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Towards the cost of SluggerYou are here Home | September Next or Previous « August 2003 | Main | October 2003 » |
September 30, 2003 Origins of the GAA Greagoir Ó Dálaigh has been reading the minor monster thread on the GAA here at Slugger, and has a few of his own responses to make to points raised that discussion. British haven't gone away Mark McGregor writes with his unofficial view of the recently released from the Northern Ireland Office of policing statistics under the provisions of the Terrorism Act. He perhaps provides a hint as to why so many Republicans are sceptical about any IRA move that would provide Tony Blair with a unilateral Act of Completion. [more] One man and his county Before we leave the All Ireland championship, a few appropriate remarks from the leader column of the Irish Times on why Sunday was special: [more] Catholics a minority in south? Fintan O'Toole, on his day, is one of Ireland's sharpest social commentators observes (subs needed) that in the space of a generation the country has moved from more or less religious conformity towards the rule of the Catholic Church, to becoming somehting of a minority interest. [more] Labour in NI decision today Andy McGivern's attempt to get the British Labour party to organise in Northern Ireland is to be voted upon today at the party's national conference in Bournemouth. As we understand it, he needs a 2/3 majority to back him. It is understood, that even with his own union's backing, it is still too close to call. Language demands signify deficit? Malachi O'Doherty conjectures that the inclusion of language rights in such detail as proposed in the two government's Joint Declaration, signifies a lapse of imagination on the part of the Republican movement in articulating the real grievances that lay behind the now 30 year plus conflict. Agreement: rights and entitlements Gerry Kelly was in Bournemouth last night talking to a fringe meeting about his party's view about what might be at stake in getting the Belfast Agreement back on track again. It was he argued about rights and entitlements. Anti Catholic BBC? Strange as it may seem, this is not an Northern Ireland story. The Catholic bishop of Birmingham has complained about the immenent showing of three programmes which various ways either criticise the Church or lampoon it. Hate crimes legislation needed? John Murray Brown investigates the continuing skirmishes between Catholics and Protestants in Belfast. The police clear up rates are notoriously low in Northern Ireland, presumably because until recent years it has come in way down policing priorities, after more serious organised shootings and bombings. [more] September 29, 2003 Welcome back... From tomorrow, we welcome Aaron Scullion back to Slugger. He will be concentrating on sport and cultural issues, and whatever else takes his fancy. And according to Mark Carey Slugger is one of fifty blogs people are talking about! It looks as though he's using some form of software to generate the list, so it could be gone by the time you notice this link. Parties should accept SF challenge Sean O'Callaghan is not much liked within the Republican movement, and as is probably obvious from this piece, the feeling is mutual. However, in yesterday's Observer he argues that Unionist efforts at excluding Sinn Fein are misguided. Instead, he argues, all parties should rise to the democratic challenge Sinn Fein's electoral success at the ballot box poses for them. Adams on the process and future Gerry Adams provides the most comprehensive insight into current Republican thinking re the health of the peace process in his Sunday Business Post with Pat Leahy. [more] Red Hand county wins... RTE reception was not great for yesterday's all Ireland final, so I was reduced to listening to the BBC's television coverage over the phone for the final stages of the epic, defensive battle between Tyrone and Armagh. Tyrone's win means that only Antrim, Fermanagh and Monaghan of the historic nine counties of Ulster have not yet won an All Ireland. Consider that at the beginning of the 90's only Down and Cavan had ever had achieved that honour, and you have a measure of how much the northern GAA counties have developed in a very short period of time. DUP: will we get old or new? With something of a lull in the internal wranglings of the UUP, Alex Kane is free this week to turn his attention to his party's younger and argubly more ambitious rivals in the DUP. He asks whether there has been a transformation in the party's internal outlook, or would failure to gain it's electoral targets, leave its newly 'liberal' leadership vulnerable to old party habits. [more] Yeats: a definitive biography? Excellent review of Roy Foster's magnum opus on the life of WB Yeats, from Bernard O'Donoghue. The first part was published in 1997 to pretty much universal praise. The review opens with TS Eliot's line that Yeats and his time could be read almost synonymously. O'Donoghue picks up on the irony of Yeats as an protestant Irish nationalist who lived at odds with the wider reality of his time. A paradox perhaps best captured in that unforgettable line from Easter 1916 - 'A terrible beauty is born'. September 26, 2003 Demon middle classes The certainities of the old left right politics have never been mainstream in Northern Ireland's politics, but they've often provided a background marker particularly within nationalist working class areas. Playwright Martin Lynch's early work was heavily influence by his own life experience in such circumstances. However, according to Newton Emerson, his latest play takes socialist polemic one step too far. No elections fever Slugger reader Paul Fitzsimons remarked earlier today that reading the tea leaves in Northern Ireland is more of an imprecise art rather than science. Alex Kane observes the large scale practice of that particular art on last night's Hearts and Minds. On the programme itself Noel Thompson tries to put the DUP's Peter Robinson on the spot over what it's next move will be. Interesting discussion with Feeney, Rowan and Martina Purdy. Peace process will take generations John Crowley in this week's edition of the Irish Post has reviewed (subs needed) Richard Bourke's Peace in Ireland. On the face of it, Bourke takes a long term and ultimately pragmatic view of the road towards the peace process. [more] Adams' book on peace process The Guardian today has published an extract from Gerry Adams latest book, Hope and History. It's a very personal account of the period of the intense talks in and around Stormont which led up the signing of the Belfast Agreement in 1998. State must tackle intimidation John Fay has picked up an article from last week's Sunday Independent by Ruth Dudley Edwards outlining her view of the recent threats of from the Real IRA on Catholic members of the District Policing Partnerships. She argues that whatever the nature of the internal argument, the state cannot afford to leave the nationalist community to settle its own scores. Blog thanks... Thanks for the links from Kevin Drum, Israpundit, French photoblog