Pics 1-3 are by John Patton (who blogs at phototilly.eue) Pic 1 Pic 2 Pic 3 “Three separate characters from […]
January, 2017
‘Having Cake and Eating It’ by Jessica McGrann
Stormont is a unionist citadel, packed to the rafters with unionist symbols and steeped in a history rife with discrimination, sectarian bigotry and blatant majority misrule. In hindsight, that nationalists would even consider doing power sharing with the same unionist parties who abused majority rule so ignominiously in the past, must have been seen […]
‘PITCHFORK: Uncovering the Truth about the British role in the north (Part I)’ by Joe McVeigh
The past is never past -or so the saying goes. I know this to be true from recalling an incident like the ‘Pitchfork Murders’ that happened forty-five years ago in the townland of Aughnahinch, near Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh. Those who know a bit about our history know that the deliberate and systematic killing of Irish […]
‘RHI brought down the Assembly, so how will Sinn Féin play it in the election?’ by Patricia MacBride
Martin McGuinness in his resignation letter on Monday laid the blame for the collapse of the Stormont institutions squarely on the shoulders of the First Minister, saying “the refusal of Arlene Foster to recognise the public anger or to exhibit any humility in the context of the RHI scandal is indicative of a deep-seated arrogance […]
The Dissidents: Their Motivations & Their Agenda by Donal Lavery
There’s no doubt about it that the whole RHI fiasco has made many people disillusioned with politics. All over the Western World politicians are distrusted like never before. Some have said we live in a “post-truth era” to be precise. That trend isn’t lost to here, where the Unionists have stalled any real progress […]
Plausible Paul Givan and his jolly japes
Well, now that most of us have got over the heady excitement of an election prospect in grim mid-winter, it’s maybe time to have a look at the opening jousts in the campaign (yes I know Referee Brokenshire hasn’t blown his whistle yet, but when did anything he said or did have any real significance?) […]
WHAT CORRUPTION? WHAT SCANDALS?
WHAT CORRUPTION? WHAT SCANDALS? “SOOT FOR LOOT , GIVE ARLENE THE BOOT!” What has this latest debacle taught us all about our relationships? The DUP are very obviously still at war . They seemed to have never stopped being at war,even during peace-times and ,by default, so are all those who vote for them.They still […]
‘The SDLP & GARC: A Political Marriage or Electoral Divorce?’ by Eugene Meenan
Anyone who followed with any attention the happenings surrounding the parading deal in Ardoyne not so long ago will recall one of the most obscure yet fascinating sights in North Belfast’s recent times – what appears to be a rather cosy relationship between the SDLP in the North of the city and leading members of the […]
A LETTER IN TODAY’S IRISH TIMES
The Irish Times Thursday 12 January 2017
Is that a baboon behind you?
It’s started already, with the News Letter leading the field. When the election campaign begins, stand by to see tactics still at an embryonic stage grow to full warrior status. I’m talking about the tactics of distraction. It was at work in the Talk Back studio earlier this week. What was to be a discussion of […]