|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
||
|
You are here Home | Topics | the south
SOS - Save Our Slugger!
Help fund Slugger's new software: Or mail it direct to Slugger! You are here Home | Topics | the south |
November 02, 2005
Transport 21 - fancy name or a real plan?
The launch of the Irish government's 10-year transport plan, which envisages pumping 34 billion euros (or 9 million euros a day) into the country's transport infrastructure has met with varied responses. [more] November 01, 2005
Sinn Fein will enter Government
I recently attended an event in Omeath where the guest speaker was Dermot Ahern. In answering a question he stated his belief that Sinn Fein will not consider entering Government before 2016. I wonder who is wrong? [more] October 26, 2005
Ferns report uncovers extent of child abuse
The 271-page Ferns Report has been published. It looks like grim reading. It contains over a hundred allegations against 26 priests in one diocese. Some of the individuals are named, many more are given letters of the Greek alphabet. But the implications for the church are likely to run much wider than that, with questions already being raised over the effect of imposing celibacy on all its priests. October 18, 2005
The state carries on the Republican tradition
Every year there is a tussle amongst Republicans of all shades for the title deeds of Wolf Tone's Republican ideal. It centres on commemoration ceremonies at his graveside in a quiet (derelict?) Protestant churchyard in Bodenstown. Senator Martin Mansergh with his historian's scalpel had a very precise take on the physical force tradition (subs needed) in the Irish Times last Saturday. He cuts to the point when Presbyterian inspired Republicanism fell away from its Belfast based, merchant class origins: [more] October 17, 2005
Church of Ireland on the increase
Interesting interview with Neil McEndoo, an Anglican minister in Dublin who is upbeat about the future of his church in the Republic. Keith Lynch writes: "in 2002, the number of people who identified themselves as part of the Church of Ireland increased for the first time since its establishment here. With a total of 115,611 people the Church showed an increase of almost 27,000 since the 1991 census". Presbyterian congregations are also thought to be on the rise. October 11, 2005
Time to end involvement of religious orders in health
Alan Ruddock in the Sunday Times argues that it's time to end the situation where hospitals in the Irish Republic are run by religious orders. He deserves great credit for highlighting that the actions of the Catholic-run Mater Hospital's Ethics Committee in suspending trials of a drug for women with cancer as the patients would have to take contraception was not made on religious grounds but as a reaction to a loss of power. The Sunday Business Post broke the original story. [more] October 05, 2005
Entry price for Ireland?
Well it's about €55,000 according to the front page of the Irish Times. October 03, 2005
Ahern: no speaking rights for Northerners...
According to the Irish Independent today, Sinn Fein will not be getting speaking rights for Northern Irish public representatives in the Dail that they've been pressing for - well not from Bertie at least! September 30, 2005
Rossport five to get out...?
A deal may be breaking that gets the Rossport five out of jail before they spend their hundredth night inside for contempt of court. Lot's of activity down at the High Court in Dublin. September 20, 2005
Poll suggests southern election too close to call
Interesting poll figures from the Irish Examiner today. It's entirely focused on the Republic. Although satisfaction rates for the Government have slipped to 37%, it remains above the low of 34% last June. Were the election called tomorrow, the polls suggest a narrow victory for the FF and PD government. The Greens are holding - notionally moving from 4% to 6%. And Sinn Fein retain the position they've had for over a year (and here) at about 10%. Gerry Adams, once the most popular leader in Ireland with a 51% approval rating, has dropped even further from 42% to 31%. [more] September 19, 2005
A good southern blog read...
THere are many new bloggers I owe a mention to, but this guy in the Republic is certain to be one of the first of the new generation Irish bloggers to make it onto the Slugger blogroll! September 18, 2005
Sinn Fein looking for high profile candidates...
