McCanns Easter break Donegal 2007

Thanks again Stewie for the link to the story in May 2007 with the Donegal photos. Tigger: it was only my opinion before that they were taken in 2008. I still find it hard to believe how much the twins had grown but I can't see any way now to disprove that the photos existed in 2007.

[quote="Marian"]Yes I agree that in some photos Madeleine's hands look very peculiar, particularly where the images appear to have tampered with. Has anyone got any suggestions as to what's on her left hand in this blurred Donegal photo?

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This appears to be a clearer close up of the same photo and there's nothing on her left hand.

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The strange object on the left hand in the blurred photo looks to me like one of those joke rubber hands, maybe of a gorilla? Goodness knows why anyone would have added it to the original photo but practically everything about this case is bizarre in the extreme.

Just a couple of thoughts - you can see that the Madeleine in the unblurred picture has a very long index finger.

Perhaps that doesn't match the "Madeleine's hand" plate that Grandma Healey was photographed with.

As for people often "looking the wrong way" in photo shopped pictures, could it be interesting that Grandma Healey always seems to be looking in quite the wrong direction when photographed with Madeleine? Always thought it was odd.

One thing I can see is on the clearer picture is that Madeleine's coloboma is not there (as far as I can see).

So reading these part's of the history of Joe's Bar, it really doesn't seem to ring true to me. Like the McCann's and the Tapas 7, it is full of inconsistencies.

Joe’s Bar, St Johnston belongs to Madeline McCann’s grandmother, Eileen McCann. On the early hours of St Patrick’s Day, 2008, the pub was raided for the 12th time. The thieves rammed in the back door of the pub and took all the stock they could get barring a bottle of gin. They turned on the beer taps to let the beer run out. Joe discovered the damage and the back door lying in the garden when he checked on the pub after 7.30 am Lenten Mass. Eileen McCann was the wife of the late John and they ran the pub under the name of McCann’s Bar and there was a living quarters then above the pub. They decided to lease it to Joe 27 years ago. Mrs McCann had been in the area and visited the pub at the weekend. The pub had been ram raided in November 2007 when Joe was in the hospital at the time. After that incident, a steel security door had been put up.

The pub had been raided 12 times!! Ok. Have the other pubs had a similar problem? Seems a bit excessive to me. Reads more like a grudge attack?

Joe people's believed a car rammed the back gate. Looking at Google Streetview, I can only find one shop with access to rear by car on Main street. The Pharmacy. And there is no door for a car to ram.

It states that Joe leased the pub 27 year ago. That makes it at least 1981. But...........The Belfast Telegraph states this:

Joe Peoples, who took over the pub after Gerry's parents, Johnny and Eileen, moved away to start a new life in Scotland in the mid- 1960s

I'm assuming "took over" means "leased". That is a 15 year inconsistency!

Just thought I'd put this out there

[quote="Jean"]

Marian wrote:Yes I agree that in some photos Madeleine's hands look very peculiar, particularly where the images appear to have tampered with. Has anyone got any suggestions as to what's on her left hand in this blurred Donegal photo?

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This appears to be a clearer close up of the same photo and there's nothing on her left hand.

[url=http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/press/4aug7/05-08-07-Mail-Transcript_files/MADDIE.jpg

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I know that this is a small oddity compared with all the weird things about this case but why on earth was the blurred photo with whatever it is added to the image of Madeleine issued in the first place when, as the in focus close up shows, there must have been a clear shot of all four children in existencel?

Marian wrote:Here's a reminder of a photo supposedly taken on this holiday in Donegal. It didn't appear anywhere till 2008 and, in my opinion, looking at the apparent ages of the twins, that may be when it was actually taken!

