September, 2024

Sometimes words cannot carry the weight of events or decisions. They buckle, they crumble under the weight of what has happened. Which is why I find myself open-mouthed and near-speechless by today’s announcement by the British government that there will be a public inquiry into the shooting dead in 1989 of Pat Finucane in front […]

                                                 AMERICAN BREXIT COMMITTEE 1919 CHESTNUT STREET, SUITE 1724 PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA 19103   September 11, 2024        Minister Starmer’s meeting with President Biden.  To consider what might be discussed, we […]

An advertisement in the current (and Splendid) September/October HISTORY IRELAND is headed The Eclectic Collector.   It features a photo of a man in British Army Officer’s Uniform beside three medals with ribbons (which are for sale), described as “1920 (21st November) British War Medals to Captain G.T.Baggallay, assassinated by Michael Collins’  ‘Squad’  on ‘Bloody Sunday.’   Whytes concede, […]

So – what about that Sinn Féin housing plan – will it send them back to the top of the polls? And how come they sank so low in the first place? England v Republic of Ireland –  did you squirm during that football international? What did you think of the English manager not singing […]

  Over many years, since I started commenting on matters social and religious, I have received many anonymous letters in the post. At one time some anonymous letters referring to me appeared in the newspapers. I think that most newspapers have stopped this unprofessional practice. Since the invention of the internet I have received anonymous […]

    The Editor gave it the heading “Sham Justice.”   Death on the Streets of Derry. Tony Gifford. NCCL 22pp 75p.     “Tony Gifford is a Labour Peer and a Queen’s Counsel.   His pamphlet follows visits to Derry where he questioned eye-witnesses to two incidents in 1981. In them three young civilians, […]

  The allegations of sexual abuse by Catholic priests in Catholic schools just keep on coming. Is this a long-overdue cleansing or a mob eager to kick those who once ruled the roost? Jack Grealish and Declan Rice will play for England against the Republic of Ireland tomorrow. Both were born in England, so why […]

For 50 years Unionists upheld a violent one party system of government which excluded the Nationalist/Republican section of the community from power and equality. For 50 years Unionists practiced discrimination and gerrymander to exclude Nationalists. This unjust system of government eventually resulted in a peaceful rebellion in 1968-69. This popular rebellion was viciously suppressed and led […]

  When it was established in 1922, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was given draconian powers by the Orange-Unionist government to deal with those suspected as enemies of the state. A serving minister from South Africa envied the legal powers given to the RUC.  I am sure there are many stories that could be told […]