True Crime Tuesday for March 11, 2014 (Irish Edition)

“Society often forgives the criminal; it never forgives the dreamer.”

                                                - Oscar Wilde

 

 

Drug Lord Shot Four Times, Declares It Was "Just A Misunderstanding"

 

You've really got to hand it to the Irish. We're known for telling outlandish stories, but this one may be a bit of Irish Crime Fiction. Criminal gangster John Gilligan was shot four times in an assassination attempt last week in Dublin. But from his hospital bed, he told police that he has no enemies and that the shooting was "just a misunderstanding".

 

Gilligan, a suspect in the murder of Irish crime reporter Veronica Guerin, was released from prison only 5 months earlier after serving twelve years for drug trafficking. Rumor has it that he has been trying to re-establish his power in the criminal underworld, with mixed success.

 

Read more about this 'misunderstanding' in the Irish Mirror.

 

Prisoners Allowed To Buy Mobile Phones

 

Most prisons struggle to keep cell phones out of the hands of prisoners. But you know how we Irish love to gab. Several prisoners in Loughan House jail have been given permission to buy and use cell phones while serving their sentences, including one man convicted of manslaughter. The Irish Prison Service has recommended the change, and other prisons have already begun offering the benefit in County Wicklow. Not everyone is happy about the new policy, however. Justice Committee member Finian McGrath expressed his displeasure and said, "People have got to get the message that prison isn’t a luxury hotel."

Before you know it, they'll be handing out things like condoms to the prisoners. Oh, wait.

 

Thieves Swipe ATM Machine Through Bank Wall

 

Thieves in Sligo used a digger to break through a bank wall and haul off an ATM machine. Police are asking the public for help in identifying the driver of a white Nissan pulling a trailer in the Teeling Street area between the hours of 4 AM and 6 AMon January 29th. The ATM has been recovered. No word on whether or not the robbers triggered an alarm at the bank, but judging from the size of that hole in the wall, it's hard to believe no one was roused by the event. Just the facts, if you please.

 

Criminals Betrayed By Sweet Tooth

 

It didn't take long for police to apprehend three men who robbed a gas station in Palmerstown. The trio got only a small amount of cash, but helped themselves to plenty of candy. Dropping sweets as they ran, police followed the trail and found the men divvying up their ill gotten gains. They're now sitting in jail awaiting a hearing...without dessert, one hopes.

 

 

 Dublin Cost Of Living Goes Up...Again

 

Finally, this may be the worst crime of all.

 

If you've ever thought of returning to the green fields of Ireland to live or retire, beware. The cost of living in Dublin's fair city is going up. It's now the 21st most expensive city in the world. That's up 13 rungs from last year's spot at 34.

 

Oh, the humanity!

 

Writers Born Today - Bram Stoker

Today is the birthday of Irish writer Bram Stoker, born in Dublin on November 8, 1847. As a sickly child, he spent most of his time in bed, listening to stories told by his mother. He wrote 18 books, and published his first horror story, The Primrose Path, in 1875.

His most famous novel is Dracula, published in 1897. It was not the first piece of fiction to feature vampires, but became the standard by which all subsequent vampire stories are measured, and is considered a masterpiece of the genre. Stoker's main character was originally named Count Wampyr. But he changed it to Dracula after reading that the Romanian translation of Dracula meant "Devil". The story is set in Transylvania and he did research for the geography at the British Museum.

Despite being well received by critics, the novel made little money for Stoker, and he died in poverty. His widow was forced to sell his notes and outline for the novel at auction for just a few dollars.

Stoker wrote the first adaptation of the story for the theater, and Dracula made his first appearance in film in 1922 with Nosferatu.

Over 200 Dracula films have been made, including the 1931 release Dracula, starring Bela Lugosi. It was the first full length supernatural horror film by a Hollywood studio, and newspapers reported that some members of the audience fainted at the horrific scenes. Despite the reports, or perhaps because of them, the movie was a huge success.

Bela Lugosi was not the first choice for the starring role, but eventually was cast after he agreed to a reduced salary. He received only $3,500 for his work.

After the censorship code went into effect in Hollywood, some of the scenes were cut from the movie because they were either considered too intense or due to fears that religious groups would object. As recently as 1994, the novel was removed from a required reading list for senior students at a high school in Lewisville, Texas because of "sexual references".

Bram Stoker continued to write horror and science fiction until his death in 1912. Other works of note include The Lair of the White Worm and The Jewel of Seven Stars. The Horror Writers Association has a coveted award named after him, the Bram Stoker Award. Some of the most famous winners of the award include Thomas Harris, Peter Straub and Stephen King.