AAA: ALL ABOUT ARLENE; The first of the major parties out of the traps with their manifesto was the DUP this morning, who on the Shankill Road in West Belfast (a key DUP target seat) set out their policies for the next five years and focused heavily on their party leader, Arlene Foster. I thought more…
Via the Pensive Quill. In this transcript of a discussion on Radio Free Éireann in New York, with John McDonagh (JM) and Martin Galvin (MG), veteran journalist Ed Moloney (EM) has some “stupid” questions for the leadership of Sinn Féin, British Intelligence Services, and the local media. From the transcript EM: There’s a whole untold story of more…
The 2009 Westminster expenses scandal just got eclipsed, and by some way. 11.5 million files have been leaked to Mossack Fonseca, a law firm operating in the tax havens of Switzerland, Cyprus and the British Virgin Islands, and in British dependencies Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. It is the world’s fourth biggest provider of more…
The Nuclear Security Summit which has just ended in Washington included the usual assertions about the danger of nuclear proliferation whether to rogue states or terrorists. It is interesting, however, that despite a vast number of nuclear weapons being produced by a large number of countries and many weapons tested not one since 1945 has more…
Tomorrow evening we’ll be holding our EU Referendum debate featuring some of the leading pro-leave and pro-stay campaigners. We’ll be pitting Owen Paterson MP (a former Secretary of State) against Vernon Coaker MP (the current Shadow Secretary of State). We’ll have Kate Hoey MP against former Conservative MEP, John Stevens. The good news is that more…
I though it worthwhile to put on the record Gerry Adams’ Easter Centenary address, part unreconstructed old republicanism, part election address, a classic of its kind in style and content, without further comment. On Sunday 27th March, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams TD addressed the Easter Rising commemoration in Belfast’s Milltown Cemetery. Mr Adams more…
For those in the southern press who think a grand coalition is just grand, and imminent, I’m just putting this here… …more people favoured a Fianna Fail-led minority government (14pc), rising to 37pc of Fianna Fail supporters ahead, of a Fine Gael-led one (8pc), rising to 19pc of Fine Gael supporters. The poll also found more…
Omagh Councillor Sorcha McAnespy launched a broadside against Sinn Féin in West Tyrone after her sudden resignation from the party on Thursday, and announced her intention to stand as an independent candidate in the forthcoming Northern Ireland Assembly election. The Ulster Herald appears to have broken the story on Thursday. The former vice-chair of Omagh District more…
With apologies for the delayed response (I’ve been buried in job application forms – the simple words ‘apply by sending CV’ are now a truly beautiful thing to me), a fascinating statement at the start of Samuel Thompson’s piece on the Orange Order’s report on the NI Civil Service leapt off the page and warrants more…
To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the great Brian O’Nolan, aka Flann O’Brien, aka Myles na gCopaleen we’re taking a lead from a Scotsman (who unlike us, did not forget). With a bow and a tip of the hat to Alex Massie, here’s the boy at his best… ‘To be decently ashamed of where one more…
As the week draws to a close some interesting material has been drawn to the top of our collective consciousness. I suspect that slowly it will dawn on some of our own politicians (not just unionist ones) that saying no will barely suffice for the winding road ahead. Here’s Alex Kane with some important home more…
David Ford is to attend an interfaith service for all victims of the Easter Rising at Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin. The event will see the unveiling of a was inscribed with the names of all those who lost their lives during the Rising namely members of Irish Volunteers, Irish Citizen Army, British Army, Dublin Metropolitan more…
Interesting interview with the Irish Times with Brian Rowan speaking to the SDLP Leader, Colum Eastwood. The interview focused on security issues and how best to deal with the threat posed by dissident republicans. Speaking to Rowan, Eastwood said; I would go anywhere and speak to anyone if I thought it would save one life He more…
The radio alarm goes off – Sonny and Cher are singing, ‘I’ve Got You Babe’. I’ll have none of that cheery Frank Mitchell malarkey and switch the station to Radio Ulster. In Ormeau Avenue, Connor Bradford sits in bow tie and tails – reading the news for the BBC is a serious business after more…
I meant to get this up yesteday. It’s a clip from UTV’s exclusive report on the Ballynafeigh kurfuffle last week. It’s not comprehensive by any means, but it does suggest the PSNI might have some operational questions to answer. The process has been kicked up the Police Ombudsman, and the Policing Board should probably have more…
I see there’s been a major flaming debate on whether President Michael D Higgins was right or wrong to decline to come once the DUP said they would not be attending. I only joined in late last night on Twitter, but I couldn’t see a sound reason against him doing so. Although Belfast City Council has more…
President Higgins has pulled out of the civic dinner to be held at Belfast City Hall to commemorate the Easter Rising. However according to the Irish News; It is understood the fact the occasion has not garnered enough cross-party support, with a number of unionists declining invitations, motivated the president’s decision to stay away. Commenting more…
At Conservative Home, Dan Hannan nails something crucial, I think, in how the British mishandled Ireland throughout the century which followed the Act of Union… It is hard to read the history of Britain and Ireland without wanting to weep at the missed opportunities. For more than a century, Westminster had played catch-up in its more…
Good Friday this year was on March 25. March 25 is also Lady Day, the Feast of the Assumption, when Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary to tell her that she was with child. So you might well think it a strange, tactless, day for the Department of Health to announce new guidelines on abortion more…
BETWEEN ABSOLUTES: If you read nothing else on the Rising, try this powerful essay in which @mariafarrell sifts through the myths and the taboos of past histories to free an ancestor from national excoriation and hagiography to a space where “most of us live our imperfect but unique lives”.
