Chris Donnelly

Perhaps the best indicator that this particular strand of nationalist outreach has begun to pay dividends came earlier this week with the surprising revelation by UDA leader, Jackie McDonald, that he was opposed to Loyal Order parades being forced through nationalist districts. Speaking during the course of an interview conducted for the Belfast Telegraph, McDonald said: “It might be tradition and it might be culture, but why would you?…. It’s to get one up on the other community, or being …

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Writing in the Newsletter today, former First Minister, Ian Paisley, has made a thinly-veiled attack on his former consigliere, the current beleagured First Minister, Peter Robinson. In the aftermath of Robinson’s decision to cut a deal at Hillsborough only days after his Assembly party had revealed its deep divisions in that meeting, the DUP Leader was quick to talk of a ‘clever device’ which would ensure his party got what it wanted. This was followed up by speculation of post-dated …

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DUP MLA Nelson McCausland used the platform of his party’s meeting with the Parades Commission today to contrast the end of apartheid in South Africa with the ‘cultural apartheid’ in Portadown, where the downtrodden Orangemen are apparently being refused a basic human right (This must call from some variation on Godwin’s law to be established with reference to apartheid.) The ludicrousness of the proposition once again beggars belief, but it also provides the opportunity to pose a number of questions …

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Having found itself resembling the deer caught in headlights, some would appear to be suggesting that British government concessions in the form of compensation for savers in the Presbyterian Mutual Society could be the cloud cover necessary to allow the DUP to publicly endorse the very same deal it effectively rejected at Monday’s now legendary party meeting. So the strategy’s clear then: if we can’t march in catholic areas when and where we want, then at least chuck a few …

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David Gordon has a piece on the blame the media campaign being waged currently by the DUP (that’d be the Dodgy Under Pressure party….) You may recall the DUP issuing a scathing attack some months back on that most Irish republican of media outlets – the British Broadcasting Corporation. Yesterday Sammy Wilson launched a blistering attack on Stephen Nolan, accusing the broadcaster of stirring up public anger and of being ‘a disgrace’; this morning, Sammy’s party colleague, Chief Apostle Gregory …

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The Irish News has named what a DUP source has claimed to be the membership of the Dissenting Fourteen DUP MLAs (below the fold) as the DUP’s descent into turmoil continues apace. Henceforward these fourteen shall be known as the ‘Community MLAs’ as, clearly, they collectively personify the true community which has required confidence all along. As Peter Robinson heads into his Trimblesque ‘back me or sack me’ showdown, it is clear the party has backed itself into a corner …

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The Confederation of African Football (CAF), the body regulating football in Africa, has fined the National football authorities in Togo $50,000 and banned the team from the next two African Nations Cup tournaments. The confederation has justified the move on the grounds that the national government of Togo allegedly interfered in footballing matters by ordering the national team home instead of allowing players to continue participating in the tournament after two team officials were killed when the team bus they …

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Don’t you just hate it when the media interpret camera smiles as evidence of significant progress? Once again the night oil looks to be burnt as the late news’ report the latest thoughts and inferences from political observers, inside and out of the talks. As things currently stand- again, with the health warning of being based on TV News speculation- a ‘deal’ would seem to be abroad which will deliver devolution of policing and justice in early May and a …

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It appears that Team Alasdair are a shrewd bunch. This from Eamon Mallie’s twitter service just over an hour ago: “No buns – No Government!”SDLP largesse welcomed by media. Buns and saugage rolls courtesy of Mc Donnell/ Mc Glone services.” Keep the media on side, boys. Looks like Team Maggie slept in on that one! Chris Donnelly

The resurfacing of the parades issue has caught many by surprise, nationalist and unionist. The sense of stability that had slowly crept into our summers has, all of a sudden, given way to a range of attitudes from exasperation to anger as many nationalists in particular ponder a return to the dark Drumcree era. That unionist politicians would seek to use the ‘Derry’ solution as an example of how things should be is unsurprising; there, in an act without reciprocation …

