The Rain From Spain Falls Mainly On James Monaghan’s Parade

Crumbs! John Spain, literary editor-type at the Irish Independent and contributor to the Irish Voice, wasn’t noticeably impressed with James Monaghan’s COLOMBIA JAIL JOURNAL. To wit:

“I WAS looking forward to the new book by the head honcho of the Colombia Three, James Monaghan, which was published last week here and which advance publicity had promised would reveal all about the exploits of the Three Amigos down Colombia way a few years back. On that score it was deeply disappointing, which probably only proves how gullible I am to expect anything else. In fact the book fails to provide any new or convincing answers to the two most interesting questions about the Three Amigos – what they were really doing in Colombia in the first place, and how they were smuggled back to Ireland after they absconded from the Colombian justice system.”

Apparently there isn’t even a rehash of the story about how the three chaps were amateur ornithologists checking out the fauna in Colombia’s demilitarised zone. Which totally scuppers our gag about how canaries, like good children, should be seen and not heard. Which is just as well, from a factual point of view, because canaries aren’t indigenous to South America. Or Ireland.

Whatever You Say, Say Nothing*

It’s all gone a bit political today, people. First Ronan Bennett hauls Martin Amis over the coals for his comments on Britain’s Muslim community, and now the Belfast Telegraph reports that Sinn Fein is ‘supervising’ James Monaghan’s media appearances while he promotes COLOMBIA JAIL JOURNAL. Quoth the Telly:

Gerry Adams’ publisher has hit out at the “censorious approach” of the republican movement after another of his authors – Colombian fugitive James Monaghan – pulled out of promotional interviews apparently on the orders of the IRA. Mr Monaghan has told publisher Steve MacDonagh that he will not do broadcast interviews for his new book, COLOMBIA JAIL JOURNAL, which was published by Brandon Books yesterday. The book is Mr Monaghan’s account of his arrest in Colombia in 2001 with Niall Connolly and Martin McAuley. The three men were later convicted of aiding FARC guerrillas but fled the country while on bail and returned to Ireland. Mr MacDonagh, who also published several of Gerry Adams’ [right, with James Monaghan] books, said Mr Monaghan’s contract for the book had included a provision to promote it. But he said that shortly before yesterday’s publication, to his “complete surprise”, Mr Monaghan informed him that the republican movement had told him not to take part in any broadcast interviews. As a result, a planned appearance on RTE’s popular ‘Late Late Show’ was cancelled. Mr MacDonagh said his understanding was that the order blocking broadcast interviews did not come from Sinn Fein. However, he said yesterday he has now been told Mr Monaghan’s print interviews will be “supervised by Sinn Fein”. “As far as I understand Sinn Fein will choose which publications he speaks to,” he said. “That isn’t the way Brandon (Books) does business. […] We won’t take part in such a censorious approach. With our authors, we want them to be available to all the media.” The publisher said he was particularly displeased because he had a long track record of campaigning against censorship laws in the Republic, which were frequently applied against Sinn Fein. Mr MacDonagh withdrew his planned promotional campaign for the book but Sinn Fein scheduled their own launch in Dublin last night.

* With apologies, as always, to Seamus Heaney

Now That’s What We Call An Offer Platform # 719

Brandon Books today release James Monaghan’s (right, with Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams) COLOMBIA JAIL JOURNAL, which may or may not confirm that Monaghan, Martin McCauley and Niall Connolly – aka the Colombia Three – were amateur ornithologists who travelled to Colombia’s demilitarised zone for a spot of eco-tourism. Quoth the Brandon blurb elves:

Three Irish Republicans – James Monaghan, Martin McCauley and Niall Connolly – were arrested at Bogotá airport by the Colombian army, who alleged that they had been training FARC rebels, and were members of the IRA. Almost three years were to pass in which the three men were held in appalling conditions in several different Colombian jails, all the time in daily danger of assassination by fellow prisoners acting for right-wing paramilitaries, who had placed a price on their heads. Now, for the first time, James Monaghan tells the inside story of the Colombia Three: why they were in the demilitarised zone; what they discussed with the FARC rebels; how they survived the daily dangers of their time in prison. It is an extraordinary, unique account.

