From: William Finnerty

To: Tara / Skreen Group ; Nature Ireland ; Green Party Ireland (Yahoo Group) ; East Galway Green Party (Siobhan Nevin)

Sent: Friday, April 23, 2004 2:32 PM

Subject: Fw: Character defamation

From: William Finnerty

To: New Inn AntiDump Internet Group ; Kilconnell Anti-Dump Internet Group ; CelticParty(Yahoo)

Cc: New Inn Anti-Dump Chairman (Vincent Costello) ; Kilconnell Anti-Dump Group Secretary (Annette Gilchrist)

Sent: Friday, April 23, 2004 2:27 PM

Subject: Character defamation

 

+++++++++++++++++++++

From: William Finnerty

To: Republic of Ireland Lawyer Mr Gearoid Geraghty (Fair Murtagh)

Cc: Martin Egan (Fair Murtagh) ; Law Society (Republic of Ireland) ; Deputy Trevor Sargent T.D. (Republic of Ireland Leader of The Green Party) ; Councillor Mary White (Green Party Deputy Leader) ; Prime Minister Bertie Ahern ; Bord Pleanala ; Democracy Commission (Ireland) ; Ian Lumley (An Taisce) ; Margot Wallstrom (European Union Environment Commissioner) ; Commission of the European Communities (Attn. Secretary-General)

Sent: Friday, April 23, 2004 1:57 PM

Subject: E-mail dated April 6th 2004 (re character defamation)

Dear Mr Geraghty,

 

I have not received any reply to the e-mail I sent to you on April 6th 2004. 

 

In case you have not received it, a copy of my April 6th 2004 e-mail to you can now be seen at Internet page address: http://www.finnachta.com/FairMurtaghEmail6April2004.htm

 

Looking back quickly through my records I notice that there are in fact a number of other letters I sent to you that have not been answered.  As an example, please recall the one I sent to you from England last year - the text of which can be seen at: http://www.finnachta.com/FairMurtagh13Jan2003.htm

 

For a number of reasons, I now badly need to make progress in dealing with all of the outstanding legal matters referred to at the above addresses.

 

With the June 11th 2004 election in mind, and the ONGOING possibility of TWO huge rubbish dumps (one in Kilconnell and one in New Inn) being located within a few miles of where my home is located, the most pressing of the legal matters in question just now are those relating to the "defamation of character" remarks Mr Ciaran Mc Lochlainn (Secretary of East Galway Green Party) published by e-mail (and copied to several people) - which can be viewed at the first Internet page address provided above.

 

I wish to point out to all concerned that on Sunday March 14th 2004, at their Annual Convention in Galway, the Green Party passed a motion in favour of initiating a judicial investigation into corruption relating to matters connected with the planned rubbish dumps for Kilconnell and New Inn.  Allowing for this, and as a person who is familiar with the environmental problems in the New Inn area, I believe it might be very useful if I was to run for election as a Green Party candidate in the June 11th 2004 election: provided I was allowed to make public mention of the judicial investigation in my election campaign.

 

Unfortunately, the contents of Mr. Mc Lochlainn's very defamatory e-mail dated April 5th 2004 (which can be viewed at the first Internet address above) make it entirely clear that he is now completely opposed to me running for election as a Green Party candidate - even though he appeared to be all in favour of it when I last saw him in Galway on March 14th 2004 (a few hours after the judicial investigation motion was passed).  Some days later, and for reasons best known to himself, his thinking on this subject appears to have suddenly and unexpectedly undergone a very radical transformation.

 

I would like to stress that I would have no wish whatsoever to run as a candidate for the Green Party in the June 11th 2004 election if I was to be prevented in any way from pointing out (to the local electorate), during my election campaign, that there was a real possibility of a judicial investigation taking place into the amazing and unique array of environmental problems we have at the present time in our area - which the Green Party would initiate.  To the very best of my knowledge, there is no other place in Ireland (or anywhere else I know of) where the people of a small community have been forced to live - for several years now - under the ongoing threat of having two huge rubbish dumps thrust upon them (in "bully-boy" fashion by central government): which would be separated from each other by a distance of just a few miles (across the fields).

 

The selection meeting to find a Green Party candidate for the Ballinasloe rural electoral area (which includes New Inn and Kilconnell) is to be held on Tuesday April 27th 2004 at 9 pm in Ballinasloe.  It is a "members only" meeting, and I am the only nominee.  Any legal advise you might consider it useful for me to have before this meeting would be much appreciated.  If I consider it appropriate, I will convey any such legal advice that you might provide me with in the meantime to the meeting (this coming Tuesday).

 

If for any reason you do not wish to help me deal with the legal problems in question, I would be grateful if you could let me know as soon as possible please.  Similarly, if your firm (Fair Murtagh) does not wish to help me.

 

I feel I should make it clear that it does not seem to matter very much to me which lawyer, or which law firm, provides me with the legal help I am now seeking (in something of an urgent way): provided the lawyer in question is willing and able to help me in an efficient and responsible manner, and providing that he or she has easy access to the Internet. 

 

I am copying this e-mail to Mr Martin Egan who I assume is the senior partner of your firm (by virtue of his position on a list I have seen on the Fair Murtagh web site at http://www.fair-murtagh.ie/ ).  In passing, I feel it may be helpful (?) for me to mention that I think I recognise Mr Egan (from his photograph) as someone I have already met (during my school days in Ballinasloe).

 

I am also copying this e-mail to the Law Society ( http://www.lawsociety.ie/ ) because I feel they should be made aware of the general situation as it now stands, and the fact that (as I see it) I will be needing a very considerable amount of good quality legal help: if, as a citizen of this State, I am to receive justice in relation to the matters in question: in accordance with the terms of our written Constitution.

 

As you will already know, assuming you have received the e-mail I copied to you on April 17th 2003, I have already been in contact with the Irish law Society regarding these matters.  I have of course also sought help from the Commission of the European Communities in Brussels - as can clearly be seen at the following Internet location:  http://www.finnachta.com/EU_Commission_17April2003_.htm

 

Later today I plan to send a signed copy of this e-mail to you through the registered post to your office in Ballinasloe, and for future reference purposes I also plan to place a copy of the text at the following Internet address (sometime within the coming few days):
http://www.finnachta.com/FairMurtaghEmail23April2004.htm

 

Finally, I would like to point out that when lost earnings are taken into account in connection with my efforts to deal with local environmental problems in and around the New Inn area during the past six years or so, I estimate that the financial costs alone for me (so far) come to something in the region of 600,000 Euros; and, that the cause of this wholly unwanted and avoidable expense is (as I see it) very largely the result of wrongful acts committed by public servants (acting on behalf of the State).  I believe (quite strongly) that the State now has a very major case to answer in regard to this whole matter; and, I am also aware that in relation to such matters " the State is a juristic person which can be sued " : Page 9, Principles of Irish Law, by Republic of Ireland barrister Brian Doolan (1999 Edition).

 

I look forward to hearing from you again regarding the above matters at your earliest convenience please.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

 

 

Mr William Finnerty

"St Albans"

New Inn

Ballinasloe

County Galway

Republic of Ireland