liens and ahem, Serialdeviant, who has given us pride of place as aortal website of the week. Update: There's even mention of Slugger at the excellent Peyps' diary blog. Thanks Glyn! Has Trimble got something? After a prolonged period of travel, negotiations and internal campaigning David Trimble is beginning to sound as though he may have some kind of deal in his back pocket. The wording of he wants from Sinn Fein is particularly careful, "...is not a mere gesture towards decommissioning, but decisive action in a context where we can see an end point." September 25, 2003 Fiscal powers no panacea It seems the election campaign has begun well before any official announcement one way of the other. Here Sean Farren responds to Sinn Fein’s call for local tax varying powers. Not so much a refutation of Francie Molloy's line on social exclusion, Farren implies that any increase in spending may also lead to cuts in other places - even given the extra flexibility of tax varying powers. [more] BBC bias in Iraq? Yes, it's well off topic, but two of my colleagues, David Steven (co-author of A Long Peace?) and Mark Weston have just published a report which focuses on the outputs from BBC log website during the Iraq conflict, to see whether allegations of bias have any genuine basis. It's part of the evidence being considered by the Hutton inquiry. Thanks... And it seems that Slugger is under the watchful eye of the great and the good; a Catholic portal called Cruxnews has added us to it's list of recommended Irish newsites. For which, many thanks! Update: I wondered why we were getting so many visitors. They name Slugger as their website of the week: Slugger O'Toole, an indispensible resource on the endless tug o'war in Northern Ireland Tax powers tackle social exclusion Francie Molloy is fast off the mark to counter Peter Robinson's suggestion yesterday that tax varying powers will necessarily be detrimental to restarting the Northern Ireland economy. Molloy argues that the problems of social exclusion require direct government intervention: [more] SDLP dossier on harrassment We've finally managed to track down that SDLP dossier that was temporarily unvailable earlier in the week. End of Unionism nigh? John Fay at Newshound has doubled back to an earlier issue of the Blanket and picked an interesting piece of Republican analysis of the Unionist phenomenon. Notably he quotes Eamonn Melaugh's thought on Unionism, “like a one-legged giant….very easy to topple.” Politician's feeding frenzy Love him or loath him, you cannot ignore him. Brian Feeney's long term observation of Ulster politics has a distinctly naturalist feel this week. In between street level stories, minor politicians are vying feverishly for space to get their messages, and their faces, onto the television screen before the campaigning rules kick-in and each sound bite's measured for balance. [more] Elections: what if they are postponed The FT's John Murray Brown has returned to post, with a hint from Paul Murphy that elections could be in the offing. However, he finishes with a couple of interesting thoughts on how a further postponement, of the type speculated upon by Steven King last week, might play with the two main nationalist parties. [more] Dodds/Farren: scope of review is crucial Nigel Dodds continues his public discussion with the SDLP's former Minister of Finance Sean Farren, exclusively here on Slugger O'Toole. He argues that what the post election review is called (review or his own party's preference re-negotiation) is irrelevant, what is important is that the scope is broad enough to address the concerns of his Unionist constituency. [more] Birth rate getting lower This report from early August indicates that Northern Ireland is recording its lowest birthrate ever. Though some of the changes mentioned seems to cofirm the idea of generally younger Catholic and older Protestant populations, the slowing of the overall rate will likely put numerical parity between the two back even further in time. September 24, 2003 Whatever happened to the SDLP? If you want to follow some of the more intricate twists and turns in political discussion you might consider taking a subscription to Fortnight magazine. For over thirty years it has provided a forum for political discussion between parties where no other existed. This month's issue has contributions from Alex Kane, Alban Maguinness, and this extended piece by Professor Liam Kennedy. [more] DUP: the new liberal Ulster? Steven King met with the DUP at close quarters recently, and believes he sees some important changes in that party's approache. Not least it's flexiblity in meeting issues of the future: [more] Lib Dem vows help for McBride Peter Kelly and Tom Griffin at the Irish World have nabbed an early interview with the new MP of Brent East, Sarah Teather, in which she promises to take up the McBride case: [more] DUP want a 'refund' I am not sure which speech-writing genius thought this sound bite up, but I doubt if we will hear the last of it for a while. Nigel Dodds continued his party's internal roadshow, with an allusion to the Belfast Agreement as a dodgy car business: [more] Sinn Fein fight back on policing The row between the SDLP and Sinn Fein has brought a robust response from Sinn Fein's chief negotiator Martin McGuinness, who has accused his rival nationalist party of politicking. An unfortunate choice of words perhaps, since in its strictest sense it simply means 'engaging in political activities'. SDLP: actions louder than words Former minister of Finance, Sean Farren has issued a statement, which is in part a response to the IRA's dilemma post on Slugger earlier this week. The focus of his comments are on the campaign of intimidation on members of the District Policing Partnerships by the Real IRA. [more] Changes to the Agreement? Peter Emerson, who has just written a study of democracy in East Africa, lays out his own analysis of what might change to make the Belfast Agreement work more smoothly than heretofore. He suggests an improved system of PR to encourage cross community voting, using the same system to apoint an executive, the establishment of a commission to look at further constitutional change, and changes that promote more compromise in decision making. September 23, 2003 DUP: the way forward? The MP Gregory Campbell of the DUP today gave what is beginning to look like a keynote speech for the possibly upcoming elections at INCORE's conference on Breaking the Logjam at the Parliament Buildings in Stormont today. The italics are Campbell's. [more] Sinn Fein ready for elections After the big internal debate inside Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams has announced that his party is on an election footing. However, the decision remains one that lies with the British government, and given our experience of last May would not be worth speculating until the election date finally arrives. Newshound temporarily down There is nothing more infuriating than having a website go offline, even for a few hours. For those of you frustrated by the absence of Newshound, John is chasing hard to get his server reinstated. Testing