A decision by the Irish national soccer squad to wear armbands to mark
the 18th anniversary of the Loughinisland massacre has been widely
welcomed.
![[Irish Republican News]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/rn.gif) May 19, 2012 | ![[Irish Republican News]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/harp.gif) |
Poignant gesture for Loughinisland victims
A decision by the Irish national soccer squad to wear armbands to mark
the 18th anniversary of the Loughinisland massacre has been widely
welcomed.
Published May 18, 2012
Concerns over return to political policing
The Police Ombudsman in the North has been asked to investigate a
stop-and-search operation conducted by the PSNI in the grounds of a
primary school, in full view of young schoolchildren.
Published May 18, 2012
UN doctor to visit Marian Price
A doctor appointed by the United Nations is to assess the condition of
internee Marian Price as concerns grow for her health.
Published May 18, 2012
Dublin and London “on the same page”
Britain is Ireland’s closest friend, Taoiseach Enda Kenny told an
assembly of parliamentarians from both jurisdictions at the Dublin
parliament this week.
Published May 18, 2012
Sectarian hate flagged in Tyrone
A flag of British Army’ murderous SAS unit, raised in Loughgall on the
25th anniversary of the ambush of eight IRA men in the village was
designed to “intimidate and offend” people, a Sinn Fein assembly member
has said.
Published May 18, 2012
The campaign for the release of Marian Price has taken a dramatic turn
after a judge dismissed charges against her and three other
republicans. Despite the decision, British officials have said the
interned former spokesperson for the 32 County Sovereignty Committee
will remain behind bars.
Published May 11, 2012
‘Carry on regardless’ despite Treaty confusion - Kenny
The European Union’s Austerity Treaty is to be renegotiated following
major political changes in France and Greece, but the Dublin
government has insisted Ireland’s referendum on the treaty
must go ahead later this month in any event.
Published May 11, 2012
Prisoners denied medical treatment
Republican prisoners at Maghaberry are being denied all medical
consultations following policy changes at the prison, according to a
prisoners’ support group.
Published May 11, 2012
Suspicion grows over ‘feud’ deaths
The families of two republicans brutally murdered five years ago in
Belfast say they are alarmed at reports surfacing this week that
indicate British intelligence may be protecting the killers.
Published May 11, 2012
DUP insists on ‘vetting’ of SF appointments
The DUP has refused to approve funding for Sinn Féin’s most recently
appointed political adviser, Jarlath Kearney, because the party refused
to follow a new ‘security’ vetting procedure, it has emerged.
Published May 11, 2012
Loyalist death threats follow Euro call-up
A Derry-born soccer player has received death threats in the wake of
his selection to play for Ireland in the 2012 UEFA European Football
Championship.
Published May 11, 2012
New evidence of Omagh cover-up
Fresh evidence that state forces allowed the 1998 Omagh bombing to
proceed -- and later took part in a cover-up -- has been revealed by a
new independent inquiry.
Published May 10, 2012
A large bomb left on the border last week appears to have signalled an
escalation of the armed campaign by the breakaway IRA groups.
Published May 4, 2012
Shoot-to-kill ‘reasonable’ - inquest
An inquest jury has shocked human rights groups in the North after it
ruled that the execution of an IRA Volunteer by British soldiers as he
lay dying on the ground was “reasonable”.
Published May 4, 2012
McGuinness may meet queen during royal visit
The North’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has given the
strongest indication yet that he is prepared to meet British monarch
Queen Elizabeth, who is expected to travel to the north of Ireland this
summer.
Published May 4, 2012
‘No’ campaign condemns government austerity ‘bullies’
Warnings that a key government strategy to win the 26-County referendum
on the EU Austerity Treaty would be to “put the frighteners on the
electorate” were quickly borne out this week.
Published May 4, 2012
Michéal Martin lashes out at Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams this week accused Michéal Martin of an
“outrageous” attack after the Fianna Fail leader claimed Sinn Féin had
“prolonged the suffering” of the Irish people.
Published May 4, 2012
Huge pressure on Cardinal to resign
Political leaders from across the party spectrum have called on Cardinal
Sean Brady to consider his position following allegations that he failed
to pass on information about the activities of notorious paedophile
priest Brendan Smyth.
Published May 4, 2012
Bairbre de Brún resigns as MEP
Sinn Féin’s only member of the European Parliament, Six-County MEP
Bairbre de Brún, has resigned.
Published May 3, 2012
British intelligence agents operate across the 32 counties of Ireland
and have received information from politicians, members of An Garda
police, Revenue tax officials and the 26-County Army, the Smithwick
Tribunal has heard.
Published April 27, 2012
Hundreds of people gathered in Derry’s Bogside on Sunday in what was one
of the largest demonstrations held yet in support of the interned
political prisoner Marian Price to demand her immediate release.
Published April 27, 2012
Government plays dirty on treaty referendum
Lawyers for Sinn Féin have written to the Attorney General seeking
advance copies of government “information” being sent to homes about the
EU Austerity Treaty.
Published April 27, 2012
Portadown ‘Covenant’ monument fuels centenary warnings
A plan to hoist a large granite monument in the centre of Portadown
commemorating the centenary of the signing of the Ulster Covenant, a
unionist pact to oppose Irish independence in 1912, has been strongly
criticised.
Published April 27, 2012
A lifetime of sectarian attacks
An elderly couple say they have had enough of sectarian abuse after
suffering almost 50 years of attacks on their south Belfast home.
Published April 27, 2012
Protests grow over PSNI harassment
A public meeting in Derry last week heard of several serious allegations
of the misuse of stop and search powers against people with ‘dissident’
views, their children and wider family circles.
Published April 27, 2012
The coalition government’s plans for the introduction of new water
taxes has generated a new wave of resentment at the financial pressures
being imposed on people in the 26 Counties.
Published April 20, 2012
Coalition sends out the bully-boys
There is increasing concern at the Dublin government’s use of
heavy-handed tactics in support of its austerity agenda.
Published April 20, 2012
British general identifies Freddie Scappaticci as ‘Stakeknife’
A recording of a telephone conversation with a former British army
General Officer Commanding in the north appears to confirm allegations
that Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci was the infamous British
double-agent known as ‘Steak-Knife’ or ‘Stakeknife’.
Published April 20, 2012
PSNI raiders leave gun, CS gas on child’s bed
A member of the PSNI police left a loaded gun, ammunition and deadly CS
gas lying on a nine-year-old girl’s bed following a raid on her
family’s north Belfast home.
Published April 20, 2012
Prisoners punished over Easter lilies
Republican prisoners at Maghaberry jail were placed under 24-hour
lock-up on Easter Sunday for refusing to remove their Easter lilies, it
has emerged.
Published April 20, 2012
Forty years to the day after he was gunned down by British paratroopers, Official
IRA Volunteer Joe McCann was commemorated in Belfast.
Published April 20, 2012
Protesters break through police lines at Labour conference
Chaos erupted at the annual conference of the Labour Party in Galway
today as Gardai were unable to hold back protestors against the
26-County government’s austerity program.
Published April 14, 2012
A member of the breakaway ‘Real IRA’ has told a public Easter commemoration in Derry that the group will continue its armed struggle against British rule in the north of Ireland.
Published April 13, 2012
Pressure grows for release of Gerry McGeough and Marian Price
Former Fianna Fail minister Éamon Ó Cuív has added his voice to a
campaign for the release of a high-profile republican dissident, former
Sinn Fein Ard Chomhairle member Gerry McGeough.
Published April 13, 2012
PSNI accused of using civilians as cover
The PSNI police took almost two hours to respond to a bomb alert in
Newry on Saturday, raising fresh questions over the force’s attitude
towards the civilian population in the North of Ireland.
Published April 13, 2012
Referendum an insult to 1916 leaders - Adams
Speaking at an Easter Rising commemoration in Bandon, west Cork, Sinn
Fein President Gerry Adams has said the 26-County State has failed the
leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising.
Published April 13, 2012
Redmond recalled as Dublin launches ‘decade of commemorations’
The centenary of the Third Home Rule Bill for Ireland was marked by
an event in Waterford city hall on Wednesday evening.
Published April 13, 2012
Stormy weather for Titanic Belfast
A new tourist attraction based on the Titanic in Belfast, where the ship
was built, has been hit by a controversy following accusations that it
is perpetuating the class divide with which the ship is synonymous.
Published April 13, 2012
The former news anchorman of ‘Ulster Television’, Mike Nesbitt, who was
elected new leader of the Ulster Unionist Party last weekend, has said
“there has never been a better time” for unionism and said he wants to
address Sinn Fein’s Ard Fheis.
Published April 6, 2012
Fine Gael ‘blind to the people’
A decision to order the blinds at the National Convention Centre to be
pulled down as over ten thousand angry citizens descended on Fine Gael’s
annual conference last weekend has become a metaphor for the coalition
government’s attitude to the Irish people.
Published April 6, 2012
There were serious disturbances in Craigavon, County Armagh last
weekend following the convictions of two local men over a Continuity
IRA attack in 2009.
Published April 6, 2012
Courtroom battle over IRA interviews
A US appeal court has adjourned to consider whether an academic project
by Boston College involving confidential interviews with former IRA
Volunteers must be handed over to the PSNI police.
Published April 6, 2012
The police Historical Enquiries Team (HET) in the North has given
favourable treatment to British soldiers linked to killings during the
conflict, a University of Ulster report has confirmed.
Published April 6, 2012
Family forced out for Ireland t-shirt
The unionist paramilitary UDA has intimidated a Protestant family out of
their County Derry home after their son was spotted wearing an Ireland
t-shirt.
Published April 6, 2012
A list of Easter Rising Commemorative events in Ireland for 2012. Please contact your local organisation for details.
Published April 3, 2012
Huge crowds gather outside Fine Gael Ard Fheis
Over ten thousand protestors have gathered outside the Fine Gael Ard
Fheis [annual conference] this afternoon, with more still arriving.
Published March 31, 2012
Over a million households have boycotted the 100 euro household charge
in an extraordinary act of public defiance against an austerity flat tax
imposed by the Dublin government.
Published March 30, 2012
Three homes of Republican Sinn Féin members were raided by armed PSNI
and CID police units this week in Craigavon in County Armagh. In each
home computers, media storage devices and mobile phones were seized.
Published March 30, 2012
Fianna Fáil ‘purged’ as attention turns to Kenny
A decision by former 26-County Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, former European
Commission Padraig Flynn and other party colleagues to resign from
Fianna Fáil this week over the report of the Mahon tribunal is being
seen as a potentially defining moment in the battle against corruption
in Ireland.
Published March 30, 2012
More delays for Marshall and shoot-to-kill inquests
The family of a man shot dead by loyalist paramilitaries while eight
undercover British soldiers were hiding nearby yesterday criticised a
decision not to hold an inquest into the murder.
Published March 30, 2012
MI5 turns holiday into nightmare
A newlywed Derry couple have recounted how a planned five day break in
Spain turned into a nightmare after they were approached by
British military intelligence.
Published March 30, 2012
Date set for treaty referendum
The date for the referendum on the European Union’s permanent austerity
treaty has been set as Thursday, May 31st, opening the way for a debate
on a treaty which, if passed, could restrict Ireland’s economic freedom
forever.
Published March 30, 2012
Corruption affected every level of government from cabinet ministers to
local councillors during two decades of political dominance by Fianna
Fáil, according to the final report of the Mahon planning tribunal.
Published March 23, 2012
Dessie Grew shot as he lay dying, inquest hears
An SAS soldier celebrated with drinks after shooting dead an IRA man, a
Belfast inquest heard this week.
Published March 23, 2012
Evacuations and arrests as loyalists march on St Patrick’s
Sinn Fein MP Conor Murphy has described a loyalist march which was
allowed to take place as local residents were celebrating St Patrick’s
Day in the centre of Armagh, as having “killed the spirit of St.
Patrick”.
Published March 23, 2012
The main contender for the leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party has
said unionists should have nothing to fear from a border poll in the
North on reuniting Ireland.
Published March 23, 2012
Protest blocks British Army recruitment campaign
Amid signs of increased patrols by British soldiers, a group of activists at Queens’ University in Belfast has succeeded in
preventing a British military recruitment exercise on the campus.
Published March 23, 2012
Adams seeks votes for emigrants, northerners
A number of Irish political leaders gathered in Washington this week
for the St Patrick’s Day celebrations. Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams
thanked US supporters for their past commitment to the peace process
and discussed a number of ongoing issues.
Published March 23, 2012
St Patrick’s Day message from President Michael D. Higgins
I wish to send warm greetings on this St Patrick’s Day to Irish people
at home and abroad and to our wider Irish family around the world.
Published March 17, 2012
Adams rejects British statements
A referendum within the Six Counties on the future of the border in
Ireland is “inevitable”, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has said.
Published March 16, 2012
One of the oldest outstanding inquests in the North of Ireland has
finally begun in Belfast.
Published March 16, 2012
‘Stand up for Ireland’, Kenny told
The Dublin government’s futile attempts to secure relief from its
budget and banking crises continued this week in the face of
increasingly arrogant debt repayment demands by European Union
authority figures.
Published March 16, 2012
Pressure is growing to disband a ‘vigilante group’ in Derry after two
men from republican families were injured in gun attacks.
Published March 16, 2012
‘Spooky’ encounter for west Belfast man
An eírígí activist has said he was offered a cash inducement in return
for information about the organisation’s future direction during a
disturbing roadside encounter on the outskirts of Belfast.
Published March 16, 2012
Irish overcome St Patrick’s Day provocations
Mayor of London Boris Johnson and US sports wear manufacturer Nike have
both been forced to apologise to the Irish community after making
insults related to St Patrick’s Day.
Published March 16, 2012
The family of Sam Marshall are to seek a full inquest into his death
after it was revealed this week that he was under observation by at
least nine British soldiers when he was killed in 1990.
Published March 9, 2012
Sinn Féin chairman urges party members to ‘say sorry’
One of the most senior figures in the Sinn Féin leadership has
challenged members of the organisation to “say sorry for the human
effects of all actions during the armed struggle”.
Published March 9, 2012
Fine Gael parties as it evicts opponents
The early-morning destruction by the Gardai police of the ‘Occupy Dame
Street’ protest camp took place as the divide between Ireland’s 99% and
a ruling elite appeared wider than ever.
Published March 9, 2012
Loyalists to march into St Patrick’s Day celebrations
A loyalist march has incredibly been given permission to march directly
through the centre of Armagh next Saturday, on a night when thousands of
people will have descended on the city for its annual St Patrick’s Day
celebrations.
Published March 9, 2012
Ford claims spirit of prison agreement adhered to
The Six County ‘Minister for Justice’ David Ford has clashed with a
prisoner recently released from Maghaberry over the treatment of
political prisoners and the ongoing ‘dirty protest’ at the jail.
Published March 9, 2012
Marian Price campaign gains momentum
A packed meeting in Belfast on Thursday night heard prominent speakers
denounce the continued internment of veteran republican Marian Price.
Published March 9, 2012
Tom Elliott quits as UUP leader
The Ulster Unionist leader Tom Elliott is quitting as party leader.
Elliot said tonight he would not seek re-election to the position at the annual
general meeting, in just over three weeks time.
Published March 8, 2012
Fine Gael leader and 26-County Taoiseach Enda Kenny provoked the wrath
of a large swathe of Irish public opinion this morning when he signed
the EU’s Fiscal Compact Treaty, without waiting for a referendum of the
people of the State.
Published March 2, 2012
A new opinion poll has suggested that Sinn Féin is now the most popular
political party on the island of Ireland.
Published March 2, 2012
A former member of the Sinn Féin leadership has been refused a pardon
used to free other republicans at the end of the conflict.
Published March 2, 2012
Centenary events should unite - Stormont
Unionists should attend republican events -- and nationalists turn out to
mark unionist anniversaries -- in a bid to prevent historical centenaries
such as the 1916 Easter Rising fuelling public unrest, Sinn Féin has
said.
Published March 2, 2012
Sinn Féin West Tyrone MP Pat Doherty has told Britain’s Direct Ruler, Owen Paterson, that his government cannot rule out
an independent international Truth Commission for the North of Ireland.
Published March 2, 2012
On the eve of his party’s annual Ard Fheis conference, Fianna Fáil
leader Micheal Martin has suddenly sacked his deputy leader and the
grandson of party founder Eamon de Valera, over his stance on the EU
Treaty referendum.
Published March 2, 2012
Govt forced to hold Treaty referendum
The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, has just confirmed in the Dáil that the
people of the 26 Counties will be asked in a referendum to ratify the
Brussels Treaty.
Published February 28, 2012
The end of a loyalist ‘supergrass’ trial, which saw twelve alleged
unionist paramilitaries cleared of the murder of UDA leader Tommy
English in 2000, has again raised fresh question marks over the
credibility of the so-called ‘justice system’ in the North of Ireland.
Published February 24, 2012
Vicious treatment for terminally ill prisoner
Republican prisoner Brian Shivers, who was controversially handed a
25-year sentence by a Diplock court earlier this month, was brutally
assaulted by prison staff while attending Belfast City Hospital last
week.
Published February 24, 2012
The sale of 26-County State assets is to begin next year, the Taoiseach
Enda Kenny has confirmed.
Published February 24, 2012
Human rights ignored as govt pursues Chinese cash
Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins has criticised what he calls the
“obsequious welcome of the political, business and media establishments”
of the Chinese vice-president Xi Jinping who has been visiting Ireland.
Published February 24, 2012
Deery family dismiss investigation
The family of a Derry teenager killed by the British army in 1972 have
rejected the findings of a police Historical Enquiries Team (HET)
investigation into his death.
Published February 24, 2012
A statement was released to the Pat Finucane centre in Derry today
[Friday] regarding the tragic death of Gordon Gallagher in 1973.
Published February 24, 2012
More than 500 bullets were fired at four IRA Volunteers who were killed
in an undercover British army ambush 20 years ago this week, it has
emerged.
Published February 17, 2012
Sinn Féin has condemned the government’s Finance Bill for the year 2012,
which has intentionally created a new tax loophole for highly paid
workers from outside the state.
Published February 17, 2012
Shivers appeals Massereene conviction
Brian Shivers has launched an urgent appeal against his wrongful
conviction for the 2009 Real IRA attack at Massereene British Army base.
Published February 17, 2012
Marian Price being held is ‘internment’ - Msgr Murray
A prominent Catholic priest has agreed that the continuing detention of veteran
republican Marian Price is internment without trial.
Published February 17, 2012
Support for Palestinian hunger striker
Republican groups of all hues have rallied in support of Palestinian
hunger striker Khader Adnan, who is said to be near death while shackled
to a bed in an Israeli hospital.
Published February 17, 2012
Cearta Gael á n-éileamh [Irish speakers demand their rights]
Ba bheag an t-iontas a bhí ar phobal Gaeilge nuair a
rinneadh tagairt d’Acht na Gaeilge i gcuimhní cinn Peter Hain.
[There was little surprise in the Irish language community when the Irish Language Act was referenced in Peter Hain’s memoirs.]
Published February 17, 2012
‘Inform or we’ll have you executed’
A well-known County Derry pub-owner has had a gun held to his head by a
member ofthe British Crown forces who threatened to have him killed if
he did not become an informer.
Published February 10, 2012
SF’s appeal for Paisley infuriates nationalists
A call by Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness for people to “give prayerful
support” for an unwell Ian Paisley has led to a backlash against the
party by some of its own supporters.
Published February 10, 2012
Militants claim intelligence success
Breakaway IRA group Oglaigh na hEireann (ONH) has said it has recovered
intelligence on the PSNI and British Army in the North from a mobile
phone dropped by a member of the PSNI during an arrest operation.
Published February 10, 2012
Loyalist murders ‘could have been stopped’
The family of a victim of the Shankill Butchers is taking a case
against the PSNI chief constable, arguing that the murder could have
been prevented.
Published February 10, 2012
Groups work together to oppose fracking
Hundreds of environmental activists took part in the first national
meeting in Ireland against efforts by multinational energy companies to
extract gas by using high-powered jets of water to fracture the earth’s
crust, a process known as ‘fracking’.
Published February 10, 2012
A war of words has erupted between the British government and Argentina
over the icy and remote British colony known in English as the Falkland
Islands, which lie 290 miles off the coast of Argentina.
Published February 10, 2012
Amid outrage over the government’s intensive efforts to avoid a
referendum, the leader of the main opposition groups in the 26 Counties
have issued separate calls for the people to have a say on Europe’s
draconian new finance plan.
Published February 3, 2012
Thousands marched through heavy rain showers in Derry on Sunday to mark
the 40th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday massacre and to appeal for
justice for the victims.
Published February 3, 2012
Deception around the Ormeau Road massacre
The families of five men killed in a unionist paramilitary gun attack
20 years ago have uncovered new evidence which shows that the killers
had been pre-armed by the RUC police -- and there was no genuine
attempt to bring those responsible to justice afterwards.
Published February 3, 2012
Criminalisation policy hasn’t changed - Duffy
State harassment victim Colin Duffy says current conditions on
Maghaberry prisons Roe House wing “could be equated to the harshness of
what took place in the late 70s and early 80s” in the notorious
H-Blocks.
Published February 3, 2012
PSNI ‘picking man’s life apart’
A Derry man has said the PSNI attempted to recruit him as an informer
against dissident republicans or “ruin his life” if he refused.
Published February 3, 2012
Indo stirs race-hate controversy
A Polish woman who was the subject of a ‘mistranslated’ article
suggesting she was a ‘welfare tourist’ has said she was shocked to
learn of it and that the allegation was “completely not true”.
Published February 3, 2012
Taoiseach Enda Kenny is the focus of mounting anger in the 26 Counties
after criticising the Irish people for their “greed” and “mad” borrowing-- just days after he paid one and a quarter billion euros of public
funds to international bond speculators.
Published January 27, 2012
Duffy ‘will not change’ despite ordeal
Colin Duffy has spoken out after he was dramatically cleared last week
of involvement in the 2009 Real IRA attack on the Massareene British
Army base.
Published January 27, 2012
North’s politicians at odds over Scotland vote
The Scottish government has this week unveiled the question that could
lead to the end of the union between Scotland and England.
Published January 27, 2012
March showdown over Boston College subpoenas
Researchers employed by Boston College to conduct interviews with
former IRA members -- the subject of a British government subpoena --
have said they are not surprised at the latest court ruling against
their efforts to prevent the interview transcripts falling into the
hands of the PSNI.
Published January 27, 2012
Sinn Fein hold talks on Maghaberry
A Sinn Fein delegation of Stormont Assembly members -- Raymond
McCartney, Sean Lynch and Jennifer McCann -- met with the Six-County
Justice Minister David Ford on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing crisis
at Maghaberry prison.
Published January 27, 2012
Compensation award over ‘appalling’ harassment
An award-winning social worker has won “significant” damages following
a campaign of sectarian harassment by her ‘colleagues’ at a care
centre.
Published January 27, 2012
Duffy freed but Shivers jailed over Massereene attack
Prominent republican Colin Duffy has today been found not guilty of the
Real IRA attack on Massereene British Army base in 2009, although there
was disbelief at the court when his co-accused, Brian Shivers from
Magherafelt, was found guilty.
Published January 20, 2012
Former RUC Special Branch police who were forced to retire as part of
the policing reform process have been rehired as civilian contractors
for the PSNI, it has emerged.
Published January 20, 2012
Emigration is ‘lifestyle choice’, says Noonan
The 26-County Finance Minister Michael Noonan infuriated the Irish public on Thursday
when he described emigration as “a choice of lifestyle”.
Published January 20, 2012
No arrests have been made and no searches carried out, two weeks after
the brutal sectarian attack on Catholic teenager James Turley.
Published January 20, 2012
Derry explosions raise tensions
Two explosions in Derry last night [Thursday night] appeared to target
government offices and have again ratcheted up concerns for the political process
in the North.
Published January 20, 2012
Politicians clash as poverty deepens
Over 80,000 children in the Six Counties are living in poverty,
according to a new report published this week, with nationalist areas
such as west Belfast experiencing the highest figures.
Published January 20, 2012
Appeal for republican prisoner
The wife of a Derry republican prisoner has appealed to the city’s
political leaders to do something about the crisis at Maghaberry prison
before someone dies.
Published January 20, 2012
PSNI silence over film set nightmare
A vicious attempt to murder Catholic teenagers last Friday was covered
up by the North’s police for over three days before details finally
emerged.
Published January 13, 2012
Cameron may pre-empt Scottish independence move
British prime minister David Cameron has dramatically attempted to
hijack moves towards a referendum on Scottish independence. The move has
accelerated a British constitutional crisis which could have profound
implications for London’s rule in the north of Ireland.
Published January 13, 2012
SF ‘not interested’ in all-Ireland efforts
Both the Dublin government and the Six-County executive have been
accused of turning their back on cross-border co-operation, one of the
cornerstones of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
Published January 13, 2012
McGeough case could set precedent
Lawyers for prominent republican Gerry McGeough argued for his
entitlement to release under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement for more
than four hours this week.
Published January 13, 2012
A step forward for the Finucane family
The family of murdered Belfast defence lawayer Pat Finucane has been
granted a judicial review of the decision by the British government not
to hold a public inquiry into his death.
Published January 13, 2012
‘No public interest’ to PSNI’s use of rally footage
The PSNI police have failed in a legal bid to force the
handover of unseen TV news footage from a rally by the 32 County
Sovereignty Committee.
Published January 13, 2012
Betrayal and bloody-mindedness
Participants in Boston College’s ‘Troubles Archive’ project have
demanded the return or destruction of all of its taped interviews after
parts of the archive were delivered to the British Crown forces.
Published January 6, 2012
‘Lucky escape’ for British soldier
Breakaway IRA group Óglaigh na hÉireann says it was behind an attack on
a British soldier in north Belfast on Thursday.
Published January 6, 2012
Rebel Cork versus the NAMA republic
Two protests in Cork have demonstrated the city’s fighting spirit in
the face of social injustice.
Published January 6, 2012
Released prisoner recounts Maghaberry nightmare
A republican prisoner on dirty protest in Maghaberry jail has warned the
North’s highest security prison is fast deteriorating into a cesspit of
disease.
Published January 6, 2012
A round-up of the revelations from the historical papers, mostly
pertaining to 1981, which were released over the New Year period.
Published January 6, 2012
Messages issued by three republican political organisations on the
occasion of the New Year 2012.
Published January 6, 2012
The publication of declassified papers from thirty years ago has
brought new controversy over the British view of the 1981 hunger
strike, in which ten men, including Bobby Sands, died.
Published December 30, 2011
Demand abides for Bloody Sunday justice
The annual march commemorating the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre will take
place under the theme ‘March for Justice’, despite calls by some
relatives of the victims that the campaign should come to an end.
Published December 30, 2011
University to give up confidential IRA files
Boston College has agreed to turn over research interviews recorded in
confidence by a former IRA member to the PSNI police.
Published December 30, 2011
Loyalist paramilitaries are being blamed for an arson attack which
badly damaged a GAA clubhouse in Derry on Wednesday.
Published December 30, 2011
No right to protest for nationalists
A residents’ group whose members were convicted this week for protesting
against a sectarian parade said the case highlighted the one-sided
nature of the justice system in the North of Ireland.
Published December 30, 2011
Dublin government confirms water tax
Every drop of clean water in the 26 County state is to be metered and
taxed as part of a new government fundraising drive which emerged over
the Christmas break.
Published December 30, 2011
Pressure is growing for the immediate release form jail of former
republican spokeswoman Marian Price after it was admitted that a royal
pardon central to her case has been shredded by the British government.
Published December 23, 2011
Duffy-Shivers trial ends in further controversy
A lawyer told Belfast Crown Court this week that the trial of Colin
Duffy and Brian Shivers for the March 2009 Real IRA attack on a British
Army base in Antrim has “miscarriage of justice all over it”.
Published December 23, 2011
Armagh man Martin Corey has won High Court permission to mount a
challenge to his re-imprisonment.
Published December 23, 2011
History made as coroner recommends prosecution
A prosecution in the case of a Derry teenager killed in 1972 could pave
the way for cases to be brought against those responsible for Bloody
Sunday and other British military atrocities in the North of Ireland.
Published December 23, 2011
In an unusually frank statement, Sinn Fein strategist Declan Kearney has
said his party’s support for the PSNI is “not unconditional”.
Published December 23, 2011
Adams is South’s most popular political leader
The latest opinion poll in the 26 Counties places Gerry Adams as the
most popular political leader, and Sinn Fein as the second most popular
party in the state.
Published December 23, 2011
Sean Garland wins extradition case
The extradition of veteran republican socialist Sean Garland to the
United States has been rejected by an Irish court this afternoon.
Published December 21, 2011
There have been new calls for a truth commission in the north of Ireland
following confirmation that one of the North’s deadliest terrorists was
a police agent.
Published December 16, 2011
Family’s relief as inquest finally held
British soldiers involved in shooting a 15-year-old boy nearly 40 years
ago should face prosecution, a lawyer for the teenager’s family has
said, following the long-sought inquest into his death last week.
Published December 16, 2011
SF condemns euro deal “madness”
Sinn Fein has described the deal done by European leaders last week as
“madness” which could condemn the 26-County state to a draconian
austerity program from which it can never escape.
Published December 16, 2011
PSNI base targeted in south Armagh
A bomb was defused on Sunday night close to the PSNI station in Keady,
south Armagh.
Published December 16, 2011
Prisoner’s wife sexually assaulted by MI5 man
An MI5 attempt to recruit the wife of a dissident republican prisoner as
an agent ended with the mother-of-three being groped and intimidated by an
intelligence officer.
Published December 16, 2011
‘Boycott the charge’ campaign launched
A campaign by members of the Dublin parliament to boycott the 100 euro
household charge is “a very dangerous road for our democracy”, according
to the coalition government.
Published December 16, 2011
RUC/UDR gang carried out showband massacre - report
Both the RUC police and the British Army’s Ulster Defence Regiment
(UDR) were directly involved in the Miami Showband massacre, according
to a report by the North’s Historical Enquiries Team.
Published December 14, 2011
A historic Franco-German drive for a new superstate has seen the
Eurocrats of Brussels demand political and fiscal powers to rival those
of the US federal government in Washington.
Published December 9, 2011
Austerity budget sparks further coalition tension
A 26-County Government backbencher, Patrick Nulty has formally left the
Labour parliamentary party amid a public outcry over the Fine
Gael/Labour coalition’s austerity budget, announced this week.
Published December 9, 2011
PSNI target Sinn Fein’s policing trailblazer
The former head of Sinn Fein on Belfast city council has criticised the
PSNI police who confiscated his taxi, falsely claiming it had
been used in relation to ‘dissident’ activity.
Published December 9, 2011
Finucane decision faces judicial review
The British government is to face a legal challenge over its failure to
launch a public inquiry into Crown force collusion in the murder of
defence lawyer Pat Finucane.
