January 2016 – Page 2 – Slugger O'Toole

#GE16 Guide to Louth: Champagne on ice for a Sinn Féin two seater certainty…

Statler and Waldorf on January 27, 2016, 1:52 pm | Readers 1279

Louth Current TDs Fergus O’Dowd TD (Fine Gael), Peter Fitzpatrick TD (Fine Gael), Gerry Adams TD (Sinn Féin), Minister of State Ged Nash TD (Labour), Seamus Kirk TD (Fianna Fáil)* * Was automatically returned in 2011 as the outgoing Ceann Comhairle Total seats in 2016 General Election: 5 Main Towns: Drogheda – population 38,578 Dundalk – population 37,816 Ardee – population, 4,927 Candidates of interest: Fergus O’Dowd TD, Fine Gael (Drogheda) Cllr. Imelda Munster, Sinn Féin (Drogheda) Ms. Emma Coffey, …

My Ireland, the Union, and the Ervine test

Soapbox on January 27, 2016, 11:28 am | Readers 3892

NATIONALIST DEAD END: I recently had a robust exchange with a gentleman who had become quite impressed by the Scottish Nationalist Party. He argued that the onus was on unionism to now tender a counter attack.
I was, I must confess, quite annoyed at this proposed challenge. My gut instinct was that holding the incumbent position meant that one’s opponent had the work to do. But soon after this discussion an image entered my head. It was the image of the late David Ervine the Loyalist paramilitary prisoner and one time leader of the Progressive Unionist Party. Ervine is stood flanked by fellow unionists at an outdoor press gathering. It was in the 1990’s as the peace process was first finding its unsteady feet. Ervine coolly leaned forward toward the microphone and said, “Let the debate begin. We’re ready.” It was an inspiring statement despite its simplicity. It was succinct and strong. It was a challenge issued by a man who could not possibly have been more confident. This was a man thoroughly at peace with who he was, and what he wanted to say.

The Truth Commissioner (preview at QFT on 1 Feb and Q&A with director Declan Recks)

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on January 26, 2016, 7:26 pm | Readers 1236

THE TRUTH COMMISSIONER – the film adaptation of David Park’s political thriller is being previewed in the QFT on Monday evening (1 February) as part of their Made in Belfast season. After the screening, Alan Meban will host a Q&A with the film’s director Declan Recks.

The scheme for gathering information on the Troubles ignores the public interest

Brian Walker on January 26, 2016, 12:42 pm | Readers 1052

News is dribbling out about the proposed cumbersomely- named Independent Commission on Information Retrieval on the Past – despite the fact that the proposals for dealing with the Past have not yet been agreed. Even without a flood of confessions from paramilitaries, this body may yet prove to be the most important in a complicated set -up which includes an Oral history archive. In the Newsletter Sam McBride and his headline writer splutter unnecessarily about Martin McGuinness’s role in making …

#GE16 Guide to Limerick City: Intense battle amongst the Left for the final seat…

Statler and Waldorf on January 26, 2016, 11:11 am | Readers 1274

Limerick City Current TDs Minister Jan O’Sullivan (Labour), Minister Michael Noonan (Fine Gael), Kieran O’Donnell (Fine Gael), Willie O’Dea (Fianna Fáil) Total seats in 2016 General Election: 4 Main Areas: Limerick City West Electoral Area (7 seats) includes Dooradoyle, Ballinacurra, Clarina Limerick City North Electoral Area (6 seats) includes Moyross, Monaleen, Farranshone & The island Limerick City East Electoral Area (8 Seats) includes City Centre, Castleconnell, Castletroy, Monaleen & Annacotty Part of the Cappamore-Kilmallock Electoral Area (3 seat equivalent) includes Doon, …

Let’s raise a glass of beer to our new local microbreweries…

Soapbox on January 26, 2016, 7:30 am | Readers 1438

In 2011 Northern Ireland boasted the grand total of five microbreweries. A mere five years later that number has risen by about 500%. Yes, really. I’ll wait for a moment while that figure slowly seeps into your brain… Ready? We’re up to the mid-twenties in what seems like the blink of an eye. It’s been difficult at times to keep track of who’s opening when, and what they’re producing but isn’t it fantastic? The Northern Ireland beer scene, like the …

Some NI hospital meals cost no more than prison food to make: new thinking needed?