attitudes to 'gun culture' Interesting piece from Henry Farrell at Crooked Timber, which might have some faint echoes of relevance to Northern Ireland, and it's various attempts to move away from its own version of a gun culture. He focuses on an on-line game called Ultima, which has developed two sets of rules, "Felucca where killing other players is O.K., and Trammel, where, except under very limited circumstances, it is not. Four-fifths of all players choose Trammel." Many thanks to Frank McGahon for the link. PSNI: Catholic recruitment up Catholic membership of the PSNI has risen from 8% to 13.3% of the total of the force, since the announcement of the Patten reforms over four years ago. However the 50/50 recruitment rule is still causing disquiet amongst Northern Ireland's majority protestant population. Anxiety over Human Rights changes There seems to be something of a news blackout on further progress of interparty talks. There are some issues that are creating anxieties for those parties not directly involved in the talks. The issue of a crisis of confidence in the Human Rights commission is one such issue. Stephen Farry of the Alliance party: [more] Sinn Fein firefighting DPP row It seems as if senior members of Sinn Fein have been firefighting an apparent breach in the ranks of the IRA in Co Tyrone, over threats issued to nationalist members of the local Distrrict Policing Partnership in Co Tyrone. Although the party has denied any truth to the allegation, suggesting it is merely a tactic to embarass them at a time of delicate negotiations, Gerry Moriarty remains convinced his source is reliable. Update: Ma Bear has blogged her response to the news. UUP unconvinced SF will deal Ahead of David Trimble's meeting with Gerry Adams, Dermot Nesbitt puts the political grievance for the Ulster Unionists, with their pro-Agreement partners, by claiming that “The majority of the Unionist community ...remains to be convinced that paramilitaries will keep their bargain to end the violence for good." End in sight? Brian Rowan the BBC's security editor in Northern Ireland does not believe there is a comprehensive decommissioning act in train from the IRA. As ever there are more questions than answers, though he hints towards the end that the period between now and the end of September will be crucial - that leaves us just eight days. September 22, 2003 Acmhainn grinn d'ith Tá rud amhainn d'ith orainn nach bhuil ann i saol polaitíochta de Tuaisceart Éireann, is é sin acmhainn grinn. Ach dar le Robert McMillen, gheofadh tu do dhothain insan scigpháipéar idirlín an Portadown News, "...a dhéanann magadh ar an Ord Oráisteach, ar Shinn Féin, ar Tony Blair agus Jeffrey Donaldson - na legitimate targets uilig". Unionist councillor loses perspective This article appeared in last Thursday's paper version of the Irish News, but for some reason did not make it to the paper's internet site. It's author Newton Emerson is noted for his satirical work on the Portadown News and in local television. Last week however, Newt wasn't joking when he went for the reaction of Unionist councillor to the protests against a religious ceremony at Carnmoney Cemetary. [more] Building consensus for Unity? The Andersonstown News reports (subs needed) on an internal conference at Stormont of Sinn Fein's senior elected officials called Building For Irish Reunification. Commenting on the significance of the conference, Bairbre de Brún said its purpose was to "...to create a strategy that will arm the builders of the new Ireland with new ideas and ways of working, for example in using the opportunities presented by EU funding programmes, to build a consensus for Irish reunification". RIRA campaign continues The Real IRA seems to be upping the stakes over its campaign of intimidation against members of the District Policing Partnerships, with a vehment attack on the Catholic vice chair of the overall Policing Board Dennis Bradley. Lack of committment is real deficit Alex Kane puts the case for postponment of elections having thus far preserved what has been good about the Belfast Agreement, and suggests the democratic deficit consists of those who are not yet prepared to work the Agreement in full. It's an interesting argument perhaps mostly because it has rarely been publicly made over the last six months or so. [more] Positive start to Autumn? Will the equinox and the notable change of season in Belfast today, also herald a change in Northern Irish politics? The positive, if understated mood music continues as Paul Murphy resumes a new round of talks aimed at trying to get things moving again. November 13th is now being talked about as a possible date for elections. September 21, 2003 Possibile election dates? Mark Devenport examines some of the practical considerations around the dates for a possible election. It looks like it is going to be a tight fit to get it in before Christmas. And if it does go ahead, it will be cold, dark campaign for all party activists. Accepting complexity in history Anyone visiting Ireland should consider a visit to West Cork. Not only is it beautiful and relatively tourist free, it's peppered by small reminders of more dramatic and desparate times. None is more powerful than the site of the Kilmichael ambush on the road from Skibbereen to Macroom. Eoghan Harris reflects on the complexity of history as he drove that way last week. Loss of commission exagerated Belfast Gonzo is getting into his stride as a fully fledged blogger pundit, of the Instapundit/Andrew Sullivan type. This week he has fisked a news report in the Irish News which he claims falsely cooks up the degree of outside concern over the declining confidence in the Human Rights commission. Speculation that IRA's war is over According to Henry McDonald, the IRA leadership may be considering the issuing of a definative statement that the war is over, but there appears to be some residual resistence to such a statement, particularly in Tyrone and Armagh. Though as his Dublin contacts confirm, this is where things were last April when negotiations last broke down. Policing: a nasty dilemma Unsurprisingly the vehemently anti-Sinn Fein Sunday Independent, uses its editorial slot to tell Sinn Fein it must recognise the PSNI. But some measure of the complications the party faces can be read in the defiant rebuttal from the Real IRA of appeals to withdraw threats towards Catholics serving on the District Policing Partnerships. [more] Living in the Shadows Carrie Twomey on her experience of living in an area where punishment beatings and shootings remain the primary way of administering justice. Her husband Anthony McInyre is quoted in the Sunday Times on the more overtly political aspect of this. BBC bias towards Nationalism? DUP Councillor Robin Stirling has been running his own assessment of whether or not the BBC is biased towards Nationalism, or not. Although certainly as reported, he seems not to have been able to gather conclusive figures one way or the other. September 19, 2003 SDLP attack Sinn Fein The leader of the SDLP, Mark Durkan, has gone on the offensive against Sinn Fein, in the Belfast