiated allegations that he was an informant (Sunday Independent). Stabbed to death in Crumlin, 2001.

Darren Geoghegan (26): Suspected murderer of Rattigan gang-member John Roche in March of this year. Shot dead on 13 November by IRA hit men supposedly hired by Rattigan's gang (Sunday World)

Gavin Byrne( 30): Shot dead with Geoghegan in the same car that was parked in Firhouse.

Rattigan Gang:

Brian Rattigan (25): Leader of Rattigan gang although currently serving six (ten, according to Sunday World) year prison sentence for various crimes including drugs and gun charges. Was also charged with the murder of Declan Gavin. Controls his gang via mobile phones and messengers. Narrowly escaped a murder attempt (suspected to have been carried out by the Thompson/Gavin gang) although had spleen removed and lost a kidney three years ago (Sunday World).

Joseph Rattigan (18) : Brother of Brian. Shot dead in July, 2002 (Ireland on Sunday, Sunday World).

John Roche (24) : Major drug dealer wanted by gardaí for attempted murder (Ireland on Sunday). Shot dead in Kilmainham, the murderer is suspected to have been Darren Geoghegan (Ireland on Sunday, Sunday World).

Noel Roche (27): Chief enforcer of Rattigan's gang who was shot dead in Clontarf on 15 November as part of revenge for the double murder of Darren Geoghegan and Gavin Byrne (Ireland on Sunday).

Eddie Rice (32): Escaped a murder attempt when in the same car as Noel Roche the night he was killed. Turned himself in but was released without giving any evidence to gardaí.

1998: Feud begins. Declan Gavin, then an 18 year old who was already involved with petty crime and was making his mark on drug-trafficking, had his bike burned and his family car covered in paint by Derek Lodge. Suddenly two seperate gang factions emerged, one led by Declan Gavin, another led by Joseph Rattigan, who was 16 years old at the time (Sunday Independent). Both gangs began to deal cocaine and their main associate was Martin "Viper" Foley and there was relatively no animosity between them (Sunday World).

3 March, 2000: The event that led to the complete breakdown between the two factions: the Sunday Independent reported that Gavin and one gang member locked themselves into a room at the Holiday Inn hotel on Pearse street in order to "cut" cocaine (breaking down cocaine into powder and then mixed with glucose in order to distribute more to dealers). Gardaí heard of this deal and completed a successful raid on the premises, finding only a 17 year old in the room. Gavin soon emerged on the corridor and was promptly arrested. This led to allegations that Gavin was an informant for the gardaí (he had escaped conviction on a previously successful raid).

25 August, 2001: Declan Gavin is murdered (stabbed) outside a restaurant on Crumlin Road.

17 March, 2002: Brian Rattigan is critically injured when shot a number of times in his home. He loses a kidney and his spleen as a result of the attack. A woman in the house allegedly saw "Fat" Freddie Thompson commit the attack but later denies this to gardaí (Sunday World).

16 July, 2002: 18 year old Joseph Rattigan shot dead by the Gavin/Thompson faction (Sunday World) around the same time his brother Brian was being released from hospital.

May, 2002: An associate of Brian Rattigan, Colm Smith is shot through the cheek and tongue after he answers the door at 3.30 am. Smith survived the attack but refused to talk to gardaí (Sunday World).

2002: "Fat" Freddie Thompson is jailed and serves a sentence for road traffic offences (after being charged with those offences and giving gardaí a false name, aiding the escape of another man from lawful custody), according to the Sunday World.

25 January, 2004: Paul Warren shot dead in Grey's Pub by two men of the Rattigan faction. Subsequently, Brian Rattigan is jailed for a total of ten years for drugs, firearms and violence offences. He is currently serving a four-year stretch for being in possession of €40,000 worth of heroin. Last year, he received another six years for aiming a loaded shotgun at a Garda during a chase. He continues to control his gang from inside Portlaoise prison with the aid of mobile phones and messengers (Sunday World).

9 March, 2005: John Roche, one of Rattigan's men and a major drug dealer, is shot dead outside his apartment in Kilmainham, reportedly by Darren Geoghegan (Ireland on Sunday).

13 November, 2005: Darren Geoghegan and Gavin Byrne, leading members of the Thompson/Gavin faction are murdered by suspected hit-men reportedly hired by Rattigan's gang (Ireland on Sunday).

15 November, 2005: Seen by many as a revenge attack (Sunday World, Sunday Independent), Noel Roche (older brother of John Roche), Brian Rattigan's "chief enforcer" (Ireland on Sunday) is shot dead in Clontarf. His fellow gang member, Eddie Rice, escapes but refuses to tell the Gardaí anything about the killers.


To be continued..................

The Underworld Where the Stolen Vermeer Resides !!

