Conall The first Assembly lasted just over 800 days before it was brought down. This Assembly has just passed that milestone and has clocked up nearly 20,000 hours of devolved government. Now that our MLAs are coming back from a long summer break, I thought it might be a good idea to look at the comparative records of both administrations. These are not definitive guides to productivity but do point to the level of activity under each. Legislation According to the …
The SDLP Leader Mark Durkan has called on all parties to come together to discuss Irish unity. This is something I understand the SDLP Leader has been thinking about for some time. Today’s call is the first serious attempt by any political party on this island to elevate the issue beyond partisan politics. As UTV reports, the Foyle MP said talk around unity must move beyond occasional rhetoric with no real meaning. “It is important to create a 21st century …
An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen said the next 100 days are crucial during an interview on the Late Late Show last night. Youtube video in two parts. Conallwww.oconallstreet.com
I’m never one for a conspiracy but did notice how many right wing and pro-union blogs whizzed into Iain Dale’s top 20 NI blog list this year. I was even more surprised when I found that the majority of them have not been updated for over two weeks and several have been dormant since July. I undertand Iain’s desperate desire to promote the unionist and conservative cause but surely he could find some living right wingers to promote! Conallwww.oconallstreet.com
Fianna Fail strategists may well be regretting their decision to reject any talk about a national government earlier this year, following publication of today’s Irish Times poll. The Soldiers of Destiny are now in a perfect storm. There is unpopular legislation to be passed and a savage budget to come. All of which increases the possibility of back bench rebellion, Green Party mutiny and a snap election before Christmas. As if that was not enough the national mood is now …
A good friend of mine and I were ruminating over the changes that have taken place in Northern Ireland over the past decade when our conversation turned to the always thorny question of language and more specifically what this place is or is not called. You will all remember the Conor Murphy ‘here’ and ‘there’ debate last year and Nigel Dodds insistence that the North does not exist! Paul McErlean, the friend in question, is an Ulsterman man. An accomplished …
It’s back to school day for kids all over NI. Our MLAs don’t return until next week and when they do, they will have to face the sad reality that they have left tens of thousands of children in educational limbo. Selection has been effectively privatised and many fear chaos this winter and the true implications of a deregulated system hits home to parents. Teachers are annoyed and the education minister, Caitriona Ruane, is sticking to her ideological guns, apparently …
After 54 years in opposition, Japan’s Democratic Party has won a landslide victory in the country’s general election. The centre left party’s victory has been welcomed by the markets as well as less privileged citizens. It’s the latest win for progressive politics in a major industrial country and follows Barack Obama’s election in the US and Kevin Rudd’s in Australia. Many will see it as further evidence that voters do look to the progressive parties with strong economic policies at …
The National Archives in Dublin has just put the 1911 census of Ireland online. As far as I know this is the last all island census and you can search all 32 counties for your ancestors. I have just checked out the McDevitts at 455 Falls Road. The original household return is there with details of literacy, occupation and language(s) spoken. Conallwww.oconallstreet.com
They are laying Ted Kennedy to rest today. For those of us in search of reflection from this great distance here is Rev. Gerry Creedon’s opening prayer at the memorial service last night. Embedded video from CNN Video Conallwww.oconallstreet.com
Here’s one to ponder this bank holiday weekend. Is Unionism now more nationalist then Irish Nationalism? Here are a couple of areas in which I think this is arguably so. 1- Attitude to currency. All nationalist parties support the Euro even though it led to the loss of an Irish national currency 2- Attitude to Europe. All nationalist parties support Europe even though it has impacted on Irish economic and political sovereignty What do you think? Conallwww.oconallstreet.com
Sen (Edward) Ted Kennedy is dead. He was a friend of Ireland and a foe of gunmen. A hero of the less privileged and a champion of peace. The last tower of Camelot is gone but the change he campaigned for all his life in Ireland and in America is happening today in many way because of him. The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die . Adds: Nice tribute by …
Well before the troubles erupted progressive writers like John Hewitt were arguing that people had the capacity to owe allegiance to a smaller unit then the nation without prejudicing their national identity. A great advocate of Northern Regionalism, in 1964 he wrote a letter to his friend John Montague: I always maintained that our loyalties had an order to Ulster, to Ireland, to the British Archipelago, to Europe; and that anyone who skipped a step or missed a link falsified …
This straight out of the UUP Press Office: Sir Reg Empey MLA Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party has responded to an ‘extraordinary’ letter in Irish Times today by a senior member of staff for the Alliance Party. Sir Reg said: “There is an extraordinary letter in today’s Irish Times, written by Stephen Douglas, a very senior member of their staff. (The text of the letter is at the end of this release) ” Mr. Douglas, who describes himself as …
Fianna Fail could loose half its TDs at the next election of the vote falls below that it secured in June. So claimed Stephen Collins in yesterday’s Irish Times. Over on O’Conall St I have been speculating about when an election might be called. ADDS: The Sunday Tribune reports today that former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has indicated he will stand if a snap election is called before the end of the year. Conallwww.oconallstreet.com
I have blogged on O’Conall St this morning about the value of a vote in Northern Ireland. The number of seats each party has around the Executive table reflects their mandate. It’s a simple contract. The more of us that vote for a given party, the more seats it will have in the Assembly and the more places around the decision making table. The same applies to the distribution of more committee chair and vice chairs. It’s what make our …
Dubliner’s are amongst the highest paid workers in the world according to a survey by Swiss Bank UBS. The Consumers’ Association of Ireland earlier this month published some pretty damming research about the difference in the cost of services between North and South. They claim many services carried out in Northern Ireland are on average between 25% and 45% cheaper than the same services in the Republic. It found the cost of a car service in Belfast was on average …
I blogged recently on O’Conall St about the lessons from NAMA and An Bord Snip for North – South Cooperation. My basic argument was that over the past fives year public discourse about North – South issues has become a little stale. This was a necessary part of building DUP confidence in all island cooperation and reinforcing the message that working together does not in any way dilute unionism. But now that we have stable institutions in NI and the …
Here’s the parliamentary dole queue for the North. Gerry Adams’ West Belfast tops the poll. Lady Sylvia and Iris Robinson represent the most ‘at work’ constituencies. Conallwww.oconallstreet.com
I have blogged often about education on O’Conall Street. Much of it is borne out of parental anxiety about the chaos which will unfold when the implications of Education Minister, Caitriona Ruane’s, decision to deregulate our education system become evident. Like talk about flags, this is an issue which seems to raise temperatures immediately and polarise opinion. Last year I set up a facebook group calling for Minister Ruane to resign and hand the job to someone capable of finding …