Published December 9, 2011
McGurk’s families take up legal challenge
The families of victims of the 1971 McGurk’s bar bombing have lodged
papers at the High Court in Belfast challenging both the PSNI and the police
ombudsman over failings in the recent handling of the case.
Published December 9, 2011
A massive unionist rally is being organised to mark the centenary of the
signing of the Ulster Covenant.
Published December 9, 2011
An announcement of new taxes in the Dublin parliament has brought
confirmation that those living on low and middle incomes will be the
main victims of the 26-County government’s austerity program.
Published December 6, 2011
Families, elderly, students hit by budget cuts
Sinn Fein has accused the Fine Gael/Labour overnment of targeting the
vulnerable and low and middle income families with the same failed
austerity budgetary measures as pursued by Fianna Fail.
Published December 5, 2011
A total of 49 cases in which members of the RUC/PSNI police were
responsible for extra-judicial killings have been consigned to a “legal
limbo”, according to reports.
Published December 2, 2011
Coalition frays ahead of budget
Tommy Broughan, who represented Dublin North-East in the Dail, has been
expelled from the Labour Party after he refused to support an extension
of the bank guarantee.
Published December 2, 2011
Deaths of three Newry nationalists ‘a tragedy’
The family of a teenager shot dead by the British Army 40 years ago
said they hope a report into the killing will help them finally come to
terms with the atrocity.
Published December 2, 2011
Dismay as Diplock judge endorses computer DNA test
There was disappointment but little surprise for justice campaigners
this week when a judge declared in Antrim Crown Court that
controversial DNA evidence, never before allowed in a British of Irish
court, was “reliable and acceptable”.
Published December 2, 2011
A ‘car convoy’ protest is planned for the weekend to draw attention to
the crisis over the treatment of Irish political prisoners at
Maghaberry jail in County Armagh.
Published December 2, 2011
O Donnghaile issues apology over royal award ceremony
The mayor of Belfast, Sinn Fein’s Niall O Donnghaile, has been
condemned by unionists for not presenting a Duke of Edinburgh award to
a British Army cadet at a ceremony in Belfast.
Published December 2, 2011
There is growing concern that the trial of two men for the Real IRA
attack on Massareene British Army base two years ago, currently
underway, could result in a major miscarriage of justice.
Published November 25, 2011
Public urged to support prison camp-out
A 24-hour rally and fast is to take place overnight this Friday night,
November 25th, at the gates of Maghaberry prison.
Published November 25, 2011
Protests over PSNI visits to Croke Park, schools
A football match later today [Friday] involving the PSNI police at the
Croke Park headquarters of the GAA is to be protested by Republican Sinn
Fein.
Published November 25, 2011
Coalition seen using leaks to plan cuts, taxes
Dublin cabinet ministers have engaged in widespread leaks this week in
an attempt to ‘soften the blow’ of the worst austerity measures and to
see how palatable other budget measures were.
Published November 25, 2011
Christmas is recruitment season for British spooks
British military intelligence have attempted to lure a man across the
border with the promise of cut-price Christmas toys in order to effect
his arrest.
Published November 25, 2011
Long memories at Leinster House
A civil-war era spat broke out in the Dail this week when Kerry
North-Limerick West Sinn Fein TD Martin Ferris sought to remove
restrictions on prisoners released under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
Published November 25, 2011
It was revealed today that members of the German parliament have already
discussed details of the forthcoming 26-County Budget, including a
planned 2% hike in VAT (sales tax).
Published November 17, 2011
Ballymurphy delight at inquest news
The families of 11 people killed during a 36-hour rampage by British
paratroopers 40 years ago have described a decision to reopen inquests
into ten of the deaths as “a very important step on our journey for
truth”.
Published November 17, 2011
Price’s pardon document is ‘lost’, Britain claims
A document which could free the North’s most famous female republican
from jail has been lost by the British government, its Northern Ireland
Office has said.
Published November 17, 2011
Pensioner battered by UDA gang
A pensioner who was attacked while trying to defend her son and grandson
has described being held over a railing and punched in the face by a
unionist paramilitary.
Published November 17, 2011
Kelly wins compensation over Martha Pope smear
Senior Sinn Féin politician Gerry Kelly is to be paid a five-figure sum
by a Sunday newspaper which accused him of being involved in an affair
with a US diplomat in a story published 15 years ago.
Published November 17, 2011
The Six-County First Minister, DUP leader Peter Robinson has been
accused of contriving a “stunt” when he threatened to resign over
changes to the North’s prison regime.
Published November 17, 2011
Ireland qualifies for Euro 2012
The Irish national soccer team has qualified tonight for the 2012
European Football Championship, the first major soccer tournament it
will contest since the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea.
Published November 15, 2011
Sinn Fein's pre-budget submission 2012 - summary
The Executive Summary, including an itemised list of
proposed financial measures, savings and stimulus packages from Sinn Féin's pre-budget submission for the year 2012, published today.
Published November 15, 2011
Michael D. Higgins is inaugurated as President
Michael D Higgins was inaugurated as the ninth President of Ireland at a
ceremony in Dublin Castle this afternoon. He was sworn in by the Chief
Justice in front of the Taoiseach, other dignatories and invited guests.
His first address as President Higgins received huge applause and a
standing ovation from the assembled guests. Here is the full
text of that address.
Published November 11, 2011
Over a hundred former government ministers are sharing an annual cash
pot of almost nine million euro, it has been revealed. The figures were
supplied in response to a Sinn Fein parliamentary question.
Published November 10, 2011
Gaza campaigners subjected to Israeli abuse, imprisonment
Irish human rights activists remain imprisoned by Israeli authorities
after they attempted last week to deliver aid to Palestinians trapped
behind an Israeli military blockade.
Published November 10, 2011
PSNI threat to arrest lawyer ‘oppression of the worst kind’
A top human rights lawyer was threatened with arrest on the eve of the
opening of the trial this week of republican Colin Duffy, one of his
highest profile clients.
Published November 10, 2011
Cash bonanza for UDA relatives, prison warders
The son of a notorious unionist paramilitary leader has received a
record payment of 400,000 pounds sterling ($640,000) from the British
government in a move which has angered the families of those he killed.
Published November 10, 2011
Provocative march set for New Lodge interface
A sectarian parade is to be held at a troubled north Belfast
‘peaceline’ tomorrow in memory of a loyalist youth who blew himself up
with a bomb he was about to throw over the wall at Catholics.
Published November 10, 2011
EU/IMF ‘orders’ termination of cross-border peace project
The 26-County government has been accused of reneging on a deal struck
during the North’s peace talks after it pulled the plug on funding for
a major cross-border road link.
Published November 10, 2011
Members of the SDLP today selected Alasdair McDonnell to be their new
leader.
Published November 5, 2011
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams led a walk-out from the Dublin
parliament this week in protest over the coalition government’s
decision to hand over more than 700 million euro (more than 1 billion
dollars) to an unknown private investor in the failed Anglo Irish Bank.
Published November 3, 2011
The ‘Real IRA’ has claimed responsibility for three bomb attacks over
the past few months, and has warned that it will continue to target
economic interests which reinforce British rule in the North.
Published November 3, 2011
Mixed feelings for Sinn Fein over election result
Sinn Fein plans to build on its 26-County presidential campaign by
targeting the local elections in 2014, party officials have said.
Published November 3, 2011
The trial of 22 people charged with holding a sit-down protest against a
sectarian march in north Belfast this summer was quickly enveloped in
controversy after the PSNI police admitted they had no evidence to
present against at least two of those charged, and suggested that much of
their knowledge had come from informers.
Published November 3, 2011
Family welcomes British statement on murder, beatings
The British government has expressed its “deep regret” over the British
army killing of a Catholic man in the Markets area of Belfast.
Published November 3, 2011
The Irish ship MV Saoirse is en route to the Gaza strip as part of its
latest relief mission and has already reached international waters in
the Mediterranean Sea.
Published November 3, 2011
The 30th Amendment to the Irish constitution, to give more powers of
investigation to the Dublin parliament [Oireachtas], has been defeated in
a shock reverse for the coalition government.
Published October 29, 2011
Final election results declared
Michael D Higgins has finally been declared elected as President of
Ireland following the fourth and final count in Dublin Castle this
afternoon.
Published October 29, 2011
Higgins is President-elect as rivals concede
Labour Party candidate Michael D Higgins is now certain to be
inaugurated the ninth 26-County President and will be declared elected
later tonight, when the results of the final election count are revealed
in Dublin Castle.
Published October 28, 2011
Michael D Higgins set to claim Presidency
Labour veteran Michael D Higgins is likely to win the 26-County
Presidential election over independent Sean Gallagher with the help of
transfers from a strongly placed Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein,
according to early tallies of votes coming in from constituencies across
the State.
Published October 28, 2011
The 26-County presidential election campaign erupted in a major
controversy in its final days as so-called independent candidate Sean
Gallagher admitted he secured substantial Fianna Fail ‘donations’ in
exchange for dinner in the company of then Taoiseach Brian Cowen.
Published October 26, 2011
Report confirms rampant sectarianism within North’s prisons
Catholics prisoners in the Six Counties are far more likely to be
subjected to violence (or prison ‘discipline’) than their Protestant
counterparts, a new report has revealed.
Published October 26, 2011
Concerns over broad new powers for politicians
Two referendums to be put to the voters of the 26 Counties on Thursday,
the same date as the Presidential election, are facing increasing
criticism over the lack of public debate as well as the content of the
constitutional changes proposed.
Published October 26, 2011
MI5 targeting young people in Fermanagh
The 32 County Sovereignty Movement has said it has been made aware of
more approaches by MI5/Special branch who have been actively targeting
“vulnerable” members of society in an attempt to recruit them as
informers.
Published October 26, 2011
Campbell ‘has strong grounds’ to appeal conviction
An appeal is to be launched after Louth man Michael Campbell was
sentenced to 12 years in a Lithuanian prison following an MI5 sting
operation.
Published October 26, 2011
Voting for change in Dublin West
As well as voting in two referendums and the presidential election on
Thursday, the constituents of Dublin West will be voting in a
by-election to fill the seat vacated by the death of Brian Lenihan
earlier this year.
Published October 26, 2011
British Intelligence agencies sent the wife of a former IRA prisoner an
envelope stuffed with cash in an extraordinary attempt to recruit her as
an informer.
Published October 20, 2011
Finucanes expose Cameron’s deception
The family of Pat Finucane have released documents which confirm the
British Prime Minister deliberately reneged on a promise to hold a
public inquiry into the murder of their loved one.
Published October 20, 2011
Hutchinson cover-up revelations continue
The highly controversial Police Ombudsman in the North, Al Hutchinson,
refused a request by former police chief Hugh Orde to investigate
allegations that IRA informer Freddie Scappaticci was ordered by his
handlers to kill other IRA Volunteers.
Published October 20, 2011
Tragic incident was ‘major success’ for British Army
A confidential British government document has been unearthed that
describes one of the most painful incidents of the conflict, resulting
in the deaths of three children, as a “carefully planned operation” and
“a major success”.
Published October 20, 2011
IRA families reject McGuinness comments
Families of some IRA men executed by the British Army have accused
Martin McGuinness of betrayal as he attempts to woo voters in the
South’s Presidential campaign.
Published October 20, 2011
Father wins rights to abandoned NAMA property
He was on the housing list for five years and, out of desperation to
find somewhere to call home, eventually resorted to squatting in one of
the thousands of empty houses in ghost estates littering Ireland.
Published October 20, 2011
Basque peace development welcomed
The Basque armed group ETA has issued a statement tonight saying it is
ending its 43-year armed campaign for independence, and calling on
Spain and France to open talks.
Published October 20, 2011
The peace process was rocked this week by the sudden British declaration
that a public inquiry will not now be held into the assassination of Pat
Finucane.
Published October 14, 2011
Bomb strikes Derry’s ‘UK culture’ headquarters
The ‘UK City of Culture’ offices in the centre of Derry was badly
damaged on Wednesday night by a small but powerful ‘Real IRA’ bomb.
Published October 14, 2011
RTE launches anti-McGuinness campaign
Presidential candidate Martin McGuinness has said that an election
debate on state-run RTE television on Wednesday night amounted to a
“trial by television”.
Published October 14, 2011
Loyalists attack Catholic, Polish families
A couple have fled their east Belfast home after a sectarian attack by
a loyalist mob left their young daughter injured.
Published October 14, 2011
Protest grows outside Central Bank in Dublin
An internet-based campaign of peaceful resistance to the political and
economic corruption of the 26-County state has taken to the streets.
Published October 14, 2011
No murder charge for loyalist killers
The family of Kevin McDaid has described a decision to drop murder
charges against seven men accused of killing him as “an insult” .
Published October 14, 2011
Finucanes quit Downing St meeting over QC review plan
The widow of murdered Belfast defence lawyer Pat Finucane said today she
felt “angry” and “insulted” after David Cameron told her he was
proposing a review of her husband’s case by a QC (British government
lawyer).
Published October 11, 2011
A hysterical attempt by Fine Gael and their media allies to attack Sinn
Fein’s Martin McGuinness has seen a surge in support for Mr McGuinness’s
campaign and propelled Sinn Fein into second place in the polls.
Published October 7, 2011
Govt cash bonanza for developers, advisers, bankers
The coalition government in Dublin has defended their decision to give
further bonuses, deferred payments and inflated salaries to bank
executives, property developers and political insiders.
Published October 7, 2011
eirigi man attacked after Newry raids
A prominent member of eirigi was detained for seven hours and charged
with a string of offences after he intervened to check on the welfare of
a neighbour who was having his car searched by the PSNI.
Published October 7, 2011
Truth commission ‘ruled out’ ahead of Finucane decision
Britain’s Direct Ruler in the North, Owen Paterson, has dismissed Sinn
Fein’s long-standing call for a truth commission to deal with the
North’s past.
Published October 7, 2011
Demand for equality in the right to vote
There have been increasing calls for a referendum to allow northerners
and emigrants the right to vote in the Irish presidential election.
Published October 7, 2011
Liam Adams appeals extradition
The brother of Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams is to appeal against his
extradition to the North following a High Court decision that he should
stand trial in Belfast on allegations that he sexually abused his
daughter.
Published October 7, 2011
A large crowd turned out in Derry on Thursday as Sinn Fein’s Martin
McGuinness launched his Presidential election campaign.
Published September 30, 2011
McGuinness candidacy highlights partitionist attitudes
Despite coming under intense criticism from the 26-County establishment
in Dublin, Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness has received support from the
former British Direct Ruler in Ireland, Shaun Woodward.
Published September 30, 2011
Teachers blast pension ‘larceny’
The two largest teacher unions in Ireland, the INTO and ASTI, have
condemned changes to pensions proposed by the 26-County Minister for
Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin as “larcenous” and
“probably illegal”.
Published September 30, 2011
Paper still targeted, ten years after O’Hagan death
A decade after the murder of crime journalist Martin O’Hagan by loyalist
paramilitaries, his colleagues at the newspaper he worked for are still
receiving loyalist death threats.
Published September 30, 2011
A number of loyalist paramilitary figures are to visit US political and
business leaders in a visit being organised by the Dublin government, it
has emerged.
Published September 30, 2011
Rhianna encounter stranger than fiction
International pop sensation Rhianna was this week confronted in a County
Down cornfield by a DUP councillor who told her to “cover up” while she
was on his farm.
Published September 30, 2011
Final nominations for Irish Presidential election
The line-up for the Irish Presidential election next month has been
decided tonight after controversial Senator David Norris and former
pop/gospel singer ‘Dana’ Rosemary Scallon both secured the necessary
support of local councillors for their nomination as candidates.
Published September 27, 2011
The nomination of Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness for next month’s
election to the President of Ireland has provoked a chaotic and bitter
response from the 26-County ‘elite’.
Published September 24, 2011
Presidential candidate McGuinness tackles IRA past
Sinn Fein nominee Martin McGuinness was repeatedly questioned about his
past involvement with the IRA this week, with the issue dominating the
early days of the presidential campaign.
Published September 24, 2011
Justice comes first for Bloody Sunday relatives
Britain’s Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the British government
intends to make a cash payment to the families and wounded of the Bloody
Sunday massacre.
Published September 24, 2011
Ongoing harassment of republicans and families
Runai ginearalta eirigi [the general secretary of eirigi] Breandan Mac
Cionnaith has condemned the continuing harassment of Lurgan republicans
after three homes were raided on Wednesday morning by the PSNI.
Published September 24, 2011
Ombudsman forces mother to relive her grief
The mother of a Catholic murdered by the unionist paramilitary UDA has
added to calls for Police Ombudsman Al Hutchinson to resign after she
was again fobbed off over a report on her son’s murder.
Published September 24, 2011
Coalition selling state assets to pay private debts
There were rowdy scenes in the Dublin parliament this week between the
26-County government and Sinn Fein over the planned sell-off of part of
the ESB (Electricity Supply Board), the semi-state body which until
recently held a monopoly on Ireland’s energy market.
Published September 24, 2011
On the centenary of the Easter Rising in 2016, it could be Sinn Fein’s
Martin McGuinness taking the salute outside the GPO in Dublin, following
a dramatic and imaginative proposal by the party this weekend for his
nomination in next month’s Presidential election.
Published September 18, 2011
Breakaway IRA groups carried out four separate attacks against the PSNI
this past week, including an attack in County Antrim in which members of
the police force are reported to have received minor injuries.
Published September 18, 2011
British apology after 40 years
The head of the British Army has written a letter of apology to the
family of a Derryman who was shot dead in 1971.
Published September 18, 2011
Orangemen reprimanded over Kerr funeral
The leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, Tom Elliott, and UUP Assembly
member Danny Kennedy are to face disciplinary proceedings from the
Orange Order for attending the funeral mass of PSNI member Ronan Kerr in
April.
Published September 18, 2011
Germany’s European Union [EU] commissioner Guenther Oettinger caused an
outrage this week after he called for the Irish tricolour to be flown at
half-mast in Brussels to embarrass the country over its economic
problems.
Published September 18, 2011
Boundary changes pose electoral questions
Proposals to radically change the Westminster constituencies in the
North are expected to see the main unionist DUP party, as well as
the nationalist SDLP, both lose a valuable seat in the
Westminster parliament in London.
Published September 18, 2011
Martin McGuinness set to contest Presidency of Ireland
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has confirmed reports that the party’s
Ard Chomhairle [high council] is to meet on Sunday morning to discuss a
proposal from the party’s leadership to nominate Martin McGuinness to
stand in the 26-County presidential election.
Published September 16, 2011
The Sinn Fein annual conference has heard calls for a national
conversation on the future of Ireland, between now and the centenary of
the Easter Rising in 2016.
Published September 11, 2011
Warning as supergrass trial goes ahead
British Special Branch double-agent Mark Haddock ordered the murder of a
paramilitary rival and smirked as he told the gunmen, “try not to shoot
the kids”, a high-profile trial in Belfast was told this week.
Published September 11, 2011
As cuts deepen, NAMA keeps developers in style
Bankrupted Irish property speculators are being paid ‘salaries’ of up to
200,000 euro (US$280,000) a year by the Dublin government, it was
revealed this week.
Published September 11, 2011
Waterford facing employment meltdown
A surprise announcement of the loss of almost 600 jobs from a call
centre operation in Waterford has shocked staff and left government
officials struggling to frame a response.
Published September 11, 2011
Pressure is growing on the authorities at Maghaberry prison to release
internee Gerry McGeough, who suffers from a serious heart condition,
into hospital care.
Published September 11, 2011
The brutality is not ‘systematic’, it’s the lying
The death of Baha Mousa reminded Robert Fisk of his days working as a journalist in the North of Ireland.
Published September 11, 2011
Address by Gerry Adams at 2011 Sinn Fein Ard Fheis
The Presidential address to this year's Sinn Fein annual conference this [Saturday] evening.
Published September 10, 2011
Flash: ‘Love unionists’, McGuinness tells party conference
Sinn Fein’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has told his party’s
Ard Fheis [annual conference] today that unionists are “brothers and
sisters” who are to be “loved and cherished”.
Published September 10, 2011
Margaret Ritchie to quit as SDLP leader
The leader of the smaller of the two nationalist parties in the North of
Ireland is to stand down, it was announced this afternoon.
Published September 8, 2011
Showdown for Mount Vernon gang
A trial involving 14 unionist paramilitaries which begins this week
could see new revelations of conspiracy, collusion and hidden agendas
by the PSNI police.
Published September 6, 2011
The man charged with handling complaints against the police in the North
of Ireland has said he may consider his position following the public
release of the latest damning report into his handling of historic
cases.
Published September 6, 2011
Corey imprisoned for his beliefs, say family
The family of jailed Lurgan republican Martin Corey have called for his
immediate release.
Published September 6, 2011
Scottish anger as Lennon’s attacker beats charge
There has been disbelief in Scotland after a man who assaulted the
manager of Glasgow Celtic Football Club escaped punishment -- despite the
attack taking place during a live televised football match.
Published September 6, 2011
Shamed PSNI ‘punish’ freed man
A young man arrested by the PSNI but released unconditionally has been
vindictively prevented from getting an Australian visa, Sinn Fein has
said.
Published September 6, 2011
MEP takes action after Shell protest assault
Dublin’s representative in the European Parliament has lodged a formal
complaint over an assault on him by 26-County police at a peaceful
environmental protest in County Mayo.
Published September 6, 2011
An informer who helped the Garda and RUC police forces to plan, track
and co-ordinate the 1998 Omagh propaganda atrocity has escaped serious
injury following a targeted ‘Real IRA’ attack.
Published August 30, 2011
Two republican prisoners at Maghaberry were assaulted by a prison riot
squad in full body armour after they refused to submit to a strip search
this week.
Published August 30, 2011
PSNI harassment in focus after arrest of society couple
The false arrest by the PSNI of a retired Dutch naval officer and his
former magistrate wife in raids targeting republicans has made
international headlines.
Published August 30, 2011
‘Blackmen’ hold provocative march
Sectarian tensions were again elevated last weekend as the Royal Black
Preceptory, a shadowy masonic organisation comprising of senior members
of the Orange Order, held parades across the North.
Published August 30, 2011
Adams subjected to PSNI ‘fishing’ subpoenas
British authorities have broadened their demands for the contents of
oral history testimonies dealing with the conflict in Ireland and given
to Boston College on the basis of confidentiality.
Published August 30, 2011
Republican mural displaced by advertisement hoarding
A controversy erupted in west Belfast this week after a mural honouring
republican women killed in the conflict was replaced by an ad promoting
landlordism.
Published August 30, 2011
Pressure is growing for other internees at Maghaberry jail to be
released following the decision to free critically ill Brendan Lillis
last week.
Published August 24, 2011
Warning over media threat as PSNI raids go on
Concern is growing at the level of harassment by the PSNI police and
their increasing use of the pro-unionist media to set up members of the
nationalist community for attack.
Published August 24, 2011
Colin Duffy refused bail ‘as a message’
Prominent republican Colin Duffy continues to be held without trial
after a judge astonishingly declared that his release might encourage
breakaway IRA groups.
Published August 24, 2011
Sectarian parade forced through nationalist village
A provocative loyalist band parade in the County Antrim village of
Rasharkin passed off peacefully at the weekend.
Published August 24, 2011
McGuinness condemns hardliners
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has hit out at ‘dissident’
republicans, labelling them ‘imposters’ for carrying on the name of the
IRA.
Published August 24, 2011
Hunger strike march in Belfast
A march to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the deaths of ten
republican hunger strikers took place in Belfast at the weekend.
Published August 24, 2011
There was shock, disbelief and tears of joy for the friends, family and
supporters of critically ill prisoner Brendan Lillis on Thursday when
news emerged that their campaign had succeeded in securing his freedom
-- and a rare victory against state brutality in the North of Ireland.
Published August 19, 2011
Fears over ‘United States of Eurozone’
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel
have presented proposals for a Eurozone government to carry out
centralised European decision making on economic matters and extract a
new tax on all financial transactions within the Eurozone.
Published August 19, 2011
Police Ombudsman scandal grows
A new report into the Police Ombudsman’s office in the North has
revealed that it is routinely engaging in the cover-up of key
intelligence details and censoring its own reports in order to bolster
the reputation of the PSNI police and its predecessor, the RUC.
Published August 19, 2011
Blame game follows Derry violence
Recriminations have followed an outbreak of trouble which followed
Saturday’s parade through the heart of nationalist Derry by the
loyalist Apprentice Boys organisation.
Published August 19, 2011
Adams sees further gains for Sinn Fein
The Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has predicted further growth for his
party in an address at a south Armagh rally to mark the 30th anniversary
of the prison hunger strikes of 1981.
Published August 19, 2011
Hopes for justice at Strabane commemoration
The brother of a disabled County Tyrone man killed forty years ago by the
British Army says he is hopeful a new investigation will clear his
brother’s name.
Published August 19, 2011
Brendan Lillis released, says partner
Critically ill internee Brendan Lillis, currently receiving medical care
at City Hospital in south Belfast, has been freed, according to his
partner.
Published August 18, 2011
The truth about Billy McKavanagh
An unarmed Catholic man shot dead by the British army 40 years ago was
innocent of any wrongdoing, an inquiry has found.
Published August 13, 2011
Lillis held incommunicado in ‘a pantomime of callousness’
The Life Sentence Review Commissioners sat yesterday [Friday] to
consider the case of critically ill internee Brendan Lillis, who remains
under the watch of prison warders at a hospital in Belfast following his
transfer from notorious Maghaberry jail earlier this week.
Published August 13, 2011
No relief from marching season
Clashes erupted in Derry today [Saturday] following a sectarian parade
by the loyalist Apprentice Boys’ organisation, one of the largest of
the Protestant marching season.
Published August 13, 2011
‘Lock-on’ protest at Alliance Party HQ
A number of members of the Republican Network for Unity (RNU) group
dramatically stormed the Alliance Party’s headquarters in south Belfast
on Thursday morning in protest at party leader David Ford’s handling of
the situation at Maghaberry jail.
Published August 13, 2011
Forty years after the introduction of internment, a group of
ex-internees have said they will take legal action against the British
government over the policy of internment.
Published August 13, 2011
Gaybo backs away from Presidential ‘coronation’
The 26-County Presidential campaign bordered on absurdity this week
when television personality Gay Byrne briefly became favourite to win
the election, before confirming he would not be a candidate.
Published August 13, 2011
Lillis under heavy guard at City Hospital
Brendan Lillis is receiving urgent treatment at City Hospital in the
south of Belfast where he remains under the close watch of British
prison authorities.
Published August 10, 2011
Lillis, nearing death, is removed to hospital
Interned former political prisoner Brendan Lillis has been taken from
Maghaberry jail today to an unknown destination after a prison doctor
admitted his condition was “critical”.
Published August 9, 2011
Following last week’s refusal by the Stormont authorities to release
him, the partner of Brendan Lillis has said their campaign is no longer
working to free the ailing prisoner, but to save his life.
Published August 8, 2011
Hunger strike families appeal for action
The families of most of the 1981 Hunger Strikers have called for an end
to the abuses taking place at Maghaberry prison in County Antrim.
Published August 8, 2011
A group of republican prisoners at Maghaberry have begun a 48 hour fast
to protest the failure of the British/Stormont authorities to implement
an agreement last August on conditions within the jail.
Published August 8, 2011
News organisations must submit to the PSNI any footage or photographs of
rioting or other public disorder in the north of Ireland, a judge has
ruled.
Published August 8, 2011
Schoolboy fights for life after attack
A 17-year-old schoolboy is critically ill in hospital after being beaten
in a sectarian attack in Antrim.
Published August 8, 2011
Fortieth anniversary of Ballymurphy and Internment
An event to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1971 Ballymurphy massacre
has heard renewed calls for an independent international inquiry.
Published August 8, 2011
Ford refuses release of Brendan Lillis
There have been demands for the resignation of Six-County Justice
Minister David Ford after he rejected an appeal by the broad nationalist
community for the release of a dying prisoner today.
Published August 3, 2011
British Army protected UVF ‘Butcher’
The British Army withheld evidence for more than three decades which
confirms that some of its locally recruited units were used to finance
and support UVF paramilitary death squads.
Published August 3, 2011
McGuinness backs Lillis release
Members of the two main nationalist parties in the North are to join the
partner of critically ill prisoner Brendan Lillis in a meeting with the
Six-County Justice Minister later today [Wednesday] to plead for his
release from Maghaberry jail on compassionate grounds.
Published August 3, 2011
Shell ‘goons’ battle protestors as pipe construction begins
A day of action by environmental protestors was greeted with violence as
full construction work on a gas pipeline by Shell and contractors in
north County Mayo began at the weekend.
Published August 3, 2011
Housing project spiked by new DUP minister
A project to build 200 houses at a former north Belfast British Army
barracks has been blocked by unionists for naked territorial and
sectarian reasons.
Published August 3, 2011
Child abuse scandal hits Presidential campaign
Senator David Norris yesterday withdrew his candidacy from the
26-County presidential election in the autumn after a scandal erupted
over his intervention on behalf of an Israeli man, a former lover, who
was convicted of the statutory rape of a 15-year-old boy in 1992.
Published August 3, 2011
SDLP’s Ritchie facing leadership threat
The deputy leader of the SDLP has said he will stand against current
leader Margaret Ritchie for the post at the party’s annual conference in
November.
Published August 3, 2011
Policing in ‘cloud-cuckoo-land’
A heavy-handed series of arrest operations against families of prominent
republicans backfired significantly on the PSNI this week as public
opinion turned against them.
Published July 29, 2011
No compassion for dying prisoner
The Life Sentence Review Commission has refused release of critically
ill republican prisoner Brendan Lillis on compassionate grounds as a
growing human rights campaign continues to demand his release.
Published July 29, 2011
PSNI ignoring loyalist violence - SF
Sinn Fein has accused the PSNI of an “obvious disparity” between how riots in loyalist and nationalist areas are policed.
Published July 29, 2011
Orangemen attempt Garvaghy march
The Orange Order yesterday [Wednesday] attempted to stage a march along
part of the nationalist Garvaghy Road in Portadown.
Published July 29, 2011
New tax inspires public boycott
Householders in the 26-County state face hundreds of euro in new
charges, starting with a flat-rate charge in January and separate water
and property charges by 2014.
Published July 29, 2011
Presidential election date named
The coalition government in Dublin has named Thursday, October 27th, as
the date for the presidential election and two constitutional referenda.
Published July 29, 2011
The Six-County administration is still resisting intense pressure to
release dying prisoner Brendan Lillis, who remains critically ill at
Maghaberry prison despite having the charges which put him there
withdrawn.
Published July 24, 2011
Marian Price charged over 2009 attack
Veteran republican Marian Price has been charged by the PSNI in a move
widely seen as a political response to the growing controversy over
selective internment and the plight of Brendan Lillis.
Published July 24, 2011
A Ballycastle man assaulted on the Twelfth of July has said he was set
upon only because he had walked across the road during a contentious
parade by the anti-Catholic Orange Order.
