Today’s Guardian report on the McCartney campaign, by Julian Borger and Angelique Chrisafis, “Bush gives ‘100% backing’ to McCartney sisters”, includes a pertinent comment from Catherine McCartney on the repeated ‘warnings’/”friendly advice” from SF about political manipulation of their campaign for justice – “Would they be saying the same if it was six men?” Pete Baker
While the BBC report divides the quote up, UTV carries it in full – responding to Martin McGuinness’ comments, Catherine McCartney said, “We have to be very careful that we`re not being used by anybody and that includes Sinn Fein and all political parties, we`re not stupid women… We get the impression that someone thinks out there that somebody`s behind this, pulling our strings. The only person behind this is our Robert and he is the person pulling our strings.”[emphasis …
Today’s Irish Examiner editorial looks at the statement issued yesterday by the killers of Jerry McCabe and pulls few punches in its appraisal of what they said – “The issue had [already] been firmly closed and yesterday’s statement was essentially an expedient and self-serving recognition of that reality.” Pete Baker
NORTHERN Ireland has had its fair share of displays of ‘people power’ over the years. Most recently, attention has been focused on the public pressure generated by the McCartney sisters on the Republican Movement, which had its genesis in the Short Strand vigil for murder victim, Robert McCartney. Tonight on BBC1 at 2215 GMT, Panorama “looks at how over the past 15 years ordinary people, who previously haven’t been active in politics, have taken to the streets in order to …
Via the not-rambling-at-all Sheila Variations. A fascinating article, by noted historian and author Robert Conquest, on the history and development of that elusive thing called ‘democracy’ – “democracy can only be seen in any positive or laudable sense if it emerges from and is an aspect of the law-and-liberty tradition.” – Read the full article here. Pete Baker
Spotted by the Brainster. Responding to the news that a former candidate for Sinn Fein in the Assembly elections was in the bar the night her brother was killed, Catherine McCartney “challenge[d] her to give a statement to the police or the Police Ombudsman”, saying – “Giving statements to solicitors is not really what is needed. The statement should be given to people with the proper investigative skills who can help to bring those responsible to court.” Pete Baker
Last night’s BBC Newsnight report on the opinion poll figures is available online [realplayer req. 11:15mins]. It starts with a section on the McCartney family’s campaign but brings in many other issues too. There are interesting contributions throughout from Brian Feeney, including, on the 44% of nationalist voters who say they don’t know who carried out the Northern Bank robbery – “sectarian solidarity.. they’re lying.” Pete Baker
David Tynan O’Mahony, born in Dublin, Ireland in July, 1936, better known as the comedian Dave Allen, has died aged 68. The BBC report has a link to an interesting bio of his early career and a link to a news clip. Update – The Guardian also has a report.. and the BBC has a selection of Dave Allen quotes Pete Baker
In The Guardian’s G2 section today, Angelique Chrisafis talks to members of the McCartney family about their ongoing campaign for justice. Worth reading in full. Pete Baker
UTV reports that the McCartney family have responded to yesterday’s IRA statement. The family point out that “it was [the] cover-up which prevented those who murdered Robert from being brought to justice.” and they state “We want the investigation into Robert`s murder to be conducted through due process. Only this will ensure people are held to account for their actions.”Full text of statement – “The investigation by the IRA in the murder of Robert is a matter for themselves. “For …
Despite the many suggestions, the Northern Bank has decided to go with a less controversial design for their new notes Pete Baker
The Irish Labour Party plan a postcard campaign to urge the Irish government to expand the free travel scheme for pensioners to all elderly members of the Irish diaspora, many of whom live in poverty in Britain and elsewhere. Launching the drive, Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said those who were forced to emigrate in previous decades had sent home £3.5 billion between 1939 and 1969 to help sustain families and communities at a time of dire poverty back home.Under the …
Both UTV and RTE report the headline – 72 per cent of people, the Sunday Business Post reports – based on its poll, said the Irish government should insist on a “distinct signal from the IRA, such as an act of decommissioning, as a precondition to any new talks with Sinn Féin”, 14 per cent disagreed with this. Details of the methodology used by Red C is also given by the Sunday Business Post.Pat Leahy, of the Sunday Business Post, …
The McCartney family have issued a statement in response to SF’s suspension of seven party members. In the accompanying UTV report, the family are quoted as saying that the move by SF was “nothing more than what would have been expected from any democratically elected party”, but they also state that “those names have been known to Sinn Fein officials from the outset”The family’s position remains fundamentally unchanged – “The handing over of the names to the Police Ombudsman through …
The Guardian carries extensive coverage of yesterday’s public rally in Belfast in support of the McCartney family – including a timeline of events since the murder. One of the articles also notes Paula McCartney response to “a whispering campaign against the family” – “Robert’s murderers were the ones who damaged Sinn Féin so let’s keep the blame where the blame belongs.”As well as the family’s rejection of the version of events included in the IRA statement, there’s also a brief …
THE Presbyterian Church has said no political party should be in government unless “it is fully committed to democratic methods alone and, where applicable, renounces and forsakes criminality and engages in complete, verifiable decommissioning”. Even Presbyterian liberals like Rev Ken Newell appear to have little confidence in Sinn Fein any longer.On the Northern Bank robbery, Former Presbyterian Moderator the Rev Dr Alastair Dunlop said: “This wilful and planned act violated the law of God, subjected bank employees and their families …
AS unaccustomed as I am to agreeing with David Vance, on this issue I think he makes a valid point (in his own inimitable way that is) – No More Commissioners, Please Pete Baker
The Irish division of the Bank of Scotland has moved quickly, announcing a new chairman to take the place of Phil Flynn who resigned last night. Although he is being reported as telling RTÉ that he had made an error of judgment by agreeing to become involved in the company, he had told the Irish Times earlier, in relation to Chesterton Finance Co., “As far as I’m concerned, the operation is clean.”The Irish Times also quotes from the statement by …
Via Ciarán, who hat-tips Crooked Timber. Truly a book for our times, On Bullshit written by emeritus professor of philosophy at Princeton Harry Frankfurt, and based on this article, is wonderfully reviewed here in the New York Times, including this quote – The bull[shit] artist.. cares nothing for truth or falsehood. The only thing that matters to him is “getting away with what he says”.. hmm.. sound familiar? Pete Baker
A new beer from Budweiser, laced with caffeine and herbal stimulants is on its way across the Atlantic. The drink, called ‘B to the E’ is being marketed as the “beer with something extra”. Currently, it is only available in the USA.With happy hours already banned in Ireland and due to be banned in the UK after the Office of Fair Trading gave permission to local authorities to do so earlier this month, to help reduce binge drinking, is the …
