Slugger O'Toole

I read somewhere recently that the shutting of the border during the troubles had the unexpected effect of accelerating accent change between neighbours on either side because of the drop in transborder social intercourse. Tom McGurk looks at the effects of partition in sport: specifically how GAA has come to mean something different for Northern Irish nationalists to their counterparts in the Republic. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

The much vaunted “Make partiton history” rally happened in Dublin yesterday. The event was supposedly the centrepiece of Sinn Fein`s Cead Bliain centenary celebrations. Some interesting comment on Boards.ie regarding the parade in the wake of scathing comments by Labour`s Pat Rabbite, accusing Sinn Fein and this rally in particular, of promoting inter-communal hostility in the North. Republican Sinn Fein were also to hold an alternative rally at the GPO. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and …

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The speculation continues about when statements will start being issued – since most report that the decommissioning process itself is over. Athough in this BBC report, Peter Hain is still using the future tense, UTV report that the decommissioning has been witnessed by “a catholic priest from West Belfast and a high profile methodist minister”.. and that the statements will start tomorrow. There are sceptical voices, Brendan O’Connor in the Sunday Independent – “Trust us, this time it’s gonna be …

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Here’s a place to discuss the match, if you’re so inclined. The old stadium looks fantastic, as ever. If you’re outside Ireland, you can watch the game for $10 on Setanta’s website. Update: A brilliant, compelling final. All credit and congratulations to Tyrone, who truly deserve to take Sam back north. And congrats to Down too, who were the other half of a great Ulster double. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

John Banville takes refuge from the speculation over the Booker Prize and returns to his other job, of critic, to review Easter 1916: The Irish Rebellion by Charles Townshend, in today’s Guardian – read the rest here. The author has devoted his life to the study of Irish history and this huge work is the pinnacle of his labours. He maintains a studied coolness of approach, offers few judgments, and is fair to all sides. While he is unsparing in …

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Whilst there’s a party atmosphere in Republican west Belfast, there is a strong feeling that the ball is now in the court of the Unionists, not least the DUP. The party’s ‘hard man’ Ian Paisley Junior is leading much of the party’s public countermoves at the moment. He characterises the IRA’s move as phoney decommissioning, and prepares his team for the public and private pressure which is likely to follow: From Ian Paisley Junior: Speaking Mr Paisley said, “In the …

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Alex Kane is highly sceptical of the Secretary of State’s claim that violence doesn’t pay. He’s clearly not a fan (nor is he of Tory Lord Ancram). The bottom line, he argues, is that if Hain’s claim is to stand up, then the British government needs to make sure there are sufficient outworkings from a re-established Agreement that settle in Unionists favour. By Alex Kane The first thing to do with any speech by a Secretary of State, and particularly …

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United Irelander is flushed with excitement at the news, but not only is Belfast the venue for the first ever World Toilet Summit.. they’ll be back next year too..[doesn’t anywhere else want this ‘Summit’? – Ed] And they’re going to discuss a proposal called – “The Belfast Protocol”.. *shakes head* the jokes just write themselves. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

UTV Live has flashed up that the two churchmen, one protestant and one catholic are said to be in position to witness the final act of decommission of the modern IRA. It follows choreographed moves in Dublin today when Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams met the Taoiseach for the first time since the Northern Bank robbery, and is followed tomorrow by the largest rally the party has organised in many years. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads …

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Hurricane Rita has been downgraded to force 4. It’s now heading towards the Texas/Lousiana coast, and expected to hit by first thing tomorrow local time. Galveston is right in the path and, despite an up-to-date re-enforced sea wall, is probably even more vulnerable to a major sea swell than New Orleans was. Check out this computer prediction from CNN. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Slow blogging today I’m afraid. I’m off to Belfast in twenty minutes. Good luck to Tyrone and the Down Minors on Sunday. Happily I’ll get to see them on TV this time out rather than listening to crackling LW signals at the top of a nearby hill. I’ll blog as and when I get the opportunity over the weekend. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Sinn Féin published the official text of Gerry Adams’ speech to party members in South Armagh yesterday.. and cautioned to “Check against delivery”. Fortunately the Irish Times’s Gerry Moriarty did just that[subs req], and noted some interesting divergence from the script. From the Irish Times report – Senior republican sources have insisted the historic importance of the July statement has been underestimated and Mr Adams in again departing from his script last night developed this theme. “This is something that …

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The Guardian reports on the latest evolutionary leap in McDonald’s increasingly sophisticated marketing strategy.. exclusively for the Japanese market.. for now.. and they have [some] pictures too[free reg req].. Hmm.. but did the inspiration come from this somewhat scarier source? According to the Guardian report A gender-bending makeover of McDonald’s marketing icon in Japan has been hailed a great success after capturing the public imagination and enticing adults back into its outlets to sample a revamped menu. And how did …

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The DUP is up in arms about a Monaghan judge who refused to recognise the name “Londonderry” given by the defendant as being his address. The Judge said he “didn’t want to see this rubbish coming before him again” as far as he was concerned it was “just Derry with a capital D.” “For a member of the Southern Judiciary to make such an ill-informed and completely inaccurate statement is astounding,” said Foster. “This is indicative of the way in …

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Although the BBC are reporting it as an overtopping of the levees, NOLA.com carries an Associated Press report stating that, as the storm surge from Hurricane Rita approached New Orleans, three significant breaches of the repaired Industrial Canal levee have caused flooding in some downtown areas of the city again – latest details here Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Following on from Peter Hain’s speech about Northern Ireland paying its way and moving resources to the frontline, the British government has announced plans to sell off almost all of its civil service buildings and then lease them back from their new owners. Apparently, the move will save 200 million in refurbishment costs. Stormont has been spared. From Hain’s speech: “Unless we can address these problems we will not be in a position to face that future with the purpose …

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One of the most noticable things about the period of the Loyalist rioting in Belfast has been the relative silence of Unionist politicians. Brian Feeney, though he glosses over important changes in the DUP in recent years, reckons that unionism has for too long been dominated with negative conspiracy theories. I’d add the obvious caveat: “Just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you”! The conspiracy takes various forms. Last week it took the shape of the …

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So, just to confirm what was already understood, the sixth IMC report has been made public [pdf file], dealing specifically with the UVF and LVF activities during this summer which resulted in the government re-specifying the UVF, although it’s worth remembering that it was a decision that Peter Hain took only after the recent rioting, but not on receiving the IMC report.. before the rioting, – and it’s a decision [and report] that doesn’t include the UDA. Slugger O'TooleA general …

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Just watched the Big Heist – a tv documentary on robbery of the Northern Bank in Belfast. In the words of Robert de Niro’s Al Capone, they certainly ‘don’t got the book keeper’, but they ain’t got nothing. It was a classic case of the whole adding up to substantially more than the sum of the parts. As Kevin Toolis repeats ad nauseum there have still been no charges. But someone had form. In May 2004, Macro in Belfast a …

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Now, I’m not a religious man.. at all [whodathunkit? – Ed], but even I think this is a ludicrous idea. The Times covers the 100-minute Bible here, but the Guardian has a rather telling quote from the publisher, Len Budd, a former chairman of the deanery at Canterbury “Is it a dumbing down of the Bible? Yes, but that’s the world today… If this book means more people can answer pub quiz questions on the Bible, so much the better.” …

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