Blank The Politics Show on Queen’s radio had David Gordon, award winning Belfast Telegraph journalist, and me, the poor man’s Fealty, in on Monday to discuss some aspects of the latest Stormont deal. It may have only been student radio with a listener-ship in the 10s but never having done any radio before I was nervous enough to make a complete horlicks of my first response before settling into the format. They’ve also launched a blog where they will host podcasts …
Martina Purdy reviews the declared runners and riders for the European elections in June 2009 and provides some speculation on how Allister’s candidacy may affect the race. The DUP have yet to declare, Allister, de Brún and Nicholson go again, the SDLP have selected Alban Maginness and APNI say they will run if an agreed ‘unity candidate’ is not found. Given we seem to be in electoral mode already I have added some European Parliamentary statistics on our current MEPs …
My mind has already been drawn toward Christmas (or is it Winterval, Pete?) and I like many others will soon be sending cards to those I care about and cards to others for reasons I’m not sure of. Like many people I use the opportunity to support charities by purchasing cards from them or in an increasingly environmentally aware world sending e-cards. This year I intend to support an additional initiative by Amnesty and add a few names of: prisoners …
The Belfast Telegraph is reporting the Czech Constituitional Court has delayed its decision on the legality of the Lisbon Treaty until tomorrow pending arguments from President Václav Havel. The Czech Constitutional Court has delayed its verdict on whether the Lisbon Treaty conforms to the country’s constitution. The court was expected to deliver a ruling today, but will now return to the issue tomorrow pending arguments against the treaty from Czech President Vaclav Havel. The Czech Government supports the document, but …
Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of the European Parliament, arrived yesterday for a two day visit which includes a meeting at the Assembly before heading off to Dublin on Tuesday to address the Dail Sub-Committee on Ireland’s Future in the European Union. As yet his trip is attracting scant interest in the MSM. I was wondering if the visit placed additional pressure on the DUP and SF to get a deal in place in advance but with the overwhelming lack of interest …
Youtube is becoming an increasingly interesting resource and is being used as a form of open video archiving. Tonight on irishrepublican.net I came across two pieces on republican priests. Fr Patrick Ryan Fr Pat Moloney Blank
Spotted on one of my of my favourite websites/blogs on European and left politics, Spectrezine (I just love that name), is a piece from Tony Iltis, originally written for Green Left Weekly, on the ongoing conflict in the Congo and some of the causative factors for the decades long conflict in the region. Blank
A few years ago I received John Lee Anderson’s epic biography Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life in my Christmas stocking and to be honest, regardless of the detail and it’s billing as the seminal work on a figure I’m reasonably interested in, I just never had the time or dedication to finish it. This year I’m setting the bar a little lower and hoping someone dear to me will splash out on Spain Rodriguez’s graphic novel Che: A Graphic Biography. …
I’d like to open up a new area for Slugger blogs, the charitable and voluntary, that we don’t really pay much attention to. So it’s over to you, I’m open to being sent links, appeals etc that highlight those beavering away on endeavours that don’t get the coverage they deserve, projects that need support or requests for volunteers. I’m not interested in putting up appeals for cash but very interested in highlighting work and requests for people to get involved, …
The BBC’s Autumn Watch series is over (does that mean it is winter?) but I’ve received an email telling me local schools where I live, Crumlin or West Belfast sur la Lough,: will take part in various workshops with staff from the “RSPB” and “Ulster Wildlife Trust”, to help inspire them to do their bit to help nature, and will then have the opportunity to plant some trees in the Glen with the “Conservation Volunteers NI”. Good stuff but not …
1. Bangor and Belfast with 7 2. Carrickfergus with 3 3. Newtownards with 2 4. Ballycarry, Omagh, Ballyclare, Holywood, Randalstown, Glengormley, Ahoghill, Comber, Dungannon, Newtownabbey, Newry, Armagh, Donaghadee, Larne, Lisburn, Portadown , Fintona, Portrush, Lurgan, Portstewart and Coleraine all with 1. So what’s the list? It is the number of members the BNP have in those areas according to their full leaked membership doing the rounds (names, addresses, phonenumbers, in some cases jobs etc). I won’t link the actual doc …
After posting Gerard’s review of the éirígí public meeting on the Hunger Strike and his footage, I’m surprised no-one noted the section on Denis Faul which seems to have some controversial comment (I’ve tried my best to transcribe from poor audio but listen yourself): Bernard Fox (3:30) – “he was a political priest” Bernard Fox (3:52) – “In my view and if what I am saying is cruel, I think he was a bigot” “He didn’t like protestants” Speaker from …
Mark Devenport recently reported on plans to introduce ‘catch-the-eye’ style debates at Stormont in attempts to add more spontaneity. This is an issue the European Parliament recently revisited. Though before assuming it would lead to better debate it is worth recalling the words of former European Parliament President Pat Cox on last time round: But clearly spontaneity was subverted and boredom reasserted itself. Cox tells me with a slightly resigned chuckle,“The groups found a way round it. They started putting …
For a while now the ATN has been running a two page Your Texts feature. They can be funny, disturbing, interesting and unintelligible in equal measures. The last online edition has some dealing with issues around protests against the RIR parade. First up a series of very odd messages complaining about the people that turned up to the SF protest wearing their PJ’s: Went to RIR homecoming protest and when we got to the Grosvenor Road a group of girls, …
Steve McQueen’s film Hunger has generated much discussion both here and elsewhere. Last night, off the back of interest from the film, éirígí hosted one of a series of public meetings on the topic in the Conway Mill, Belfast. The speakers were Bernard Fox who spent 32 days on Hunger Strike, Jake Mac Siacais a former cellmate of Bobby Sands and Fergus Ó hÍr a founding member of the National H-Block Armagh Committee and a former Belfast City Councillor. Slugger’s …
The European Commission has launched what it describes as a ‘wide-ranging public consultation’ on Freedom, Justice and Security in Europe. The European Civil Liberties Network believes the consultation paper is ‘designed to solicit public support for specific EU policy initiatives rather than encouraging a meaningful exchange on the substance and content of those policies’ and have launched an alternative consultation document which will be submitted for additional consideration. So who had heard this was in progress? Blank
As noted by Vladimir Lenihan in the comments here today’s TalkBack (approx 15m30s) addressed the issue of why éirígí were included in the 20th IMC report. UUP MLA Basil McCrea defended the IMC monitoring or investigating the group despite the fact they fall outside their remit. In addition éirígí spokesperson Sean MacBradaigh answered questions on who they are and what they are about. Blank
My previous idea to have a group of people from varying perspectives attend as much of the RIR parade and associated protests as possible and then give report back on their perceptions as a starting point for discussions here didn’t really work out. That was mainly due to the last minute nature and associated bad planning. However, it’s an idea I’d be interested in pursuing in the future and I understand Mick will soon be raising something similar. For me …
During his visit to Ireland Czech President Vaclav Klaus had dinner with ‘No’ campaigners and held a joint press conference with Libertas chief Declan Ganley. The Czechs have not ratified the Lisbon Treaty and Klaus previously declared ratification must stop. He will be heading up the next Presidency of the Council of the EU commencing in January. He is quoted as lamenting the loss of freedom and democracy through EU supra nationalism: “Because of our communist past we Czechs are …
As noted by Pete the IMC submitted its 20th report today. Their decision to yet again include a section on éirígí 2.7 In our Twelfth and Thirteenth Reports we referred to éirígí, which we described as a small political grouping based on revolutionary socialist principles7. The grouping remains a political one with a focus on aggressive protest activities. We have no information to suggest that it is involved in paramilitary activity. seems well beyond their remit: (a) monitoring activity by …