C Johnston on January 26, 2016, 7:00 am | Readers 651

It seems a safe assumption that we’d hope our sick friends and relatives in hospital are given good food and enough of it during their stay. However, some hospital patients in Northern Ireland are given meals costing the same to make as prison food while a new published scoring system for hospital food used in England isn’t in place here. And the fact that the issue of hospital food continues to be raised in Northern Ireland, even after concerns were …

Limerick tops global property price affordability index for the second year in a row

Peter Donaghy (Salmon of Data) on January 25, 2016, 11:37 pm | Readers 691

The latest release of Demographia’s annual survey of house price affordability has created headlines for highlighting how chronically unaffordable property is in Hong Kong. Median property prices in the territory were a staggering 19 times median household incomes in the third quarter of 2015, a new record in the twelve years that the survey has been published. Hong Kong has beaten its own record set in 2014 of properties being valued at 17 times median incomes, which in itself beat …

#GE16 Guide to Mayo: Enjoying the reflected glory of having a Taoiseach..?

Statler and Waldorf on January 25, 2016, 11:44 am | Readers 895

MAYO Current TDs An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD (Fine Gael), Minister of State Michael Ring TD (Fine Gael), Michelle Mulherin TD (Fine Gael), Dara Calleary TD (Fianna Fáil), John O’Mahoney TD (Fine Gael)* *Ballinrobe and its surrounding area in South Mayo, with a population of 10,306, is transferring to the Galway West constituency. Fine Gael’s John O’Mahony has decided to follow these vote into a different constituency. Total seats in 2016 General Election: 4 (Reduced by one) Main Towns: Castlebar – …

Soapbox: Why O’Dowd’s ‘Newly Qualified Teachers Scheme’ is justified…

Soapbox on January 25, 2016, 10:31 am | Readers 2600

John O'Dowd on East Belfast Speaks Out panel

Hugh Brown is Derry based reader, who argues there is huge benefit in John O’Dowd’s plan to take 500 teachers out of the system to make room for 500 new ones. “You’ll always get a job if you’re a teacher!” Was a watchword many years ago. Not now. Back then it ensured a pension. It ensured job security; but society has changed rapidly and it continues apace. For over 20 years students have come through the North’s first class education …

And great was the gnashing of teeth…

Andy Boal on January 25, 2016, 9:12 am | Readers 813

… over the implementation of the 20mph speed limit in areas of Belfast city centre where it’s very difficult to exceed 20mph except late at night. Leaving aside the delay in implementation (not at all exceptional – I’ve seen many examples where legislation has been brought in for a speed limit or other traffic orders like one way systems, but the signs don’t go up for some time), what difference will it make to motorists and pedestrians? For the record, …

FACING THE MUSIC

Dan McGinn on January 24, 2016, 11:31 pm | Readers 1225

The penultimate episode of RTE’s 1916 miniseries ‘Rebellion’ began with surrender. Driven out of the ruins of the GPO, the leaders of the Easter Rising waved a white flag and marched through the streets of Dublin with Charlie Murphy’s Irish Citizens Army volunteer Elizabeth Butler and her comrade Brian Gleeson’s Jimmy Mahon among their ranks. As they laid down their arms, Jimmy got a rifle rammed into his belly and Elizabeth was frogmarched into O’Hanlon’s fish shop by her British …

Is The Local Cynicism of ‘Question Time’ Fair?