Published July 24, 2011
No justice for abuse victims as Kenny blasts Vatican
The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has mounted a strong verbal attack on the
Catholic church as pressure again grows in Ireland for action to be
taken in the wake of the latest child abuse scandal.
Published July 24, 2011
EU forced to cut Irish interest rate
A lowering of the interest rate being charged by the European Union for
its share of the current 85 billion euro bailout loan will not deflect
the Dublin government from implementing further cuts to services as well
as new stealth taxes, the government has said.
Published July 24, 2011
PSNI invade wedding, arrest couple, question guests
The PSNI in Derry have been accused of mixing sectarianism with racism
as they interrupted a wedding ceremony between a local man and a woman
who had moved to Ireland from China, and arrested the couple.
Published July 24, 2011
Supporters of critically ill Maghaberry prisoner Brendan Lillis are to
stage a hunger protest in a last-ditch attempt to convince the Stormont
and British authorities to release him from prison before he dies.
Published July 19, 2011
Mid-Ulster UVF blamed for Portadown attack
Over 100 loyalists were involved in a serious mob assault at a
‘peaceline’ in Portadown on Friday night, throwing bricks, bottles,
paint-bombs, fireworks and at least one blast bomb.
Published July 19, 2011
Stormont buries its head after riots
The Six-County administration at Stormont has been criticised for
adopting a ‘securocrat’ response to the marching season.
Published July 19, 2011
Soccer team attacked in north Belfast
Members of a north Belfast soccer team have been left with injuries
including stab wounds and a broken leg after being attacked by a
loyalist mob.
Published July 19, 2011
A member of the Continuity IRA has dismissed offers from senior Sinn
Fein figures to enter into talks, according to the Guardian newspaper.
Published July 19, 2011
Minister in ‘Thatcherite’ attack on welfare recipients
‘Minister for Social Protection’, Labour’s Joan Burton, has been widely
condemned after she suggested that social welfare is becoming a
“lifestyle choice”.
Published July 19, 2011
The PSNI attacked a peaceful protest in the republican Ardoyne area of
north Belfast to facilitate a sectarian march, triggering hours of
rioting on Tuesday evening.
Published July 14, 2011
Interfaces attacked amid surge in UVF activity
A series of sectarian and racist attacks were carried out by loyalists
in the nights leading up to the ‘Eleventh Night’ bonfires and the
‘Twelfth’ marches.
Published July 14, 2011
Kenny and Gilmore caught as false promises are exposed
The Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore both misled voters
in pre-election assurances about the future of hospital services in
Roscommon, it has emerged.
Published July 14, 2011
Call for prosecutions after new abuse report
There has been another shocking report on the failure of the Catholic
Church to protect child abuse victims in the 26 Counties.
Published July 14, 2011
McGeough’s legal challenge to conviction gets go ahead
Jailed former Provisional IRA commander Gerry McGeough has passed the
first stage of a legal battle to be given an amnesty, in line with those
accorded to some other combatants in the North’s conflict.
Published July 14, 2011
Inverted priorities at the Dail
The Dublin government postponed Ireland’s National Famine Commemoration
Day due to the visit of ‘Queen of England’ Elizabeth Windsor -- and is
still refusing to name a date for the event.
Published July 14, 2011
Nationalists riot as parade forced through
Intense rioting has engulfed north Belfast after a parade by the Orange
Order was forced through the republican Ardoyne area.
Published July 13, 2011
Eleventh Night mayhem in Belfast
Serious disturbances broke out across Belfast and elsewhere last night
as loyalist bonfires spilled over into sectarian attacks and quickly
evolved into general rioting.
Published July 12, 2011
UVF riots in Ballyclare, Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus
Riots orchestrated by the unionist paramilitary UVF erupted in a number
of towns in county Antrim overnight, ostensibly over the removal of UVF
flags erected for the marching season.
Published July 10, 2011
More than a thousand people have protested outside the Dublin parliament
as the coalition government begins to wield the axe against frontline
health services around the country in order to serve European/IMF
demands for spending cuts.
Published July 8, 2011
RSF arrests linked to Drumcree protest
A controversial plan by the Orange Order to hold a parade in Portadown
in County Armagh without the usual notification was apparently averted
when the organisation was informed of pending arrests of the Republican
Sinn Fein leadership, it has emerged.
Published July 8, 2011
Anger at police intimidation in the North is mounting after children
returning from a bus trip to Dublin last week were terrorised by heavily
armed PSNI members for up two hours
Published July 8, 2011
Robinson rejects strip-search compromise
A report which could end the protest by republican prisoners at
Maghaberry jail has been shelved, it has emerged.
Published July 8, 2011
Weapons and security bodies are decommissioned
No inventory of the arms decommissioned by the Provisional IRA and
loyalist paramilitaries is to be made public, the arms body which
oversaw the process has announced in its final report.
Published July 8, 2011
Irish questions over Tory tabloid hacks
A journalist who worked for the ‘News of the World’ has admitted the
phone hacking practices used in the newspaper’s British operations were
also used in researching some of the stories for its Irish edition.
Published July 8, 2011
Republican Sinn Fein leaders seized by PSNI
The President and Vice President of Republican Sinn Fein were arrested
in Lurgan, County Armagh last night on the way to a protest rally in
support of republican prisoners.
Published July 7, 2011
The homes of nationalists in the Short Strand were again attacked by
loyalists on Friday night as both unionist paramilitaries and the
Protestant Orange Order combined to create a living hell for the
beleaguered community.
Published July 3, 2011
Israel accused of ‘lethal’ attack on Irish aid ship
The Irish ship, the MV Saoirse, has been covertly attacked in a Turkish
port as it prepared to sail to Gaza as part of an international aid
mission.
Published July 3, 2011
Prisoners protest at Maghaberry amid talks reports
A new protest is underway at Maghaberry jail to bring pressure for a
resolution to a long-running standoff over conditions at the notorious
County Antrim prison.
Published July 3, 2011
New revelation points to Loughinisland cover-up
The gun used in the Loughinisland atrocity was used in the mass murder
attempt of eight workmen just months earlier, it has been revealed.
Published July 3, 2011
Acrimony around Smithwick Tribunal deadline
The 26-County Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has been strongly
criticised by all those involved in the Smithwick Tribunal after he
imposed a deadline on the tribunal’s efforts to investigate allegations
about a deadly IRA attack in March 1989.
Published July 3, 2011
A West Belfast man has said that after years of harassment by the PSNI
police, he is now being harassed by British military intelligence.
Published July 3, 2011
Nationalists have united behind calls for the Police Ombudsman to quit
amid outrage over a report in which he denied that the PSNI (then RUC)
police had not colluded in the Loughinisland massacre.
Published June 27, 2011
Talks due on sectarian marches
The body that rules on contentious marches in the Six Counties is to
meet the North’s First Minister and Deputy First Minister at Stormont
tomorrow [Tuesday] in advance of the climax of the Protestant sectarian
marching season.
Published June 27, 2011
Ireland’s rich grow richer on bailout money
Cash from the EU/IMF bailout loans are being used to fund the
extravagant lifestyles of the 26-County state’s wealthy elite,
according to reports from a number of quarters.
Published June 27, 2011
Pressure mounts for release of Brendan Lillis
A meeting next month of the Parole Commission (formerly the Life
Sentence Review Commission) has raised hopes for the family and
supporters of former political prisoner Brendan Lillis, who is gravely
ill at Maghaberry Prison.
Published June 27, 2011
The Dublin government has been urged to ask the Israeli authorities to
allow an Irish ship joining an international flotilla to be allowed
access to the port of Gaza.
Published June 27, 2011
Derry bridge ‘is peace symbol’
A new bridge in Derry is being described as a symbol of the city’s
journey out of conflict to a brighter future.
Published June 27, 2011
Families angered by new Loughinisland cover-up
The families of the men murdered by the unionist paramilitary UVF in a
1994 massacre in Loughinisland, County Down have vehemently rejected an
investigation by the PSNI Police Ombudsman into the killings.
Published June 24, 2011
Short Strand quiet amid talks with UVF ‘Beast of the East’
Despite crowds of over a thousand gathering in east Belfast, the Short
Strand experienced a tense but relatively trouble-free night last night.
Published June 23, 2011
A sudden, unilateral and large-scale loyalist terror attack on the tiny
nationalist community of the Short Strand was bravely fended off this
week in an act of courage reminiscent of previous generations of the
nationalist struggle.
Published June 22, 2011
Clashes follow ‘Tour of the North’
Members of the Protestant Orange Order and loyalist bandsmen clashed
with the PSNI after a controversial sectarian parade was rerouted from
the republican Ardoyne area of north Belfast on Friday.
Published June 22, 2011
An attempt to have the case against Colin Duffy and Brian Shivers
dropped has been refused by a judge.
Published June 22, 2011
US college battles to preserve history project
An American university is fighting a British bid to get hold of
interviews with members of the Provisional IRA, gathered as part of an
oral history project.
Published June 22, 2011
Kingsmills victims may bring civil case
Relatives of those who died in a gun attack at Kingsmills in south
Armagh in 1976 may take a civil action against those they believe to be
responsible.
Published June 22, 2011
Republican hardliners urged to unite
The former head of Irish Northern Aid, Martin Galvin, has urged
republicans of all factions to unite to draw up a new strategy to defeat
the British, in opposition to Sinn Fein.
Published June 22, 2011
There was serious rioting for a second night in east Belfast tonight as
masked unionist paramilitaries renewed their attempts to attack the
nationalist Short Strand enclave.
Published June 22, 2011
Shots have been fired by loyalists tonight towards St Matthew’s chapel
amid a serious assault by unionist paramilitaries on the nationalist
Short Strand.
Published June 21, 2011
Loyalist mob attacks Short Strand
Catholic homes in east Belfast’s Short Strand area and elsewhere have
been attacked by over a hundred masked loyalists tonight, and several
injuries have already been reported.
Published June 20, 2011
Faced with intense criticism over their failure to deal with the deep economic crisis in their first 100 days of office, the 26-County coalition leaders this week renewed promises to ‘burn the bondholders’ of two of the state’s nationalised banks, while vowing to maintain social welfare and income tax at current levels.
Published June 17, 2011
Cancer victim tortured at Maghaberry
A republican prisoner who is undergoing cancer treatment has been
brutally strip-searched en route to the hospital.
Published June 17, 2011
Unprecedented harassment of republicans
The brother of a man shot dead by British soldiers in County Armagh is
to take legal action after he was followed by British intelligence
officers on holiday all the way to Dubai.
Published June 17, 2011
Police Ombudsman damned in new report
The Police Ombudsman’s Office is heavily criticised in a new report into
its work.
Published June 17, 2011
Sectarian tension linked to marching season
The controversial Whiterock parade by the Protestant Orange Order in
Belfast later this month will go ahead, despite the opposition of local
nationalist residents.
Published June 17, 2011
Bloody Sunday prosecutions still awaited one year on
A decision on the prosecution of British paratroopers over the Bloody
Sunday killings is expected before the end of the summer.
Published June 17, 2011
A founder member of a Sinn Fein breakaway group was assassinated on
Thursday in an attack which has shocked the broader republican community
in Dublin.
Published June 12, 2011
IRA members meet tribunal team
A meeting between former Provisional IRA Volunteers and the Smithwick
Tribunal into the deaths of two senior RUC policemen in 1989 was
facilitated by Sinn Fein, party President Gerry Adams has confirmed.
Published June 12, 2011
Cameron seeks end to ‘shared-out Stormont’
British Prime Minister David Cameron has outlined his vision for the
future of the Six Counties, urging the North’s politicians to “move
beyond” the question of British rule in Ireland, and instead focus on
“the economic and social issues that affect people in their daily
lives”.
Published June 12, 2011
‘Tour of the North’ rerouted from Ardoyne
A triumphalist parade by the Protestant Orange Order has again been
banned from passing a republican community in north Belfast.
Published June 12, 2011
New inquest ordered into UDA murder
The Six-County Attorney General has ordered a new inquest into the
murder of a Catholic man shot dead by a loyalist death squad in west
Belfast in 1988.
Published June 12, 2011
UN demands investigation into Magdalene torture
The UN Committee Against Torture has recommended the 26-County State
investigate “all allegations of torture, and other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment that were allegedly committed in the
Magdalene Laundries”.
Published June 12, 2011
Condolences have been expressed to the family of Brian Lenihan after he
passed away this morning.
Published June 10, 2011
Paul Maskey elected MP for West Belfast
Sinn Fein Assembly member Paul Maskey has been elected as the new MP for
West Belfast, replacing party president, Gerry Adams.
Published June 10, 2011
Stormont faces appointment test
Sinn Fein is under heavy pressure to sack one of their Stormont advisors
as a controversy continued over her appointment this week.
Published June 6, 2011
RUC killed U.S. citizen in 1997, inquest finds
A coroner is to prepare a file for the Public Prosecution Service after
an inquest found that an American father-of-one died from injuries
inflicted by the PSNI police (then the RUC) in 1997.
Published June 6, 2011
Support grows for Maghaberry campaign
Up to 500 people gathered outside the gates of the notorious Maghaberry
prison in Lisburn on Sunday afternoon in protest at the treatment of
republican prisoners at the jail.
Published June 6, 2011
Dublin cabinet lurches towards flat taxes
The coalition government in Dublin appears set to move ahead with
controversial plans for new water and family home taxes from next year
despite mixed signals about the plans at cabinet level.
Published June 6, 2011
‘Uniting Ireland’ conferences scheduled
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams TD has released details of two major
conferences the party is holding in Dublin and Cork to promote the
objective of uniting Ireland.
Published June 6, 2011
The Mavi Marmara massacre, one year on
As peaceful demonstrators continue to die at Israel’s border, a look
back at a notorious massacre of international human rights activists.
Published June 6, 2011
Prison protest ‘could spill over’
Prison authorities at Maghaberry prison have confirmed that a lockdown
is being imposed on the republican wings amid a mounting crisis at the
jail.
Published May 30, 2011
Coalition chaos over new bailout, wage cuts
Dublin officials have been issuing contradictory statements over how
they might fund the operations of the 26-County state next year, while
threatening the wages of the state’s lowest paid workers.
Published May 30, 2011
Stormont Justice is ‘direct rule in drag’ - SDLP
Members of the police and government officials who contributed to the
murder of human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson are still working in the
Six-County establishment, it has been claimed.
Published May 30, 2011
Sinn Fein secures post of Belfast Mayor
Sinn Fein’s Niall O Donnghaile became the youngest ever mayor of Belfast
on Thursday night.
Published May 30, 2011
‘War criminal’ interviewed on RTE
The Pat Finucane Centre, a Derry-based human rights group, has protested
against recent television interviews with the man most held responsible
for the Bloody Sunday massacre.
Published May 30, 2011
A sectarian lynch mob, with some wearing Rangers tops, have hanged an
effigy of Celtic soccer club manager Neil Lennon from a lamp-post in
Antrim.
Published May 30, 2011
The British government have been condemned for attempting to protect the
PSNI from the fallout of the Rosemary Nelson inquiry.
Published May 24, 2011
Politicians succumb to state visit mania
The Sinn Fein mayor of Cashel created controversy on Friday when he
became the first member of his party to shake the hand of a British
monarch.
Published May 24, 2011
Conforming prisoners attacked in Maghaberry clampdown
The introduction of a change to the regime for conforming republican
prisoners at Maghaberry jail has led to a series of violent assaults on
the prisoners by warders, according to reports from inside the jail.
Published May 24, 2011
Attacks and alerts prompt questions, criticism
Mystery surrounds an attack in Derry city centre on Saturday, in which a
small device exploded inside a bank.
Published May 24, 2011
RUC let loyalist murder suspects go - HET
Those thought to have been involved in the murder of a Catholic cafe
owner in 1987 were never questioned by RUC (now PSNI) police, despite
being identified by a witness, it has emerged.
Published May 24, 2011
IRSP mark hunger strike anniversary
Around 400 people took part in a commemoration march on Saturday to mark
the 30th anniversary of the death of Derry hunger striker Patsy O’Hara.
Published May 24, 2011
Obama wows Dubliners, seeks ‘missing apostrophe’
US president Barack Obama is addressing huge crowds of people at College
Green in Dublin this evening.
Published May 23, 2011
Rosemary Nelson Inquiry finds PSNI ‘failures’
The report of a public inquiry has claimed that British state agencies
did not directly collude with loyalists who assassinated high-profile
human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson in Lurgan 1999.
Published May 23, 2011
The state visit of Elizabeth Windsor to the 26-County state came to an
absurd anti-climax on Wednesday night when the British monarch admitted
England’s relations with Ireland have “not been entirely benign”.
Published May 20, 2011
Pre-emptive arrests of royal protestors
The 32 County Sovereignty committee has said “close on twenty” of its
members were arrested last [Thursday] night as they assembled in Dublin
to protest against the British royal visit.
Published May 20, 2011
The death has taken place of former Taoiseach, Garret FitzGerald. The
former Fine Gael leader died on Thursday morning in Dublin, aged 85,
following a short illness.
Published May 20, 2011
More progress in shoot-to-kill inquests
A coroner investigating the killings of two IRA men shot dead by
soldiers more than 20 years ago must examine the “planning and control
of the operation” that led to the deaths, senior judges have ruled.
Published May 20, 2011
Maskey may face Price in west Belfast election
Sinn Fein’s Paul Maskey is to stand in the Westminster by-election next
month for the West Belfast seat left vacant by Gerry Adams.
Published May 20, 2011
Ireland braces for whirlwind Obama visit
This coming Monday, May 23, President Barack Obama and First Lady
Michelle Obama will arrive in Ireland for an official state visit, the
highlight of which is likely to be a stop in the tiny village of
Moneygall.
Published May 20, 2011
Dubliners riot over provocative state visit
Hundreds of rioters clashed with gardai police for almost three hours
following the visit of the British queen to the Garden of Rememberance
in Dublin city centre yesterday, throwing fireworks, glass bottles and
bricks.
Published May 18, 2011
Cold Irish welcome for British Commander-in-Chief
A convoy of armoured vehicles today shepherded British monarch Elizabeth
Windsor through the empty streets of Dublin city centre in the first and
most controversial day of a hugely expensive and oppressive ‘royal
visit’.
Published May 17, 2011
An unprecedented security lockdown has been put in place in several
locations across Dublin, in Cork and in other sites across Ireland in
preparation for the first visit to the 26-County state by the
'Queen of England', Elizabeth Windsor.
Published May 17, 2011
Detention of Marian Price criticised
The British government and the Stormont establishment have been accused
of using totalitarian tactics following the effective internment yesterday
[Monday] of veteran republican Marian Price.
Published May 17, 2011
Calls to ‘open the files’ on bombings
Bereaved families and survivors of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings have
written an open letter to Elizabeth Windsor to mark her arrival in
Ireland on the 37th anniversary of the atrocities.
Published May 17, 2011
Finucanes expect inquiry announcement; Nelson report due
After decades of campaigning by the family of Belfast defence lawyer Pat
Finucane, they are to be told within weeks that a full inquiry into his
murder will go ahead, according to reports at the weekend.
Published May 17, 2011
Mystery checkpoint as harassment, psy-ops mount
The North’s police ombudsman is to investigate after republicans were
challenged by men wielding machine guns in a terror operation involving
more than 80 police and 10 armoured vehicles last week.
Published May 17, 2011
New Sinn Fein Ministers in Six-County Executive
The political parties at Stormont appointed a new Six-County Executive
today [Monday], with Sinn Fein surprisingly dropping its entire
Executive team, with the exception of its Deputy First Minister, Martin
McGuinness.
Published May 17, 2011
Prominent dissident republican Marian Price has been summarily jailed by
the British government following her rearrest at a Derry courtroom
today.
Published May 16, 2011
Veteran republican Marian Price has been arrested by the PSNI. She was
arrested in west Belfast today and taken to Antrim interrogation centre.
Published May 13, 2011
Prisoners confront criminalisation
Republican prisoners were attacked at Maghaberry prison and dragged
from their cells at the weekend after a protest action against the
failure of the British government and prison authorities to implement
an agreement on prisoners’ rights.
Published May 12, 2011
Six-County Assembly begins new term
Sinn Féin has struck a deal with the DUP to share the post of Stormont
Assembly speaker following last Thursday’s elections.
Published May 12, 2011
Coalition’s inaction saps confidence, claims lives
26-County Taoiseach Enda Kenny has been accused of not standing up for
Irish interests following secretive emergency meetings of the European
Union.
Published May 12, 2011
A number of miscarriage of justice victims in the north of Ireland are
to receive compensation following a landmark Supreme Court ruling in the
case of two men whose convictions were overturned.
Published May 12, 2011
Driver saves life of man in loyalist mob attack
A young Catholic
man was knocked unconscious in a random sectarian
attack on Monday as a gang of twenty loyalists kicked and punched him.
Published May 12, 2011
Donnelly calls for national sovereignty vote
A leading dissident republican movement has said a vote on an
all-Ireland basis on the question of Irish unity and national
sovereignty could help bring an end to the conflict in Ireland.
Published May 12, 2011
SF gains 12 council seats, becomes largest party in Belfast
The balance of power at Belfast City Council has shifted, with Sinn Fein
leapfrogging the DUP to become the largest party.
Published May 10, 2011
IRSP falls short by half a vote; SF’s Kelly injured in crash
Almost two-thirds of council posts in the Six Counties have been
declared so far this evening.
Published May 9, 2011
Local election setbacks for UUP; others poll well
Electoral woes have continued for the Ulster Unionist Party in the
local elections in the North.
Published May 9, 2011
SF wins seat in east Antrim as counts conclude
Final results in the Assembly election has confirmed power flowing from
the smaller parties to the larger parties at Stormont, with both Sinn
Fein and the DUP consolidating their positions at the expense of their
nationalist and unionist rivals, the SDLP and UUP respectively.
Published May 7, 2011
UUP leader Tom Elliott lashes out at ‘Sinn Fein scum’
The embattled leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, Tom Elliott,
described Sinn Fein as “scum” after the party won three seats in the
Fermanagh/South Tyrone constituency.
Published May 7, 2011
The electoral system in the North has been branded a “laughing stock” by
a leading academic, while the last speaker of the Stormont assembly has
branded it a “disgrace”.
Published May 7, 2011
DUP and SF tighten grip on Stormont
Sinn Fein and the DUP are still polling strongly as counting draws to a
close on the first day of the election results in the north of Ireland.
Published May 6, 2011
First counts indicate Sinn Fein gains
n the first results in the Assembly election, Sinn Fein are making
gains or holding their own as the long delayed numbers start to come in.
Published May 6, 2011
Huge leap forward for Scottish independence
Scotland is on course to secure independence by 2016 after a
near-revolutionary transformation in British politics today.
Published May 6, 2011
UUP vote collapses amid drop in turnout
The dominant feature of the Six-County Assembly election, which is being
counted today, is the sharp drop in turnout, although Sinn Fein are
upbeat that they can increase their representation at Stormont.
Published May 6, 2011
Election triumph for Scottish nationalists
The Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) could be on course for a historic
victory in the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh, wiping the board in
constituencies across that country.
Published May 6, 2011
Elections are underway in the North today [Thursday], where Sinn Féin
is hoping to become the biggest party in the Belfast Assembly.
Published May 5, 2011
Palestinian peace breakthrough
Palestinians said they had turned the page on division at a ceremony in
Egypt to heal a four-year rift between the Fatah movement and the more
militant group Hamas.
Published May 5, 2011
Concerns over the high level of teenage suicide in west and north
Belfast have reached a new level following a series of deaths in the
past few months.
Published May 5, 2011
Republican groups clash outside church gates
Members of Sinn Fein clashed with members of the National Graves
Association outside a county Tyrone church on Easter Sunday weekend.
Published May 5, 2011
Tory media bashes referendum; Breakthrough hopes for Scotland
The coalition government in London of David Cameron’s Tories and Nick
Clegg’s Liberal Democrats is under strain following a Tory ‘black
propoganda’ campaign to discredit the Alternative Vote system prior to
today’s referendum in Britain.
Published May 5, 2011
Assembly Elections 2011 - Constituency Profiles
Six Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) will be elected in each
of the 18 constituencies in the Six Counties. A brief summary of the
constituencies and candidates for this year’s Assembly election.
Published May 5, 2011
In a dramatic public address on Easter Monday, the ‘Real IRA’ affirmed
its determination to pursue its armed struggle against British rule.
Published April 30, 2011
Three Senate seats for Sinn Fein
Sinn Fein has secured three seats in what may be the last ever 26-County
Seanad [Senate].
Published April 30, 2011
Sectarian attacks and bomb alerts
A series of bomb hoaxes and alerts also intensified in the past week and
fuelled a sense of rising tension in the North.
Published April 30, 2011
Gerry Kelly rejects call to repudiate IRA
With elections to local councils and the Stormont Assembly due to take
place within a week, Sinn Fein is coming under pressure from the
unionist parties and the mainstream media to turn its back on the IRA.
Published April 30, 2011
Union Jack raised over Sinn Fein offices
The first contentious loyalist parades of the year have passed off
peacefully.
Published April 30, 2011
Uncertainty shrouds health services after HSE board quits
The new 26-County Health Minister Dr James Reilly has cleared out the
board of the Health Service Executive (HSE), claiming the dramatic
shake-up will improve services and accountability.
Published April 30, 2011
A group of former Provisional IRA members have declared that they will
continue the armed struggle until a united Ireland is achieved.
Published April 25, 2011
Golden circles continue to rob 26-County state
A number of elite public servants continue to be paid up to one million
euro ($1.46m) in annual salary and associated benefits, despite the
economic demise of the 26 Counties and the arrival of the IMF.
Published April 25, 2011
UVF boss, Celtic manager targeted for assassination
A senior UVF unionist paramilitary was left in critical condition after
being stabbed outside a busy north Belfast supermarket, apparently by a
feuding rival.
Published April 25, 2011
Child clubbed by PSNI in stop-and-search
A County Armagh schoolboy was assaulted by a member of the PSNI who
batoned the 12-year-old just over a week ago, it has emerged.
Published April 25, 2011
Unity referendum subject to GFA - Sinn Fein
With all of the mainstream political parties unanimous on three key
issues -- the need to defeat dissident republicanism, safeguard the
Six-County political institutions and oppose cuts to the British
subvention -- only the call for an all-island referendum has caused a
stir in the Assembly election campaign.
Published April 25, 2011
‘Fun’ menu for Irish treaty signatories sold at auction
A “humorous” menu prepared for an Irish delegation dinner during the
Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations in London in 1921 has been sold in
Dublin for a four-figure sum.
Published April 25, 2011
A stand against the securocrats
Policing in the North is once again in crisis after the chief executive
at the Police Ombudsman's office suddenly quit, blaming senior
government officials for interfering in the office's investigations.
Published April 18, 2011
Concerns over new human rights violations
Sinn Fein has criticised the PSNI's continued detention and
interrogation of a number of people in connection with dissident
republican activity.
Published April 18, 2011
The mother of a six-year-old boy shot in the head during the conflict
has expressed her frustration after the police Historical Enquiries
Team (HET) dismissed evidence of loyalist involvement in the death.
Published April 18, 2011
IMF, EU join in Dublin fudge exercise
The Fine Gael/Labour government in Dublin declared last week it had
"passed" a review of its economic progress by its International
Monetary Fund and European Union creditors without any penalty.
Published April 18, 2011
The 26-County Taoiseach Enda Kenny held his first bilateral meeting
with British Prime Minister David Cameron in London this afternoon.
Published April 18, 2011
McGuinness to represent SF in leaders debates
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams will almost certainly not be
representing the party in televised leaders' battles ahead of the
North's election.
Published April 18, 2011
Sinn Fein has offered to meet with “the militarist factions” to outline
the party’s strategy for advancing republican objectives and in its
belief in “the futility of armed actions”.
Published April 13, 2011
Assembly election candidates named
There are 218 candidates in total for the 108 Six-County Assembly seats
up for grabs in the election on May 5, spread over the traditional 18
six-seater constituencies.
Published April 13, 2011
Govt seeks gullible property investors
The state-operated bank NAMA is to provide mortgages for home-buyers in
the 26 Counties -- despite acknowledging that house prices are likely
to fall further.
Published April 13, 2011
PSNI in bomb alert controversy
A furore has arisen after the PSNI allowed motorists to drive past a
van containing what was described as a 500 pound bomb on Thursday
evening last week.
Published April 13, 2011
Sinn Fein rules out royal visit demo
Any activity that Sinn Fein organises to mark the British royal visit
next month will not involve picketing of events and no “confrontation
for the sake of it”, the party’s deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald has
said.
Published April 13, 2011
Double-agent’s ex-wife can sue Scappaticci
A woman who became embroiled in Britain’s ‘Dirty War’ has received High
Court permission to bring anunprecedented legal actionagainst Freddie
Scappaticci, the reputed British double-agent known in the media as
‘Stakeknife’.
Published April 13, 2011
A recording of Gardai police laughingly planning to rape two
environmental protestors, including a US citizen, has renewed attention
on the policing operation to secure the construction of a hugely
controversial onshore gas refinery in County Mayo.
Published April 8, 2011
Windsor to visit Croke Park, republican memorial
The planned itinerary for a visit next month by the professed ‘Queen of
England’ has provoked anger and disbelief.
Published April 8, 2011
Conflict is ‘useless’ - McGuinness
British forces in Ireland are said to be increasingly concerned at the
technical capacity of breakaway IRA groups following Saturday’s killing
of a PSNI man in a limpet-mine attack in County Tyrone.
Published April 8, 2011
Donaldson family say PSNI, MI5 central to killing
The family of high-ranking Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson who was
murdered for being a spy believe his PSNI Special Branch handler has
secret information that could help the Garda murder investigation.
Published April 8, 2011
‘Treasonous’ to oppose bondholders - Lenihan
Former Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan has said proposals to share
the cost of Ireland’s collapsed banking system with those European banks
who had funded their lending practices as “a form of economic
treason.”
Published April 8, 2011
Concern over new military parade plan
Belfast City Council has voted to approve a parade for British soldiers
through the city.
Published April 8, 2011
Gerry McGeough sentenced to 20 years
Prominent republican Gerry McGeough has been sentenced to 20 years
imprisonment for an IRA attack on an off-duty British soldier 30 years
ago.
Published April 6, 2011
The coalition government parties have reneged on promises made during
the general election by refusing to share the losses of Ireland’s banks
with those who sought to profit from their reckless lending.
Published April 4, 2011
Shock as PSNI man dies in clinical attack
Waves of political and official condemnation have followed the killing
of a member of the PSNI in a targeted ‘dissident’ bomb attack in County
Tyrone on Saturday.
Published April 4, 2011
Questions continue for MI5 in Derry killing
The family of Derry man Kieran Doherty have called on the PSNI to
reveal any information they have on MI5’s involvement with him prior to
his death in February last year.
