Enough already: time for nationalist/republican politicians to take a stand

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Don’t be too hard on Donald Trump – he’s doing his best. He even says so in a recent tweet: “Doing my best to disregard the many inflammatory President O statements and roadblocks.Thought it was going to be a smooth transition – NOT!”

I’m glad he sent that one, because you’d be a little tempted to think maybe the Donald was the roadblock to sanity. When the US discovered it actually had a spine, though a very flexible one, and abstained from a vote at the UN condemning the continued illegal erection of Israeli settlement buildings on Palestinian territory, the Donald got very annoyed and tweeted “We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect.” To the astonishment and delight of many, Obama’s Secretary of State John Kerry tore into the Israeli position, which gives two fingers to the idea of a two-state solution.The fact that Kerry won’t be Secretary of State inside some three weeks tempts one to ask the obvious question: What took you so long? But glass half-full and all that: Kerry and the US are at least making clear to the world that a considerable section of the US is not in thrall to the golden-hair charisma of the Donald and isn’t afraid to say so.

There’s a lesson for nationalists/republicans here. It’s one thing to be polite and positive with one’s political partners and/or opponents, it’s another to let them think they can stalk around centre stage, saying and doing what they choose, without some firm response from those who think differently.

Before the Assembly comes together again next month, nationalist and republican politicians should decide that roll-over is not an option; that – as Kerry said regarding Israel – good friends prove they are good friends by speaking truth, even if it is sometime uncomfortable. So any idea that Arlene Foster, who was the Minister in office during the approval of the Cash –for-Ash scheme, should coolly continue in office during a public inquiry, must be dismissed by nationalists and republicans. Stepping aside is not to concede guilt, it’s simply an acknowledgement that a massive financial scandal requires a public inquiry. Refusing to step aside would be an acknowledgement that the DUP leader is possessed of a triple-brass contempt for the public mood.

It’s time nationalists/republicans stopped back-pedalling on the grounds that  taking a firm stance might upset unionist politicians. We’ve had a bellyful of  Trump and Foster’s arrogance.  Enough already.

 

 

 

 

60 Responses to Enough already: time for nationalist/republican politicians to take a stand

  1. MT December 29, 2016 at 9:26 am #

    Strange blog. The SDLP is a nationalist party and has led the charge against the DUP on this, supported by the rest of the cross-community opposition.

    So the criticism can only be directed at PSF, yet they are not named. Why is this?

    • giordanobruno December 29, 2016 at 10:06 am #

      MT
      I agree.The time for SF to stand up and be counted was when all the other parties supported the no confidence motion. However as Jude said at the time:
      “But that would have looked like they were following the SDLP’s lead, so that isn’t going to happen.”
      SF seem hesitant and decisive to me.
      At heart I do not think they are comfortable being the government, being the establishment.
      Do they actually want to make the place they govern work? A place whose name they dare not utter?

      • jessica December 29, 2016 at 10:13 am #

        A divided Ireland will never work gio.

      • Ryan December 29, 2016 at 5:39 pm #

        Gio

        SF’s strategy is to keep open the Stormont institutions and to have as many powers away from London and on the island of Ireland as possible. They make no secret of this. They also DO want the state to work, especially economically, because that would make a transition to Irish Unity easier and smoother. It has been SF’s agenda, like any political party, to be in power for a very long time. Indeed in 2007 when the DUP went into power with SF Gerry Adams described the opening of Stormont as an “enormous prize”.

        If you mean do SF want the place they govern to work AS PART OF THE UK then obviously they don’t, that’s why they promote an All Island agenda, more devolution, etc

        They don’t have to say the name of the state, who cares?

        Ultimately, as I’m sure you have read many times on this blog: this state can never fully work. Its a failure because you have the sectarianism, the hostility, the fact its contested territory, etc. that’s not solely down to SF but also Unionism too. Its just a case of two sides that cant be fully reconciled because they are poles apart. Hence the state cant fully work. As Gerry Adams himself said: “We don’t have peace, just a cessation of violence”.