Newsletter today. The article is based upon a six page dossier compiled on the issue of attacks on the District Policing Partnerships by the party. The full document was available on to the party's website early today, but the site is currently under attack from computer hackers. [more] That prison picture According to Jude Collins, the photograph of Sinn Fein TD's in Castlerea prison which featured in last week's Sunday Independent, may be part of a subtle campaign to galvanise prisoners behind the next big push towards a lasting settlement in Northern Ireland. The real democratic deficit? And, presumably now basking in the glorious spendour of finally having broken into the media mainstream, our very own David Vance has his spake, on the BBC's flagship current affairs programme Hearts and Minds! If you have a broadband connection, the programme gives a good flavour of the nature of politics in NI. And you can see David in the flesh, so to speak. Spring/summer elections? Steven King claims that the reality on the ground is that people are rather more muted in their view of the absence of democratic institutions. He wades in with a very heavy hint that we may be looking at elections next June, to coincide with European elections. Though it is not clear if it really is a hint, or simply flying a kite for other parties. PSNI has nothing to learn from the Met Eammon McCann is a famed orator, particularly within the local organisation of the Socialist Workers Party. This week he launches a broadside on the recent controversy over Superintendent Ali Dizaei, once tipped to be the UK's first Asian chief constable, and suggests, , that the PSNI has nothing to learn from London's Metropolitan Police - which is unlikely considering Hugh Orde's, the current Chief Constable, background in that force. PSNI sickness levels drop There was some signs that the ongoing re-organisation of the PSNI is beginning to have positive effects on working conditions inside the Service, with sickness levels dropping by 40% from record highs within the last year. Light at the end of tunnel? After his recent meeting with Gerry Adams, David Trimble is expecting a major move from the IRA in terms of putting arms beyond use. In return, it appears, Trimble has given Adams a guarantee that if they all return to Stormont, there will be no further collapses in the institutions. DDP threats, three arrested Five people have been seized by the PSNI over the recent death threats given to members of District Police Partnerships. Ma Bear blogger brings a non-violent dissident Repubican view of the issue. Confidence needed, not trust There appears to be a small but growing body of opinion within the unionist body politic that believes as there may not be enough internal will to do what's necessary to restore devolved government to Northern Ireland. The Republic's Minister of Foreign Affairs Brian Cowan and Secretary of State Paul Murphy both hinted yesterday that re-instatement would depend on the will of devolutionist parties to have local institutions restored. However, given the huge gap that remains between Unionist and Nationalist perceptions, it is less likely to be mutual trust that will be the driver of such change as that of individual party's confidence. September 18, 2003 Job drain to the east? The BBC's Northern Ireland economics correspondent James Kerr, has been examining the implications of two recent reports into the economy. The medium term danger he suggests is that the very kinds of lower skilled jobs that have given Northern Ireland phenomenally low levels of unemployment in recent years are vulnerable to developing world economies and accession countries to the EU. Green Irishman stands in Brent Gary Kent talks to the Green Party candidate and Limerick man Noel Lynch in today's by election in Brent East, that also sees Kelly McBride from North Belfast standing to highlight the case of her brother's killers being allowed back into the British Army. See also Peter Kelly's interview with Belfast Mayor Martin Morgan. [more] Separating politics from violence What's most interesting about Anthony McIntyre's interview with a fellow dissident Republican Brendan Shannon is less the nature of their argument with mainstream Republican movement as much the experience of trying to carve out a subtle position in circumstances where politics can still be a matter of life and death. Elections unlikely to solve anything Brian Feeney this week drops his more usual rhetorical style for a clear eyed analysis of the issue of upcoming elections. He argues that the public positions of the two governments that elections must lead to government, cannot be successful, if Unionists remain dependent upon the full decommissioning of IRA arms. Britain: the Irishman's intellectual burden? An interesting, if very lengthy essay from Oxford professor Terry Eagleton, which focuses on a recent biography of Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm. In particular he touches on aspects of British cultural life and it's ability/propensity to absorb and in some cases be driven by the energies of outsiders. [more] DDP: black and white issue The Irish News chooses to editorialise on the subject of the growing intimidation campaign by dissident Republicans against Catholic members of various District Policing Partnerships. Assessing the reasons for the attack, it is fairly straightforward and direct: [more] September 17, 2003 What Scotland can learn from Ireland? Bill Jamieson considers some of the insights from Wendy Alexander's (former Scottish minister for enterprise) recent Smith Institute's comparative study Chasing the Tartan Tiger: lessons from a Celtic Cousin?. Anti Catholic protests The ramifications over what on the surface seems to be a series of anti-Catholic protests in the Newtownabbey area continues. It has brought fulsome condemnation from the Church of Ireland Bishop Alan Harper, whilst local loyalist councillor Tommy Kirkham has both condemned the actions of the protestors and offered to mediate. [more] State collusion in Wright's murder? Roise Cowan seems to be the first mainstream journalist to comment upon a series of private papers published a few days ago on the factfinding website Cryptome. The evidence suggests that the prison authories were aware of Wright's vulnerablity to attack from a nearby wing populated by INLA prisoners. It may strengthen the case for Canadian judge Peter Cory to recommend it be one of several cases subject to a public inquiry. However prison chief deny there is anything new in the allegations. UUP discuss policy? When I first saw the headline to this story I thought it might be an indication that the UUP had decided they needed to catch up on the clear lead their chief rivals have opened up upon them in the area of policy development. But it seems they are still largely focused on developing a common approach to the government's joint declaration of last April. Concerns over Special Branch The man appointed to oversee the implimentation of the Patten Reforms, Tom Constantine, has suggested there has been good progress in many aspects of the insititutional changes