Published April 4, 2011
Relief for Armagh man in Nairac ‘show trial’
South Armagh man Kevin Crilly has been cleared of any involvement in
the execution of British soldier and spy Robert Nairac in May 1977.
Published April 4, 2011
Duffy detention for Supreme Court
Colin Duffy is to go before Britain’s highest court to challenge his
period of pre-charge detention.
Published April 4, 2011
Assembly, local election campaigning underway
Sinn Fein’s newly elected TDs are to take part in a series of
pre-election events as the party presents itself as an effective
all-Ireland party, in contrast to the SDLP.
Published April 4, 2011
PSNI man killed in bomb attack
A member of the PSNI police has been killed in an undercar booby-trap
type attack in County Tyrone.
Published April 2, 2011
The British government has apologised for killing a south Armagh girl,
who was shot dead by a paratrooper almost 35 years ago.
Published March 29, 2011
The personal details of a former Maghaberry governor were planted by a
prison warder in a prominent republican’s cell at the County Antrim
prison, it has been admitted.
Published March 29, 2011
Bomb defused at Derry courthouse
The armed group known as Oglaigh na hEireann has said it planted a
device near Derry’s courthouse which caused a major bomb alert on
Sunday evening and Monday morning.
Published March 29, 2011
Kenny denies corruption in Tribunal brush-off
The governing Fine Gael party has been accused of corruption over its
links with businessman Denis O’Brien in a heated Dail debate.
Published March 29, 2011
Irish census contractor ‘linked to war crimes’
Anti-war organisation ‘Shannonwatch’ has said that the 2011 census,
taking place across the 26 Counties on April 10th, is being managed by a
company accused of committing torture, war crimes and civil conspiracy
in Iraq.
Published March 29, 2011
Dublin governments were conspiring with Britain to smear prominent
republicans and defeat the IRA as long ago as the 1930’s, according to
a new radio documentary.
Published March 29, 2011
A suggestion by Sinn Fein’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness
that he is prepared to consider sharing the role of First Minister if
Sinn Fein tops the polls in the North’s Assembly election has drawn a
hostile, if predictable, reaction from unionists.
Published March 25, 2011
McGeough sentencing deferred after strip-search drama
Prominent republican Gerry McGeough developed chest pains while
refusing to be strip-searched before his court appearance in Belfast on
Monday.
Published March 25, 2011
Low standards in public office confirmed
The Dublin government has been accused of seeking to cover up the
findings of the Moriarty report, which found former Fine Gael minister
Michael Lowry had acted in “profoundly corrupt” manner.
Published March 25, 2011
Britain ends equality in PSNI hiring
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams TD has attacked a decision by the
British Secretary to scrap the 50-50 recruitment procedure to the PSNI
police, under which equal numbers of Catholics and Protestants were
employed by the force.
Published March 25, 2011
Despite his previous prediction two weeks ago, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has
failed to secure reduction in the interest rate on the EU bailout for
the 26-County State at a summit of European leaders today.
Published March 25, 2011
Orwellian Ministry strikes again
The DUP’s Six-County ‘Minister for Culture’ Nelson McCausland has
insisted an annual arts festival held in south central Belfast include
pro-Israeli views and Christian music in its line-up, according to a
BBC report.
Published March 25, 2011
Tribunal finds former Minister guilty of corruption
In its final report, the Moriarty Tribunal in Dublin has accused former
Fine Gael minister Michael Lowry of “profoundly corrupt” dealings and a
“venal abuse of office”.
Published March 22, 2011
One of the largest military operations in the history of the 26-County State is
being prepared in advance of the back-to-back state visits of British
monarch Elizabeth Windsor and US President Barack Obama.
Published March 21, 2011
High spirits at White House bash
US President Barack Obama has described an “incredible bond” between the
US and Ireland at the annual St Patrick’s Day party at the White House.
Published March 21, 2011
Speculation is growing that the new Dublin government will this week be
forced to require that at least some bond-holders ‘share the burden’ of
losses in the Irish banking system as tensions mount within the European
Union over the cost and scale of the international bailout loan plan for
the 26-County State.
Published March 21, 2011
Spy data was destroyed, court hears
The British Army had secretly bugged a car belonging to a County Armagh
teenager on the night he is accused of involvement in a Continuity IRA
attack on a member of the PSNI in 2009, it has been revealed.
Published March 21, 2011
Sinn Fein displays cross-border unity
Sinn Fein brings its strengthened team of southern representatives to
Stormont today [Monday] for the first time since the party’s General
Election gains in the 26 Counties.
Published March 21, 2011
Heritage plan sought for Dublin city centre
Dublin Sinn Fein TD Aengus O Snodaigh has called for the establishment
of a 1916 Quarter encompassing the GPO and the historic buildings on
Moore Street and for a Ceathru Gaelteachta [Irish speaking quarter] to
develop the Irish language in the city.
Published March 21, 2011
US President Barack Obama has said he intends to visit Ireland in May.
Published March 17, 2011
The new Fine Gael-Labour coalition has already backed away from
pre-election promises to give the people a say on the EU-IMF bailout
deal.
Published March 16, 2011
Nelson report suppressed until after election
The British government has said it is carrying out “checks” the findings
of a public inquiry into the murder of human rights lawyer Rosemary
Nelson, which it is now feared will be withheld until after the May 5
election.
Published March 16, 2011
A row has erupted over the flying of the tricolour at a St Patrick’s Day
parade in Downpatrick, County Down.
Published March 16, 2011
Nuclear concerns follows Japanese calamity
Taoiseach Enda Kenny is to raise the issue of the Sellafield nuclear
plant on the west coast of England following fresh anxiety in Ireland in
the wake of the partial meltdown of a number of reactors in the
northeast of Japan.
Published March 16, 2011
Ballymurphy families join in USA visit
Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness will join DUP leader Peter
Robinson and 26-County Taoiseach Enda Kenny among a smaller coterie of
Irish politicians than usual to visit Washington DC for the annual St
Patrick’s day bash at the White House this wee
Published March 16, 2011
Deaths of Sean Cronin, Brian Moore
Leading republicans have expressed their sadness at the death of
well-known IRA veteran, author and journalist Sean Cronin.
Published March 16, 2011
A new government has started work following a day in which a
significant change in the political order in the 26 Counties finally
became tangible at Leinster House.
Published March 10, 2011
Repression of republicans intensifies
A number of British Army Landrovers rolling through the streets of
Derry have been linked to a new wave of repressive Crown force raids
across the North.
Published March 10, 2011
Sinn Fein warns over royal protests
Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness has warned against protests turning
violent when Elizabeth Windsor, the professed ‘Queen of England’, is
brought to the 26 Counties later this year.
Published March 10, 2011
Stormont in disarray as budget vote passed
A pre-election row has erupted over the ‘Six-County budget’ in the
Stormont Executive, with the Ulster Unionist Party and the SDLP both
vehemently opposing financial plans agreed by Sinn Fein and the DUP.
Published March 10, 2011
There were clashes in east Belfast on Wednesday night after a Catholic
church was defaced by loyalists for a second time in a week.
Published March 10, 2011
Address by Gerry Adams to the Dublin parliament
The following is the full text of the address by Sinn Fein President
Gerry Adams on the first meeting of the new parliament at Leinster
House.
Published March 10, 2011
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has received his seal of office from
President Mary McAleese at Aras An Uachtarain this afternoon following
his election as Taoiseach of the 26-County state. He received 117 votes
to 27 at the first sitting of the new Dublin parliament.
Published March 9, 2011
Fine Gael and Labour have reached an agreement on entering a new
coalition government in the 26 Counties.
Published March 6, 2011
PSNI attack mourners, make arrests
Riot police used CS gas to attack dissident republicans following the
funeral of veteran IRA man and former H-Block escaper Peter ‘Skeet’
Hamilton.
Published March 6, 2011
The Real IRA in Derry has said it was behind a gun attack on a PSNI
patrol in the Glen Road area of the city and warned that more attacks
will follow
Published March 6, 2011
There is pressure on the PSNI police chief Matt Baggott to resign
following his abject failure to apologise for the force’s lies about
those killed in the McGurk’s Bar massacre.
Published March 6, 2011
A loyalist was jailed for life last week after being convicted of the
sectarian murder in Belfast of cafe owner Alfredo Fusco in 1973.
Published March 6, 2011
Sectarian, racial tensions on the rise
Graffiti threatening the life of Glasgow Celtic soccer boss Neil Lennon
has been daubed on a chapel in east Belfast.
Published March 6, 2011
British monarch Elizabeth Windsor will make an official visit to the
26-County State later this year, it has been confirmed.
Published March 4, 2011
Predictions of a political transformation in Ireland came to fruition on
Friday, when in the space of fifteen hours of polling, angry voters
eviscerated the Fianna Fail and Green parties.
Published March 2, 2011
Sinn Fein is set to be a major player in 26 County politics after it
more than tripled its seats in the Dublin parliament.
Published March 2, 2011
Anniversary of start of hunger strike marked
A new exhibition was launched in Belfast on Tuesday, 30 years to the day
from the beginning of the second hunger strike for political status by
republican PoW Bobby Sands.
Published March 2, 2011
Britain to be sued for Omagh damages
A High Court judge has reversed a previous decision to throw out a
damages claim brought by the husband of one of the Omagh bomb victims.
Published March 2, 2011
Departing Minister signs off on Corrib pipeline
A decision by the outgoing Minister for Energy Pat Carey to sign
permissions for the last section of the hugely controversial Corrib gas
pipeline on the day of the general election has drawn a furious
reaction.
Published March 2, 2011
Councillor defiant at protest trial
Dublin City Councillor Louise Minihan has refused to pay a fine of
1,500 euro she received in court last Friday, for dripping red paint on the
former Health Minister Mary Harney.
Published March 2, 2011
Brian Stanley elected TD for Laois/Offaly
Brian Stanley has clinched a seat for Sinn Fein in Laois/Offaly, the
first in 78 years.
Published March 1, 2011
Counting continues; coalition talks underway
Fine Gael and Labour have commenced talks on the formation of a new
coalition government following a historic collapse in the vote of the
outgoing coalition partners, Fianna Fail and the Green Party.
Published February 28, 2011
A series of stunning upsets has seen Sinn Fein dominate news coverage
of the election by winning 13 seats so far.
Published February 27, 2011
Further gains for SF; Crowe, O Caolain, Mac Lochlainn elected
Sinn Fein’s Sean Crowe has returned to the Dail, reversing his painful
loss in 2007. Mr Crowe took the third of four seats in Dublin
South-West on the sixth count, with the help of transfers from the
Socialist Party.
Published February 26, 2011
Gerry Adams elected TD for Louth; Pearse Doherty re-elected
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has topped the poll and secured election
on the first count amid jubilant scenes at the constituency count centre
in Louth.
Published February 26, 2011
Results begin to be announced in General Election
First count declarations are currrently coming in from Friday’s 26-County
General Election.
Published February 26, 2011
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams is on course to win a seat for the party
in Louth as his party looks set to achieve a historic breakthrough in
Friday's general election in the 26 Counties.
Published February 26, 2011
Exit poll released as election count begins
Counting begins this morning in the 26-County General Election in which
Fine Gael is expected to take power following a collapse in the Fianna
Fail vote.
Published February 26, 2011
In the last pre-election rally, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams vowed
his party would stand up for Irish citizens against bad government and
bad government decisions.
Published February 25, 2011
Polling stations will remain open until 10pm on Friday in what is sure
to be one of the most significant Irish elections in recent times.
Voting has already begun on Ireland’s offshore islands.
Published February 25, 2011
Final insult for McGurk’s massacre families
The memories of the 15 McGurk’s bar victims have been vindicated by a
new report on the atrocity, but relatives of the dead and injured are
still angry over a shocking response to the report by the current PSNI
police chief Matt Baggott.
Published February 25, 2011
Stormont parties squabble over coalition carve-up
Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness has accused two parties within the
struggling Stormont Executive of trying to cut his party out of the
Six-County administration.
Published February 25, 2011
Date set for Pearse Jordan inquest
An inquest into the death of unarmed IRA man Pearse Jordan, shot by
police in west Belfast almost 20 years ago, may be held in October.
Published February 25, 2011
Libyan rescue bid ends in fiasco
An attempt to evacuate desperate Irish citizens fleeing from the chaos
of Libya’s descent into civil war failed on Wednesday night.
Published February 25, 2011
Fine Gael is likely to be in a position to form a new Dublin government
next week as opinion polls show Sinn Fein, Labour and Fianna Fail now in
the race for second place in Friday’s 26-County general election.
Published February 21, 2011
Gerry McGeough ‘jailed for his beliefs’
A former member of the Sinn Fein leadership has been put behind bars in
Maghaberry Prison after being convicted for an IRA action 30 years ago.
Published February 21, 2011
Sinn Fein in campaign overdrive
With less than a week to go, Sinn Féin has sharply escalated its
26-County general election campaign by outlining key policies in a
number of high-profile media events.
Published February 21, 2011
Breakaway groups struggle to assert role
A Republican Sinn Fein breakaway group elected a leadership for itself
at a gathering of the organisation at the weekend.
Published February 21, 2011
Monument to Brendan Hughes destroyed
A granite monument in honour of former IRA hunger striker Brendan ‘The
Dark’ Hughes has been vandalised within days of being unveiled.
Published February 21, 2011
Coins marked as ‘RIRA’ currency
Dissident republicans in Belfast are engraving pound coins with the
initials of the breakaway ‘Real IRA’.
Published February 21, 2011
Gerry McGeough convicted by Diplock court
Promiment Tyrone republican and former Sinn Fein Ard Chomhairle member
Gerry McGeough has been found guilty of taking part in an IRA attack on
a British soldier in August 1981
Published February 18, 2011
Political campaigning ahead of the general election has heated up
significantly following Monday night’s televised leaders’ debate, which
saw sharp clashes between Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams and Fianna Fail leader
Micheal Martin.
Published February 15, 2011
Fine Gael attacks Irish language education
A shock Fine Gael proposal to abolish the compulsory teaching of Irish
if put into power in this month’s 26-County general election has
provoked spontaneous protests in Dublin.
Published February 15, 2011
EU to insist on punitive interest rate
The European Union has demanded “continuity” in government economic and
fiscal policy following the 26-County general election on February
25th.
Published February 15, 2011
One of the British government’s high-profile beneficiaries remains an
overwhelmingly Protestant-staffed company, it has emerged.
Published February 15, 2011
McGuinness escapes air disaster
Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness escaped death in a plane crash on
Thursday, thanks to a last minute change of plan.
Published February 11, 2011
‘Censorship’ over television debate plan
The first major television debate of the 26-County election campaign -
between Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and Labour leader Eamon
Gilmore - saw sharp and energetic exchanges on budgetary policy, the
EU/IMF bailout and the introduction of the bank guarantee.
Published February 11, 2011
Lenihan leaves a ten billion euro question
A decision by the Dublin government to defer the recapitalisation of the
banks until after the 26-County general election has been condemned as
‘a stroke’ by the opposition parties.
Published February 11, 2011
Royal visit points up political divide
Enda Kenny, leader of the largest opposition party in the 26 Counties,
has said a visit to Ireland by an English monarch is “overdue”.
Published February 11, 2011
European Court rejects prisoner’s challenge
A republican prisoner has lost his European Court challenge over the
right to wear an Easter lily in memory of the 1916 Irish Rising.
Published February 11, 2011
Appeal for chronically ill prisoner
The partner of a chronically ill prisoner being held in Maghaberry has
said he could die in jail unless an urgent decision is made on his
release date.
Published February 11, 2011
Six people were killed today when a Manx2 regularly scheduled airline
flight from Belfast to Cork overturned and caught fire while making a
second attempt to land in dense fog.
Published February 10, 2011
Sinn Fein opened its election campaign on Sunday with a strong attack by
party president Gerry Adams on corruption in the political system in the
26 Counties.
Published February 7, 2011
Charles paves way for Queen’s visit
The first visit to the 26-County state by a reigning British monarch
will take place over three days in May, according to reports.
Published February 7, 2011
Kenny refuses to join TV debate
The first televised leaders’ debate of the 26-County election will take
place on Tuesday night with only two taking part, Fianna Fail’s new
leader Micheal Martin and Labour’s Eamon Gilmore.
Published February 7, 2011
McGuinness as First Minister would be ‘endorsement’
Unionist politicians have called on the British Secretary Owen Paterson
to resign after comments he made on BBC’s ‘Hearts and Minds’ programme.
Published February 7, 2011
Sinn Fein has protested after it emerged a huge memorial to the British
Army’s murderous Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) is due to be erected in
Lisburn, County Antrim later this year.
Published February 7, 2011
Progress in Loughinisland campaign
The long-awaited report into the 1994 Loughinisland massacre will be
published by the Police Ombudsman’s office at the end of March.
Published February 7, 2011
Following over two years of intense political struggle, a general
election in the 26 Counties will take place on February 25th following
the dissolution of the 30th Dail by President McAleese, on the advice of
Taoiseach Brian Cowen.
Published February 2, 2011
Justice still the goal after ‘final’ Bloody Sunday march
Over ten thousand people took part in what some have argued should be
the final Bloody Sunday march in Derry.
Published February 2, 2011
Bloody Sunday march participants attacked
Some of those returning from the Bloody Sunday commemoration in Derry on
Sunday were taken from a train near Coleraine and brutally attacked by
the PSNI police.
Published February 2, 2011
Game on as parties set out election stalls
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has appealed for an alliance of left
wing parties and candidates as the 26-County parties brace for a general
election which could bring dramatic change to Ireland’s political
landscape.
Published February 2, 2011
Hamill report to be published in 2012
The report into the 1997 sectarian murder of Robert Hamill will be
completed at the end of this month but will not be published until next
year at the earliest, British officials have said.
Published February 2, 2011
eirigi names local election candidates
West Belfast will see a battle for the republican vote after eirigi
named two candidates who will stand against Sinn Fein in the Belfast
City Council elections in both wards along the Falls Road.
Published February 2, 2011
The 26-County Taoiseach Brian Cowen has announced he will not contest
the upcoming general election.
Published January 31, 2011
The breakaway IRA group known as ‘Oglaigh na hEireann’ said this week
it had to abandon an attack against the PSNI in north Belfast after a
civilian became endangered.
Published January 29, 2011
Cowen to bring down the shutters
Taoiseach Brian Cowen has said he will finally dissolve the Dublin
parliament next Tuesday.
Published January 29, 2011
Dail ‘a failed parliament’ - Martin
Newly elected Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has called for major
political reform just weeks before the 26-County general election.
Published January 29, 2011
Sectarianism in riot investigations exposed
Figures have shown a significant disparity between the arrest and
charges rate for riots in loyalist and republican areas in Belfast.
Published January 29, 2011
Campaign against refinery steps up
Opposition to Shell’s inland refinery and high-pressure onshore pipeline
in County Mayo will continue and escalate, environmental activists have
said.
Published January 29, 2011
‘Baron’ Adams bristles over Crown appointment
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams, who tendered his resignation as a
member of the Westminster parliament last week, was subsequently
appointed without his agreement to a paid Crown position in order to
satisfy a 400-year old statute, according to British officials.
Published January 29, 2011
Martin replaces Cowen as FF leader; Finance Bill passes
Former minister for foreign affairs Micheal Martin has been elected as
the new leader of Fianna Fail to replace Brian Cowen.
Published January 26, 2011
The establishment closes ranks
The two largest opposition parties in the Dublin parliament, Fine Gael
and Labour, have stunned the Irish people after they backed a plan to
ensure the passage of Fianna Fail’s financial programme through the
Dublin parliament.
Published January 25, 2011
Four candidates vie for Fianna Fail leadership
Four contenders - Ministers Brian Lenihan, Mary Hanafin and Eamon O’Cuiv
as well former Minister Micheal Martin - have said they will contest the
race to succeed the Taoiseach Brian Cowen as leader of the crumbling
Fianna Fail party.
Published January 25, 2011
eirigi to contest local elections
The socialist republican party eirigi will contest the forthcoming local
elections in the Six Counties after voting in favour of the move at
their annual Ard-Fheis in Belfast on Sunday.
Published January 25, 2011
Heavy gang treatment for Belfast republican
Prominent north Belfast republican Mairtin Og Meehan has said he had to
receive medical treatment following an assault by the PSNI police last
Friday.
Published January 25, 2011
Bomb defused at British Army building
Dissident republicans are thought to have planted a bomb at a British
army officer training corps building in south Belfast.
Published January 25, 2011
Bizarre law puts Adams’s Westminster seat in limbo
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams remains as a member of the Westminster
parliament for West Belfast even though he has lodged a letter of
resignation, the Speaker of the House of Commons insisted last night.
Published January 25, 2011
The Green Party are to pull out of the coalition government in Dublin,
party leader John Gormley has announced. The party’s two Ministers have
submitted their resignations from Brian Cowen’s rapidly diminishing
Cabinet.
Published January 23, 2011
Cowen quits as leader of Fianna Fail
Brian Cowen has stepped down as leader of Fianna Fail just five days
after he won a vote of confidence from his parliamentary party. He will
remain on as Taoiseach.
Published January 22, 2011
The wheels finally started coming off Brian Cowen’s premiership this
week when he was forced to announce a date for the general election
following a devastating bust-up with his coalition partners.
Published January 21, 2011
Sinn Fein gears up for historic election
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has formally resigned from his
Westminster seat in West Belfast following news that an election date
has been set for a 26 County general election.
Published January 21, 2011
Leading 32CSM man targeted by MI5
The 32 County Sovereignty Movement have urged republicans to be vigilant
following the arrest and subsequent approach by British forces to one of
its members from South Armagh.
Published January 21, 2011
Most of PSNI served in RUC, statistic shows
More than half the current PSNI force at work across the North once wore
the uniform of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, it has emerged.
Published January 21, 2011
Shell wins permission for new Corrib Gas plan
Environmental campaigners have said that their opposition will escalate
following a planning ruling that approved revised plans by Shell E&P for
a hugely contentious inland refinery and high-pressure onshore pipeline
in County Mayo
Published January 21, 2011
Bloody Sunday committee members quit
Three members of the ‘Bloody Sunday Weekend Committee’ are to step down
from their roles after twenty years, citing “political differences” in
how forthcoming commemorations are to be held.
Published January 21, 2011
Election called amid political chaos
Following a morning of chaos and farce in the Dublin parliament,
26-County Taoiseach Brian Cowen has finally announced the General
Election for Friday, March 11.
Published January 20, 2011
Mary Harney resigns from government
Mary Harney has quit as Minister for Health in the latest departure from
the ailing Fianna Fail/Green Party coalition government.
Published January 19, 2011
Cowen retains control of Fianna Fail
Taoiseach Brian Cowen tonight retained control in Dublin of the ruling
Fianna Fail party after winning a motion of confidence in his
leadership.
Published January 18, 2011
The 26-County Taoiseach Brian Cowen may narrowly win a confidence vote
among his Fianna Fail party TDs tonight [Tuesday], but his leadership of
a withering political organisation is likely to be short-lived.
Published January 18, 2011
British spy operated in 26 Counties
Calls are growing in Britain for a wide-ranging inquiry to establish the
full extent of undercover British operations within Irish protest
movements, following the unmasking of a undercover spy who had spent
time with several campaigns in Ireland, including the Corrib Gas
protest.
Published January 18, 2011
‘UK City of Culture’ office attacked
A small bomb exploded at the office in Derry of the ‘UK City of Culture’
program early on Monday.
Published January 18, 2011
Bloody Sunday families issue statement on commemoration
The majority of Bloody Sunday families have signed up to an agreement
that this month’s commemoration march should be the last.
Published January 18, 2011
Don’t come back, emigrants told
The Dublin government has been accused of telling the unemployed to ‘get
out and stay out’ amid further evidence of a crackdown on claims for
social welfare by returning emigrants.
Published January 18, 2011
National grief at bride’s murder
Huge crowds have attended the funeral in Tyrone of Michaela McAreavey,
the daughter of GAA sports star Mickey Harte and the honeymoon bride of
John McAreavey.
Published January 18, 2011
Cowen calls for confidence vote
26-County Taoiseach Brian Cowen is to precipitate a vote of confidence
in his leadership at Tuesday’s meeting of the Fianna Fail parliamentary
party.
Published January 16, 2011
‘Golden circle’ meetings exposed
Political condemnation of the coalition government in Dublin has
increased after it emerged the 26-County Taoiseach Brian Cowen held
previously undisclosed meetings with the former principal of the
fraudulent Anglo Irish Bank in 2008 prior to the public emergence of
the banking crisis.
Published January 13, 2011
Negotiations over Finucane inquiry
The British government has said it will take another two months to
decide if there should be a public inquiry into the murder of Pat
Finucane -- one of the most controversial killings of the conflict.
Published January 13, 2011
A Catholic primary school and a Gaelic sports club have been targeted
in an orchestrated series of sectarian attacks at the weekend.
Published January 13, 2011
Euro challenge to strip searches
A republican prisoner has won the right to challenge prison strip search
policies in a case which could have wider implications.
Published January 13, 2011
Omagh civil judgement appealed
An appeal is underway againt the civil court decision to find Michael
McKevitt and three other dissident republicans liable for the 1998 Omagh
bomb.
Published January 13, 2011
The Sinn Fein Spokesperson on Agriculture Martin Ferris TD has claimed
that the Irish sugar factory at Mallow in county Cork was closed
unnecessarily in order to facilitate property speculation.
Published January 13, 2011
A senior Derry republican has challenged a call from local politicians
for armed groups to end their campaign, urging politicians instead to
“address the causes of conflict rather than vilifying those who are
engaged in it”.
Published January 9, 2011
Loan payment is ‘final nail’ in sovereignty
Sinn Fein Finance Spokesperson Pearse Doherty has hit out after it was
revealed that the first tranche of the EU/IMF bailout loan will be paid
out to Ireland on Wednesday.
Published January 9, 2011
Adams sets sights on government
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has said the party is open to forming a
coalition with Labour if it secures enough votes in the forthcoming
election.
Published January 9, 2011
The trial has begun of a south Armagh man accused of killing an
undercover British Army officer over three decades ago.
Published January 9, 2011
Loyalist killer Michael Stone has failed in his attempt to overturn
convictions for trying to assassinate Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness.
Published January 9, 2011
During a recent interview, Pat Sheehan said the North had not suffered
from the mass sectarian attacks of other conflicts, and described the
conflict in the North as “probably quite civilised”.
Published January 9, 2011
H-Block smashed the phony diplomacy
The emergence of the hunger strike protest in 1980 and the degree to
which all sides were unprepared to deal with it are the dominant
features of the historical papers which were released over the New Year.
Published January 4, 2011
Former Taoiseach and Fianna Fail leader Bertie Ahern has announced he
will not run for the Dublin parliament at the next general election.
Published January 4, 2011
Lithuanian detention violates Euro law
A republican prisoner in Lithuania is being held in inhuman and
degrading conditions that are in clear breach of the European Convention
on Human Rights, his lawyer has said.
Published January 4, 2011
Bloody Sunday commemoration’s future in doubt
A difference of opinion has emerged among Derry’s Bloody Sunday families
over the future of the annual commemorative march.
Published January 4, 2011
New Year statements by republican groups
A New Year statement attributed to the Real IRA has vowed to expand its
‘theatre of operations’ and claimed that the British state forces are
failing to deal with the threat that it poses.
Published January 4, 2011
Tens of thousands of people across Ireland were left without water over
the New Year because of burst water mains and dry and depleted
reservoirs.
Published January 4, 2011
The 26-County Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan has drawn a veil of
secrecy around the state’s banking system and the Dublin government’s
efforts to reinvent the sector.
Published December 29, 2010
Prisoners’ Christmas visits cancelled
Republican prisoners’ families were turned away from Maghaberry jail on
Christmas Eve in an apparent reprisal by warders for a new agreement on
oral searches.
Published December 29, 2010
Grenade incident prompts questions, criticism
A grenade found outside the County Fermanagh home of a PSNI policeman
has been strongly condemned by the North’s political parties.
Published December 29, 2010
Independence ‘almost lost’ under de Valera
One of the most respected civil servants to work for the Dublin
government, TK Whitaker, has said that an almost bankrupt Ireland was in
danger of losing its independence in the late 1950s.
Published December 29, 2010
New Year message from Gerry Adams
A statement was issued by Sinn Fein President Gerry
Adams on Christmas Eve.
Published December 29, 2010
On the 50th anniversary of the successful breakout from Crumlin Road
jail in 1960, we publish a review of his book published earlier this
year, ‘Prisoner 1082, Escape From Crumlin Road - Europe’s Alcatraz’.
Review by Gerry O’Hara, for the Bobby Sands Trust.
Published December 29, 2010
People returning home for the festive season in Ireland continue to
endure hellish travel conditions as an ice storm has severely disrupted
road and air transport.
Published December 21, 2010
PSNI actions provoke Newry riot
The Derrybeg estate in Newry saw heavy clashes between the PSNI and
nationalist youths after armoured jeeps descended on the republican
estate, sealing off the entrance to the area.
Published December 21, 2010
Hamill prosecutions to go ahead
Three people are to be charged in connection with the sectarian murder
of Portadown Catholic Robert Hamill, Crown prosecutors in the North have
said.
Published December 21, 2010
The British Secretary Owen Paterson has appointed a totally new
seven-member Parades Commission.
Published December 21, 2010
Abortion ruling raises fresh controversy
There have been calls for a new referendum to legislate for limited
abortion in the 26 Counties following a European court ruling that a
woman with cancer had her human rights violated when she was refused an
abortion.
Published December 21, 2010
Television stand-off ‘to end in 2012’
Television channels from the South will be beamed for free across the
Six Counties by the end of 2012, it was confirmed this week.
Published December 21, 2010
Betrayed public demands change
A poll has confirmed the demand of the people of the 26 Counties for a
political renewal following Wednesday’s humiliating vote by the Dublin
parliament to cede control of economic decision-making to the European
Union and the International Monetary Fund.
Published December 17, 2010
After weeks of delays, the DUP and Sinn Féin have signed up to the draft
budget to meet 4 billion pounds (4.7 billion euro) in savings demanded
by British exchequer chancellor George Osborne.
Published December 17, 2010
Ahern feared for career over renditions - WikiLeaks
A leaked cable published by WikiLeaks has described how former 26-County
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern knew that at least three illegal
‘extraordinary rendition’ flights had used Shannon airport when he held
a meeting with the US ambassador in December 2007.
Published December 17, 2010
Finucane protest planned as inquiries stalled
The publication of two inquiries into collusion killings has been hit by
further delays.
Published December 17, 2010
A man accused of murdering Belfast chip shop owner Alfredo Fusco has
refused to give evidence in his own defence.
