Belfast Gonzo

Put your own house in order first…

Belfast Gonzo on June 15, 2005, 8:47 pm

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RUSSIAN premier Vladimir Putin compared the pressure put on the Kremlin over the Chechnya issue to Britain’s role in Northern Ireland on Monday – a handy way to deflect criticism of human rights abuses in the Russian federation, but – given the massive difference in the scale of such abuses – are the situations really comparable?Mosnews reports: It was not clear whether Blair had pressed Putin over human rights or brought up the fraud conviction of former oil tycoon Mikhail …

Take me to your leader… if you can find one

Belfast Gonzo on June 15, 2005, 8:20 pm

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TRYING to drum up much interest in the UUP leadership battle must be tough, but the Tele columnists are giving it a shot – Gail Walker is jaded by the whole thing and draws parallels with the agonising the Tories are going through right now, while Lindy McDowell reckons that the best potential candidate to emerge so far is the leader of another party – Bob McCartney (QC). But is he really another Carson? Oh, and Alan McFarland has set …

Another mythconception…

Belfast Gonzo on June 11, 2005, 2:18 am

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ANOTHER myth exploded? An Orange lodge has produced a banner with William of Orange crossing the Boyne river on a brown horse, whereas it has been traditionally displayed as a white charger. These guys maybe have a greater sense of perspective than some other loyalists… anyone who ever saw a mural of the same scene would swear King Billy crossed the river on a Shetland pony, as he always seems to be about twice the size of the poor animal …

McCabe releases off the table, says widow…

Belfast Gonzo on June 11, 2005, 2:04 am

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AS speculation grows about an imminent IRA statement, the widow of Garda McCabe says the release of his killers will play no part in the forthcoming political negotiations. Meanwhile, Sinn Fein has said the PSNI Chief Constable could play a role in contributing to reconciliation by coming clean about collusion between police and paramilitaries in the past. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Loyalists beat woman with bats…

Belfast Gonzo on June 11, 2005, 1:54 am

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LOYALIST paramilitaries are suspected to have beaten a 56-year-old woman with baseball bats in her Ballymoney house and gave her 24 hours to leave. UPDATE: The couple who live in the house say they are leaving. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Latest from Daily Ireland…

Belfast Gonzo on June 11, 2005, 1:09 am

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PRESS Gazette reported yesterday that a quarter of the Daily Ireland staff have now been, as was expected, made redundant – a real pity for the journalists who threw their hat in with the new paper and are facing an uncertain future. The Gazette also carries this little gem in the Andytown News Group /Irish News grudge match that I missed – well, I suppose imitation is the most sincere form of flattery…The ABC figures are due around the end …

Not just a pretty face…

Belfast Gonzo on June 9, 2005, 8:47 pm

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CONGRATULATIONS to ex-Northern Ireland international and Crystal Palace FC manager Iain Dowie. He may well be the ugliest man in the history of football, but he has a way with words – and his famous ‘bouncebackability’ catchphrase is now an official part of the English language. After a campaign by Sky TV’s Soccer AM show, ‘BBA’ has been included in the latest Collins dictionary! Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Should Patten head south..?

Belfast Gonzo on June 8, 2005, 7:53 pm

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IN the wake of the damning Morris Tribunal report, should some of the Patten proposals on policing now be adopted by the Garda? Susan McKay seems to think so, as the PSNI is now one of the world’s more accountable police forces, and makes a case for a ‘Garda Ombudsman’. After all, certain gardai are only retiring now – long after they should have. Reform has been ignored too long, and if public confidence in the police is important, changes …

Collins rules himself out…

Belfast Gonzo on June 8, 2005, 7:21 pm

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TIM Collins has ruled himself out of standing for the UUP leadership, after Lord Kilclooney suggested he would support an outsider of Collins’ stature on Talkback. A new career in the media beckons the ex-soldier, methinks. Kilclooney has also ruled himself out – but he seems unnerved by the prospect of the UUP being led by someone associated with the failures of the past. And that includes all the current candidates.ADDS: I made a slight correction there after checking something. …

Low interest loans for farmers…

Belfast Gonzo on June 8, 2005, 7:05 pm

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PART of my family farmed in the shadow of Slemish, so I was interested to learn of a new scheme that aims to help farmers rejuvenate their business in areas where agriculture has proved difficult. A welcome initiative, or staving off the inevitable? Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Come prey with the big bigot….

