Republic – Page 33 – Slugger O'Toole

French seek Dublin man’s extradition on alleged terrorism and weapons trafficking charges

Pete Baker on January 13, 2010, 1:36 am

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An iol report notes that French authorities are seeking the extradiction of a Dublin man in connection with alleged terrorism and weapons trafficking offences. In a European arrest warrant seeking Mr Doran’s surrender, it is claimed the Dublin man was involved in a Real IRA-led attempt to develop a weapon and ammunition supply through France in late 2003. It is alleged the 31-year-old arrived in France by ferry on August 10, 2003 as part of this operation. Mr Doran was …

An Insider’s view: Sinn Féin has become “bloated, slow and predictable…”

Mick Fealty on January 11, 2010, 2:27 am

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The excellent Sinn Fein – Keep Left blog has (see also Neil at The Beautiful Room) published a document prepared by Killian Forde and sent up to the leadership after the local elections in June last year… It was, we understand, completely ignored by the party’s leadership… Which is a shame for them, because instead of it remaining a private report, it has gone public… In essence, he argues that the party is driven not by an independent party structure, …

“Sycophantism in any organisation is dangerous – in a political party it is cancerous.”

Pete Baker on January 10, 2010, 7:53 pm

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Máirtín tries to pour some oil on the troubled waters of Dublin Sinn Féin following the resignation of Cllr Killian Forde. And dropping from 7 councillors to 4 on the city council in the space of 6 months, or as Jim Cusack notes from 10 after the 2004 elections to four now, is choppy weather indeed. Meanwhile, the newly liberated Cllr Forde has been talking to the Sunday Tribune [Added link to Sunday Tribune article]. Speaking exclusively to the Sunday …

“The leadership of the party appeared to not recognise or were unwilling to accept..”

Pete Baker on January 9, 2010, 6:22 pm

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An iol report confirms the news Mick noted last night, Sinn Féin Dublin City Councillor Killian Forde has resigned from the party. As the report notes, “He is the third city councillor to resign from Sinn Féin.” And, Dublin Sinn Féin Chairperson Eoin Ó Broin said it had become clear in recent times that Killian Forde was “in the wrong party”. On his blog, the newly liberated Cllr Killian Forde agrees As people within the organisation will know I had …

Councillor Forde adds to Sinn Fein’s southern brain drain…

Mick Fealty on January 9, 2010, 4:23 am

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As noted in our post Christmas blogburst, Dublin Sinn Fein councillor Killian Forde, defied the party whip… As noted in that same blogburst, the precedent suggested he would be punished for his efforts… His ‘crime’? Voting for a Labour party budget he had worked with them on… His reasons? Well, before P.ie broke the new (and we have independent confirmation of the resignation), he told the Herald he wanted to avoid being accused of ‘chancerism’… From the Herald report: Sinn …

“We would like to know what happened”

Pete Baker on January 8, 2010, 9:17 pm

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According to an Irish Times report the European Commission want a word in Slovakia’s shell-like about that explosives incident earlier this week. And in a separate report Daniel McLaughlin, in Budapest, notes further discrepancies in the Interior Ministry’s version of events One of the key questions surrounds how and why the pilot of the Dublin-bound flight was allowed to take off with some 96g of high-grade plastic explosives on board. The Slovak interior ministry insists the explosives were not a …

The artificial gauze of quality that lies over the Irish blogosphere…

Mick Fealty on January 7, 2010, 5:33 pm

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Una Mullally has a great melancholic piece on why the Irish blogosphere is sooo over… over at Twenty’s blog… She makes some great points in it… (Warning: Una is a blogger who also has a real life…) In some respects is a harmonic out from my own pitch to the Irish blogosphere a few years back… But for me this is her killer punch: No matter how much it is contested, the blogosphere is horrendously backslapping. It’s like a really …

“there is forgotten sample of explosive material in baggage on bord of flight no V58230.”

Pete Baker on January 7, 2010, 5:30 pm

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The Irish Times crime correspondent Conor Lally has put together a time-line for the Slovakian explosives story. And he’s been talking to the company who received the telex message the Slovakian Department of Interior said was sent to Dublin airport on Saturday. From the Irish Times report. The company who received the message, Servisair, said at no time was it warned the material was dangerous or represented an emergency. “We receive hundreds of these cita [telex] messages every day,” company …

“The minister of interior has decided (to) end this type of trainings”

Pete Baker on January 7, 2010, 2:53 am

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I had noted the reported initial “profound regret” of Slovakian Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Interior, Robert Kallinak in regard to the 90g of research development explosive [RDX] which Slovakian security agencies had put in the luggage of a unsuspecting 49-year-old Slovakian electrician who lives and works in Dublin. Via a comment on WorldbyStorm’s noting of a Workers’ Party press release on the subject, I see that those “diplomatic channels” appear to have broken down… The Slovakian government has …

“original and creative”

Pete Baker on January 6, 2010, 5:23 pm

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An Irish Times report informs us – “Ahern’s biography earnings granted tax-free status”. The report helpfully adds The perk is granted to a work that is “original and creative” and is “generally recognised as having cultural or artistic merit”. Indeed. Or, even, indeed. I don’t think it applies to his public speaking fees. Although… Pete Baker

“it’s for them, the parties, to work out.”

