Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | 11/05/2009
Sinn Féin councillor Conor Maskey has criticised the DUP MEP Diane Dodds for double-jobbing - she’s still a councillor apparently - “Sinn Féin is committed to ending dual-mandates within our party..”. Meanwhile the party has selected Northern Ireland Executive Junior Minister, Gerry Kelly, MLA, as their candidate for north Belfast in the next general election. Do they...
Airforce Amazons (Free subscription) | 10/30/2009
After a recent morbid exchange on an issue of blame , I was reminded of the above strip, my favourite of many by Dublin’s leading Finnish cartoonist, Arja Kajermo . (Click image to enlarge.) Regarding God and his mam in the last panel, as Iraqi Mojo will explain, America is God now. In the hunt through back issues of In Dublin magazine for the first strip, I also found this one, on terrorists...
SAOIRSE32 (Free subscription) | 10/24/2009
An Phoblacht 22 Oct 2009 THE financial package from the British Government to support the transfer of powers over Policing and Justice from Britain to the North of Ireland was published on Wednesday. The development follows the latest round of negotiations on the package between British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the North’s First and Deputy First Ministers, Peter Robinson of the DUP and...
SAOIRSE32 (Free subscription) | 10/23/2009
THE HUNGER STRIKE Was there a deal? Irish News 22/10/2009 Richard O’Rawe – former republican prisoner, PRO of the 1981 hunger strikers and author of Blanketmen – responds to Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams on claims a deal was available which would have saved the lives of six hunger strikers There is now no room for doubting that the hunger strikers, by their sacrifice and courage,...
BBC NEWS | The Devenport Diaries (Free subscription) | 10/22/2009
I wasn't in the office yesterday so didn't get blogging about Gordon Brown's £1 billion offer. It's looking definitely good enough for Martin McGuinness, almost certainly good enough for David Cameron and probably good enough for Peter Robinson. However today the TUV's Jim Allister thought he had spotted a sleight of hand in the Prime Minister's package. claiming that any cash drawn from the...
The Empire Chronicles (Free subscription) | 10/22/2009
David Cameron became the first Conservative leader since the Partition of Ireland to meet an Irish Republican leader yesterday, when he told Martin McGuinness that he would support a £1 billion package for Northern Ireland, The Times reports. The historic meeting took place after McGuinness, Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister and a former chief of staff of the Provisional IRA, and...
SAOIRSE32 (Free subscription) | 10/22/2009
By Steven McCaffery and Gavin Cordon Scotsman 22 October 2009 THE Prime Minister has unveiled a plan costing nearly £1 billion to devolve policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly and promised further aid if paramilitary violence erupts. Gordon Brown has held talks with First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness on a deal to see unionists and...
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | 10/21/2009
I just happened to be in Westminster this afternoon when first of all David Cameron breezed past followed shortly afterwards by a very sober looking Peter Robinson and a smiling, glad-handing Martin McGuinness as they made their way to the ‘putative’ Prime Minister’s official chambers… I managed to grab a quick interview with Owen Paterson shortly afterwards (of which more...
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | 10/21/2009
Interesting couple of days in Swansea at the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly (or the British Irish Assembly as one representative called it)... One of the hot backroom topics of speculation was when would the devolution of policing and justice be let down (t he British proposals are expected to released today) . Most non DUP sources Slugger spoke to emphasised the importance of getting the deal...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 10/21/2009
Martin McGuinness says powers can be brought to Stormont from Westminster in time for Christmas Gordon Brown will unveil later today the budget for the transfer of policing and justice powers to Northern Ireland. The prime minister's move is part of efforts to reach a final agreement between unionists and nationalists on the creation of a justice ministry at Stormont. Northern Ireland's first minister,...
Events dear boy, events (Free subscription) | 10/21/2009
Try as Brown may to finalise the devolution of policing and justice to Northern Ireland, he can only go so far: Once Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness are happy that it can be signed off then Mr Robinson will go and speak to David Cameron and ask him if he will stand over the figures if he becomes prime minister. All important matters these days have to be “Tory-proofed” against Our...
ireland.com (Free subscription) | 10/20/2009
Martin McGuinness holds more talks with the Irish and British Governments today as negotiations on transferring policing and justice powers to Northern Ireland gather momentum.
US News & World Report (Free subscription) | 10/19/2009
The New York Stock Exchange is creating up to 400 new jobs in Northern Ireland with the establishment of a “satellite office” in Belfast. The Wall Street financial powerhouse will set up its office in the city centre, it was announced today. Flanked by Northern Ireland’s first minister, Peter Robinson, and deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, at [...]
SAOIRSE32 (Free subscription) | 10/19/2009
By Valerie Robinson Irish News 16/10/09 A group representing victims of paramilitary violence in the Republic is battling to remain active in the face of funding cuts. Justice for the Forgotten, which represents those injured and bereaved in attacks south of the border, yesterday revealed that it has been forced to lobby political leaders on both sides of the border after the government informed it...
Alex Massie (Free subscription) | 10/18/2009
Tory Bear is upset with the continuing brouhaha over the Conservatives' pals in the European parliament. Well, fair enough. I find it hard to believe that anyone, apart from euro-obsessives, cares about the european parliament but perhaps I'm mistaken. Accordingly he wants, not unreasonably, to draw attention to some of Labour's less than wholesome allies in Europe. Among them... How about Proinsias...
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