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Hi Marian, you've worked out how to post photographs - I must learn! This one is a very good resolution. I could blow it up quite a bit.
Her right hand is weird, It may be that she has a pink object under her thumb,(otherwise she has two thumbs) but that doesn't explain the wrist area, which is all wrong.
I'm not happy about the way her head sits on her neck, her face should be more to her left. Behind her hair, there is an unconnected bit of cloth from Amelie's jacket visible. That is also quite puzzling.
Amelie is scrunched up under her cousin's arm and has her eyes closed, but everybody else, except Maddie, is looking at the camera. Maddie, just like the poolside photo, is again not part of the whole. Same with the ice cream photo which I couldn't blow up much.
The point is, I always check the whole photo, other hands, other necks etc. It's always Maddie who's been changed.
Her face, in that photograph, is very like the one by the pool.

But this was printed by the 11th of May, so the plot thickens.
I can only think that Maddie was indeed not in Donegal, it explains the four airplane tickets, the very quick photoshopping
But if these two are photoshopped (the blurry one aside) and the poolside and the tennis girl as well, a series of photographs, taken fairly close to each other, must have been used for these images.
I propose a person familiar with photoshopping may have done these all in one go. Perhaps a timeline of the released 'suspect' photographs would be useful.
Then the sequence would be?

title released
poster girl 3-4/5 coloboma added, face bleached, eyelashes etc, nose made smaller.
tennis girl ? possibly head is pasted on, in other thread poster states tennis court surface not in PdL
Donegal 2 x 11-/5 Maddie not engaged with cousins or twins, r. hand very strange, head positioned too far right.
Icecream photo, cone held very strangely, upright doll like pose, not engaged with surroundings.
Poolside ? Only surfaced after Gerry's first trip to the UK, end May.

Since IMO the poster girl must have been photoshopped in the UK, prior to the holiday, it stands to reason all or most of the others were done at the same time?

I still think that Madeleine has a double jointed right thumb.

What does stick out for me though is how more grown up Sean looks in this photograph than he did in PdL. Amelie also but certainly Sean.

I made that point too, glad am not alone, he looks almost as big as Maddie, look at shoulder and knee levels and his feet.

russiandoll wrote:I made that point too, glad am not alone, he looks almost as big as Maddie, look at shoulder and knee levels and his feet.

Hello Russiandoll, his face even has a more grown up look about it than the PdL photographs do without his feet and leg measurements, which as you say are big for a child just over 2 years old on the Donegal trip.

Re Madeleine's thumb. To me it is either a double jointed thumb, or a discolated one that has not been reduced.

apart from the photo of him being carried off the plane by Gerry on arrival back in UK, are there any other photos of Sean from the holiday? He was not on the pool photo for some reason. He looks so big compared to Amelie, maybe she was on the petite side...very petite !

Nina wrote:

russiandoll wrote:I made that point too, glad am not alone, he looks almost as big as Maddie, look at shoulder and knee levels and his feet.

Hello Russiandoll, his face even has a more grown up look about it than the PdL photographs do without his feet and leg measurements, which as you say are big for a child just over 2 years old on the Donegal trip.

Re Madeleine's thumb. To me it is either a double jointed thumb, or a discolated one that has not been reduced.

If you take out Madeleine from the rock photo altogether, I wonder if it suddenly doesn't look more logical. The relative size of the twins and the cousins could be just about right for size. The girl sitting in the middle might actually be a 2-2.5 yr old , not much bigger than the twins.
Have we been looking at the wrong children? Everybody looks too big because Maddie is too small?
If the twins stood up, they'd come up to waist level of the girl, which would be about right for their relative ages. She is not a tall girl, as you can see from the 2008 picture.

russiandoll wrote:apart from the photo of him being carried off the plane by Gerry on arrival back in UK, are there any other photos of Sean from the holiday? He was not on the pool photo for some reason. He looks so big compared to Amelie, maybe she was on the petite side...very petite !

There are loads on here. I cannot post pictures, sorry. They are either on page 2 or 3, or could be 4. Anyway a lot of photographs so well worth a browse through them all.



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tigger wrote:

Marian wrote:Here's a reminder of a photo supposedly taken on this holiday in Donegal. It didn't appear anywhere till 2008 and, in my opinion, looking at the apparent ages of the twins, that may be when it was actually taken!