        So as SF and republicans bide their time as the demographics change in the real hope of a voting block that will vote Irish Unity (Enda Kenny is doing the same), I honestly don’t see what plan political Unionism has, it seems they are refusing to accept the changes that have happened and that have yet to occur….

        • MT December 29, 2016 at 5:42 pm #

          “Ultimately, as I’m sure you have read many times on this blog: this state can never fully work. Its a failure because you have the sectarianism, the hostility, the fact its contested territory, etc.”

          That would remain the case in a ‘united Ireland ‘.

        • billy December 29, 2016 at 6:01 pm #

          why wasnt the#enormous prize#not mentioned to the ones doing the fighting early on.

        • giordanobruno December 29, 2016 at 6:04 pm #

          Ryan
          Yes I get no sense of any real strategy beyond biding their time until demographics do their job for them. In the meantime they are just hanging on in there.
          And if they do make this place with no name work it can only persuade the undecided to consider voting for the status quo in any future referendum.

        • Scott Rutherford December 29, 2016 at 6:12 pm #

          Ryan

          What demographic are you waiting SF waiting for?

          I do hope you see the fault in assuming that majority Catholic population means a automatic majority nationalist voters.

          It’s not like someone’s political persuasion on the constitutional issue is given out to them at there first communion.

    • jessica December 29, 2016 at 10:09 am #

      Only a criminal investigation can lead the charge on this MT, with convictions if necessary.

      There may well be a time for motions of no confidence and even refusal to work with the DUP, and eventually to close Stormont for good.

      But they need to be well thought out, not rushed and whatever stand is deemed necessary, should be followed through on.

      I would like to think there will be co operation and co ordination among the nationalist parties, but as you say, the SDLP would rather be seen to be leading a charge, however ill thought out and unilateral it may be, and others are more driven by animosity towards Sinn Fein than they have towards the DUP.

      There is only one nationalist party with any authority and therefore, the message needs to go to Sinn Fein, time to get tough, nationalism has already given up on Stormont, what is there to lose now?

    • Séamus December 29, 2016 at 10:40 am #

      I think he’s suggesting that the SDLP need to support Sinn Féin’s motion next month.

  2. James Hunter December 29, 2016 at 10:25 am #

    Great story jude and happy New year to you and your family.

    • Jude Collins December 29, 2016 at 12:30 pm #

      Grma, James, agus tú féin

  3. Stephen December 29, 2016 at 10:48 am #

    Firstly the SDLP are in no way a Nationalist party, Nationalist lite at best (allegiance to the British Monarch and all that) However their stunt at Stormont as ill thought out as it was, was more an attack on SF than ousting Foster. Had SF stood with them the DUP would have buried it in a POC. The SDLP under Eastwood’s leadership are petty and juvenile to say the least attacking SF won’t endear them to the Nationalist electorate.

  4. billy December 29, 2016 at 10:48 am #

    lets hope donald starts handing out the lessons on manners next month when he gets his hands on the reins.not that it should concern us here anyway what happens in these far off corners of the world let them get on with it.on the stormont front the opposition are not the ones back pedalling as you call it,the two main parties are in this together in full view of the media and their voters the opposition dont need to do anything but sit back and enjoy the show.

    • jessica December 29, 2016 at 11:13 am #

      Trump got in on an anti globalisation protest vote, his support for israel goes arse about face in relation to that.
      That is a concern for me anyway.

      Obamas administration did nothing over 2 terms and it took Trump getting elected to wake them up. Too little too late.

      Had they made such a stand earlier in their term, who knows what a difference it may have made. Are all establishments institutionalised? Perhaps change is needed to break this.

      Nowhere is such change needed more than in Ireland, in both parts of the island.

      • paul December 29, 2016 at 1:09 pm #

        Well put Jessica, Obama had 8 years of inaction over Israel/Palestine, yet with 3 weeks to go, Kerry finally does the right thing. Much too little and much too late. I would like to see SF be more resolute in its dealings with the FM and the DUP .

