http://skinflicks.blogspot.com/2008/03/aherns-solicitors-try-to-silence-online.html
This is really quite concerning for free speech in Ireland and on the internet as a whole.
Frank Ward and Co., the solicitors representing An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern at the Mahon Tribunal, have sent a letter to popular discussion website Politics.ie, threatening legal action.
Their threat, which can be examined here, alleges defamation and libel in relation to a thread on Politics.ie about Grainne Carruth.
http://www.politics.ie/viewtopic.php?t=33182
The letter sent to me is included below, it was not sent as confidential, so I am sharing it on the record.
Under no circumstances can I be in a position to disclose the identity of any user on this website, and I will not be doing so.
Until further notice, the Tribunal section of the forum is out-of-bounds, and no Tribunal discussion is allowed. Furthermore there can be no discussion with respect to the Tribunals or anything concerning Bertie Ahern.
I am asking all users to obey this request.
The letter as posted on politics.ie
28th March 2008
VERY URGENT
Via Email info@politics.ie
Mr. David Cochrane
Publisher
Politics.ie
Re: Your Website’s Discussion
“Grainne Carruth and Frank Ward”
Dear Sir,
This afternoon it was brought to our attention that your website is publishing under the above heading a number of comments from different contributors concerning this firm’s representation of Ms. Grainne Carruth at the Mahon Tribunal.
Such comments are entirely untrue and grossly defamatory of this firm and its Partners. We now call upon you to immediately remove such material from your website and we are writing in similar terms to hosting365 who appear to provide a technical support system to you.
We also now formally call upon you to identify, giving full name and address, of the following contributors who appear to go under these user names:-
1. saul of tarsus
2. droghedasouth
3. constable adams
4. JCSkinner
5. toxicavenger
6. the – analyst 2007We find it extraordinary that such postings have remained on your website now for some twenty hours despite the fact that a number of contributors to the discussion clearly brought to your attention that defamatory matter had been published and specifically calling on your Moderators to delete the same. Clearly you are failing to supervise or monitor in any meaningful way the website for which you are responsible.
We await your response by return and you should note that this letter will be relied upon in any Court proceedings to be instituted against you and the other parties involved.
Yours faithfully,
__________________
Liam Guidera
Frank Ward & Company
There is a bit more to this than meets the eye though, do some googling of "David Cochrane politics.ie libertas", Libertas, "Libertas funding", Declan Ganly, "Dick Roche Forum on Europe liar Cochrane" "Michael McDowell David Cochrane pro bono" etc etc
With all that in mind, who was stupid enough to send such a mindless takedown notice to politics.ie?
Talk about adding oil to a fire.
Oh, by the way, Ms Carruth is represented not by Messrs Ward but by a certain Ms Celia's solicitors. 
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Speaking on Joe Duffy's Liveline last week I had to use 'mis-led' for lie, in ref to the Irish boss.
Here's another smoking gun...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4xPRYnExAw
Mr. Ahern: "I personally would have no problem watching a non-compliant tax payer go to jail"
Spoken in 1993, when Mr. Ahern as Minister for Finance was receiving large sums for which he was not paying tax.
I'm just glad you said Irish Leader otherwise I'd have to censor your post for fear of being sued to hell and back. :)