Unionists should aspire to the Republic’s public sector model

The Dissenter takes an interesting tack of his own, inspired (if that is the right word) by the News Letter’s Unionism 2010 series. And in the process he says things that should be of interest to all constitutional camps in Northern Ireland: …the business sector is as much grounded in a dependency culture as the social sector. Nationalists cannot complain about a significant reduction in Northern Ireland’s public sector. If there is to be an all-Islands economy (one of the largest …

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Attacking Blair only steers political reform into a cul-de-sac

 Robin Wilson’s dismissal      ( link repaired)  of Tony Blair’s handling of the peace process is misconceived. It’s not clear what his precise objections are. For Robin the form of power sharing which was adopted only institutionalised sectarianism. Can we really heap all that on Blair’s head? In one vital respect the prophets of doom were wrong. The system did not collapse when the  “extremes ” became the majority in each bloc. With all its faults, Model 2 looks more stable …

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Decent government will sort the Constitutional question…

I’ve a piece in Saturday’s News Letter, as part of that paper’s focus on Unionism in 2021. At its core, I argue that Unionists, and Nationalists for that matter, in Northern Ireland have been living vicariously off the virtues of their own ideas of their mother state for years, but that: Increasingly, our politics will be about being good in government, and making strong coherent choices that enhance rather than blight the future. As 2021 dawns, our choices should be …

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“let’s go on a journey and forget about the destination – the destination isn’t really important in that respect”

Former Irish Minister for Justice and Progressive Democrats leader Michael McDowell’s call for the 12th July to be an Irish national holiday makes a cheap, and easy, headline for the RTÉ report.  And there may be video from the MacGill Summer School where he made the call. But the RTÉ report also hints at what else he had to say Mr McDowell said that if we were genuine republicans and if the orange panel in the flag meant anything, then …

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Dublin Appeal Court orders retrial of Gerard Mackin

An iol report notes that the Court of Criminal Appeal in Dublin has quashed the murder conviction of Belfast man Gerard Mackin and has ordered his retrial. From the iol report Mackin was jailed for life after he was found guilty of the murder of Belfast taxi driver Eddie Burns in the city in 2007. It was the first time that anyone was convicted in a Dublin court for a murder committed in the north under a cross-border anti-terrorist law …

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No Pope here either.

If Pope Benedict XVI, aka Joseph Alois Ratzinger, was determined to visit those of his flock who reside in the Northern Irish territories (NIT) he would presumably be extremely well briefed as to which parts of Belfast it would be safe and sensible for him to drop in on. He would also probably be discouraged from going walkabout, particularly in full regalia and might be well advised to apply some additional armour plating to his pope mobile depending on which …

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“The first king of England to visit us was Henry II in 1171…”

With Elizabeth II reportedly on her way, in the Irish Times Denis Fahey provides a short history of royal visits, beginning in 1171 with Henry II.  And he notes a speech by George V in Belfast, 1921. King George VI visited Northern Ireland on a number of occasions, and Queen Elizabeth has been there frequently, but the most significant visit of a British royal in the last century was probably the one made by George V in June 1921, when …

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The ‘Englezes’ V ‘The Boche’ and our complex ties with ‘de udder’ island

This afternoon at 3pm and the latest round of the conflict will kick off when the old war and soccer-ball adversaries take to the football field. Perhaps the bestest football chant of all time Two world wars and one world cup provides the sporting and historical context for the tie – although the damned Boche might quibble that the chant needs updating to take account of their 1970 and 1990 World Cup victories over their deadliest rivals. And we can …

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Fine Gael retain lead in Red C poll

The latest SBP/RedC poll shows a surge for Labour although less than the Irish Times poll from a fortnight ago. Fine Gael retain a healthy lead and FF languishing on a steady 24%. David has the detail on politics.ie: FF 24% (NC) FG 33% (+3) LAB 27% (+5) Greens 2% (-3) http://pie.ly/cln4Le 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 …

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Cowen: No obstacle to Queen Elizabeth II visit

As RTÉ reports [Updates added] The Taoiseach has indicated that Queen Elizabeth II will probably make a state visit to Ireland before the end of next year. Speaking in London after a meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron, Mr Cowen indicated the visit might be before the end of President Mary McAleese’s second term in office at the end of next year. The Taoiseach said that no obstacle now exists to prevent a state visit to Ireland by Britain’s queen …

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Enda Kenny to Gerry Adams: “no party require[s] an army council in a time of peace”

