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Updated 1.27pm
THE TÁNAISTE HAS condemned an incident in Belfast in which a man set himself on fire while attempting to leave what police suspect was a fire bomb in a shop.
“I condemn absolutely the firebomb attack,” Eamon Gilmore said this morning on his way into the Cabinet meeting.
He described it as “criminal activity” and said that it was “particularly damaging to the economy of Belfast in the run up to Christmas”.
“It is putting people in very serious danger,” said Gilmore, adding that this type of activity “has got to stop”.
He said the PSNI and Garda Siochána are cooperating in dealing with the situation.
The Cornmarket in Belfast city centre was closed by police following an incident at around 6.40pm yesterday evening, after a suspected incendiary device was left at a shop.
The device is believed to have ignited but was removed from the premises by staff and left outside, said the PSNI. It sealed off the area while the device was examined.
Speaking about the incident today, Chief Superintendent Alan McCrum, District Commander for South and East Belfast, said:
The suspect involved in this incident is believed to be aged in his mid 40s, approximately 6ft tall, of plump build and was wearing a dark coloured waterproof coat which was hip length with a drawstring at the bottom and dark jeans or tracksuit bottoms. He is believed to have entered the shop at around 6.30pm where staff became suspicious of him.
McCrum said the suspect was approached by staff in the shop and appeared to moving something under his jacket.
“Seconds later a large flame ignited inside the male’s jacket and this engulfed his head and shoulders and he attempted to put the flames out with his hands,” he said. “The male then ran from the shop in the direction of Ann Street and the device was kicked out of the door of the shop and ended up in Cornmarket.”
Police believe that this man may require treatment for burn injuries to his neck or face and are appealing to any care provider who may already have been approached or who is approached today, by a male in his 40’s with burns to the neck or face, to contact detectives directly at Musgrave station on 0845 600 8000.
McCrum commended the staff in the shop for their behaviour and said he would urge staff in city centre premises and the public to remain vigilant at this time. The suspected incendiary device has been taken away for further examination and police are currently trawling through CCTV footage as part of the investigation.
Police are now advising city centre businesses to check their premises for any suspicious objects.
Anyone who was in the area at the time and who may have noticed any suspicious activity is asked to contact detectives at Musgrave on 0845 600 8000.
Alternatively, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Originally posted 10am
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He’s Departed?
@Grimm: underrated comment
@Grimm: no loss ,well done the mafia.
No loss…
@Tara Tevlin: I believe a life was lost
@Tara Tevlin: Unless he was supposed to be witness in a trial, then his testimony is lost and some might walk free on the back of that. Is this the same as what happened to the Iceman?
@Patrick Kearns: The Iceman said a lot of crap… Don’t get me wrong, the book by Philip Carlo was amazing. I couldn’t put it down, but you have to say half the murders the Iceman confessed to where made up in his head. The Jimmy Hoffa murder which he claimed to have done is total BS..
He sure outlived his victims by a lot of years.
Lived in Southie for a while and he was very much revered, not surprised considering he was like Robin Hood, especially around xmas. Interesting fact on the very much Irish dominated Southie district in Boston that it was the last place in the States to introduce mixed race schools. Typical Paddies.
@Derek Durkin:” typical Paddies”????? Get a life.
@Padraic Burke: u a bit upset there mate by that remark???….have a little lie down and you’ll be ok.
@Derek Durkin: what do you mean by that exactly you clown.
@Padraic Burke: Fight!
@Padraic Burke: Patties
@Derek Durkin: I actually took the time to Google your claim and have discovered that your talking absolute rubbish. You actually couldn’t be more wrong….hahaha……
@Derek Durkin: I’ve been there too so I understand what you mean. Bloody paddy-yanks!
@Padraic Burke: it was more to do with the school buses and such but it was a hotbed for racial violence….and my claim still stands that in the past the Irish were very hostile towards different ethnicities for a number of reasons, something i thought was common knowledge.
@Derek Durkin: I must have missed the bit in the story where Robin Hood sold gear in Sherwood Forest.
