McDowell sued by newspaper he branded ‘Provo front’

MICHAEL McDowell is being sued by the new Belfast-based newspaper he has described as a “Provo front.”

The Minister for Justice has attacked Daily Ireland on a number of occasions since the launch last month of the newspaper which is published by the Andersonstown News.

Now the newspapers say he has gone too far and the publishers are initiating legal action against the minister.

Yesterday Daily Ireland publisher Máirtín Ó Muilleoir said the paper had written to Mr McDowell previously about his comments and dismissed the latest attack.

“They are scandalous. They are rubbish. They are defamatory and they are very dangerous,” he said.

If the minister was going to make these accusations, he needed to stand them up in court and the publishers were going to give him an opportunity to do that, Mr Ó Muilleoir said.

“We have instructed our solicitors to start libel proceedings against him.”

The former Sinn Féin councillor also stated the newspaper group was renowned for its very strong nationalist view.

“Daily Ireland is a newspaper which is anti-violence and pro-united Ireland. It is greener than anything else in the market.

“Who’s afraid of words? Why can we not have a view opposed to the Minister for Justice?” he added.

Responding to queries about the source of funding for the newspaper, Mr Ó Muilleoir said the money came from the Andersonstown News, a loan from the Bank of Ireland and a range of small investors in Ireland and the US.

Pointing out that the newspaper was employing 100 people, Mr Ó Muilleoir said objections had never even been made by unionist politicians.

The minister’s views also drew fire from the National Union of Journalists.

NUJ Irish Secretary Séamus Dooley said he was concerned by the comments of Mr McDowell.

Last night, however, Mr McDowell was in no mood to withdraw his comments about the newspaper.

“He will see them in court and he has nothing else to add,” the minister’s spokesman said.