And if that all sounds a bit grim, panic not:

There are lighter moments, too, in this fascinating account, as James Monaghan struggles with his lack of Spanish and tries to avoid the attentions of a homicidal fellow inmate, while Martin McCauley bargains all around him for cigarettes and matches.

Erm, okay, it’s grim all round. But at least (spoilers alert!) there’s a happy ending …

Although found not guilty on the charges of training FARC rebels, and released, an appeal by the prosecution saw them sentenced in December 2004 to 17 years in jail. Meanwhile, however, they had gone into hiding, and by August 2005 they had made their way back to Ireland.

Incidentally, Gerry Adams is doing an Irish tour to promote AN IRISH EYE, and will be in Easons of Limerick and Cork this Saturday, November 10. For details of the Limerick, Cork, Dublin, Galway and Belfast book signings, jump over here.

You Didn’t Hear It Here First

Yesterday’s Belfast Telegraph picked up on a Sunday Times story about the furore created by the publication of James Monaghan’s (right) Colombia Jail Journal, a snippet neither read here back on July 9, obviously. Quoth the Telly:

"Revelations that one of the Colombia Three is to publish a book about his experiences in jail were last night greeted with disgust by senior members of the DUP. According to the Sunday Times, James Monaghan will give an inside account of his arrest and subsequent trial in Colombia Jail Journal, to be published in November. Monaghan was one of three Irish men arrested at Bogota airport in August 2001 on suspicion of training Farc rebels in bomb-making techniques based on IRA technology. He and he co-accused, Niall Connolly and Martin McCauley, were sentenced to 17 years in prison, but returned to Ireland in August 2005 after skipping bail. An extradition request sent to the Irish authorities was unsuccessful. The Sunday Times quotes Steve McDonagh from Brandon Books, which is publishing the book, as saying it is a “vivid account” of Monaghan’s jail experience. DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson, who saw the Colombian prison in which the three were held, said it was not morally right that Monaghan should profit. “I’m aware of the deep anger that remains in Colombia that these three fugitives from justice still haven’t been held to account for the crimes they committed. People are still being murdered by Farc using tactics taught by James Monaghan. The proceeds should go to victims rather than making profits for him.” Steve McDonagh told the Sunday Times that Monaghan’s book “tells the story of who he met in Colombia and what he did”. The book is full of atmosphere. It follows the court case but also depicts the difficulties he and the others faced inside jail,” he adds. It’s unclear whether it contains any admission by Monaghan of links to the IRA. The three men deny allegations that they taught Farc guerrillas how to make explosive devices, and claimed that they travelled under false passports to study the Colombian peace process."

The True Crime Round-Up: It’s Crime! It’s True!! And It’s A Round-Up!!!

Some intriguing new Irish true crime offerings for your perusal, people: first up is Padraig O’Keefe’s Hidden Soldier, subtitled ‘An Irish Legionnaire’s Wars from Bosnia to Iraq’. Unable to settle back into civilian life after serving in Bosnia and Cambodia with the French Foreign Legion, O’Keefe became a ‘hidden soldier’ and wound up on ‘security operations’ in Haiti and Iraq. ‘An intense, exciting and vivid account of extraordinary and sometimes horrific events,’ reckon the blurb-elves at O’Brien, and if any of them are reading this, we’d love a review copy, ta very much … Minor Offences: Ireland’s Cradle of Crime is the title of Tom Tuite’s investigation into the underage criminals ‘who spend more time in the courtroom than the classroom’. Alongside the more lurid details of their criminal activity, Tuite explores the backdrop to juvenile crime, concluding that the one constant element that links anti-social behaviours is dysfunctional families. Gill and Macmillan are doing the honours … Finally, Brandon Books will publish James Monaghan’s Colombian Jail Journal in November. “Now, for the first time,” say Brandon’s blurb-elves, “James Monaghan tells the inside story of the Colombia Three: why they were in the demilitarised zone; what they discussed with the FARC rebels; how they survived the daily dangers of their time in prison. It is an extraordinary, unique account.” The burning question: were Monaghan, Martin McCauley and Niall Ferguson – allegedly IRA men advising the FARC rebels on how best to maximise their mass-killing capacity – really in the Colombian demilitarised zone for a spot of bird-watching? Only time, that perennial doity rat, will tell.