Chris Donnelly

Orangeman Don McKay has announced his resignation from the Parades Commission. The Portadown Orangeman’s appointment- alongside that of another Orangeman David Burrows– has been the subject of much controversy in recent times, not least because both Orange figures apparently submitted references who have since publicly stated they were not consulted; and if they had been, would have declined to let their names go forward. With a Court case on-going into the validity of their appointments, this news will undoubtedly embarass …

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Jude Collins takes exception to the media reporting and condemnatory statements on the murder of Michael McIlveen, noting how the staple response of ‘one-side-is-as-bad-as-the-other’ runs somewhat contrary to the facts. Chris Donnelly

SDLP MLA John Dallat’s description of the on-going loyalist campaign in Garvagh against catholics; The Daily Ireland has more details of the Ballymena attack and catalogues similar incidents in Ballymena in the past year, which occurred during the height of the marching season. With both nationalist parties identifying the loyalist marching season as the spark for sectarian tensions and attacks across the north, are there unionists/ loyalists who accept this line, or have they a counter-thesis to explain the pattern …

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A 15 year old catholic boy is tonight on a life-support machine after receiving a vicious sectarian beating at the hands of a loyalist mob in Ballymena. The incident follows the stabbing of another catholic youth by loyalists in the town last month (Today FM is reporting the incident in more details.) Update Tragically, young Michael McIlveen has lost his fight for life tonight. Chris Donnelly

Tom McGurk has a piece in the Sunday Business Post today assessing the impact and legacy of the 1981 Hunger Strikes- as does Vincent Browne. McGurk concludes by asserting that, with their deaths, northern nationalists were able to bury ‘their emaciated past,’ defined by submission to the over-powering unionist state. Chris Donnelly

This weekend sees the first throw-in of the 2006 All-Ireland championships, with the Men from the Mournes facing Cavan in Ulster’s curtain-raiser at Casement Park. The run-in to this year’s Championship has been quite difficult for the Ulster heavyweights: Tyrone star Brian McGuigan broke his leg in a club match last weekend, while Ger Cavlan’s participation remains in doubt following the pit bull ‘episode’ at his home last month. Meanwhile, Armagh were less than spectacular in their league outings this …

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Tomorrow marks the 25th anniversary of the death of probably the most internationally recognised Irish republican of the modern era, IRA hunger-striker, Bobby Sands. There are numerous commemorations and events planned across Ireland to mark the event. One such event is a Question and Answers session planned for the Balmoral Hotel, Belfast on Saturday at 1pm. The twin themes for the gathering are ‘The legacy of the 1981 Hunger Strike’ and ‘A Vision of Ireland in 2016.’ The panellists include …

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Lisburn Council hit the headlines for two stories today. The Council’s unionist majority are planning a permanent memorial for the UDR in the town in spite of nationalist opposition (the UDR have, of course, hit the headlines this week for other reasons.) The Council is also due to award the Prison Service the freedom of the city on Saturday- one day after the 25th anniversary of the death of Bobby Sands. With this move, the Prison Service completes the complement …

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One Assembly member has backed Peter Hain’s call for compulsory voting. Samuel Gardiner believes such a move would strengthen what he deems ‘centre ground’ parties and therefore, unsurprisingly, the Ulster Unionist MLA has called on the Secretary of State to pilot compulsory voting here in the next Assembly elections. Chris Donnelly

The ‘Day Without Immigrants’ in the USA has led to large rallies and day-long business closures as many of the estimated 11.5 million illegal immigrants protested at the controversial efforts by some in the US Congress to introduce legislation effectively criminalising the illegal immigrant community. The Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform group opposed the work boycott, which was supported by the larger Mexican/ Latino lobby groups, but it did support the rallies. The protest action was particularly felt by industries …

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Only a matter of weeks into the ‘marching season’ and already there have been a number of serious sectarian incidents linked to loyalists across the north of Ireland- and here in Ballymena and here in Garvagh. The Rev. Brian Kennaway’s book may have been a rude awakening for many unionists, but for nationalists the marching Orders and their ‘season’ will forever remain tainted until they deal comprehensively with the sectarian excesses of those either within their ranks or who accompany …

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Jeffrey Donaldson is not impressed with the Irish government’s plans to offer a ‘centenarian’s bounty’ of £1,700 to anyone in Ireland reaching the age of 100. The DUP MP believes there is a political agenda at work, though his call for Dublin to be “more sensitive about unionist feelings” could be an early contender for MOPE comment of the year- how more sensitive can you get than to offer someone seventeen hundred pounds??? Chris Donnelly

The Irish Football Association has covered itself in glory again. It seems like the King Canute brigade in local football have won the battle to prevent Sunday football– for a while at least- after the Association’s EGM was adjourned until the Autumn on Thursday night. Chief Executive Howard Wells summed it up best when he remarked, “I never am suprised at anything that happens within the IFA…”In a perfect contrast, last night saw the latest in a line of Setanta …

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The Orange Order, fresh from the hammer blow delivered by former leading light Rev. Brian Kennaway, have announced that they recently held meetings with the Irish Government. Further meetings with the SDLP are on the way- though not with Sinn Fein, apparently because of their attitude to violence….. Whilst the Order are selling the talks as part of their strategy to remove the Parades Commission, the Order may be just beginning to realise how far they will have to travel …

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Both Mick and Fair Deal have threads currently running on disputes at local government level between nationalists and unionists. One organisation with the power to punish local councillors for wasting public money is the N Ireland Audit Office, which has been called upon to formally investigate the activities of one of the largest unionist-controlled councils, namely Lisburn Council. The Equality Commission, which can also take cases against government bodies, has already launched an investigation into this Council. Chris Donnelly

An excellent piece from Eric Waugh on the widening rift in Ireland between the grassroots ecumenists and their spiritual leaders- both catholic and protestant. Chris Donnelly

Colin O’Carroll has been reflecting on the differences between the local BBC’s coverage of the Easter Rising commemorations and the Royal birthday. Whilst one is defined by ‘robust and uncompromising debate’, the other, he concludes, is seemingly best approached by asking ‘who makes the dresses and the china.’ Chris Donnelly

Jude Collins has some thoughts on partition, the government-sponsored commemoration of the Easter Rising last week and on the awkward questions posed for many nationalists by Bertie Ahern’s linkage of the Rising with the Battle of the Somme. Chris Donnelly

The Press Complaints Commission has ruled against Lee Reynolds of the Community Convention and Development Company after the unionist spokesman had alleged the Andersonstown News had breached the accuracy requirements of the Commission’s Code. Mr. Reynolds had first stated his intention to take the case on a discussion thread on this website. Chris Donnelly

Mick Hall has been doing some thinking- and writing- about unionist posters to this site who contributed to the thread regarding the death of Sinn Fein’s Siobhan O’Hanlon. He argues that, in their bitter and mean-spirited manner, the contributions provide “yet another example of the lack of constructive leadership within the Unionist community since the DUP became the leading unionist party.” Chris Donnelly