Slugger O'Toole

Roy Garland suggests that an end to what he terms the dual strategy once famously capture by Danny Morrison in his phrase “the ballot box and the Armalite”, will bring commensurate challenges to Unionism. “There will be nothing of substance left for anti-agreement people to hide behind having lost the ‘unreconstructed terrorists in government’ argument. Not that complete transformation can hap-pen immediately, as Gerry Adams reminds us, but even he can envisage a future without the IRA.” Slugger O'TooleA general …

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Gerry Adams starts out by laying out the radical nature of the Sinn Fein’s political roots: “Too many of our colleagues and friends have paid too high a price. Too many of our councillors, in both states on this island, and our election workers and our families, have paid the ultimate price for representing us, for anyone here, or for any of the many people who will represent us in the future, to take our elected status or the electorate …

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Actor and social entrepreneur, Gearóid Ó Cairealláin, is insistent that the suspension of Stormont has little practical consequence for most ordinary Nationalists: “This is not 1974. New nationalism is resurgent, it is on the march forward and it is strong. We have our own blueprint to achieve equality and a better life. Perhaps it will include a regional parliament, perhaps it will not. But it will include an independent national democracy.” Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads …

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Veteran analyst Tom McGurk in yesterday’s Sunday Business Post suggests that Republicans: “…should more accurately read into Blair’s seemingly ham-fisted approach his clear recognition that the internal political dynamic for change has come from the republican movement all along. Blair’s Belfast subtext was that once again it is needed to clear the stasis.” He continues: “The historic Irish space between constitutionalism and republicanism was closed when the former colonial power accepted a redefinition of `national self-determination’, which postulated British neutrality …

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Seamus Heaney reiterates the often heard during his visit to South Africa. Indeed the Letter reported on some of the main points de Klerk made in relation to the peace process on his visit to Ireland in August. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Weblogger Paul Dunne has the full script of Gerry Adams’ (known as NI’s shadow secretary of State by some) speech in Monaghan on Sunday. The speech may prove to be as important as the British Prime Minster‘s of a few weeks back. We will revisit it over the next day or two for the important themes arising. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Ronan Fanning comments on the changing of the guard at Stormont. He clearly rated Reid above the Northern leaders: “…the fact that John Reid was neither easy to intimidate nor easy to impress perhaps best explains why he gave such offence. For, whatever divides unionists and nationalists, most of their leaders are united in their ludicrously inflated sense of their own self-importance. The swaggering intellectual conceit of David Trimble, the insufferably smug self-congratulation of Gerry Adams, the booming political evangelism …

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It was found in a van this morning in Belfast City centre. It’s probably too early to apportion responsibility, but this later BBC report says the PSNI think it was planted by the Continuity IRA. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Paul Dunne delivers, or rather rams home, a sermon on the pitfalls of Google research. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

We do our best here at Letter to Slugger O’Toole to bring you bona fide comment and links to reliable on-line resources relating to Northern Ireland. Speed is a strong feature of the medium. Yesterday, for instance, we reported quickly on the change at the top in NI. However in the pursuit of the great themes in the news at times of crisis and excitment, there can be a danger of getting carried away. As in this sniper story in …

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Mitchell McLaughlin told the FT that going ahead with elections in May, full implimentation of the Patten Report, and tackling number of other issues could lead to: “…a clearing of the decks and a reciprocal gesture from the IRA. What we would then see are incremental steps involving the removal of the IRA from the political landscape of Northern Ireland.” Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Chris Thornton reflects on Paul Murphy’s unique cross party appeal: “Paul Murphy enters Northern Ireland in an unusual position for a new Secretary of State: he is intimately familiar with the politics, pitfalls and players that await him. Perhaps that’s because Mr Murphy also left Northern Ireland in an unusual position. When he was promoted out of the NIO in 1999, he left with the near universal respect of the parties.” Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads …

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Is é Státrúnaí Briotanach na Breataine Bige Paul Murphy a thiocfaidh i gcomharbacht ar an Dr John Reid tar éis athshuathadh Rialtais na Breataine Déardaoin. Nios mó anseo. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

David Ford looks at the reasons for the current breakdown: 1. “…the straw that broke the camel’s back was the failure of the republican movement to create sufficient confidence in the process by clearly demonstrating that it had made a firm choice of democracy over violence …the Agreement provides solely for sanctions against Ministers and parties with Ministers. There is no scope for sanctions against loyalists at present, although this might be examined in a review.” 2. “Four years ago …

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And this is ridiculous! Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Paul Murphy told the BBC: “…he had good memories about the people of Northern Ireland and the ‘determination of everybody in Northern Ireland to see the Agreement work It is very important that we secure the achievements of the Agreement for the long-term.’” But every side is likely to have equal and opposite expectations. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Brendan O’Neill on the Republic’s acceptance of the Nice Treaty last Saturday. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Maigheann Pól Ó Muirí gur “‘teach fuar‘ í an teanga d’aontachtaithe an Tuaiscirt” tar eis alt le Roy Garland an tseachtain seo caite. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

There’s an interesting discussion going on at Samizdata here. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

This guy (or girl) got the appointment bang on, even if it was only about an hour beforehand, it was probably just enough time to run round to the bookies and get a quick bet on. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.