Slugger O'Toole Interesting observation from Eric Waugh: “The disabling sickness of Irish politics is that it inhabits a sea largely dead. The political climate on the island is benign enough by international standards. But it is denied the purifying influence of the tides and is shut off by the burden of history from the freshening winds of change which blow outside”. He argues that the Orange Order’s tardiness in meeting the demands for change may lie in its very Irish trait of …
There’s been an ongoing discussion in Irish language circles about whether Irish should become an official EU language. In Africa though the question of what’s official and what’s geniunely local has a long way to go. President Joaquim Chissano broke out of the four official languages of the African Union and chose his native Swahili to deliver his farewell speech as Chair. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Roy Garland returns to a boyhound memory of ranging from Cavehill to the barbed wire at Divis Mountain, and wonders whether we have got too accustomed to what he calls the polution that comes from our historic conflict. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Danny Morrison uses a rhetorical switch in the introduction to this piece to point out the degree to which, in recent months at least the IRA has kept to its ceasefires. He then goes on to outline how he believes the DUP is slowly dropping its cordon sanataire between its representatives and those of the Republican movement. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Whilst the main site is updating (with over 80,000 comments it’s taking longer than MT expected, I’ll be providing a few stories for you here you keep you busy. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
The last year has seen major increases in Slugger’s readership, from 7-800 hundred visitors a day to something approaching 3000. Whilst in the next year we expect to see that growth curve continue, we also need to consider various ways to maintain Slugger as more of a self sustaining online magazine as well as a generally civil space for online dialogue. To that end we are looking to expand the both the blogging team and the number of one off …
Mick will be back to Slugger tomorrow, as he’s travelling back from Nigeria today. But a quick round up of what’s going on in Northern Ireland today includes: Johnny Adair has been refused legal aid for his appeal; an agreement has been reached to continue to pay MLAs; a German automotive electronics specialist has opened a new facility in Limavady; and the Barron report into terrorist bombings is still due to be published today, but no sign of it yet… …
Paul Murphy encourages people to vote on Wednesday. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Alex. Kane’s column this week focusses on the apparent re-unification of the Unionists, and whether this ‘farce’ will end in the party being destroyed by Alex. Kane It was hard not to feel sorry for Mr. Jones, whose tale of woe was recorded in the national press earlier this week. He had tried to dry his bed clothes with a hair-dryer, after stepping out of the shower and getting them wet. Instead, his mattress caught fire, and, having failed to …
The huge cranes that dominate Belfast’s skyline are to stay, preserving the dry dock at Queen’s Island and scheduling the cranes under the Historic Monuments and Archaeological Objects Order. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
The Royal National Institute for the Blind are today launching a project to help those suffering from hearing loss due to bomb explosions, shootings or punishment beatings. The project is being launched at Stormont and is funded by the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (pdf) Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
An attack on Catholic schoolboys this morning outside their school on Crumlin Road is being treated as sectarian. The incident follows more disturbances last night as cars and houses were attacked in the same area. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Greagoir D laigh has an interesting historical response to A Long Peace?, our pamphlet on the future of Unionism, and finishes with a number of questions about Unionism he has never been able to unravel. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
I met with Ian Paisley briefly the other day. His often firey persona has been a dominant theme in Northern Irish politics since as far back as I can remember. He is greyer and thinner than he once was, but his spirit and wit is still impressive for a man knocking close on 80. I asked him what he thought of A Long Peace?, our think piece on the future of Unionism of Northern Ireland. After pinpointing which of the …
Meetings are reported to have taken place between senior Loyalist paramilitaries and members of the UUP. Update: Jeffrey Donaldson expresses his alarm at UVF talks Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Monica McWilliams, former Women’s Coalition MLA, called yesterday for the revival of the devolution process and a commitment from the British government to get the process back up and running. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Burnside, Donaldson and Smyth are threatening to split the Ulster Unionists apart, David Trimble warned in an interview on BBC Ulster yesterday. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
A party-goer gives Belfast the thumbs up as a fun night out with little trouble. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Kelly McBride, sister of Peter McBride who was shot dead by two British soldiers, has decided to stand for parliament in order to promote her family’s campaign to get the two soldiers dismissed. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
A four-member, independent commission is being set up in the hope it will play a role in the return to devolution. Lord Alderdice, Speaker of the suspended Assembly, has been asked to join the commission which is expected to ensure Members operate ‘within the Agreement’. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.