within the PSNI, certain areas remain a concern. He reported a drop of 17% in the manpower of the Special Branch department charged with countering paramilitary activity, which is just below the shrinkage rate of the force's overall numbers. Bradley to mediate in intimidation campaign Dennis Bradley, the nationalist vice-chair of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, has offered to mediate in what appears to be a growing crisis over the increasing intimidation of members of the District Policing Partnerships. September 16, 2003 DPP member resigns Despite the resignation of a member of Cookstown District Policing Partnership, the man charged with monitoring the implementation of the Patten report's policing reforms does not believe the campaign of intimidation will slow the pace of reforms. Update: A DPP member was targeted in Strabane earlier today. Arthur McGarrigle's car was set alight outside the school he works in. The attack was condemned by former MLA Eugene McMenamin and Party Leader Mark Durkan. British Labour to organise in NI Andy McGivern's campaign to extend the right to join the British Labour party to Northern Ireland is to continue. McGivern appears confident that there is sufficient support within the party to win a majority at the party's October conference in Bournemouth. But there is also considerable opposition, with former shadow Northern Ireland secretary campaigning heavily all summer to oppose any possible motion. Whilst the Irish Labour party does not organise in Northern Ireland, it will accept members who live there. Armed peace? Danny Morrison gives a favourable review to the BBC NI's security correspondent Barney Rowan's recent book Armed Struggle. Morrison usefully quotes Rowan's own pocket synopsis: [more] Immediate decommissioning unhelpful Roy Garland reports from a public meeting in Co Leitrim, which included unionists and nationalists. Interestingly he concludes at a certain point that one whole Act of Completion with regard to decommissioning would not actually be in the direct interests of maintaining the peace process. Republicanism: sell out or evolution? Northern Irish historian Mark Mulholland is currently putting together some interesting thoughts on what he believes are the substantive issues in the Republican movement's espousal of the peace process. Well worth the read! September 15, 2003 UUC: dissidents need a plan Alex Kane further explores the aftermath of the last UUC meeting and suggests that David Trimble must use the time between now and its next annual meeting to consolidate his victory. He argues that the opposition has punched its way to stalemate because it has not been able to sketch out even roughly what it's alternative to the current Agreement might be. [more] Education: PUP approach to reform Paul Morrow is a reader of Slugger and a member of the PUP. In a recent discussion thread he outlined an interesting case for radical reform within the system, that we thought bears looking at again. [more] Policing board intimidation In discussing the recent intimidation Chief Constable Hugh Orde has claimed that the Provisional IRA as well as the dissident Real IRA have been involved. However he went on to re-iterate that the latter remained the focus of his concerns. At the same time there seems to a continuing, albeit small scale and apparently unco-ordinated, number of attacks and intimidation by loyalist fringe groups. Libyan arms: lost opportunity Malachi O'Doherty picks up on a theme of Mark Devenport from last week, the lost potential for a claim against the Libyan government for victims of the ordinance smuggled into Northern Ireland. He believes Unionism may have lost an opportunity to embarass Sinn Fein. Blair and Ahern attempt restart The summit meeting at Chequers this weekend was both a culmination of a series of bilateral talks with and amongst Northern Ireland's parties. It's clear that both governments want to hold elections, but it is far from clear as to whether the choreography can be arranged within the next two to three weeks. Thanks... I have to start this week with a big thanks to Eoghan Harris for a superlative plug in yesterday's Sunday Independent, "Spend five minutes on this site and you find you have to dump all your old ideas about what's happening in Northern Ireland." Not sure what else to say! Thanks also to a fistful of Euros for adding us to their blog list. September 12, 2003 Two cow stories... I read an account in last Sunday's Sunday Independent newspaper by veteran Irish broadcaster Gay Byrne of a bizarre incident that at Carrickfinn airport in Donegal. Quite simply, he watched a whole herd of cows, jump one by one calmly and collectedly over the perimeter fence. So we finish the week with another cow story from Devon in SW England, which may give new meaning to the term cowed! PoliticsNI.com The penultimate post of the week is really a plug for a new Northern Ireland political website, amongst others by Slugger fan IJP. It has news, a forum and a poll. It's sister site in the Republic, has already been up and running for some time now. O'Reilly interested in Newsletter Dan Milmo has the latest on the sale of the Newsletter and the Derry Journal titles. Tony O'Reilly's Independent News and Media group is showing serious interest, but may run into problems under the competition commission. Rights case over Holy Cross With the subsidence of local tensions from the crisis levels of two years ago, a groups parents of children at the Holy Cross Primary School in North Belfast, are considering taking action against the authorities for not taking sufficient action to secure their children's right to walk to school. Trimble being driven by SF Bob McCartney, former MP for North Down, believes that the basic weakness in anything that Unionism is offered is that it is, de rigeur, agreed with the Republican movement in advance. This results, he appears to conclude, in Unionism being driven toward what will always be a Republican agenda. SF calls for threat to be lifted The death threat against Cathal O'Dolan, an independent member of the local District Policing Partnership in Fermanagh, has shaken things up a bit. What's perhaps most worthy of note is the prompt condemnation of the threat and call for its withdrawal from the area's Sinn Fein MP, Michelle Gildernew. Prisoner separation recommended Republican Sinn Fein have called for the implementation of the Steele report into the issue of intra prison violence, primarily between Loyalist and Republican prisoners. The report recommends the separation of the two blocs. Case for the Monitoring body Brian Walker, has the rather forlorn job of making the case for the International Monitoring Commission. He lays out five points of its strength, but believes that though it may be actually turn out to be the tough measure many Unionists have wished for, it also may be too late. Return to democracy: chicken or egg? This piece by William Graham in yesterday's Irish News describes the current dilemma exercising a large swathe of the moderate political classes in Northern Ireland; which comes first disarmament or return to