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Hi Marian, you've worked out how to post photographs - I must learn! This one is a very good resolution. I could blow it up quite a bit.
Her right hand is weird, It may be that she has a pink object under her thumb,(otherwise she has two thumbs) but that doesn't explain the wrist area, which is all wrong.
I'm not happy about the way her head sits on her neck, her face should be more to her left. Behind her hair, there is an unconnected bit of cloth from Amelie's jacket visible. That is also quite puzzling.
Amelie is scrunched up under her cousin's arm and has her eyes closed, but everybody else, except Maddie, is looking at the camera. Maddie, just like the poolside photo, is again not part of the whole. Same with the ice cream photo which I couldn't blow up much.
The point is, I always check the whole photo, other hands, other necks etc. It's always Maddie who's been changed.
Her face, in that photograph, is very like the one by the pool.

But this was printed by the 11th of May, so the plot thickens.
I can only think that Maddie was indeed not in Donegal, it explains the four airplane tickets, the very quick photoshopping
But if these two are photoshopped (the blurry one aside) and the poolside and the tennis girl as well, a series of photographs, taken fairly close to each other, must have been used for these images.
I propose a person familiar with photoshopping may have done these all in one go. Perhaps a timeline of the released 'suspect' photographs would be useful.
Then the sequence would be?

title released
poster girl 3-4/5 coloboma added, face bleached, eyelashes etc, nose made smaller.
tennis girl ? possibly head is pasted on, in other thread poster states tennis court surface not in PdL
Donegal 2 x 11-/5 Maddie not engaged with cousins or twins, r. hand very strange, head positioned too far right.
Icecream photo, cone held very strangely, upright doll like pose, not engaged with surroundings.
Poolside ? Only surfaced after Gerry's first trip to the UK, end May.

Since IMO the poster girl must have been photoshopped in the UK, prior to the holiday, it stands to reason all or most of the others were done at the same time?

I think what you see behind her ear is Fionas jumper, not a bit from Amelies jacket?
I acually think this is a genuin photo. I agree some of the PDL photos look not genuin, but this one does.
If you blow up there are lots of details there wich would be ery hard to do in photoshop, and I dont think who ever faked the PDL photos where that GOOD.
I think Sean looks almost as tall as her because where he sits the stone might go up a little. If you look at the feet, you can see that Madeleines feet are longer. And Amelie looks smaller because her cousin laying on her head pushing her down.
When I look at the whole of this picture I think it (surprisinly enough) that it is genuin. I
I dont think her hand look weird either when you blow it up. It is just the way shes holding it making it look weird.
WHEN the picture is taken, well thats a different question.
Anyone know or able to find out what the weather was like in Donegal the same periode as they where supposed to be there?`And this photo was taken?
PS I dont think it is proved to be airline tickets yet? It could also be the lugage ticket, it was discused on another tread here a few days ago...

TheTruthWillOut wrote:So reading these part's of the history of Joe's
Bar, it really doesn't seem to ring true to me. Like the McCann's and
the Tapas 7, it is full of inconsistencies.

Joe’s Bar, St
Johnston belongs to Madeline McCann’s grandmother, Eileen McCann. On
the early hours of St Patrick’s Day, 2008, the pub was raided for the
12th time. The thieves rammed in the back door of the pub and took all
the stock they could get barring a bottle of gin. They turned on the
beer taps to let the beer run out. Joe discovered the damage and the
back door lying in the garden when he checked on the pub after 7.30 am
Lenten Mass. Eileen McCann was the wife of the late John and they ran
the pub under the name of McCann’s Bar and there was a living quarters
then above the pub. They decided to lease it to Joe 27 years ago. Mrs
McCann had been in the area and visited the pub at the weekend. The pub
had been ram raided in November 2007 when Joe was in the hospital at
the time. After that incident, a steel security door had been put up.

