UK
“and it is all taking place during the 400th anniversary of the city being granted its Royal Charter…”
A UTV report acknowledging the contribution of PSNI Chief Superintendent Stephen Martin in Londonderry’s successful bid, against Sligo, to host the All-Ireland Fleadh during the UK City of Culture year notes another reason for denizens of the city to celebrate in 2013. From the UTV report The addition of the Fleadh means 2013 is shaping [...] more »
“Last January, the vast majority of families decided that the 39th Anniversary would be the last march”
Despite the declaration by the organising committee last year following the publication of the Saville Inquiry report, and the absence of endorsement by the Bloody Sunday Trust this year, a sizeable number of people took part in the 40th anniversary Bloody Sunday march in Londonderry yesterday. Estimates range from several hundred to almost 3000. And, [...] more »
Martin McGuinness: “as far as I was concerned she apologised for her behaviour…”
That’s according to the Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, in an interview to be published in the Irish Examiner tomorrow. He’s referring to RTÉ presenter Miriam O’Callaghan and her questioning of his version of his past during a televised debate with candidates in the Irish Presidential election last year. From the [...] more »
“this device may have been here for some considerable time, possibly many years…”
There’s good news, and there’s bad news, as a 36 hour security alert in Kinawley, County Fermanagh, ends with two controlled explosions by the British Army’s bomb disposal team and the removal of a viable device “for further forensic examination”. From the BBC report Police have said that a bomb found in a field in County [...] more »
Londonderry to host All-Ireland Fleadh in UK City of Culture year
After the application of some internal, and external, pressure the Ulster Council of Comhaltas reversed their earlier decision in time for the organisation’s central executive to select Londonderry to host their All-Ireland Fleadh during the UK City of Culture year in 2013. In the event, the only other candidate was Sligo… [Adds - Apparently Ennis withdrew [...] more »
Lord Chief Justice: “it is difficult to regard the remarks as anything other than undermining and unhelpful to the administration of justice in Northern Ireland”
Apparently, I haven’t read it, former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Peter Hain, MP for Neath, devotes two pages of his recently published memoirs to an attack on Lord Justice Girvan. More specifically, an attack on the then Mr Justice Girvan for his 2006 High Court ruling that Peter Hain “acted for an improper motive” [...] more »
Maybe the referendum question is not so simple
I may have spoken too soon about the clarity of Alex Salmond’s preferred referendum question : do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country? The Today programme took the trouble to ask a professor in Arizona who had never heard of Big Eck if the wording was fair. Sure, it was completely loaded [...] more »
“Recently the two Governments agreed to address issues relating to both Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough in the round”
Here’s something that could develop into something quite interesting. It follows on from the “Memorandum of Understanding reached by the two Governments with the support of the Northern Ireland Executive… on marine jurisdictional issues.” As I said then If you were wondering why the lines stop at the entrances to the respective Loughs, that would be [...] more »
Boston College: A glimpse of the archive…
Let’s keep the dialogue ‘hinged’ this time. With Ed Moloney and Anthony McIntyre aiming to try to head the US Government off at the pass, the legal battle over each ruling along the way continues in the PSNI/HET’s attempt to access some of the material in the Boston College Belfast Project archive. In the meantime, [...] more »
“This further signifies the positive effect the City of Culture title is generating in the region…”
Whilst Comhaltas dither, and differ, over whether to hold their All-Ireland Fleadh in Londonderry during the UK City of Culture year in 2013, the UK’s Big Lottery Fund Chair, Peter Ainsworth, was in the city today to announce a £1million small grants programme to “support communities across Northern Ireland that want to play a part in [...] more »
“I am shocked, totally and utterly shocked.”
After dithering by the Londonderry branches, about being associated with the UK City of Culture, it’s now reported that the Ulster Council of Comhaltas have declined to support the city’s bid to host the All-Ireland Fleadh in 2013. From the Derry Journal report Moves to bring the 2013 All-Ireland Fleadh will now not proceed after [...] more »
“local communities need help – particularly funding and local political leadership”
In June last year The Detail’s John Breslin was asking questions of the International Fund for Ireland (IFI), and the “significant amount of money under its control, or on the way, that has not yet been either allocated, or is in the hands of, particular projects.” On Thursday last week the IFI announced a Peace Walls Programme with [...] more »
Boston College: “an example of just how unhinged the dialogue has become in some quarters.”