Interesting titbit in the Sunday Independent today. Apparently the party has approached the captain of the victorious Cork team, Seán Óg Ó hAilpín. A good move for the party if it is going to reverse the set backs it has had in gaining traction amongst the middle class vote in the Republic. But at 28, and with his attention more on building his own business than a career in politics, Seán Óg turned them down. Even so, it is a strong indication of the party's determination to finally move outside its working class base. September 15, 2005
New primary school in Meath. There have always been protestant secondary schools in the Republic: some of them among the top performing schools in the country. Andrew over at ATW picks up on Dermot Nesbitt's well argued letter which puts the case as to why the Irish government should not grant speaking rights to any Northern Irish representatives in the Oireachtas. September 06, 2005
Geldof gets freedom of Dublin...
Dublin City Council has finally decided to give Bob Geldof freedom of the city - ie to graze his 17 Kentish sheep (or is that 'sheep of Kent'?) on Stephen's Green. He first heard about it when Ryan Tubridy's researcher texted him this morning. Still, he gave a marvellous impromptu interview on how Dublin has changed from the mean streets of his youth. His one liner on the US government response to the New Orleans disaster: 'sheer muscle bound incompetence'. [more] Flaws in Bertie's vision of social capital? Harvard Professor Robert Putnam (Bertie's favourite academic) has spent the last few days in Ulster. At Fianna Fail's think-in in Cavan as it happens. His big idea is the concept of 'Social Capital': from his seminal work on the disintegration of working class communities. However Robin Wilson thinks there's a gap between Ahern's advocacy of Putnam's ideas and his government's policies. Not least in the country's enthusiastic espousal of capitalism: [more] August 16, 2005
When two political cultures meet?
Nuala O'Faolain in the Sunday Tribune last week was in no mood for pulling punches. She was in no mood to accept Sinn Fein's latest proposal that Northern Irish MPs should be given speaking rights in the Dail. But what really troubles her is the effects of unleashing a political project, whose development took place in the extreme political conditions of Northern Ireland, in what she calls 'this peaceful Republic'. [more] August 10, 2005
No Case to answer for Colombia Three?
Ashling Reidy, Director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, believes (sound file) the Colombia Three may have no case to answer under Irish law and that Mary Harney's idea of charging them retrospectively under the Transfer of Execution of Sentences Bill 2003, which has "been gathering dust" for two years in the Seanad, simply won't fly as there are "huge impediments". [more] August 09, 2005
Colombia Three could be jailed in Ireland
Tánaiste Mary Harney, who is standing in for PD party colleague Michael McDowell as Minister for Justice, has said the Colombia Three shouldn't underestimate the Government's "determination to explore all the options open to it, to ensure that Ireland plays its full part in the fight against international terrorism". Harney said in a statement that the men were "no friends of the peace process" and insisted that no deal had been done with Sinn Féin. [more] August 03, 2005
No southern representation without taxation?
Sam Smyth in the Irish Independent today, reviews past attempts to get Northern Irish representation in the Dail, each of which failed - even when Clann na Poblachta successfully ran its 1948 election campaign on the admission of Northern MPs to the Oireachtas. He wonders why Sinn Fein thinks it can get anywhere this time out: "It is not democracy as we know it". August 01, 2005
New vistas opening for Sinn Fein?
Morning Ireland had an excellent snippet on this morning with a detail examination of the party's election prospects in the wake of the IRA's suspension of it's military campaign from Fionnan Sheehan of the Irish Examiner, and Cian McCormick talks to three TDs on how their parties might consider the possibility of Sinn Fein as a prospective coalition partner in future. Most are cagey, but given the IRA acquits itself well over time ahead there were no objections in priniciple. It was also the subject of a leader in today's Guardian. July 29, 2005
Bertie: "will there be a united Ireland?"