The pub had been raided 12 times!! Ok. Have the other
pubs had a similar problem? Seems a bit excessive to me. Reads more like
a grudge attack?

Joe people's believed a car rammed the back gate. Looking
at Google Streetview, I can only find one shop with access to rear by
car on Main street. The Pharmacy. And there is no door for a car to ram.

It states that Joe leased the pub 27 year ago. That makes it at least 1981. But...........The Belfast Telegraph states this:

Joe
Peoples, who took over the pub after Gerry's parents, Johnny and
Eileen, moved away to start a new life in Scotland in the mid-
1960s

I'm assuming "took over" means "leased". That is a 15 year inconsistency!

Just thought I'd put this out there [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Hi TTWO, good point. If, the pub is the one we believe it to be
(opposite the chemist & butchers shop) on Main street, then there
certainly doesn't appear to be any rear access for vehicles. At one side
of the building is a small car park, at the other side is St Johnston
Orange (Order) Hall - definitely no access. At the rear of the building
it looks like a tennis court or some other recreational facilitiy?

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I think it's disgusting and criminal how the good folk of Ireland have
been lied to and manipulated into handing over donations to the McCanns.
This whole Donegal tale seems to have been weaved in order to endear
the McCanns to the Irish public.

I found this video and transcript courtesy of Bren Ryan on her 'Regrets
& Ramblings' site, although I'll not thank her for it because she's
perpetuating the blatant lies and propaganda. Here's a couple of quotes
from a McCann interview shown to Irish viewers on Ulster TV News. It's
well worth reading the whole article to see what a sham it is.


Sharon O’Neill (presenter) The Mccanns have close links to Northern Ireland and the Republic.
Gerry’s father Jack went to school in Londonderry but he grew up in the
village of St Johnston just over the border in Donegal and he ran this
pub with his wife Eileen up until he died. St Johnston became a retreat
for Gerry, Kate and their young family and people here feel they have
been badly left down.

LIES! He did NOT run the pub until he died. It's widely reported they
left Donegal in the 1960's and moved to Scotland! St Johnston was NOT a
retreat for the McCanns. They even admit themselves it was the first
time Kate and the children had ever visited. Even the shady Joe Peoples
tell us: "I have met Kate the once and Gerry twice"

How do they get away with this?

UTV NEWS NOV 3RD (1) – MCCANNS

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That is a great find Daisy! Like you say more inconsistencies.........................

The video does finally show us 'Peoples Bar' though

It looks derelict and it looks like a house more than a Pub. No 'Guinness' sign or anything else to signify it is a pub.

I am just wondering if this Peoples Bar is now closed down?

Daisy, I checked out your link to Bren's website and those interviews. The first one on Chanel 4, at some point in November 2010, is interesting.

Gerry says 'the Fund is very accountable.'

reality - no financial info on website and minimum legal info filed at companies House.

gerry 'the vast majority of the money is spent on search fees'

reality - the detail that was provided in the 2008 accounts show that was not the case. we have no detail for 2009 and 2010 but the directors report refers to paying the legal costs of the Amaral case. Director John Mccann said in a video in 2007 that it is anticipated that most of the funds will go on legal expenses.

Gerry - 'we have a very experienced Fund Administrator'

reality - not sign of the item salary in the 2008 accounts where details given.
2010 accounts says in a note - Employees Nil (2009 None)

gerry ' we now have a part-time co-ordinator '(of awareness campaigns)

Reality - but the accounts say there are no staff!

If these positions are unpaid (unlikely) why is there so much need for funds. The interview was mainly about them needing money.

Here is the video of the McCann's or Peoples Pub. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

TheTruthWillOut wrote:Here is the video of the McCann's or Peoples Pub. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Thanks very much, I hadn't got round to watching the video. Now we're getting somewhere. I did have quite a close look at that place on google st view but I dismissed it because It looked even less like a pub than the other place. I wish I could upload a close up shot but I can't but the link's here if it works.

