Ballyboy N.S.

On the 17th of February, Brigadier Genreal James P. Cullen, visited our school. General Cullen met with President Barak Obama on his second day in office to witness the closure of illegal detention centres throughout the US. General Cullen is a first cousin of Mary and Eugene Gorman. Mary works as an SNA in our school. Below is an article from the Tullamore Tribune dated Wed, 28th January 2009.
Offaly Man Played Key Role In Closure Of Guantanamo
Wednesday, 28 January 2009


Brigadier General James P. (Jim) Cullen.

A RETIRED U.S. Brigadier General, with strong Offaly connections, played a key role in convincing Barack Obama to close the Guantanomo Bay detention centre in the first days of his Presidency. Brigadier General James P. (Jim) Cullen was among an elite group of 50 retired US Generals and Admirals who opposed what has been termed 'the worst excesses' of the Bush administration's war on terror. As far back as September 2004, Jim Cullen and seven other retired officers wrote an open letter to President Bush expressing their concern over the number of allegations of abuse of prisons in U.S. Military custody. Jim Cullen, now a shareholder in the New York legal firm of Anderson Kill, was head of the US Army's Judge Advocate General's Corps when he retired.


The retired US military man was born in New York, one of seven children whose mother was Agnes (nee Gorman) originally from the Lough, Courraghmeela, Killoughey. He spent the happiest three and a half years of childhood being reared by his aunt Bridge and uncle Jim Keegan at Ballykeenahan where he attended Ballykilmurray School. Speaking to the Tribune from New York this week, Jim Cullen said he and other retired military men dismissed the first reports of mistreatment of detainees which emerged from Abu Ghraib prison in Afghanistan as the 'products of a few bad apples'. He added: 'Five to ten per cent of 18 to 26 year olds in the army are sociopaths and the only thing that keeps them from acting out their desires is military discipline so I and others thought it was a case of poor leadership.' However, he said it soon emerged that 'the national leadership had decided we did not need to abide by the old rules'.
'Myself and other retired officers were really upset by this but initially we just talked about it, added Mr Cullen. Then through his work on the Pat Finucane case in Northern Ireland, Jim Cullen met with Michael Rosen of the Human Rights First advocacy group, who felt that the views of retired military people would be respected and listened to.


A group of 50 retired Generals and Admirals opposed to the treatments of detainees in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo was formed and they spoke at meetings throughout the country, in particular the Republican party strongholds of the South and Mid West. During the recent U.S. Primary campaign prior to the selection of the Republican and Democratic contenders for the Presidency, the group met each of the candidates and forcibly expressed their views. Their campaign paid fruit and last week Jim Cullen and his associates were invited to the White House to witness Barrack Obama signing three Executive Orders which will see Guantanamo Bay being closed within a year.
Jim Cullen had a one hour meeting with the President and Vice-President Joe Biden prior to the official ceremony in the White House. 'Joe Biden said our presentation had been the most impressive during the Primary campaign and the President said it left him with an impression that we should go back to the old ways.' Mr Cullen said he had also 'kidded' President Obama about their shared Offaly roots during the meeting. President Obama has also ordered the closure of secret prisons being operated by the CIA around the globe. 'The treatment of all prisoners will have to adhere to the standards contained in the army manual. Under Bush the CIA was exempt from this and they had their own secret rules,' said Mr Cullen. He added that the prisoners in Guantanamo will now be evaluated over the coming year as a number of them are terrorists and deserve to be charged in a court of law. 'We would like to see them prosecuted in a normal court that abides by the standards set at Nuremburg.' The retired Brigadier General will travel to Ireland next month to take part in the Finucane Conference and plans to spend a few days in the Tullamore area visiting his relatives. He is also a member of the Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society and intends to meet with its Chairman, Stephen McNeill and Secretary, Michael Byrne during his visit.


Jim Cullen stressed that he is deeply attached to his Offaly roots and has cherished memories of his childhood in the county. He explained that at four years of age, due to family circumstances, he moved to Ireland to be reared by his aunt and uncle. Bridge and Jim Keegan. Added Mr Cullen: 'Jim Keegan was an ideal foster father and taught me, in his own quiet way, a great deal about nature and values. I loved Ireland from the first day here, which reflected the love of my aunt and uncle. I went to school in Ballykilmurry, where I was taught by Miss Killeavy and where Jim Keegan's aunt, Mrs. Horan, was the principal. One did not misbehave in Mrs. Horan's presence, as I learned the hard way. Miss Killeavy was a wonderful teacher, of whom I was very fond.' He returned to America to his parents when times improved and obtained his first job at the age of nine stacking bottles in a candy store. The pay was 25 cents an hour and odd jobs followed including newspaper delivery boy, busboy and helping in a restaurant. After completing his primary and secondary education in U.S. schools with a strong Irish ethos Jim Cullen won a state scholarship to Iona College, run by the Christian Brothers. He received another scholarship to law school after completing university and, due to the death of his father, provided for his family by working as an articulated truck driver at nights and weekends. 'I was carrying explosives and the pay was great,' he told the Tribune this week. Afterwards he was conscripted into the army and secured a position on the legal wing eventually rising to the position of Chief Judge of the US Army Court of Criminal Appeals before his retirement.