Madam, - It is a bit late in the day for Niamh Sammon, producer of the RTÉ "Hidden History" programme on the Pearsons of Coolacrease, to start parsing, analysing and contextualising (Letters, November 24th) the clear statement of the Queen's County RIC inspector: "The two Pearson boys a few days previously had seen two men felling a tree on their land adjoining the road, had told the men concerned to go away, and when they refused, had fetched two guns and fired and wounded two Sinn Féiners, one of whom it is believed died" (from Papers of [ British] Courts of Enquiry in lieu of Inquests, 7th July, 1921).
This was the reported statement of the RIC, who had the Pearsons in their custody for a week or so after the executions. The place for critical assessment of this RIC statement was in the documentary itself.
Why was this not done? Ms Sammon had every opportunity to do this, since I debated this and related issues with her when she interviewed me for her documentary in Kinnitty Castle on July 28th. But Ms Sammon chose not to broadcast any of this interview.
The investigation by the Army representing the elected Irish Government (Chief of Staff: Richard Mulcahy, the future leader of Fine Gael) led to the same conclusion as that of the British authorities. Ms Sammon rejects both as untrustworthy, and her programme made definite statements which conflicted with both. But she has not disclosed what her more reliable source of information is.
Nor has she produced a single shred of evidence of land-grabbing in the Cadamstown area at the time, though asserting that this was the purpose of the killing of the Pearson brothers.
Furthermore, her programme took it that the legitimate authority in Southern Ireland in June 1921 was the unelected British government whose supporters did not gain a single seat outside Trinity College in the election of that year.
The actual evidence can be read in full, uncut and uncensored, at http://www.indymedia.ie/article/84547 where I published all of it some time ago, along with detailed discussion of the very points that Ms Sammon makes in her letter.
In contrast, the outstanding fact about Ms Sammon's documentary is that the words "British Military Court of Enquiry" were never spoken - not once. Why? - Yours, etc,
PAT MULDOWNEY,
Belmont Crescent,
Derry.