Anger over Irish gangland deaths

INLA Leader Dessie O'Hare, "The Border Fox" left, is the man who holds the key to the Stolen Vermeer being recovered. His access to the Irish Global Criminal Underworld gives him the edge and ability to convince all parties that it is time to allow the Vermeer to surface, via a confessional box.

Currently, Dessie O'Hare resides in South Armagh, not far from General Thomas Slab Murphy, (above right).

Together, these two giants of the Irish Republican movement have the ability to convince dissident Irish Republicans to call a ceasefire, and for our purposes, facilitate the Vermeer being discovered in a confession box.

Payment to the current handler of the Vermeer will be made by General Thomas Slab Murphy, via Dessie O'Hare, the Vermeer will surface, General Thomas Slab Murphy gets his $20 million tax demand reduced/written off and is allowed to retire gracefully, good old Malachy McAllister gets political asylum in America, the Irish Govt gets an amount of Green cards for Irish illegals living in the U.S.

Sinn Fein have already been given fundraising rights in America as a sign of goodwill, Dessie O'Hare has been released from jail, the rest of the plan is coming together.

From a moral standpoint, the benefits of this deal is no reward is paid by the Isabella Stewart Museum to those involved in the theft or subsequent handling, ending this sorry saga once and for all.

In the Meantime, Back to Irish Underworld Gang WarfareFive violent killings in six days in the Irish Republic have piled pressure on the Irish government to take action.

In the latest incident, Gerard Byrne, 25, was shot dead near the city's financial district at about 2100 GMT on Wednesday. He was well-known to police.

Tanaiste Michael McDowell said that a lack of policing resources was not to blame and "all the arms of democracy" were needed to combat violent crime.

Opposition parties want Mr McDowell, who is minister for justice, to resign.

Politicians are calling for a similar response to that which followed the wave of revulsion over the 1996 murder of journalist Veronica Guerin.

Jim O'Keeffe of the opposition Fine Gael party said that law and order had broken down and Ireland was in a virtual state of national emergency.

Violent deaths

The upsurge in violent deaths has seen four other people killed in the last six days.

Last Friday, postmaster Alan Cunniffe was shot dead in Kilkenny, while on Tuesday evening, Dundalk man Aidan Myers was killed outside the town as an armed gang went on a cross-border crime rampage.

Earlier on the same day, Martin 'Marlo' Hyland, 39, believed to be a major drug dealer, was shot dead, along with Anthony Campbell, an apprentice plumber.

The innocent 20-year old happened to be working in the house in Finglas, County Dublin, where Hyland was staying, and is believed to have been shot once after answering the door to the killers.

In parliament on Wednesday, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was forced to defend efforts being made to combat organised crime.

Mr Ahern said that the success of the Gardai's Operation Oak - which aimed to stop Hyland's criminal activities - was the reason he was killed by gunmen who were believed to be former associates.

'There is no doubt that as a result of Garda operations, the net was tightening around Martin Hyland and he was losing grip of his criminal activities.

"Many of his associates have been arrested - 43 of them - and 24 have already been charged with serious offences.

'The gardai gave me the figures from Oak. They have seized 30kg of heroin, 35kg of cocaine, 1,500kg of cannabis, stolen vehicles, handguns, AK47s, sawn-off shotguns, rifles, ammunition, cash.''

Hyland, who was one of the country's biggest drug dealers, was hit six times in the head and body as he slept in an upstairs bedroom in a relative's house.

Although Hyland was allegedly linked to the IRA, Mr Ahern told the Dail: "I've seen nothing that may suggest that the Provisional IRA was involved."

And rumours that the double murder was carried out by convicted INLA killer Dessie O'Hare, known as the Border Fox,( picture top) were denied by his spokesman.

"From a garda point of view, it will be too early to say exactly who done it, but Dessie O'Hare is absolutely not in any way connected to any type of gangland killings," he said on RTE radio.

"He's been working with the Brothers of Charity in the west of Ireland, he's working with the handicapped, he's been to Lourdes.''

Mr McGarrigle said that under the terms of O'Hare's extended temporary release from prison, where he served a lengthy sentence for kidnapping a Dublin dentist and cutting off parts of his captive's fingers, he will be returned immediately to prison if seen in the company of subversives.

Implicated

In the latest killing, Gerard Byrne, was shot up to five times in the head outside a shop in the IFSC area, not far from Connolly Station.

The shooting happened at about 2100 GMT on Wednesday.

He had been implicated in a hand grenade attack on a property in north Dublin.

He was arrested a few months ago in Raheny on Dublin's northside when, Gardai believe, he was on his way to commit a murder.

Gardai also believe the killing may be linked to a long-running feud between two north-inner city Dublin families.

Gerard Byrne is known to have taken the side of a woman whom, it is claimed, was raped by a leading underworld figure.

Art Hostage comments:

It is from this world that the Gardner Art will be retrieved.

