Search Results for “future ireland” – Page 196 – Slugger O'Toole

When sectarianism mutates into open racism…

Mick Fealty on June 17, 2009, 5:24 pm | Readers 7

The rout of 20 Romanian families out of their homes in south Belfast have brought Northern Ireland back to the screens of the UK and the Republic. It seems like they are destined to get out of Northern Ireland completely. It’s nothing short of a collapse in the health of any community that these kinds of attacks. The involvement of gun indicates an acquiesce of paramilitaries in an area in which it is almost impossible to move (or even talk …

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The answer to Scottish independence

Brian Walker on June 16, 2009, 7:13 pm | Readers 1

Will there be a race to bring forward limited taxation powers for Scotland before the SNP minority government moves a referendum Bill? It looks like it – even though the Bill stands no chance of passing through the unionist majority in Holyrood. Alex Salmond will claim moral authority though, after the Euro election results which put the SNP ahead of Labour by almost nine points. And now crafty Alex has a plan to break the unionist logjam – to put …

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Second Sinn Féin councillor resigns from party in election aftermath

Pete Baker on June 16, 2009, 4:39 pm | Readers 18

iol reports the resignation of New Ross Town Cllr John Dwyer from Sinn Féin. His profile on the Wexford Sinn Féin website calls him “one of the most experienced of County Wexford’s local politicians” and notes he has been a councillor since 1999. As with Dublin Cllr Christy Burke the party has called on Cllr Dwyer to “return his seat to the party”. Adds From Politics.ie – “Cllr Dwyer is presently out of the country on holidays and is reported …

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UUP: progress, stagnation or decline?

Turgon on June 15, 2009, 12:00 pm | Readers 16

There is a concept in the stock market called a “Dead Cat Bounce” whereby the value of shares having fallen steeply briefly rises before resuming its downward course. The rise in the UUP’s share of the vote may well be real, however, it may also be a political form of “Dead Cat Bounce.” The UUP’s tie up with the Conservative Party was analysed in great detail at the time it occurred both here on slugger and throughout Northern Ireland politics. …

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“What’s the delay?”

Pete Baker on June 12, 2009, 7:13 pm | Readers 0

Another intelligent report from Julia Paul on Hearts and Minds last night – investigating the 8 month delay in producing the final report from the Strategic Review on Parading in Northern Ireland. We had the interim report in April last year and, prompted by Mark Devenport’s post, in April this year I pointed out that “[implementing] the agreed recommendations of the Strategic Review of Parading by end 2008” was a key performance indicator and a priority action in the 2007 …

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DUP: On the need to employ good authority…

Mick Fealty on June 12, 2009, 2:22 pm | Readers 0

I won’t try to gainsay anything Fair Deal says in his 1000th, and sadly last, post for Slugger.In the News Letter Nick Whyte reckons it’s back to 1998 and, if not quite to the foot of a Sysiphusian hill, then some way back down it for the DUP. Is there just a hint of local pride in the Newtownabbey Times that the local boy done good? One suspects that, more generally a touch Schardenfreude is in the mix too. The …

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Hearts and Minds: a changing tone in Unionism…

Mick Fealty on June 11, 2009, 10:10 pm | Readers 0

With the appointment of Rena Shepherd as chair of the Parades Commission, and no sign of that review yet, perhaps it will last a little longer than the end of the year… The programme looks at its future… And they talk to Jim Allister and a much calmer (chastened?) Nelson McCausland than last time they crossed angry swords… does this change in tone presage onset of Ministerial responsibility (tomorrow, if Sammy’s to make that vote legal AND ethical by tomorrow …

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Is Foras feathering its own nest whilst the language burns?

Mick Fealty on June 11, 2009, 12:47 pm | Readers 148

Concubhar O’Liathan is a former editor of La Nua, and now runs his own up-to-the-minute Irish language blog iGaeilge is purturbed at the news that at time of falling revenues and deepening recession, Foras na Gaeilge (the Irish language government agency is preparing to let go the last regular Irish langauge newspaper (outside An Druma Mor), even as it continues recruit new staff members. On one level of course there a recession on; and the belt-tightening has to affect all …

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What a day…

Dave Hartin on June 10, 2009, 12:14 am | Readers 1

Many thanks to one P Baker for keeping my seat warm as I soaked up the atmosphere and (a little) sunshine at Trent Bridge yesterday. What a day it was as Ireland booked their place in the Super Eight phase of the ICC World Twenty20. It wasn’t a surprise – the Irish out fought and out thought the Bangladeshis in every discipline of the game. For those who are interested and in the Nottingham area, tickets are still available here …

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Sinn Fein struggling with the cold white hand of partitition?

Mick Fealty on June 9, 2009, 7:35 pm | Readers 28

Shane Harrison has a very timely short essay on the problems faced by Sinn Fein in the wake of a poor performance in the Republic. In essence the border is breaking its 32 county project in two… …the party’s share of the vote in the local elections was marginally down on five years ago; it lost councillors in Dublin and Wexford and the deputy leader, Mary Lou McDonald, failed to retain her Dublin European seat. Not only that, she finished …

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The state of the SDLP is leading to a crisis in Nationalism

Kensei on June 9, 2009, 3:35 am | Readers 25

I think Mark, in common with others, has underrated the Sinn Fein performance in the North. Brian lamented parties playing up the significance of topping the pole, but seemed miss that whatever Chris or commentators here might have posted, the SF leadership assuredly did not do it. They also largely resisted the temptation to cause difficulties for their coalition partners or expend large amount of resources in pushing their vote as high as possible in a vanity project. It was …

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“I don’t want to make a career out of politics..”

