Ireland
#EUREF: “Voting No would rapidly expose how unimportant we now are”
Vincent Browne notes in the Sunday Business Post (£) today that neither the yes nor the no camps have done their cases credit thus far. In the case of the government he rightly notes “claims that this treaty is about investment, jobs, growth and the stability of the euro are wild exaggerations in part and [...] more »
#EUREF: Heart saying ‘no’; but will the head say otherwise?
Right, you cannot put much store by one trip out with a couple of canvassing groups, in two very different parts of north side Dublin; Ballymun with Sinn Fein and Sutton Park (on the Dart line to Howth) with Fianna Fail… Harry McGee makes a very interesting observation: Party leader Micheál Martin has joined Senator [...] more »
Martin asks who on the No side will fill Ireland’s €18 billion shortfall?
A broadside from Micheal Martin the Irish Times today… He warns the Yes campaign not to get bogged down in a rebuttal game, but instead make its own case for a yes vote: namely that “for Ireland to recover we need Europe’s support”… And he explains why he thinks that: Any alternative funding would lead [...] more »
Ireland’s impending experience of its own ‘Total Perspective Vortex’?
It’s probably true that there is no such thing as a hard way and an easy way out of Ireland’s dilemma, but there’s no shortage of denial to go around… Expect there to be some good for the No camp in the Red C poll coming up this weekend… But in his business column in [...] more »
Enda won’t debate Gerry who in turn won’t debate Micheal on the Treaty…
Hmmm…. The Taoiseach won’t debate in anything hosted by Vincent Browne… And while Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty was slapping it into the Taoiseach, it seems Gerry Adams won’t go head to head with Micheal Martin… Mr Martin said: “It is quite clear that Gerry Adams is not serious about debating the real issues in [...] more »
“UK courts cannot force the handing over of journalistic material to foreign organizations…”
Just a quick note of the BBC reporting that Garda have failed in their attempt to force the BBC and UTV to hand over unbroadcast video footage of rioting in Dublin during Queen Elizabeth II’s visit last year. From the BBC report The request which was made through the Home Office failed after Senior Belfast Judge Tom [...] more »
Austerity is a dish Ireland will almost certainly have to eat, hot or cold…
Markets are itching again… The Greek indecision over forming the next government is such that the Euro has slid to just under $1.30, and yields on Spanish debt are rising to $6.06… [Ms Lagarde, got yer umbrella handy? - Ed] Scary stuff… What’s even more scary is that those economists who cast a darkening glance [...] more »
If politicians in the south are feeling strong enough to ‘come out’, why not the north?
Whatever you think of Dominic Hannigan’s politics, the Labour TD took several goes at trying to represent the good people of Meath East… John Lyons came through at the first time of asking in the more working class constituency of Dublin North–West. They did so with the voters in full knowledge that they were gay. [...] more »
Perhaps politicians should check their own houses are in order before attacking the church?
On Saturday, I remember reading Noel Whelan’s sage, but ultimately hopeless, advice to politicians to steer clear of beating up on Cardinal Sean Brady, and shaking my head thinking, why would he think they could ever resist the temptation to get in on the act? As a former FF politico he knows the creature better [...] more »
A drafting error in the Fiscal Compact?
Eagle-eyed, Cormac Lucey: Article 4 states that countries with government debt levels above 60% of GDP must reduce that “at an average rate of one twentieth per year”. But those who signed the Treaty appear to have intended that countries with government debt levels above 60% of GDP must reduce that at an average rate [...] more »
“RAAD was founded in 2008 by members and recent ex-members of the Provisional IRA in Derry…”
With Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD) claiming responsibility for recent shootings and threats in anarchic Londonderry, in the Belfast Telegraph Eamonn McCann provides some clarity on the vigilante group’s background. News reports which have lumped RAAD in with the Real IRA or Continuity IRA are wide of the mark and a source of confusion. RAAD was [...] more »
de Juana Chaos loses extradition appeal [in absentia]
Despite their client jumping bail in March 2010, and disappearing into the ether, lawyers acting on behalf of the convicted ETA killer, Jose Ignacio de Juana Chaos, continued “with instructions” in the appeal against his extradition to Spain to face a charge of glorifying terrorism. Two years later, and Belfast High Court has dismissed that appeal. [Where are [...] more »
“Given these circumstances we believe the soldiers used reasonable force.”
