WRITINGS

An award-winning Irish writer in his teens, Osgur Breatnach writes in Irish and English. Over the past fifty years, he has worked as a human rights activist, business consultant, journalist, publicist, lecturer, cartoonist, contributor and advisor to controversial TV documentaries, film maker and two Irish best sellers.

He now writes novels, movies, poetry, short stories and is completing Out of the Tunnel, an exposé of the the Sallins Corruption Case and the continuing cover-up.

He also contributes to the sallinsinquirynow.ie  web page.

MOVIE PROJECTS

DEATHLY SECRETS. 2018. In development. Treatment & Script. Ongoing.

OUT OF THE TUNNEL. 2019. In development. Treatment & Script. Ongoing.

THIEF. 2018. In development. Treatment & Script. Ongoing.

BLOODY SUNDAY. 2000.  with Ronan  Gallaghar-  development only. Concluded.

AWARDS

WHISTLEBLOWER

New York Festival Radio Award – Silver
Listen Here
Law Society Justice Media Award   

A richly-textured, atmospheric look at the fallout from the wrongful convictions for the Sallins train robbery.
A wonderful piece of audio journalism, highlighting severe failings in the criminal justice system in 1970s Ireland and documenting the process of healing from wrongful conviction.  

Short story competition:
National winner Inniu newspaper
Scholarship: 
University College Dublin
Contributions to Best Sellers:
Blind Justice
Round Up the Usual Suspects
Contribution to Jacobs TV Award:
Though the Heavens May Fall
Contributions to Award-winning TV documentaries:
At the Hands of the State
Faoi Lámha an Stáit
The Whistleblower 
Finné
Witness

SALLINS INQUIRY NOW CAMPAIGN

Growing support:  … only some of the hundreds of thousands supporting the campaign.

Irish Supreme Court Justice Adrian Hardiman … Amnesty International … The Irish Council for Civil Liberties … Ex and sitting Presidents … Mary MacAleese, Mary Robinson, Michael D Higgins … Adviser to Irish Council of State, Michael Farrell … Singer/Songwriter Christy Moore … Ex UN Assistant General Secretary Dennis Halliday … Musician Donal Lunny … Law Professor Kent University Dermot Walsh … Actor Donal O’Kelly … Musician Keith Donald … Chair of European (CCBE) Criminal Law Committee, solicitor James MacGuill … Retired Judge Pat McCartan … Poet Paula Meehan … Film and TV director/producer Lelia Doolan…South African Minister and ICCL founder Kadar Asmal… Birminham Six (Hugh Callaghan, Patrick Joseph Hill, Gerard Hunter, Richard McIlkenny, William Power, John Walker)… Guildford Four (Paul Hill, Gerry Conlon, Paddy Armstrong, Carole Richardson)…ex Philippine hostage Fr. Niall O’Brien… UN consultants International Association of Democratic Lawyers… International Commission of Jurists… author MP Chris Mullen… musician Tony McMahon… Irish Congress of Trade Unions… Fr. Donal O’Carroll… Papal Nuncio Archbishop Alibrandi… performer Mick Hanley… author Tim Pat Coogan… Brehon Law Society USA…African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights … Christian Association for Abolition of Torture…International Commission of Jurists, Geneva…Association for Legal Justice… Irish Transport and General Workers’ Union… Aux Bishop J. Kavanagh …… Human Rights lawyer Paul O’Dwyer USA…Irish Commission for Justice and Peace… ex-US Attorney General Ramsey Clarke…Human Rights activists Berrigan Brothers, Frs. Raymond Murray, Des Wilson… actor Niall Toibín… actor Mick Lally…actor Cyril Cusack…actor Brendan Gleeson…actress Finuala Flanagan…comedian and actor Niall Tóibín…broadcaster Gay Byrne…Liberty UK…Cardinal O’Fiaich…Maitre Antoine Comte, Paris…Human Rights Watch, London … Syndicat De Magistrature Judge E Bloch … Lawyer, Le Droit DeL’Homme Paul Bykaerk … RHA Yann Goulet … MRIAI Uinseann MacEoin … Journalist Brendan O Cathaoir … Comhalachas Daon Scoil Brendan O Cearbhaill … MAC Dr Dermot McDermot

An international campaign for a full independent sworn public inquiry to expose the truth behind the injustices in the Sallins Corruption Case and the continuing cover-up.

 sallinsinquirynow.ie 

The campaign is directed by members of the family of Osgur Breatnach, whose aims are supported by Nicky Kelly and Brian McNally, who were tortured and framed alongside Osgur in the Sallins Case.

PATRONS

Christy Moore • Cormac Ó Dulacháin • Denis J Halliday • Donal Lunny • Donal O’Kelly •  James Mac Guill • Judge Pat McCartan • Keith Donald • Leila Doolan •Michael Farrell • Paddy Hayes • Paula Meehan • Prof Dermot PJ Walsh • Raymond Keane. MORE

