Most worrying for Sinn Fein is the talk by both Premiers of a new state of all bets are off. Even Tony Blair is now talking of moving on without the party. He also suggested that it’s not SF, but the SDLP which faces some tough decisions about the way ahead. 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 …
Interesting punch-up in the Dail last night that does not yet seem to have hit many of the papers:Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin led off with an attack on the Taoiseach’s motive’s for making the accusations in the first place, getting in a personal dig at Ahern first: He has a neck trying to label any other political party with the criminality tag when one looks at the daily unfolding reality in respect of his political party. Ó Caoláin went on to …
Senator Maurice Hayes with a thoughtful piece directed at Sinn Fein, suggests the party needs to work out when to stop digging. He argues that their demand to have access to government and police intelligence from the taoiseach they seemed not to recognise is they, and not the Irish Government that has the credibility problem. 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 …
There’s no doubt that at some point tangible evidence of the IRA’s involvement will have to emerge into the public domain sooner or later to stand up the recent ‘allegations’. But the heat seems to be well and truly off Hugh Orde, since the Gardaí confirmed that they informed the Irish government of their own suspicions of IRA involvement in the heist. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on …
First the case for the defence. The Irish News covers Gerry Adams’ claim that Bertie Ahern could not ‘stand up the claim’ that the IRA had conducted the Northern Bank heist, whilst Martin Ferris TD dismissed claims by Mary Harney that he was on (an nicreasingly overcrowded) IRA Army Council as a cynical attack. 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 Blanket resurrects a three year old article by Anthony McIntyre, which examines the taoiseach’s belief in the IRA’s denial of participation in the Castlereagh operation, in the context of previous denials. …remaining silent or using cover names was not the only stratagem employed. In a number of cases the IRA resorted to outright lying. For decades it told the relatives of Jean McConville that the organisation was not responsible for her fate, whatever that may have been. In May …
Jury still out, but the defence is looking shakey. Excellent line up on the Vincent Browne show last night (sound file). Albert Reynolds reckons McDowell’s statement after the meeting yesterday was unhelpful. But the initial discussion kicks off Gerry Adams’ response to a question of whether the IRA did the robbery, there can be no intelligence or evidence that he or Martin McGuinness had prior knowledge of the operation. But if you can find the time, stick with it until …
CLEARLY, there is a simmering feud within loyalism – every time Mahood’s name pops up, people end up dead, including a Mahood. Maybe it’s only coincidence that Johnny Adair has been released. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com
Thursday is the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz – Holocaust Day. Not strictly Northern Ireland, but there’s a lot of material coming out at the moment that reflects the extraordinary experiences of some very ordinary folk. Most of the things I’ve seen recently have been subscription locked, so here’s short poem by an old friend written shortly after he entered Bergen Belsen as a doctor with the British Army. Day of Liberation (Bergen-Belsen, May 1945) We build our …
Fascinating piece on Naoise Nunn the energetic force (subs needed) behind the Leviathan political cabaret we’ve covered here from time to time. Unfortunately it’s in the subscription only Irish Times website, but here’s a few abstracts that give away something of what Naoise set out to do: He has described Leviathan in incendiary terms (“a Molotov cocktail . . . intended to inform and challenge”), yet he insists his role is apolitical. (One condition of his Civil Service job is …
Just before my uncle died back in 1980, he pointed over to one of his neighbours three beds away in Lifford hospital and told us in a hoarse whisper that the man’s relatives had discovered £30,000 in cash stuffed in nooks and crannies all over the house after he’d been taken into care. One of the nastiest corrollories of this bank robbery is the situation it has put such pensioners in. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has …
Today is crunch day? Well that’s Gerry Adams’ fear. It looks like he’s going into the meeting to try and head off the IMC report at the pass. Over at yesterday’s Downing Street lobby briefing the PMOS refered to the very real progress between the time of the Assembly Elections and last December, but that “there could be no deal with Republicans unless all criminal and paramilitary activities stopped”. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers …
It remains to be seen what Bertie Ahern will have to say to Sinn Fein when he meets them tomorrow, but by the sounds of his Defence Minister it’s unlikely to be a cosy fireside chat. Indeed, he believes that with all the speculation and Mitchel McLoughlin’s Q&A performance last week, it is Sinn Fein who must provide answers, rather than persisting asking the questions: It is up to Sinn Fein to unambiguously demonstrate their bona fides. It is up …
Jim Cusick goes back to that tragic year of 1972, in which so many victims apparently randomly lost their lives, and looks at the isolation which faced the McConville family, who were orphaned in a stroke by the IRA that year. He argues that, ever since, they’ve been victims of unremitting pressure and disinformation. The lying and persecution of the family began almost immediately after her abduction and murder. The local republicans daubed “soldier lover” on the family door and …
Tom McGurk raids the vaults of history for several precedents of the journey from armed insurgency to democratic power. However, he believes in trying to keep the Republican movement united Sinn Fein is not only flying in the face of those precendents, it may be ducking its own responsibility to provide its community with the leadership it’s mandate has long promised, but has yet to deliver: In the aftermath of the Belfast robbery, only the Sinn Féin leadership itself knows …
Big news of the weekend was Mary Harney’s attack on Sinn Fein, and notably she claimed that Kerry North Sinn Féin TD Mr Martin Ferris was a member of the IRA’s Army Council. A claim which Ferris denies. However it seems likely that without a legal response, it is now open for political rivals to make such explicit claims of Sinn Fein’s interconnection with the senior ranks of the IRA. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written …
South Belfast Unionist John Hiddleston reflects on a number of historical precidents for where he believes the political process now to be. He draws parallels with the concept of “perpetual war for perpetual peace” coined in 1947 by the American historian Charles Beard. And, “Orwell’s reflection of the idea in “1984”. Constant war but with peace just around the corner…” And he finds a strange parallel with Bush logic for the justification of the war on terror.By John Hiddleston “As …
Nice tongue-in-cheek piece from Danny Morrison who ends his Hearts and Minds piece with a suggestion that the IRA might have successfully gone out of business by now, if the DUP had been prepared to take the word of Hugh Orde over decommissioning instead of photographs. 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 …
Colm Murphy, the only man jailed in connection with the Omagh bombing, has won his appeal and is to face a retrial. The previous verdict was considered unsafe on two grounds.Omagh bombing convict wins appeal Ambrose Uprichard
Tonight on Hearts and Minds: the Secretary of State Paul Murphy explores the Assembly options open to the Governments in the wake of the Northern bank job. Voluntary coalition….non executive scrutiny powers…. Appointed commissioners and should it happen with or without Sinn Fein? What are the chances of a Unionist pact in key seats to keep nationalists at bay in the Westminster elections? Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet …
