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Dr Anne McCloskey's avatar

Thanks for this sad but interesting post, Aisling, and for all your work. I wish to add a few comments from my personal knowledge of the Brolly Family, as background and context for your research. I do not speak for them, nor on their behalf.

Anne and Francie Brolly, Joe's parents were devoted as Anne clarified to me at Francie's wake, to Faith Family and Fatherland IN THAT ORDER. They and their sons and daughters with most of whom I'm acquainted share the same values. They and the wider Brolly family suffered greatly, including form Francie's arbitrary imprisonment under British Martial Law/ the Special Powers Act. They were the subject of house raids and harassment for decades. Anne and Francie travelled this country from north to south, sharing their wonderful musical talent freely and willingly on behalf of prisoners' families, especially during the hunger strikes of 1981.

Both Joe's parents represented Sinn Féin politically, Anne as Councillor and later Mayor of Limavady Borough, and Francie as an MLA in Stormont. They subsequently distanced themselves over the party's support of abortion and other anti-life policies. Some of Joe's siblings are very active in the Irish Pro-Life movement. Joes (only) wife and five beautiful children live and thrive in Belfast. I'm sure he's very proud of them.

Joe is a barrister, and as such has taken oaths to the BAR, the City of London Corporation and probably to King Charles III.

Thanks again for your work.

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Irish Farmers,Food & Family's avatar

Striking the sinister similarities between the likes of Brolly,Tubridy,o'Neill,Byrne and many more who have such braziness to lie directly to the camera or in a tweet and give the impression they love every minute of it .

Is it a lack of empathy , conscience or something deeper ?

Corruption carries the seed of its own destruction

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