Dessie O'Hare has been in Limerick lately for discussion's on a number of subjects, not least the return of high value stolen art.


The recent arrests of several Godfathers, Fat Fred Thompson, Anthony Kelly etc means there is somewhat of a sea-change going on with regards leadership of the Irish criminal underworld.

When new Godfathers emerge, Dessie, etc, a new pragmatism will allow the Gardner art to surface.

As to what has been recovered, I await the go-ahead to reveal details.

To be continued.......

Stolen Vermeer

Stolen Vermeer, Reporter has Breaking News on Gardner Art Heist, Art Hostage

Stolen Vermeer, Gardner art Recovery Latest !!

Newspaper Reporter jets into London with Breaking news on the
Gardner Art Heist !!

Dick Ellis , ex head of Scotland Yards Fine Art Squad, has been contacted by a Mr Burke, a correspondent with the Sunday Times newspaper.

Mr Burke, has just landed in London from New York and has "Vital, crucial, breaking news" about the Gardner art heist.

He intends to interview Dick Ellis and subsequently write an article.

How far this Mr Burke decides to go in revealing the truth will be interesting to say the least.

To be continued.......................

Stolen Vermeer

Stolen Vermeer, Gardner Art Surfaces !!

World Exclusive Gardner Art Surfaces !!!

Gardner Art Surfaces !!

Art Hostage has learnt that some of the Gardner art has been recovered.

The situation is fluid and details of which artworks have been recovered will follow.

Hopefully this is the beginning of the end of this sorry saga.

I will answer the following questions as soon as it is safe to do so:

1 What artworks have been recovered?
2 Where were they recovered?
3 What condition are the recovered artworks in?

To be continued.................

Stolen Vermeer

Stolen Vermeer, Malachy McAllister, INLA, Stolen Vermeer surfaces !!

Stolen Vermeer, Then You Can stay in America, Malachy McAllister !!

Court turns away asylum-seeker

An asylum seeker accused of engaging in terrorist activities in Northern Ireland before moving to Wallington lost his battle Monday to have the Supreme Court review his lawsuit.

Lawyers told the justices that Malachy McAllister and his children, Nicola and Sean, face the likelihood of persecution if they are returned to Northern Ireland, the part of the United Kingdom from which they fled 18 years ago after their home was attacked by paramilitary forces.

McAllister, a bricklayer who runs his own masonry business, said his only hope now is special legislation introduced by Rep. Steve Rothman, D-Fair Lawn.

"It's been a long, long process of disappointments and heartache," said McAllister, 49.

McAllister's lawyer, Eamonn Seamus Dornan, said legal options have been exhausted, but that the family is hoping for a "political solution" to keep it in the United States legally.

The Rothman bill, which is pending before the House subcommittee on immigration, border security and claims, would make McAllister, who is a widower, and his children eligible for permanent residency after completing an application for an immigrant visa.

Dornan said he expects the Homeland Security Department to delay any move to deport McAllister while the bill makes its way though the legislative process.

McAllister "has a very dedicated campaign team, and we believe that the congressman's bill is yet to be resolved, and that the Department of Homeland Security will respect that process," he said.

Homeland Security officials could not be reached Monday night.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld immigration rulings to remove McAllister and to dismiss a petition by his children to remain in the United States as moot because their mother died two years ago.

McAllister wanted to challenge the provision in asylum law that denies protection to a person who has engaged in terrorist activities. And in regard to the children's asylum claims and the death of their mother, the family pointed to a Supreme Court ruling that says a case is not rendered moot when a live issue or controversy remains.

In the early 1980s, McAllister became involved in the Irish National Liberation Army, a splinter group of the Irish Republican Army. He served time in prison for acting as an armed lookout in the shooting of a police officer and for conspiring to shoot another officer. He has argued that he was a political prisoner.

"Because of the situation in Northern Ireland, there was no real alternative," McAllister told The Record last year.

After his release from prison, his home was raked with gunfire, and his wife was thrown out of a moving vehicle while she was pregnant, his lawyers said in petitioning the Supreme Court for review.

Art Hostage comments:

Mr Malachy McAllister, if you contact your former INLA/IRA friends, INLA Leader Dessie, (the Border Fox), O'Hare in partiqular, and convince them to facilitate the return of the Stolen Vermeer from Boston, via a confessional box, I, Art Hostage have it on good authority, after consulting with senior American political officals, that you and your family will be allowed to stay in the United States for as long as you want.

Malachy, you will get immunity from prosecution in relation to the Gardner Art Heist and subsequent handling of the art, your case can be part of the overall deal that see's the Vermeer surface, in fact I hope you are working to recover the Vermeer as I write.

Your honest intercession in the Gardner Case will be the key that allows you and your family safe haven, political asylum, in America.

Your defense team have asked for a political solution, well here it is, use your influence, the Stolen Vermeer surfaces, you are allowed to stay in the U.S.