Conflict – Page 8 – Slugger O'Toole

Memories of 1982, a strange year

Brian Walker on December 31, 2012, 6:49 pm

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According to what’s appeared in the papers, the archives of 1982 have produced few surprises. Perhaps Wally Kirwan’s suggestion of cross border internment put (safely) to Garret FitzGerald comes close but it was never going to happen. The two governments had allowed themselves to be pushed apart by the 1981 hunger strike and a key initiative had been handed to the IRA and Sinn Fein for years. I missed an early chance of enlightenment. After snatching a TV interview with …

Niall Collins calls for a Dail statement from Dessie Ellis…

Mick Fealty on December 30, 2012, 12:44 pm

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Ah, so thirty years ago the British thought the now TD for Dublin North West Dessie Ellis had had a hand in fifty murders. It brought a flurry of defensive tweets suggesting Mr Ellis had been acquitted of conspiracy to murder, and thereby innocent of allegations. Except of course these are not allegations. They’re just private notes from thirty years ago. In any case Mr Ellis has since spoken to Niall O’Connor in the Evening Herald: …the Dublin North West …

The PSNI investigation into Bloody Sunday is mistaken. Try them for perjury

Brian Walker on December 21, 2012, 11:16 pm

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Many people will say that if ever there was a suitable case for prosecution, it’s Bloody Sunday when paratroop soldiers shot 14 people before the eyes of many of us around at time. But challenged on whether I approve of the opening of a police inquiry into Bloody Sunday that will take four years , I’ve decided to come clean and say I think it’s fundamentally mistaken. How disillusioning is this development for the many who deceived themselves when they thought closure had been …

UVF protests signal anxiety over pending supergrass trial?

Mick Fealty on December 21, 2012, 8:59 am

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This morning on RTE Tommie Gorman put his finger on something that’s been little talked about in the wider media so far regarding the unanticipated levels of street protest. In fact it has little to do with the politics of City Hall and everything to do with the HET putting a tight squeeze on the UVF. In particular minds in that organisation are being concentrated by the re-emergence of the supergrass trial format. In particular the position of Gary Haggarty: …

“Let’s just start building in a business-like, decent-minded way.”

Mick Fealty on December 19, 2012, 5:09 pm

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Jude Collins with what looks like good advice to me… If we all wanted to be friends, we might all consider joining the same political party… Or you might say, a little more extremism, less fanaticism? 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

Urgent BBC explanation needed for pulling Panorama on army undercover squad ( Now updated with BBC explanation)

Brian Walker on December 18, 2012, 12:44 pm

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Update My old colleague John Ware of Panorama has rung to say he’s waiting for some new information in order to complete the programme. So conspiracy theorists can stand down. Thanks to Galloglaigh for getting this reply from Panorama earlier Apologies for any confusion caused, but we do need to change planned programmes on short notice from time to time owing to various editorial issues. Best wishes for the Christmas season. The Panorama Team This has been a perfect example …

#DigitalLunch: Have the last ten days left Northern Ireland shaken or stirred?

Mick Fealty on December 14, 2012, 9:01 am

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Today’s #DigitalLunch will look at the events of the last fortnight and ask what if anything has changed? – The British PM apologises to Pat Finucane’s family in Parliament, and then politely tells them that’s it. You’re not getting any more. That is unless Ed Milliband makes good on a promise to do something his party’s last government wouldn’t, and hold a public inquiry. – Census tells Protestants they are no longer in a majority in Northern Ireland, but it …

Loyalist violence a mirror of the old IRA’s campaign against democracy and choice…

Mick Fealty on December 12, 2012, 9:15 am

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Before the day that’s in it unfolds (the report into state collusion with loyalist paramilitaries in the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane), with death threats against politicians again in the air, Ian Parsley turns to a recent anniversary of a political assassination which by and large went unnoted and unnoticed by the local media: This week marks the anniversary of the assassination of Edgar Graham. He was not someone with whom my party always agreed, but someone we always respected. …

The danger of an impotent Assembly

Brian Walker on December 10, 2012, 11:53 pm

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The litany of ritual condemnation in yesterday’s Assembly debate could have been spoken any time during direct rule. There is no hint here of a responsible government trying to get on top of events. Just a wringing of hands in an Assembly, impotent, riddled with its own contradictions, waiting for the trouble to burn itself out. For another night the initiative is surrendered to the streets. No MLA of course shares any measure of responsiblity. Perhaps that’s unfair. Perhaps for the moment …

Take Alliance seriously.They represent what most people want, the politics of compromise

Brian Walker on December 9, 2012, 3:10 pm

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Even to their own supporters the main parties are hardly coming out of the flag disorder looking impressive. When the chips are down the smiling cross community stuff isn’t quite cutting the mustard where it matters most. Nice people pocket the gains – they might even group around a new Northern Ireland, Peter still has a point even if he puts it provocatively. But he and Martin still have to settle with their respective enemies within. The easier bit of power …

Perhaps we need more trouble makers in Stormont rather than on streets?