Published December 17, 2010
Belfast attacks ‘ridiculous’ - SF
Two pipe bomb attacks took place in south and north Belfast over the past 24
hours-
Published December 17, 2010
Dail surrenders economic sovereignty
The Fianna Fail/Green Party coalition has won a vote in the Dublin
parliament which will cede control over the day-to-day running of the
26-County economy to the International Monetary Fund and the European
Union.
Published December 15, 2010
WikiLeaked: Politics over peace
Classified cables from the US Embassy in Dublin released by the
Wikileaks organisation have revealed that the 26-County government acted
contrary to nationalist interests and consistently briefed against Sinn
Fein during the peace process in the North.
Published December 14, 2010
Cables point to MI5’s collusion files
Calls for an independent international inquiry into the murder of
Belfast defence lawyer Pat Finucane have been renewed after documents
revealed British military intelligence offered to hand over secret files
on the killing.
Published December 14, 2010
Bankers’ bonuses an injustice too far
The 26-County government has been forced into a sharp policy reversal
over the payment of bonuses to senior bankers.
Published December 14, 2010
26-County public services in disarray
A series of reports in the past week has pointed to increasing levels
of incompetence, negligence and dysfunction in the provision of state
services in the 26 Counties.
Published December 14, 2010
Two arrested over murder of Catholic teen
Two men have been arrested in connection with the loyalist murder of
19-year-old Eileen Doherty, whose taxi was hijacked by gunmen in south
Belfast over 37 years ago.
Published December 14, 2010
Sinn Fein in Dáil pact ahead of IMF debate
The five Sinn Fein TDs and two Independents, Finian McGrath and Maureen
O’Sullivan, have agreed to form a technical group in the Dublin
parliament.
Published December 14, 2010
Bankers celebrate as kids starve
Irish children are now scavenging in bins for food, such is the dire
level of poverty among some families, even as the Dublin government
transferred billions from the poor to the rich.
Published December 10, 2010
Shamed government backs away from election
The likely date of a 26-County general election has been pushed back to
March or even later as Fianna Fail and Green Party Ministers attempt to
cling to power.
Published December 10, 2010
High-profile republican Colin Duffy suffered two beatings en route to
and from a court hearing on Thursday at which he was told he would have
to attend a trial in the New Year.
Published December 10, 2010
Tories shy away from Ballymurphy inquiry
A British minister has indicated that an investigation into the killing
of eleven people in west Belfast by the British Army in 1971 is to be
refused.
Published December 10, 2010
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has ended his Stormont career by
praising what he said was the “remarkable” achievement of power-sharing.
Published December 10, 2010
Paterson linked to new Tory/UUP deal
Sinn Fein MP Pat Doherty has called on the British Secretary of State
Owen Paterson to come clean on any involvement he had in brokering the
latest political deal between the Tories and the UUP.
Published December 10, 2010
Royal convoy attacked as English students revolt
A vehicle carrying ‘Prince of Wales’ Charles Windsor and his wife,
‘Duchess of Cornwall’ Camilla Parker-Bowles, was attacked by student
protesters in London amid heavy rioting in the city.
Published December 9, 2010
Lenihan unveils ‘slash and burn’ budget
Ordinary workers, families and social welfare recipients have borne the
brunt of 6 billion euro in cuts and taxes in the 26-County Budget today
by Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan.
Published December 7, 2010
A casino in Tipperary and a new road in Kerry are part of two late,
shabby back-room deals which have given the green light to a
disgraceful political crime.
Published December 7, 2010
Bomb cover-up reached highest level
A classified document that details a meeting between former Six-County
prime minister Brian Faulkner and British Home Secretary Reginald
Maudling shows that a cover-up around the McGurk’s bar bombing went
right to the top of the government.
Published December 7, 2010
The new leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, Tom Elliott has insisted he
is not a “political dinosaur” after another prominent party figure quit.
Published December 7, 2010
SF seeks two seats in Cavan-Monaghan
Sinn Fein is to run two general election candidates in Cavan-Monaghan in
a sign of confidence that the party will increase its support at the
polls.
Published December 7, 2010
Unionists oppose Ballymurphy exhibition
Unionists have sought to prevent the families of those who died in the
Ballymurphy massacre from displaying photographs in Belfast City Hall
next August on the 40th anniversary of their deaths.
Published December 7, 2010
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams met senior loyalists at Stormont on
Monday to discuss the ongoing impasse over sectarian parades.
Published December 7, 2010
SF overtakes Dublin govt in poll
Sinn Fein’s support in the 26 counties has surged according to a new
opinion poll, which also predicts Fianna Fail is facing a virtual
wipeout in the forthcoming general election.
Published December 3, 2010
Doherty enters Dail as IMF/EU rules are revealed
Newly elected TD Pearse Doherty has taken his seat in the Dublin
parliament, where he will be Sinn Fein’s new Finance spokesperson.
Published December 3, 2010
Dissident goals ‘not achievable’ - McGuinness
Sinn Fein’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has said
republicans still engaged in armed struggle face prison “for an aim
that is simply not achievable”.
Published December 3, 2010
Murdered man was innocent - HET
A former British soldier who said he had shot dead a young Catholic man
in north Belfast could not have carried out the killing, according to
the North’s Historical Enquiries Team (HET).
Published December 3, 2010
US govt annoyed by Shannon policy, judgement - WikiLeaks
A former US ambassador to Ireland said the Dublin government imposed new
conditions on the use of Shannon airport by US troops in 2006 in a bid
to secure extra votes ahead of a general election the following year,
according to a leaked diplomatic cable.
Published December 3, 2010
The Apprentice Boys’ Lundy Day parade takes place in Derry tomorrow
[Saturday] once again raising fears of sectarian clashes in the second
largest city in the North.
Published December 3, 2010
Scottish parliament gets taxation powers
Scotland is to get limited powers to set its own income tax rates and
borrow money in a new phase of devolution from London to the Scottish
parliament in Edinburgh.
Published December 3, 2010
The Dublin government triggered a torrent of national anger on Sunday
night when it handed over economic sovereignty to European and
International Monetary Fund administrators for an 85 billion euro loan.
Published November 29, 2010
100,000 march in Dublin against austerity measures
Up to 100,000 people took part in Saturday’s march and rally organised
by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in protest
at the government’s planned programme of austerity.
Published November 29, 2010
Sinn Fein seeks to build on by-election win
The result of the Donegal South West by-election has changed the balance
of power in the Dublin parliament, with Sinn Fein poised to create a
‘technical group’ over the last weeks and months of the current Dail.
Published November 29, 2010
Trigger-happy PSNI open fire in Portadown
The family of a 79-year-old grandfather say he is lucky to be alive
after a shot fired by the PSNI police went through his living room
window.
Published November 29, 2010
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams tonight [Monday] launched a new
cross-border initiative at a United Ireland Rally in Monaghan.
Published November 29, 2010
Cowen govt receives 85bn euro bailout
The International Monetary Fund and the European Union have approved an
85 billion euro rescue package for the 26 County state at an average
interest rate of 5.83 per cent.
Published November 28, 2010
Pearse Doherty elected TD for Donegal South West
Sinn Fein Senator Pearse Doherty has been elected to the Dail for
Donegal South West, without reaching the quota after securing a massive
40% of the first preference vote and the lion’s share of the second
preference transfers in Thursday’s by-election.
Published November 26, 2010
Sinn Fein’s Pearse Doherty has weakened the Fianna Fail/Green Party
coalition’s slender hold on power with a stunning and historic election
victory in Donegal.
Published November 26, 2010
National fury at bailout austerity plan
A major demonstration is to go ahead on the streets of Dublin tomorrow
against the savage cuts being imposed by an illegitimate government at
the behest of greedy bankers, European bureaucrats and the International
Monetary Fund.
Published November 26, 2010
Cover-up feared over Loughinisland massacre
Nationalists have expressed disbelief at news that ‘no prosecution’ is
be taken against an RUC policeman over the 1994 Loughinisland Pub
Massacre.
Published November 26, 2010
McGeough speaks out over injustice
Gerry McGeough was at the Six-County Assembly this week to challenge
British injustice in selectively pursuing historical cases in the
conflict.
Published November 26, 2010
Dissident protest forces abandonment of DPP meeting
Republicans in Derry forced the abandonment of a local meeting on
policing which was to take place in the Guildhall on Wednesday night.
Published November 26, 2010
Commemorations held for fallen heroes
Around 150 people gathered in Belfast’s Milltown Cemetery on Saturday
afternoon, November 20, to mark the 19th anniversary of the deaths of
IRA volunteers Patricia Black and Frank Ryan on active service.
Published November 26, 2010
Sinn Fein set for by-election triumph
Counting is underway in the by-election in Donegal South West, with
Pearse Doherty on course to win a historic victory for Sinn Fein.
Published November 26, 2010
Austerity plan to hit poor, students, pensioners, services
The Dublin government today unveiled a raft of budget measures it
claimed would restore the 26-County State’s finances by 2014, but
fudged key facts and figures on how it would affect the public.
Published November 24, 2010
Independent TDs have joined with the opposition parties to pile pressure
on the crumbling Dublin government to pull the plug after the Green
Party finally succumbed to public outrage and said it is set to pull
out.
Published November 22, 2010
Dublin govt submits to international bailout pressure
The public finances of the 26-County state will, for the next three
years at least, be subject to “regular reviews” by external monitors
working on behalf of the International Monetary Fund, the European
Union, and the British and Swedish governments.
Published November 22, 2010
Sinn Fein TD, protestors attacked
A group of 100 protestors clashed with Gardai as they made their way the
gates of the Dublin parliament earlier this [Monday] afternoon,
following a protest against the government’s handling of the economy.
Published November 22, 2010
Donegal election breakthrough predicted
Residents of Donegal’s outlying islands are casting their by-election
votes today [Monday].
Published November 22, 2010
‘Mouth search’ increases Maghaberry tension
A number of republican prisoners have been refused their visits in
Maghaberry prison after they refused to open their mouths and wiggle
their tongues before entering the visiting area.
Published November 22, 2010
Republican rivals to hold debate
Sinn Fein and new republican political party eirigi will share a
platform this week, for the first time, during a debate to discuss
Ireland’s economic crisis.
Published November 22, 2010
Green Party calls for general election
The Green Party has called for a date for a 26-County general election
to be set for the second half of January.
Published November 22, 2010
Coalition to get IMF/EU bailout
The Dublin government tonight confirmed that the European Union and the
International Monetary Fund have agreed to its request for a financial
aid package.
Published November 21, 2010
Pressure is weighing on the 26-County government to leave the stage this
week as a team of economists from the International Monetary Fund
arrived in Dublin to begin planning massive cutbacks in government
spending.
Published November 19, 2010
Britain seeks to strengthen union
British Secretary Owen Paterson has reasserted the British government’s
claim on the Six Counties.
Published November 19, 2010
Shoot-to-kill families without representation
Families of shoot-to-kill victims could be denied representation at a
long-delayed inquest because of a hold-up over fees, a pre-hearing heard
today [Friday].
Published November 19, 2010
A bailout for thousands of homeowners in mortgage arrears has been ruled
out by 26-County Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan and Financial
Regulator Matthew Elderfield.
Published November 19, 2010
Adams confident as Assembly successor named
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has said Sinn Fein is strong enough in
west Belfast to retain its Westminster and assembly seats without him.
Published November 19, 2010
Ballymurphy families at Westminster
Families of those massacred by British soldiers in the Ballymurphy area
of west Belfast over 30 years ago have taken their campaign for an
independent international investigation to Lon
Published November 19, 2010
IMF, EU teams arrive in Dublin
Representatives of the International Monetary Fund have arrived in
Dublin to begin work on a financial aid package for the insolvent 26
County state.
Published November 18, 2010
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has called for others to join with him
in providing leadership to help bring Ireland out of the current crisis.
Published November 16, 2010
The European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European
Central Bank are working on a solution for the Irish banking sector, EU
economic and monetary affairs commissioner Olli Rehn confirmed today.
Published November 16, 2010
Miscarriage of justice overturned for Newry man
A man who was serving a 14-year jail term for attacking a PSNI station
with a mortar rocket was acquitted of the attack on Friday.
Published November 16, 2010
UVF parade bid renews Ardoyne tensions
The family of a loyalist murder victim have raised concerns that the UVF
may attempt to exploit his death to divert attention away from calls for
it to disband.
Published November 16, 2010
Dissidents ‘97%’ of Provo strength
An Ulster Unionist member of the Policing Board has claimed that
‘dissident’ republicans have almost reached the same level of terrorist
capability as the Provisional IRA.
Published November 16, 2010
Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is to be invited to Dublin
by Mayor Gerry Breen to accept in person the freedom of the city
conferred on her 10 years ago.
Published November 16, 2010
Adams to seek Louth nomination for General Election
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has today announced his decision to put
his name forward for the Sinn Fein nomination for the Louth constituency
at the next 26-County General Election.
Published November 14, 2010
The 26-County government has been almost completely sidelined in the
battle over Ireland’s economic destiny as the larger European Union
governments and ‘bond vigilante’ investment funds fought over plans to
deal with Dublin’s soaraway budget deficit.
Published November 12, 2010
Spence calls for disbandment of UVF
The man behind the emergence of the unionist paramilitary UVF in the
1960s has called for the organisation to stand down
Published November 12, 2010
The equal recruitment of Catholics and Protestants to the North’s police
is to end next year, the British government said today.
Published November 12, 2010
Doherty clashes with Cowen on election trail
The 26-County Taoiseach Brian Cowen has attacked Sinn Fein’s Pearse
Doherty as election campaigning heated up in Donegal.
Published November 12, 2010
Govt swindling pensioners of care - report
The Dublin government has deprived thousands of older people of their
legal entitlement to nursing home care, according to a report by the
Ombudsman and Information Commissioner Emily O’Reilly.
Published November 12, 2010
Arthur Morgan not to contest seat
Sinn Fein’s Arthur Morgan, the party’s spokesman on finance, will
not contest the next general election. The Louth deputy confirmed this
week he wanted to return to his family business, after serving two
terms.
Published November 12, 2010
Sinn Fein’s finance spokesman Arthur Morgan said tonight he will not
stand in the next general election.
Published November 9, 2010
The use of a military fragmentation grenade in an attack on a PSNI
patrol in west Belfast marks a new departure for the armed campaign of
Oglaigh na hEireann (ONH) and the breakaway IRA groups.
Published November 8, 2010
‘Germans’ running 26-County finances
On the day it emerged European bureaucrats have taken up offices in the
26-County Department of Finance, EU economic commissioner Ollie Rehn
flew into Ireland to inspect the Dublin government’s economic plans.
Published November 8, 2010
Sinn Fein Six-County Minister Conor Murphy has lambasted the PSNI police
after they used loudhailers, spotlights and marksmen to arrest a man who
was later cleared of any involvement in a suspected robbery.
Published November 8, 2010
Former IRA prison leader Brendan ‘Bik’ McFarlane has declared that
a document from the 1981 hunger strike proved that republicans did not
reject a British government deal to end the 1981 Hunger Strike.
Published November 8, 2010
Student groups have organised an anti-Garda brutality march following
last week’s scenes of state violence against students protesting at
planned fee increases in the 26 Count
Published November 8, 2010
Memorabilia spanning a thousand years of Irish history is set to go
under the hammer in the latest controversial sell-off of historical
treasures by Whyte’s auction house in Dublin.
Published November 8, 2010
A brutal Garda attack on a student protest in Dublin which injured and
traumatised protesters as young as 16 and 17 years of age has been
strongly condemned.
Published November 5, 2010
By-election date set after SF court triumph
An impressively strong High Court judgement in favour of Sinn Fein’s
Pearse Doherty has delivered a stunning blow to Brian Cowen’s crumbling
regime and forced it to finally hold the long-delayed Donegal South West
by-election.
Published November 5, 2010
Loyalists attack west Belfast homes
A four-year-old girl and a pregnant woman escaped injury in a loyalist
bomb attack at their west Belfast home.
Published November 5, 2010
‘No more open inquiries’ - British govt
The British Secretary of State has told the Westminster Parliament in
London that there should be no more open-ended investigations into the
past conflict.
Published November 5, 2010
Solidarity as McGeough/McAnespie trial resumes
Republican activist and author Gerry McGeough has expressed his thanks
to supporters as his juryless “trial” restarted in Belfast this week.
Published November 5, 2010
A propoganda agency operated by MI5 and PSNI Special Branch is to be
disbanded, it was announced on Thursday.
Published November 5, 2010
In the wake of today’s High Court decision, the Dublin government has
announced this evening that a by-election will be held between November
22nd and 29th in Donegal South-West alone.
Published November 3, 2010
Police attack student protest in Dublin
Riot police attacked students in Dublin today with baton charges, dogs,
armored vehicles and horses after the students protesting against
government cuts occupied the Department of Finance and threw eggs at
the Dail.
Published November 3, 2010
The High Court in Dublin has upheld a legal challenge by Sinn Fein
aimed at forcing the coalition government to hold the long-awaited
by-election in Donegal South West.
Published November 3, 2010
Former minister quits politics
Donegal North East TD Dr Jim McDaid has resigned his seat in the Dublin
parliament.
Published November 2, 2010
A bailout of the 26 County state by the European Union and the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) is increasingly likely as confidence in
the coalition government’s ability to manage the state’s economy ebbs
away.
Published November 1, 2010
Shadowy forces behind Derry raids
The 32 County Sovereignty Movement has warned that undercover British
military personnel have been witnessed operating on back roads around
Derry city, heavily armed and dressed in black military fatigues.
Published November 1, 2010
A beer keg packed with 40kg of home-made explosives was uncovered under
a railway bridge in County Armagh on Friday, sparking a 36-hour security
alert.
Published November 1, 2010
Harney ‘has blood on her hands’
eirigi councillor Louise Minihan was arrested this [Monday] afternoon
after symbolically splashing red paint over 26-County Health Minister
Mary Harney.
Published November 1, 2010
Doherty family meet with MI5 reviewer
The family of Derry murder victim Kieran Doherty say they are happy with
the outcome of their meeting with the British government security
advisor, which took place at the spot where Doherty was kille
Published November 1, 2010
AG presented with new Ballymurphy evidence
New eyewitness accounts of the shootings of 11
people by British
soldiers in west Belfast were submitted to Six-County attorney general
John Larkin at the weekend in an attempt to get
fresh inquests opened.
Published November 1, 2010
The UVF ‘ceasefire’ is increasingly being viewed as a sham after the
unionist paramilitary groups organised two nights of heavy rioting in
the Rathcoole area of Belfast in response to an ongoing collusion
inquiry.
Published October 28, 2010
The sister of a Strabane republican who was found hanged while in PSNI
police custody has branded a report into his death “a whitewash.”
Published October 28, 2010
Former IRA Volunteer Gerry ‘Whitey’ Bradley has been found dead, just
hours after the screening of a shocking documentary based on interviews
with former IRA leader Brendan Hughes.
Published October 28, 2010
Charges brought in corruption cases
Five former politicians charged with taking bribes were sent forward for
trial today as the 26 County state began to grapple with the legacy of
institutional corruption.
Published October 28, 2010
‘Consensus for cuts’ points up political divide
The two main opposition parties in the 26 Counties are still supporting
the coalition government’s plan to reduce the state’s budget deficit to
3% of GDP by 2014 -- despite learning that the plan involves cutbacks
and taxes of 15 billion euro, exactly double what had been previously
outlined.
Published October 28, 2010
One of the most senior ex-Provisional IRA figures in the North has said
that the nationalist community should not pass on information or
“collaborate in any way” with the PSNI.
Published October 28, 2010
Thirty thousand public service jobs in the Six Counties are to be
eliminated after the British government slashed its promised
contribution to maintaining society in the Six Counties.
Published October 24, 2010
An IRA trial dramatically collapsed
yesterday after top secret documents
which reveal that an alleged MI5 agent orchestrated a bombing campaign
were withheld from the defence.
Published October 24, 2010
Legal development delays Duffy ruling
A new submission by lawyers acting for Colin Duffy forced a judge
to postpone a decision on whether he should stand trial for the Real IRA
attack on Massereene British Army base in March of last year
Published October 24, 2010
Fermanagh/South Tyrone election result finally confirmed
A legal challenge against the re-election of Sinn Fein MP Michelle
Gildernew in the Fermanagh/South Tyrone constituency has been rejected.
Published October 24, 2010
Family of loyalist victim call for fresh inquiry
The family of a taxi driver lured to his death by a loyalist murder
squad have called for an independent inquiry as they prepare to mark the
20th anniversary of his killing.
Published October 24, 2010
A surprise visit by the 'Queen of England' Elizabeth Windsor to the Six
Counties last week has been criticised by republicans.
Published October 24, 2010
26-County democracy in the dock
Five hundred days after the seat was vacated, the Dublin government has
incredibly told the High Court that there has been no unreasonable delay
in holding a by-election in Donegal South West.
Published October 19, 2010
Robinson opposes Catholic schools
DUP First Minister Peter Robinson has described Catholic education as a
“benign form of apartheid”.
Published October 19, 2010
Cross-party talks between the Dublin government and the two largest
opposition parties are to go ahead despite the revelation that the 26
County budget deficit is heading for 15 billion euro -- double the
previous worst estimate.
Published October 19, 2010
The ‘Real IRA’ in Derry says it had to abandon an attack in the city
recently because of what it described as “civilian interference.”
Published October 19, 2010
A British soldier who served less than a year in jail over shooting a
woman should have been charged with her murder, the Historical Enquiries
Team has found.
Published October 19, 2010
A former British military base in south Armagh is to be transformed
into a housing development, leisure centre and play park.
Published October 19, 2010
The Dublin government is to hold talks with the leaders of two of the
main opposition parties -- pointedly excluding Sinn Fein -- as it
struggles to cope with the consequences of its own ineptitude and
corruption.
Published October 14, 2010
The PSNI investigation into the Real IRA attack on Massareene British
army base has ‘lost’ documentation surrounding a vehicle which was the
only evidence alleged to have connected two men to the killings of two
British soldiers.
Published October 14, 2010
Campaign seeks answers on west Belfast killing
A West Belfast mother has broken a ten-year silence to plead with the
Provisional IRA to admit that it killed her son.
Published October 14, 2010
A fresh wave of British army intelligence officers have been deployed in
Derry to combat the increasing activity of the Real IRA and Oglaigh na
hEireann.
Published October 14, 2010
Large numbers take part in ‘illegal’ march
Over a thousand Irish Republicans Marched from Galbally Community centre
to Galbally graveyard last weekend to remember IRA Volunteers Dessie Grew
and Martin McCaughey who were killed by the SAS on IRA active service 20
years ago.
Published October 14, 2010
PSNI harass political activists
Republican activists were subjected to a humiliating and aggressive
ordeal at the hands of the PSNI on Tuesday night, according to éirígí.
Published October 14, 2010
Unionist paramilitaries who killed more than 100 people during the first
18 months of internment escaped detention because the British government
believed there was “no serious Protestant threat” to the state, newly
discovered papers reveal.
Published October 12, 2010
Duffy, strip-searched, refuses prison clothing
Lurgan republican Colin Duffy was forcibly strip-searched and assaulted
both before and after a tense court appearance in Coleraine, County
Derry on Monday.
Published October 12, 2010
Parts of Newry are no-go areas
The security forces in the North have accepted that parts of Newry are
no-go areas, it has emerged.
Published October 12, 2010
Fresh calls for torture inquiry
Amnesty International and British Irish Rights Watch today urged British
authorities not to forget victims of torture in Ireland, following the
release of a new Guardian film by Ian Cobain.
Published October 12, 2010
Insult upon injury for Ballymurphy families
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams clashed with British Secretary of State
Owen Paterson after he wore a wristband supporting the British Army’s
notorious Royal Irish Regiment at a meeting with the families of victims
of a British Army massacre.
Published October 12, 2010
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has accused Fine Gael and the Labour
Party of being involved in a “cosy political consensus” with what was
probably the most unpopular Government in the history of the state.
Published October 12, 2010
Public support for so-called ‘dissident’ republican groups has been
significantly underestimated by the Irish political and media
establishment, according to academic research published on Thursday.
Published October 8, 2010
The ‘Real IRA’ has claimed responsibility for detonating a bomb with more
than 200 pounds of explosives outside an Ulster Bank in a commercial
district of Derry in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Published October 8, 2010
British Prime Minister David Cameron has expressed his determination to
sustain British rule in the Six Counties despite the Real IRA attack in
Derry on Tuesday.
Published October 8, 2010
Orange tirade against ‘Roman Catholic IRA’
There have been calls for an investigation into whether anti-Catholic
statements made by the head of the Orange Order broke hate laws.
Published October 8, 2010
Greens reach out as budget crunch looms
The Green Party has suggested the formation of a national unity
government and is seeking to establish an all-party forum to discuss the
economic crisis.
Published October 8, 2010
Government, union figures named in slush fund scandal
A blame game has erupted over a fund which was uncovered earlier this
year involving the 26-County Department of Health, the Health Service
Executive (HSE) and the powerful SIPTU trade union.
Published October 8, 2010
A car bomb exploded in Derry city tonight in a commercial riverside
district near the junction of the Strand Road and Culmore Road.
Published October 5, 2010
The Taoiseach Brian Cowen has denied the sovereignty of the 26-County
state has been jeopardised by the banking and budget crises, even as
European officials began dictating Irish economic policy.
Published October 4, 2010
The ‘Real IRA’ has admitted killing drug dealers on both sides of the
border, according to a Belfast-based newspaper.
Published October 4, 2010
Judge prohibits Mass attendance
A man facing charges over the firing of shots over the coffin of a
Strabane republican has been banned from attending his memorial Mass.
Published October 4, 2010
Asylum application used against McGeough
An application for political asylum in Sweden allegedly made almost 30
years ago by Gerry McGeough from Tyrone is due to be used as evidence
against him in a Belfast court.
Published October 4, 2010
Israel deports Irish Nobel laureate
Irish Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Corrigan Maguire is to be
deported from Israel following a ruling by Israel’s Supreme Court.
Published October 4, 2010
Shell pipeline blamed on weak government
The state’s unprecedented use of law and order forces against its own
citizens while protecting private commercial interests augurs badly for
a remote community in north Mayo and for the State as a whole, a
planning hearing has been told.
Published October 4, 2010
The fifty billion Euro robbery
A massively increased price-tag for the bank bailout by the Fianna
Fail/Green Party government has left the 26-County state braced for
deeper cuts and rising taxes and blighted the state’s finances for a
generation.
Published October 1, 2010
‘Shame’ campaign targets child
The family of a 14-year-old boy whose face was published in newspapers
and leaflets as part of a PSNI police “naming and shaming” tactic have
taken a legal challenge against his treatment.
Published October 1, 2010
One of the UVF’s most senior members has turned ‘supergrass’ and is
ready to give evidence against other members of the loyalist murder
gang, it has been revealed.
Published October 1, 2010
PSNI clash with eirigi over Newry alert
The PSNI were accused of using of repressive legislation to harass a
nationalist community on Tuesday as the force launched a major “security
operation” on the outskirts of the Derrybeg estate in Newry.
Published October 1, 2010
Shoot-to-kill inquest challenge thrown out
Relatives of those killed in Britain’s shoot-to-kill campaign of
assassination seem set to finally see reports on the cases - albeit
censored.
Published October 1, 2010
Questions mount as truth process stalls
The family of a Derry man say they will lobby outside Downing Street if
police are not given clearance to question MI5 about his death.
Published October 1, 2010
The Protestant Orange Order has refused to back new laws to deal with
sectarian marches in the North of Ireland, ensuring the controversial
Parades Commission will remain in place for at least another marching
season.
Published September 27, 2010
The trial of Gerry McGeough has been postponed after he became ill and
required immediate heart surgery.
Published September 27, 2010
The world’s most-famous chat show star has dubbed 26-County Taoiseach
Brian Cowen a “drunken moron” following his infamous “hoarse” interview
on morning radio in Ireland.
Published September 27, 2010
A booby-trap device left at a PSNI base in Crumlin village earlier this
month has been claimed by the breakaway IRA group using the name Oglaigh
na hEireann.
Published September 27, 2010
The views on Ireland of the British Labour Party’s new leader, Ed
Miliband, remain a mystery despite his election to the post at the
weekend.
Published September 27, 2010
Republicans blamed as Lenihan flees unemployed
A Junior minister was allegedly told to leave the studios of Ireland’s
state broadcaster, RTE, over fears that republicans were among a group
of unemployed audience members of Pat Kenny’s Frontline programme.
Published September 27, 2010
Political transformation underway
A socialist is likely to become the next 26-County Taoiseach according
to a new poll, which shows a further decline in support for the Fianna
Fail-Green Party coalition.
Published September 24, 2010
Prisoner beaten for refusing strip-search
A “brutal assault and ritual humiliation” has been inflicted on
republican prisoner Brendan Conway before a court appearance.
Published September 24, 2010
Direct action halts pipeline work
Shell Oil was forced to suspend work on the proposed new Corrib pipeline
route in north Mayo yesterday when two Shell to Sea campaigners boarded
one of the drilling rigs.
Published September 24, 2010
UUP elects hardliner as leader
Tom Elliott, a 46-year-old Assembly member for Fermanagh-South Tyrone,
has been elected the new leader of the Ulster Unionist Party to succeed
Reg Empey.
Published September 24, 2010
A controversy has erupted in the North after loyalists were filmed
taking down County Down flags in south Belfast ahead of the All-Ireland
senior football final last week.
Published September 24, 2010
The daughter of Charlie Armstrong, one of the conflict’s so-called
‘Disappeared’, has thanked those who provided the information that
helped locate her father’s remains.
Published September 24, 2010
‘Dissidents underestimated’ - MI5
The chief of British military intelligence has accepted his
organisation has underestimated the capacity of the breakaway IRA
groups.
Published September 20, 2010
The 26-County Prime Minister Brian Cowen has insisted he retains the
full support of his Fianna Fail parliamentary party despite calls by
some members for a meeting to discuss his leadership.
Published September 20, 2010
UDA receiving ‘secret’ Stormont payouts
Claims last week that a secret fund has been set up to channel money to
certain loyalist organisations have still not been denied by Six County
officials
Published September 20, 2010
A sectarian murder attempt took place on the home of a vulnerable
Catholic family in Rasharkin, County Antrim in the early hours of
yesterday morning.
Published September 20, 2010
The London and Dublin governments should sponsor a process between the
parties in the Six Counties to bring forward a Bill of Rights for the
North, the head of the North’s Human Rights Commission has said.
Published September 20, 2010
The Dublin government is being brought “screaming before the courts” by
Sinn Fein on the issue of the three outstanding by-elections, according
to the party’s Dail leader Caoimhghin O Caolain.
Published September 20, 2010
The 26 County Taoiseach Brian Cowen has been forced to apologise for a
Tuesday morning radio interview that embarrassed his Fianna Fail party
and generated widespread negative international commentary.
Published September 16, 2010
British military intelligence has said no sanctions should be placed on
the UVF despite the unionist paramilitary group murdering a man while
supposedly on “ceasefire”.
