View Full Version : The Irish Secret Service
Is there such a thing? What got me thinking about it was Sinn Fein (they've got nothing to do with the IRA, did you know that. FACT!!!!) turning up with a bugging device. How do they know the British planted it? Did it say made in Britain or something? Maybe it was the Irish secret Service!
If we do have a secret Service whats it used for? Who do we spy on? Have we ever spied on the British? Or even got involved in espionage.
Can I get application forms anywhere?
strangeirish
21/09/2004, 6:28 PM
Can I get application forms anywhere?
Yes you can, but I can't tell you or I'd have to kill you :D
Sheridan
21/09/2004, 6:31 PM
I remember reading a discussion of this on an Irish newsgroup once. Apparently there are such agencies, but unlike MI5 etc, they're all split up and attached to different bodies (police, army, Dept. of Defence etc.)
dahamsta
21/09/2004, 6:39 PM
The Secret Service (http://www.ustreas.gov/usss/mission.shtml) is tasked with protecting important figures in current and former US administrations, and investigating financial fraud (because it's actually part of the Department of the Treasury (http://www.ustreas.gov/)). So it's not an intelligence agency, and while they may do some undercover work, for the most part they operate above board. You're thinking of the FBI (http://www.fbi.gov/aboutus.htm) (federal policing), CIA (http://www.cia.gov/cia/information/info.html) (external intelligence) and NSA (http://www.nsa.gov/about/index.cfm) (communications (COMINT/SIGINT)).
There are apparently two intelligence agencies in Ireland, one linked to the Garda (last I heard it was called C3 or somesuch, but I believe the name may have changed now) and one to the military. The military agency is reputed to be more clued-in and skilful (particularly at SIGINT), but again I'm just going on what I've heard. The only place you'll really read about these agencies is The Phoenix, and of course that has to be taken with a pinch of salt. But of course we've spied on the British. That's what embassies are for.
As to applying, I would imagine you'd need to come up through the ranks to join either agency in Ireland.
adam
strangeirish
21/09/2004, 7:50 PM
Secret Garda Training here (http://www.garda.ie/angarda/physical_test.html) :D :D :D
I love the cattle gate obstacle!
Longfordian
21/09/2004, 8:46 PM
This reminds me of the scene in Taxi Driver where De Niro goes up talking to the two Secret Service lads and asking them loads of questions, asks them how does he apply, one of them says "Well I'll tell ya what, why dont you give us your name and address and we'll send you out an application form.." then as he's going away the boys are trying to take photos of him, i can imagine a file being opened on you right now eoin!
Isn't the whole point of an intelligence agency that no one really knows about them? Like the Keyser Soze thing, "the greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world he didn't exist"
Perhaps we have the most amazing secret service in the world. Things might be an awful lot worse without them.....
dortie
22/09/2004, 8:19 AM
Is there such a thing? What got me thinking about it was Sinn Fein (they've got nothing to do with the IRA, did you know that. FACT!!!!) turning up with a bugging device. How do they know the British planted it
:rolleyes: ...Im sure they made the whole thing up for a bit of exposure. Its not hard to believe when you live in the North. Thats nothing compared to their 'boom microphones' and 'Big brother type cameras' that they use to spy on any resident that lives close by.
corkharps
22/09/2004, 8:27 AM
CIA = ICA, need I say anymore? ;)
:rolleyes: ...Im sure they made the whole thing up for a bit of exposure. Its not hard to believe when you live in the North. Thats nothing compared to their 'boom microphones' and 'Big brother type cameras' that they use to spy on any resident that lives close by.
Please read what i said. I never said that the British didnt plant it! I speculated that if it existed maybe it was the Irish Secret Service. im sure the Dublin authorities would love to know Sinn Feins plans just as much as the British.
I put forward that it could have been (a) The Irish secret service (B) The British secret service or (C) that sinn fein were putting on some sort of gamesmanship.
Sheridan
22/09/2004, 5:30 PM
:rolleyes: ...Im sure they made the whole thing up for a bit of exposure. Its not hard to believe when you live in the North. Thats nothing compared to their 'boom microphones' and 'Big brother type cameras' that they use to spy on any resident that lives close by.
And yet if I said Derry pulled the plug against Waterford themselves, I'D be called a conspiracy theorist!
Looked at dahamstas links. HMMM, is this a joke!?! (http://www.cia.gov/cia/information/bush.html)
dortie
22/09/2004, 6:53 PM
And yet if I said Derry pulled the plug against Waterford themselves, I'D be called a conspiracy theorist!
No you'd be called a 'Lunatic'.....and not for supporting Dublin City/Home Farm Everton/Fingal either :p
dortie
22/09/2004, 7:01 PM
I put forward that it could have been (a) The Irish secret service (B) The British secret service or (C) that sinn fein were putting on some sort of gamesmanship.
Why would the Irish government want to 'bug' the Belfast Sinn Fein office ???, They know better than anyone that the Provisionals have now moved into constitutional politics, if anything SF are their only hope of persuading the remainder of the IRA (who have not yet left already) to stay loyal to their 'political strategy'.
What gain would they have achieved by planting it themselves???
No you'd be called a 'Lunatic'.....and not for supporting Dublin City/Home Farm Everton/Fingal either :p
Meow!!!!!!
Why would the Irish government want to 'bug' the Belfast Sinn Fein office ???, They know better than anyone that the Provisionals have now moved into constitutional politics, if anything SF are their only hope of persuading the remainder of the IRA (who have not yet left already) to stay loyal to their 'political strategy'.
What gain would they have achieved by planting it themselves???
You could equally say that about the British!
Anyway, who knows when it was planted? It could have been there for years.
My original point was do we have an Irish Secret Service? And, what it used for? By youre deflecting of the posts' theme from the original point though maybe you work for them
dortie
22/09/2004, 7:13 PM
By youre deflecting of the posts' theme from the original point though maybe you work for them
That would be just as bad as working for the Brits themselves....two of a kind ;)
dahamsta
22/09/2004, 7:25 PM
Looked at dahamstas links. HMMM, is this a joke!?! (http://www.cia.gov/cia/information/bush.html)
No. If you read the page you'll see that the Center is dedicated to George Bush Senior, not dumbass Junior.
adam
Risteard
19/10/2004, 1:04 PM
Can't shed any light on anything else but i do know Ireland has a secret service and that it got the largest increase in a budget last year. (Or possibly year before, open to correction).
Still measley budget though.
What could they do?
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