        Happy new year to yourself and JC

  5. Pointis December 29, 2016 at 12:10 pm #

    I would agree with you Jude, if Arlene refuses to stand aside during an investigation then Sinn Fein must pull the plug. To do otherwise would be to affirm that power is more important than truth and integrity!

    I am sure an election will not make much change to party representation but it will send a message to the DUP that they will not be allowed to behave like Israel and expect the rest of the world to do nothing!

  6. Dominic Hendron December 29, 2016 at 12:11 pm #

    Arlene won’t move aside because Nationalists want her to. The only threat to her comes from the Ulster Unionists and perhaps the Alliance. That’s why a broader front is needed more reflective of the general outrage.

    • jessica December 29, 2016 at 12:45 pm #

      I agree

      It would be best if a unionist party made an input such as an amendment to ensure any enquiry is based on the enquiries act

      Surely for the first time we will have all parties in agreement that the DUP must be properly investigated and let the court’s decide

      Arlene not standing aside should bring down stormont but the investigation must be setup first and elections not a fudge to get her off the hook

    • billy December 29, 2016 at 12:57 pm #

      why would a unionist party want to pull sf out of a hole.the opposition needs to drag this out,leaking a few names here and there to nolan an co,showing the public the corruption before any election.make it popcorn time and let the squirming begin.lol.

      • Dominic Hendron December 29, 2016 at 1:11 pm #

        A grown up Unionist party might consider it as part of the maturing process of politics here?

      • jessica December 29, 2016 at 1:18 pm #

        Because unlike you, they care whether or not fraud to an alarming scale has taken place, whether a first minister can be above the law and more likely to show the public they will not allow it go unquestioned

        For starter’s

  7. fiosrach December 29, 2016 at 1:27 pm #

    Why don’t some people make a resolution for 2017 to be sensible in their wants,needs and predictions? If all the beneficiaries of the heating fiasco are named, if they all are high ranking DUP people, if Arlene stands down , if if if. But if an election is forced, the same names will be re-elected. The same parties will be in government and nothing will have changed. Anybody like to bet I’m wrong? We need to do this …….. We must have this …… Catch yourselves on. Where have you been living this past century?

    • Scott Rutherford December 29, 2016 at 2:08 pm #

      I wouldn’t be so sure fiosrach that an election would automatically return the exact same government.

      Many would never have thought a Unionist would lose the East Belfast seat to the Alliance party.

      Many would have never believed that any party other than SF would top the polls in West Belfast.

      I don’t think people in NI are as entrenched as many believe. Eamon McCann made a good point that it’s ridiculous to say that people are totally outraged, but come a election they would simply vote the same old way.

      • giordanobruno December 29, 2016 at 2:24 pm #

        Scott
        I agree and given the recent changes in the number of seats per constituency the predictions are not obvious.
        It would be unlikely to see any great change in the nationalist/unionist breakdown, I think we can say that safely.
        However it is feasible that the 2 big establishment parties could lose ground to the smaller parties given the mood of the electorate. While the DUP are clearly the prime culprits in how this scheme was managed,there could well be a lot of SF voters fed up with how they have performed too.
        The SDLP and PBP may hope to gain, ground but SF could hardly hope for anything more than standing still.

      • fiosrach December 29, 2016 at 2:48 pm #

        Scott, people have been outraged here for generations but it has never produced any change. In 1972 when Stormont was quarantined by our masters, there was change but that was mainly to assuage European and US opinion. What might happen is that voter turnout is so low that the Nats might see through Sinn Féin nua and that would leave us where we were in the 50s and 60s. PBP and the rest are only a blip. Mark my words.

        • jessica December 29, 2016 at 3:13 pm #

          What do you mean see through Sinn Fein
          What is it you think they are deceiving us about?

