Nigel Dodds has given a thumbs up to a call from the IoD in Northern Ireland to slim down government. 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
Co-author of A Long Peace, Trevor Ringland, spoke to a meeting of SDLP councillors yesterday, suggesting that unionists want to work with nationalists but need the republican movement to move on decommissioning to allow them to put the peace process back on track. Noel MacAdam, highlighted the report’s call for unionists to dialogue more widely. 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 …
If anyone doubted the effectiveness of cross community dialogue, nothing can demonstrate it as clearly as the this summer, or marching season as it’s known. The Belfast Telegraph’s Saturday editorial extolled the virtues of local workers, in drastically reducing down the number and scale of problems traditionally associated with this time in Northern Ireland. 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 …
Patrick Murphy uses the representation of three Ulster teams in the All Ireland Gaelic football semi finals to argue that, in cultural terms at least, Northern Ireland’s nationalism has bigger impacts in the rest of the island than unionism has managed in terms of the rest of the UK. For the Good Friday Agreement to work, unionism requires strong politicians, a consistent political ideology and a coherent cultural identity. Clearly there is little argument to be had with his first …
Slugger has been added to the blog roll of Daily Moiders, the blog site of Northern Irish historian and fellow of St Catherine’s, Oxford, Marc Mulholland. The latest of Marc’s pieces document his movement away from the Militant Tendancy group. Intense, but may have interesting parallels with the experiences of the Republican movement as it prepares to leave its fundamentalist past behind. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on …
Mark Devenport reports that there a remarkable political consensus against the integration of prisoners in Maghaberry prison, with even the normally combative Sammy Wilson agree with Sinn Fein pleas for separation. 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
David Trimble continues his tour of Unionist Associations with a defence of the international monitoring commission, suggesting that it should have ability to ensure there was no effective links between any political party and a paramilitary grouping. 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
There are a number of interesting pieces on the changes in Ireland. There is perhaps a glimpse of a new politics in this piece by Bran at Blog Irish, and this piece from last week’s Sunday Indpendent traces what could be a terminal decline in one on the post partition parties. This discussion on the changing nature of Ireland’s social capital, kicked off by Chris at Crooked Timber, is also well worth looking into. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of …
Eamon McCann pulls no punches when looking at several shootings in Republican areas, and argues that the killing of Danny McGurk was consistent with what has been acceptable within the Republican tradition, even if it wasn’t enacted by the IRA. 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
It looks like the remains found yesterday is indeed that of Jean McConville. The story is carried widely in The Guardian, Independent, and the Irish Examiner, which recalls what it calls a sad episode in Irish history. 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 Irish News in its editorial is worried that the internal wrangling within the UUP is simply adding to the discredit of the political, never mind the peace process. 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
A fairly comprehensive analysis of why the summer in Northern Ireland was so quiet this year from Anne Cadwallader in the Christian Science Monitor. She believes it’s down to a number of factors including the actions of the Assets Recovery Agency, an independent body with legal powers to seize unexplained cash from paramilitaries. She has included some impressive figures: Overall, Northern Ireland’s police figures record 109 shootings for June, July, and August of last year. So far this summer, the …
Mostly unnoted by this site, the PSNI have slowly been reeling large and small fish amongst the UDA, on charges that run from murder, to extortion and drugs. Brian Feeney welcomes the move, but argues that it was long overdue. It is to this he attributes the quietest marching season in over ten years. 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 …
With rising numbers of loyalists being arrested, the emotional temperature in Maghaberry prison, where loyalist and dissident republicans are kept together, is clearly rising. Two republican prisons were attacked and beaten yesterday. 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
Sean Farren makes his latest response to Nigel Dodds. He charges Dodds with not being clear about his objection the main principles of the Belfast Agreement. He then goes on to argue that a review of procedures does not amount to a re-negotiation of the original Agreement. Sean Farren replies to Nigel Dodds Nigel Dodds� most recent reply is welcome, at least as a sign that he is prepared to continue debating. However, it would be a more meaningful and …
David Burnside is making increasingly confident noises about the outcome next month’s UUC meeting. By the sounds of things David Trimble’s first few revival meetings have not yet been moving any mountains. 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
Following a claim that an inmate, from a group of seven attackers, produced a gun during an assault on two dissident republicans, the prison has been closed to visitors whilst a full search is carried out. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Tom Kelly lambasts Jeffrey Donaldson for remaining too tightly jammed inside the economic think box. He argues that if devolution means restricting trade and working agreement to a purely local interest group agenda, then Northern Ireland might better prosper if run by anyone else but local politicians. 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, …
One of the ‘Disappeared’ – people murdered by the IRA and buried, during the 1970s – may have been found. Some possible human remains have been uncovered close to where the IRA claim they buried Jean McConville. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.
Dennis Bradley, nationalist vice chairman of the Policing Board, has added his voice to those calling for early elections, arguing that the longer the delay the stronger militant dissidents become. 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
