Conflict – Page 40 – Slugger O'Toole

Remarkable degree of post riot consensus?

Mick Fealty on March 1, 2006, 6:12 pm

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The question of Saturday’s riots took up a large chunk of Monday night’s Question and Answers on RTE. Definately worth watching again (video file) – if only for the tone of the contributions from the Unionist participants in the debate. Not least Jeffrey Donaldson, who signs off with a caution to people not to get too hung on simple stories from the past. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet …

Get in there and work for the Union!

Mick Fealty on March 1, 2006, 4:33 pm

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Alex Kane is none too convinced by what he terms Gerry Adams’ forsaking of tree hugging for Unionist hugging. But he saves his real criticism for the DUP, who he argues should be inside the negotiations pitching for Unionism in general rather than working the “prima donna of piety and isolate yourself on a holier-than-thou high ground” gambit of refusing to talk to Sinn Fein. By Alex Kane: Judging by some of his comments at last Saturday’s Ard Fheis (“our …

Sectarianism won the streets of Dublin

Mick Fealty on March 1, 2006, 4:12 pm

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Susan McKay explores some interesting parallels between some of the chants and verbal abuse hurled by Republican protesters and those hurled at the PSNI by loyalists in Northern Ireland – and wonders whether either is really interested in the reality of a pluralist future. 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 …

Lessons for Nationalism: “In dreams begin responsibilities”

Mick Fealty on February 28, 2006, 11:24 pm

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Tom Kelly draws on past experience and argues that Nationalists must assert practical civic values as well as their vision of a unified all island Republic, which he argues means recognising the right of Unionists to march the streets of Dublin. And he makes good use of a quote from WB Yeats along the way. For once, Jeffrey Donaldson was right – we can’t talk seriously about getting speaking rights in the Dail if there are those who would prevent …

Lord Alderdice leaves the Alliance party…

Mick Fealty on February 28, 2006, 7:18 pm

| Readers 18

In the wake of an interview with Daily Ireland some weeks back, it seems that Lord Alderdice, chair of the IMC, has decided to leave the Alliance party. 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

Willie Frazer was a boyhood GAA star

Mick Fealty on February 26, 2006, 9:58 pm

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Interesting piece from Ciaran Barnes who interviews yesterday’s Dublin march, Willie Frazer. Daily Ireland’s reports points to the extent of broken cross community relations caused by a bloody cross community ‘war’: �I was captain of the Whitecross under-13 side. I played full forward and was quite good. I was one of the side�s top scorers,� but had severed links with the GAA after a series of murders in south Armagh around 1973-74. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He …

Tribalist clouds swamp Republican vision

Mick Fealty on February 26, 2006, 9:34 pm

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Eoghan Harris argues strongly that the responsibility for the debacle of yesterday’s event is a lack of leadership and vision from right across the political and media classes. WE have disgraced ourselves again. And I do mean we. We cannot pretend the tribal thugs who attacked the Protestant march came from another planet. We share too many of their sectarian attitudes to allow us off the hook. In the words of Alexander Herzen about the Russian anarchists: “they are the …

Queens Student Union returns neutral ticket…

Mick Fealty on February 25, 2006, 3:59 am

| Readers 31

Interesting news from Queens Uni’s SU election. We hear from The Gown blog that the apparently non aligned pairing of Ben Preston and Peter Quinn have won the ballot this evening and take up a second year in office. So has Queens Students Union, once dubbed a cold house for unionists, just got a few degrees warmer? Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media …

Our tedious range of displacement activity

Mick Fealty on February 25, 2006, 3:20 am

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Back in 2000 I came over to Northern Ireland with a colleague from River Path. He’d done his homework well. The most striking fact he came up with regarding NI’s economic health, at a time when money was arguably flowing far too freely, was that the inward investment of private capital in NI was 25% of the UK average. That, in anyone’s language, was/is bad news. It’s one reason why Lyndsey Allen’s fingering of the real problem of Northern Ireland …

Snapshop: the current state of play…

Mick Fealty on February 25, 2006, 2:52 am

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Hearts and Minds is very instructive in terms of the current reality of politics. Note the demeanour of Sinn Fein’s John O’Dowd (who quotes 22 protestants killed by Loyalist paramilitaries since November 2003) and who’s line is ‘we are in a cul de sac’, and Jeffrey Donaldson, who reckons ‘we are on open road’.Both have strong cards: Donaldson with his shadow corporate assembly (otherwise known as the Manchester City Council model) and O’Dowd who reckons that their Plan B is …

Paisley outburst to bolster Sinn Fein?