          • fiosrach December 29, 2016 at 3:32 pm #

            In the last years of the 20th century there was great talk of Sinn Féin overtaking and passing the SDLP. What really happened was that they became the SDLP. Now in the second decade of the 21st century they are indistinguishable from the stoops. They even use the stoops ‘yellow book’ to criticise republicans and ex comrades. I would be glad to hear of any way that they differ from the stoops.

          • jessic December 29, 2016 at 3:44 pm #

            They are a 32 county party
            They make no secret they want to lead a reunited Ireland

            They will have a taoiseach elected in Dublin in the near future
            They have not ignored people on the ground

            They also have not turned their backs on former comrades, the conflict is over and those who respect the ira will support the peace process and complete the job politically

            The anti ira who were former comrades and now oppose them will not have any support you seem to imagine they will

            It would t be long until we find out

          • Dominic Hendron December 29, 2016 at 4:53 pm #

            They’re also indistinguishable from FF and FG for that matter. The SDLP on the other hand are distinguishable in providing nationalism with a voice during dark times and rejecting violence from whatever quarter. They also united socialists such as Paddy Devlin and Gerry Fitt with nationalists such as John Hume and Seamus Mallon, not without tensions which is the norm in any political party. These men provided hope long before the “chuckle brothers” decided to mount the stage. Similarities are too kind to SF.

      • Ryan December 29, 2016 at 5:15 pm #

        Scott

        PBP ran in the Westminster Election and they didn’t top the poll in West Belfast then or even come close…as I said in another comment: SF has nothing to fear from PBP but the SDLP does….

        • fiosrach December 30, 2016 at 1:47 pm #

          The Greens are 32 county. Their chances of leading a reunited Ireland are as good as mine. Taoiseach in Dublin in the near future? Get a grip. This is for real – not your wish list. Why did PBP do so well if the people on the ground were not ignored by the Provos? The Provos part of the conflict may be over or at least the winning part. What have the Provos got to do with the IRA?

          • jessica December 30, 2016 at 2:16 pm #

            The IRA has stood down fiosrach and they are not coming back.
            You seem to be struggling with that reality.

          • fiosrach December 30, 2016 at 10:29 pm #

            The Provos have stood down, Jessica. It’s maybe you can’t grasp the situation.

  8. michael c December 29, 2016 at 1:32 pm #

    IF the “opposition” ie SDLP were to leak a few names to Nolan ,they would need to be careful the names of some of their strongest supporters did’nt emerge.Had a very interesting conversation with a plumber this morning.He reeled off a number of firms who availed of the high rate “commercial” scheme.All unionist bar two who would be staunch stoop supporters.I was even employed by one of them a while back and it’s boss was actually an SDLP member at the time We used to have some interesting conversations around election time and only his lack of boxing skills prevented things from getting totally out of hand!

    • jessica December 29, 2016 at 1:45 pm #

      I think we should not lose sight that the scheme was legitimate if flawed and applicants have done nothing wrong legally anyway

      The question which needs to be answered is whether a court deems the actions of the Dup in delaying the stopping of the scheme and the spike in applications over this period have sufficient connections to the party to satisfy the court that at best criminal negligence took place or if there is email or telephone correspondence to prove deliberate fraud took place of the highest scale ever seen

  9. michael c December 29, 2016 at 2:25 pm #

    I have to laugh at this “pbp topping the poll in West Belfast”. It’s easy for a party to be elected first when they only field one candidate. For the record SF won 4 of the 6 available seats in West Belfast,a feat which was not achieved by any other partyin any other constituency in the North.

    • Scott Rutherford December 29, 2016 at 3:18 pm #

      PBP vote was so large in West Belfast that if they had fielded a second candidate they could have easily got two MLA’s elected.

      I’d imagine the next time round they will be fielding a few candidates in that constituency.

      • Ryan December 29, 2016 at 5:10 pm #

        I live in West Belfast Scott, trust me PBP is a one off, I would say their vote was more of a protest vote against Sinn Fein because of their perceived pandering to the DUP. Even I voted SDLP last year as more of a protest vote against SF because of their stance on abortion and a few other things. But if SF were to remedy these issues than I would vote for them again. SDLP has a lot to fear from PBP but SF doesn’t.

  10. michael c December 29, 2016 at 3:40 pm #

    There will be 1 seat less and they will still only get 1 elected on their current level of support.

    • Michael December 29, 2016 at 3:59 pm #

      That’s assuming their current level of support doesn’t increase. There’s a lot of people pissed of at SF

    • Scott Rutherford December 29, 2016 at 4:40 pm #

      Don’t know how you square that circle michael c. Surely to god if there’s one less seat in a constituency then the person/party most likely to lose out will be SF as they just squeezed through with the last MLA getting in ahead of the DUP by under 100 votes I think.

      Gerry Carroll got elected with almost twice the first preference votes of any other person standing in West Belfast. His second preference transfers then (probably) went to the various SF MLA’s. If he had a running mate there’s a fair chance that a second PBP candidate could have gotten those 2nd preference votes.

  11. michael c December 29, 2016 at 4:04 pm #

    They have a number of policies that if the media chose to highlight would actually see their vote fall.Being on the same side as the far right on Brexit being one and I can’t see the “oul Biddies” seeing them in the same light when their “right to choose” policy is explained.

    • billy December 29, 2016 at 6:15 pm #

      on the same side as the far right can be easily explained to the electorate,in whos supplying and selling hard drugs to their children ie migrants and refugees.its the young biddies who are in the majority and have more sense than the minority altar eaters who wont need convincing on the need for the right to choose.ff should be able to have a field day if stormont collapses ie look at them we give them every chance and they blew it.

  12. michael c December 29, 2016 at 4:46 pm #

    PBP POLLED 22%. In a 5 seater thats 1.3 quotas. And by the way it was the stoops that only squeezed through against the DUP.

    • Scott Rutherford December 29, 2016 at 5:04 pm #

      Apologies michael c your quite right it was the SDLP who squeezed in last place.

      Still if 3/4 of Gerry Carrolls voters had transferred to a second PBP candidate they would have got in. Not an unreasonable assumption since people do often vote 1, 2, 3 etc down there preferred party.

      It’s also important to remember that PBP also are a new party and appeared like a bolt from the blue in the last election. Now with a higher profile they could do even better.

      Why do you think Eamon McCann is looking a election ASAP.

  13. Ryan December 29, 2016 at 4:52 pm #

    I agree with Donald Trump on many things but his stance on Israel-Palestine is definitely not mine. What’s going on in Palestine/Israel is an utter disgrace. It shows the extent of Zionist power that the USA gives Israel tens of BILLIONS a year, whilst tens of millions of Americans are in poverty. Obama, Trump and Clinton’s staff are full of Israeli’s. Why did insulting them, that’s simply what it is: Cowardice. They have nothing to lose now, so now they will stand up for what’s right. If Obama did this in 2008 it would’ve meant something but Trump, an ever willing slave of Israel, will surely undo the little Kerry/Obama has done over the past weeks. Ironically, it was Bernie Sanders, a Jewish man, who said on his election campaign that he will not be going against the Palestinians. Clinton and Trump both declared their utter loyalty to Israel on their campaigns. Not surprising since both have daughters married to Israeli’s.

    From what I read Sinn Fein are putting forward a motion in January calling for Arlene Foster to step down while an investigation takes place. SF have urged the SDLP, UUP, Alliance, etc to support the motion, which they more likely will do. Sinn Fein has said that if Arlene doesn’t step down temporarily, temporarily being the key word, then there will be “grave consequences” for the political institutions. In other words SF will collapse Stormont and call another election.

    Why is Arlene being so stubborn on this issue? Does she have something to hide? Its important to remember that Peter Robinson stepped down for a few months when the Iris Robinson scandal broke out. He later came back and took the First Ministers job again. This isn’t a scheme by SF or the SDLP or the UUP to get rid of Arlene Foster. Its the logical and proper thing to do. Why doesn’t Arlene just step down temporarily while an investigation goes on? Maybe because she has a lot to hide….

