Parties – Page 86 – Slugger O'Toole

“In the end I realised it was all about PR and protecting his own image.”

Pete Baker on January 24, 2010, 9:42 pm

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The issue of Gerry Adams’ claimed desire to preserve Áine Tyrell’s anonymity was raised in Mark’s post, and in the Sunday Tribune interview [added link] Áine Tyrell challenges other parts of the Sinn Féin president’s version of events. The same applies to the youth projects where Liam worked, Áine says. She frequently brought this up with the Sinn Féin president during two years of meetings from late 2003 until late 2005. “I’d heard Liam was working in youth projects in …

“I believe they didn’t want to reopen the can of worms.”

Pete Baker on January 24, 2010, 8:33 pm

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As Mark said, the Sunday Tribune‘s interview with Áine Tyrell will be online later is online here. But here’s a snippet of information that affects the last few years of the timeline. Áine ended the meetings with [Gerry] Adams [late 2003 until late 2005] by posting a letter through his door saying they were “pointless and I felt let down”. In January 2006, she says she went to the PSNI and had the case re-opened. She is enraged that the …

“Privately he is understood to have described the situation as a ‘complete mess'”

Pete Baker on January 24, 2010, 6:35 am

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An apparent development in the long-running saga of the much vaunted Emerald Fund is reported today by John Manley in the Irish News. The fund’s continued failure to invest led to concerns being raised in the middle of last year among the powerful Irish-American lobby. After reviewing the activities of the Emerald Fund, the NYC comptroller’s office chose to initiate a termination of their relationship late last year. Which would mean that just one transaction resulted from that relationship – …

“Let [Gerry Adams] take that legal action, we’ll meet him in the courts”

Pete Baker on January 23, 2010, 9:01 pm

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Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald’s clash with the Sunday Tribune’s Suzanne Breen on RTÉ’s Today with Pat Kenny [mp3 file] yesterday is notable mostly for the numerous breaches of Slugger’s ‘play the ball’ rule. For background see the Liam Adams timeline, and some questions about Gerry Adams’ declared ignorance of his brother Liam’s involvement with Sinn Féin in west Belfast. But if, as Mary Lou McDonald claims, Sinn Féin are committed to revealing the “full facts” about this, here’s another …

Unionist unity a short rather than a long term project?

Mick Fealty on January 23, 2010, 12:07 am

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Well, just heard Ken Reid on the Hatfield House talks (these were day long talks, not just for a few hours grabbed on the Sabbath)… It seems the pretence that this was nothing more than soundings on the current impasse, is slowly giving way to the sense that Unionist unity was nearer the mark… He’s saying now that there are some people involved in those talks for whom the framework has to be forged in a matter of weeks not …

“it isn’t the DUP that’s digging in its heels..”

Pete Baker on January 23, 2010, 12:00 am

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UTV reports DUP leader Peter Robinson response to Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams’ “brutal statement” over the latest “crisis”. [Alternative post title – “Let’s all calm down..”] Video courtesy of UTV Pete Baker

“A cursory glance at the St Andrews Agreement..”

Pete Baker on January 22, 2010, 5:46 pm

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With the, apparent, non-negotiations at stalemate, Sinn Féin have wheeled out their favourite fire-fighter, John O’Dowd. But he needs some new lines. Here’s what he’s said to the BBC John O’Dowd from Sinn Fein argued that 1 May 2008 was the date agreed at the St Andrews talks for the transfer of powers. “A cursory glance at the St Andrews Agreement clearly shows that the date mentioned for transfer was May 1st 2008. “No amount of selective reading will alter …

“That’s simply not how negotiations work.”

Pete Baker on January 22, 2010, 12:19 am

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Northern Ireland Acting First Minister, the DUP’s Arlene Foster, MLA, responds to the comments by Sinn Féin vice-president Mary Lou McDonald – noted by Eamonn earlier. Video courtesy of UTV And some quotes from the UTV report “The sort of deadline that has been given by Sinn Fein is very, very unhelpful and we may have reached the point where we need government facilitation in relation to move matters on.” “We’ve had a team of negotiators sitting around all day …

“When asked to clarify its position on the Emerald Fund, no response was forthcoming”

Pete Baker on January 21, 2010, 9:35 pm

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On Monday Máirtín pointed to an “interesting editorial” in the Irish Echo calling for “new thinking” over the reported $180 million of funds previously committed to the much vaunted Emerald Infrastructure Development Fund – which has failed to deliver any investment since it was announced in April 2008. The then New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson was keen to promote the Fund whilst, as mentioned here, the Fund was always expected to invest in projects here, in Ireland, and in …

Now just a quick question for those at that meeting last Sunday…

Mick Fealty on January 21, 2010, 6:06 pm

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Well, we have it from the Tories… and we have it from my esteemed colleague Owen Polley that the meeting in London on Sunday (when the DUP members left their Sinn Fein colleagues dangling in the P&J talks on basis of taking a break for the Sabbath) that there was nothing to the meeting other than the policing and justice negotiations and the further stability of the institutions… Well, that’s good to hear… And if that’s so, will we be …

Tories: “There was no discussion of a hung parliament.”