Pete Baker on January 6, 2010, 4:04 am

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With Sinn Féin’s latest artificial “deadline” behind us approaching anew, there’s an interesting quote in the Belfast Telegraph report following the meeting between Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward, and Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin. From the Belfast Telegraph report. Mr Woodward said he and Mr Martin were sure the parties could find a way forward. “We are both confident that there is no issue on the table that the political parties and political leaders can’t find a way …

“the incident will be dealt with through diplomatic channels.”

Pete Baker on January 5, 2010, 8:21 pm

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Here’s an intriguing breaking story on the RTÉ News website A 49-year-old man has been arrested following the discovery of explosive material in a flat on Dorset Street in Dublin. RTÉ News has learned that the commercial explosive was illegally brought into the country as part of a security operation by another country. It is understood the man and the explosives ended up in Ireland as part of a test exercise which appears to have gone wrong. Gardaí received a …

“Sinn Féin TD Arthur Morgan was last night unavailable to answer queries..”

Pete Baker on January 5, 2010, 7:33 pm

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And in related news, today’s Irish News notes Sinn Féin TD Arthur Morgan was last night unavailable to answer queries about the scale of Liam Adams’s involvement in the party in Co Louth. Now that there is photographic, and archived, evidence which contradicts his previous assertion that “Although [Liam Adams] was a party member, he was never an officer”, “He was not on the richter scale at all”… Pete Baker

“all I said to my wife was that piece of halibut was good enough for Jehovah.”

Pete Baker on January 2, 2010, 6:10 pm

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There’s been a slight delay since the Irish President Mary McAleese declined to test the constitutionality of the Defamation Bill, but yesterday the new legal restrictions on blasphemous defamation came into force. And, as promised, Atheist Ireland have published their blasphemous statement – actually 25 [or so] potentially blasphemous quotes. The Guardian reports here and the BBC does likewise. The Professor has succinctly noted it and WorldbyStorm points to the inevitable facebook page. [Will we shift those beards now? – …

“The history of aeroplaning in this country will date from 31st December 1909”

Pete Baker on December 31, 2009, 7:05 pm

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The Irish Times reports that the Royal Irish Automobile Club (RIAC) are commemorating the centenary of “the first powered flight of an Irish aircraft” – the National Aero Club are to take to the skies at Weston Airport, Dublin. The event they’re celebrating, as the Belfast Telegraph notes, is Harry Ferguson’s maiden flight on New Year’s Eve 1909 in Hillsborough, Co Down, in the monoplane pictured above – Ferguson is to the left of the propeller. The BBC report adds …

“They don’t seem to see the inherent danger..”

Pete Baker on December 28, 2009, 6:23 pm

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With the final final deadline for paramilitary groups to decommission without consequences about to come hurtling around the New Year corner [February 2010], and with Martin McAleese still lobbying on behalf of the “good” UDA, in the Belfast Telegraph Alan Murray reports on the mood music from within those paramilitary groups. The kitchen cabinet assembled here by Martin McAleese is composed of former public servants drawn mainly from the nationalist community in Northern Ireland and the criticism of it, from …

Granny O’Grimm and the spirit of Irish Christmases past…

Mick Fealty on December 26, 2009, 3:25 pm

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Given the year that’s in it… H/T Fiona… 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 Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

Two more Irish bishops resign

Pete Baker on December 25, 2009, 5:19 pm

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Mick had asked, “How many Irish bishops will resign before next year is out?” Well, as reported here, two more resigned last night – Bishops Éamonn Walsh and Raymond Field. The resignations came after Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, challenged a claim by one of the two, Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin Éamonn Walsh, that Dr Martin had “confirmed publicly that he had confidence in his Dublin Auxiliary Bishops”. As the RTÉ report notes Of the five serving bishops who were …

How many Irish bishops will resign before next year is out?

Mick Fealty on December 24, 2009, 7:35 pm

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LIke a set of dominoes, it seems the dynamic set by the resignation of the Bishop of Limerick could spiral out of control. Now pressure is coming under Dublin’s auxiliary bishops because the failed to speak out against the covering up of child sexual abuse… And that’s in the only archdiocese the church has had an inquiry… Were a similar exercise extended to the whole island, who would be left standing? Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has …

“He is not going to surrender himself up here (Northern Ireland) at the moment”

Pete Baker on December 24, 2009, 5:40 pm

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The Irish News has an exclusive interview with Liam Adams’ solicitor behind its paywall, but the details are repeated in other reports. And as the police prepare a European Arrest Warrant it’s worth noting that Liam Adams “gave no permanent address” to Garda in Sligo. From the Irish Times report Mr Adams walked into a police station in Sligo in the on Monday afternoon where he was interviewed. He was later released because the proper arrest warrant had not been …