The Today programme asked Mr Ahern [mp3] the big one this morning: "Prime Minister, do you think there will be a united Ireland in your lifetime?". Leaving aside the fact that they failed to address him as Taoiseach, here is his unedited answer... [more] July 20, 2005
North and South to be Political Partners Soon
Probably unionism's favourite southerner, Irish Justice Minister Michael McDowell, believes Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic can become political partners on a reconciled island very soon. “I believe that the great project of reconciling Orange and Green will succeed, and that both parts of Ireland will become partners in a common political enterprise," he told the Patrick MacGill Summer School in Co Donegal. [more] July 19, 2005
35% leap in murder in Republic
Fairly shocking news from the Republic. Despite a three per cent drop in serious crimes overall, crimes against the person have risen exponentially. According to Carol Coulter, Michael McDowell puts the blame squarely on organised crime. [more] July 17, 2005
Hold the Mayo
One of the concerns most frequently expressed in the Republic about the provisional movement has been the possible corrosive effect of the importation to the south of the tactics adopted by them in the North. Noel Dempsey's initiative aimed at ending the dispute over Shell's Corrib gas pipeline, appears to have failed to convince the protestors. The response has a certain wearily familiar ring to it. June 30, 2005
Five sent to jail over pipeline protest
Shell seems to have a penchant for getting its PR wrong. Many believe its case for sinking the Brent Spar oil rig was environmentally sound, but that it lost the PR battle because the public placed greater trust in Greenpeace. Now it has egg on its face again. After having won a court order restraining five local residents from obstructing work on the Shell Corrib gas pipeline, the residents have now been jailed indefinitely for contempt of court.
Update: Local discussion on Castlebar.ie. Thanks to Setanta below for the heads up"
[more] June 22, 2005
Irish Corruption blog...
Gavin Sheridan is putting some of his considerable blogging experience into a new blog dedicated to tracking stories regarding corruption in Irish society. The burning topic of the moment is on Garda mishandling of the Richie Barron murder case, which is getting interesting at moment as it focuses on the role of the ministers in mishandling past complaints. Slugger's tip: this is definately one Irish blog to watch, and keep watching! June 21, 2005
Democratic audit in the Republic
Yesterday TASC, the left liberal think tank based in Dublin, published the findings of its Democratic Audit y, a project based on an internationally used model. Democratic Dialogue is currently engaged in a similar project for Northern Ireland. So far, the southern report's biggest impact has been from the launch speech of former Ombudsman Kevin Murphy, who rounded on the recent reluctance of an Oireachtas committee to stand up to the relevant minister (subs needed): [more] June 15, 2005
Restoring Democracy to the people...?
In advance of a think tank's report on the health of Irish democracy Vincent Browne issues his verdict - it stinks! He recites the shotrcomings and undemocratic instincts of politicians in power (subs needed), and makes his own modest proposal: that the Republic be subject to elections every second year and that no politicians be allowed to stay in either chamber for more than two terms. Hmmm, the only party he seems to neglect for its part in the Republic's poor public accountablity is the media. [more] June 07, 2005
Exemptions from taking Irish exams on the rise
Although the teaching of Irish remains compulsory in the Republic, the numbers of students gaining exemptions from taking Junior and Leaving Cert exams is on the increase. According to the Irish Times (subs only) "only 1,719 students secured an exemption in 1994 compared to 6,588 last year". Just as worryingly for the health of the language, the numbers taking Irish the highest grade at Leaving Cert last year dropped to only 14,000 students. It compares to 15,000 who took French. |
Slugger O'Toole records news, commentary and diverse opinion on Northern Ireland. Produced by Mick Fealty News, tips or crits here: mick.fealty -at- gmail.com Topics a long peace?books Britain Conflict Culture Economy Education election 2003 Election 2005 Enviroment environment Europe Gaeilge Glossary Government Highlights Human Rights Humour International Manifesto Media Nationalism Negotiations Parties Policing Soapbox Society Sport the south unionism
Highlights
Out with the crystal ball...Just a Mo... Commenting Policy A backgrounder on the McCartney affair Northern Bank raid and political fallout, so far
Readers comments
More corrupt than last year? - (4)Living on an island or in a state? - (31) a combination of historical ignorance and monumental self-pity - (42) Payout time... - (4) New Lansdowne revealed - (24) Far right 'imagination'... - (13) Nazi comments were a sectarian slur - (3) The price of peacemaking... - (17) belfast metropolitan area plan unveiled - (23) Why (or rather how) Alec Reid was right... - (37)
Archives
October 2005September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 July 2004 March 2004 October 2003 September 2003 May 2003 |
|
|
|
Design: River Path Associates Comments: Big Blog Co Powered:
Movable Type 3.15 Copyright © 2003 Sluggerotoole.com
All rights reserved.
|
