BLAIR APOLOGISES TO CONLON AND MAGUIRE FAMILIES

BLAIR APOLOGISES TO CONLON AND MAGUIRE FAMILIES
02/09/05 08:51 EST

The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, has issued a
public apology to the Conlon and Maguire families for their
wrongful imprisonment for the bomb attacks in Guildford and
Woolwich in 1974.


In a televised address, Mr Blair said "I am very sorry that
they were subject to such an ordeal and injustice ... That
is why I am making this apology today - they deserve to be
completely and publicly exonerated."


Mr Blair met with representatives of both families after
making the statement.


Mr Blair apologised for the wrongful imprisonment of Mr
Conlon and his father, Guiseppe, who died while wrongly
imprisoned for a bombing in Guildford in 1974.


Mr Gerry Conlon, who spent 15 years in jail after his
wrongful conviction, had hoped that Mr Blair would make his
apology in the Commons chamber during Prime Minister's
Questions this afternoon.


However, the apology failed to materialise during question
time as expected. The SDLP's Eddie McGrady was expected to
prompt Mr Blair to make the apology but was not given the
opportunity to do so by the speaker of the house.


Speaking on his arrival at the House of Commons in London
this morning, Mr Conlon said the case remains "a stain on
the character of British justice."


Gerry Conlon on his release outside the Old Bailey in London
Gerry Conlon spent 15 years in jail.


Mr Conlon - along with Mr Paddy Armstrong, Mr Paul Hill and
Ms Carole Richardson - were arrested in 1974 and wrongfully
jailed for an IRA bomb attack on the Horse and Groom pub in
Guildford.


The blast killed five people - four soldiers and a civilian.
The prisoners became known as the Guildford Four.


Mr Conlon's case was highlighted in the Oscar-nominated film
In The Name Of The Father, starring Daniel Day-Lewis.


On his arrival at the House of Commons this morning, Mr
Conlon told journalists: "This has been a stain on the
character of British justice. Today, hopefully, Tony Blair
is going to remove part of that stain, and the stigma that
has been attached to me and my family."


Mr Conlon was asked whether anything could make up for the
years he spent in jail. He said: "No, no, but hopefully this
will go some way to removing doubt that exists in people."


Mr Conlon said the Government owed a debt to himself and
others wrongly jailed. "Everyone who was arrested around
about that time and went to prison has had their lives
shattered. If you can destroy them, you have the moral
obligation when they do come out and that is not
forthcoming. We hope that the assistance and the medical
facilities that are available to others will be made
available to us."


Mr Conlon added: "This apology is so important, not just for
me but for my mother, my sisters, my nieces, my nephews,
because this has seeped down the generations."


The Conlon family has been seeking a public apology from the
British Government for the miscarriage of justice and have
compiled a petition which has been signed by tens of
thousands of people.


Mr Conlon's father and members of Mrs Annie Maguire's family
were also later arrested and jailed for the attack and other
bombings in Woolwich, south east London after they were
allegedly identified as being involved in the bomb plot in
confessions extracted by the police.


Mr Guiseppe Conlon died in prison while serving his sentence
in January 1980. In October 1989 the Court of Appeal quashed
the sentences of the Guildford Four after doubts were raised
about the police evidence.


In June 1991, the Court of Appeal also overturned the
sentences on the Maguires and Guiseppe Conlon.


The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has welcomed the apology made by
Mr. Blair.


The Taoiseach said he hoped the apology would make up for
many years of suffering for the Conlon family.


He said: "I appreciate that Tony Blair has agreed to my
request for this issue to be addressed. I know that the
years of lost time that the Conlon family has suffered
cannot be recovered. My hope for them is that they can move
on with their lives and that the cloud that has hung over
them for so long can now finally be lifted."
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As for Eddie McGrady, that doesn't surprise me at all. He could be outmaneuvered by a 6 year old child.

He's the MP for South Down/South Armagh and therefore represents my husband's family and I suppose ourselves by extension since we have home there.

Mr. Wonderful thinks Mr. McGrady is: "as useless as tits on a bull".

I hope the Conlon Family receives some kind of monetary settlement for their ordeal.


Brits Out!