    The Speaker in Stormont will also have to go. The DUP’s Robin Newton refused to act impartially during the emergency debate on the RHI scandal. He also violated the Joint Office of the First and Deputy First Ministers. It is true when people say that “Arlene cant sign a letter without Martin McGuinness’s say so”. Martin McGuinness made perfectly clear that Arlene did not have his permission to speak as First Minister in the Assembly during the RHI debate. But yet Newton allowed Arlene to speak. Arlene obviously violated the office of OFMDFM too when she ignored Martin McGuiness’s statement saying she did not have his permission to speak as First Minister. It looks very likely that Arlene and Newton will be looking for new jobs in 2017.

    I think SF have had enough. They have made statements regarding how republicans are getting fed up with the antics of the DUP and how SF must take into account the views of its core supporters. 2017 will be very interesting…..Obama/Kerry leave it so late to stand up to Israel? because they are cowards. That’s not

    • Ryan December 29, 2016 at 5:02 pm #

      I don’t know what happened to my comment above but sections of the text are in the wrong paragraphs, particularly the very last sentence which should’ve been in the first paragraph…..my apologies.

  14. michael c December 29, 2016 at 7:02 pm #

    Dominic ,are you having a laugh- “SF are indistingishable from FG and FF”! It’s the stoops who swan round the free state at every election campaigning for the bluest of blue shirts and the most gombeen of the FF gombeen men. O’Duffy’s disciples and the FF “cute hoors” reciprocate on behalf of the stoops up here.”Socialsts” Fitt and Devlin were rewarded for their services to British imperialism by receiving a lordship and an MBE respectively.Meanwhile Adams was the only political leader in Europe to act as a pall bearer for Mandela and he and his movement are feted by anti imperialistsand leftists world wide. I fear you don’t follow free state politics too closely or you would see that SF go toe to toe with Kenny and Mehole Martin on a daily basis.Indeed so full of hate for SF are these shysters that they regularly combine to attack Adams and his party.SF’s policies are the complete opposite to FF / FG on virtually every issue.

    • Dominic Hendron December 30, 2016 at 12:02 am #

      Wait till SF get to exercise real power in the south and their revolutionary trousers will fall to their ankles. I am not an anorak like some on this site but a working class observer who is not fooled by the often crass political rhetoric of self appointed commentators. John Hume wasn’t voted Irelands greatest man of the twentieth century because he was head “stoop”. The ordinary people of Ireland knew him well.

      • jessica December 30, 2016 at 12:06 am #

        What have you got against anoraks Dominic?

        • Dominic Hendron December 30, 2016 at 12:34 am #

          Nothing if they provide intelligent political comment free from personal prejudices bordering on arrogance.

          • jessica December 30, 2016 at 9:01 am #

            If you think you have no personal prejudice against SF, you have well crossed the border on arrogance.

            Crass political rhetoric is really down to point of view and as the whole point of a blog is the exchange of views, calling us self appointed commentators just because you don’t like what you read could be considered crass.

            I don’t know what you mean by “their revolutionary trousers will fall to their ankles” but it sounds like you hope they fail.

            Out of curiosity, what is the SDLP plan in the event of unification which they claim to support?

            6 county politics is coming to an end, I take it there are no plans for SDLP to merge into Fine Gael or Fianna Fail then?

            Irish Labour would make more sense but would they have them and both parties are facing difficult futures in the new Ireland that is emerging

          • Dominic Hendron December 30, 2016 at 12:03 pm #

            I think Martin McGuiness has been a good leader in his present office so I’m not as anti SF or pro SDLP as you think. I just think the SDLP articulated nationalism better than the provos did. Brexit and political realignment on the Island has thrown politics into a state of flux and who knows what will emerge. Six county politics never really begun and how it ends will be up to the people. Crassness is more related to language used rather than views expressed

  15. Perkin Warbeck December 29, 2016 at 7:09 pm #

    Surprisingly enough, Esteemed Blogmeister, The Unionist Times took a slightly different slant on your ábhar an lae/ topic du jour today.