Pete Baker on June 9, 2009, 2:31 am | Readers 5

Some of the contributors to our comment zone have been pointing optimistically towards Toiréasa Ferris’ performance as an exception to Sinn Féin’s otherwise moribund polling in the Irish local and European elections (+0.1%) [Wise the voters are.. – Ed]. But the candidate herself has made some interesting comments in reaction to her elimination. Despite trailing independent candidate Kathy Sinnott by only 688, her team decided not to call for a recount. Carrying her 14-month-old daughter Liadain Ni Chellaig and supported …

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Monica McWilliams’s challenge to progress an NI Human Rights Bill unlikely to be met any time soon

Brian Walker on June 4, 2009, 5:29 pm | Readers 1

Monica McWilliams the Human Rights Commissioner delivers a riposte to David Adams’s scathing dismissal of the commission’s recommendations for a NI Human Rights Act. On the formidable main obstacles, she bites her lip as a public official who is no longer a party politician. David Cameron wants to incorporate any NI specific clauses in a new general UK Bill. Labour is cool on the scope of the Bill and is dragging its feet on a response. What happens next in …

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“oversight of the Presbyterian Mutual Society is a matter for the devolved Administration..”

Pete Baker on June 3, 2009, 7:39 pm | Readers 11

Will Crawley continues his detailed coverage of the Presbyterian General Assembly’s discussions on the illegally operating Presbyterian Mutual Society and those supernatural savers investors. Meanwhile, either before or after he stopped by Downing St, Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward, MP, fielded some questions about the Society’s predicament in the Commons today. [added permanent link] Update According to the BBC report, DETI Minister Arlene Foster disagrees with Mr Woodward – “Quite clearly is it is not a devolved matter …

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“I don’t want to put the families through any more political trauma..”

Pete Baker on June 3, 2009, 6:23 pm | Readers 23

Is the criticism by Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, of the DUP’s Gregory Campbell, and other unionist politicians, a sign of cracks in the NI Executive or a last-minute appeal to the base ahead of election day? Or a not so last-minute appeal to the base.. [Don’t tell anyone! – Ed] Campbell’s certainly a more convenient target for Sinn Féin to take aim at than the NI First Minister – and others are ready to do …

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Fine Gael prepared to work with Sinn Fein (to unseat Eoin Ryan)?

Mick Fealty on June 1, 2009, 3:19 pm | Readers 2

I didn’t see it at the time, but there was the strangest line yesterday’s Irish Mail on Sunday from Fine Gael’s director of elections Frank Flannery, saying his party was prepared to work with Sinn Féin at some future point. Paul O’Brien in the Examiner reckons he has unearthed a viable rationale: Judging by Dermot Ahern’s remarks, Fianna Fáil believes Mr Flannery’s comments are aimed at persuading Fine Gael supporters to give their transfers, or second preferences, to Sinn Féin. …

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Election Campaign enters final lap

Turgon on May 31, 2009, 2:05 am | Readers 5

The election campaign grinds remorselessly onwards to the excited expectation of the political anoraks (and if you are reading this site you are a bit of an anorak: I as a blogger am a hopeless snorkel parka case) and the mild interest of real people. I thought at this point as we are about to enter the final week I would take a non impartial look at the current state of the campaigns. Turning first to my own lot. The …

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“if that means dropping a couple of the attackers..”

Pete Baker on May 29, 2009, 5:27 pm | Readers 39

The joint statement by the First and deputy First Ministers might be more convincing if the Northern Ireland Executive’s Shared Future strategy hadn’t disappeared down the back of the semi-detached polit-bureau’s sofa. Meanwhile in a statement issued through their solicitors, the McDaid family have criticised police “negotiations with a number of persons perceived to be from the Loyalist community” ahead of the murder of Kevin McDaid. As has already been stated, those negotiations involved representatives on both sides of the …

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“quite frankly, the scripts for west Belfast are neither.”

Pete Baker on May 27, 2009, 3:45 pm | Readers 2

The issue of those elusive truths about the past re-emerged in questions to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Industry yesterday over an apparently expensive podcast for tourists visiting west Belfast. As Mark Devenport notes, “during Assembly question time we had another reminder that whilst the politicians may wish to march towards a bright new future they remain at loggerheads over the past”. [“Deadlock and stasis” – Ed] Mick was on Morning Ireland briefly discussing the dispute over the preferred …

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Robinson to shuffle MPs out of the Executive and annouces the end of Double Jobbing..

Mick Fealty on May 22, 2009, 12:04 am | Readers 13

The striking thing about Peter Robinson’s welcome of the ‘putative’ PM (Gordon is gone now, in every sense that matters), was the statesman-like tone. (Bridges must be built! – ed). There has also been the promise of an end to the double jobbing betweem MLAs and MP jobs. Last summer, given the instability caused by Sinn Fein’s 154 lost days, he was reluctant to consider pushing it on his party colleagues. But the last 14 days have changed everything. Party …

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