When Theresa Villiers asked James Brokenshire in Westminster to confirm that he agreed that some information simply could not be made public without putting lives at risk, it is clear that this move was to reinforce a position being taken during the current post-election negotiations relating to the truth veto on grounds of national security. […]
Author Jude Collins
‘Patrick Finucane: Cleansing State Opponents’ by Donal Lavery
Following the 1979 UK General Election, the Labour government of James Callaghan was brought down (by the SDLP) and an explicitly right-wing administration replaced it – headed by Margaret Thatcher. There’s no doubt that she had a clear economic agenda at mind upon taking office, but she also sought to bring her own stamp to […]
A PRETTY GIRL MILKING her MISCONCEPTION by Perkin Warbeck
In 1940 Judy Garland (18) played the lead role in the fillum ‘ Little Nellie Kelly’. It is safe to say that it did not quite make the same lasting splash as the movie she had made the previous year: ‘The Wizard of Oz’. In fact, in between those two motion pictures she actually […]
St Patrick and the tactful Irish
I know I should have my tongue torn out and my typing fingers chopped off, but I think maybe St Patrick is over-rated. Consider the facts. The first time he came to Ireland, he was so uninterested in seeing the place, they had to bring him in chains. And keep him hostage for a number […]
‘Lá Fhéile Phádraig – Ag Tarraint Daoine le Chéile?’ le Seosamh Mac a’Bheatha
Lá Fhéile Phádraig – Ag Tarraint Daoine le Chéile? le Seosamh Mac a’Bheatha Gach bliain ag tús an Earraigh, ar an Seachtú lá déag de Mí Marta, tagann na hÉireannaigh le chéile chun Lá Fhéile Phádraig a chomóradh agus a cheiliúradh. Tá cliú agus cáil ar Naomh Pádraig ar fud an domhain. Tá cliú […]
‘Ecological Terrorism’ by Joe McVeigh
There’s a Cardinal in Myanmar called Cardinal Bo who talks about “ecological terrorism”. By that he means the wilful destruction of the environment by big business. He talks about “economic terrorists” and “ecological terrorists.” Quoting Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’, Cardinal Bo says the Pope presents the world’s current crisis as an […]
St Patrick’s Day and the Holylands: oh, the shame!
When I was a young man I rarely went out for a pint. Or two. If I went out drinking with my equally scurrilous friends, we had one ambition: to get pleasantly tanked. The amount of wise things we said then, the occasional scuffles we engaged in, were part of learning to be adult. Meanwhile, to […]
UNIONIST TOM ELLIOTT’S OBJECTION TO THE FACILITATION OF IRISH VOTING RIGHTS FOR IRISH NATIONALS IN THE NORTH OF IRELAND by Daniel Collins
(Daniel Collins blogs at https://danieldcollins.wordpress.com/ – and yes, yes, Virginia, he is related. We’re ALL smart…) The proposed extension of voting rights for Irish presidential elections to all Irish nationals from the north of Ireland (as well as to Irish nationals based abroad) announced by the Taoiseach Enda Kenny last Sunday the 12th of March is a very welcome development. […]
‘An All-Island Economy-the only hope’ by Joe McVeigh
From its beginnings in 1920 the border from Newry to Derry, imposed by the British government, has been a real obstacle to an all-Island economy. During the Troubles when the border was completely sealed by the British army the economy suffered grievously. Only an all-island economy could hope to bring about prosperity and job opportunities for […]
Martina and what she asked Theresa to do with the border
I’ve just finished taking part in a discussion with Edwina Currie on the Nolan radio show, where we were talking about Martina Anderson’s recent speech in the European Parliament. As you probably know by now, the speech drew attention, not primarily because Martina was talking about the impact of Brexit on the border here, but […]