Published September 16, 2010
No surprises in Wright collusion inquiry
Incompetence by prison warders and not state collusion created
conditions which led to the killing of Billy Wright, the inquiry into
his murder has found.
Published September 16, 2010
Intentions of armed groups in media focus
A number of hidden cameras found in trees overlooking the headquarters
of British military intelligence in Ireland may have been planted by a
republican armed group, according to reports.
Published September 16, 2010
More evidence of old cover-ups emerge
New evidence has emerged of attempts by the old Stormont regime and the
British Army to prevent British soldiers who shot innocent Irish
civilians in the early years of the conflict being tried for murder.
Published September 16, 2010
‘Bitter’ unionists get election court hearing
Ulster Unionists were accused of “sour grapes” at a court hearing in
Tyrone over attempts by Unionist unity candidate Rodney Connor, who lost
out by four votes, to declare void Sinn Fein’s victory in the
Westminster election in May.
Published September 16, 2010
Billy Wright Inquiry finds no collusion
The Billy Wright Inquiry has found there was no collusion by the British
state in the murder by the republican INLA (Irish National Liberation
Army) of the unionist paramilitary leader in Long Kesh 13 years ago.
Published September 14, 2010
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has called for the Dublin parliament to
be reconvened immediately to discuss the banking crisis and soaring
unemployment.
Published September 14, 2010
Report due on death of Billy Wright
A 700-Page report into the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA)
execution of unionist paramilitary leader Billy ‘King Rat’ Wright is to
be published later today.
Published September 14, 2010
Internees bring legal action against Britain
Hundreds of nationalists interned without trial almost 40 years ago are
to launch a multi-million pound legal action against the British
governmen
Published September 14, 2010
Landmark ruling for ‘Bik’ McFarlane
The 26-County state been ordered by the European Court of Human Rights
to pay compensation to senior republican Brendan ‘Bik’ McFarlane for the
extraordinary decade-long delay in bringing him to trial.
Published September 14, 2010
A prominent republican charged with an IRA action almost 30 years ago
has said a leading Sinn Fein politician told him he would not face
prosecution.
Published September 14, 2010
Paisley to protest against Pope
Aging unionist firebrand Ian Paisley is to lead a 60-strong delegation
to Scotland to protest over Pope Benedict’s visit to Britain.
Published September 14, 2010
A Derry priest has said he is shocked by accusations of harassment
against the PSNI police made by republican families in the city.
Published September 9, 2010
A UDA gang is believed to have planted the pipe bomb at a largely
Catholic primary school in County Antrim on Monday which was found by an
eight-year-old
Published September 9, 2010
The North’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has said he was in
the IRA in Derry city in 1972 but did not know who carried out the
Claudy bomb attack, and still doesn’t know.
Published September 9, 2010
Stormont faces budget showdown
Sinn Fein’s Six-County Ministers have refused to comply with British
and DUP requests to identify areas to target public spending cuts in
their departments at Stormont.
Published September 9, 2010
Families of eleven people killed by the British army in Ballymurphy
nearly 40 years ago have revealed that they have been contacted by one
of the British soldiers involved in the shootings.
Published September 9, 2010
New setback for Dublin and Monaghan bomb victims
The High Court has dismissed a claim by survivors of the Dublin and
Monaghan bombings that the handling of parts of a report complied by the
Commission of Investigation into the atrocities amounted to a breach of
the State’s human rights obligations.
Published September 9, 2010
The Spanish authorities today defied international peace appeals and
said they will maintain their bloody conflict with Basque armed group
ETA, which is fighting to win independence for a Basque state northeast
of Spain.
Published September 6, 2010
Boy escapes injury as loyalists attack schools
A serious sectarian bombing campaign is targeting Catholics in the town
of Antrim.
Published September 6, 2010
A large majority of the people of the 26 Counties believe the state is
headed for bankruptcy, according to a new opinion poll.
Published September 6, 2010
Dublin protest derails Blair spin machine
Several hundred people took to the streets of Dublin on Saturday to
demonstrate against the presence of former British Prime Minister Tony
Blair in the capital.
Published September 6, 2010
Republican seriously ill in Lithuanian prison
Irish republican prisoner Michael Campbell, who has been held in Lukiskes
prison in Lithuania since early 2008, has now contracted malaria at the jail.
Published September 6, 2010
Massacre gun was given by police, probe finds
A report into the 1992 murders of five Catholics in a south Belfast
bookmakers has revealed one of the guns used by the UDA had been handed
back to the gang by the RUC (now PSNI) police.
Published September 6, 2010
British soldiers watched as a pro-British death squad murdered a
Catholic teenager in west Belfast, a report by the police’s Historical
Enquiries Team (HET) has found.
Published September 2, 2010
Blair recounts Good Friday triumph
In his memoirs, ‘A Journey’, published yesterday, the former British
Prime Minister Tony Blair said he took “horrendous” chances and
stretched the truth “past breaking point” as he dealt with unionists and
republicans deadlocked over talks to restore devolved powers.
Published September 2, 2010
Protests planned as ‘war criminal’ visits
A number of progressive and republican organisations are to hold a
protest in Dublin this weekend as former British Prime Minister Tony
Blair signs copies of his autobiography.
Published September 2, 2010
Major disruption follows city alerts
British Army bomb experts have carried out a controlled explosion this
afternoon [Thursday] on Craigavon Bridge in Derry following what the
PSNI police said was the discovery of a “suspicious object” by a
pedestrian.
Published September 2, 2010
UUP seeks new leader as party dumps Empey, Tories
Two candidates are to contest the Ulster Unionist Party leadership
election next month.
Published September 2, 2010
Ireland’s middle class in crisis
A new survey shows middle income families in the 26 Counties are
struggling like never before with escalating unemployment coupled with
serious mortgage repayment difficulties.
Published September 2, 2010
A Catholic woman in her late 50s was punched and thrown to the ground by
three marchers as she tried to cross a sectarian parade by the Royal Black
Institution in Ballymena on Saturday.
Published August 30, 2010
Pressure grows to slay the Anglo monster
Tension is increasing within the Dublin coalition government over its
continuing attempts to maintain the nationalised Anglo Irish Bank as a
going concern.
Published August 30, 2010
Media piles blame on Claudy ‘fall guy’
A leading figure in the Catholic Church has blasted the establishment
media for its failure to question the British line on the 1972 Claudy
bomb attack.
Published August 30, 2010
GAA targeted as loyalist threat mounts
A rocket was fired at a GAA club in County Tyrone in an escalating
loyalist campaign against the Gaelic sports association.
Published August 30, 2010
PSNI blamed for Ballycastle riot
The PSNI have been accused of provoking a riot in the seaside town of
Ballycastle, on the north Antrim coast.
Published August 30, 2010
Up to 50 Irish campaigners are to help mount a second humanitarian aid
flotilla to Gaza, it was revealed today.
Published August 30, 2010
The British government has apologised for protecting a ‘suspect’ in the
1972 Claudy bombing, but is still refusing to reveal to the public the
full details of what it knows about the attack.
Published August 27, 2010
Donaldson inquest delayed again
An inquest into the death of ‘super-spy’ Denis Donaldson has been
adjourned for the fifth time at the request of the Gardai police in the
26 Counties.
Published August 27, 2010
Right wing convergence seen at Beal na mBlath
An address to the Michael Collins commemoration in County Cork by Fianna
Fail’s Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan has led to considerable
discussion about the end of ‘civil war politics’ and a potential
realignment in Irish politics.
Published August 27, 2010
Group vows action over Royal Black parade
A nationalist residents group is planning to block the Crumlin Road in
north Belfast if yet another sectarian march due to take place this
weekend is not rerouted.
Published August 27, 2010
Partition problems highlighted
Calls for an all-island taxation and social welfare system in Ireland
are to be made through local authorities on both sides of the Border.
Published August 27, 2010
A ban by Environment Minister John Gormley on using commercial vehicles
for family journeys has sparked a coalition rift.
Published August 27, 2010
The British government conspired to cover up one of the worst
atrocities of the conflict, an investigation has found.
Published August 24, 2010
‘Oglaigh na h-Eireann’ speaks out
One of the breakaway IRA groups heavily involved in the recent upsurge
of armed actions has confirmed that it is growing in strength
and that most of its members are former members of the Provisional IRA.
Published August 23, 2010
PSNI reroute illegal midnight parade through village
The PSNI are facing court action alongside organisers of a sectarian
band parade in Rasharkin after the parade was illegally directed along a
different route last Friday.
Published August 23, 2010
Bailed Donnelly blasts ‘ridiculous’ charges
Prominent republican Gary Donnelly has been released on bail after he
appeared in court in Derry on Thursday
Published August 23, 2010
‘Landlords’ attempt return after 90 years
A County Sligo community is reeling after English-based ‘landlords’
staked claim to property that the original owners left almost a century
ago.
Published August 23, 2010
Australians died to protect informers - claim
A documentary to be screened next Sunday will air suspicions that
British intelligence had advance knowledge of an IRA attack in Holland,
in which two Australian tourists died, but failed to stop it.
Published August 23, 2010
RSF condemns breakaway Limerick group
Republican Sinn Fein has accused a new splinter organisation operating
under the name ‘Real Sinn Fein’ of engaging in a “policy of
disinformation” against their former colleagues.
Published August 23, 2010
Talks ruled out as Donnelly ‘interned’
There has been a protest at Derry courthouse this [Friday] morning
following the arrest and detention of prominent local republican Gary
Donnelly.
Published August 20, 2010
PSNI propaganda exposed by CCTV video
The PSNI has refused to say why it did not divert civilians away from a
dissident republican bomb attack for 15 minutes until the device was
about to explode.
Published August 20, 2010
DUP threat secures coat-trailing parade
Residents of an overwhelmingly nationalist County Antrim village are
furious that the Parades Commission has accepted a route for a sectarian
loyalist parade without consultation.
Published August 20, 2010
SDLP seeks return of Special Branch
Sinn Fein has criticised a call by the rival nationalist SDLP for
control of state intelligence operations in the North to be transferred
to the PSNI police from British military intelligence agency, MI5.
Published August 20, 2010
Demo planned against royal visit
As the countdown to an official visit by the British head of state to
the Twenty-Six Counties continues, details have been announced of the
latest protests against the move.
Published August 20, 2010
Corruption controversy hits Stormont
Sinn Fein’s Six-County Development Minister Conor Murphy has suspended
his most senior civil servant under amid a controversy over the award of
contracts for water supply.
Published August 20, 2010
A small explosion inside a rubbish bin in Lurgan, County Armagh on
Saturday was the focus of an absurd British propaganda campaign at the
weekend.
Published August 16, 2010
Mystery talks relieve march tensions
The Apprentice Boys’ ‘Relief of Derry’ march -- the largest sectarian
parade of the year -- passed quietly on Saturday following reports of
dialogue between nationalist groups and the Stormont and British
administrations.
Published August 16, 2010
The DUP and Sinn Fein have been challenged to scrap the entire draft
parades legislation after making an apparent U-turn on some major
elements.
Published August 16, 2010
Tell truth about Majella, Britain urged
The British government should acknowledge at “the highest level” the
truth about the shooting dead of a 12-year-old girl by a British soldier
in south Armagh 34 years ago today, politicians have said.
Published August 16, 2010
Public in the dark as electricity prices jump
An increase in electricity prices will cause further hardship to those
struggling to pay bills as new figures show the Electricity Supply Board
(ESB) is cutting power to 900 households per month over non-payment of
bills.
Published August 16, 2010
RNU allege Euro recruitment bid
The Republican Network for Unity has slammed what it said was an attempt
to blackmail and threaten one of its members.
Published August 16, 2010
The protest by republican prisoners at Maghaberry prison has ended after
three weeks of talks.
Published August 13, 2010
Govts in talks with dissidents - McGuinness
The British government has talked to dissident republicans in recent
weeks, Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness has said.
Published August 13, 2010
Attacks increase ahead of Derry parade
Unionist paramilitaries have targeted the homes of Catholics in Antrim
town with pipe bombs as sectarian tensions once again ratchet up in the
Six Counties.
Published August 13, 2010
Councillor is target of tabloid witch-hunt
A former Sinn Fein councillor who refused to condemn the current armed
campaign by breakaway IRA groups has apparently become the subject of a
high profile media hate campaign
Published August 13, 2010
Cuts not needed to balance budget - SF
Sinn Fein has said it is the only party in the Dublin parliament opposed
to the 3 billion euro in planned spending cuts.
Published August 13, 2010
Unionist election co-operation seen unlikely
Unionists have attacked each other over the possibility of Sinn Fein’s
Martin McGuinness becoming First Minister following next May’s election
to the Belfast Assembly at Stormont.
Published August 13, 2010
Breakthrough in republican prison protest
A dirty protest between republican prisoners and the authorities at
Maghaberry jail in the North has been resolved to the prisoners’
satisfaction following talks.
Published August 12, 2010
A challenge by Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams to rival republican
organisations to meet him for discussions about the way ahead has met
with a suspicious reaction by the parties involved and condemned by the
British government.
Published August 10, 2010
A loyalist mass murderer Torrens Knight has been controversially
freed from prison a second time.
Published August 10, 2010
Prisoners’ dirty protest continues
Efforts to end a dirty protest by republican prisoners at Maghaberry
jail have made little progress, but talks involving the Six-County
department of justice and the North’s Prison Service are continuing this
week.
Published August 10, 2010
British Army seals off rural road
The British Direct Ruler in the North, Owen Paterson, has used his
‘executive power’ to permanently seal off a road in County Down near a
British Army base.
Published August 10, 2010
Loyalist ‘feeder parade’ gets Ardoyne go ahead
The loyalist Apprentice Boys parade has been given the go-ahead to pass
by the Ardoyne shop fronts in north Belfast on Saturday.
Published August 10, 2010
Stormont gets rebranded at Feile
Sinn Fein President and West Belfast MP Gerry Adams has praised all of
those involved in the west Belfast festival, including a hurling
event in the grounds of the Six-County Assembly at Stormont.
Published August 10, 2010
A bomb attack on a PSNI base and the attempted assassination of a
senior British Army officer have rocked the political system in the
North of Ireland.
Published August 6, 2010
Activists see increased harassment, violence
The recent suspension of Section 44 of the British government’s
‘Terrorism Act’ has not deterred the PSNI in harassing nationalists.
Published August 6, 2010
Jobs figures point to second recession
An incompetent Dublin government has allowed a second wave of jobs
losses to further undermine the 26-County economy, with unemployment in
the state reaching a 16-year high, opposition leaders have said.
Published August 6, 2010
Derry tensions ahead of giant parade
Sinn Fein has warned that tensions are rising in Derry ahead of a major
sectarian parade in the city.
Published August 6, 2010
Graveyard attacked as ‘hoods’ challenge republicans
Sinn Fein has expressed outrage after the Republican plot in Milltown
was desecrated last night.
Published August 6, 2010
Forgery allegation marks new low for Fianna Fail
A police investigation is underway after evidence of fraudulent
expenses claims by Senator Ivor Callely was published by the tabloid
media.
Published August 6, 2010
A PSNI base in Derry was damaged in a dissident bomb attack early this
morning.
Published August 3, 2010
Agreement has been reached on the development of the site of the former
Long Kesh prison as a peace-building and conflict resolution facility.
Published August 2, 2010
New evidence on Ballymurphy killings
The families of 11 people shot dead by paratroopers in West Belfast are
to present the British secretary of state for the North, Owen Patterson,
and Stormont justice minister, David Ford, with a new dossier of
evidence on the killings.
Published August 2, 2010
Adams holds talks with loyalists
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams held talks with a loyalist group today
[Monday] aimed at defusing tensions over sectarian parades in north
Belfast.
Published August 2, 2010
Govt lawyers deployed for electoral dodge
The full hearing of a legal challenge by Sinn Fein’s Pearse Doherty to
the Dublin government’s refusal to move the writ for a by-election in the
Donegal South West constituency is expected to be heard on October 18th
at the High Court.
Published August 2, 2010
Walmart rep jets in over Asda outrage
A Walmart executive reportedly wept last week as he apologised to the
family of two loyalist murder victims for the “deep hurt” caused after
their killer was given his checkout job back despite having been sacked
for sectarian remarks.
Published August 2, 2010
The remains of a Crossmaglen man who went missing at the height of the
conflict almost 30 years ago have been found.
Published August 2, 2010
Hundreds of republicans were prevented from marching through a
nationalist area of Lurgan in north Armagh on Sunday by the PSNI but
finally got around them in a game of ‘cat and mouse’.
Published July 26, 2010
The 26-County Taoiseach Brian Cowen crossed the border to Crossmaglen,
County Armagh on Thursday night for the formal opening of Fianna Fail’s
first offices in the Six Counties.
Published July 26, 2010
DUP concern for sectarian killer
DUP MPs have backed a sectarian double killer who was sacked after he
called for ‘The Sash’ to be played outside a branch of the Asda retail
chain store in north Belfast.
Published July 26, 2010
Highway robbery as fat cats help themselves
It was revealed that there are 192 people on trolleys awaiting treatment
in hospitals around the 26 Counties this evening as it emerged that the
Department of Health ignored legal limits in setting the salary for the
new chief executive of the Health Service Executive.
Published July 26, 2010
‘Justice for the Forgotten’ funding is cut
The group which represents victims of the conflict in the 26 Counties
has said it may be wound down within days because of a lack of funds.
Published July 26, 2010
Returning Irish denied welfare
Returning Irish emigrants are increasingly being refused vital social
welfare payments because of tightening residency requirements.
Published July 26, 2010
A decision by Ireland’s main opposition party, Fine Gael, to take
corporate donations from some of Ireland’s most notorious developers has
threatened to re-open splits within the party.
Published July 22, 2010
UDA ‘brigadier’ Jackie McDonald has said an all-inclusive amnesty is
needed to allow loyalists to tell the truth their actions in the conflict.
Published July 22, 2010
New marching dispute in Ardoyne
Another loyalist group has applied to march through the republican
Ardoyne in north Belfast next month despite the unprecendented violence
which followed a similar parade through the area earlier this month.
Published July 22, 2010
Asda rehires ‘Sash’-loving killer
There has been outrage over a sectarian incident at a branch of the Asda
chain stores in north Belfast after the shop employee in question, a
double sectarian killer, was reinstated in his post.
Published July 22, 2010
Adams calls for release of Arnaldo Ortegi
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has called on the Spanish Government to
release Basque Nationalist Leader Arnaldo Otegi. Mr Adams said that Mr
Ortegi’s continued imprisonment made building a peace process in the
Basque country more difficult.
Published July 22, 2010
Northern ‘accents’ not a language - Paisley
The claimed ‘language’ of Ulster-Scots has been jokingly dismissed by a
DUP MP as “just bad English”.
Published July 22, 2010
A brief verbal exchange between a former IRA leader and a masked youth
has dramatised a potential power shift in republican Belfast and across
the North, at least at street level.
Published July 19, 2010
Calls are mounting for the Orange Order to bring an end to anti-Catholic
parades through nationalist neighbourhoods following last week’s riots.
Published July 19, 2010
The key proposals of the Eames-Bradley group on how to deal with ‘the
legacy’ of the conflict in the North of Ireland have provoked a negative
reaction, according to the results of a consultation process.
Published July 19, 2010
The 26-County Taoiseach has railed against “negativity” as Ireland’s
sovereign debt was judged to be at an increased risk of default by
international credit agency Moody’s.
Published July 19, 2010
Shell protestor vows to continue struggle
Mayo fisherman Pat O’Donnell has vowed to continue his opposition to
the Corrib gas project on health, safety and environmental grounds,
following his release from prison at the weekend.
Published July 19, 2010
Flotilla survivors plan fresh Gaza shipment
The Irish-owned MV Rachel Corrie may sail from the southern Israeli port
of Ashdod within weeks after Irish activists who last month attempted to
break Israel’s blockade of Gaza onboard the vessel were told it was
ready to be released.
Published July 19, 2010
Some of the worst rioting in years has left scores injured in Belfast
after a sectarian parade by the Protestant Orange Order was forced
through three nationalist areas in the north of the city on Monday.
Published July 16, 2010
A round-up of the violence which broke oiut around the Six Counties following the PSNI attack on the Ardoyne protest.
Published July 16, 2010
Repressive powers ‘still available’
The announcement that stop and search powers under Section 44 of the
British government’s ‘Terrorism Act’ are to be suspended will not mean
any decrease in the use of draconian legislation by the PSNI, it has
been claimed.
Published July 16, 2010
Legal effort to demand by-election
Sinn Fein Senator Pearse Doherty has brought a High Court challenge to
the refusal by the Dublin government to hold an overdue byelection in
the Donegal South West constituency.
Published July 16, 2010
The number of people emigrating from Ireland this year and next is
predicted to reach 120,000, according to the latest statistics.
Published July 16, 2010
Derry has been chosen as the “UK Capital of Culture” for 2013, ahead of
steel capital Sheffield and mustard centre Norwich.
Published July 16, 2010
Orange parade forced through Ardoyne
The controversial Orange Parade has been forced through Ardoyne in
north Belfast after a non-violent sit-down protest was brutally forced
off the road.
Published July 12, 2010
A peaceful protest against a provocative anti-Catholic parade in north
Belfast is being subjected to a violent PSNI assault this evening.
Published July 12, 2010
Heavy rioting took place in north and west Belfast overnight arising from
loyalist bonfires ahead of today’s climax of the marching season.
Published July 12, 2010
There are concerns that potential violence could erupt if an Orange
Order parade is forced through the republican Ardoyne area of north
Belfast.
Published July 12, 2010
Huge bomb marks ‘dissident’ development
A bomb which blew a large crater in a south Armagh road on Saturday was
intended for a passing PSNI police patrol.
Published July 12, 2010
SAS soldiers who shot dead a man in Derry In 1984 will be ordered to
give evidence at a fresh Inquest, it has been announced.
Published July 12, 2010
Ombudsman urged to quit over botched report
Al Hutchinson’s job as the Six-County Police Ombudsman is in doubt after
being forced to cancel publication of an official report by his office
into the 1971 McGurk’s bar massacre.
Published July 12, 2010
Queen’s visit ‘good for peace’ - Britain
The planned visit to the 26 Counties by Elizabeth Windsor, the ‘Queen of
England’, will not harm the peace process but could benefit it,
Britain’s newly-appointed Minister of State at the Northern Ireland
Office, Hugo Swire, has claimed.
Published July 12, 2010
Ombudsman suspends report publication
A report into one of the worst attacks of the conflict was put on hold
today after bereaved relatives condemned its findings.
Published July 9, 2010
Families of those killed in the loyalist bombing of McGurk’s Bar in
north Belfast have branded an independent report into the atrocity,
which found no evidence of Crown force collusion, a “whitewash”.
Published July 8, 2010
Euro court slaps down repressive PSNI powers
The British government has been forced to reconsider stop-and-search
powers following a European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling.
Published July 8, 2010
The Orange Order has rejected draft legislation to deal with
coat-trailing sectarian parades just days before the ‘Twelfth’ Battle of
the Boyne marches.
Published July 8, 2010
Families sue over murder weapon handed back
The families of five men shot dead by loyalists in a Belfast bookmaker’s
are suing the head of the PSNI police for failing to prevent their
deaths.
Published July 8, 2010
As 26-County Ministers gave themselves three months vacation this
week, thousands marched in protest against new cuts to services for
disabled people and carers.
Published July 8, 2010
Ex-Green councillor joins Sinn Fein
A Cork-based councillor Chris O’Leary, formerly of the Green Party,
joined Sinn Fein today.
Published July 8, 2010
A Catholic teenager is in a serious condition in hospital after being
hit by a plastic bullet fired by the PSNI in west Belfast at the
weekend.
Published July 6, 2010
Shock at Ardoyne parade decision
There has been a furious response after a loyalist parade on
‘the Twelfth’ was given the go ahead to pass a highly contoversial north
Belfast.
Published July 6, 2010
A gun attack took place on Crossmaglen PSNI base at the weekend. Shots
were aimed at the south Armagh PSNI barracks shortly before 11pm on
Saturday night.
Published July 6, 2010
Classified internment documents uncovered
Hundreds of republicans remained interned without trial in the early 70s
because the British authorities manipulated the so-called review
process, according to newly discovered documents.
Published July 6, 2010
Fianna Fail fraying at the edges
The 26-County Taoiseach Brian Cowen is said to be struggling to maintain
control over his Fianna Fail party amid an escalating jobs crisis.
Published July 6, 2010
Pope is ‘progeny of hell’ - Paisley
A sectarian outburst by former DUP leader Ian Paisley just days after an
to mark his contribution to the peace process has embarrassed the
political establishment in the North.
Published July 6, 2010
Riot follows Craigavon arrests
Heavy rioting has broken out in Craigavon tonight following PSNI
operations in north Armagh.
Published July 1, 2010
The Drumcree Orange parade this Sunday will not be allowed to pass down
the nationalist Garvaghy Road for a twelfth year, the Parades Commission
has decided.
Published July 1, 2010
Diplock court convicts MI5 sting victim
A Lurgan man set up by the MI5 agent posing as an arms dealer was found
guilty by a non-jury Diplock court this week despite substantial legal
concerns over entrapment and the virtual purchase of his arrest.
Published July 1, 2010
Kenny accepts army council disbandment
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has said he accepts the Provisional IRA and
its army council “are no more”.
Published July 1, 2010
Arrest precedes new Shell pipeline plan
There have been renewed efforts to prevent the construction of Shell’s
high-pressure gas pipeline and onshore refinery in county Mayo following
the imprisonment of local environmental campaigner, Maura Harrington.
Published July 1, 2010
Call for govts to do more for justice
Speaking during a debate in the Dublin parliament on the report of the
Bloody Sunday Inquiry, Sinn Fein’s Caoimhghin O Caolain said it was “a
disgrace” that the 26-County Government had cut funding for the only
victims’ group in the State, Justice for the Forgotten.
Published July 1, 2010
Clashes as key battle recalled
Hand-to-hand fighting briefly broke out in the nationalist Short Strand
enclave on Friday night on the eve of a commemoration in the area of the
Battle of St Matthew’s.
Published June 28, 2010
RUC compo case ‘could name’ informers
Former members of the RUC police seeking compensation payments are
threatening to publicly name killers who acted as informers.
Published June 28, 2010
eirigi protests at normalisation effort
Republicans protested in Belfast city centre on Saturday at the
celebration of [British] Armed Forces Day in the north.
Published June 28, 2010
Sunday families thank campaigners
The Bloody Sunday families and the surviving wounded who were shot by
the British Parachute Regiment on January 30th, 1972, have issued a
statement thanking their supporters and well-wishers.
Published June 28, 2010
A third Basque man, arrested in Belfast city centre on Thursday night by
the PSNI, is being held on foot of a Spanish extradition bid.
Published June 28, 2010
The death occurred in Belfast recently of well-known republican activist
and ex-PoW Seando Moore.
Published June 28, 2010
‘Normal’ visit by Queen planned
The Dublin and London governments have formally begun the process of
arranging a state visit to the 26 Counties by the ‘Queen of England’
Elizabeth Windsor, it was announced yesterday.
Published June 24, 2010
Mourner jailed over friend’s funeral
The son of a murdered Sinn Fein activist has become the first person in
almost 30 years to be charged in connection with a republican funeral.
Published June 24, 2010
Loyalists have carried out a series of racist and sectarian attacks in
south Belfast.
Published June 24, 2010
Obama praises Cameron statement
US President Barack Obama has told British prime minister David Cameron
that his Bloody Sunday apology was “historic” and would contribute to
reconciliation in the north.
Published June 24, 2010
Union implicated in new slush fund scandal
A total of 31 overseas trips were funded from a controversial
multi-million euro “training fund” which was shared by trade union
officials and public servants.
Published June 24, 2010
Fine Gael ‘silly’ on the North - Adams
Gerry Adams told Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny at Stormont yesterday that
Fine Gael was not trusted on the “national question” after the Fine Gael
leader said he would not enter into a coalition government with Sinn
Fein.
Published June 24, 2010
Protesting republican prisoners in Maghaberry jail in County Antrim have
begun a dirty protest after prison authorities refused to implement an
agreement made with the prisoners to address their concerns at the
conditions.
Published June 21, 2010
Bloody Sunday prosecutions pursued
Lawyers representing some of the Blood Sunday victims’ families are to
meet the Public Prosecution Service about prosecuting the soldiers
responsible.
Published June 21, 2010
A thirteen-year-old girl was knocked out and lost her front teeth when a
brick was thrown by loyalists over a west Belfast ‘peaceline’.
Published June 21, 2010
Orangemen escalate Drumcree standoff
Nationalist politicians have accused the Orange Order of holding the
community to ransom over fears that it will attempt to stage an illegal
Drumcree march.
Published June 21, 2010
Bomb left at Tyrone PSNI station
No group has claimed responsibility for a 300 pound bomb which failed to
detonate outside the PSNI base in the border village of Aughnacloy,
County Tyrone.
Published June 21, 2010
Armagh man cleared as MI5 plot falters
A county Armagh man has been cleared after a judge ruled that he had
been entrapped by an MI5 attempt to snare him and a friend in an arms
smuggling plot.
Published June 21, 2010
Suppressed for 38 years by the mendacity of the British Army and its
soldiers, the facts of the bloody massacre of innocent Irish
nationalists in Derry in January, 1972 have been affirmed by a British
tribunal of inquiry and publicly accepted by a British Prime Minister.
Published June 17, 2010
The prosecution of the Bloody Sunday soldiers is being sought by at
least some of those whose loved ones were shot dead and then smeared by
their killers.
Published June 17, 2010
Cameron praised for accepting findings
Sinn Fein’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness complimented the
Conservative British Prime Minister David Cameron on a “generous”
statement in which he apologised for the Bloody Sunday killings.
Published June 17, 2010
Kenny holds on as Bruton coup defeated
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has retained the leadership of his party,
fending off a disastrous power grab by the party’s former Finance
spokesperson, Richard Bruton.
Published June 17, 2010
Calls for entrapment trial to be thrown out
The prosecution case against two Armagh men facing charges arising out
of a sting operation by MI5 (British military intelligence) should be
thrown out, their lawyers have argued.
Published June 17, 2010
Local council reform plans collapse
A shakeup of the north’s local councils has collapsed after the
Six-County executive failed to reach agreement .
Published June 17, 2010
Bloody Sunday Inquiry report welcomed
The victims of Bloody Sunday were innocent and their names have been
cleared, a relative said today.
Published June 15, 2010
Saville Inquiry exonerates Bloody Sunday victims
The Saville inquiry into the Bloody Sunday killings found the actions of
British soldiers was “both unjustified and unjustifiable”, British prime
minister David Cameron said today
Published June 15, 2010
Report of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry
The first five chapters included in Volume One of the
report of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, published this afternoon, which
outline the events of the day, addresses the question of responsibility
for the killings, and provide an overall assessment.
Published June 15, 2010
Families receive Bloody Sunday report
Relatives of the victims of the Bloody Sunday massacre have entered the
Guildhall in Derry after retracing the route taken by civil rights
marchers in 1972, and have begun examining the findings of the Saville
inquiry.
Published June 15, 2010
The people of Derry and campaigners for the victims of Bloody Sunday
across the world are eagerly awaiting the findings of the Saville
Inquiry this Tuesday afternoon.
Published June 14, 2010
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has sacked Richard Bruton as the party’s
finance spokesman and deputy leader as speculation mounts of a looming
leadership challenge.
Published June 14, 2010
The political representatives of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) have
dismissed pressure for the group to fully decommission its weapons as
they appointed a new leader last week.
Published June 14, 2010
Tour of the North rerouted from Ardoyne
Sinn Fein has welcomed a decision by the Parades Commission to ban
marchers heading to the highly controversial ‘Tour of the North’ march
from the Ardoyne interface in north Belfast.
Published June 14, 2010
Legal challenges to Maghaberry regime
A prisoner at Maghaberry jail has received High Court permission to
challenge prison authorities over stripsearching policies.
Published June 14, 2010
Trimble to take part in flotilla raid inquiry
The Israeli announcement that former Ulster Unionist leader David
Trimble will take part in an internal investigation into its murderous
assault on a convoy of Gaza-bound aid ships has been greeted with
disbelief in Ireland.
Published June 14, 2010
The 26-County Taoiseach Brian Cowen is facing a motion of no confidence in
the Dublin parliament after his government was harshly criticised by two
preliminary reports into the banking crisis and linked to an attempt to
falsify the financial position of Anglo Irish Bank.
Published June 11, 2010
Israel targeted an Irish aid ship heading for Gaza last week despite
continuing outrage over the bloody assault on the main humanitarian
relief flotilla, which left nine aid workers dead and stunned
international public opinion.
Published June 11, 2010
RSF leadership denies Continuity IRA ‘coup’
The leadership of Republican Sinn Fein (RSF) admitted this week that a
recent convention of local leaders of the Continuity IRA has sought to
form a breakaway republican armed group. It described the meeting as
“unauthorised”.
Published June 11, 2010
Govt condemned as ‘desecration’ motorway opens
The opening on Saturday of the M3 motorway past Tara, the ancient
capital of Ireland, was a day that heritage campaigners had hoped would
never come.
Published June 11, 2010
Stormont AG blocked soldier’s prosecution
A 41-year-old Derry man shot dead by the British army in 1971 was an
innocent victim and was not carrying a rifle, as claimed by the soldier
who killed him, the Historical Enquiries Team (HET) has found.
Published June 11, 2010
SF and former councillor in slanging match
A major row has erupted between Sinn Fein and former party councillor
Dessie Ward following his resignation from the party.
Published June 11, 2010
PUP leader Dawn Purvis has resigned after a campaign of intimidation by
the unionist paramilitary UVF has seen it issue death threats against
its critics and a message of terror against the people of the Shankill
Road.
Published June 4, 2010
Rachel Corrie to attempt aid delivery
The Irish aid cargo ship, the Rachel Corrie, is poised to make a fresh
attempt to reach Israeli-blockaded Gaza despite Monday’s deadly attack
by commandoes against the humanitarian mission, in which at least nine
activists died
Published June 4, 2010
MI5, Special Branch orchestrating arrests - Murphy
Colm Murphy, whose conviction in regard to the 1998 Omagh bomb was
overturned and who was subsequently cleared of criminal charges, has
accused an alleged British agent of attempting to frame both himself and
his son.
Published June 4, 2010
Injustice on the Irish language
Senior judges in the North have rejected a legal bid to over turn a
penal law ban on the use of Irish language in court proceedings.
Published June 4, 2010
Expenses scandal hits Fianna Fail
Senator Ivor Callely is set to be expelled from the Fianna Fail
parliamentary party after a formal investigation was opened into his
expense claims.
Published June 4, 2010
The High Court in Belfast has no power to revoke bail granted to a
Basque man whose extradition is being sought by the Spanish authorities,
judges ruled yesterday.
Published June 4, 2010
Up to twenty human rights activists are believed to have been killed
and scores injured after Israeli commandos attacked a humanitarian aid
flotilla of ships this morning in international waters.
Published May 31, 2010
A cold-blooded murder by the UVF in broad daylight on the Shankill Road
on Friday has challenged British propoganda about the loyalist
paramilitary ceasefires.
Published May 31, 2010
Rocket strikes Derry PSNI base
The PSNI have vowed to further increase their fortifications in the
North after republican armed group Oglaigh na hEireann (ONH) launched a
mortar rocket attack on a PSNI barracks in Derry in Friday.
Published May 31, 2010
PSNI ‘vetting’ dispute escalates
Sinn Fein has warned the PSNI it may consider its levels of co-operation
unless a row involving a former Catholic priest is resolved.
Published May 31, 2010
Inquest ordered by new Attorney General
The North’s new Attorney General John Larkin has ordered that a new
inquest be held into a controversial British army ‘shoot-to-kill’ case.
Published May 31, 2010
Thousands of lone parents whose youngest child reaches 13 will no longer
be able to claim one-parent family payments under a new Social Welfare
bill that has been slammed as “harsh” and “heartless” by unions and
opposition parties.
Published May 31, 2010
Loyalist paramilitary shot dead in Belfast
A senior loyalist paramilitary was shot dead at point blank range by
masked gunmen this afternoon on the Shankill Road in Belfast.
Published May 28, 2010
Welcome for Sunday report publication date
Twelve years after the inquiry began, the Saville report into the Bloody
Sunday massacre in Derry will finally be published on June 15.
Published May 27, 2010
End of hunger protest welcomed
Republican Liam Hannaway has ended his hunger strike at Maghaberry
prison following intensive efforts to resolve his dispute with prison
authorities.
Published May 27, 2010
Ruling paves way for shoot-to-kill inquest
Official reports into British Crown force “shoot-to-kill” murders in the
Six Counties should be released to the victims’ families, the High Court
ruled today.
Published May 27, 2010
Demand for access to Maghaberry prisoners
The family of prominent County Armagh republican Colin Duffy have
challenged a decision banning them from visiting him in jail.
Published May 27, 2010
‘Dysfunctional’ government behind child deaths fiasco
The failure of government health officials in the 26 Counties to
ascertain the number of children who died in state care since 2000 is
“genuinely frightening”, Amnesty International warned today.
Published May 27, 2010
McCausland abandons the pretence
The so-called ‘culture minister’ for the Six Counties, the DUP’s Nelson
McCausland, has sent an extraordinary letter to museum chiefs in the
North asking them to give more prominence to alternative views on the
origin of the universe, Ulster-Scots and the Orange Order.
Published May 27, 2010
There have been calls for urgent efforts to be made to save the life of
a republican prisoner on hunger strike at Maghaberry prison.
Published May 25, 2010
‘Historic’ appointment of Attorney General
A Six-County Attorney General, John Larkin, was appointed today
[Monday], the first to hold the post since 1973.
Published May 25, 2010
Tensions at sectarian interfaces, Ballymena march
There have been outbreaks of trouble at so-called ‘peace lines’ tonight
[Monday night] in both Derry and Belfast.
Published May 25, 2010
The ‘Grand Master’ of the Orange Order has said a single unionist party
is needed to prevent a united Ireland, while a leading member of the
SDLP has withdrawn a surprise statement calling for a single nationalist
party in the North.
Published May 25, 2010
Tory cuts inspire ‘Celtic’ alliance
The threat of cuts imposed by the new Tory Prime Minister, David
Cameron, has brought together the leaders of the devolved Assemblies in
Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff.
Published May 25, 2010
No Rising centenary for North - DUP
The DUP ‘Minister for Culture’ in the Six Counties, Nelson McCausland
has rejected a call by Taoiseach Brian Cowen for the centenary of the
1916 Easter Rising to be commemorated both north and south of the
border.
Published May 25, 2010
A Historical Enquiries Team report into the British/loyalist multiple
killing of three south Armagh brothers in 1976 has finally confirmed
that the murders were purely sectarian.
Published May 20, 2010
The Six-County Minister for Justice David Ford has made an official
visit to Maghaberry as tensions continue to rise inside the
high-security jail.
Published May 20, 2010
Process will survive Tories - McGuinness
The Stormont Deputy First Minister, Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness, says
he doesn’t believe the change of government in London will have a
negative impact on the peace process.
Published May 20, 2010
Pfizer deals crippling jobs blow
Up to 785 people are set to lose their jobs in Ireland after the
pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced a major restructuring of its
manufacturing business.
Published May 20, 2010
Cardinal rejects resignation call
The head of the Catholic church in Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady has
indicated he has decided to stay at the head of the Irish Catholic
church despite an unprecedented scandal over clerical child abuse and a
subsequent cover-up by the church hierarchy.
Published May 20, 2010
Donegal residents resist Garda tax clampdown
A campaign is mounting in Donegal against a tax imposed by the Dublin
government on cars purchased in the Six Counties.
Published May 20, 2010
A Sinn Fein Stormont delegation visited Maghaberry on Friday as anger
mounts at the conditions inside the jail.
Published May 17, 2010
Empey to quit as unionism struggles with election aftermath
Ulster Unionist Party leader Reg Empey has confirmed he is to stand down
in the autumn and has called on Peter Robinson to consider his position
as head of the DUP.
Published May 17, 2010
Gardai seek to repress street protests
Four members of eirigi held a peaceful protest on the outer porch of
Anglo Irish Bank’s headquarters in Dublin before they and three
supporters were attacked and injured by members of the Garda police.
Published May 17, 2010
The 26-County Taoiseach Brian Cowen has been strongly criticised
following a speech in which he sought to justify his actions as Minister
for Finance and Taoiseach while acknowledging that he played a part in
the economic crash.
Published May 17, 2010
New Direct Ruler has visited ‘darkest Ireland’
The new British Conservative Direct Ruler, Owen Paterson, has held out
the prospect of allowing the the Six-County Assembly to make some tax
varying decisions.
Published May 17, 2010
Rockall ‘planning permission’ granted
The 26-County of Foreign Affairs has said a British bid to claim
jurisdiction to the distant Irish island of Rockall is a “stunt”.
Published May 17, 2010
Newly elected British prime minister, Conservative party leader David
Cameron has vowed to “alter the shape of British politics forever” as he
took office at Downing Street this week alongside his deputy prime
minister Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats.
Published May 14, 2010
Owen Paterson is new Direct Ruler
Owen Paterson, the Conservative spokesman on the North of Ireland, has
been appointed the North’s new ‘Secretary of State for Northern Ireland’
in British Prime Minister David Cameron’s new coalition cabinet.
Published May 14, 2010
Gardai clash with cutbacks protest
Protestors at Tuesday night’s ‘Enough is Enough’ march, called by the
Right to Work campaign, were subjected to a sudden attack by panicked
Garda police outside the Dublin parliament.
Published May 14, 2010
Long sentences for loyalist child killers
The loyalist killers of 15-year-old Thomas Devlin were described as
having “deeply ingrained sectarian attitudes” towards Catholics by the
judge as he sentenced them to a minimum of 30 years and 22 years
respectively.
Published May 14, 2010
Gaza relief ship refused permission to leave port
The first ship of an international flotilla aiming to break the Israeli
blockade on Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid to the strip is being held
up in an Irish port, apparently because of an Irish tricolour painted on
its side.
Published May 14, 2010
Govt crackdown on ‘head shops’
‘Head shops’ selling ‘legal highs’ from their shelves all around the 26
Counties closed their doors or withdrew most of the products from their
shelves following the announcement of new legislation to ban the sale to
the public of a list of chemical compounds this week.
Published May 14, 2010
Cameron become British PM as Brown throws in towel
David Cameron has become the first Tory British Prime Minister in thirteen years after a sudden announcement by Gordon Brown tonight that he was standing down.
Published May 12, 2010
Brown steps aside, calls for talks
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced on Monday evening he was
quitting as Labour leader as it was confirmed that he is to hold formal
talks with the Liberal Democrats over a “progressive coalition” British
government.
Published May 10, 2010
Prisoners demand political status
Disturbances are continuing inside Maghaberry prison in County Antrim
amid concern by families of the prisoners that the situation inside the
jail is increasingly dangerous and combustible.
Published May 10, 2010
Robinson backed as unionism coalesces
The DUP says it “stands four-square behind Peter Robinson” to continue
as party leader and First Minister following a party meeting at
Stormont.
Published May 10, 2010
Family flees sectarian attacks
A nationalist family in Derry city’s Waterside says they’re being
hounded out of their home by repeated sectarian attacks.
Published May 10, 2010
Shell condemned by human rights group
The publication of a Frontline human rights report on the Corrib gas
dispute is a damning indictment of human rights abuses that have been
suffered by campaigners against a high-pressure gas pipeline and
refinery on the coast of county Mayo.
Published May 10, 2010
The loss of two million Irish people through starvation and emigration
is to be remembered in Mayo this week when the second National Famine
Commemoration’s programme opens today [Monday].
Published May 10, 2010
A dramatic election in the North has strongly boosted the
nationalist parties but appears set to ‘decapitate’ the leadership of unionism.
Published May 8, 2010
Journey into the unknown for British politics
There is scepticism that Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg will forge a
deal with the Conservatives this weekend after the British election
produced a hung parliament.
Published May 8, 2010
Despite a major PSNI offensive against republican militarists ahead of
election day, a ‘viable’ pipe bomb left outside an election count centre
in Derry interrupted counting for several hours early on Friday morning.
Published May 8, 2010
MI5 agent testifies in ‘entrapment’ trial
A member of British military intelligence (MI5) has given evidence from
behind screens in the trial of three County Armagh men charged in
connection with what is alleged to be an international plan to import
arms by dissident republicans.
Published May 8, 2010
Death of Bloody Sunday campaigner
Bloody Sunday campaigner Johnny Duddy died in Derry this week aged 87,
with still no date set for the release of the inquiry into the killings.
Published May 8, 2010
Further increase in emigration
The number of Irish people emigrating to the US increased by 12 per cent
last year, and there was also a slight increase in the number of people
from the 26 Counties registering to live and work in Britain in 2009,
according to new figures compiled by the US and British authorities.
Published May 8, 2010
Sinn Fein hold Fermanagh/South Tyrone
Sinn Fein’s Michelle Gildernew has remarkably retained her
Fermanagh-South Tyrone seat by four votes after a third recount.
Published May 7, 2010
Without majority, Cameron makes bid for power
The Tories are to attempt to form a government after the Westminster
election returned a hung parliament for the first time since 1974
Published May 7, 2010
Recount drama in Fermanagh/South Tyrone
After two recounts at the Enniskillen count centre, Sinn Fein’s Michelle
Gildernew is ahead by just two votes over unionist unity candidate
Rodney Connor.
Published May 7, 2010
SF set to be largest party; UCUNF shut out
Sinn Fein could take over the DUP to become the largest party in the
Six Counties on vote share, according to early estimates from the
Westminster election counts this morning.
Published May 7, 2010
Peter Robinson defeated by Alliance Party’s Naomi Long
The result of the election in east Belfast has delivered a major shock
with the defeat of DUP leader and First Minister Peter Robinson by Naomi
Long of the Alliance Party.
Published May 7, 2010
Surprise exit poll indicates knife-edge election result
The result of the Westminster election is still completely
unpredictable despite a major exit poll released at 10pm tonight.
Published May 6, 2010
Turnout up as DUP predicts ‘Orange Card’ election
A slightly higher turnout of the North’s electorate is predicted in
today’s Westminster election following early reports from the polling
stations.
Published May 6, 2010
Sinn Fein has attacked the “blanket denial” of postal and proxy vote
applications by the Electoral Office in some areas of the North.
Published May 4, 2010
Former prisoners targeted in frame-up plot
Two men convicted of a controversial abduction by the Provisional IRA
have said the PSNI have since tried to set them up using a paid
informer.
Published May 4, 2010
Border region hit by job loss ‘tsunami’
About nine hundred staff at Quinn Insurance Ltd will be made redundant
over the next 12 to 15 months as part of a major restructuring of the
business by its joint administrators.
Published May 4, 2010
Limerick teens urged to join ‘Royal Irish Army’
A Limerick jobs centre funded by the 26-County Administration body FAS
has had to be be ordered to stop promoting careers in the British army,
a criminal offence under the 26-County Defence Act of 1954.
Published May 4, 2010
Hunger strike parade passes quietly
The United Independent Hunger Strike Commemoration took place without
major incident on Sunday despite passing the loyalist Shankill Road area
en route from Belfast city centre to west Belfast.
Published May 4, 2010
Sudden death of Irish radio celebrity
Gerry Ryan, one of Ireland’s most successful broadcasters, died
unexpectedly on Friday morning.
Published May 4, 2010
Boy agent reveals frame-up plot
A vulnerable teenager in west Belfast was recruited by the PSNI as an
informer and then put under pressure to plant explosives and weapons on
his neighbours, it has emerged.
Published April 29, 2010
Vindication but no justice for McCabe family
Perjury charges should have been brought against members of the RUC (now
PSNI) police over the plastic bullet killing of an innocent mother of
three, senior judges ruled in Belfast yesterday.
Published April 29, 2010
Sinn Fein launches election manifesto
Sinn Fein has published its manifesto for next week’s British general
election based on the linked policy objectives of peace, equality, jobs
and Irish unity.
Published April 29, 2010
Mass rally to say ‘enough is enough’
Republicans have been urged to take part in a protest march “Enough is
Enough” against bank bailouts which will be taking place Tuesday evening
11th May in Dublin.
Published April 29, 2010
Independent hunger strike march in Belfast
Loyalists have said they will protest against a republican hunger strike
commemoration, which is to pass through Belfast city centre en route to
the west of the city.
Published April 29, 2010
Gordon Brown’s chances of retaining the position of British Prime
Minister plunged this week after a stunning gaffe on the
election campaign trail in which he was heard dismissing a voter who
questioned British immigration policy as ‘a bigoted woman’.
Published April 29, 2010
The PSNI police is to intensify its campaign in south Armagh after
coming in for strong criticism over its response to Thursday night’s
bomb attack on its empty base in Newtownhamilton.
Published April 26, 2010
Britain has apologised to the Vatican for a memorandum by a team of
civil servants at its foreign office mocking Pope Benedict ahead of his
scheduled visit to England in September.
Published April 26, 2010
Adams clashes with McGeough over harassment
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams clashed with a prominent republican on
Sunday as he canvassed in south Tyrone.
Published April 26, 2010
Cameron drops clanger over cost of union
Sinn Fein, the SDLP and the DUP have criticised comments by British
Conservative leader David Cameron which compared the north of Ireland to
a former Soviet nation.
Published April 26, 2010
Six Eirigi protesters including Dublin city councillor Louise Minihan
locked themselves inside the headquarters of Anglo Irish Bank in Dublin
on Saturday morning.
Published April 26, 2010
UVF attack recalls Mount Vernon gang
Unionist paramilitaries carried out an attack on the home of a woman in
the Shore Road area of north Belfast at the weekend.
Published April 26, 2010
Bomb at PSNI base in south Armagh
The PSNI police base in Newtownhamilton, County Armagh, was struck by a
bomb attack late tonight.
Published April 23, 2010
A shock announcement that Sinn Fein’s Alex Maskey has withdrawn from
the Westminster election in south Belfast was greeted with only
hostility by the main beneficiaries of the move, the rival nationalist
SDLP.
Published April 22, 2010
‘Cover-up of the century’, says Omagh campaigner
An Omagh man who lost his 21-year-old son in the 1998 bombing of the
town has said it was “not only the crime of the century but possibly the
cover-up of the century.”
Published April 22, 2010
Proposals to create a revised system of dealing with sectarian parades
that would replace the Parades Commission were published this week by
Six-County First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister
Martin McGuinness.
Published April 22, 2010
Ireland tops budget crisis as bankers empty vaults
The budget deficit of the 26-County state is now the highest in the euro
zone, according to the latest figures from the European Union,
outstripping near-bankrupt Greece to become the state facing the
greatest budgetary crisis in Europe.
Published April 22, 2010
Campaign against vindictive prison treatment
A prisoner at Maghaberry jail has said those who took part in an Easter
protest at the jail continue to be kept in lockdown for 23 hours a day.
Published April 22, 2010
Balance of power seen shifting in Britain
With just two weeks left in the campaign, a hung parliament is the
likeliest outcome of the British general election, according to the
latest polls.
Published April 22, 2010
The Dublin government has been criticised for its response to the
volcanic ash cloud from Iceland, which has cut off air transport to and
from the island of Ireland for several days.
Published April 19, 2010
A republican ex-PoW has been re-imprisoned after the British government
claimed that he was “a danger to the public”.
Published April 19, 2010
The PSNI mounted a military-style raid and arrest operation in north
Belfast on Saturday which was described as ‘aggressive’ by local
residents.
Published April 19, 2010
Adams sees potential breakthrough in Foyle
Martina Anderson can become the first Sinn Fein MP for Derry in more
than 80 years, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has said.
Published April 19, 2010
Acquitted men ‘insufficiently innocent’ - Woodward
Former Sinn Fein publicity director Danny Morrison is unlikely to
receive compensation for years spent in jail because he has not shown
himself to be “demonstrably innocent”, according to the British
government.
Published April 19, 2010
Moving files ‘could take a year’ - PSNI
The senior coroner in the North has criticised the PSNI over its latest
excuse for refusing to pass on files related to controversial state
killings and assassinations.
Published April 19, 2010
The Dublin government is to flatten housing developments across the 26
Counties in a desperate bid to reinflate Ireland’s property bubble.
Published April 15, 2010
Doubts have been cast on the ‘Real IRA’ claim of responsibility to the
BBC for the bomb attack at the heavily-fortified Palace Barracks in
County Down on Monday morning.
Published April 15, 2010
SDLP refuses to challenge unionist election pact
The SDLP has rejected Sinn Fein’s request to counter the challenge by a
united unionist campaign to oust two sitting nationalist MPs from their
Westminster seats.
Published April 15, 2010
Cameron launches ‘87-word manifesto’ on Ireland
Tory leader David Cameron yesterday said he would seek to bring the
north of Ireland into what he called the “mainstream of UK politics”.
Published April 15, 2010
Stormont justice committee formed
Unionist politicians will hold the balance of power on Stormont’s new
justice committee with a one-person majority, it has emerged.
Published April 15, 2010
The last letter written by Kevin Barry the night before his execution is
to be auctioned to the highest bidder in the latest sell off of Irish
heritage.
Published April 15, 2010
At one minute past midnight on Monday, policing and justice powers
became the responsibility of a Six County Assembly for the first time in
almost forty years. Just twenty minutes later, a huge blast echoed
across Belfast and into neighbouring counties from across Belfast Lough.
Published April 12, 2010
Unionists pursue sectarian agenda in election
The Ulster Unionist Party, the DUP and the British Conservative Party
have agreed to back a “unionist unity” candidate in next month’s
Westminster election in an effort to unseat Sinn Fein’s Michelle
Gildernew from the seat famously won by Bobby Sands in 1981.
Published April 12, 2010
Large protest outside Maghaberry
Hundreds of family members and supporters of republican prisoners staged
a protest outside the gates of Maghaberry jail yesterday [Sunday] amid
calls for an international human rights observer to see conditions in
the prison first hand.
Published April 12, 2010
Baggott plays waiting game on collusion, shoot-to-kill
Victims of state killings and collusion have expressed suspicion at
plans to shut down a specialist police unit set up to investigate
unsolved killings from the conflict.
Published April 12, 2010
Strike a deal or it’s wage war - Cowen
The 26-County Taoiseach Brian Cowen has threatened public sector workers
with another eight percent pay cut if they reject the agreement
negotiated with union leaders at the end of last month.
Published April 12, 2010
Justice for the Forgotten, the organisation that represents victims of
the conflict in the 26 Counties, says it will close its doors in June
unless the Dublin government commits renewed funding to complete its
work.
Published April 12, 2010
Stormont appoints justice minister
In a historic step, the Belfast Assembly this afternoon chose Alliance
leader David Ford as the first Six-County Justice minister in nearly
forty years.
Published April 12, 2010
A major bomb detonated earlier this morning outside the British Army’s
Palace Barracks in Holywood in County Down, east of Belfast.
Published April 12, 2010
Tensions continue to escalate inside Maghaberry Prison today after
republicans were ‘disciplined’ last night for taking part in a 48-hour
protest at prison conditions.
Published April 8, 2010
Quinn Insurance to get state bailout
The Dublin governmment, through State-owned Anglo Irish Bank, is to give
700 million euro to Quinn Insurance following the latest major collapse
in Ireland’s humbled financial industry.
Published April 8, 2010
Thousands of republicans attended scores of rallies across the island of
Ireland last weekend to commemorate the 1916 Easter Rising.
Published April 8, 2010
Bloody Sunday report postponement confirmed
After weeks of spin and damage control, British Direct Ruler Shaun
Woodward has confirmed a further delay in the 38 year campaign for truth
and justice by the relatives of those killed and injured on Bloody
Sunday.
Published April 8, 2010
Robinson rages in TV interview
An extraordinary BBC interview with DUP leader Peter Robinson has stoked
the growing controversy surrounding the Robinson family and its
financial dealings.
Published April 8, 2010
New group to oppose contentious marches
A new residents’ group in north Belfast has said it will resist any
future sectarian parades through the nationalist community in the area.
Published April 8, 2010
British prime minister Gordon Brown has today called a general election
for May 6th after visiting Buckingham Palace to seek Crown permission
to dissolve parliament on April 12th.
Published April 6, 2010
Prisoners confront regime at Maghaberry
Republican prisoners barricaded themselves into a dining hall yesterday
evening at the North’s highest security jail in an escalation of
conflict between republican prisoners and the regime in Maghaberry Jail.
Published April 5, 2010
Republicans are being urged to turn out in large numbers at Easter
commemorations across the country this weekend to reassert “the right
of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland” following
shocking revelations of corruption and fraud in the Dublin parliament
this week.
Published April 2, 2010
North Belfast republican Terry McCafferty has been released from
Maghaberry Prison fifteen months after he was summarily jailed.
Published April 2, 2010
A brother of former IRA leader Brendan Hughes has said his family are
angry at suggestions by Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams that he was
mentally ill when he gave interviews about his past.
Published April 2, 2010
RNU says arrests an attempt to hijack commemoration
A series of arrests and raids in Belfast and Lurgan have been slammed by
republican dissidents as “a blatant attempt not only to undermine the
upcoming Easter Commemoration in Derry but also to undercut the growing
signs of Republican discontent”
Published April 2, 2010
Robinson denies corruption claims as election looms
Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness has called on Peter Robinson to provide an
explanation of new revelations about a transaction with a leading
property developer.
Published April 2, 2010
The DUP said on Tuesday that plans for a Bill of Rights for the north of
Ireland should be scrapped.
Published April 2, 2010
Scale of Irish banking bailout revealed
Several generations of Irish citizens are to pay the cost of bailing
out Ireland’s bankers and developers following the crash in the state’s
financial sector, the 26-County Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan
revealed today.
Published March 30, 2010
The Dublin government and public sector trade unions in the 26 Counties
have reached a surprise agreement on pay and reform after a
marathon session of talks last night.
Published March 30, 2010
A new book published this week reveals details of controversial
interviews given by legendary IRA figure Brendan ‘The Dark’ Hughes to
Boston College in 2001 and 2002.
Published March 29, 2010
Unionism stretched by election
The Ulster Unionist Party’s only MP has confirmed she is to stand as an
independent in the upcoming Westminster elections, further complicating
the election picture for the three competing unionist parties.
Published March 29, 2010
The Protestant Orange Order has refused to disassociate itself from a
leading member who is due to stand in the Westminster election as a
candidate for the racist British National Party.
Published March 29, 2010
Govt urged to recover 1916 tricolour
Sinn Fein’s Barry McElduff has called on the Dublin government to
purchase an Irish tricolour that was captured from the GPO, the
headquarters of the Easter Rising in 1916. The attempted auctioning of
this item went ahead but it did not receive the reserve price last week
at an auction in New York.
Published March 29, 2010
Progress in legal battle over SAS killings
The planning and control of controversial British military operations
in Ireland could be examined by coroners after a landmark ruling
allowed relatives of two IRA men shot dead by the British Army’s
‘elite’ SAS unit to take their case to Britain’s highest court.
Published March 29, 2010
eirigi registers as political party in 26 counties
eirigi chairperson Brian Leeson has announced the registration of the
organisation as a political party within the Twenty-Six Counties. The
registration was formally confirmed by Leinster House officials this
week.
Published March 29, 2010
26-County Taoiseach Brian Cowen is facing a potential rebellion among
his own backbenchers after a reshuffle of his cabinet of Ministers was
widely criticised as inadequate in the face of Ireland’s economic
crisis.
Published March 25, 2010
Anger at British tactics on Bloody Sunday
Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness has told British Prime Minister Gordon
Brown that further delays in publishing the Bloody Sunday report are
unacceptable.
Published March 25, 2010
Court to hear amnesty question
A senior loyalist is to be called to give evidence at the trial of a
former IRA prisoner following claims that the British government agreed
a secret ‘amnesty’ for the IRA and loyalist pamilitaties.
Published March 25, 2010
Church struggles with abuse inquiry calls
The resignation of Bishop John Magee as Bishop of Cloyne has been
described as “too little, too late” by victims of clerical child abuse
in Ireland amid calls for a root-and-branch investigation into the
Catholic church.
Published March 25, 2010
‘No more cover-ups’, Policing Board told
Eight families of collusion victims have met with the Policing Board to
express concern at a decision to transfer investigation of the north
Belfast murders away from the Historic Enquiries Team (HET) to the
PSNI’s Serious Crime Branch.
Published March 25, 2010
British practise war on Derry coast
A Sinn Fein councillor is calling on the British Ministry of Defence
(MoD) to pack up and leave Magilligan base in the northwest of county
Derry to let residents live in peace.
Published March 25, 2010
MI5 blocks Bloody Sunday report
The long-awaited report into the British Army Bloody Sunday massacre
will not be released by the current British government, it has emerge
Published March 22, 2010
British MPs criticise Omagh secrecy
A committee of the Westminster parliament in London has criticised
British prime minister Gordon Brown over his refusal to reveal what
British military intelligence knew about the August 1998 Omagh bombing.
Published March 22, 2010
Gun attack follows wave of alerts
There was a burst of activity by republican armed groups across the North at the
weekend. The most serious incident saw a number of shots fired at the
PSNI on Saturday during a bomb alert near the rail line outside Newry.
Published March 22, 2010
Donnelly ends Maghaberry hunger strike
Jailed Derry republican Gary Donnelly was ended his hunger strike
protest after his demand to be housed with other republican prisoners at
Maghaberry jail was granted.
