I picked up Katherine McCartney’s book Walls of Silence at the airport on Saturday, and began reading it on the plane back to England. Unusually for any book about the Northern Irish troubles it makes for gripping reading. That’s possibly because it outlines a problem that is more than modern history: indeed, the killing of her brother Robert by what was at the time an active unit in the IRA is indicative of a range of social order problems that …
Just as an addendum to Pete’s post on the Eames-Bradley initiative, it’s worth reading this piece from Barney Rowan in yesterday’s Sunday Life, who reckons the one thing more than anything else that will scupper their plans is the over riding and the now locally untouchable role of the intelligence services in deciding where the ‘public interest’ lies: …one of the biggest pieces in that jigsaw of our past is that relationship between Special Branch, the Army, MI5 and the …
Over at Comment is Free, I’ve a piece which looks at the difficulties being thrown up by the activities of some (former?) Republicans which are creating problems for the apparently strong new parliamentary alliance between the DUP and Sinn Fein. Not least when it comes to making a discrete deal over the devolution of policing and justice in order to make the Westminster timetable of 8th May this year. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers …
Interesting report in the Observer today, where Henry McDonald has been talking to Chris Hudson, who is described as having “played a pivotal role in the Ulster Volunteer Force ceasefire and set up a secret link between the loyalists and the Irish government” [Other than Martin McAleese? – Ed]. Hudson claims that his friend and former Oxfam colleague, Michael Semple, now deputy head of the aid programme for Afghanistan run by the Council of the European Union, and who has …
Of particular interest among the official documents released under the 30 year rule – now under review in the UK – are those discussing the 1977 strike by the United Unionist Action Council (UUAC), led by Rev Ian Paisley and supported by the UDA and Ulster Workers Council. As historian Eamon Phoenix writes here, those discussions include a minuted reference to the now First Minister, who it was noted “was associated with and had the support of the Protestant paramilitaries …
Mr Justice Weir’s pronouncement ensures there is to be no repeat of the sometimes hustled justice of the 1970s. Sean Hoey, after spending much of the last four and a half year in custody walked free of a Belfast courthouse this afternoon when Weir judged that the forensic evidence fell far short of anything that could be relied upon. It’s one of a series of strong judgements that augurs well for the independence of the judiciary. But what killed any …
First Minister Ian Paisley’s ears must have been burning at the small protest in Hillsborough last night, where one disgruntled Orangeman was heard to say that ‘whilst Ian Paisley is basking in the warmth of Wall Street, we are warming in the blaze of our own halls’. Slugger understands there is some grumbling inside the Orange particularly against the First Minister and his son and Junior Minister, Ian Paisley junior, not least over the inaction on an insurance logjam for …
I was in Westminster, briefly, on Tuesday were there was some feverish speculation amongst lobby journalists about the Paul Quinn killing and including some interesting lines about who actually was there. It may all turn out to be just that, speculation. And for that reason, I’m not about to repeat any of it in the public domain. But, at the very least, there are some questions arising from Sinn Fein’s treatment of the family by getting its revenge in first …
I have no wish to tempt fate.. but, despite the devices in Dublin and in Belfast today, the currently reported threats to various groups need some scepticism. While there have been repeated reports of threats to SF representatives, and now to Orange Order members, from non-mainstream republicans [and not members of Ógra Shinn Féin – No hatred, then? – Ed], the only people attacked to date have been serving police officers – and there is recent analysis to suggest there …
Willie Frazer with a new venture in commemorative tours in South Armagh. 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
I’ve been asked by Prospect magazine to write a response to Dean Godson’s lengthy analysis of the winners and losers in the Peace Process(™). But before I do, I’d like to get a measure of what Slugger readers make of it. To that end, I’ve cut and pasted some of the highlights below: though the whole piece is definately worth reading, especially for the policy wonks among us. I’d be grateful for your responses (remembering, of course that little rule …
There has been no shortage of angst spent on the question of whether to confront/leave behind the traumatic events of the past. Fewer places more so than here on Slugger. Indeed, in Northern Ireland, the past has not quite receded into a safe distance for some. But in Spain it has taken some 70 years before the country has been sufficiently comfortable with its much bloodier and traumatic past to begin to literally and metaphorically dig it up. …the volunteers …
Cookstown District Council, in conjunction with the Friends of the Somme Mid Ulster Branch, have published a “District Book of Honour” of those killed during World Wars I and II – Cookstown’s War Dead. And I’d just like to note the publication by posting the short entry on my maternal grandfather’s brother – Private Charles O’Neill. Killed in Action: 21st March 1918. Age: 26. 20325 – Private Charles O’Neill 7/8th Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Killed in Action: 21st March 1918 …
Malachi O’Doherty on the seemingly impotent power of Remembrance…. 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
Interesting analysis from Maurice Hayes on the disbandment of the UUF at the weekend, who notes the irony in “the UDA claiming credit for the disbandment of a body which they stoutly denied any responsibility for even when the proverbial dogs in the street knew that the Ulster Freedom Fighters was an alias for the main loyalist paramilitary organisation”. At bottom though he reckons the delay in getting to the table has as much to do with the way structural …
The BBC report that the UDA have issued what Jackie McDonald claimed would be a “significant statement” and, although the detail remains to be seen, it seems that they are saying they will stand down the UFF.. at midnight tonight. And they’ve claimed that “UFF weapons were being put beyond use, but stressed that this does not mean they will be decommissioned.” ANYhoo.. Apparently, “The Ulster Defence Association is committed to achieving a society where violence and weaponry are ghosts …
Worth mention, but there are precious few details to go with this news yet, but Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy has been arrested by the Gardai… He was briefly taken to hospital, but is now back in Dundalk Police Station… 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’s not much to add to this piece by Diana Rusk recalling the events in Enniskillen twenty years ago this week, except to note the names of those who died… There were three married couples – Wesley Armstrong (62) and wife Bertha (55), Billy Mullan (74) and wife Agnes (73), Kit Johnston (71) and wife Jessie (62). The others who died were Sammy Gault (49), Ted Armstrong (52), Johnny Megaw (67), Alberta Quinton (72) and the youngest victim, Marie Wilson …
There’s a piece in to today’s Irish News about the police investigation into comments left on Slugger on one of the more recent threads on what increasingly looks like a campaign against property owned by the Orange Order. A spokesman for the Order said: “We are surprised that a website with such a good reputation allowed its space to be used by people supporting and encouraging the attacks and actually singling out a property to be targeted”. It seems to …
There is a short piece in today’s Sunday Life which quotes a Belfast City councillor accusing Slugger of “fanning the flames of sectarian hatred”. The thread that caught the councillor’s eye concerned the continuing attacks on Orange Halls across Northern Ireland. Update: It seems I rather hastely ran to ‘print’ without checking whether or not the article was published. It was not. My apologies to all for the confusing arising In that thread, an individual commenter left remarks which could …
