North South – Page 11 – Slugger O'Toole

“Mr Adams insists that the Sinn Fein project remains on track.”

Pete Baker on August 4, 2009, 2:35 am | Readers 8

BBC NI political editor Mark Devenport’s Newsline report on Sinn Féin’s identity crisis in Ireland may, or may not, appear online at some point – and Chris collated some other links on the subject. In the meantime, ahead of a special meeting of the party’s Ard Chomhairle, Oireachtas members and Northern Ireland MLAs, and the party’s “middle tier of leadership” on August 10th, here’s Mark’s blogged account of what former Wexford Sinn Féin councillor John Dwyer told him. John lost …

“Money is still dished out to absolutely hideously bad private operators…”

Mick Fealty on July 29, 2009, 8:38 pm | Readers 1

-Tomaltach notes the decimation of Irish language journalism. Then launches a passionate broadside against cack handed (largely bureaucratic) attempts to stem life blood of the language: …money is still dished out to absolutely hideously bad private operators for unused online courses and the likes. But this exposes the insanity of the way the Irish language strategy has been piloted. All sorts of grants were available for Gaeltacht schemes – even thought about 70% of the Gaeltacht is now a fiction …

“Remember the passion, the self-confidence, the enthusiasm with which we hated the Prods”

Mick Fealty on July 29, 2009, 4:32 pm | Readers 6

A return to something like his best satirical form Newton Emerson in the Irish Times takes a bite at those members of southern Sinn Fein now expressing their disillusionment over how things have turned out [file under humour]: In recent years I have become increasingly disillusioned with the direction of the party. The leadership promised a “peace strategy” to deliver a united Ireland through the exclusively political institutions of the Belfast Agreement. It is now painfully obvious that when they …

Cunningham agrees to confiscation order for €343,520

Pete Baker on July 28, 2009, 7:21 pm | Readers 30

Ted Cunningham, who received a 10 year sentence for attempting to launder more than £3million from the Northern Bank robbery, has consented to a confiscation order for €343,520 which he is to pay to the Irish State. The Irish Times report notes “Cunningham, who had been granted free legal aid by Judge Murphy, is appealing both his conviction and his sentence to the Court of Criminal Appeal but it may be next year before the appeal is heard.” The report …

“Maybe we don’t know who we are or where we are going.”

Pete Baker on July 26, 2009, 10:54 pm | Readers 5

Brian has already noted Liam Clarke’s thoughts on Gerry Adams’ role, and its impact on Sinn Féin’s fortunes in the Republic of Ireland. In the Sunday Tribune, however, the focus of the political correspondent Conor McMorrow, is on the resignations from the party there and on Toiréasa Ferris’ comments. Apparently there is to be a special meeting of the party’s Ard Chomhairle, Oireachtas members and Northern Ireland MLAs, and the party’s “middle tier of leadership” in August to “assess the …

“Is anyone clear on the logic..?”

Pete Baker on July 24, 2009, 2:40 am | Readers 2

Over at Irish Election, P O’Neill picks up on an RTÉ report on NAMA’s intended administration of €22billion of “loans for properties based in the UK – the majority of which are within the M25 motorway around London”. And he asks Is anyone clear on the logic under which a huge overseas property portfolio should be managed by the state? As opposed to, for instance, immediate sale to other developers who would likewise be attracted by the 2012 Olympics? Well, …

Lithuania withdraws extradition request in Republic of Ireland

Pete Baker on July 24, 2009, 12:17 am | Readers 4

Lithuanian authorities have confirmed their apparent preference for Northern Ireland courts by formally withdrawing the extradition request in the Republic of Ireland for Liam Campbell, one of the men held to be responsible for the Omagh bombing in a recent civil judgement, on weapons and terrorism charges. Campbell had been remanded on bail there with two others since his arrest in January – on a European Arrest Warrant issued in connection with an MI5 sting operation against republican groups which …

Adams “trapped by circumstances that are arguably of his own making”

Pete Baker on July 21, 2009, 8:09 pm | Readers 7

The Irish Times catches up with the news of Dublin Cllr Louise Minihan’s resignation from Sinn Féin – and Monaghan Sinn Féin Cllr Matt Carthy says that she should honour a pre-election pledge which “states that if we leave Sinn Féin for whatever reason we will give our seats back to the party.” Meanwhile, via Newshound, in Village magazine, taking Gerry Adams’ World Tour for Irish Unity as a starting point, Ed Moloney argues that the signs are of a …

Turning Orange marches into a tourist event

Andy Pollak on July 15, 2009, 4:42 pm | Readers 10

[This is taken from A Note from the Next Door Neighbours, the monthly e-bulletin of Andy Pollak, Director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies in Armagh and Dublin] This is the Orange marching season. It is a traditionally a time of heightened inter-community tensions in Northern Ireland, when tens of thousands of Catholics and middle-class Protestants flee the province in order to avoid the ‘Twelfth’ and its accompanying displays of sectarian triumphalism. In the late-1990s the Portadown Orangemen’s insistence …

“we cannot allow old hatreds to fester and renew themselves..”

Pete Baker on July 15, 2009, 2:14 am | Readers 8

The BBC report focuses on a small element of the statement on Northern Ireland by Taoiseach Brian Cowen to Seanad Éireann, as does the iol report, but the full text is wider in scope. The continued existence of sectarianism, of peace walls and of deep communal divisions in parts of the North is an affront to democracy and to a civilised society. It defies belief that this is continuing in the year 2009. It must be energetically tackled and confronted …

“The recent Ard Fheis motion on bloodsports and constant ‘rights talk’..”

