Londonderry

Londonderry SF councillor still confused

Pete Baker on July 7, 2010, 12:44 pm

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Sinn Féin councillor, Maeve McLaughlin, who doesn’t believe Londonderry [And Northern Ireland? – Ed] is still part of the UK, is now complaining that she can’t search the National Archives of Ireland for ‘Derry’. As the Derry Journal reports Sinn Féin councillor Maeve McLaughlin said a number of local people had raised concerns about the website. “I was contacted by a constituent this week who had read in the local press that the National Archives of Ireland had a new online …

The Fountain: A part of Londonderry that Derry forgot…

Mick Fealty on June 28, 2010, 5:30 pm

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Nice observational piece here from Middlemarch on Listenderry… A writer from a nationalist background who took a quiet walk into and around the tiny Fountain area: the only part of Derry city’s west bank which retains a substantial Protestant population… 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

“Martin McGuinness was more likely than not to have been in possession of a Thompson sub-machine gun”

Pete Baker on June 15, 2010, 11:35 pm

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Saville made no finding on whether Martin McGuinness had “fired a Thompson sub-machine gun from the Rossville Flats”. But, despite Eamonn’s ‘not proven’ claim, it’s more a case of ‘not [fully] tested’. From the Saville Inquiry’s Consideration of the evidence relating to Martin McGuinness [scroll down] 147.349 We were unable to obtain a written statement from Infliction, or call him to give oral evidence. Nor was Martin McGuinness able to question him or even be told who he was. The same applies to the …

“None was posing any threat of causing death or serious injury.”

Pete Baker on June 15, 2010, 10:03 pm

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The Guardian identifies the key findings of the Saville Inquiry report. The significant one for the families “None of the casualties shot by soldiers of Support Company was armed with a firearm or (with the probable exception of Gerald Donaghey) a bomb of any description. None was posing any threat of causing death or serious injury. In no case was any warning given before soldiers opened fire,” the report said. The Guardian also points out Lieutenant Colonel Derek Wilford did not comply …

Bloody Sunday Live blog…

Mick Fealty on June 15, 2010, 3:23 pm

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Bloody Sunday report The Saville Inquiry report has been published on the inquiry website. You can catch summary details about the report, family reactions and political commentary through the many, many media outlets camped out in Guildhall Square. 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

Bloody Sunday: A calculated confrontation?

Niall Ó Dochartaigh on June 15, 2010, 9:49 am

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The Saville Inquiry has uncovered strong evidence that Bloody Sunday was the outcome of a determined military plan to stage a major and unprecedented confrontation in Derry, but will the final report reflect this evidence? The Bloody Sunday Inquiry has not found proof of a British Government plan to carry out a massacre of civilians in Derry in January 1972. Instead it has revealed the contours of a much more complex story, of a major confrontational initiative planned at the …

“I had to put a lot of pressure on Tony Blair…”

Pete Baker on June 14, 2010, 11:27 pm

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On the eve of the publication of the Saville Inquiry report, The Guardian‘s Henry McDonald reports former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s claim of responsibility… Ahern said its impact on the peace process had been critical. “It was immensely important because at that time we were trying to build confidence and help the people of Derry, who had been dealing with this for years,” Ahern said. “I had to put a lot of pressure on Tony Blair. All the advice he was …

“The safety of officers and the public is a priority for the PSNI…”

Pete Baker on June 3, 2010, 3:08 pm

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According to reports, when a family who were being threatened by an armed masked gang in their home in the Slievemore Park area of Londonderry contacted the police on 999, they were told that “officers were unable to attend the scene”. The incident happened at around 11:30pm last night. [Adds The family have said the police did not visit them until 1100 BST on Thursday.] From the BBC report District Commander Chief Superintendent Stephen Martin said police had to establish if the call …

Derry Essays 8: “It’s the ‘Alternative’ that unites us all…”

Middlemarch on May 21, 2010, 10:08 am

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Guest contributor Middlemarch gives us a tour de force of the importance of music of what has been at times, a power alternative cultural force in the city. If you want to contribute to the series, or blog for our sister site listenderry.org, send Mick an email with your ideas at [email protected].

We’ve got Londonderry themes, now we need Derry writers…

Mick Fealty on May 17, 2010, 5:53 pm

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We’ve taken a bit of a break from the Derry essay series, but we hope to restart from tomorrow. I’ve been reviewing some of my notes from the Facebook group meeting on some of the themes that came up, and which I’d like to ask people to write to if they feel so able. Here’s a selection: What has happened to Radical/Free Derry – “Christiania on the Foyle…” Civil agitation which gave self generated arts organisation Has there been a …

Derry Essays 7: Derry Culture or Londonderry Culture. Which?

Michael Gillespie on May 5, 2010, 1:12 pm

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Culture is a slippery concept to get a grip of. According to Chairman Mao: – “ People live and move in culture as fish live and move in water.” This is true of an homogeneous people like the Chinese. The people of Derry aren’t homogeneous but are culturally divided. A more apt view of Derry culture is that of Dr Goebbels: – “ Every time I hear the word culture, I reach for my Luger and release the safety catch.” …

Derry Essays 6: So good they’ve named it several times…

Cecilia Keaveney on May 4, 2010, 3:30 pm

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Whether it is the Derry Air, the Londonderry Air or Danny Boy you sing, one sure thing is that if you’re from the North West you have a more than reasonable chance to have a fine voice and musical talent – and as a musician born from the musical Cassidy clan from Derry I don’t need to throw the stone too far at all! Of course another feature is the modesty of those in all of the Arts field whose …

Slugger ‘talking local’ in Derry next week…

Mick Fealty on April 23, 2010, 4:30 pm

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I’m going to be in Derry for a few days next week. I’m keen to organise an informal get together for people already involved in social media or keen to get more involved in it. In particular I want to look at how the bid for the City of Culture might be made more open and facilitate greater input from ordinary citizens. But we are also planning to set up a freestanding and independent hyperlocal social media hub to help, …