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The Blanket this week pulls off an unusual coup for Northern Ireland: an examination of Republicanism from outside its political camp. Thomas Gore believes the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement offers the Republican movement the opportunity to finally realise it’s long term ambition of uniting the Irish people. …it definitely couldn�t be argued that it had in any way moved society towards the ultimate goal of uniting Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter. In fact, it played no small part in ensuring that …

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Ma Bear blogged Vicky Allen’s interview with Gerry Adams earlier in the week. She gives hime a fairly rough ride. Both blog and interview are worth reading. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

Gerry Adams may be on to something when he suggests what he terms an absolutist position he’s expecting the UUP to sign up to and bring into the negotiating chamber may make that negotiating process more difficult. In a oblique way it chimes with Nelson McCausland’s observations on the nature of negotiations here on Slugger last February: Nationalists have this idea of a green heaven that they are working towards, and we think ahead and set out what we think …

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David Ervine gives a lengthy interview to the Press Association, in which he outlines the feelings of those loyalist paramilitaries who have by and large keep to the ceasefire and remained onside with the Belfast Agreement. He raises a particularly interesting question: The police press office will tell you if there is an incident such as the attacks on District Policing Partnership members in Strabane it is an action by dissident republicans. Why do they not define dissident loyalists? Why …

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Davey Adams was formerly a key member of the ill-fated UDP. For the last few years he has been a perceptive commentator on Northern Ireland politics, with regular contributions for Talk Back and an occasional column for the Irish Times. In his latest contribution, he pinpoints a dependency culture amongst Northern Ireland’s politicians, which he believes is delaying arrival of a resolution of the endgame. By David Adams Will Trimble, Adams, the two governments and their posse of international persuaders …

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Marc Mullholland’s has some interesting thoughts on Nationalism. It springs from, but is not tied to his reading of Foster’s biography of Yeats. In particular he tries to contextualise Yeats’ flirtation with fascism, as a continuation of his belief in the need to retain an intellectual elite within the country, in spite or even because of, the success of the struggle against the British. Shades of Paul Foots thesis in his biography of Shelley. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of …

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It looks like the UUP’s split (or sham fight as a number of Slugger readers have termed it) may be coming to an end. The party’s executive, which included a number of senior members of the rebel camp has united around a single document, which appears to reject some aspects of the joint declaration. Jeffrey Donaldson believes the requirement for ‘acts of completion’ from republicans was “as tough as it gets”. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has …

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Paul Dunne of the Shamrockshire Eagle has been home for a few weeks, but has returned full of indignation at one particular article by Jim Cusack in the Sunday Independent, which berates Sinn Fein for recently celebrating the life of Sean Russell. His case for openly serving the national self interest first, might read well in tandem with Marc Mulholland’s piece on Yeats. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet …

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That’s the headline, but there’s not much truth to it. Even if Carlton and Granada do merge, that leaves two Scottish regions, Channel TV and our very own UTV – whose own report doesn’t add any comment from them, which is disappointing, but “safeguards” will apparently protect the interests of the “smaller operators”. Incidentally, UTV have said they’ll be no more vunerable following a merger than they already are. Frankly, though, reports like this will probably become more common. The …

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Greagoir D laigh has an interesting historical response to A Long Peace?, our pamphlet on the future of Unionism, and finishes with a number of questions about Unionism he has never been able to unravel. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

A member of the Strabane DPP has been attacked for the second time. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

We’ve talked about last week’s All-Ireland Final a lot on Slugger, and I’m mostly reluctant to go over old ground. On the other hand, this piece from the Irish News, where Briedge Gadd says the ideal of an all-Ireland doesn’t stand up when Northerners encroach on southern territory, is pretty provocative.. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and …

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So, according to the IFA, fans are flocking to set up supporters clubs (well, 4 clubs) – to support the team that haven’t scored for 1,152 minutes of football. Some good news for the IFA, then, after last week’s political handbags. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

The next big thing in Northern Ireland’s political life is the completion of the Cory report on Tuesday. He has been leading an investigation into six controversial cases of alleged collusion, including the Finucane and Wright murders, and is expected to recommend how each case should be followed up. However the report won’t be made public until December. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider …

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When we saw George Patten last March at the Orange Order’s headquarters, he told us that his organisation has had to learn some tough lessons over the last six or seven years, and that one of things it was beginning to do was to talk to many people it had never even considered talking to before. Bimpe Fatogun reports on visit of Catholic teenagers to Schomberg House. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the …

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Henry McDonald talks to Mark Langhammer about the possiblity that he may turn from being independent Labour to New Labour. Mark published a paper on protestant working classes and it’s relation to Loyalist paramilitary activity earlier this year. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

Jenny McCartney clearly concurs with her father Bob’s view that the lack of serious organisation of the British parties in Northern Ireland amounts to unequal citizenship for NI. She playfully turns the words last week of Gerry Adams on the nature of Unionism around: Mr Adams’s final reflection was to observe loftily that everyone on the British mainland regarded Unionists, not as British, but as “slightly dysfunctional Irish people”. His tone implied that this was entirely the correct view to …

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This week Alex Kane, an out and out proponent of the Belfast Agreement, this week wholeheartedly agrees with one of his party’s most consistent anti-Agreement rebels, Reverend Martin Smyth that the party is spending too much time on developing rhetoric and not addressing the actual concerns of Unionists on the ground. By Alex. Kane For all of his reputation as an old Orange dinosaur, Martin Smyth has one of the canniest minds in local politics. I was particularly struck by …

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Seamus Heaney casts a critical eye over The Encyclopaedia of Ireland, which he says sets out to “counter the disabling results of Ireland’s separation”, while defining everything from Leprechaun to Lambeg Drum. ‘Overseas’ readers may need a subscription to view this, but UK/Ireland types should be fine. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, …

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Arguably the internal crisis seems to have abated from its high tempratures of the early summer. The UUP have double dose of meetings today. First the party’s 110 strong Executive meets, primarily to vote on what action, if any, to take against the party’s the three, followed by a meeting of the party officers group to make decisions on precisely how to follow that up. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of …

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