Republic – Page 29 – Slugger O'Toole

Ireland-Israel tensions rise

Brian Walker on June 2, 2010, 12:11 am

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It’s still looking very dicey out there in the Eastern Med, as we wait for the Irish wave. Brian Cowen must know there’s not a snowball’s of the MV Rachel Corrie getting through to Gaza and is getting his diplomatic retaliation in first. The Israelis are drawing a careful distinction between the naval blockade and letting in supplies. The blockade stays, supplies may be something else. The Israelis don’t take easily to pressure even within their own democracy. One blogger must …

Four arrested in Laois in counterfeit cash investigation

Pete Baker on May 31, 2010, 2:59 pm

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Not much detail on this one yet, but the iol report notes that four men, in their 40s and 50s, were arrested in County Laois this morning “after an extensive operation, which has been ongoing for several months”. RTÉ adds What is believed to be a sophisticated counterfeit operation and underground bunker has been uncovered by gardaí in Co Laois. Four men in their 40s and 50s have been arrested; two are being detained in Tullamore and two in Portlaoise Garda …

“everyone in Ireland is an economist now”

Pete Baker on May 26, 2010, 3:32 pm

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Mack referred in passing to the Guardian’s G2 feature on Ireland at the start of the crisis in the Eurozone, but it deserves a bigger mention. Here’s a key extract “There were very few of us in the boom who suggested what was going on was nonsense. If you’re against consensus in Ireland, the first phase is ridicule, then it’s violent opposition, and the third phase is universal truth – where everyone pretends they agreed with you all along,” [David] …

Hanlon jailed for three years and three months for IRA membership

Pete Baker on May 19, 2010, 3:26 pm

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To add to the convictions resulting from Operation Phoenix noted previously – “Northern Bank robbery – redux”. Former Sinn Féin councillor, and unsuccessful candidate in the 2002 general election, Tom Hanlon has been sentenced to 3 years and 3 months for IRA membership at the non-jury Special Criminal Court in Dublin. Convicting Hanlon, Mr Justice Paul Butler, presiding, said that the court was satisfied that Hanlon was “intimately involved in highly suspicious financial transactions involving monies which have been proved to have included …

The ash is back

Pete Baker on May 16, 2010, 12:52 pm

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No-fly zones have been re-imposed over parts of the UK, including Northern Ireland, and some Irish airports are also affected. The Met Office will be updated its observations of the volcanic ash cloud on a regular basis. Adds The Guardian has more. Including this footage of the culprit, the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, erupting. Pete Baker

Euro crisis: “decision to create a single currency in Europe was an eminently political decision.”

Pete Baker on May 15, 2010, 5:20 pm

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At the Cedar Lounge, WorldbyStorm has a lengthy post detailing his increasing scepticism as a pro-EU[ropean] over the EU Commission’s proposals to “co-ordinate fiscal policy in advance”. But more importantly to me, however pro-EU I am, as noted above I have to admit that I am becoming more and more dubious about the very notion of an EU polity that transcends national divisions. It seems to me that the distinctions between nations within the EU is so great as to …

Stephanomics: “That is getting very close to a fiscal union…”

Pete Baker on May 12, 2010, 12:45 pm

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While our focus was on the Prime Ministerial negotiations, the European Commission was moving to shore up the eurozone – agreeing emergency measures worth €750billion ($975bn, £650bn). That’s on top of the earlier € 110billion three-year bail-out package to rescue Greece’s economy agreed with the IMF. Ireland’s contribution to that earlier plan, providing for bilateral loans up to € 1.312 billion from Ireland to Greece, is due to go before the Dáil next week. As, still everyone’s hero, Robert Peston warned …

“Is abstention from Westminster now an end in itself?”

Pete Baker on May 11, 2010, 12:28 pm

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With an abstentionist Sinn Féin irrelevant to the number crunching at Westminster it’s interesting to see Gearóid Ó Cairealláin, in the North Belfast News, musing aloud about the “elephant in the room”. At his Irish Central website, Niall O’Dowd argues that “The time is now to take that step” [end Sinn Féin’s abstentionism] – although he mistakenly believes that “the Sinn Fein party is abstaining because of the oath of loyalty to the Queen”. As Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams stated …

‘No fly zone’ over Ireland tomorrow

Pete Baker on May 3, 2010, 7:03 pm

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RTÉ reports that the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has warned Irish-based airlines that a ‘no fly zone’ may have to be imposed over Ireland tomorrow because of an ash cloud drifting down from Iceland. From the IAA statement The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has informed Irish-based airlines that it is concerned that Irish Airports may be impacted by the drift south of the volcanic ash cloud caused by the north easterly winds. Current information from the Volcanic Ash Advice Centre …

Northern Bank robbery – redux

Pete Baker on May 2, 2010, 9:01 pm

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In an under-reported move on Friday, 63 year-old George Hegarty, of Donnybrook Cottages, Douglas, Cork, pleaded guilty to money laundering at his address in February 2005, knowing or believing that the £66,000 Sterling found at his home represented the proceeds of a robbery at the Northern Bank, Belfast in December 2004, or being reckless as to whether that money was or represented such proceeds. As yesterday’s Irish News noted Mr Hegarty was originally arrested in February 2005 at the same time as …

Gormley’s Wire Man not “being progressed”