Pete Baker on July 11, 2009, 1:02 am | Readers

Over at the Cedar Lounge Revolution, Garibaldy has been examining a recent article in An Phoblacht by unsuccessful EU candidate, Sinn Féin’s Toiréasa Ferris. From An Phoblacht. Remember the passion, the self-confidence, the enthusiasm there was in Sinn Féin at the time many of us joined? We need to get back that self-belief. We need to set a clear direction for the party in the 26 Counties so we know exactly what we are fighting for. We cannot continue to …

“It isn’t that we’re hugely concerned..”

Pete Baker on July 9, 2009, 2:24 am | Readers 2

An odd iol report records Northern Ireland deputy First Minister Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, MP, MLA, repeating what he was told at the North-South Ministerial Council meeting on Monday. There’s an associated Sinn Féin press statement. And this from the iol report Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said his party had called the meeting with Mr Cowen to help keep a focus on political developments in the North during the economic crisis. But he insisted they weren’t overly worried the …

NI First Minister to meet Gordon Brown

Pete Baker on July 7, 2009, 3:18 pm | Readers 1

The impact on the property market of the apparently to be co-ordinated disposal of assets by NAMA will be of particular concern to investors in the illegally operating Presbyterian Mutual Society. According to the Belfast Telegraph report, disposing of PMS assets at current market values would result in a loss of £50million. Meanwhile the Irish Times reports that Northern Ireland First Minister, the DUP’s Peter Robinson, is to meet “Prime Minister Gordon Brown today for talks in London about the …

North-South Ministerial Council meets today

Pete Baker on July 6, 2009, 3:09 pm | Readers 1

Apparently the North-South Ministerial Council meets today with Taoiseach Brian Cowen and the Northern Ireland First and deputy First Ministers in attendance and economic issues on the agenda. According to Irish Times report Mr Cowen said that the meeting would be an opportunity to review the excellent progress already made. “It will enable us to focus ever more keenly on the future benefits to be attained by working together on a cross-Border basis.” It’s not clear whether [Irish] chicken will …

“I am disappointed at the discriminatory attitude of the IFA to this issue.”

Pete Baker on June 29, 2009, 10:13 pm | Readers 13

Previously Sinn Féin had called on the Irish Farmers’ Association “to reconsider their partitionist and negative position”, after the IFA had criticised the Irish Government for awarding a €350,000 contract to a non Bord Bia Assured chicken processing company outside the Republic [Crossgar Poultry]. Today the Northern Ireland Agriculture Minister, Sinn Féin’s Michelle Gildernew, has accused the IFA of having a “discriminatory attitude” and has said that “[she] will be contacting Minister O’Dea to clarify his position on this matter …

Sshh.. don’t tell anyone..

Pete Baker on June 26, 2009, 12:26 am | Readers

Announcing the signing of a contract to build four new schools previously, the fact that it is being financed through a Public Private Partnership was relegated to the ‘Notes to Editors’ in the official statement by the Northern Ireland Edcuation Minister, Sinn Féin’s Caitríona Ruane. Yesterday the NI Education Minister “cut the first sod” on “the site of the new £3.5million accommodation” of one of those schools, St Mary’s Primary School, Portglenone. This time there’s not even a ‘note to …

Knitting the island’s relationships back together again

Andy Pollak on June 25, 2009, 4:46 pm | Readers 4

I’ve been thinking about knitting recently. It seems a good image for what those of us in the Centre for Cross Border Studies, Cooperation Ireland and other North-South ‘reconciliation’ bodies are trying to do: knitting damaged relationships between people and communities on this island back together again. Knitting is an activity usually done by women: it is slow, painstaking, meticulous, unglamorous and utterly unthreatening. When done well it produces articles of great beauty, which are at the same time useful, …

“But I am sure I’m not in isolation.”

Pete Baker on June 18, 2009, 8:14 pm | Readers 0

The newly Independent Cllr John Dwyer’s resignation from Sinn Féin was noted previously, and he has been talking to the Irish News about the party’s electoral amibitions here and there. From the Irish News report Mr Dwyer suggested that the party would need to focus less on promoting personalities – after its drive to keep deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald in the European parliament failed – and concentrate on developing policies designed to help those worst affected by the recession. …

“I call on the IFA to reconsider their partitionist and negative position..”

Pete Baker on June 18, 2009, 7:32 pm | Readers 13

Apparently it’s not just the Irish public who are unpatriotic, it’s the Irish government too. Of course the criticism, by the Irish Farmers’ Association, of the Department of Defence’s awarding of a €350,000 contract to a non Bord Bia Assured chicken processing company outside the Republic [Crossgar Poultry] hasn’t gone unnoticed.. From Sinn Féin MLA Willie Clarke “At this time of economic hardship we need a greater degree of support and harmonisation across Ireland in order to assist our indigenous …

WANTED – Idealistic person to work for £45,000 per year

Andy Pollak on May 26, 2009, 9:13 pm | Readers 38

[This is taken from A Note from the Next Door Neighbours, the monthly e-bulletin of Andy Pollak, Director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies in Armagh and Dublin] It didn’t come home to me how appallingly uncompetitive the Republic of Ireland has become until the Centre for Cross Border Studies interviewed candidates for the job of Deputy Director (Research) last month. Several youngish residents of the Republic working as middle-ranking officials and researchers with state bodies and earning in …