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So wonder why it was only registered as "Joe's Bar" in 2009?

You can see the name McCanns on the pub. I would guess that it was at one time owned by someone called McCann (remember it's a very common name in Ireland) and that has led to the myth that it was Gerry's parents.

I'm at a loss though to think of a reason for the McCanns to keep the story going.

The pub certainly doesn't appear to have been in use for years.

pauline wrote:Daisy, I checked out your link to Bren's website and those interviews. The first one on Chanel 4, at some point in November 2010, is interesting.

Gerry says 'the Fund is very accountable.'

reality - no financial info on website and minimum legal info filed at companies House.

gerry 'the vast majority of the money is spent on search fees'

reality - the detail that was provided in the 2008 accounts show that was not the case. we have no detail for 2009 and 2010 but the directors report refers to paying the legal costs of the Amaral case. Director John Mccann said in a video in 2007 that it is anticipated that most of the funds will go on legal expenses.

Gerry - 'we have a very experienced Fund Administrator'

reality - not sign of the item salary in the 2008 accounts where details given.
2010 accounts says in a note - Employees Nil (2009 None)

gerry ' we now have a part-time co-ordinator '(of awareness campaigns)

Reality - but the accounts say there are no staff!

If these positions are unpaid (unlikely) why is there so much need for funds. The interview was mainly about them needing money.

Funnily enough the Irish interview was mainly about their low funds too.

Putting the myth and reality together like that Pauline just shows what a big fat scam it all is. Will this couple (& their team) ever be held accountable for anything?

russiandoll wrote:apart from the photo of him being carried off the plane by Gerry on arrival back in UK, are there any other photos of Sean from the holiday? He was not on the pool photo for some reason. He looks so big compared to Amelie, maybe she was on the petite side...very petite !

I think that Russian Doll might have meant photos of him taken before Madeleine "disappeared". As has been said somewhere else there are suspiciously few photos and those that exist are of doubtful authenticity. The only ones where Sean appears are in the mobile phone footage and the playground photo with Gerry and Madeleine (if it is her).

Moa wrote:

tigger wrote:
I'm not happy about the way her head sits on her neck, her face should be more to her left. Behind her hair, there is an unconnected bit of cloth from Amelie's jacket visible. That is also quite puzzling.
Amelie is scrunched up under her cousin's arm and has her eyes closed, but everybody else, except Maddie, is looking at the camera. Maddie, just like the poolside photo, is again not part of the whole. Same with the ice cream photo which I couldn't blow up much.
The point is, I always check the whole photo, other hands, other necks etc. It's always Maddie who's been changed.
Her face, in that photograph, is very like the one by the pool.

I think what you see behind her ear is Fionas jumper, not a bit from Amelies jacket?
I acually think this is a genuin photo. I agree some of the PDL photos look not genuin, but this one does.
If you blow up there are lots of details there wich would be ery hard to do in photoshop, and I dont think who ever faked the PDL photos where that GOOD.
I think Sean looks almost as tall as her because where he sits the stone might go up a little. If you look at the feet, you can see that Madeleines feet are longer. And Amelie looks smaller because her cousin laying on her head pushing her down.
When I look at the whole of this picture I think it (surprisinly enough) that it is genuin. I
I dont think her hand look weird either when you blow it up. It is just the way shes holding it making it look weird.
WHEN the picture is taken, well thats a different question.
Anyone know or able to find out what the weather was like in Donegal the same periode as they where supposed to be there?`And this photo was taken?
PS I dont think it is proved to be airline tickets yet? It could also be the lugage ticket, it was discused on another tread here a few days ago...

Moa, the picture was taken pre 11/5/07, as is now established.
Amelie is smaller than Sean, quite a lot in fact.
Sean is not sitting on a higher stone than the others.
Maddie is holding something in her hand which is pink, probably plastic, but it's her wrist area which isn't right.
The scrap of fabric visible under her hair is clearly to do with Amelie, same colours and stripes as Amelie's jacket.
Maddie's lower leg is hardly any longer than that of Amelie. I still think the problem is one of proportion and not time.
I didn't say the airline tickets were proof, they are either boarding passes (more likely) or luggage tags, less likely, as these are usually removed for the next journey.