@wzFbzPzf: it was quite intentional…just wanted to see the ire that comes from the easily offended these days….very dangerous people.
The only one to come out of the whole saga with his head held high was the FBI agent John Connolly.. He was the only one who never ratted anyone out and refused a deal for a lighter sentence.. Yes he was a rogue agent, but he stuck with the lads who he grew up with..
@David Garland: How does a murderer hold their head up high?
@Stephen Curry: Who did John Connolly kill
@David Garland: he was convicted of 2nd degree murder….so….
@hyippy: Connolly didn’t kill anyone.. He was charged with murder because the Fed’s thought he would talk but he kept his mouth shut
@David Garland: Oh
@David Garland: His Head held high – after being convicted in relation to the murder of two people?? He should be proud alright. Very strange comment.
@Marty Borgnine: He can hold his head high among the other members of the gang.. He was the only one out of the lot of them that didn’t talk. He took his punishment and is doing the time. For that he can hold his head high..
@David Garland: He stuck by his lads, as they tortured & killed people from the same community; what a stand up guy!
@David Garland: he wasnt just charged with murder, he was convicted. That doesnt happen without evidence. You betray your own lack of morality by thinking theres something noble in criminality. He was an FBI agent who had a hand in multiple murders and many other crimes. He’s a convicted murderer plain and simple. If you’re such a fan of “loyalty” what about his loyalty to the FBI or the oaths he took there? Or is it just “loyalty” to murderers you value?
Shinners will be packing their balaclavas and sunglasses for the funeral
@Drahcir Neirbo: Martin Ferris is searching out his black armband
@Dermot Lane: mournin the loss begorrah of a good son of eire to be sure and him only robbing off sassanachs and proddys to be sure
@Drahcir Neirbo: Wonder will the sanction given by the F.B.I. ever come to light… Bolger was a gangster and murderer, but he like the mafia must be in awe of Irish politicians who facilitated in the economic destruction of a country. Old saying, you need a gun to rob a bank , but a bank does not need a gun to bring down a country.
@Donal Desmond: seemless segway there
@wzFbzPzf: Tell that to the people whose mortgages were sold to vulture companies. The only two high profile cases concerning the criminal trials of bankers collapsed because of shredded documents by the state and inadmissible evidence.
@Donal Desmond: Shockingly enough, neither Bulger nor the Boston mafia were involved in either trial. There’s enough relevant stories on here where you can beat your drum in the comments section, no need to go shoehorning your opinions in here.
@Joe Bloggs: Thought this article was open to comments. Probably my comments do not sit well with your selective forms of gangsterism.
@Donal Desmond: I thought the comments were meant to be pertinent to the content of the article, do you do the same on the sports pieces?
@Joe Bloggs: Certainly not , but gangsterism in any form is the same. Bolger was a gangster, just comparing him with the gangsterism of Irish banks and politicians. Bolger not a patch on them.
Read a lot about this guy, an interesting guy but a psychopath! Film was disappointing as he fit a lot into his life and no way a feature film would cover this. Even had time to send arms to the IRA! The interaction with the FBI was unreal, he completely gave them The runaround. Saw his apartment in Santa Monica as I was in the area at the time he was captured, would make you wonder how he got away so long
@Ger Murphy: Depp did not do a good job of playing Whitey Bulger . I wonder was depp having ‘difficulties ‘ at the time . In any case he was the wrong actor to play this man .
Probably enough material to do an ‘almost goodfellas ‘ but the Depp Film fell way way way below that level .
Probably not good to be glorifying gangsters anyway .
Did the Devil need a Killer in a hurry even a very old one ?
@Pl O’neill: There’s a law in the world of films: Johnnie Depp isn’t allowed to be in good ones.
Shipping up to Boston, Whitey.
@Johnny Rotten: in a box…
As Gerry Adams would say he was a “Good Republican”.
FBI behind this no doubt
so no more black mass??
@Frank Dubogovik: Were you expecting a sequel…?
@Patrick Kearns: black confession?
Karma…
The world’s a better place today.
“High security” For whom?
have your say