    The Man who is Thursday, naturally enough, got to do the honours, under the head-turning heading:

    -Nobody in Northern Ireland believes in Self-Reliance.

    Meaning, of course, that not only are the Northern Yunes not Shinners (Self-Reliance being a synonym for Sinn Féin) but not even the Shinners themselves are self-reliant.

    Clev-er, very.

    -All the Gaeilgeoiri were gurning about a little subsidy from Stormont.

    You will note ( a not inappropriate choice of verb, under the circumlocutions) how devilishly foxy Newton Emerson (for it is he!) is by the way he succeeds in index-linking the 50,000 Gaeltacht grant with the 200,000 Flute Band fund and the 490,000,000 Winter Fuel Windfall for non-Wood Kerns.

    Here, for sure, is a man who has the moxy not only to tell his piccolo from his flute and both from his bassoon but to blend them in such a harmonious way that the piccolo comes in for as much of a blow in E-sharp as the larger two. If not, indeed, sharper.

    It probably comes from his earning his living from sitting on his wind instrument in front of a lap top.

    His use of the G-word consolidates his burgeoning status as the favourite Northern Yune lap-dog of the Southern Yunes. Normally, a Northern Yune, being a graduate cum laude of the critically-acclaimed G. Campbell Academy for Advanced Linguistics would plump for the Leprechaun-speakers as the designation de rigeur.

    But the foxy Newt with the acquired moxy opts to reach for the G for Gaeilgeoiri word which is the crafty Southern Yune term for the L-word, while cute-hoorly removing the ra from the racism. Or at least seeming to.

    For, in truth, Gaeilgeoir is the last permitted cultural slur word in the Free Southern Stateen. This is a fact and it has indubitably achieved this enviable ranking by both the Imprimatur of The Unionist Times and the Nihil Obstat of its broadcasting wing, RTE.

    Curiously, or maybe not so c., the Leprechaun for a newt is ‘earc luachra’ and this may well go some distance in explaining how seamlessly The Newt has slipped into Southern Yune mode. Substituting ‘Gaeilgeoiri’ for ‘Leprechaun-speakers’ must have proved something of a doddle for a Nordie who is not so self-reliant that he does not think to look South where, in his case, being, erm, narky can be lucrative.

    The other topic dealt with today in today’s Blog, EB, is that of the UN Resolution re the latest Israeli land-grab from the Palestinians.

    Can you – can anyone ? – imagine the following line appearing in The Unionist Times:

    -All the Kikes were keening about a little knuckle-rap from the United Nazis.

    Thought not.

    So, to conclude: will The Newt, aka the favourite Northern Yune lap-dog with a lap-top of the Southern Yunes continue on this theme of Nobody in Northern Ireland believing in Self-reliance ?

    Perhaps, even applying this theme to THE team game of the Province at the mo, going forward.. If so, the ever-helpful Perkin would be keen to donate the following text of a Limerick which is suitable for arrangement for piccolo, flute and bassoon, possibly even by a Galwegian:

    PUTTING the MERCENARIES into MERCS

    Rugby Ireland now has that happy feeling
    Bigly, are the Big Goys jigging and reeling
    ‘You’ll do!’ says the IRFU
    To a Kiwi, Rodney Ah You
    No ovoid Oirish soide has a Gallowglass ceiling.

  16. michael c December 30, 2016 at 11:59 am #

    Dominic,”anaorak” is a well worn jibe used by those who don’t like the facts produced.

    • Dominic Hendron December 30, 2016 at 1:54 pm #

      Does it not also those who can’t see the wood for the trees?

      • Dominic Hendron December 30, 2016 at 1:55 pm #

        “describe”

      • jessica December 30, 2016 at 2:09 pm #

        Never heard it used that way before Dominic.

        It usually refers to nerds which is quite popular at the moment.

        You really are out of touch