Murray Defence Campaign

Submitted by R Totale on March 7, 2020

I'd never heard of the Murray case in Ireland until hearing of it in connection with Alan MacSimoin's obituary. Does anyone know of any good articles or overviews of the case and defence campaign? It seems like a bit of anarchist history that would be worth archiving. There's a PDF of the "No Hanging Here" pamphlet and a few bits and pieces on the Irish Anarchist History site, anyone know of much else? Hardly anything comes up from searching on the WSM site.

Spikymike

4 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Spikymike on March 8, 2020

There were short reports in support of the Murray Defence Campaign (by my comrades in the UK Social Revolution Group in issues 5 and 7) significant in terms of the relationship between the Irish state and the IRA at that time, its use of the Special Criminal Court, and the brutality handed out to the Murray's and to Ronan Stenson (and others) on numerous occasions by the police in it's efforts to gain confessions, so not just relevant to the anarchists at that time.

R Totale

4 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by R Totale on March 8, 2020

Ah, and that's the publication that was just Social Revolution, not "Solidarity for...", right? Are those online anywhere?

Spikymike

4 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Spikymike on March 8, 2020

RT. Correct.The UK Social Revolution journal isn't on line here (or elsewhere as far as I know). Pity as there were a few good articles in it from time to time including a couple from my old comrade John Crump, I haven't got a full set of the printed journal just now (some on loan). Not really in a position to load them up on line anyway.

Battlescarred

4 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by Battlescarred on March 10, 2020

There was a two sided supplement of Anarchist Worker (paper of the Anarchist Workers Association) on the Murrays that Alan contributed to. Not sure if it's online but Sparrows' Nest may have a copy.

freemind

4 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by freemind on March 11, 2020

Whatever happened to the Murrays?

syndicalist

4 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by syndicalist on March 11, 2020

freemind

Whatever happened to the Murrays?

After their release, they have remained silent. This was part of their release deal.

syndicalist

4 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by syndicalist on March 11, 2020

On the US side of the pond, myself and some others were active in the freedom campaign. Most of the stuff we got was from overseas. I think we did at least one NYC picket. There may have been more around the States, but its been a long time.

Another source of info for us "Black Flag", who's archived here on libcom: https://libcom.org/library/black-flag

There were articles or reprints of leaflets in"Freedom" as well. And the US "Fifth Estate"
Canadian "Open Road".

"No Hanging Here: The case of Marie and Noel Murray, Murray Defense Committee", c.1976/7
https://cedarlounge.wordpress.com/2011/01/31/meanwhile-lets-consider-an-example-of-what-conor-lenihan-characterised-as-…very-courageous-decisions…difficult-measures-taken…-2/

Spikeymike mentioned the AWA stuff, which we also received.

A bunch of overlap of same materials. But this was important and key as well relied heavily on "print media" back then.

R Totale

4 years 8 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by R Totale on March 12, 2020

Oh yeah, there's an old Fifth Estate article online here: https://www.fifthestate.org/archive/283-june-1977/marie-murray-convicted-of-murder/ Good call on Black Flag, hadn't thought of that one.