democracy. September 11, 2003 Quiet day... It's been fairly quiet on Slugger today, partly because there's been little of substance to report, and I've been busy working to a deadline, and therefore not had time to go looking for more interesting bits and pieces. Before I sign off though, here's a couple of blog pieces worth looking at. Belfast Gonzo has a background piece on the Chilcott report, and this guy has an interesting defence of the Orange Order. It's followed by a vigourous and lengthy discussion. Limitations of power Brian Feeney returns to a key theme of his general commentary; ie, the weakness of any Unionist position is that the final executive decision will always remain with the British government. He's not impressed with the scale or substance of Trimble's recent victory. IRA's plans shrouded in doubt The BBC's security correspondent must have the most thankless job in the corporation. Despite his unrivalled contact with senior figures within in the IRA, he remains uncertain as to the likelihood or otherswise of whether they will commit to a major act of disarmament this autumn. DUP agenda setting? If anyone was in any doubt where the main struggle is going to take place and between whom, the DUP clearly intend to further signal their intent - election on no election. The first of series of public meetings throughout Northern Ireland aimed at highlighting the failings of the current Agreement is rumoured to begin in David Trimble's backyard. September 10, 2003 Gregory Campbell: where now? The DUP MP Gregory Campbell argues here on Slugger O'Toole, that the British government's policy of putting off the day of elections has run its course. He believes a re-newed democrat mandate can presage a new deal that will allow all Unionists to finally sign up to a peaceful long term settlement. [more] Gone to the blogs... The next big blog event in the UK is Gone to the Blogs organised by Spiked online. The main feature is likely to be the leftist commentator on social issues and Ireland Brendan O'Neill and the libertarian mover and shaker of Samizdata Perry de Havilland. It will also include James Crabtree, the bright, young, blogging intellectual behind Voxpolitics (he's currently having a bit of a scrap with Demos over networks vs hierarchies). The political input is counterbalanced by the notsoyoung BBC tech blogger Bill Thompson. UTV guilty of sports bias? DUP councillor and former Ireland rugby international Davy Tweed has raised objections to the degree of coverage given to Gaelic sports on the independent television channel that serves Northern Ireland and border counties in the Republic, UTV. In the absence of democracy Belfast Gonzo has an interesting piece, which hints at some tangible benefits that can be brought through devolved government, and suggests that former Bairbre de Bruin will be annoyed that the improvements in hospital waiting lists will not be publicly attributed to her often controversial efforts whilst in office. Trimble must win Unionists confidence first! Until fairly recently Martin McNeely acted as press secretary to the UUP leader David Trimble. Since then he has remained outside the ebb and flow of party politics, but the result of last Saturday's UUC meeting has prompted him to offer his old boss some advice on going forward through Slugger O'Toole. And, he warns, the struggle for the hearts and minds of his party is far from over. [more] November elections? There has been increasing speculation behind the scenes that a late October/November election might now be on the cards. Certainly there have been fairly relaxed calls in the last day or so from Sinn Fein for movement, and even though Mark Durkan believes the troubles in the UUP have some way to run, further parking of the process will do little to help Trimble's pro-Agreement wing of that party. [more] September 09, 2003 Getting an inside view? Recently Slugger has been gathering comments from various political insiders. This often can bring a valuable counter-perspective to those of our general readers. It would be interesting, for instance, to hear the response of a PUP member to Chico's hard hitting remarks regarding the party's socialist credentials in this recent thread. Though in general, we'd like to hear more from all parties, whether through the comment boxes or by submitting more formal opinion pieces. Slugger in Swedish? Rebecca Blood's presentation to the Blog Talk conference in Vienna last May, is still bring Slugger traffic from other language blogs. The latest is a blog called Cuppen and appears to be written by a journalist in Stockholm. It seems to be mostly about online journalism, but I'm only guessing; although many of the story titles are in English, she blogs in mostly in Swedish. Boost in business performance Even without local democracy the local economy seems to be feeling a slight thaw in the global economic climate, with a slight rise in outputs and new business for the month of July. Orange Hall: end of an era? The BBC have picked up a story on the fate of Downpatrick's Orange Hall. Once a social hub of a small but vibrant Protestant community in the largely Catholic town, a local solicitor has bought the premise for re-development. Contradictions in the Republican view? Eammon McCann provides a short socialist perspective of the role of Sean Russell during the war years, and hints at apparently unconscious contradictions within in Republican rhetoric. The Coca Cola reference relates to a recent contorversy over the donation of a former senior member of the company to Sinn Fein. Sinn Fein backing Trimble? David Trimble has had backing from a perhaps unexpected source. Martin McGuinness seems to have led the most overt public support of Trimble as leader of pro-Agreement Unionism for quite some time. Thanks... Many thanks to several blogs who have mentioned Slugger in the last few days. New blog Sour Grapes puts us with some illustrious company in his intro to blogs and blogging. The Mahablog, obligingly copies the tribute. The nationalist history snippet diary of 1169 and counting has included us in a small number of recommended blogs. Orange card is at an end Roy Garland argues that although Trimble's position within the Council, his true position on the ground amongst party activists is possibly as strong as 70%. On this basis he argues that the current battle is between exclusive and inclusive Unionism: [more] Unionism cowed by assertive nationalism? Now it's Tuesday and some of the columnist's views on the current situation in the UUP starts to flow in. Danny Morrison believes the root of the problem is Unionism's difficulty in facing an assertive Nationalist community. September 08, 2003 DUP set to eclipse UUP? The redoubtable anti-Agreement Stormont Watchman is back at his post in the Electric Review with some vigour. He begins by arguing that Alex Kane (who features as a counter reference for much of the the article) has wrongly identified precisely who the political dinosaurs are in Northern Ireland. [more] Hutton follows Saville? John Naughton praises the Hutton Inquiry for making the evidence submitted to it comprehensively