Martin McGuinness – Page 8 – Slugger O'Toole

McGuinness and Sinn Fein finally return to the pluralist language of Tone…

Mick Fealty on May 25, 2012, 9:38 pm

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Martin McGuinness’ keynote speech to the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis is up on the party website. It’s worth quoting at length, because at risk of invoking a trite pun it is worth noting at least as much for its reference to Tone (Wolf Theobald) and its generally emollient tone. Partition created two conservative states on our island. The rights and entitlements of ordinary citizens were secondary to the needs of the political class in both states. That is why every …

Last week at Smithwick: nothing to see here

Turgon on April 29, 2012, 2:59 pm

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The revelations last week from the Smithwick Enquiry that Martin McGuinness allegedly authorised the murders of Chief Supt Harry Breen and Supt Bob Buchanan as well as the use of human proxy bombs have made few enough political waves. In most western democratic societies the claim in a judicial setting that the Deputy First Minister was involved in such heinous crimes would be a scandal: here it was little more than a ripple. There are a number of possible reasons …

McGuinness: “open to using new language, and consider making new compromises”

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on April 5, 2012, 9:00 am

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Political Studies Association

The deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness spoke last night before the Political Studies Association conference dinner in the plush surroundings of Belfast City Hall. He initially covered the mandatory tourism information, quoting travel guides that say “Belfast is a must see city in 2012” and adding that “Derry city – or as some people call it Londonderry – is a must see city in 2013”. During his twenty minute address he mentioned the “tiny number of militarists who delude themselves …

Referendum demands may be catching

Brian Walker on January 30, 2012, 10:06 am

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In that interview trailed by Pete below, the Examiner itself highlights the DPM’s soft voiced approach to an early referendum on unity. Have Alex Salmond’s tactics found their Irish imitator? The deputy first minister believes the Democratic Unionist Party can be persuaded to agree to such a dramatic move. Brian WalkerFormer BBC journalist and manager in Belfast, Manchester and London, Editor Spolight; Political Editor BBC NI; Current Affairs Commissioning editor BBC Radio 4; Editor Political and …

Martin McGuinness: “as far as I was concerned she apologised for her behaviour…”

Pete Baker on January 29, 2012, 7:43 pm

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That’s according to the Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, in an interview to be published in the Irish Examiner tomorrow. He’s referring to RTÉ presenter Miriam O’Callaghan and her questioning of his version of his past during a televised debate with candidates in the Irish Presidential election last year. From the Irish Examiner report In an interview to be published in full in Monday’s Irish Examiner, Mr McGuinness says Ms O’Callaghan apologised on count night.”Miriam came …

“and ‘Soon’ would have known this”

Pete Baker on January 2, 2012, 3:01 pm

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Perhaps the most interesting [and least covered? – Ed] response to the release of UK National Archive files from 1981 was that of the Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams, TD. An edited version of his blog post appeared at the Guardian. The interesting part is not his declaration of “Another myth busted”. That particular “war of words”, as Brian Rowan says, “will go on”. The interest is in Adams’ calling into question “the relationship between London and ‘Soon’” – Londonderry businessman Brendan Duddy – …

McGuinness and #Aras11: A brief afterword…

Mick Fealty on November 4, 2011, 10:46 am

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I think it was Eamonn McCann who said it is almost impossible to dislike Martin McGuinness once you’ve met him. I fully concur. The last time I met him was in Stormont, and when he saw me he rose from his chair, strode across the Long Gallery to warmly shake my hand. That kind of emotionally intelligent instinct is political gold, and is one reason why McGuinness has lifted honours in the last two Slugger Awards. It’s also a critical …

Adams damning McGuinness with faint praise..?

Belfast Gonzo on November 2, 2011, 9:30 am

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IT would have been easy for Gerry Adams to be fulsome in his praise of Martin McGuinness’ presidential campaign. Instead, the intro to Gerry Adams’ latest blog entry seems both ambiguous and odd – although the former may be politically ingrained and the latter blamed on his a faux folksy writing style. And – for a party as single-mindedly obsessed with expansionism as SF – not a word about the size of the vote. Here’s the first par, the one …

McGuinness and the unintended messages of #Aras11

Mick Fealty on November 1, 2011, 7:35 pm

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One SF member I spoke to when trying to ascertain whether Martin McGuinness was going to run for the Irish Presidency, dismissed it honestly by suggesting it would ‘send the wrong message’. I’m not sure if the message picked up by Malachi O’Doherty was the one he had in mind, but for once it concerns what it means for Northern Ireland rather than the south: McGuinness comes back looking either like a failed candidate who would rather be somewhere else, …

For that reason, Sean, I’m out: #aras11 injury time.

John Ó Néill on October 25, 2011, 1:48 pm

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Sean Gallagher, the Fianna Fáil independent candidate who has been leading the latter stages of the #aras11 race must be hoping that the finishing lines comes as quickly as possible. Martin McGuinness presided over a a very public unfolding of Gallagher’s memory of collecting donations for Fianna Fáil on the final debate on Frontline last night (although no-one seems to have noticed that he had instant recall of the individual he claimed to have had no memory of seconds before). This included a dreadful gaffe in referring to an …

Martin McGuinness: “but I don’t recall saying that.”

