a long peace?

A Sunday Independent poll has found that support for a united Ireland in the Republic is not perhaps as overwhelming as first thought. “For 45 per cent of respondents a united Ireland held no interest. Many described the concept as out of date and that the Republic’s focus should be on a European rather than a narrow nationalistic level. Others said that pursuing a 32-county republic would be regressive not progressive” the paper reports.. Belfast Gonzohttp://sluggerotoole.com

In today’s Irish Times (subs. req.)Vincent Browne argues that not only is the question of the extradition or imprisonment of the Colombia Three an irrelevance – given that the US Administration could not care less about the issue (or Ireland in general for that matter) as long as the Government continues to make Shannon available to military aircraft and supports the US in UN votes – but also that, contrary to claims from some media quarters, their reappearance in Ireland … Read more

In today’s Irish Times, John Waters takes a look at what he describes as the “last battle over the meaning of the Troubles” (subs req.). “The war is over”, he agrgues, “but there remains the matter of settled interpretation.”Waters continues: “Dr Paisley last week restated his case: the IRA must disband before his party will resume powersharing with Sinn Féin. The Taoiseach baulked at the word “disbandment”. Instead, he reiterated, the IRA must cease all criminal and paramilitary activity and … Read more

YESTERDAY’s Irish Times carried an article by Anthony McIntyre. He argued that the Northern Bank raid may have put “peace” on hold but it will breathe new life into the peace process, and the process is what keeps Sinn Féin growing.McIntyre writes: The response of the British and Irish governments to the announcement by the PSNI boss, Mr Hugh Orde, that the Provisional IRA was behind the robbery of £26.5 million from the Northern Bank was anger tempered by weary … Read more

DENIAL, lies, criminality and complicity – all integral part of the peace process, as far as Tom Luby is concerned. He asks if peace has come with too high a price tag, and questions whether the media or governments have the courage to try and confront the contradictions inherent in the neverending search for a settlement.In a stinging attack on the media, Luby writes: Pressed into a corner those in the media responsible for refusing to challenge the lie would … Read more

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. Archived Comments (132): Having read this piece i must asked any unionists out there, How come you took home rule in Belfast? howerver were fully against Home rule for the entire island? Posted by: Alan Anderson at October 8, 2003 01:43 PM Presumably because Home … Read more

I met with Ian Paisley briefly the other day. His often firey persona has been a dominant theme in Northern Irish politics since as far back as I can remember. He is greyer and thinner than he once was, but his spirit and wit is still impressive for a man knocking close on 80.I asked him what he thought of A Long Peace?, our think piece on the future of Unionism of Northern Ireland. After pinpointing which of the many … Read more

Unionists must focus on a basic goal – a peaceful, economically prosperous and politically stable Northern Ireland, while drawing on a reserve of deeply held values, according to a new report on the future of Unionism.A Long Peace, (download pdf 959KB here or zip 386KB here) published today with support from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, argues that a functioning democracy in Northern Ireland is the only way to reconcile competing interests in a peaceful way, and calls on the … Read more