May 2012

The Brendan Smith case and the church’s strange relations with the power of law

Mick Fealty on May 3, 2012, 8:12 am | Readers 130

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 morning called Seamus recalled one of the most powerful passages of the New Testament: Matthew 18:6. Look it up in whatever version suits your Catholic …

Robocop, Monkeyman & Boris V Streaker Sammy, Mr Leapfrog & Niall, decision time?

Drumlins Rock on May 2, 2012, 8:18 pm | Readers 59

One thing Belfast has not lacked is Mayors with “character”, often it has been too much that has been the problem, the images over the years in peoples mind are usually quite different from the official portraits on the walls, and with the tendancy to use the position as a booster toward a seat in the House on the Hill rather than directing the show in the Dome of Delight, the position maybe isn’t what it used to be. Tomorrow Birmingham, Bristol, …

The citizenship test: Protestants as well as Catholics in favour of fee waiver?

stephen.mcvey on May 2, 2012, 3:31 pm | Readers 1088

In Northern Ireland we have the unique situation where we can claim dual nationality. The bulk of the population is split between those who claim Irish citizenship and those who claim British citizenship. Following the news that sixth form pupils in the UK who hold Irish passports qualify for free university tuition in Scotland, the question arises whether the passport that a person from Northern Ireland holds, is the definitive mark of their nationality. It was originally believed that students …

“Over the next fortnight the black flag of anarchy will fly over Free Derry Corner…”

Pete Baker on May 2, 2012, 12:42 pm | Readers 83

As a Belfast Telegraph report tells us Over the next fortnight the black flag of anarchy will fly over Free Derry Corner… It’s been flying there for some time… Pete Baker

Snap, Craickle and Pop: The Controversy of Popular Gaelicisation

Of This Island on May 2, 2012, 10:11 am | Readers 389

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 the most quintessentially ‘Irish’ institution of them all is under intense academic scrutiny, the much celebrated notion of ‘the craic’ (and that’s before considering the …

Schumacher Summer School: Rethinking Ireland’s economic future?

Mick Fealty on May 1, 2012, 4:57 pm | Readers 81

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… In three short (and somewhat truncated) interviews I asked John firstly what it was all about that what issues he hoped the summer school could …

Smithwick Tribunal: “members of the PIRA are anxious the tribunal complete its work as soon as possible…”

Pete Baker on May 1, 2012, 2:34 pm | Readers 70

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 gleaned by the PSNI within the last year, and aired at the tribunal this morning, “members of the PIRA are anxious the tribunal complete its …

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery? Is the Belfast Telegraph standing on the shoulders of the News Letter?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on May 1, 2012, 1:40 pm | Readers 58

news letter belfast telegraph articles comparison

Two articles in local newspapers this week show a remarkable similarity. On Monday, the News Letter published a story (also in Coleraine Times) following up Ian Paisley Jnr’s statement in Westminster Hall last week about the future of A&E at the Causeway Hospital. A tip off pointed to Tuesday’s Belfast Telegraph website which also carries the story. While a significant portion of both articles rely on statements made by Ian Paisley Jnr MP in the House of Commons – available …

City of Culture: badge of authority around which people can gather to work collectively?

Mick Fealty on May 1, 2012, 1:23 pm | Readers 62

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 across this piece by Phil Redmond on Liverpool, Derry and the evolution of the UK City of Culture: Principally, it is merely the badge of …

Peter takes charge while Martin appeals to the British for help

Bigger Picture on May 1, 2012, 11:14 am | Readers 43

Not much has been made about Robinson’s recent remarks about the Maze conflict centre, the usual dissent from Jim Allister aside. This is suprising when we consider that when the idea for a peace and reconcilliation centre for the Maze was first drawn up it was the DUP who opposed such a move on the grounds of the potential use of the centre as a shrine to the hungerstrikers. While it is not my intention to get into a …

Calls for withdrawal of NIO may be good for coverage, but…

Mick Fealty on May 1, 2012, 10:35 am | Readers 46

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 the SF presser is not going away this side of a more general departure of British sovereignty Brian Feeney’s nickname for that particularly office holder …