February, 2019

AS sent to the GUARDIAN WHICH HAD AN ARTCLE BY JENKINS which mentioned fake history ————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Guardian, (motto: Comment is free -but facts are sacred) is always an eye-opener, but like the image of daffodils, some of its pieces can flash upon the inward eye, or even put this reader in a  pensive mood. […]

You can tell a lot about a man or woman by the company s/he keeps. You can also tell a lot by observing who their enemies are. Using the latter criterion,  Jeremy Corbyn this morning must be feeling quite buoyant. I remember the Gang of Four who departed the Labour Party and formed the SDP. […]

                                           In the very soon-to-be the only English only-speaking stateen in the EU (tarantara, tarantara) a prolonged  nurses’ strike was only narrowly averted at the legs-eleventh hour, if one, erm, May breach that particular deadline […]

Are you familiar with The Spectator? It’s a British political magazine which provides room for some of Britain’s right-leaning-flat-on-the-floor commentators to air their thinking. These days, naturally, it’s all about Brexit. Here’s a clip from one of its recent articles: “Today’s vestigial Republican militants comprise drug dealers, petty criminals, Provisional lifers miffed that a career […]

The former Ulster Unionist from Derry, Terry Wright, was on TV this morning. You could call him a veteran unionist, but his thinking about politics here is anything but old-fashioned. He doesn’t believe in a united Ireland, but he is very much in favour of sitting down and talking to people who do. This raises […]

S . From HANSARD 17 JUNE 1880 –  Frank Hugh O’Donnell MP asked the Chief Secretary of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, if he will lay on the Table the Oath or Form of Attestation of the Irish Constabulary; and whether it is true that freemasonry is the only secret society to  which an Irish […]

An Gorta Mór memorial in Philadelphia Just when you thought you knew all the players in the Brexit balls-up –  Britain, the EU, Ireland north and south – a new players steps  in . Over the last couple of weeks, the voice of America has sounded. The first and most dramatic intervention came  from Brendan Boyle. You may have heard […]

It’s remarkable what you can see on the internet. Quite by accident I came across a diatribe by Ruth Dudley Edwards against various bodies, which parade at Easter, calling themselves Oglaigh na hEireann. She described them as traitors. Most people are careful about using such words, even when their own loyalties have been constant. Ms […]

It’s becoming increasingly clear that we have a police problem. Most of us know that the role played by the RUC during the Troubles produced massive difficulties, not least because of inadequate Catholic recruitment and deep suspicion of collusion. Seeing the vital role the forces of law-and-order play in any society,   Chris Patten was drafted […]

The main topic of discussion on the Nolan show on TV last night was the inevitability or otherwise of a border poll following Brexit. I was phoned and asked would I be willing to appear, then emailed and told they had only ‘pencilled in’ participants, and finally emailed and told to take my cocoa and […]