UK
“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 »
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 »
Schumacher Summer School: Rethinking Ireland’s economic future?
This morning I dropped in to see John Woods, who’s organising Schumacher Ireland’s first ever Summer School under the title “From crisis to resilience: rethinking Ireland’s economic future”… It’s the first time such an gathering has taken place in Ireland, though Schumacher College in Devon has been running such courses for the last twenty years… [...] 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 »
City of Culture: badge of authority around which people can gather to work collectively?
I’ve always assumed there was more than a passing similarity between Liverpool and Derry. Neither is quite what they were, both have a long history as a major deep water port, with propensity to look outwards rather than inwards. As I passed through my old haunts in the English city the other day, I came [...] more »
Calls for withdrawal of NIO may be good for coverage, but…
So Martin wants the NIO (and the Secretary of State) to go away? He also wants a transfer of powers. Hmmm… that would include responsibility for British national security [and that nice shiny new building in Holywood - Ed]. It’s got him a decent amount of headlines, but the SoS (or the BSoS according to [...] 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 »
Where are our MLAs?
On a sunny Saturday over 70 young people from across the country came together to discuss transport. Many of these young people had travelled long distances to get there because they felt passionately about this issue in their area. A look at the #transportNI timeline will show the strength of feeling over the issue of [...] 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 »
The Biggest Issues – what happens when talk radio goes awry?
One day I’ll have time to listen to the Afternoon Play Afternoon Drama live on Radio 4 while sitting on a comfy chair with a hot cup of tea in my hand. Until the mortgage is paid off, I have to settle for dipping in and out every week or two. Last Tuesday’s play – [...] more »
The omni shambles and Labour’s difficulty capatilising
The omni shambles which is the current government seems to continue. I mentioned the disaster which was the budget and the spin surrounding it recently. Jeremy Hunt and his special advisor have yet again shone a spotlight on the relationship between Rupert Murdock’s media empire and politicians (though of course the Tories were far from [...] more »
Denis Donaldson inquest adjourned for ninth time…
I had lost count… There was no sudden flurry of activity, unlike that which accompanied last year’s adjournment, but yesterday a Garda Superintendent did seek, and was granted, a further 6 month adjournment of the inquest into the death of former senior Sinn Féin member Denis Donaldson in 2006 – responsibility for which was claimed by the Real IRA. [...] more »
Did Murdoch help lose election for a Tory only government?
Well, maybe not. But Mike Smithson puts together some external reasons that the Murdoch endorsement may have brought more trouble than luck to Cameron’s door: By September/October 2009, the time of the Sun’s endorsement, the blues were in the 40s with a solid 17% lead and looked all set to be returned with a comfortable [...] more »
Referendum and the Euro crisis: “Its unravelling, if it comes to that, will look very different.”
Even though David Begg could not get the numbers in the ICTU to call for a Yes vote for the Fiscal Compact Treaty, he has clearly has some of concerns of his own about where a No vote would take Ireland. RTE reports this afternoon that ”he voiced fears that rejection would mean exclusion from the [...] more »
NI Attorney General: “Citizens are entitled to have confidence in the administration of justice”
Conveniently, neither the Northern Ireland First or deputy First Ministers, nor either of their juniors, were available to the NI Assembly on Monday to answer Jim Allister’s pointed question on their continued confidence, or otherwise, in the “statutorily independent” NI Attorney General, John Larkin. [As open and transparent as possible! - Ed] There’s been no such reticence [...] more »
And the Orwell Prize shortlist is…
Well, Long listed for the Orwell is as far as we got, but if you haven’t already read them here’s the shortlist with two of my own favourites for the blog prize, Rangers Tax Case (who’s exceptional work is now coming to fruition) and the intimiable Alex Massie, a Tory blogger that most Scots Nats respect [...] more »
“At present persons granted an Irish visa are not permitted to use that visa to travel to the UK.”
Not that we didn’t already know that… However, the Northern Ireland Tourism Minister, the DUP’s Arlene Foster, fielded a number of NI Assembly questions back in Feb/March on the issue of the Irish Government’s “Visa Waiver Scheme for nationals of 16 countries who hold a valid visa for entry into the United Kingdom.” Here is [...] more »
Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore calls for delivery on Northern Ireland Bill of Rights
I was pleased to be at the Alliance Party conference dinner in the La Mon hotel last night to hear the guest speech from Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore TD. He used it to make a strong call for Northern Ireland party leaders to get round a negotiating table to deliver the long-awaited Bill of Rights. As [...] more »
“They are conversations – they are not negotiations, they are not mediation…”
With the draconian approach of the elected representatives in Sinn Féin and the DUP abandoned, and long-forgotten, the extant Parades Commission have appointed a trio of intermediaries to have ‘conversations’ with unidentified others in the Ardoyne area of north Belfast. From the BBC report Lord Alderdice is involved in the initiative, along with the Holy Cross priest [...] more »
Orange EU Funding: An Opportunity to Exercise Responsible Society
Following the news that The Loyal Orange Order have received a grant of almost £900,000 from the European Union to help address the legacy of the Troubles and encourage cross-community interaction, people across the island of Ireland can only stand back in expectation of what is to follow. Unsurprisingly, the decision has been met with [...] more »
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Books
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Debating the Churches’ Role in the Peace in Northern Ireland
This morning’s Sunday Sequence featured a substantial debate (about 35 minutes into the recorded programme) on a new book,Religion, Civil Society and Peace in Northern Ireland (Oxford University Press 2011), written by sociologists John Brewer, Gareth Higgins and Francis Teeney. The debate was framed in an opening vignette by presenter William Crawley in uncompromising terms, [...] read our review » -
The peace process not such a good model after all
Which reminds me…. Platform for Change’s driving force Robin Wilson has produced a corrective to the notion that the lessons of the NI conflict are easily exportable. Like myself, Robin is associated with the Constitution Unit. He introduced his new book in a CU blog which I here reproduce. The water crisis in Northern Ireland [...] read our review »
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Review: To Kill a Mockingbird
Somehow I escaped reading this essential school text, with its story of racism in 1930s American South. Living in Northern Ireland, I draw parallels with sectarianism, with its similar bigotry and prejudice. To Kill a Mockingbird was part of a Unite Against Hate campaign event at Parliament Buildings in Northern Ireland, which I’ve written [...] read our review »
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