Chris Donnelly

 Many on this side of the Atlantic will have become aware of the growing controversy surrounding the killing of a black teenage boy in Sanford, Florida, on February 26th of this year. Trayvon Martin was a 17-year old black boy who was shot to death by George Zimmerman, a neighbourhood watch volunteer known for being particularly enthusiastic in his role. Zimmerman had contacted the local police prior to the shooting to report a boy engaging in “suspicious behaviour.”   Most startlingly, Zimmerman has yet …

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As one fairly new to the world of Twitter, I owe Mick and a number of others thanks for pointing me in the direction of this fascinating and seemingly effective use of new media by Sinn Fein in Mary Street, Dublin. As Mick put it, Sinn Fein appear to be streets ahead of the Irish pack with their engagement of new media. A sign of things to come in Belfast, Derry and elsewhere? Chris Donnelly

In the great tradition of unionist pyrrhic victories, the RUC Athletic Association has decided against following the policing service in the state and moving towards becoming a body reflective and representative of its new membership and the political future heralded in by the respective political agreements of Good Friday, Hillsborough and the Patten Reforms. The political unionist campaign perfectly illustrates the central flaw in the argument of those who would contend that either unionist political party is capable of remodelling …

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 With loyalists intent on upstaging the St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Armagh this year, I thought it appropriate to highlight some of the contributions on the subject by individuals associated with the controversial parade. Let’s take a look at the parade organiser and some-time contributor to Slugger, Quincey Dougan. In 2010, Quincey penned this article. In it, he claimed that a number of factors led to protestants ‘going off’ St Patrick’s Day celebrations, whilst other senior loyalist figures were also quoted. Grand Orange …

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One of the inconvenient truths of the peace and political processes to date has been the fact that all available statistical evidence continues to confirm that catholics remain considerably more disadvantaged in socio-economic terms than their protestant neighbours in the north of Ireland. The Community Relations Council’s Peace Monitoring Report reaffirms this fact, highlighting that the proportion of people living in low-income households is considerably greater amongst catholics (26%) than protestants (16%.) The report also confirms that “on every indicator …

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Last night was hardly a memorable one for fans of both Irish international teams, with the Republic of Ireland needing a late Simon Cox goal to draw with the Czech Republic, whilst Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland lost 3-0 at home on his debut outing as new manager. But Irish soccer fans will certainly have fond memories of the summer of 1990, when Jackie’s Army surprised many on their way to a quarter final showdown with hosts Italy in the World …

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One issue which illustrates perfectly the inability or unwillingness of unionist politicians to understand their Irish nationalist neighbours is that of the ongoing whingefest surrounding the ability of Irish citizens born in the Six Counties to represent the Republic of Ireland international soccer team. Having stoked the flames of this fire for several years now, the DUP have decided that now is the time to call for inter-governmental talks between the British and Irish governments with the sole objective of …

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Tom Brady and his teammates will be seeking to gain revenge against Eli Manning and the Giants when the two teams meet for Super Bowl XLVI (46) in the impressive  Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis later today. The Giants sensationally denied the Patriots what would have been a famous Super Bowl victory four years ago, ending the Patriots’ pursuit of an undefeated season with a last minute touchdown- though the hero of that occasion, Plaxico Burress, hasn’t really enjoyed his time …

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Over at The Detail, Kathryn Torney has compiled a very interesting report examining the academic performance of schools in the post-primary sector in the north of Ireland. At one level, the results merely confirm what is already known- and expected- due to the continued existence of the selection process which determines entry to the grammar sector. Torney’s report headlines the fact that, using the criterion laid out in England for assessing school performance, a worryingly high number of our schools …

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A day which began with the news that Derry had succeeded with its bid to host  Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2013 has ended with the news that Peter Robinson has joined Martin McGuinness in attending the McKenna Cup Final between Tyrone and Derry, the first time the DUP Leader and First Minister has attended a GAA match. Meanwhile, UUP MLA Basil McCrea appeared at a Sinn Fein-organised discussion on the theme of Uniting Ireland in Derry whilst the republican party received more good news …

