Ambrose Uprichard If we take it as read that the headline is open to debate, RTE reports in NI and UK slammed over probe non-cooperation that an Oireachtas Committee has been very critical of British authorities failure to co-operate with investigations into a series of murders in the Republic during the 1970’s. Would procedings at the European Court of Human Rights embarrass those so critical of the alleged cover-up in Short Strand ? Ambrose Uprichard
According to Breaking News “The IRA tonight washed their hands of the republicans suspected of a Belfast pub brawl murder.” IRA speak out against ‘brutal’ McCartney killing In a statement tonight, the IRA said it was not involved in what it described as a brutal killing. But significantly, they added: “Those who were involved must take responsibility for their own actions which run contrary to republican ideals.†Ambrose Uprichard
The Irish news has lost Jude Collins, an excellent and fair writer and “gained” Jim Gibney. First column today – MOPEry, whingefest and in a piece entirely about the Short Strand not a mention of the McCartney murder, merely praise for the IRA. Same tired old nonsense as usual from Sinn Féin. Not Impressed Noel.”Employment for thousands of protestant men and women. But not for the Catholic men and women, of the Short Strand rearing their families. > > > …
Twenty years ago Steve Bruce, Professor of sociology at Aberdeen University, published “No Pope of Rome”, the first serious social-science study of sectarianism in Scotland. In the Scotsman he looks at how things stand today – Beware the myths that tarnish ‘sectarian’ Scots – and concludes that “the best parallel for the experience of the Irish Catholic community in Scotland was not the enduring conflict of Northern Ireland but the successful integration found in the United States.” Ambrose Uprichard
Despite the organisers designing a multi-coloured Shamrock logo, Belfast Council refuses St Pat’s funding on the grounds that it is not inclusive enough. Multi-coloured shamrock ? Forget the issue of inclusivity, such a cliché, IMO, merits refusal of funding on grounds of taste.Belfast City Council has voted not to grant £30,000 to this year’s St Patrick’s Day parade in the city. Councillors decided on Monday not to overturn an earlier decision to refuse grant aid. Unionist councillors said that while …
It took time and it took a lot of pressure but better late than never : Adams urges people to help PSNI on McCartney case Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has urged anyone who knew about a brutal pub brawl murder in Belfast to pass that information on. The West Belfast MP also launched a scathing attack on those who carried out the stabbing of Robert McCartney and stressed that his party supported the victim’s family in their search for …
The annus horribilus for the Republican Movement continues. The IRA continues to be attacked from within the nationalist community. Henry McDonald reported in The Observer yesterday, Grieving sisters square up to IRA , that “a staunchly republican district of Belfast may be about to turn in Provos who killed a young father“.The Irish News reports in Sister blames IRA for protecting killers :”The victim’s sister Paula accused the organisation of attempting to protect a senior republican allegedly involved in the …
From a slightly unusual source for this site – Russia is fed up with fingers being pointed at it’s behaviour in Chechnya and has retaliated by saying, at a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE, in Vienna that “a fact-finding mission should look into the “disproportionate” use of force by police and soldiers in Northern Ireland” – Protest Over N. Ireland Angers U.K. Ambrose Uprichard
Autism is a subject close to my heart as I have a close relative with Asperger’s Syndrome. Ashleigh Wallace had an article in the Belfast Telegraph, Corrie star Keith’s autism education plea highlighting the need for better educational facilities for autistic children in Northern Ireland.Keith is Patron of SPEAC, Special Provision for Education for Autistic Children – a local charity , and was helping with fund-raising. Publicity and support for SPEAC is always welcome, but it’s worth pointing out the …
Just in case ? Interesting news about the Black Watch from the Courier, Belfast is next for battalion.“ THE NEXT base for Black Watch soldiers and their families will be Belfast. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson confirmed that the battalion will take up residence in Northern Ireland for two years when its current stay at Warminster, Wiltshire, ends. She explained, “When they finish at Warminster they will start a two-year residential posting in Belfast at the end of this year. …
The report in full UTV carries a Press Association report Senior Sinn Fein members ‘sanctioned £26.5m bank raid’“Senior members of Sinn Fein sanctioned the £26.5 million Northern Bank robbery in Belfast, a new report claimed today. By:Press Association They were also part of the IRA leadership which gave the go-ahead for three other raids last year which resulted in the theft of more than £3 million worth of goods, the Independent Monitoring Commission said. Police investigating the December bank heist …
Clarence House has announced Charles and Camilla to marry . It will be interesting to see the reaction at home and abroad. If the heir to the throne is to marry a divorced woman, should the Royal position in respect to the Anglican church be reassessed? And is it not time to reassess the exclusion of Roman Catholics ? Ambrose Uprichard
Breaking News reports that Myers apologises for single mothers column. Will those so quick to accept Mary McAleese’s apology be as forgiving of Myers? Will there be a rash of letters from supporters saying that he too was only speaking the truth ? Was there more behind the criticism than that particular incident? Should the apologies from McAleese, Blair and Myers be the end of these three matters? Are the media – including blog sites – desperate for things to …
Tom McGurk asks difficult questions in an article, Sinn Fein must find a way, in the Sunday Business Post which greatly increased my respect for him. He neatly manages to both tie and distance SF to and from the IRA and has enough nationalist and republican orthodoxy in the article to allow himself to pursue questions that come close to heresy. Similar questions, less well crafted, will doubtless be written elsewhere, but in this case it won’t be as easy …
A rapid and unusually blunt response, No IRA conspiracy theory, from Paul Murphy to a piece by Niall Stanage in yesterday’s Guardian in which the correspondent for the Sunday Business Post wrote that “The British and Irish governments have reason to undermine Sinn Féin”No IRA conspiracy theory Saturday February 5, 2005 The Guardian As someone who has devoted several years to facilitating a political settlement in Northern Ireland, I find Niall Stanage’s argument (Who gains from this breakdown? February 4) …
It’s not ALL bad news. The Irish News (subs needed) gives us a breath of fresh air with this story – Camogie team train at home of Linfield.Full Story: THE unlikely event of a 2010 All-Ireland final being held at Windsor Park was suggested yesterday as it emerged that it has already hosted a camogie training session. For years the home of Linfield football club was seen by many Catholics as an arena of sectarianism, which hosted an infamous derby …
Stephen Dempster claimed an exclusive in the Newsletter where he reveals that Dermott Nesbit, under the Freedom of Information Act, has obtained a copy of a report which concluded that “that employment discrimination between Protestants and Catholics no longer exists.” While the report has an obvious political significance this story surely begs the question as to why such an important finding was kept secret ? Jobs Bias Is In The Past Ambrose Uprichard
The Belfast Telegraph seems to have a scoop – in it’s story SF MLA Ruane fined over road tax they have the missing men in, of all places, Cambodia. Ambrose Uprichard
President de Valera rebukes the IRA THE Irish Republican Army was rebuked by Mr Eamon de Valera, president of the Free State Executive, in an address in Dublin last night. After stating that the government had been very patient during the last three years, he said their hopes that common sense would prevail had apparently been misplaced. The use of violence against the forces of the government and individual citizens had continued. Recently the life of a citizen was taken …
Surpised and disappointed at Mary McAleese. She has undone an awful lot of good work. McAleese: Protestant children taught to hate Catholics President Mary McAleese was at the centre of a sectarian row tonight after claiming Protestant children in the North were taught to hate Catholics in the same way Nazis despised Jews. It provoked outrage among unionists who accused her of vilifying an entire community. President McAleese assessment came during ceremonies to mark the 60th anniversary of the Auschwitz …