I had mentioned in the comments on a recent post that there was little threat of the pre-emptive destruction of the Boston College archive material which is being sought by the Historical Enquiries Team. As Thomas E Hachey and Dr Robert K O’Neill of Boston College point out in the Irish Times There have been people [...] more »
Londonderry’s bid for All-Ireland Fleadh in 2013 to go ahead
At the second tiime of asking, Londonderry branch delegates of Comhaltas have agreed to bid to host the All-Ireland Fleadh during the UK City of Culture year by 13 votes to 1. As the BBC report notes Some Comhaltas members, who initially opposed the move because of the UK link in Derry’s City of Culture [...] more »
“They do absolutely fantastic work in some very challenging areas”
“They” being the 304 former RUC officers currently employed by the PSNI as civilians on temporary contracts. They’re part of the 399 civilian staff on such contracts supplied by a recruitment agency. And I’m sure the other 95 civilian staff are also appreciated. From the BBC report The PSNI has previously revealed that it is currently using [...] more »
“We were neutral for one purpose and that is that we were Britain’s home defence”
Mick has already pointed to the Irish Times article at the weekend by Joseph Quinn on the post-World War II treatment in Ireland of around 5,000 Irish soldiers who deserted their own neutral army to join the British army and fought in Europe and elsewhere. The “confidential” list of those affected is still available from Ireland’s National Army Museum. But, [...] more »
Will Scottish football decide the referendum?
Is Scotland’s football team good enough for independence? Let’s look at the facts by comparing electoral support for independence, in so far as that can be measured as support for the SNP, with the performance of the Scottish football team. A number of points are worthing noting here: Qualifying for the finals of tournaments in [...] more »
Sean Quinn Declared Bankrupt in Ireland
Having succeeded in having Sean Quinn’s bankruptcy status in the UK annulled, the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBCR), formerly Anglo Irish Bank, today applied to have Mr Quinn declared bankrupt in Dublin High Court. Mr Quinn did not oppose the application. On Friday evening there was another attack on Mr Quinn’s former business headquarters. That occurred just [...] more »
Martin McGuinness: “This decision is a very decisive decision…”
…and not at all another fudge to keep the Department of Justice upright while they re-apply the same sticking plaster as last time. And as TUV leader Jim Allister said, “The Committee, of course, will lend itself to that farce.” According to the Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness Mr McGuinness said the office of the [...] more »
Belfast High Court Annuls Sean Quinn Bankruptcy
As the BBC reports, in the latest instalment of the continuing complicated legal battle between Sean Quinn and the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC), formerly Anglo Irish Bank, Belfast High Court has ruled that Mr Quinn is not entitled to declare himself bankrupt in the UK. He can, however, apply for bankruptcy in Ireland. From the BBC report At the [...] more »
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A New Vision for the Catholic Church – Book Review
The oft-quoted verse from the book of Proverbs, ‘where there is no vision, the people perish,’ (chapter 29, verse 18) opens a new book by Gerry O’Hanlon, A New Vision for the Catholic Church: A View from Ireland (Columba Press, 2011). That verse could be considered an apt summary of the current state of the [...] read our review »
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The lost art of reading (or drowning in too much information)…
Here’s a great review of a fascinating book (H/T reader Rory) on how the Internet is destroying our capacity for intelligent, focused and critical thought. It opens thus: …here is the news that Ulin brings in this slim, meandering book: that reading is “an act of contemplation”; that such an act becomes more difficult in [...] read our review »
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“I loathe Ireland and the Irish.”
In the Irish Times, Brian Cosgrove takes up temporary residence in An Irishman’s Diary in the hope that, with the lifting of European copyright restrictions on James Joyce’s major works, a greater familiarity with Joyce’s ”sometimes ruthless realism” may change the nature of the “annual Edwardian charade” that is Bloomsday. From the Irish Times The devastating cultural effects [...] read our review »
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