‘They Know The Truth Is Unstoppable’

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From top: A vigil for Mary Boyle in Cashelard, County Donegal on Saturday: Gemma O’Doherty

Tonight Mary Boyle: The Untold Story, the documentary by investigative journalist Gemma O’Doherty will be shown at a special screening in Washington DC.

The documentary, posted in July, has already garned 230,000 views on You Tube.

Last Saturday, a vigil was held for Mary, who went missing in 1977 during a visit to her grandparents’ farm at Cashelard, in Ballyshannon, County Donegal. Her uncle, Gerry Gallagher, was the last person to see her alive. Attempts to question Mr Gallagher were allegedly thwarted by local political interference.

Gemma O’Doherty writes:

There was a large garda presence at the Christmas vigil for Mary Boyle in Cashelard.

Officers guarded the entry to Gerry Gallagher’s farm, where many believe Mary was murdered and her body is dumped.

Two garda squad cars and an unmarked vehicle monitored the event in a pathetic display of political policing and wasted garda resources.

One detective present sneered at recent efforts by retired officers to reveal the truth about the case and made disparaging comments about them.

As I listened to him, I was reminded of the day in 2014 when disgraced Commissioner Callinan labelled whistleblowers ‘disgusting’.

But the citizens who came from far and near were not intimidated by their presence and did not allow it to sully the memorial event for Mary. Candles were lit, carols were sung and prayers were said for her on the lonely boreen where she was driven to her death almost 40 years ago.

Mary’s family were once again notable by their absence, and there was a distinct lack of people from the environment where we believe she was murdered, revealing the fear and control that some in the area still exert over others.

There is a cohort in Ballyshannon who would like to keep the veil of secrecy drawn over this case but they are turning into a minority.

What I noticed on my latest journey to Donegal is how withered and weakened the bullies of Bundoran and Ballyshannon have become: the untouchables untouched by the law; the evil men who thought they could keep a lid on the vile abuse being perpetrated against vulnerable children in the area, right up to the current day. They are now shadows of themselves.

They know the truth is unstoppable and they are frightened about what might be revealed. For the first time in their adult lives, their power is being challenged and they don’t know how to handle that.

Individual gardai who have shielded paedophiles are getting anxious that they too could be individually held to account for abusing their power and perverting the course of justice. When they travel to Cashelard for dubious reasons, they are being monitored and recorded.

They know their commissioner’s days are numbered and that the public is increasingly beginning to take a stand against the corruption that has infested our police force.

It is up to the Irish people to keep the pressure on Mary Boyle’s family and the gardai to return her remains so she can be given a decent burial.

There is no organised justice campaign for Mary per se but a grassroots movement has developed throughout the country and beyond, and that is the way it should be.

If you struggle to know what to do, just the smallest gesture of tying a purple ribbon to your car or wearing one on your collar will help. Hold a Christmas vigil for Mary in your town or village. Put up posters of her in your locality. Do anything you can to remember a child who must not be forgotten.

Time is running out and the gardai know that. The chief suspect and those who shield him are progressing in years, and when they die, the possibility of finding Mary’s remains dies with them.

So please keep the pressure on in whatever way you can, especially in Donegal, in the hope that justice can finally be done for Mary before her 40th anniversary in March 2017.

Gemma O’Doherty (Facebook)

Previously Mary Boyle on Broadsheet

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17 thoughts on “‘They Know The Truth Is Unstoppable’

  1. Cot

    Fair play to all involved. Don’t let this story go away. Sickens me to hear FF going on about Brian Stack, and yet ignore this event where one of their own members was so centrally involved.

    1. jambon

      Not just FF, FG linked too, Enda’s uncle sergeant in Budoran at the time … with close ties to the McEniffs too.

  2. Jofus

    I’ve been following these posts with interest for some time now. I wonder how the journalist in question can feel legally comfortable effectively accusing the Uncle of murdering the poor child?

    1. ahjayzis

      Same reason no one has any trouble saying Gerry Adams was Lord Captain Commander of the IRA for about a millenium – if you’re certain enough that you’re right and they’re hiding something, you know they won’t push back.

      Don’t really know anything about the case but all that speaks to is Gemma feels confident she’s on the right track.

  3. Truth in the News

    What about asking Sinead O’Connor to do a version of the “Stolen Child” dedicated to memory of Mary Boyle
    and circulate it internationally, it would embarrass those who have concealed, have selected amnesia and who
    pulled the strings with nearly forty years……how come neither FF or indeed FG have never made much about
    this missing child, they would if Gerry Adams could be implicated.

  4. Zena

    Well done Bodger and Gemma for keeping this story current and good on all who attended and support this fight.

    As someone on this thread said earlier, it takes guts but the truth is the truth and the truth WILL out.

  5. Joseph Craig

    In reply to the line “Mary’s family were once again notable by their absence” Id like to clarify.

    Marys family on her father’s side who are desperately battling for justice were at Marys cousins funeral that day in the UK , Marys twin was also there , this journalist is well aware of this fact.

    She was giving her facts for her documentary, she has it now and should concentrate on that.

    As a matter of fact this is the first public demo / vigil Gemma herself has attended and there’s been over 20 odd since . the only other times she appears in public is at Q&A roadshows to promote her documentary

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