Pete Baker on October 23, 2011, 4:15 pm

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During the campaign to become President of Ireland, the Sinn Féin candidate, Martin McGuinness, MP, MLA, has repeatedly claimed that “As a republican leader I have never and would never stand over attacks on the Garda Síochána or the Defence Forces” In a report today, he’s again quoted as saying “I would not support anybody under any circumstances attacking the gardai or the Defence Forces…” So it’s worth noting Martin McGuinness’ response on Thursday’s RTÉ’s Six One News, when confronted …

“There are sometimes occasions when frank disagreements arise between states…”

Pete Baker on October 17, 2011, 11:20 pm

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After meeting with the Finucane family to discuss the UK government’s decision “to conduct an independent review to produce a full public account of any state involvement in the murder”, rather than open an inquiry under the 2005 Inquiries Act, UTV reports Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Gilmore’s comments Speaking after a meeting with the Finucane family on Monday afternoon he said: “There are sometimes occasions when frank disagreements arise between states. “This is one on this occasion.” …… Mr …

“It was only since the presidential campaign got under way…”

Pete Baker on October 12, 2011, 5:47 pm

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As RTÉ reported on Monday, the Sinn Féin candidate in the Irish Presidential race, Martin McGuinness, MP, MLA, found himself confronted, and called “a liar”, by the son of a member of the Irish Army who was killed in Ballinamore in 1983 by the Provisional IRA gang who were holding the kidnapped businessman Don Tidey. The full RTÉ video clip is available here. As Anthony McIntyre observes Looking at the incident from where I sat the presidential candidate was caught unawares by what he thought was …

Judge Smithwick: “I therefore anticipate that I will be able to submit my final report by the end of May 2012.”

Pete Baker on October 10, 2011, 2:27 pm

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Having expressed his concern at the 30 November ‘deadline’ initially imposed by the Irish Government, Judge Peter Smithwick has now formally requested a 6 month extension for the tribunal he chairs. From the Irish Times report The tribunal, now six years in existence, began its public hearings only in June this year. Judge Smithwick stated in his letter that since the public hearings had begun, a number of people previously unknown to the tribunal had come forward with potentially important information, …

Sinn Fein haven’t ruled out a McGuinness victory, but…

Mick Fealty on October 10, 2011, 8:48 am

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One of the more revealing pieces of journalism on the Aras race this week was in Irish, and quoted in our latest round up… It’s provides a brief insight into Sinn Fein’s thinking re the election: Nil sé as an cheist go mbainfeadh Martin Mc Guinness toghchán na hUachtaránachta ach tá siad sin cheana féin ag iarraidh a bheith cinnte de go rachaidh an dul chun cinn atá ag titim amach anois chun tairbhe an pháirtí sa chéad olltoghchán eile. …

“Republicans don’t accept that…”

Pete Baker on October 9, 2011, 2:52 pm

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Despite sitting in a Northern Ireland Assembly that requires Royal Assent to enact any legislation passed, the NI deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s John O’Dowd, has told the BBC that he would not be prepared to meet the UK Head of State (Queen Elizabeth II). From the BBC report [John O’Dowd] “There are a number of issues which need to be resolved before such a scenario would arise, including from a republican point of view, we were meeting a family …

Sinn Fein release Martin McGuinness bank statement

Turgon on October 5, 2011, 11:47 am

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The BBC are reporting that Sinn Fein have released a bank statement purporting to be Martin McGuinness’s. The statement over 6 months details his receipt from Sinn Fein of £1515 in May which rose in June to £1569 and then in August to £1605. It also details assorted withdrawals made by Mr. McGuiness: he mainly seems to shop at ASDA but has also been to TK Maxx, B&Q and Tescos. It is of course unclear how many accounts Mr. McGuinness …

Martin McGuinness: “but it bears all kinds of sinister connotations…”

Pete Baker on October 3, 2011, 10:41 pm

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There was a bizarre interruption in the Irish Times interview with the Sinn Fein candidate in the Irish Presidential race, Martin McGuinness, MP, MLA. From the Irish Times report TEN MINUTES into our interview, Martin McGuinness is beginning to set out how he’s been around a long time, when a shadow falls across the table. We turn around and a large, hirsute man looms above, shaking a camán and warning, “You’d better not ask any hard questions.” A smile as …

Davis makes financial disclosure. Will McGuinness follow?

Mick Fealty on October 3, 2011, 2:02 pm

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Mary Davis has been getting a lot of stick from the press about her various public appointments. Now, she’s published her P60 and her earnings as a director. In yesterday’s NewsTalk engagement Martin McGuinness also promised a similar disclosure… That would be a disclosure, Gerard’s been waiting for some months for… 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 …

McGuinness on killing of innocents: “It’s quite legitimate for the term murder to be used…”

Mick Fealty on October 3, 2011, 11:24 am

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Hard ball interviews are vastly over rated in political journalism. A good example of the fruits of a ‘slow ball’ delivery is David McKittrick’s interview in today’s London Independent with Martin McGuinness. In particular this section: The conflict in the city was bitter, he says, with a lot of people killed on all sides. “I lost a lot of friends at the hands of the British Army,” he says. “The person who actually introduced me to my wife, Colm Keenan, …