A car bomb exploded last night at the Strand Road police station in Londonderry. The station had previously been the target of an improvised mortar attack at the end of May. Meanwhile police are also investigating reports of an explosion this morning at the Brownlow police station in Craigavon. Adds updated BBC report. Pete Baker
The Irish News reports today that the Life Sentence Review Commission has released Máirtín’s mate, Ronald McCartney, despite the then Secretary of State Shaun Woodward having revoked his release licence in 2008 “as a result of information received from police that he presented a serious risk to the public.” The Irish News report includes references from Maghaberry Prison governor Fred Caulfield of his “very positive view” of McCartney’s relationship with loyalist and republican prisoners in Maghaberry as well as former trade union chief …
With Londonderry keen to capitalise on its 2013 UK City of Culture title, despite the apparent confusion of some, Mark Devenport notes a singular failure of irony by Northern Ireland junior Minister, Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly. Rejecting TUV calls for the historic buildings at the Maze to be demolished, Gerry Kelly told reporters in North Belfast this afternoon that the people calling for the bulldozers to be sent in were the kind of people “who pull down statues, who deny the history …
There was an attempted punishment shooting in the Falls Road area of west Belfast last Thursday – 4 men and a 16 year old boy have been charged. Yesterday an 18 year old was shot in both legs after he was abducted by four masked men, also in the Falls Road area. Meanwhile the Irish News reported today that More than 40 members of dissident republican group Oglaigh na hEireann (ONH) are believed to have been involved in attacks in the troubled St James’s area …
They just can’t help themselves… Mr McGuinness was speaking at the official opening of the first high-speed road link between Belfast and Dublin. He said: “I think Peter Robinson and I will have more good news to announce in regard to the development of the Maze/Long Kesh site. “We have actually reached agreement and we will publicly announce how we intend to take that forward over the next very short while.” As both the BBC and UTV Press Association note …
BBC NI political editor Mark Devenport notes a charmless and, at best, disingenuous party political response to criticism of the “motherhood and apple pie” aspirations of OFMDFM. From the Devenport Diaries Sinn Fein’s Martina Anderson is not impressed by some of the carping she has heard from community relations types about the latest Stormont CSI strategy. She wonders “how much of that is genuine or how much of it is about protecting their own positions and funding. There are a raft …
‘His position’ in the title would be that of the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser. But, as we know, the scientific illiteracy that prevails in the House of Commons is legendary. And, regardless of their Chief Scientific Adviser’s position, the UK Government have published their response [pdf file] to the Commons Science and Technology Committee’s Report, Evidence Check on Homeopathy. Here are the main paragraphs 4. The Department sets out policy guidance and recommendations, and asks that the local NHS implements that policy in the way that is most …
I have a piece coming out in the News Letter’s series on Unionism 2021, although I am not sure when. All contributors have five questions to answer, the final one asking whether Martin McGuinness would be acceptable as a First Minister. Perhaps surprisingly Paisley senior accepts the prospect with some equinimity, but not without a little dig at his successor, “Sinn Fein didn’t become the majority party on my watch.” Without giving too much away, my own take is that …
The BBC report tells us that The NI first and deputy first ministers have published their proposals for tackling sectarianism, racism and hate. That would be the long-awaited Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration. And from what I can glean from the consultation document [pdf file] they propose to form a committee “Panel”. As Mark Devenport says about the document Lots of it is on the “motherhood and apple pie” level. It’s good to hear that the First and Deputy First …
Mark Devenport is back in the office. And he’s pointing to a prediction by Newsnight’s Michael Crick following the Speaker of the House of Commons’ response to a point of order yesterday on the issue of the payment of allowances expenses to MPs who do not take their seats. Here’s what Michael Crick posted The Speaker John Bercow today announced he would allow MPs a debate and vote on the Sinn Fein allowances, a subject of considerable anger at Westminster. This …