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Whilst the unionist unity debate rages on, Mick’s thread linking to an article by Michael Shilliday, a vocal opponent within the UUP to the idea, is interesting for highlighting both the dangers of the aspiration for a unified unionist (or nationalist) voice and the gulf between the infrequently lofty rhetoric of the DUP’s Peter Robinson regarding his party’s vision of a unified community and the words and actions of his own fellow party members (more on that here and here.) The policy of DUP councillors …

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The Scottish Independence debate has clearly unnerved our local unionist political leaders in recent days, leading to at times sensational and contradictory messages from the political elite (past and present.) But Reg Empey’s latest missive, delivered in the House of Lords, warrants special mention. From the BBC Report: The former Ulster Unionist Party leader said Northern Ireland had “spent decades overcoming nationalist terrorism and we gradually after years and years and years managed to settle down our community”. “I don’t wish to exaggerate, …

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The once dynamic duo of Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness appear to have briefly shared the same script through their complimentary calls for local politicians to butt out of the Scottish Independence debate. In his Newsletter column last week, Ian Paisley said  the Scots “probably would greatly appreciate it if we left them alone to make their own decision.” Speaking at Stormont today, McGuinness said: “This is an issue which could be used to create divisions in this house or even …

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The vicious sectarian attack on James Turley in the Village area of Belfast was in the media spotlight throughout the week. However, in today’s Irish News, Newt Emerson raises a number of issues regarding the handling of the incident by the PSNI: Why did the PSNI issue no statement on the attck of James Turley, the film extra left for dead in south Belfast’s Village area? An incident of this seriousness would normally appear on its news feed. Nor do …

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Yesterday we reported how Alasdair McDonnell’s Save Politicians from Poverty Appeal had provoked the Mayor of Lisburn, Brian Heading, to publicly criticise his party leader. That provoked a stinging rebuttal by Alasdair McDonnell. Today, the SDLP Deputy Leader, Dolores Kelly, has publicly criticised Alasdair McDonnell over the issue, stating that she was “astonished” and “deeply unhappy” with her party leader’s comments. I am astonished with Alasdair’s comments given that they are not party policy and as someone who has been honoured …

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SDLP Leader Alasdair McDonnell would appear to believe that demanding a pay rise for politicians to help them avoid ‘poverty’ is a winner. Having made a faltering start to his tenure as SDLP Leader, Alasdair McDonnell must have hoped that his New Year interview with the Irish News would provide him with the chance to make a fresh start as leader, announcing a number of strategic decisions including the decision to rotate the party’s sole Executive Minister over the course of …

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During these recessionary times, it will be a bit of a boon for the Dublin economy that a significant American sporting event will be hosted by the Lansdowne Road based Aviva Stadium next September as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are scheduled to commence their 2012 season with their annual encounter with Navy. My tickets for the Emerald Isle Classic have already been booked and tonight’s Champs Sports Bowl on ESPN involving Notre Dame and Florida State will be the final game of …

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There’s an M O’Neill in charge at Windsor Avenue, but it’s not the M which many Northern Ireland fans would prefer to see at the helm. And yet there should be an abundance of goodwill on offer for the affable former Shamrock Rovers manager, Michael O’Neill, who won 33 caps for Northern Ireland during his playing career and managed to deliver the historic Europa League breakthrough for Irish domestic soccer this season with his Shamrock Rovers club. 2011 was not a productive …

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Question: When is illegal road blocking not an offence? Answer: When the road blockers are of a unionist persuasion, it would appear. The news that 26 individuals have received fines of £400 plus for staging a sit down protest in advance of the loyalist 12th July parade along the Crumlin Road earlier in the year is newsworthy for the fact that it represents a departure from how the PSNI and judiciary have previously- and subsequently- dealt with those who illegally …

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