Ex-spy handler starts his own blog…

FORMER British spy handler ‘Martin Ingram’ is now publishing his allegations of collusion between Sinn Fein, the IRA and British agencies on his own blog. His conspiracy theory is examined by an Indymedia contributor here, who comes to a rather depressing conclusion.Anyway, welcome to the blogosphere Martin – although I you’re not put off by the fact you’ve already notched up one thinly veiled threat in your ‘Comments’. Some people… Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

They make a noise like feathers..

[IMG]http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c39/petebkr/godot4_sml.jpg[/IMG]So, where were we?.. Oh yes.. the Sinn Féin MP Martin McGuinness says the proposals for a shadow Assembly are “completely unacceptable to Sinn Féin” and, according to RTÉ, that, if there is no progress by April, the Assembly should be abolished. Meanwhile the DUP’s MEP Jim Allister says, “In the Belfast Agreement form it [devolution] is patently unacceptable, inherently unstable and destructive of unionist interests… if there is to be devolution, then, it must be on a fresh and …

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On Queens Radio…

Interesting range of output from Queens Uni Radio. There’s a discussion on education at the moment. I’ll be talking about the Dublin riots in about ten minutes. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

the communal act of public presentation and laughter

Ahead of the Beckett Centenary Festival, beginning at the Barbican Centre London on the 21st March – including screenings of the excellent short film series of Sam Beckett’s plays, commissioned by RTÉ / Channel 4 / Irish Film Board a couple of years ago, more info and details on the Channel 4 website here – Dublin-born playwright, and director of one of those short films, Endgame, Conor McPherson explains why he continues to be inspired by the “Irish pagan who …

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Remarkable degree of post riot consensus?

The question of Saturday’s riots took up a large chunk of Monday night’s Question and Answers on RTE. Definately worth watching again (video file) – if only for the tone of the contributions from the Unionist participants in the debate. Not least Jeffrey Donaldson, who signs off with a caution to people not to get too hung on simple stories from the past. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet …

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Nominations for the Policing Board.. deadline 1 April..

The BBC are reporting that, despite the previous somewhat feverish speculation by, among others, their own Mark Devenport, not to mention a silver-lining sighted by the Daily Ireland, as noted previously by Mick, the Secretary of State for Wales and Northern Ireland Peter Hain, has asked the four main parties for nominations to the Policing Board, 4 from the DUP, 2 each from the UUP and the SDLP.. and 2 from SF. The reality is, though, that SF are extremely …

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Get in there and work for the Union!

Alex Kane is none too convinced by what he terms Gerry Adams’ forsaking of tree hugging for Unionist hugging. But he saves his real criticism for the DUP, who he argues should be inside the negotiations pitching for Unionism in general rather than working the “prima donna of piety and isolate yourself on a holier-than-thou high ground” gambit of refusing to talk to Sinn Fein. By Alex Kane: Judging by some of his comments at last Saturday’s Ard Fheis (“our …

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Sectarianism won the streets of Dublin

Susan McKay explores some interesting parallels between some of the chants and verbal abuse hurled by Republican protesters and those hurled at the PSNI by loyalists in Northern Ireland – and wonders whether either is really interested in the reality of a pluralist future. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and …

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Flann O’Brien in Lost?

Flann O’Brien has been a firm favorite in Ireland for the many years since the eloquent man from Strabane (aka Briain Ó Nuallain, aka Myles na gCopaleen) died back in 1966. Now he’s been a big hit in the US since after a scriptwriter on the US TV series Lost, hinted that one its characters was reading O’Brien’s The Third Policeman had been chosen “very specifically for a reason”. The book is full of weird metaphysics, which more than once …

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Job cuts at the Belfast Telegraph

Perhaps it is a sign of some very austere times for the print media in general, but yesterday was certainly a sad day for many at the Belfast Telegraph, as the first wave of journalists and staff left under the latest cost-cutting measures implemented by Independent News and Media. Slugger bids a fond farewell to those in the editorial staff (young and old) and elsewhere who have taken the company up on the voluntary severance plan – many, we understand, …

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The DUP, Disadvantage Funding And The Union: A Poser

There have been many questions posed of nationalists in the aftermath of Saturday’s riot in Dublin, quite rightly focusing on the message such a violent protest to a unionist rally in the nation’s capital sends out to Unionists of all hues, and how counter-productive that demonstration was to the objectives of Irish republicans. This story in today’s Newsletter perhaps will provide food for thought for many unionists. Demanding government investment in disadvantaged areas, not on the basis of poverty, but …

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