Mick Fealty on February 25, 2006, 2:25 am

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Fionnuala O’Connor has a particular sharp piece of observation in her IT column this week. She notes that all parties are preparing for a prolonged stalemate, (subs needed) the length of which is likely to be dictated by Ian Paisley. She notes: The SF leaders are more concerned about internal management than they are about holding their northern vote – stiffened with each Paisley decibel – and not nearly as anxious about potential damage to their vote in the Republic …

Hiding each other’s light?

Mick Fealty on February 23, 2006, 3:55 pm

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By the commenter sometimes known as spirit-level. He has an interesting post on his own blog, in which he argues that both Sinn Fein and the DUP are playing at the same, reality-denying game. The result is effectively a zero sum in which the bottom line get reduced further and further. 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 …

Paisley: British in IRA arms cover up

Mick Fealty on February 23, 2006, 3:26 pm

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Ian Paisley has described the British government acceptance of the IICD’s statement that the IRA no longer has significant number of arms in contradiction to a subsequent finding by the IMC that it does, as a sign of a government reluctance to allow the truth of the matter to emerge into the public domain. 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 …

Sinn Fein under the spotlight

Mick Fealty on February 22, 2006, 2:45 am

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Hardtalk is one of the few good programmes to emerge from the BBC’s 24 hour news service. Last week they pitched Stephen Sackur against Martin McGuinness. The latter held his nerve under some stiff questioning, but it largely goes to emphasise just what a politically tough year the party has come through. 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 …

Policing Northern Ireland: conflict, legitimacy and reform

Mick Fealty on February 18, 2006, 4:47 pm

| Readers 14

Maurice Hayes reviews a book which looks like it may become a key reference for the changes in the policing service in Northern Ireland, Policing Northern Ireland: Legitimacy, Reform and Social Conflict . According to Hayes, Mulcahy draws out the fresh community based model on which policing reform has been based: It has to be said that the commission got little help from criminologists on this side of the Atlantic, which is why Mulcahy’s contribution, if belated, is so refreshing. …

Racism deepening in Northern Ireland?

Mick Fealty on February 18, 2006, 4:38 pm

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Susan McKay reports on a problem that the judiciary seem to have been slow to act on, that of race crime. She tells the story of the death of a man who’s killer was given a 17 month sentence. She’d interviewed the victim, Brij Sharma, during a season of riots a few years ago: He described constant, casual, racist abuse. The ones in Celtic shirts called him an Orange Paki bastard. The ones in Rangers shirts called him a Fenian …

Irish lessons for Gitmo Bay?

Mick Fealty on February 17, 2006, 10:07 pm

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From time to time I get emails from readers on a given subject. This one is from a Tom Carew in Dublin. He’s in favour of strong state tactics. We’re not sure where he derives his figures from but given the current controversy surrounding the US’s extra territorial detainment camp at Guantanimo Bay, his argument is worth bringing to a wider audience.From Tom Carew: The democratic Irish Government on 3 separate occasions, had to use Internment, without either trial or …

Durkan lodges questions over MI5 move

Mick Fealty on February 17, 2006, 6:06 pm

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In the wake of the controversy over the decision to move responsibility for intelligence gathering from the police, to MI5. Interestingly the SDLP seems to be the political party making the running on this one. Indeed Mark Durkan has lodged a series of interesting Parliamentary Questions: Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether external cultural diversity training is given to recruits to MI5 in Northern Ireland. (53204) Mark Durkan (Foyle):To ask the Secretary of …

Ombudsman investigate police agent claim

Mick Fealty on February 16, 2006, 6:33 pm

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The Ombudsman’s office is investigating allegations that one of the Greysteel murderers was a police agent. PA in Belfast were told that that “cash was lodged in a bank account set up for [Torens] Knight, and staff told he was employed by a Scottish firm as an engineer on a £50,000-a-year salary”. 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 …

Stand off between US and Sinn Fein

Mick Fealty on February 16, 2006, 6:07 pm

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The Irish Echo reports on the continuing stand off between Sinn Fein and the US administration over the issue of policing. Until such times as Sinn Fein sits on the Policing Board there seeks little prospect that majo SF leaders like Gerry Adams will be granted permission to fund raise in the States. 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 …