Kris Nixon (Belfast Barman) on January 23, 2016, 7:30 pm | Readers 3717

On Thursday night David Dimbleby and the Question Time Carnival rolled into Titanic Belfast… and it seems the natives expected the worst and received it. To begin with, I’m a big fan of Question Time – I think it’s a great format to engage people nationwide in issues that many people are already talking about, and with the political machinery that exists within *most* parties, they give us, the voters, a good indication of party lines without having to go into …

Quiz Time! Who Did They Beat In A General Election?

Kris Nixon (Belfast Barman) on January 23, 2016, 4:33 pm | Readers 582

Who did this person unseat in a UK General Election? Let us know how many you got in the comments below. Also, the adverts underneath the quiz are hosted by the quiz plugin, not Slugger. Kris Nixon (Belfast Barman)Kris tweets ferociously as @belfastbarman and runs an associated site, www.belfastbarman.com where he occasionally opines his views. He lived abroad for a while and as such, feels he will never really ‘get’ this place. Formerly a barman, he regularly broke the cardinal …

“Perhaps it’s best to simply regard Gerry’s book as the political equivalent of an ageing hardman action star taking a role in The Expendables…”

Pete Baker on January 23, 2016, 4:03 pm | Readers 1066

The Guardian’s Marina Hyde on the “exciting publishing news”, the terms may be used advisedly, of the forth-coming publication of Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams’ Little Book of Calm Little Book of Tweets. From the Guardian article Enormous congratulations to Gerry Adams, who is formally elevated to irony’s army council. The Sinn Féin president is the subject of exciting publishing news, with the forthcoming release of a collected volume of tweets and selfies. According to the party bookshop’s blurb, “this …

McGuinness’ Foyle Gamble

Chris Donnelly on January 22, 2016, 10:50 pm | Readers 3281

The McGuinness to Foyle gamble has added much needed spice to the electoral contest within nationalism. As I have noted at length on Slugger before, the nationalist parties in the North have failed to inspire their voters to turn out in recent electoral contests, with the result being a declining overall share of the vote for both nationalist parties, and Irish nationalism as a whole. Part of the reason for that has been the absence of any credible notion that …

Launch of The Art of Listening: What will we hear at the 2016 Four Corners Festival? (28 January-7 February)

Gladys Ganiel on January 22, 2016, 2:58 pm | Readers 274

A sampling of the musicians, poets and artists who will be participating in the fourth annual 4 Corners Festival took part in its launch today in the newly-opened Girdwood Community Hub in North Belfast. Building on this year’s theme of ‘The Art of Listening,’ the organisers encouraged people to begin reflecting on this idea and to approach the festival with ears and hearts open. This year’s programme includes 15 events, ranging from music, discussions, art, poetry, film, and a churches’ …

#GE16 Guide to Dún Laoghaire: Hanafin to play the ‘hare’ for Labour and Fine Gael candidates

Statler and Waldorf on January 22, 2016, 12:39 pm | Readers 956

HARD ROAD: Candidates who get into the frame on the first count generally hang in to take the seats. Fianna Fail’s Mary Hanafin will hope that this rule of thumb holds, but unless her party’s fortunes improve during the course of the campaign she may play the role of hare for the Labour and Fine Gael candidates coursing behind her.

Unionist support for flag protests has dwindled: time for a new strategy?

Soapbox on January 22, 2016, 11:00 am | Readers 4843

Ruth Patterson’s newly appointed campaign manager for the next Assembly election is Jamie Bryson. Here on Slugger he argues that the time is over for protest and that a new strategy must be found to raise concerns of working class loyalists. There has been much discussion and debate in recent days about a planned Union flag protest to be held on St Patrick’s day. The protest is billed as a 12 hour vigil. Protest is a powerful tool to articulate your …

Martin McGuinness switches back to run for the City he’s never left…

Mick Fealty on January 22, 2016, 10:30 am | Readers 2010

RETURN OF THE NATIVE: Mr McGuinness comes back to represent a constituency he never actually left, seeking to pressurise the SDLP machine – who need to defend three seats against both Sinn Fein and People Before Profit candidates – in hopes of weakening its efforts elsewhere.