Mick Fealty on January 21, 2010, 5:32 pm

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Well, it seems that Eamonn’s story about the Tories meeting with the DUP and UUP in London over the weekend has kicked up a minor storm… But in a statement (carried below the fold), the Conservatives deny there was any discussion of a hung parliament. In fact the senior Conservative spokesman insisted the discussions were focused on the current difficulties at Stormont. The spokesman claims Owen Paterson was meeting the two parties in his capacity as shadow Secretary of State …

Policing and Justice talks entering shaky ground…

Eamonn Mallie on January 21, 2010, 3:03 am

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Inter party talks are on shaky ground tonight. Deputy First Minister Martin Mc Guinness will address Sinn Fein’s board of officers tomorrow. There is no ‘product.’ In a sentence then Mr. Mc Guinness is going to talk with party officers with one hand as long as the other. This is ominous. Eamonn Mallie

“a grave injustice to the whole aspect of truth..”

Pete Baker on January 20, 2010, 7:46 pm

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An Irish Times report headline claims, “McGuinness defends Gerry Adams over handling of sex abuse claims”. But as the BBC report makes clearer, that ‘defence’ was another attack on the media “Quite clearly people are using it to affect Gerry Adams’ leadership of Sinn Fein,” Mr McGuinness said. “I think that Gerry Adams has made a massive contribution to what is clearly now one of the most important peace processes in the world today. “I think those who try to …

Conservatives in talks over unionist unity with UUP, AND the DUP…

Eamonn Mallie on January 20, 2010, 1:06 am

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The Conservatives and the leaderships of the Ulster Unionists and the Democratic Unionist Party held secret talks in England over the weekend, aimed at realeising unionist unity and copper fastening maximum unionist support for a future Conservative government, should there be a hung parliament. Speaking tonight a Conservaitve spokesperson said Mr Paterson held private talks with a number of senior unionist politicians in England. The purpose of which to help greater political stability.It is already known that the Conservatives had …

“We have a little technical hitch here. [Laughter.]”

Pete Baker on January 19, 2010, 6:25 pm

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The BBC report hints at what was a fascinating exchange, and an interesting vote, in the NI Assembly yesterday at the end of a debate of an Alliance party motion – “Crisis in the Executive”, That this Assembly notes the large number of critical issues that the Executive has failed to resolve; expresses deep concern about the consequences for good governance, the economy and public services; and calls on the Executive to meet its responsibilities and to act in a …

“there is no record whatsoever”

Pete Baker on January 19, 2010, 3:37 am

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In response to a series of questions from the Sunday Tribune, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has again claimed that “When [his brother Liam] worked in the Clonard Youth Club [1998-2003] I tried to get him to leave and when he wouldn’t I ensured that the authorities in Clonard were made aware of the allegation. It has also since transpired that the RUC cleared him to work in this project despite being aware of the allegation.” Who, exactly, he “ensured” …

“I’m also a very busy activist. A lot of this happened at a time of intense, hyper activity.”

Pete Baker on January 17, 2010, 11:19 pm

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On the Politics Show today, Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly made an interesting point in response to a question about the credibility of party president Gerry Adams’ latest declaration of ignorance – of his brother Liam’s involvement in a party branch in Andersonstown in recent years “Let’s be logical about this. If Gerry Adams went in Louth and spoke to his brother and told him to leave, why would he not do it in Andersonstown?” And it’s a good question, “If …

Liam Adams Timeline

Pete Baker on January 16, 2010, 11:20 pm

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Before Sinn Féin’s, and Gerry Adams’, story changes again I thought I’d try to tie down some facts about where Liam Adams was, and when. 1987 – At the time Gerry Adams becomes aware of the initial allegations of child abuse against his brother Liam Adams, allegations which Gerry Adams told UTV Insight he believed “from the very beginning”, Liam is living in Donegal – outside the jurisdiction of the then-RUC. Some time afterwards, an “under pressure” Áine Adams decides …

“So I suppose, yes, that gives some level of seniority.”

Pete Baker on January 15, 2010, 6:44 pm

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In an online, but unembeddable, BBC clip Sinn Féin TD for Louth, Arthur Morgan, has repeated his assertion that “It transpires that Liam Adams did, in fact, chair the Comhairle Centair for two meetings, after which he resigned.” He also told the Irish News that “What I completely overlooked was that he had been chair of the [district executive] for two months.” When asked by BBC NI Dublin corrrespondent Shane Harrison, “But he was obviously a prominent member of Sinn …

The DUP: From individual tragedy to an 18th Century Irish farce…

Eamonn Mallie on January 15, 2010, 6:16 pm

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What follows here was triggered by a flashback to my schoolboy recollection of ‘ A School for Scandal‘ by Richard Brinsley Sheridan who was writing in the second half of the eighteenth century. I am in no sense true or faithful to the original text in my portrayal of the main character at play ‘Confidence.’ In other words this is about ‘farce.’ Here we go: “Will someone go upstairs and tell ‘Confidence’ to come down?”If ‘Confidence’ has slipped out of …