After 8 weeks of evidence, and 3 days of deliberation, a Belfast jury has delivered their verdict in the inquest into the deaths of Provisional IRA members Dessie Grew and Martin McCaughey in County Armagh in 1990. The Detail’s Barry McCaffrey recounts some of the legal arguments from the inquest before reporting the verdict. Shortly [...] more »
The Brendan Smith case and the church’s strange relations with the power of law
Just caught up with the latest on the Cardinal Brady story. Whatever way you cut it, it remains deeply disturbing. All the more so for Catholics because of the explicit connection between their faith and the authority of the church. But, I suspect, given the grim detail, only just. One passionate caller to Nolan yesterday [...] more »
Snap, Craickle and Pop: The Controversy of Popular Gaelicisation
Ever since Ireland was told that the black stuff might not be Irish, but rather a porter stout from Covent Garden, the country has descended into a frantic state of uncertain soul-searching and impassioned reflection to clarify once and for all what is actually ‘Irish’ (potatoes, Gaelic Storm, and Saint Patrick aside). But now [...] more »
Smithwick Tribunal: “members of the PIRA are anxious the tribunal complete its work as soon as possible…”
Here’s a snippet of interest from the Irish Times’ report on the latest evidence to the Smithwick Tribunal. From the Irish Times report The Smithwick Tribunal is becoming a “significant issue” among republicans who are concerned it is uncovering information on past murders, the tribunal has been told. According to a précis of intelligence information [...] more »
“since last February, we have facilitated the forced departure of 57 young people…”
To be filed alongside the report of the 18-year-old shot in both legs in the Creggan estate in Londonderry. While his mother waited at the top of the lane… According to the Irish Times headline – “Five forced to flee Derry city after death threats“. Except… From the report A DERRY community worker who helps [...] more »
Farewell to Education for Reconciliation
Earlier this month I attended the final teachers conference in Derry of the Education for Reconciliation project, to join them in celebrating what I believe to be one of the most important cross-border education projects of the post Belfast Agreement period. 13 years ago a visionary Dublin educationalist, Aidan Clifford, director of the Curriculum Development Unit [...] more »
Yes, Ireland can apply to the IMF for money, but…
If you want proof that SF dropped the ball on the anti case last week by putting partial quotes from Karl Whelan and two other eminent economists, it’s the fact that they have lent their own authority to an economist who is way off base from their own anti Fiscal Compact position. On Morning Ireland [...] more »
The End of the Northern Ireland Model of Peace Processing?
Even with the recent apparent spike in terrorist activity, including a large car bomb abandoned near Newry, and public paramilitary displays, it’s probably premature to talk of “the IRA’s resurgence”. But that’s the reference used in this article by Michael Rubin Perhaps the most important fact I learned was that British security officials believe that their pact with [...] more »
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Round up of Tuesday’s Political Studies Association conference
If you want to get a flavour of the proceedings at the Political Studies Association conference on its opening day, then the Storify collation below will bring you some of the images, tweets and sounds of the day. Particular highlights included: the Opening Plenary with David Blunkett, Peter Riddell and Matthew Flinders; and the late [...] read our review »
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“Unionism Decayed 1997-2007″ by David Vance: book review
I initially wrote this when the book was first published three years ago; whilst certain elements of it now sound dated, its basic premise that the period of 1997-2007 was a period of irreversible decay for Northern Irish Unionism can still be argued as a valid opinion. My own feeling is that it did indeed [...] read our review » -
Eamon Nancarrow’s misadventures in Rock…
It’s the quiet ones you have to watch, they say. When I last saw Eamonn Namcarrow, back in the mid 1980s he was a congenial, good-natured and highly sociable young lad. The next time was 26 years later, in Lavery’s Gin Palace in Bradbury Place. He’d just brought out his first book, Holywood Star about [...] read our review »
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