The Dublin jury was open to emotional manipulation that a non-jury court in Belfast would not have been open to. The jury was too young – mid-twenties to mid-thirties – and so wouldn’t have understood the Troubles. The court didn’t allow Austin Stack or Anne Traver to tell the story of their family loss. […]
May, 2025
Oh dear – Adams won the case! How can we find another way of kicking him?
I was pleased to hear just now that Gerry Adams won his defamation case against the BBC, which claimed that he had sanctioned the killing of Denis Donaldson. For decade after decade, the media in Ireland north and south could and did say whatever they wanted about Sinn Féin, safe in the knowledge […]
PAT+JUDE TALK ABOUT STEPHEN COLLINS & THE NORMANS, ISRAEL& SUPPORT FOR IDF, AND THE PSNI (OUCH!)
Our favourite Irish Times columnist is on the warpath again today, and has pilloried Sinn Féin for its ‘narrow nationalism’. It seems the South is going to devote a full year to celebrate the arrival in Ireland of the Normans. Stephen Collins dismisses the Shinners for trying to project themselves as MOPE – the most […]
The Titanic: telling it like it was
I’m feeling just a bit culturally/politically starved today, since I missed listening to Stephen Nolan on – what else? – ’The Nolan Show’ in the morning, and William Crawley on ’Talkback’ over lunch. But half a loaf is better than no bread, and I did get part of Crawley’s interview with a man with an […]
The noble promises and empty delivery of Fianna Fáil
Ed Koch was one of New York’s most popular mayors. He would ask audiences “How am I doin’?” and if they expressed dissatisfaction, he’d get stuck in and resolve the problem. Don’t expect Micheál Martin or any other Fianna Fail ministers to ask that question. Some 100 days into their governing period, they’ve registered Miss […]
PAT+JUDE TALK ABOUT BEING AN EDITOR, THE CRUELTY OF STATES, THE LOSS OF LINEKER, AND ROAD KILLERS
Did you see the final ‘Match of the Day’ featuring Gary Lineker? Will he be a serious loss? Is ‘Match of the Day’ maybe out-dated? Pat McArt was Managing Editor of the Derru Journal. How much was his work that of a journalist and how much as a manager? And would he advise his younger […]
We need more prophets – by Joe McVeigh
If we are serious about following Jesus today, we need more Prophets who speak the truth to power. We need people like Des Wilson, Dan Berrigan, Oscar Romero, Dorothy Day, Dorothy Stang, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Sr Joan Chittister, Fr Rohr to name a few. Prophets are the only people who will keep […]
PAT+JUDE TALK ABOUT VISITORS TO SHANNON AIRPORT, HARVARD, KNEECAP , GARY LINEKER AND LOADS MORE
Ever fancy a holiday in South Sudan?Get in touch with D Trump and his ghastlies and they’ll arrange for it. When did the Dublin government give over the running of Shannon airport to the US? Oooh – about twenty five years ago. Can you believe it? And is it possible that Israel has lied about […]
Cui bono – who benefits?
Yesterday in Washington DC, a man shot dead two young Jewish people. Israel’s embassy in the US has named the couple shot dead i as Yaron and Sarah. Levi Shemtov is a rabbi in Washington who met the couple. They were “nice people, popular” people he says, and this was “brutal news”. ON October […]
The sanctity of diplomats
Micheål Martin is not feeling well. “I am deeply shocked and horrified that the Israeli Defence Forces today open fire on a. group of diplomats visiting the town of Jenin”. Simon Harris is also feeling upset: “”I am shocked and appalled at reports that the IDF fired shots in the vicinity of a visit […]