Mick Fealty on December 7, 2012, 9:21 am

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Like FitzJamesHorse, I get a sense that something important may have happened this week, though like him I also think it is way to early to conclude too concretely what they might be. But here are some short near ground thoughts to extend yesterday’s briefing for Hillary. I think it demonstrates that government parties under our rigid and inclusive system put themselves (and the rest of society) in a very dangerous position when they indulge in activism, particularly when it …

UVF campaign of ‘flying riots’ leaves Unionists isolated…

Mick Fealty on December 6, 2012, 2:25 pm

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All’s far in love and war. Sammy Wilson’s intemperate allusion on UTV last night to his own Justice Minister being carried around in a police landrover might have landed more squarely if there wasn’t a series of ‘flying riots’ going on around the place. Today there’s talk of more disruption, yet to be confirmed, in Glengormley. In the meantime, it seems the only paramilitary organisation yet identified by the PSNI are the UVF, whose own political party the PUP at …

Northern Ireland training ground for new BBC leadership

Brian Walker on November 23, 2012, 3:46 pm

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I was going to headline this: “BBC NI ex News trainee becomes Director General. ” But then nearly all the bright young things in London HQ in the 1970s were blooded (figuratively) in the Belfast newsroom at the height of the Troubles. BBC News and current Affairs was the forcing ground for familiar luminaries Jeremy Paxman, Gavin Esler and Bill Neely ( Spotlight). Among those who enhanced their reputation outside the BBC later were Chris Graham, former head the Advertising …

The NI peace process has lessons for Israel and Hamas

Brian Walker on November 22, 2012, 12:47 pm

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Richard Haass President Bush’s envoy to Northern Ireland and now head of a leading foreign affairs advisory board, has a piece in the Financial Times (£) headlined “Israel should learn from Northern Ireland.” The first lessons are not those touted by the former paramilitaries but those learned by the governments. As he has said before, Haass puts Israel in a roughly equivalent role to that of the British government in the peace process. Israel needs to put Hamas to the test. …

Transforming society through engaging place based leaders

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on November 20, 2012, 11:14 pm

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Transforming society through engaging place based leaders By Allan Leonard for Northern Ireland Foundation 1 November 2012 A conference organised by the University of Ulster addressed the dynamic and innovative approaches to place based leadership, and how they could be applied in Northern Ireland and abroad. Audio: 20121101 UU Conference – 01 Alastair Adair UU Pro Vice Chancellor, Professor Alastair Adair, spoke about how these approaches were reflected in the university’s course offering, Civic Leadership and Community Development. Prof. Adair said …

Dolours Price “fresh interviews” on Adams contradicts Ed Moloney – Sunday Telegraph

Brian Walker on September 23, 2012, 4:54 pm

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“A convicted IRA bomber (Dolours Price) claimed that Adams had sanctioned a series of attacks on London in 1972, including the bombing of the Old Bailey, which killed one man and injured 200 more, according to the Telegraph. Price has given a fresh series of interviews in which she makes claims about Adams, which she says are the same as she made in the tapes being sought by the police. The bomber, who served eight years in prison for playing …

Apologise, apologise. Who me?

Brian Walker on September 19, 2012, 4:47 pm

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Two interesting letters in the Irish Times (flagged up to me by Jeff Dudgeon) on the “apology” front worth printing out rather than only hyperlinking to. Michael Lillis whom I knew and liked had the courage to engage frankly with unionists and thus represented a new departure. In his time it was unionist obduracy that contributed to the Anglo -Irish Agreement, for me the slowburn creative shock treatment that brought them slowly into reality. Others will disagree. Philip Flynn a …

“Northern politics should be recognised as a baleful embarrassment”

Pete Baker on September 5, 2012, 2:04 pm

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Some stark, but not inaccurate, analysis from Stephen Rainey and Jason Walsh in the Irish Examiner. The “new dispensation” has, by design, no politicians of merit capable of dealing with realpolitik. The people trying to deal with the untended ills of a once-fractured and still lost society grumble and fumble, but the political power to engage with the problems locks itself in Stormont, discussing what the “two communities” need. This dereliction of duty is eerily echoed by the ongoing dereliction …

PSNI: “The time for posturing on this issue… is now passed.”

Pete Baker on September 4, 2012, 3:33 pm

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After two nights of violence on the streets of north Belfast, during which over 60 officers were injured, 6 baton rounds fired, and 8 arrests made, the PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr has issued a challenge to politicians. From the Irish Times report Police said the trouble was started by loyalists and that nationalists were also involved. Mr Kerr acknowledged that the trouble has raised concerns about whether a massive Orange Order parade on September 29th will pass off …

“We seem to have adjusted to peace by means of mass medication…”

Pete Baker on July 25, 2012, 12:55 pm

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Some contrasting reports to note on health and well-being in Northern Ireland. We knew in February this year that “the people of Northern Ireland are the happiest in the United Kingdom”. That’s by their own subjective assessment, of course. And a more detailed breakdown of the data suggests you might feel even happier living in some areas of Scotland. As long as you’re employed, older, and in good health… Of more significance is the study by Professor Mike Tomlinson– “War, peace and suicide: The case …