February, 2016

THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE SINN FEIN by Donal Kennedy

Young readers may be surprised to learn that writing ballocks about Sinn Fein did not originate in the Irish Times or the Sunday Independent or in the scriptorium of Seamus Murphy SJ  or even in the Episcopal Residence of the Church of Ireland Primate in Dublin, Michael Jackson. It must be nearly sixty-five years since […]

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A politician’s lot is not a happy one

So – the election is over, now comes the interesting bit. For Labour the election was all their nightmares wrapped into one. Shrunk to a wizened hulk, Joan Burton may have been pleased to be re-elected, but that must have been modified by the last-minute survival of Alan Kelly. One look at that guy’s face as […]

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‘Iceland conference an opportunity to develop broader European opposition to EU exit’ by Declan Kearney

Sinn Féin National Chairperson Declan Kearney will travel to Iceland this weekend to meet with Nordic Green Left Parties and other significant parties on the European Left. Speaking ahead of the visit, Mr Kearney said, “The conference this weekend will include leadership delegates of key Left Parties from across Europe, including the Nordic countries, Denmark, Germany, […]

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Thoughts on elections

OK, think positive. As the appalling sight of Fianna Fail making a full recovery looms, and that party and Fine Gael face the ghastly prospect of having to dance with each other, let’s consider a few random points on elections in general and the south’s in particular. “I’m not remotely interested in the south’s election – […]

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The election: who won and who lost?

As I write, RTÉ radio is hauling in old hands to tell us how to understand the exit polls. We’ve had Billy Kelleher, the mastermind of FF’s campaign; Michael McDowell of the late PDs; and Róisín Shortall of the Social Democrats.  As yet no Shinners. The party that will be most pleased and at the […]

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NINETEEN SIXTY-SIX REVISITED by Donal Kennedy

In NINETEEN SIXTY-SIX AND ALL THAT I mentioned how that year impacted on eight-year old Fintan O’Toole, Ireland’s leading intellectual. That year also impacted on eight-year old Michael Jackson, the current Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin.Launching Dublin City University’s 2016 Centenary he said that people in the Republic may still not be aware how […]

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 ‘PERFECTING IRELAND’S PARTITION: America’s Helping Hand’ by Michael John Cummings

The Irish Rebellion of 1916 is well remembered in song and story.  As for  the  crucial  Sinn Fein 32 county election victory that followed in 1918?  Not so much.  That election served to confirm the Easter Proclamation and the mandate for independence.  What followed in 1919?  The self- determination  U. S. President Wilson supported in the  […]

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They forgot to use the stake through the heart

The Irish are a forgiving people; they’re also a credulous people. Five years ago, you could never have foreseen the situation we have today. And yes, I am talking about you, Fianna Fail. In the final days of the Fianna Fail /Greens coalition, the very words ‘Fianna Fail’ stirred up feelings so strong among the […]

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