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What odds a deal today? I don’t personally see it happening, and as I argued in a piece last week, if a deal involves unionism succeeding in returning us to the Drumcree era, then we are probably better off without a deal at this stage. Sinn Fein have handled the current talks process pretty faultlessly to date, with the arrival of the two Prime Ministers a signal that the pressure on Peter Robinson to deliver on a date for the …

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As Christmas approaches and the invariably subtle and not so subtle fishing questions are asked from loved ones as to what type of gifts you might like, make sure that David Gordon’s The Fall of the House of Paisley is name dropped so that you don’t miss a great read (or, failing that, just buy the darn thing yourself.)It has been suggested that the political and media class in the north of Ireland have yet to fully adapt to the …

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The DUP’s well documented position of seeking to extract concessions to build ‘community protestant/unionist/loyalist confidence’ ahead of the devolution of policing and justice has failed to endear the party leadership to the broader community at large. The party has sought to bring the explosive issue of parading back centre stage in a calculated move it knows can only escalate tensions in key flashpoint districts (as the sectarian violence witnessed in Portadown last week illustrates, such tensions are rarely far from …

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The ever impressive Gift Grub team over on Today FM’s Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show have produced another classic, this time using the ongoing fallout from the infamous hand of Henry as the backdrop for a sketch. Cast includes FAI Chief John Delaney as ‘Oliver,’ Sepp Blatter as ‘Fagin,’ Thierry Henry as the ‘Artful Dodger’ and a guest appearance from Keano as ‘Bill Sikes.’ Enjoy. Chris Donnelly

After having flirted for a while with the idea of seeking elected office in the north of Ireland, it looks like the Fianna Fail leadership’s hand has finally been forced with the news that Independent MLA, Gerry McHugh, has joined the party. The former Sinn Fein MLA for Fermanagh South Tyrone is interviewed today in the Irish News about his decision to join the party. The fact that a key local figure such as Peter Quinn has also declared firmly …

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Last night’s rioting by loyalists in Portadown lasted for some three hours, though it would appear to have been considerably longer in the planning. Just over a week ago, the Irish News reported that text messages had been circulating urging loyalists to assemble on a given weekend night “to show republicans that we will not tolerate their behaviour or presence in our area”. Bot the SDLP and the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition criticised the fact that the PSNI facilitated the …

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Over on OConall Street, Conall McDevitt notes that the gerrymandering row developing over the decision of the Environment Minister to reject the final recommendations of the Local Government Boundary Commissioner, would appear to have been partially motivated by a desire to mollify the complaints of unionist representatives in Castlereagh, angered at the anticipated loss of the rate income from the Forestside shopping centre. Such political skulduggery is also in evidence at the other end of the new Lisburn/ Castlereagh DUP …

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Irish soccer stories would appear to be like buses at the moment. First, Derry City implode then the Irish Football Association is taken to the cleaners by its former Chief Executive. But undoubtedly the main footballing story this week is the impending contest between the Republic of Ireland and France. The first leg of the play-off is tomorrow night at Croke Park, and anything other than an Irish victory will likely spell the end of the Nation’s hopes of the …

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Environment Minister, Edwin Poots, has claimed in a ‘leaked’ Executive document that plans to complete the reduction in the number of local government councils from 26 to 11 councils in total could be under threat due to a failure to agree the new boundaries. Alliance leader, David Ford, quite rightly notes that this dire warning by the Minister indicates a willingness on behalf of the Minister to ignore the recommendations of the impartial Boundary Commissioner. As I understand it, the …

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Remembrance Sunday has arrived. Across the north, many will be gathering to pay tribute to dead soldiers of the two ‘great’ wars of the 20th century. Most of those gathering will also pay tribute to the dead RUC, UDR and British soldiers who were casualties of the conflict in Ireland from 1969, as well as British soldiers killed in other conflicts, including Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of those assembled will also be paying homage to those loyalist paramilitaries who died …

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