This picture was made available by whom? I detect the script that Aunty Phil used when talking about Maddie. This must have been sent to the Belfast Telegraph pretty quickly, together with the Irish legends re the pub and the family ties, plus of course, the collecting box.

tigger wrote:

Moa wrote:

tigger wrote:
I'm not happy about the way her head sits on her neck, her face should be more to her left. Behind her hair, there is an unconnected bit of cloth from Amelie's jacket visible. That is also quite puzzling.
Amelie is scrunched up under her cousin's arm and has her eyes closed, but everybody else, except Maddie, is looking at the camera. Maddie, just like the poolside photo, is again not part of the whole. Same with the ice cream photo which I couldn't blow up much.
The point is, I always check the whole photo, other hands, other necks etc. It's always Maddie who's been changed.
Her face, in that photograph, is very like the one by the pool.

I think what you see behind her ear is Fionas jumper, not a bit from Amelies jacket?
I acually think this is a genuin photo. I agree some of the PDL photos look not genuin, but this one does.
If you blow up there are lots of details there wich would be ery hard to do in photoshop, and I dont think who ever faked the PDL photos where that GOOD.
I think Sean looks almost as tall as her because where he sits the stone might go up a little. If you look at the feet, you can see that Madeleines feet are longer. And Amelie looks smaller because her cousin laying on her head pushing her down.
When I look at the whole of this picture I think it (surprisinly enough) that it is genuin. I
I dont think her hand look weird either when you blow it up. It is just the way shes holding it making it look weird.
WHEN the picture is taken, well thats a different question.
Anyone know or able to find out what the weather was like in Donegal the same periode as they where supposed to be there?`And this photo was taken?
PS I dont think it is proved to be airline tickets yet? It could also be the lugage ticket, it was discused on another tread here a few days ago...

Moa, the picture was taken pre 11/5/07, as is now established.
Amelie is smaller than Sean, quite a lot in fact.
Sean is not sitting on a higher stone than the others.
Maddie is holding something in her hand which is pink, probably plastic, but it's her wrist area which isn't right.
The scrap of fabric visible under her hair is clearly to do with Amelie, same colours and stripes as Amelie's jacket.
Maddie's lower leg is hardly any longer than that of Amelie. I still think the problem is one of proportion and not time.
I didn't say the airline tickets were proof, they are either boarding passes (more likely) or luggage tags, less likely, as these are usually removed for the next journey.

This picture was made available by whom? I detect the script that Aunty Phil used when talking about Maddie. This must have been sent to the Belfast Telegraph pretty quickly, together with the Irish legends re the pub and the family ties, plus of course, the collecting box.

Im sorry Tigger, I tried really hard , but I still don't see what you see in this picture..I don't see any pink in her hand, and I think the wrist looks weird because shes bending her tumb.. Where Im from we never remove the luggages tags ... I dont see amelies jacket behind her ear either? You might make a photo where you point out what you see?
For me this photo acually look genuin, if you look at the hair strings , thats not something thats easy to do in photoshop, I think this particular picture is genuin..

the case it self is not genuin I believe. The cover up seem to go high up in the system.. It has to for them to get away with the story, there are to many suspect things in this case, and it is realy weird that the goverment/ police has not done anything to solve it or question them..

Last night I re read and old magasine from last year. I saw an article about Prince Andrew. He was visiting on of his good friends in New York, and this friend was a pedophil. He had been in jail and settle an agreement with 16 girls under 14 years old!!
So tough it is not related to this case, it gave me something to think about. Prince Andrew clearly knew that his friend was convicted and spent time in jail for molesting children. This friend is also on the list for sexoffenders in USA...
I just hope this is not normal for people high up in the system in England, having friends like that...It shocked me..