First Ministers on jobs mission for St Paddy’s day…

SO Marty and Robbo are off to America after all, combining the St Paddy’s day festivities with some schmoozing for foreign investment and trying to save jobs under threat. Good luck to ’em. If they’re going to chase the rainbow of FDI, they’ll need it. Now that the FDI boom is over, at least for high-wage jobs, should there be a greater emphasis on helping out the local small and medium-sized businesses that have more commitment to Northern Ireland than …

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“We certainly can’t be the puppet of the two largest parties..”

The recent rushed introduction by Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Shaun Woodward, MP, of a bill dealing with some technical points around any devolved Justice Ministry – “which will be followed through when the parties agree a date” – provided the motivation for the Politics Show‘s Kevin Sharkey’s “parlour game” of ‘guess the candidate’. Of the three identified they could probably have narrowed it further.. Of more interest, though, are the concerns expressed by those in the legal fraternity. …

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Witness knew catholics “by looking at them”

One of the most tedious cliches to emerge from the conflict in the north of Ireland has been the suggestion flippantly made in jokes, books or films about this place that you can tell somebody’s religion by the distance between their eyes. The appearance of Stacey Bridgett before the Robert Hamill Inquiry was noteworthy this week for an unnerving assertion made by Mr Bridgett, who was one of five men initially charged with the murder of the Portadown catholic before …

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About the economy, Minister..

On the Politics Show today, the Economy Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, the DUP’s Arlene Foster, gave a competent performance whilst publicly backing the political chugging of the government administration “of all the talents”, and warned that the Tories would cut donations further. [In response to noises off? – Ed]. Probably. That’s despite acknowledging that we are in a “different economic place” than when “promises were made” and populist policies proclaimed. [What’s that ticking sound? – Ed] Indeed. Pete …

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Home truths for chuggers

Liam Clarke’s piece in the Sunday Times is a not so much a wake-up call but a (metaphorical) bomb under the arse of the Executive, who are still living in chugger land, at least in public. The moment of truth will come around Budget Day April 22. You’re in for water rates like the rest of us, guys, and if you’re lucky, a slow-ish increase in rates. What I wonder are the people’s candidates for cuts? And on what do …

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Well done Noel Doran

In a era of alarming newspaper decline, it’s great to see the transformed Irish News thriving, as noticed by the Independent on Sunday. In the long ago of my youth, the Irish News eerily interspersed parish notes with IRA battalion statements – not out of any particular editorial sympathy but because of a lack of resources to meet the challenge of the Troubles and I suspect, a certain hedging of their bets over where the readership might be going. When …

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Are there votes in calls for freedom?

So was it all talk and no substance? Little more than an awkward clash with the 6 Nations? Probably a bit more than that, judging from the early press coverage. Civil liberties offer a welcome respite form recession. Yesterday’s Convention on Modern Liberty fielded an impressive line up of speakers on 8 centres including Belfast, from the left to the libertarian right, the former senior law lord and the last English DPP. One of the conference weaknesses was the failure …

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Lambegs at Croker…

Apparently Bertie arrived with his old mate Paddy the Plasterer… The Irish Tenors took seven minutes to sing the town I loved so well. And here’s the Lambegs at Croke Park… Maybe that’s what freaked Mr O’Gara? Too good to miss… Your captions please..? 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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“Good old days indeed.”

RTÉ does a good job of collating the speeches at the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis today [Check against delivery – Ed] with Taoiseach Brian Cowen promising a new financial watchdog, warning that in this fight for Ireland’s economic life taxes would rise and services would suffer in the short term, and that recovery will be tough but as a small nation Ireland can adapt radically – “we have submitted our targets and proposals for this to the European Commission. And …

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Name Ireland’s counties

This is doing the rounds. Have a go and give your result (remember cheaters never prosper) You’ve ten minutes to get all 32. I got them with 5.54 remaining Blank