PODCASTS & DOCUMENTARIES

The Whistle Blower

The Policed Podcast

At the Hands of the State/ Faoi Lámha an Stáit

Witness/ Finné 

ARTICLES

ON SALLINS CASE

  1. Police Heavy Gang named for first time.
  2. Amnesty & ICCL back inquiry call.
  3. What’s the Sallins Corruption case all about?
  4. Jail Gay Byrne
  5. Nixon Style Burglary of Drs Office 
  6. Why the Hooded Men support Inquiry.
  7. DPP Secret Review Exonerates all Sallins Men.
  8. Largest civilian round up since world war 2.
  9. Garda File Doctored.
  10. Famed US Attorney General supports inquiry.
  11. Who always knew Sallins Men were innocent?
  12. ICCL Call for Government inquiry.
  13. Why did Gardai launch the Mass Arrests?
  14. Screams All Night heard in police station.
  15. Judge Tried Sallins Case Asleep.
  16. Irish UN Officials Back Sallins Inquiry.
  17. Garda Threats to Presidential Candidate and Lawyer .
  18. Supreme Court Judge backs calls for inquiry
  19. What was the torture in the Sallins Case? 
  20. Who Speaks Out demanding truth?
  21. State ‘lose’ crucial state evidence.
  22. State Solicitor demands public inquiry
  23. Sallins Case could happen again
  24. Hooded Men Back Inquiry. 

PUBLIC RELATIONS

National Secondary Student’s Union, National Housing Action Groups, Anti- Vietnam War campaign, Anti- Apartheid Campaign, Prisoners’ Rights Campaign, Prices Index Group, Employment Campaign, Local & National Election Campaigns, IRSP,      Sinn Féin, Ensalada restaurant group, Justice for the Forgotten, Trustel Communications, National H-Block Armagh Committee, Free the Sallins Six campaign, Release Nicky Kelly Campaign, Sallins Public Inquiry Now, Image Innovative Solutions,  PlusArtonline.

JOURNALISM,
PLAYS.

THE STARRY PLOUGH

1976-80. National monthly periodical . Editor and Designer; cartoons, writer and photography. 

FREELANCE

1966- 2021. Varied. Irish Times, Local News, Hibernia, Local Voice, The United Irishman, Development , Sunday Press, Irish Press, Evening Press, Evening Herald, Irish Independent Sunday Independent .

PLAY           VOICES

Picture2

TELEVISION, RADIO, DOCUMENTARIES, INTERVIEWS & PODCASTS

    • NEWS. RTE radio and TV, UTV, BBC, interviews/ comments, varied, 1966- 2020.
    • THE WHISTLEBLOWER. International award winning documentary. RTE DocOnOne. 2018. Over 2 Million hits.
    • FRONTLINE   Main interview Radio Teilifís Éireann (RTE ) 1980. Current affairs.
    • THOUGH THE HEAVENS MAY FALL. Contributor. Radio Teilifís Éireann (RTE ). Current affairs. Winner Irish Jacobs Award.
    • OPEN THOSE GATES.  Contributor. Channel 4. Documentary. Moving Hearts Band.
    • NIGHTHAWKS. RTE.
    • SCANNAL/ SCANDAL RTE
    • FINNÉ/ WITNESS. TNG 2018
    • NEWSTALK
    • FAOI LÁMHA AN STÁIT/ AT THE HANDS OF THE STATE. TNG.
    • THE GAY BYRNE HOUR . Controversial RTE radio interview that led to Heavy Gang attempts to jail Gay Byrne. 1993.
    • RTE, NEWSTALK and REGIONAL STATIONS RADIO and TV NEWS INTERVIEWS, VARIED.
    • THE POLICED PODCAST. Series on policing in Ireland. Two podcasts. Tortoise Shack Media.
The Second Death of Octavius Murphy- satire

The Second Death of Octavius Murphy

The true story behind aspiring writer Joyce 2 (as he is now known) and his exposure of the international multi-million publishing conspiracy perpetrated by a Dublin Writing Center.

Must be read to be believed.

 

  • Genre- Satire/ Comedy/ Crime
BUY here
Hanging Out on the 11th Floor- poetry

Hanging Out on the 11th Floor.

Traumatised by a criminal conspiracy to frame him in 1970s Ireland, the author’s response, in part, was to turn to poetry. The poems are presented in a combination of lyrical free and blank verse, and concern understanding internal change, in himself and others, over a lengthy period, in honest emotional language.

BUY here
Al Pacino the Judge and I- satire

Al Pacino the Judge & I

Squabbling writers James Joyce, Dean Swift, Brendan Behan, Flan O’Brian, Myles na Copaleen, Oscar Wilde and Fionn Mac Cumhaill, well, squabble, as an author attempts to confront his trauma by writing. 

  • Genre- Satire/ Comedy/ Legal/ Trauma/ History
BUY here
The Pregnant Man- poetry

The Pregnant Man

Breatnach’s poetry themes are introspection, incarceration, relationships and the ultimate loss of death, in this his second book of poetry.

BUY here
Framed Threough The Special Criminal Court- Sallins

FRAMED THROUGH the SPECIAL CRIMINAL COURT
The 'Great Train Robbery' Trial

An analysis of the Sallins frame-up and the longest trial in Irish history.

Orwell defined the political pamphlet as an inexpensive piece of polemical writing aimed at a large public.

Out of print

A State Conspiracy

Written immediately the Sallins frame-up conspiracy unfolded, detailing the tortures inflicted on the detainees.

Political pamphletes are written,  says Orwell, because ‘there is something that one wants to say now , and because one believes there is no other way of getting a hearing.’

Out of print.

Winter in Captivity

 (Imminent).

Genre- Poetry/ Life/ Love/ Loss

Last Words

 (Imminent).

Genre- Poetry/ Life/ Love/ Loss

Out of the Tunnel

(Imminent)

 

voices

VOICES

A one act play.