Gerry Conlon blew almost £1 million after his release from ...

In the Name of the Son: The Gerry Conlon Story delves into the battles faced by the west Belfast man following his release from prison after he ... News GerryConlonblewalmost£1millionafterhisreleasefromprison RichardO'RaweandhisfriendGerryConlon ConnlaYoung 05October,201717:00 Relatedstories JohnnyDeppdescribesGerryConlonashis'longlostbrother' AnewbookaboutGerryConlonisbeinglaunchedtoday MiscarriageofjusticevictimGerryConlonspentthebestpartof£120,000insixweeksoncrackcocaineashestruggledtocometotermswithlifeoutsideprison. Previouslyunpublisheddetailsofthejusticecampaigner’sfighttobeatapotentiallydeadlydrugaddictionarecontainedinanewbookwrittenbyhischildhoodfriendRichardO’Rawe. Theauthorrevealsthatsincehisreleasefromprisonin1989,MrConlon"wentthroughthegutsof£1million”earnedthroughcompensationalongwithbookandfilmdeals. IntheNameoftheSon:TheGerryConlonStory delvesintothebattlesfacedbythewestBelfastmanfollowinghisreleasefromprisonafterhewasfalselyconvictedofinvolvementinthe1974Guildfordpubbombings,whichclaimedthelivesoffourBritishsoldiersandacivilian. MrConlon,PaulHill,PaddyandCarolRichardsonwereallwrongfullyconvictedoftakingpartintheattacks. GerryConlonbelievedtheGuildfordFourhadbeenframed AswellasprovidingagrippingaccountofGerryConlon’sdescentintoaddictionandsuccessfulbattletobeathisdeadlyhabitintheyearsafterhisrelease,thebookalsoexploresnewevidencethatsuggestsauthoritiesknewtheGuildfordFourcouldnothavecarriedouttheattack. HealsosaysthatMrConlonbelievedheandhisco-accusedhadbeen"framed"ratherbeingsimplythevictimsofamiscarriageofjustice. ItisrevealedthatinjustsixweeksMrConlonworkedhiswaythrough£120,000,thebulkofitbeingspentoncrackcocaineashislifespiralledoutofcontrol. TheBelfastmanreceivedthecashforthe1993hitfilmIntheNameoftheFather,inwhichhewasplayedbyDanielDay-Lewis. TheauthorrevealsthatasConlon’scashstartedtorunout,whichincludedcompensationforhistimespentinprison,heforkedoutupto£10,000adayondrugsandgivinghandoutstopeopleheviewedasneedy. Healsofundedhisownjusticecampaigns,whichofteninvolvedtravelaroundtheworld. GerryConlonemergesfromtheOldBaileyCourtinLondonaftertheGuildfordFourarewerereleasedin1989.PicturebyHughRussell. Conlonhadtoresorttoscavengingfrombinswhen drugabuselefthimpenniless ButasthecasheventuallybecamescarceheandhisremainingclosecircleoffriendswereforcedintodesperatemeasuresandforawhilelivedofffoodscavengedfrombinsintheaffluentMayfairareaofLondon. SpeakingtotheIrishNews,MrO’Rawesaidhischildhoodfrienduseddrugstotryandescapethememoriesofhispast. “Gerryputonthiswonderfulpersoninpublicwherehewassoconfidentandcockyjacktheladandeverythingelse,”hesaid. “Sowhenhewenthomehehadnightmareafternightmare-everynighthehadnightmares. “Hetookdrugstotryandkeephimselfawakesohewouldn’tsleep,sohewouldn’thavethenightmares.” “I’mnotsayingthat’sthereasonhetookdrugs,butit’soneofthem.” MrO’Rawesaysthathispalregularly“wokeupinbed….andhewouldhavebeensoaking,thebedwouldhavebeenringing,youcouldhaverungthesheetsout,squealing,‘getoffme,stopbeatingme”. “Thiswaseverynight,”hesaid. “Gerryneverescapedthatforthewholetimethathewasalive.” Suchwasthegripcrackcocainehadonhim,evenwhenhereturnedtoBelfastinthemid-1990shisthengirlfriendoftentravelledfromEnglandtodeliverthedrugstohim,andsentitthroughthepost,atatimewhentheuseofthedrugwaspracticallyunheardofinthecity. AfterhisreleaseMrConlonwassurroundedbyawidecircleoffriends,whichincludedcelebritieslikeHollywoodactorJohnnyDeppandformerPoguesfrontmanShaneMacGowan. “WhenGerrytookcrack,Gerryhadacrowdaroundhim" MrO’RawesaidthatMrConlon’sgenerositywaswellknownandthatthosewhosharedhisaddictionalsoflockedtohim. “WhenGerrytookcrack,Gerryhadacrowdaroundhim,”hesaid. “GerrywaslikeFatherChristmas. “AllthecrackheadsinLondonlovedhimbecause,Idon’tknowwhatwayyoubuycrackandIdon’tevenknowwhatwayyoubuydope,butthepointisGerryusedbuy£10,000worthatatime.” MrO’Rawebelievesthathisoldpal’straumastemmedfromguiltoverthearrestandwrongfulconvictionofhisfatherGiuseppefortheGuildfordbombingsalongwithothermembersofthegroupthatbecameknownastheMaguireSeven. Sufferingfromillhealth,GiuseppeConlondiedinanEnglishprisoninJanuary1980 “Hewashauntedbyhisfather,”MrO’Rawesaid. “Henever,evergotoverGiuseppe. “Heabsolutelyblamedhimself. “Youcouldn’thavespokentohimaboutit,youcouldn’thavetalkedtohim.” “Itdidn’tmatterthatheknewnothingaboutGuilford-thathehadbeentorturedintosigningconfessions. “Itdidn’tmatter,heblamedhimselfupuntilhisdyingday.” HesaidthatasMrConlondescendedintodespair“suicidewasneverfarawayfromhismind”. MrO’Rawe,aformerrepublicanprisonerand‘blanketman’whohaspreviouslywrittenbooksaboutthe1981hungerstrike,livedclosetoMrConlonintheLowerFallsareawherethepairwerebestfriendsandschoolmates. Hesaystheywerereunitedafteralmost18yearsfollowingachanceencounterinBelfastcitycentredaysafterMrConlonwasreleasedfromprison. AftergoingoutforadrinktheybumpedintoformerIRAcommanderBrendan‘TheDark’Hughes,aformercellmateofMrO’Rawe,whojoinedthem. AlthoughMrConlondeniedit,theformerIRAmanwassaidtobethepersonwhoorderedhimtoleaveBelfastinthe1970s. “Thethreeofwenttoapubandwewere,well,stocious,andthecraicwas90,”MrO’Rawesaid. Hesaidthatwritingthebookaboutamanhedescribesasbeinglikeabrotherhasbeenbothatraumaticandrewardingexperienceforhim.  "...Onthewayoutthedoorhesaid‘Iloveyou’" Hesaidthataroundeightmonthsbeforehediedin2014MrConlonaskedhimtowritehisstoryandthenlatersentforhimduringhisfinaldays. HeemotionallyrecountshislastmeetingwithhisfriendandhowhebroughtafryintohimashelayseriouslyillintheRoyalVictoriaHospital. “Heactuallyateitandhesaidtome‘you’regoingtowritethatformearen’tyou? “Isaid‘Iwill,ItoldyouIwill’. Hesaid‘that’sOK,that’sgoodenoughforme’. “It’sverysadandthenonthewayoutthedoorhesaid‘Iloveyou’. “Itnearkilledme. That’sthelastIseenhimalive.” “Itwasawfultraumatic,itwasawfulforme. Iamanemotionalguyanyway,IlovedGerry. “Ireallydid,hewasmymateandhewaslikeabrothertome. “Hislosswasawful,trulyawful.” TheauthorsayshetakescomfortfromMrConlon’slegacyasacampaignerforothersinsimilarsituationsandreflectsonthe“goodnessthatwasinhimandthegoodnessthatpeoplesaw”. “GerryConlonhadaprofoundeffectoneverybodyhemet,”hesaid. “AndItakegreatcomfortfromthatIthinkhewasareallydecenthumanbeingwhocaredaboutotherpeople.” HealsobelievesthathisoldfriendeventuallyconqueredhisdemonsbeforehisdeathafteranillnessinJune2014. “Gerrywonthewar,Gerrycameouttriumphant,”hesaid. IntheNameoftheSon:TheGerryConlonStory ispublishedtodaybyMerrionPress. ***Seetomorrow'sIrishNewsforexclusiveextractsofIntheNameoftheSon:TheGerryConlonStory,includinghowHollywoodstarJohnnyDepptravelledaroundIrelandonholidaywithGerryConlon. RichardO'RawepicturedatGerryConlon'sgraveinMilltownCemetery.PicturebyAnnMcManus. EnjoyreadingtheIrishNews? 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