July, 2018

Well. If you were still scratching your head and wondering if Brexit was the child of Tory Party infighting, this morning you can stop scratching. David  Cameron   called a referendum in an effort to see off the non-conformists in his Cabinet and party; today we see that division still gaping. David Davis, the chief negotiator, […]

Though long a baptised, confirmed, married member of the Holy, Roman, Catholic and Apostolic  Church, I bridle at the term “Roman Catholic” on the lips or in the writing, of those who would consider me and my  kind as a benighted Irishman. Rarely confused, thank be to Jove, with knighted Irishmen such Bono and Geldof. […]

Stephen Collins, Political Editor of the Irish Times is given to making surprising assertions and revealing peculiar taste. He is on record as saying that the Irish Labour Party (founded 1912) is the oldest party In Dail Eireann. Sinn Fein is an older party by about six years, and two of Dail Eireann’s  first TDs, […]

  The claim of the DUP and the Tory London government that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom is bogus. It is based on the pretence that part of Ireland still belongs to Britain and must therefore submit to the wishes of the majority in the United Kingdom. That north-eastern part of Ireland comprising of six of the 32 counties is, always was and […]

Pics 1-3 are by Perkin Warbeck   Pic 1 Pic 2 Pic 3                                    The ABC of Sicily’s Ancient East. Archimedes, Bellini and Capote are the ABC of Sicily’s Ancient East. Archimedes, reponsible for the catchphrase re rising bath water lifting all rubber duckies, had his Eureka ! moment in Siracusa in the south […]

Here we go again. Two people in Salisbury, in critical condition after coming into contact with Novichok. The Russians strike again. Or do they? In any crime, particularly attempted murder, the killer has to have a motive and s/he needs to get their timing right. Certainly the Russians had a motive for killing the Skripals.  […]

  A chara In an article on the appointment of Drew Harris as Garda Commissioner (Analysis: Garda commissioner appointment ‘like Man City signing the Man Utd manager’, Irish Examiner, 30 June) your Security Correspondent, Cormac O’Keefe, reported on misgivings expressed by Irish security sources concerning the appointment.  He reported that in 2012 Mr Harris put late […]

So An Taoiseach has said he has some sympathy with Donald Trump regarding the media. As far as I know he didn’t go into minute detail, but it was notable that yesterday he stood up in the Dail and said – can you believe it? – he was in favour of an independent media. Personally, […]

July 3rd 2018 Sir, In his attempt to whiten the name of the RUC, former PSNI and RUC Assistant Chief Constable Alan McQuillan forgets the evidence of one of his own officers (letters July 2nd). I refer to Into the Dark (Gill, 2006) by 30-year RUC veteran Johnston Brown. The book opens with Brown suffering […]

  Ireland, the new all-dancing swinging Ireland which has shaken off all restraints except those imposed from London has launched a bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council with a concert by Bono in the UN building in New York.   The dream of universal peace and disarmament is symbolised by a […]