Slugger O'Toole One of the advantages of the net is the ability to drill into off pitch opinions. Something Slugger was reasonably adept at at the beginning. But as we’ve got closer to mainstream sources, we may not have been so good at in recent times. So I’m grateful to the guys at Innate for a heads up to their online magazine. Here’s an extract from this week’s editorial on the pessimist/optimist theory: There are two major options as regards optimism and …
This story from Angelique Christafis must be familiar to anyone who has every lived in an area in Belfast where the local paramilitaries play cat and mouse with the police and/or army. But this particular Loyalist has had enough of it. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
I don’t have a subscription to the Independent, but the initial slug piece from Bruce Anderson’s essay asks an interesting question, which might be worth asking here: if the rioters were Catholic, would the world take more time to understand their motivation? Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
EVERYONE in Northern Ireland has now been blamed for the weekend riots by someone, so why not the Kaiser Chiefs too? Their lyrics certainly suggest they have more of a handle on the situation than those in charge (supposedly). Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
The Levee breaks blog, believes Mitchell Reiss got in one when he suggested that there has been ‘an abdication of responsibilty’. He’s particularly annoyed with the apparent inaction of Unionist politicians as shops and small businesses were destroyed in Newtownabbey, with little serious comment from senior Unionist politicians. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Newton Emerson is unimpressed with the negative light which Unionist politicians have been throwing on the general Unionist future. Thanks to Feismother for the heads up! Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Interesting feature piece from Kevin Smith at Reuters on the latest disturbances from Northern Ireland. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Acmhainn usaideach é seo do mhic leinn ar an saol polaitiocht – téarmaíocht pholaitiúil tri Ghaeilge ar fáil ar suíomh idirlín seo, ar Tuaisceart Eireann agus ar Hobbes agus Locke, agus dothan eile! Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
The UDA has made a short statement calling for the rioting to end. Which appears to leave the UVF out in the cold. Peter Hain is expected to announce their ceasefire officially ended, possibly tomorrow evening. With what consequence it is not clear. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Friday was a big day for Slugger. Our normal daily readership has climbed to an average of just under 4,000. But Newton Emerson’s IT piece set a large section of the blogosphere alight with enthusiastic approval. So much so that we broke our previous daily record readership for our election results coverage (9,000), and pushed into respectable small newspaper figure of 23,000. It has settled back now to about 5/6000. But it amply demonstrates the extraordinary power of the blogosphere! …
Ciaran had a bird’s eye view of the city on Saturday. He saw five separate columns of smoke and has a night view of the city towards the centre. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
The coverage of US special envoy to NI, Mitchell Reiss’s comments on the weekend violence has focused, understandably, on his criticism of unionist political leaders, or rather “the abdication of responsibility by many unionist political leaders”. But his other comments are equally noteworthy – “No political party, and certainly no responsible political leadership, deserves to serve in a government unless it cooperates and supports fully and unconditionally the police, and calls on its supporters to do so. Slugger O'TooleA general …
After refusing to specify the UVF and LVF during the long summer months of continuing assassinations, attacks and general criminality.. our part-share Secretary of State, Peter Hain, has signalled that a quick procedural fix is required. Of course, it could just be a case of being seen to do something.. after the fact, that is.. but let’s not neglect what was arguably one reason for his reluctance to act. As Gonzo noted previously, there is a diabolical scheme plan for …
I KNOW it’s a bit sad to still be posting links about the historic (for once, when applied to Northern Ireland, a description that seems almost inadequate) Northern Ireland victory over England the other day, but this lovingly cheesy home made digital tribute is well worth watching if you’re a fan – and they come from Wales and Poland too these days! The BBC would be crazy not to release a DVD of the game, maybe packaged with a feature …
Via Harry’s Place. Soccer [historic or not]? Cricket? Hurling or even GAA Football?.. No.. This is the sport for all.. the Scotland team retained the trophy this year.. but only because there was no Irish team involved *ahem*.. What do you think, Mick? Could we get a team together for next year’s tournament? – Slugger O’Toole’s Pachyderm Poloists.. as sponsored by Jameson?.. it is for charidee. heh. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
For those of you who missed the Ashes series – my commiserations. It was gripping from the start. Although at the moment is just like watching paint dry: they are off the pitch with bad light. Now we are set for the last hour’s play (or non play), which is destined to end in a draw, and for England to win the series for the first time in just under twenty years. You can catch the report here. Slugger O'TooleA …
THE school bells of east Belfast will be ringing shortly to signal home time, so expect a bunch of kids to be blocking off the Newtownards or Albertbridge road in about an hour. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Alex Benjamin is a communications expert with the UUP. He was working in party offices in East Belfast on Saturday as events kicked off. What he saw of the police action clearly shook him up considerably. He takes up the story below: By Alex Benjamin From the outset it should be pointed out that I have no axe to grind. Im not an Orangeman and not protestant. But the scenes I saw on Saturday as I worked in Michael Copelands …
Just a very brief entry to notify folks that there is a documentary on BBC 1 NI tonight entitled “Behind Orange Lines“. It takes an up close and personal look at Portdown LOL No 1, the lodge responsible for the Drumcree church parade. The documentary follows the lodge members as they go to church every Sunday at Drumcree church and protest to the police every Sunday as well as giving a rare insight inside the lodge. Tonight at 10.45. Available …
Alex Kane in his Newsletter column on Saturday (written before the weekend’s rioting), argues that for the apparent benefits said to flow from a powersharing arrangement it has never actually been tried and tested. So the jury remains out. Paradoxically however, he notes that even if politics (or lack of them) has left space for polarisation of the two main communities to become more intense, it has also led to unprecedented levels of prosperity across the divide. By Alex Kane …