available at its specially constructed website, but is a bit puzzled as to where the idea came from. Maybe we can throw some light on it. [more] Striking a deal, but when? After the political slumbering of summertime the Belfast Telegraph's London correspondent views what might be a more active Autumn with a mix of optimism and caution. Though he seems to hint that a deal may take until Spring to bring about, he is hopeful of seeing the opening bids by the end of this week. Nationalism forgetting the past Professor John A Murphy is something of a regular irregular commentator in the Sunday Independent. This week he argues that Sinn Fein has, since the signing of the Belfast Agreement, begun to systematically revise its own history; citing the recent proposal to wipe out ex-prisoners records as an example. First black female minister? Marc, the blogger behind Stray Toaster, has enigmatically announced the appointment of Sr Gloria Icilma David as the new minister for his church, in Gracehill just outside Ballymena. Sr David is both a woman and black. In an email he asks if this is a first for Northern Ireland? Donaldson will edge Empey out This week Alex Kane believes that any alliance between the pro-Agreement Reg Empey and anti-Agreement Jeffrey Donaldson will end up as anything other than a comprehensive victory for the latter, and will lead to an implosion of the party, rather than unity. [more] What makes a Briton? Nick Cohen takes a considered view of the British Home Office's new citizenship proposals. In the process he digs up some interesting thoughts on the nationality and it's relationship to the state; in particular, should the UK firm up the concept of Britishness by adopting a written constitution. Unionism devoid of politics? Tom McGurk takes occasion to cross the political floor and offer his thoughts on the problems within the UUP. Considering his copy had to be submitted before Trimble's victory on Saturday, some of his analysis will already have proved less durable than others. [more] Trimble noses in front, but... No doubt David Trimble is a happier man this morning than he was on Saturday morning. Mark Devenport believes it gives him a break, but the factionalised nature of the party means he still has much to do, before he will want to consider dealing with some of his more pressing external business. UTV questions the role of Reg Empey September 06, 2003 UUC: Trimble turns the tide? Well, was there news arising from todays' meeting? Well maybe. It appears to be a modest shift towards Trimble in terms of proportions - a one point rise in what was seen by some to have been a hard ceiling to his support. And with nearly 100 delegates not turning up it seems the rebels support has peaked and is falling substantially. It has certainly weakened the rebels attempts to form an alternative leadership to David Trimble, as evidenced by the threat of mass resignations. It may embolden Pro Agreement unionists to demand decisive action on the part of Trimble to assert his leadership over the party. September 05, 2003 Another big day for UUC Spare a thought tomorrow for the delegates to the Ulster Unionist Council nearly 900 of whom will heading for a four hour, no holds barred meeting to decide whether or not the party leadership has the right to expell three of its most senior players for resigning the party whip. Rival parties will also be keeping a close eye on events in Belfast's Ulster Hall. [more] Ian Paisley on A long peace? I met with Ian Paisley briefly the other day. His often firey persona has been a dominant theme in Northern Irish politics since as far back as I can remember. He is greyer and thinner than he once was, but his spirit and wit is still impressive for a man knocking close on 80. [more] Keeping Slugger There are a number of ways you can help Slugger remain an effective presence on the net. You can hit the donation button on the left hand margin, and send us a small amount. Or more simply by hitting any of the links in the Google ads box. These contribute an average 70 cents a day, which goes directly towards the upkeep of the Slugger site. Paper embroiled in fresh controversy The Broom of Anger blog has the transcript of a letter published in the Andersonstown News yesterday from the rector of Clonard Monastry in the Lower Falls area of Belfast alleging the paper had wrongly asserted that a Real IRA activist had spent two nights within the confines of the monastry. This follows an controversy earlier this year involving the paper in a row over a columnist's accusations in the US based Irish Echo newspaper. Addendum: We have tried to dig the original story up online, but without success - if anyone has the appropriate link, perhaps you could forward it. However the paper has published another story (subs needed), which now says that two named individuals only visited the monastry. Ex prisoners want to join police The Republican ex-prisoners group Coiste na n-Iarchimi, have argued that ex-prisoners should not be excluded from joining the PSNI. The organisations chair Raymond McCartney pointed out that they were barred from the Ambulance Service too. Approval for police Ombudsman The Newsletter used it's editorial space on Wednesday to give overall approval to the performance of police Ombudsman, Nuala O'Loan, and suggested that the fears many had that she would block all positive police action have proved to be unfounded. The Commission nobody loves The governments have announced the membership of the international monitoring body, and it seems, nobody likes them! The Irish Independent's security editor is one of the few to focus on what the possible outcomes might be, perhaps in an attempt allay unionist concerns that this is simply another ruse to shoehorn Dublin into another part of Northern Ireland's constitutional make-up. The end of liberal Ulster Following on from Brian Feeney's assertion that Unionism is a non-Liberal political movement, a useful read in this context might be Frank Thompson's The End of Liberal Ulster. The book plots a brief period (1868-1886) when issues relating to the rural economy mattered more than the National question. [more] Unionism: an un-liberal activity? This week Brian Feeney adopts more gentle approach in his ongoing controversialist critique of unionism, by asking, 'why are there no liberal unionists?' He begins by going much further than simply focusing on one side of the political equation: [more] September 04, 2003 Northern Ireland Mafia? Extortion rackets are on the increase, raising funds for paramilitaries and creating a 'mafia society' in N Ireland. Estimates from the policing board are that paramilitaries gain £125m each year through criminal activities. Calls for devolution to be 'revived' Monica McWilliams, former Women's Coalition MLA, called yesterday for the revival of the devolution process and a commitment from the British government to get the process back up and running. Paramilitaries meet with Unionists Meetings are reported to have taken place between senior Loyalist paramilitaries and members of the UUP. Update: Jeffrey Donaldson expresses his alarm at UVF talks