A BBC report picks up on an article in the News Letter by Lord Bannside, aka former DUP leader Ian Paisley Snr. Here’s the section which deals with the question of “unionist unity”. Questions 3 and 4: Is unionist unity essential for the achievement of your vision? And, if so, what does that mean? Unionist unity in its broadest sense within Great Britain is essential for the health of the nation. A unified sense of loyalty to the throne and to the constitution …
If you’re going to ban corporate donations to political parties then it is, at least, consistent to also seek to ban donations from trade unions as the Green Party are proposing. Chairman of the Greens Senator Dan Boyle said yesterday that the party recognised no distinction between political donations from a business corporation and a trade union. “They are one and the same thing as far as we’re concerned: it’s the same principle. That legislation is being prepared by the …
In the Belfast Telegraph Liam Clarke has a suggestion for dealing with the past. It involves the extensive archive the Historical Enquiries Team has gathered together. From the Belfast Telegraph article All available evidence on the 3,268 Troubles’ deaths has been assembled in a repository the size of the largest B&Q store near Lisburn. Besides police, Army and MI5 files, the HET has collated Press cuttings, the claims of paramilitary groups, the files of official investigations and more than 3,000 books …
At the press launch of the inaugural “Poc ar an Cnoc” Edward Carson Hurling Trophy, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams leaned heavily on the image of ‘Carson the hurler’ to explain what could have been seen as a deliberately provocative gesture “I discovered, much to my surprise, that Carson was a hurler in his days at Trinity College (Dublin),” said Adams at Monday’s launch in Parliament Buildings. “So this man who is arguably the father of unionism was also a Gael …
The BBC reports on a meeting today chaired by Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, and attended by NI First and Deputy First Ministers Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness, Finance Minister Sammy Wilson, Northern Ireland Minister Hugo Swire and Mark Hoban, financial secretary to the Treasury. The topic? The troubled Presbyterian Mutual Society. From the NI Secretary of State’s statement Speaking after the meeting, Mr Paterson said: “Both before and since the General Election, the Prime Minister and I have …
Now here’s a little adjunct to the NI Water affair, but before our resident conspiracy theorists go off on another one, so far as we can tell it is an adjunct. Pat Parland, who is currently head of their Communications team and sits on that controversial board will be leaving NI Water at the end of August to take up a position as Director of Communications (and Deputy General Secretary) at Fianna Fail in Dublin. Hmmm some might say, from …
For what it’s worth… As the BBC reported, yesterday the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, published “a summary of responses to the previous Government’s consultation on the Consultative Group on the Past Report” [pdf file]. But not the current Government’s response… Apparently they’ll be considering the four three Victims Commissioners’ recent “constructive advice” “in detail over the coming weeks”. Pete Baker
Before it vanishes into the ether… Earlier this month in the Derry Journal Eamonn McCann offered, what should be, a salutary tale from the recent past In the Sunday World more than 25 years ago, I wrote some of the first pieces to appear in the Irish media about the spread of drug-abuse in Dublin and the human reality of addiction. I covered the emergence of Concerned Parents Against Drugs – and then the marginalisation of the CPAD as armed elements …
Interesting comment yesterday from Sinn Féin’s John O’Dowd on the end of the consultation period on the Sinn Féin/DUP drafted Public Assemblies, Parades and Protests Bill [pdf file] – which a significant number of diverse groups are opposing. From the SF statement “This legislation is an attempt to find a better way forward. It is part of the outworking of the Hillsborough Agreement. It is only designed to be about the issue of parades and related protests. Concerns raised by Trade …
We’ve seen opposition from the Orange Order’s Grand Lodge, and from Queen’s University law lecturer Vicky Conway, and from Newry and Mourne Council [Adds – And from Residents Groups]. And, as wj pointed out, the Committee on the Administration of Justice [CAJ] have published their submission to the consultation on the Sinn Féin/DUP drafted Public Assemblies, Parades and Protests Bill [pdf file]. Here are some extracted paragraphs from the submission [pdf file] On “Disproportionate Restrictions to Freedom of Assembly” Although we recognise the particular difficulties surrounding parades …
