Nationalism

Remembers the mid seventies, his time on the run and looks critically on how the British interpreted moves and shifts in Provisional IRA policy. Interesting he notes that a major weakness of the SDLP at the time was its reliance on other parties, a weakness he believes still hampers the party to this day. The only reference to recent events: the observation, that for the party the political struggle remains a long war!By Danny Morrison Last week the official, or …

Read more…

The most extraordinary thing about this robbery is the speed with which the IRA seems to have been comprehensively landed with the public blame for it particularly when the jury remains out for many outsiders over Castlereagh (some believing it was an inside job), Colombia and Stormontgate. Perhaps, evidence will emerge that exonerates that organisation, but given the areas in which the operation took place, it was effectively on the IRA’s watch.For now, it looks to have been an enormous …

Read more…

There’s an interesting editorial in the Sunday Independent today which reads like an invitation to Sinn Fein to grasp the initiative and move on into full time democratic politics. Clearly, no one expected the Chief Constable to give evidence that might compromise the PSNI’s own investigation of the crime. Everyone expected him to make a public statement about the biggest single robbery in Northern Ireland’s history, and to identify the prime suspect for that crime. The only surprise was that …

Read more…

Sinn Fein is to make a major recruitment drive the focus of its activities in 2005, one hundred years on from its foundation. Although it’s likely to take place on an international basis, the higher profile events seem likely to be in the Republic, ahead of the next Dail election scheduled for 2006. The Irish Independent calls on other ‘successor’ parties to lay their own claims to the Griffith inheritance. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written …

Read more…

Brian Feeney makes the point that regardless of how people feel about it, Sinn Fein possesses an unimpeachable mandate as the lead nationalist party. He argues there are very few traces of UUP or SDLP suggestions in the final deal released by the two governments, because in a democracy, the winner takes all. 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 …

Read more…

The device of appending separate annexes to key government documents is becoming something of a norm in the wake of the breakdown of the Belfast Agreement. However it makes it fairly difficult to read interms of what was at least potentially agreed. Danny Morrison unpicks the last week’s document, and gives his view of its significance. Towards the end he hints that for now, Sinn Fein may be happy to let focus of its own game shift towards southern politics.By …

Read more…

More candidates settling in for the Westminster elections, widely expected to be called next May. This time the SDLP has chosen MLA Dominic Bradley to compete with Conor Murphy for Newry and Mourne. 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

Interesting analysis from Jude Collins this week, who asserts what many have suspected for some time, ie that the IRA has finished with its guns some time ago, and Republicans are ready for the next phase of politics. 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

The quality and range of the contributions on The Blanket seems to be rising week by week. Not long ago they carried a lengthy interview with Cheif Constable Hugh Orde and another piece with prominent Orangeman Brian Kennaway. This week, Eoin O’Broin engages with regular critic of Sinn Fein. He contrasts the need to build consensus with a political party with what he sees as the inconsistency of many of its critics amongst dissident Republicans.In particular he hints at the …

Read more…

Wide-ranging article in the Sunday Times Comment: Liam Clarke: Nationalist support must not be undermined again that looks at changing attitudes within the nationalist and republican community to those who served with British Forces in two World Wars. Something that wasn’t widely covered in the media this week, although it was carried by the Irish News, – the NI chairman of the Royal British Legion attended an event organised by Coiste na n-Iarchimi, the republican ex-prisoners’ group. Republicans honour Irish …

Read more…

newry and armagh will have a new mp after the next westminster poll as seamus mallon confirms he will not stand again Philip Weir

EVEN before Gerry Adams’ ‘regret’ over the Birmingham pub bombings, it seemed Sinn Fein representatives were lining up to put distance between the IRA and themselves…In UCD last week, Michelle Gildernew stated that Sinn Fein “support the right of people who have fled persecution abroad to find sanctuary here”. I am sure this policy shift will come as great news to those the IRA has forcibly expelled from Ireland, particularly since Sinn Fein representatives have occasionally been the forebearers of …

Read more…

Jude Collins believes that neither photographic evidence nor the witness of two clergy should be necessary suppliments to the good offices of John de Chastellaine. 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

Anthony McIntyre’s latest missive on the nature of the ‘revolution’ within Sinn Fein that set the party on the road to peace under the leadership of Gerry Adams is much more balanced than one might expect from a self confessed ‘hostile witness’.Along the way he makes the case for the need for peaceful dissidence in any free society. Not least by his quotation of Kapuscinski: “Today one hears about noise pollution, but silence pollution is worse. Noise pollution affects the …

Read more…

DR JOHN COULTER is a Northern political columnist with the Irish Daily Star. Here, he argues the Provisional IRA could get around the disbanding dilemma by restructuring itself as the Irish Republican Association, based on similar lines as the Royal British Legion.By John Coulter The Provisional Irish Republican Army needs to copy its arch rivals, the British Army, and form an Old Comrades’ Association to get around the thorny problem of those nasty D words – decommissioning and disbanding. West …

Read more…

I missed this from Chris Stalford a few weeks back. It’s a rare example of a unionist commentator giving nationalist politics some thought. He even manages to praise the calibre of Sinn Fein politicians in the process. The same hardly applies the other way round with Brian Feeney and others rarely letting Unionism off without a robust mention in dispatches. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and …

Read more…

Needless to say, I don’t get a lot of time watching RTE television, but I did catch a repeat of last Monday’s The Panel. Chaired by stand up Dara O Briain this week’s political guest was Sinn Fein’s Dublin MEP Mary Lou McDonald. She handled the often anarchic informality of the format exceptionally well for a politician. But the best line of the night was undoubtedly O’Briain’s. Regarding a future United Ireland he asked her, “Do you think we really …

Read more…

Martin Morgan, the SDLP’s candidate in the recent European elections and former Lord Mayor is to retire from active politics when the local elections are held in Belfast next May. It will undoubtedly be a blow for a party that in recent years has consciously tried to build the profile of its younger members. 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 …

Read more…