Slugger O'Toole

Back in October whilst we were putting together our own account of the breakdown of the Stormont crisis, the Irish World’s Belfast correspondent Peter Kelly put together his own view of where we were then and where the process might take us. Since then, most of the negotiation has taken place through bilateral meetings and behind closed doors. Little of substance has emerged since Blair’s speech in Belfast in November. The apparent disinterest amongst Unionists in the re-negotiations implies that …

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Weblogger Paul Dunne breaks free of the constraints of the weblog with an acute analysis of the practical problems facing dissident Republicans. By the end he virtually administers the last rights over not just the Republican movement, but Irish politics as a distinct genre. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

The 12th February has been named as the day for large scale meetings between the two governments and all the NI parties. However David Ford, leader of the Alliance party, warned against the inherent dangers of the favoured bilateral pattern for continued negotiation: “If these meetings are going to be any value, we simply have to get away from hidden side deals being made with individual parties. For that reason, I would call for the Prime Minister and Taoiseach to …

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Regardless of the fate of Ireland’s controversial neutral stance, a substantial number of it’s great and good have come out against a possible war in Iraq. BTW, the BBC are running a radio series called Ireland’s Neutral War, looking at Ireland’s non participation in World War II. It can be found in the Radio archive (just scroll down). Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Newshound carries yesterday’s editorial from the Irish News on the name change controversy. It reflects the feeling of a lot of nationalists, ie that Derry is much less sectarian than it’s counterpart Belfast, and that this move will soon be forgotten. However as we reported on Wednesday, that is not the current feelings amongst Unionists. Some have seen this issue as a forewarning of how their identity might be treated in a future unified state. Indeed the feelings might well …

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First the Unionist’s will not be taking part in any negotiations. Then Sinn Fein are reputed to be waiting for some word from the British Prime Minister. The DUP are calling for a complete re-negotiation of the Agreement. And the SDLP are in trouble with everyone over their plans to further reform the police. If anything changes, we will try to keep you informed. Or better, if you hear before us, drop us a line! Slugger O'TooleA general account used …

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David McKittrick reports on unionist anger at the proposed dropping of Londonderry as the city’s official name. Indeed the issue has encouraged lively debate in this comments box on Slugger. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Eric Waugh focuses his direct criticism on Martin McGuinness. But what’s really interesting in his reading of the Belfast Agreement, is that whilst we may have a unique form of consociational government that theoretically enfranchises all sides of the community, the combative nature of competitive democracy may mean it just cannot work in practice. “One of the signal failures of the Agreement has been its utter inability to inspire its brainchild, the power-sharing Executive, with even the semblance of cohesion. …

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Clearly inspired by Newton Emerson’s controversial attack on the NIWC last week, Emily Jones does a round up piece on women in Northern Ireland (and elsewhere). Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

In argument against a rising trend towards what he terms Mid Altantic Beige, Sean McCann weighs in on behalf odd spelling places all over the world. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Despite a last minute compromise deal put together by the DUP, the City Council backed a joint SDLP/Sinn Fein motion (subscription required) to recommend a name change: “…the SDLP/Sinn Fein motion recognised the right of everyone to use the name of the city ‘with which they feel most comfortable, be it Derry, Londonderry or Doire” However it will eventually lead to an official change from Londonderry to Derry, after due process: “…the process will now be given over to the …

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One of the longest serving, some might say the hardest working, Ministers in Northern Ireland Des Browne, has announced the launch of what prove to be an important consultation process called ‘A Shared Future’. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

With all the obvious tension (amongst politicos at least) around the negotiations, there are signs that the parties are warming up for the election fight ahead. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

With the plethora of rumours of what might and might not be happening, both Ian Paisley and Jeffrey Donaldson are explicitly calling for the exclusion of Sinn Fein from the Executive, regardless of any gesture that the IRA might offer. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Though this headline suggests otherwise, Ian Paisley only momentarily turns his considerable rhetorical firepower onto Loyalist paramilitaries. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

The Anderstown News supports the view expressed yesterday by Mark Devenport that the despite the hype around last week’s Downing Street meeting, there is little sign of progress: “A week is a long time in politics but from all of the straws in the wind it appears that this ‘defining phase’ may well see us no further along than we have been since the British government pulled down the shutters on the Assembly in October.” Slugger O'TooleA general account used …

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This piece by Suzanne Breen appeared a few days ago and initimates that the IRA is preparing to stand down it active service units. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Irish Weblogger Paul Dunne takes issue with veteran journalist Eric Waugh’s assertion that Irish neutrality is no longer in western world that is more interdependent than ever. This has been the subject of some discussion more widely on weblogs (sometimes refered to as the blogosphere). It has been a sore point with one particular American here. According to Con Coughlan one wit recently suggested an unconventional way for Ireland to help in the current world crisis, without having to compromise …

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David McAdam reports in the Belfast Telegraph. Whilst Martin McGuinness presents his party’s list of demands, David Trimble is simply not for turning up at the next set of round table talks. In fact UUP MP David Burnside has argued that the crux should be the exclusion of Sinn Fein from any future Executive. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Gerry Adams’s plea for Unionists to work with his party to find a way out of the current impasse, is likely to fall on deaf ears. DUP MP Iris Robinson even went so far as to suggest that the Belfast Agreement was ensuring that Sinn Fein was the only party that could make political gains under its aegis. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.