Having survived an attempted leadership coup last week, Enda Kenny was in Belfast today.  The BBC reports that the Fine Gael leader again ruled out any possibility of his party forming a coalition government with Sinn Féin because the Provisional IRA army council has not been ‘stood down’.  Gerry Adams is “hugely” offended.  From the BBC report The Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has again said he would not share power with Sinn Fein because the IRA army council has not been stood down. Mr Kenny is …

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Kenny survives confidence vote

As RTÉ reports Enda Kenny has survived the vote of confidence as leader of Fine Gael. Fine Gael parliamentary party chairman Padraic McCormack said the motion was carried after a very thorough and full debate. He said the decision had been made not to disclose the vote results and that the ballot papers would be ‘shredded’. Mr McCormack said the party was damaged in the short-term but will recover and will come stronger out of this episode. The problem is, …

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“on the June 16th in the year of Our Lord 1904…”

It’s Bloomsday!  And not just in Dublin, Ireland, as Frank McNally points out.  The Irish Times archive is now locked up, but the digested read I posted last year is still available.  And this is still an excellent video.  Those of a sensitive disposition are duly warned, again, that James Joyce enjoys the language in all its fecund nuttiness. Adds Via Crooked Timber’s Maria Farrell, here’s an Irish Times article from the weekend on the real people immortalised in Ulysses. Pete Baker

Fine Gael: yet more blood to be spilled on the carpet…

Well Harry was right… And we’ve not seen the end of it yet, by a long way… This evening ten (out of 17) Fine Gael front benchers have walked out and looking in no uncertain way for the head of Enda Kenny… The Emergency have the shorthand below: 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 …

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“I had to put a lot of pressure on Tony Blair…”

On the eve of the publication of the Saville Inquiry report, The Guardian‘s Henry McDonald reports former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s claim of responsibility… Ahern said its impact on the peace process had been critical. “It was immensely important because at that time we were trying to build confidence and help the people of Derry, who had been dealing with this for years,” Ahern said. “I had to put a lot of pressure on Tony Blair. All the advice he was …

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What are the prospects for a smooth change in FG?

I suspect that it is obvious at this point that the possibility of a change at the top of FG has increased in the last 48 hours and I suspect, despite the way things are being played in the media, the likelihood of this change over being a smooth and relatively bloodless one has increased too. I believe that Enda Kenny knows that his race as currently constituted has been run and a significant change in approach is needed. It would seem plain to me that neither he nor the party at large simply can’t overcome the incorrect perception of him that has fixed itself in the mind of the electorate. I say this as a fan of the man, I believe he would be a superb Taoiseach but too large a portion of the electorate can’t see that and no matter what we do we appear to not be able to make the electorate see that. So the key question then becomes what do we do about it?

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Counterfeiting operation posed potential threat to euro

The Sunday Times has details of the scale of the counterfeiting operation that was uncovered in County Laois last month.  From the Sunday Times report Detectives assigned to the fraud investigation, led by Martin Callinan, the deputy garda commissioner and intelligence specialist, believe the gang planned to sell the forged currency at 10% of face value to the Russians, who in turn planned to launder the fakes through contacts in eastern Europe. “We also know that a number of Irish gangs had …

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Northern Bank robbery – Redux. Again.

Another, possibly final, update to the convictions resulting from Operation Phoenix.  George Hegarty had been charged with IRA membership in May 2009 before pleading guilty to  money-laundering offences connected to the 2004 Northern Bank robbery. Today Hegarty was sentenced to 6 years, suspended, for “possessing £66,000 sterling at his address on February 16, 2005, knowing or believing that the money represented the proceeds of a robbery at the Northern Bank, Belfast on December 20, 2004”. From the iol report Detective Sergeant John Cahill gave evidence to …

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Building on the Rugby success of the Ireland team(s)

It is understandable to view the 09/10 Irish rugby season as bit of a disappointment. No Heineken Cup win, no Grandslam and not even a trifling Triple Crown or a measly Magners league title. Ulster in particular, have had a difficult season vying at the business end of the season with Connacht for the third and last Heineken Cup slot. Of course Ireland did beat the World Champions South Africa back in November and Munster, Leinster and Connacht made their …

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“Bar them from the Eurovision?”

In the Irish Times Miriam Lord reflects, briefly, on Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s Skibbereen Eagle moment in the Dáil yesterday Yesterday, the party leaders discussed what Kenny described as “an outrageous act of aggression on the high seas”. The attack by Israeli commandos on a humanitarian aid convoy to Gaza was roundly condemned, but minds were focused on the fact that an Irish vessel, the Rachel Corrie , is still on course for Gaza. Hence Cowen’s Skibbereen Eagle moment – although at least …

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