Irish-Americans Reaction To O’Loan Report

Posted By: March 29, 2013

Washington, D.C. December 16 2001–Irish-Americans were more shocked by the British Government reaction to the O’Loan Report than by the Report itself.

” Nothing about Sir Ronnie Flanagan would surprise Irish-Americans”, said Fr. Sean Mc Manus, President of the Capitol Hill-based Irish National Caucus.” But what has really shocked them is the way Northern Ireland Secretary of State, John Reid, rubbished the Report— even before it was published. The British government helped to sell the new Police Service of Northern Ireland to the US Congress ,in part, by telling Members that the new role of Police Ombunsman would gaurantee a ” new beginning to policing” because that position would have the power and independence to hold the police accountable, for the first time in the history of Northern Ireland”.

” But now it’s back to the same old story”, said Fr. Mc Manus, ” with the British Government closing ranks and covering up for the police, as always. How does that encourage the Catholic community to trust the new dispensation. That is now the question that members of Congress must face”, he concluded