Belfast Gonzo on June 8, 2005, 6:25 pm

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ROLY-POLY paramilitary pastor Clifford Peeples has been in the headlines more than his fair share of times over the past few years. Last night Spotlight revealed how he is now involved in a curious power struggle at a Shankill evangelical church. It’s repeated tonight on BBC2 at 11.20pm.There is much more to be told about Peeples, his relationship with the LVF, Orange Volunteers, and DUP in the run-up to the Good Friday Agreement and referendum, but I’d like to see …

SF members targeted…

Belfast Gonzo on June 7, 2005, 8:04 pm

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A LIST of loyalist targets posted on shop and circulated in Coleraine appears to have included a number of Sinn Fein members, some of whom were petrol bombed last night in what looks like another pathetic attempt to ratchet up sectarian tension ahead of the marching season. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Makeover for Lyric Theatre…

Belfast Gonzo on June 7, 2005, 7:15 pm

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ARTS lovers will be delighted to learn that the Lyric Theatre is to be rebuilt, after the Government announced a £12m investment scheme today. Despite theatre’s sometimes stuffy image, the Lyric has always been a pleasure to visit. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Lord Rooker’s no brainer…

Belfast Gonzo on June 7, 2005, 6:15 pm

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WRITING in the Irish News today, Paul McErlean strongly criticises Lord Rooker for his approval of the Sprucefield development. What, McErlean notes, was the whole point of the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan, years of economic planning and a long fight to protect both existing business and the environment, if an unelected, unaccountable New Labour yes-man can come in and overturn locally-made decisions (though to his credit, at least he made a quick decision)? Nevertheless, I agree with McErlean’s final point: …

Is Rooker still not in the driving seat..?

Belfast Gonzo on June 6, 2005, 10:29 pm

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ASDA – owned by town centre cleanser Wal-Mart – has bought 12 former Safeway stores in Northern Ireland. It promises to use locally-sourced produce – although the terms and conditions were not, of course, mentioned. Regardless, should Asda/Wal-Mart decide to expand into the green belt, it is unlikely to meet any opposition from NIO Minister Lord Rooker – who seems happy to ignore planning refusals recommended by local civil servants.But then Labour is heavily influenced by the vested interests of …

The State they’re in…

Belfast Gonzo on June 6, 2005, 9:57 pm

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WOW! Not only has Sinn Fein’s Michael Ferguson a new-found faith in the courts (though one suspects it’s only to dampen further speculation), but Gerry Adams has appealed to witnesses to a fatal road accident in west Belfast involving a police Land Rover to help Northern Ireland’s Police Ombudsman establish what exactly happened (though one suspects that had the death not involved the PSNI, he might have waited for another opportunity).Baby steps. And this ISN’T another McCartney thread – as …

Catering for all, says Fealty…

Belfast Gonzo on June 2, 2005, 9:40 am

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DID we really miss this one? Page three of yesterday’s Irish News carried a feature on Slugger… So if you want to know some of the background to the site, clickSlugger weblog caters for all says its creator 03/06/2005 By Suzanne McGonagle Thousands of ‘bloggers’ share their thoughts on Northern Ireland politics and culture at the unique Slugger O’Toole website every day. Suzanne McGonagle speaks to its creator and finds out what all the fuss is about OVERFLOWING with comments …

Reply to pete…

Belfast Gonzo on June 2, 2005, 8:59 am

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Aw hell pete, I just decided to go and write a whole load of other stuff about the DUP. Well, you were the only one to reply to the essay(!)Hmmm… I think the DUP have watched SF and adopted similar tactics. Certainly the PUP did. But to little effect, as they have few political resources. Very interesting all the same. But – like SF – there are competing factions in the DUP. And the non-secular wing is probably in the …

DUP charm offensive continues…

Belfast Gonzo on June 2, 2005, 12:44 am

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THE DUP’s outreach initiative continues with an offer to exchange views with all-Ireland Catholic Primate Sean Brady. The party is clearly on a charm offensive – an oxymoron that I feel suits Paisleyites well – but it may be how the party reacts to the usual summer violence that will really shift outside perceptions of hardline unionism before the next (yawn) round of talks.The BBC reported: The East Londonderry MP said he hoped a meeting with Archbishop Brady would bring …

DUP in cross-community power-sharing shocker…

Belfast Gonzo on May 31, 2005, 3:14 am

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IT went largely unnoticed that while the new DUP Lord Mayor of Belfast, Wallace Browne, was indeed elected with cross-community support, it was (I am pretty sure) the first time ever that both a Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor were elected with cross-community support. This was testing new waters for the DUP and SDLP, as they supported each other’s candidate – and there were some rather nervous councillors who voted last week in a way they never had before. …