Pete Baker on May 2, 2010, 2:49 pm

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In January last year the Dublin Docklands Authority stated that although they would “not be proceeding” with Antony Gormley’s Wire Man sculpture at that time, “the project will be kept under review and the Docklands Authority will continue working with the artist and others to progress the design at this stage.” They also confirmed that “the sculpture is an important element of the Docklands Arts Strategy”. Today’s Sunday Times reports that despite assurances to the artist, and DDA spending more than …

Red C Poll: Labour 7 points up, SF 4 points down

Pete Baker on May 1, 2010, 8:11 pm

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The interesting thing to note from the reports of the Red C poll figures for tomorrow’s Sunday Business Post is that the only statistically significant swings appear to be away from Sinn Féin (down 4 points at 6%) and towards the Irish Labour Party (up 7 points at 24%). From the RTÉ report The poll found Fianna Fáil support down one point to 23%, leaving the party in third place just days before the second anniversary of Brian Cowen’s election as Taoiseach. Labour …

Irish Justice Minister cancels appearance at GRA annual conference

Pete Baker on April 27, 2010, 7:53 pm

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Irish Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern cancelled his scheduled appearance at the Garda Representative Association (GRA) annual conference today after the text of a critical speech to be delivered by the association’s outgoing president, Michael O’Boyce, was circulated. According to the iol report In the speech, Mr O’Boyce was intending to say gardaí and other public sector workers had endured an “unrelenting, distasteful and vitriolic attack from the Government and their wealthy cronies” during the past year and a half. “This was distasteful …

“The Provos are giving the police information non-stop”

Pete Baker on April 25, 2010, 10:08 pm

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A Sunday Times report on efforts to counter the increasing activity of still-violent republican groups begins by noting the recent returning to prison of a man released on licence in 1992. Pending a legal challenge, no doubt. From the Sunday Times The Northern Ireland Office is examining intelligence information supplied by MI5 on dissident republicans who were released early under the Good Friday agreement to check if there is evidence to seek their immediate return to prison. Martin Corey, 60, who …

Brian Cowen: “let’s go on a journey and forget about the destination”

Pete Baker on April 21, 2010, 11:49 am

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As the Irish Times’ Deaglán de Bréadún reports, Taoiseach Brian Cowen, picking up from where Bertie Ahern left off, has been telling the Journal of Cross-Border Studies in Ireland that the political journey is what is important, not the destination. And he’s not wrong. From the Irish Times article “The ultimate destination of any political project is a matter of time working itself out. Therefore the destination is not the thing to be talking about. That will be for other people …

“While it does not appear to go in substance into several of the very serious concerns…”

Pete Baker on April 13, 2010, 3:49 am

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Those interfering, and electioneering, ‘foreigners’ brought the Quinn Group’s campaign to the floor of the Northern Ireland Assembly today. More significantly, a last minute affidavit from the Quinn Group has prompted a week-long postponement of the Irish Financial Regulator’s action to put Quinn Insurance into full administration. From the BBC report John Hennessy, senior counsel for the regulator, said officials had received a lengthy affidavit from the company this morning. “While it does not appear to go in substance into …

It’s only science fiction, but…

Pete Baker on April 12, 2010, 1:49 am

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Whereas in 1990 a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, “The High Ground”, boldly posited Irish unification by 2024, in 2010 the second episode of the new series of the BBC’s Doctor Who, “The Beast Below”, has featured the “Starship United Kingdom” – “Britain and Northern Ireland” as the Doctor says – in the 29th Century. Apparently Scotland wanted, and got, their own spaceship… ANYhoo… At The Guardian Dan Martin has been blogging the appearances of the latest Doctor, Matt …

“one thing is obvious: there should be no role for Seán Quinn in what happens”

Pete Baker on April 10, 2010, 11:08 pm

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With reported talks between Anglo Irish and the Irish Financial Regulator, the Quinn Group’s ongoing campaign against the regulator’s intervention looks set to lawyer up. Eamonn McCann takes on the “forelocking tugging”, and electioneering, interfering ‘foreigners’. And WorldbyStorm points to an Irish Times article by John McManus last Monday that’s well worth a read. The only amazing thing about Quinn Insurance – and sadly it’s not that amazing in the Irish context – is that the company was not seized …

“bank in which the family lost most of the €3 billion [] gave loans to cover those losses”

Pete Baker on April 8, 2010, 7:40 pm

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As noted yesterday, the Quinn Group’s campaign against the independent Irish Financial Regulator’s decision to appoint administrators to run its Quinn Insurance arm continues. The BBC corrals the interfering ‘foreigners’ into one report, while the Irish Times was on the streets in Cavan – where it’s worth noting the professionally produced protest signs. The administrators’ report is to be given to the regulator today – whom Seán Quinn has grudgingly conceded was “technically” correct in his assessment of the insurance …

“never any question but that the regulator would remain independent in relation to Quinn Insurance”

Pete Baker on April 7, 2010, 6:45 pm

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The Quinn Group’s campaign continues against the Irish Financial Regulator’s decision to appoint administrators to run its Quinn Insurance arm. Its employees have been on the streets and a number of politicians have been holding meetings with just about everyone involved – although its worth noting the careful footwork of the Irish Minister for Agriculture, Brendan Smith, who met the administrators, but not the Regulator. The Financial Regulator Chief Executive, Matthew Elderfield, is emphasising the independence of his position in …