The attempt on Stormont had the potential to be life threatening, even if it looked farcical at the time. The devices were real enough, and witnesses reported that the bag was smoking at the time. One thing missed out of many of the early reports though was that Stone himself is a virtual cripple these days, which is one obvious reason why he got caught in the revolving doors (another metaphor for our arthritic Peace Process™?). But, Liam Clarke reports, …
In the chaos of yesterday’s tumultuous events, a few important snippets came loose. Ian Paisley made a nonsense of the Speaker’s pre-ordained role, by not using a particular form of words that the NIO had assured her would be there. It seems she was legally compelled by the Secretary of State to accept anything Dr Paisley said. We may put in an FOI request to try to clarify the matter. But it also seems that Sinn Fein is determined not …
Extraordinary events at Stormont this morning. Though it was hardly a re-run of Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero Molina’s takeover of the Spanish parliament in 1981. His attempt was organised and involved 200 member of the Civil Guards. Loyalist killer (and visual artist) Michael Stone appeared to be acting on his own.It seems he was relaxed enough to stop outside Parliament Buildings at Stormont this morning long enough to daub “Sinn Fein IRA War” on its grand facade, before bursting in …
Thanks to reader Colin, here’s a very useful resource. It’s the Hansard record from the old Stormont Parliament, with a photocopy of the original document alongside a cut and paste-able transcript. I just inserted the term Boycott and this is what came up first: Mr. COOPER asked the Secretary for Home Affairs whether he is aware that a criminal conspiracy exists in Enniskillen to boycott Belfast goods and all persons dealing with Belfast; that circulars, dated 10th September, 1921, have …
Christopher Lydon is doing an open source radio special on Northern Ireland. Specifically it was inspired by going to see Maire Jones’ one man play “A Night in November”, which is currently on tour in the US. The focus is sectarianism. This report of an eight year study of the ‘two Ardoynes’ by Pete Shirlow makes fascinating background reading.One commenter on OSR, Alib, cut and pasted this rough summary of some of the headline findings: “The findings above would seem …
Interesting piece from John O’Farrell in the New Statesman last week (though you’ll have to scroll down). He quotes Reg Empey on the substance of the British Exchequer’s threat to Northern Ireland: “If we don’t sort it out, we’ll be left to hang. There’s a growing impatience over there with Northern Ireland. If we fail to make the grade politically, they’ll leave us to fester.”O’Farrell goes on to note: One of the richest and most productive parts of the UK …
There was an interesting piece in the Sunday Independent on the Shell to Sea campaign. Recent protests at Bellanaboy and a heavy police response has galvanised some attention online, with some exaggerated claims of parallels with the brutalisation of the Ogoni in Rivers State and the Niger Delta. But it was the involvement of Sinn Fein in the campaign that caught Declan Lynch’s eye: …here is their schedule for one day, according to an internet source. Sinn Fein picket at …
Malachi O’Doherty with an extract from his forthcoming book (to be published by Gill and MacMillan in the Spring) that focuses on one of the most traumatic years of the early troubles – 1972. This section, which appears in this month’s Fortnight magazine, outlines the IRA’s first negotiation with the British, which according to government papers took place in a country house in Ballyarnet, close to the Derry/Donegal border. The IRA representatives were Dáithí Ó Conaill and Gerry Adams – …
Hugh Orde doesn’t explicitly confirm the increased level of threat Sinn Fein claims its leadership is under, but merely comments, “I don’t think they are wrong”. He notes there are some who simply cannot countenance deciding Northern Ireland’s future under the consent principle: “Because of where the leadership wants to take their organisation, which is down a political and an entirely proper route towards a debate on the future of the island of Ireland, there are people who don’t want …
There are intimations that any transition from anti state to pro state politics is not going to be smooth. And it sounds as if Martin McGuinness has some individuals in mind, not least the INLA. He has stated to the Derry Journal: “It is important that, whatever concerns republicans might have about current political developments, they should not allow themselves to be exploited or manipulated by individuals who are now operating to their own malign agenda and who should know …
The PSNI are considering racism as the motive for an attempt at arson on a house in Culleybackey near Ballymena 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
Today marks the 25th anniversary of Paisleyism forming yet another vigilante paramilitary – the Ulster Third Force. Northern Political Columnist for the Irish Star, John Coulter, examines the group as well as analysing the impact of a new political ‘Third Force’ threatening unity within the DUP. By John Coulter: Today (Tuesday) marks the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Ian Paisley-inspired Ulster Third Force paramilitary group in 1981. It was set up on 7 November that year, supposedly to …
Few people believe that there was no collusion between security forces and various actors within the paramilitary organisations. The Pat Finucane Centre has now compiled a report it has commissioned into 25 cases – most of which were linked to a number of loyalists known as the ‘Glenanne group’ and focused on the mid-Ulster and border areas between 1972 and 1977. According to the Irish News, “in all but one of the cases they said that they found evidence pointing …
It’s undoubtedly good news that any potentially lethal explosive device is seized before it reaches its intended target… but I’d be more enthusiastic about it if the reports also detailed a number of arrests. Pete Baker
According to the BBC The findings of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry [which opened in April 1998] will not be published until the end of 2008 2007 at the earliest By which time Tony Blair will, almost definitely, no longer be Prime Minister.. Updated Pete Baker
Newt Emerson reckons Northern Ireland could destined to become Belgium on the Bann, if the DUP and Sinn Fein continue to follow their own base sectarian instincts and continue to seek quite separate local futures through the seven supercouncils. However hard they try however, they are also destined to be tied to each other for the foreseeable future. That equally absurd and unhappy little country comprises two hostile peoples in two contiguous ethnic-majority laagers sharing an uneasily neutral capital city. …
Sometime during the last week I briefly misread a quotation from Alex Reid, one of two clerics who witnessed the IRA’s decommissioning last year, as saying Northern Ireland’s historic moments had taken place in nine different locations. He was, of course, talking about the decommissioning process, conducted with the space of one or two days. But last week we witnessed what could become the last significant date on a very long time line in Ulster’s march from war to peace.Somehow, …
Martin Lynch’s re-working of Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People was on Radio 3 last Sunday night. It’s a bit turgid to start with, with the odd accent slip and slightly off key plotting (and a wee bit preachy at times), but it is definately worth sticking with up to the inevitable turning point. 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 …
The Newsletter hasn’t put the Alister interview up on the net yet. But they have some of the interesting highlights: Adds: Ah, here it is Hat Tip Mark! Perhaps most notably, he (Alister) says that, if the IRA Army Council is not disbanded (by January, the time of the next IMC report) or the March 26 deadline for restoring government, the deal must be off. He said: “We cannot, for instance, even consider going into government with Sinn Fein in …
Cruiskeen Eile on Myers’ romp through seedy early seventies’ Belfast (they shamelessly celebrate their obsession with all things to do with “the Colonel”), and a wee haiku from Hughie Green, who thinks it might become a craze. 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