September 03, 2003 Lord Alderdice to monitor paramilitary activity? A four-member, independent commission is being set up in the hope it will play a role in the return to devolution. Lord Alderdice, Speaker of the suspended Assembly, has been asked to join the commission which is expected to ensure Members operate 'within the Agreement'. Peter McBride's sister to stand for parliament Kelly McBride, sister of Peter McBride who was shot dead by two British soldiers, has decided to stand for parliament in order to promote her family's campaign to get the two soldiers dismissed. Belfast - the new Faliraki? A party-goer gives Belfast the thumbs up as a fun night out with little trouble. Trimble warns of party split Burnside, Donaldson and Smyth are threatening to split the Ulster Unionists apart, David Trimble warned in an interview on BBC Ulster yesterday. September 02, 2003 Meanwhile.... I'm away from Slugger Central for the next two days, but there will be limited posting from the ubiquitous sluggerotoole. In the meantime a few recommendations: David Steven on blogging as journalism; the Portadown News is unmissable this week; Paul Dunne on crossed wires in and around West Belfast; Christopher Hitchens has a dig at Ian Paisley, whilst dishing it up to the ten commandments and religion in general; and if you haven't been there already, Up the Lagan and in a bubble is worth visit; and The Blanket is back in business! See you on Friday. Reforming the agreement Robin Wilson of Democratic Dialogue has the op-ed slot in tonight's Belfast Telegraph. He focuses on four things he believes could be changed to help promote a less sectarian field of play for politics in Northern Ireland: the consent principle; move from STV to AV for voting; discard the designation system in favour of a weighted majority coalition; and fourth which follows from the last, is ditch d'Hondt system, which gives all parties a seat in cabinet. It might work for most anti-Agreement unionists, though it's immediately hard to see any nationalist giving much away on points 1, 3 or 4. Unifying Ulster's two cultures? In response to this post, and the discussion it gave rise to, which questioned the need for Unionism to seek some of form of unified cultural expression, political analyst Simon Partridge emailed us with the following response, which opens out the subject in a number of interesting ways. [more] Orde: one year on Hugh Orde gets an ear bashing on the Lisburn road for a range of domestic crimes that plague its citizens. However Chris Thorton argues, what might be embarassing for a Cheif Constable anywhere else, can be interpreted as a mark of success for Orde's first year in charge of the fledgling PSNI. Indeed compared to this time last year, the issue of policing appears to have gone off the boil. UUP: winner takes all contest? David Trimble's former press secretary, Martin McNeely, has warned that although he regards the party leader as head and shouldrs above any of his rivals, his real failure to date has been his inability to impose party discipline and drive through the necessary changes to what he calls "an old-style political club". [more] Media news management? Another co-author of A Long Peace and regular in the comments fields here at Slugger, David Steven has been following the Hutton enquiry closely. Today on his own etecetera blog he comes up with an interesting perspective from the NI representative on the BBC's board of governors on the issue of news management. Trimble prepares for a fight Frank Millar writes today that David Trimble will put his leadership on the line if he loses at the UUC meeting on Saturday, rather than subject himself to yet another expensive (politically and financially) meeting of the council. Interestingly Millar draws a parallel with John Major's back me or sack me ultimatum to his party in the mid 90's. [more] September 01, 2003 From fundamentalism to compromise Marc Mulholland recalls a seminar in Oxford at which both Anthony McIntyre and Danny Morrison spoke about their differing views on the future of republicanism. Mulholland detected a substantive move away from the old rhetoric of national self determination. [more] Ulster drives practical changes in GAA Although this is a bit of a specialist read for lovers of Gaelic football, Tom McGurk lays out what he believes are the ways in which the Ulster teams have revolutionised the game by driving through the many ambiguities within the official rule book. Poltician to bid for newspaper David Burnside joins a number of other possible bidders for Trinity Mirror's Irish titles. Burnside seems particularly interested in the largely Unionist Newsletter title. Other players mentioned in the past include the Andersonstown News Group, which was considering taking on the largely nationalist Derry Journal. Spinning for Sinn Fein The Sunday Times managed to tease out material from an interview that Danny Morrison gave to a journalism student in Dublin, on how he tried to manage the news agenda in the on-going battle between hacks and flacks. [more] 1st Northern Ireland Gaelic final Yesterday's all Ulster All Ireland semi final was a tight fought affair. Armagh left it to the very end to edge out what should have been relatively easy opposition for them. One wit in the crowd organised a banner which read Garvaghy Road Orangemen on tour (the colour of the Armagh team). Armagh go on to face neighbours Tyrone in what will be the first all Northern Ireland final. At least one Irishman in Britain will be doing what he can to get there. A return to government? David McKittrick hints that the quiet summer may help create the conditions for the return of local government. However, how quickly that happens is more likely to hinge on whether the UUP can resolve its difficulties around a broadly pro-Agreement agenda this Saturday. The suspicion remains that we are in for a long wait. What's the craic (or crack)? Slugger regular IJP is interviewed by Newsletter journalist Ian Starrett in his capacity as a language expert, and looks into the origins of the ubiquitous term that has been extensively marketed to tourists in particular as a keynote of the Irish experience. Trimble: leadership is the issue Alex Kane is clearly getting frustrated with the air of unreality that has descended upon politics in Northern Ireland. But what exercises him most is the thick fog that appears to have descended upon the leader of his own party, the UUP. All members, he claims, want a final and lasting resolution to the party's difficluties - whichever way it goes. The next UUC meeting is due on Saturday - a matter of months after the last one. [more] |
Slugger O'Toole records news, commentary and diverse opinion on Northern Ireland. Produced by Mick Fealty News, tips or crits here: mick -at- mickfealty.com 
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2003: Slugger's year...New bloggers on Slugger HRC: scarce resources meet impossible demands? Good blogs A Long Peace? - press release Census 2001: a summary Robinson's plan: summary Adams speech Blair speech Stormont crisis
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