Published March 22, 2010
Miscarriage of justice overturned
A West Belfast man has told how his life was ruined as he struggled to
overturn a miscarriage of justice imposed by a non-jury Diplock court in
a trial 20 years ago.
Published March 22, 2010
Warning over worsening strike situation
A backlog of more than 40,000 passport applications has arisen as a
result of industrial action by public sector workers in the 26 Counties,
which this week is set to be joined by the Garda police.
Published March 22, 2010
Irish leaders meet US President Obama
The North’s political leaders have invited Barack Obama to the Six
Counties after meeting the US president in the White House to discuss
the political situation in the region.
Published March 17, 2010
The head of the Catholic church in Ireland, Sean Brady, is resisting
intense calls for his resignation following revelations about his
involvement in an 1975 church inquiry into child sex abuser Fr Brendan
Smyth, in which two children were forced to take a vow of secrecy.
Published March 15, 2010
Donnelly mounts hunger protest
A prominent member of the 32 County Sovereignty Committee, Gary
Donnelly, is refusing food at Maghaberry jail in protest at what he
said is attempt to criminalise him by prison authorities.
Published March 15, 2010
‘Acceptable level of violence’ - Orde
Former PSNI Hugh Orde has come under widespread criticism after he said
republican armed actions were at an “acceptable level”.
Published March 15, 2010
The north’s most senior prosecutor is under pressure to quit after being
forced to review a controversial decision by the Robert Hamill inquiry.
Published March 15, 2010
Adams and McGuinness in St Patrick’s Day trip
Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness are currently visiting the
United States as part of their annual St Patrick’s Day trip, the
highlight of which will be a meeting with US President Brack Obama at
the White House.
Published March 15, 2010
Wheelock family may take case to Europe
The family of Terence Wheelock have released photos of injuries he is
believed to have suffered in garda custody as they called for a public
inquiry into his death.
Published March 15, 2010
Hamill inquiry calls for prosecution
An inquiry into the murder of Robert Hamill has urged the North’s
Prosecution Service to “urgently reconsider” a decision not to prosecute
a retired member of the PSNI (formerly RUC) police
Published March 12, 2010
Unionism divides as key vote passes
A historic vote in the Belfast Assembly has bolstered last month’s
agreement at Hillsborough on policing and parades but led to renewed
divisions between the two main unionist parties in the North.
Published March 11, 2010
Specialist police deployed as MI6 recruit
The PSNI has confirmed that heavily armed specialist police have been
deployed in county Fermanagh following increased dissident republican
activity in the area.
Published March 11, 2010
Delinquency at Tallaght hospital
Tens of thousands of X-rays were not reviewed by a radiologist and large
numbers of patient referral letters were ignored at the ‘flagship’
Tallaght Hospital in Dublin, it has been revealed.
Published March 11, 2010
Thousands rally for collusion victim
On Sunday March 7, over 2,000 people gathered to commemorate the life
of Lurgan republican Sam Marshall and to demand the truth about British
collusion with unionist death squads in his murder.
Published March 11, 2010
Call to take veteran republicans off govt ‘hit list’
A group campaigning against the US extradition of former Official IRA
leader Sean Garland has called on the Dublin government to raise the
matter with the Obama administration during their visit to Washington
next week.
Published March 11, 2010
Setback in Derry name campaign
A plan to offically change the name of Derry city to ‘Derry’ was thrown
into chaos this week when three separate motions were voted down at
Derry City Council.
Published March 11, 2010
Stormont backs devolution of policing and justice
The Belfast Assembly has voted in favour of taking over policing and
justice powers for the Six Counties from London, despite opposition from
the Ulster Unionist Party.
Published March 9, 2010
UUP rejects ‘dysfunctional’ Stormont
Senior Ulster Unionists have said that they will not be supporting the
deal to devolve policing powers from London to Belfast at a crucial vote
in the Six-County Assembly at Stormont tomorrow.
Published March 8, 2010
A prominent republican has gone on trial for an IRA attack on a UDR
soldier almost 30 years ago.
Published March 8, 2010
Crumbling government ‘must go’, SF Ard Fheis hears
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams told the party’s annual Ard Fheis
[annual conference] that rather than a reshuffle by Brian Cowen of his
coalition government, the Dublin government “needs to go”.
Published March 8, 2010
Orange Order backs parade deal
The Orange Order has given its overwhelming backing to parading
proposals drawn up as part of the Hillsborough Agreement.
Published March 8, 2010
UVF ‘grasses’ get shortened sentences
Two brothers who committed dozens of loyalist crimes will serve as
little as three years in jail because they have turned ‘supergrass’.
Published March 8, 2010
Public service strikes escalate
Schools and hospitals are expected to be worst hit as trade union chiefs
escalate a fight to reverse pay cuts with a series of work stoppages.
Published March 8, 2010
Address by Gerry Adams to Sinn Fein Ard Fheis 2010
The full text of the speech delivered by Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams to
the party’s ardfheis [annual conference] at the RDS in Dublin tonight.
Published March 6, 2010
Massacre inquiry ‘pointless’ - Ford
Victims of Bloody Sunday have expressed outrage at comments by the
proposed future Six County Justice Minister David Ford in which he said
the Saville inquiry into the killings was “pointless”.
Published March 4, 2010
PSNI warnings treated with scepticism
Two republicans in Derry have been told their lives are under threat
following the “execution” last week by the Real IRA of senior member
Ciaran Doherty
Published March 4, 2010
Provocative loyalist parade on St Patrick’s Day
A notorious loyalist flute band whose leader is awaiting trial on child
rape charges has been granted permission to march through a village
which has seen some of the worst sectarian intimidation of recent years
in the North.
Published March 4, 2010
Doubts persist ahead of crucial devolution vote
The DUP has ruled out the appointment of a minister for justice if the
Ulster Unionist Party refuses to endorse the establishment of a
department of justice within the Executive.
Published March 4, 2010
Election battle looms as Paisley steps down
Ian Paisley announced he is stepping down as MP this week, leaving his
namesake son to battle Jim Allister, leder of the extreme unionist TUV
party, in the upcoming British general election for north Antrim.
Published March 4, 2010
Liam Adams, the brother of Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, has denied
charges of sexual abuse following his arrest today in Dublin.
Published March 4, 2010
The family of Ciaran Doherty said he had been under “continuous
harassment” from the British secret service (MI5) in the months before
he was shot last week.
Published March 1, 2010
PSNI clash with rioters in Craigavon
The PSNI fired plastic bullets during serious rioting in County Armagh
at the weekend as rioting broke out in the nationalist Drumbeg and
Meadowbrook estates in Craigavon.
Published March 1, 2010
IRA groups as strong as Provisionals - Ahern
The 26-County Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern has said the Real IRA
and Continuity IRA have successfully pooled their resources and the
threat posed by their co-operation is now as serious as that from the
Provisional IRA during the height of the conflict.
Published March 1, 2010
Former Basque prisoner to be extradited
A Belfast court has ruled that a Basque man living in Belfast should be
extradited to Spain on the basis of draconian Spanish legislation which
outlaws any expression of support for armed groups in the Basque
Country.
Published March 1, 2010
Hunger strike over labour dispute
A 58-year-old grandfather is among those on hunger strike outside the
Green Isle Foods plant in Naas, County Kildare, in a fight for workplace
rights on behalf of himself and his fellow workers.
Published March 1, 2010
Parties gear up for Westminster election
SDLP leader Margaret Ritchie has announced that she intends to seek her
party’s nomination to stand in Eddie McGrady’s South Down seat in the
Westminster election.
Published March 1, 2010
The dissident ‘Real IRA’ has been linked to the massive car bomb that
exploded outside the courthouse in Newry, County Armagh on Monday
night.
Published February 26, 2010
There have again been calls for an independent public inquiry into the
1998 Omagh bomb following the collapse of the retrial of Colm Murphy.
Published February 26, 2010
Call for statement over Derry killing
Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness has called on the 32 County Sovereignty
Committee to make a statement on the shooting dead of a man on the
outskirts of Derry on Wednesday.
Published February 26, 2010
Swift guilty verdict in Devlin trial
The mother of 15-year old sectarian murder victim Thomas Devlin has
called on senior prosecutors to “seriously consider their own positions”
over their initial decision not to pursue his killers.
Published February 26, 2010
‘Bigoted’ language act challenged
The Belfast Court of Appeal was urged yesterday to overturn a
270-year-old ban on the use of Irish language in court proceedings in
the Six Counties.
Published February 26, 2010
Bloody Sunday families in appeal over Saville report
The Bloody Sunday families have called on Lord Saville to publish his
report on the 1972 killings rather than hand it over to the British
government.
Published February 25, 2010
Green Party junior minister Trevor Sargent has announced his resignation
from the 26-County government.
Published February 23, 2010
A large car bomb exploded outside the court house in Newry city centre
tonight.
Published February 23, 2010
A marathon Crown force operation has followed the abandonment of a
mortar rocket inside a van near the PSNI barracks in Keady in south
Armagh on Friday.
Published February 22, 2010
There are fears that disputes over the issue of forced sectarian parades
through nationalist areas of the north of Ireland could ignite as a
deadline looms for the agreement of a draft plan on the issue.
Published February 22, 2010
‘The Dark’ remembered amid tension over new book
Several hundred republicans gathered yesterday at a commemoration to
mark the second anniversary of the death of former IRA man Brendan ‘The
Dark’ Hughes.
Published February 22, 2010
A distraught grandmother, whose west Belfast home was attacked by masked
men on Thursday night, has blamed the unionist paramilitary UVF for the
attack.
Published February 22, 2010
Minister’s resignation welcomed
Limerick Sinn Fein councillor Maurice Quinlivan has welcomed the
resignation of 26-County Defence Minister Willie O’Dea, and said it
brought an end to a “sorry saga” that had been very stressful for
himself and his family.
Published February 22, 2010
DUP rage over ‘First Lady of Lust’
The DUP has denied that former MP and Assembly member Iris Robinson is
planning a Tiger Woods-style public act of contrition following
accusations over an extra-marital affair and involvement in payments by
wealthy developers to her teenage lover.
Published February 22, 2010
The 26-County Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea has resigned in a
scandal arising from his attempts to smear a Sinn Fein election rival.
Published February 18, 2010
Prisoner attacked at Maghaberry
Republican prisoner Kevin Barry Nolan, who stood as an independent
candidate in the 2005 council elections, has been injured in an attack
by a warder’s dog at Maghaberry jail.
Published February 18, 2010
Britain apologises for raiding child’s wake
The British government has publicly apologised to the family of a
13-year-old schoolboy for the “gross intrusion” caused when Crown
forces used “flawed intelligence” to raid his family home eight hours
after he was killed in a unionist paramilitary bomb.
Published February 18, 2010
The wife of Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has described her struggle
with cancer as a “terrifying and emotional experience”.
Published February 18, 2010
A south Belfast community worker has voiced residents’ fears that last
week’s Hillsborough Agreement could lead to a return of the violent
anti-Catholic parades that marred the area in the 1990s.
Published February 18, 2010
Mossad using fake Irish passports
An Israeli assassination squad used forged Irish passports to enter
Dubai and kill a leading member of ruling Palestinian Hamas
organisation, it has emerged.
Published February 18, 2010
DUP leader Peter Robinson signed a post-dated letter of resignation as
First Minister to secure his party’s support for local policing and
justice in the north of Ireland, it has emerged.
Published February 15, 2010
Dublin govt under pressure over insider jobs scandal
The resignation from the Green Party of Senator Deirdre de Burca has
revealed an insider’s view of croneyism within the Dublin coalition
government and the harsh cost of sharing power with Fianna Fail.
Published February 15, 2010
Prospects improve for Irish Language Act
The DUP Minister for Culture in the Six County Assembly, Nelson
McCausland is to bring forward a “draft strategy on minority languages”
by the end of March.
Published February 15, 2010
32CSM warns on co-operation with PSNI
Hardline republicans in Derry are asking shops and businesses in the
city urging not to serve members of the PSNI.
Published February 15, 2010
Listed building damaged in British explosion
A British Army controlled explosion has damaged the 17th-century Church
of Ireland deanery in Derry.
Published February 15, 2010
Supreme Court petitioned over miscarriage of justice
Two Derry men refused permission to appeal their case before the Supreme
Court in London are to petition the court directly in their fight for
compensation for the time they spent in prison.
Published February 15, 2010
Both the DUP and Sinn Fein have drawn a line in the sand on the issue of
sectarian marches as a working group set up under last week’s agreement
at Hillsborough held its first discussions on the issue.
Published February 11, 2010
Leaders from all five main assembly parties in Belfast are currently
involved in efforts to decide who will be the North’s first justice
minister.
Published February 11, 2010
The group charged with locating the remains of those victims who went
missing during the conflict is set to add a name to its list of
“disappeared”, it has emerged.
Published February 11, 2010
Special Branch targeting vulnerable family members
A dissident republican has accused police Special Branch of targeting
vulnerable members of his family to inform against him.
Published February 11, 2010
Vindictive sentence for environmental activist
Shell to Sea campaigner and local fisherman Pat O’Donnell has been
sentenced to 7 months in jail after being found guilty of a “breach of
the peace” and “obstructing a Garda”.
Published February 11, 2010
Gardai to stage industrial action
Rank and file gardai police in the 26 Counties have voted overwhelmingly
in favour of taking industrial action over the imposition of levies and
the public sector pay cut.
Published February 11, 2010
The announcement by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) that it
has decommissioned its weapons has been strongly welcomed by the main
political parties in Ireland but greeted with condemnation by hardline
republican groups and mixed reactions from its own supporters.
Published February 8, 2010
Stumbling blocks seen for Hillsborough Agreement
After months of arguing and years of stalemate, the first step in
transferring policing and justice powers from the Westminster parliament
in London to the Six-County Assembly at Stormont should begin tomorrow
[Tuesday] when a new justice minister is expected to be nominated.
Published February 8, 2010
Margaret Ritchie won the leadership of the SDLP at the weekend, beating
her sole rival, South Belfast MP Alasdair McDonnell by 222 votes to 187.
Published February 8, 2010
Irish economic regeneration linked to Easter Rising
The 26-County Taoiseach Brian Cowen invoked the centenary of the 1916 Easter
Rising in five years’ time as he made a “rallying cry” urging people to
make short-term sacrifices to allow a return to prosperity by 2016.
Published February 8, 2010
Robinson faces questions despite ‘cleared’ claim
DUP leader Peter Robinson’s return to his role as first minister was
triumphantly proclaimed by his party as ‘Robinson is back’ - but he
still faces a series of questions over his actions.
Published February 8, 2010
Sinn Fein man pressured by MI5
A young south Down couple are being harassed by British military
intelligence (MI5) after refusing to spy on a dissident republican from
Newry.
Published February 8, 2010
INLA announces it has disarmed
A statement was issued today by the leadership of the INLA
(Irish National Liberation Army), which declared an end to its armed
struggle in October, on the issue of weapons held by the group.
Published February 8, 2010
The North’s political leaders have earned a high-profile trip to the
White House for St Patrick’s Day following the successful negotiation
of a deal on sectarian parades and local policing powers.
Published February 6, 2010
Political leaders announce agreement
The 26-County Taoiseach Brian Cowen and British prime minister Gordon Brown
today launched a deal to implement the 2006 St Andrews Agreement.
Published February 5, 2010
Agreement at Hillsborough Castle
The full text of the agreement announced today by the 26 County
Taoiseach Brian Cowen, the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the
First Minister Peter Robinson and the Deputy First Minister Martin
McGuinness.
Published February 5, 2010
The DUP have said they have reached a basis for deal with which they can
move forward on the devolution of policing and justice.
Published February 5, 2010
Negotiations have ended between Sinn Fein and the DUP but unionists are
understood to be continuing to hold private talks with the British
government in a bid to ensure sectarian Orange Order parades are forced
through nationalist communities.
Published February 4, 2010
British troops on the ground in north Belfast
Heavily armed British soldiers were on patrol in Oldpark in north
Belfast on Tuesday following a large explosion which destroyed perimeter
fencing at the Oldpark PSNI barracks early on Tuesday morning.
Published February 4, 2010
Republican ‘dumped’ in Wandsworth Jail
A former IRA prisoner remains in a London prison despite the refusal of
juries in two high-profile trials to convict him.
Published February 4, 2010
Questions mount as Donaldson inquest adjourned
The inquest into the death of murdered MI5 agent Denis Donaldson in
Donegal almost four years ago was again adjourned in Letterkenny this week.
Published February 4, 2010
The death occurred early Thursday afternoon of Tomas Mac Giolla, former
President of Sinn Fein and in later years held the same position as head
of the Workers’ Party.
Published February 4, 2010
Britain and Ireland share in television plan
26-County state television channels (RTE) and the Irish language channel
TG4 will be freely available throughout all of the north of Ireland from
2012, the Dublin government has said.
Published February 4, 2010
Talks are over - SF; Robinson retakes First Minister role
Talks on the implementation of the 2006 St Andrews Agreement have ended
and the basis for a deal now exists, Sinn Fein said today.
Published February 4, 2010
Talks ‘on the edge’ - Woodward
British Direct Ruler Shaun Woodward has warned that efforts to reach a
deal on policing and justice in the north of Ireland are “on the edge”.
Published February 3, 2010
DUP in ‘turmoil’ as talks continue
The DUP leader Peter Robinson is understood to be struggling to convince
his party to back a deal over the devolution of policing and justice and
parades.
Published February 2, 2010
Both Sinn Fein and the DUP have said progress has been made in their
labyrinthine negotiations over the implementation of the 2006 St
Andrews Agreement, and confirmed that the talks will conclude shortly.
Published February 1, 2010
The Bloody Sunday families have joined political leaders in calling for
the immediate publication of the Saville report into the 1972 killings.
Published February 1, 2010
The PSNI police base at Bessbrook in south Armagh came under fire on
Sunday evening.
Published February 1, 2010
Anger as children searched by PSNI
A protest has taken place in Derry after two children were subjected to
a body search by the PSNI on Wednesday.
Published February 1, 2010
Industrial action expected to spread
Up to 70,000 members of the Siptu trade union are set to join in the
industrial action being carried out by other public service unions in
protest at the pay cuts introduced in the Dublin government’s budget.
Published February 1, 2010
A promised investment fund which was to pump three quarters of a billion
dollars into economic projects in the Six Counties has been scrapped,
according to reports.
Published February 1, 2010
Progress reported as talks suspended
Negotiations on the implementation of the St Andrews Agreement have
ended tonight without agreement, but are due to continue on Monday. The
six days of talks represent the longest period of sustained negotiations
since the peace process began in the 1990s.
Published January 30, 2010
Sinn Fein sees ‘responsibility to be honest’
The chances of an imminent deal to break the political stalemate in the
north have receded tonight as negotiations continued despite the passage
of a deadline set by the Dublin and London governments.
Published January 30, 2010
SF leadership meet to discuss talks position
Sinn Fein has announced that its negotiating team had left the talks to
attend a meeting of party colleagues, as the deadline for reaching a
deal on the devolution of policing and justice looms.
Published January 29, 2010
Transferring policing and justice powers from the London government to
the Belfast administration cannot be held hostage to unionist demands on
contentious sectarian parades, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams warned
today.
Published January 28, 2010
Concern Tories could seize Bloody Sunday report
The Bloody Sunday families are concerned that the Saville report on the
1972 British Army massacre in Derry may be further delayed.
Published January 28, 2010
Court hears of brutal murder of teenage boy
The mother of a murdered Catholic teenager wept in court last week as a
pathologist told a court the full extent of the horrific sectarian
attack which killed her son in north Belfast five years ago.
Published January 28, 2010
‘Real IRA’ claim over Cork drug dealer
A claim has been made in the name of the breakaway ‘Real IRA’ that it
killed a ganglord in Cork city in the south of Ireland.
Published January 28, 2010
Ballymurphy group ‘dismissed’ by Victims Commission
Families campaigning for an independent investigation into the killing
of 11 relatives in west Belfast in the aftermath of internment walked
out of meeting with the victims commissioners after feeling insulted.
Published January 28, 2010
Scores of 26-County soldiers sent to Afghanistan
In a reply to a question in the Dublin parliament, the Minister for
Defence Willie O’Dea has admitted that he has sent over a hundred
soldiers from the 26-County Army to serve with NATO in Afghanistan.
Published January 28, 2010
Sinn Fein dismay amid talks recriminations
Sinn Fein said it was “deeply disappointed” with the outcome of the
talks at Hillsborough Castle and blamed DUP demands for a concession on
contentious sectarian parades for blocking an agreement.
Published January 27, 2010
PMs quit talks; Brown demands deal by Friday
A deal in the Hillsborough talks to save the North’s power-sharing
government is unlikely today following a decision by the British Prime
Minister Gordon Brown and 26-County Taoiseach Brian Cowen to leave the
talks.
Published January 27, 2010
Progress reported in talks marathon
A draft document presented by Dublin and London officials at the
multi-party negotiations in Belfast could yet lead to a breakthrough
deal and the preservation of the North’s powersharing administration, it
has emerged.
Published January 27, 2010
DUP claims crisis ‘contrived’ as talks continue
The Taoiseach Brian Cowen and the British Prime Minister held emergency
talks with Sinn Fein and the DUP into the early hours of this morning
but there were no signs of a breakthrough in the three-year-old
stalemate.
Published January 26, 2010
Martin McGuinness has said Sinn Fein has fulfilled its obligations in
government and is now insisting unionists and the two government do the
same to avoid a political crisis.
Published January 25, 2010
PSNI man arrested over Loughinisland massacre
A member of the PSNI was suspended on Friday over allegations that he
protected the UVF murder gang who carried out the Loughinisland
massacre.
Published January 25, 2010
Crossmaglen PSNI base in south Armagh was last night targeted in a
gun attack for the second time in less than a month. At about 9.30pm a
car pulled up at the gates, two people fired shots at the station and
fled. There were no injuries.
Published January 25, 2010
SF calls on PSNI to end informer pressure
Sinn Fein has backed the case of a Derry republican who complained that
British intelligence agencies had been “relentless” in their efforts to
recruit him as an informer.
Published January 25, 2010
Anger at Cameron’s ‘Orange Card’
The British Conservative Party has been accused of engaging in
sectarianism over its secret talks with the UUP and the DUP.
Published January 25, 2010
Waterford plant closes for last time
Hundreds of people came to pay their final respects to the Waterford
Crystal visitors’ centre at Kilbarry in Waterford yesterday as it
closed its doors for the final time.
Published January 25, 2010
‘Critical’ talks taking place today
DUP leader Peter Robinson and Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness are holding
a crucial meeting in Belfast today that could determine whether
the Northern Executive and Assembly can be saved from collapse.
Published January 25, 2010
‘Critical’ meeting planned between Sinn Fein and DUP
Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness is to seek a ‘defining’ meeting with DUP
leader Peter Robinson over the deadlock in the peace process.
Published January 23, 2010
Talks on saving the North’s power-sharing government have ended without
agreement, Sinn Fein said today.
Published January 22, 2010
Secret talks have been taking place between the DUP, Ulster Unionist
Party and the British Conservatives which could bolster unionist
domination in the north of Ireland for generations to come, it has
emerged.
Published January 21, 2010
Recriminations continue in abuse controversy
Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has voiced his support
for party president Gerry Adams who is facing criticism over how he
dealt with child sex abuse allegations against his brother Liam.
Published January 21, 2010
McCafferty appeals to London Supreme Court
A Belfast man jailed following claims by British intelligence agencies
that he is a Real IRA leader is to take his legal challenge to
Britain’s highest court.
Published January 21, 2010
Final salute for Derry republican
A volley of shots was fired over the coffin of a republican in Derry on Tuesday evening.
Published January 21, 2010
Returned emigrants refused welfare payments
A record number of Irish citizens were refused social welfare payments
by the 26-County administration last year because they failed to satisfy
increasingly bureaucratic residency requirements.
Published January 21, 2010
Govt to ‘whitewash’ banking collapse
The Dublin government’s decision on holding a semi-secret commission of
inquiry into the banking crisis has been condemned by the 26-County
opposition as a “whitewash”.
Published January 21, 2010
The DUP leader Peter Robinson has revealed that he has shaken hands
with Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness and suggested that he could be
reinstated as First Minister within two weeks.
Published January 18, 2010
Councillor suspended as abuse controversy continues
Councillor Briege Meehan has been suspended from Sinn Fein after being
questioned by the PSNI over allegations of abusing her stepdaughter, it
has emerged.
Published January 18, 2010
Loyalists are being blamed for a bomb attack at a community centre where
a Gaelic sports team was training.
Published January 18, 2010
Republican wins right to challenge trial without jury
County Tyrone republican Brian Arthurs has won High Court permission to
challenge a decision to hold his forthcoming criminal trial without a
jury.
Published January 18, 2010
Secret banking inquiry plan slammed
A row has erupted in the Dublin coalition government after Fianna Fail
argued that an inquiry into the crisis in Irish banks should be held
partially in private to avoid controversial or embarrassing details
emerging into the public domain.
Published January 18, 2010
Irish President Mary McAleese has told Haiti’s head of state that
Ireland is praying for his country as the Dublin government prepared to
send a team of specialists to the earthquake hit region.
Published January 18, 2010
Pressure mounts on negotiations
The Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein have resumed talks at Stormont Castle today after progress was reported yesterday in the attempt to break the deadlock on the transfer of policing and justice powers in the north of Ireland from London to Belfast.
Published January 16, 2010
26-County Taoiseach Brian Cowen and British prime minister Gordon Brown
declared “early completion” of the devolution of policing and justice
powers to the North is achievable despite the turmoil within unionism
over the Iris Robinson affair.
Published January 14, 2010
Ireland responds to Haiti devastation
Irish relief agencies have joined international appeals for donations to
help victims of the Haiti earthquake as the country grapples with
shocking scenes and a potential six figure death toll.
Published January 14, 2010
Castlereagh Borough Council has confirmed its plans to initiate its own
investigation into the Iris Robinson affair.
Published January 14, 2010
Arbitrary detentions illegal, says human rights court
The European Court of Human Rights yesterday [Wednesday] ruled that
British police powers to stop and search people without grounds for
suspicion are illegal.
Published January 14, 2010
The retrial of county Louth man Colm Murphy over the 1998 Omagh bomb has
begun at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin.
Published January 14, 2010
Raytheon, the controversial international arms manufacturer, is to leave
Derry and close its operations plant there, it was announced on
Wednesday.
Published January 14, 2010
The Belfast Assembly at Stormont was in disarray today as the DUP
leader Peter Robinson stepped down temporarily as First Minister
following revelations of an affair between his wife Iris, and a
19-year-old youth.
Published January 11, 2010
An armed republican group has claimed responsibility for an attack in
which a member of the PSNI police was seriously injured.
Published January 11, 2010
Sinn Fein’s problems in Dublin mount
A third Sinn Fein councillor in Dublin has quit the party.
Published January 11, 2010
Adams ‘unaware’ of brother’s activities
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has said that his brother, Liam, should
never have been a member of the party. Liam Adams is wanted by the PSNI
over claims that he sexually abused his daughter.
Published January 11, 2010
British helicopter overflights increase
Complaints about helicopter overflights in the North of Ireland
increased by 46% during the last year, British officials have admitted.
Published January 11, 2010
Fianna Fail ‘afraid’ of banks inquiry
Fianna Fail has been accused of being “afraid” to hold an inquiry into
the banking crisis.
Published January 11, 2010
Arlene Foster ‘to step in’ as First Minister
The DUP leader and Six-County First Minister Peter Robinson, battling
for his political life following a lurid scandal centring on an
extra-marital affair by his wife, has requested that party colleague
Arlene Foster temporarily exercise the functions of the office of First
Minister.
Published January 11, 2010
An unprecendented scandal has embroiled the DUP leader Peter Robinson, and
his wife, Iris, who has admitted having an extra-marital affair with a
teenage youth.
Published January 8, 2010
Larger UDA group has ‘fully decommissioned’
The mainstream unionist paramilitary UDA has claimed that it has
decommissioned all weapons under its control.
Published January 8, 2010
Liam Adams controversy continues
Gerry Adams was under fresh pressure this week after a Sunday newspaper
claimed his suspected paedophile brother was Sinn Féin’s most senior
official in County Louth.
Published January 8, 2010
Details emerge of British torture techniques
Confirmation that the British Army tortured prisoners in Ireland during
interrogations in the 1970s is emerging after one of the victims
launched an appeal against his conflict-related conviction.
Published January 8, 2010
Activists in battle at Gaza border crossing
Clashes erupted on the Gaza side of the Egyptian-Gaza border this week
as more than 500 activists of the ‘Viva Palestina’ aid convoy on the Egyptian
side of the frontier sought entry into the Gaza Strip.
Published January 8, 2010
Sinn Féin frustration at talks without talks
Talks to resolve the policing and justice dispute between the DUP and
Sinn Féin have broken down once again.
Published January 8, 2010
The Dublin government has been accused of being in “disarray” with its
poor response to the prolonged winter freeze.
Published January 8, 2010
British diplomats complained bitterly in secret about the lack of
security provided by the 26-County authorities for British admiral,
‘Lord’ Mountbatten, following his assassination by the IRA, historical
papers have revealed.
Published January 2, 2010
The Dublin government secretly paid senior SDLP politicians expenses and
“civil service mileage” during the 1970s, 26-County State papers show.
Published January 2, 2010
There was renewed activity by republican militants in south Armagh over
the Christmas period.
Published January 2, 2010
Adams urged to resign from Sands trust
A former republican hunger striker has called on Sinn Fein President
Gerry Adams to step down from the Bobby Sands Trust in light of recent
allegations surrounding his suspected paedophile brother.
Published January 2, 2010
Iris Robinson, the DUP MP whose husband Peter is party leader and First
Minister, has announced she is withdrawing from public life as a result
of mental illness.
Published January 2, 2010
There have been calls for an inquiry into the police handling of abuse
allegations against Gerry Adams’s brother Liam, while the Sinn Fein
President has also come under pressure.
Published December 28, 2009
Emigrant pursued over Nairac death
A man sought by the British authorities in the IRA killing of undercover
SAS spy has been traced to New Jersey after a 32-year pursuit.
Published December 28, 2009
An Irish aid mission destined for the besieged people of the Gaza Strip
in occupied Palestine was prevented by the Egyptian government from
entering the country on Christmas Eve.
Published December 28, 2009
IRA faction ‘disbands’ Derry group
The breakaway republican armed group using the title ‘Oglaigh na
h-Eireann’ (ONH) has said it has ‘disbanded and disarmed’ a recently formed Derry group claiming to be involved in anti-drug activities.
Published December 28, 2009
Shoppers faced with cross-border reality check
The tens of thousands of shoppers from the Twenty-Six Counties who have
been crossing Britain’s border in search of a bargain have been greeted
by adverts of a distinctly different nature than normal in recent days.
Published December 28, 2009
Minister apologises to SF for defamation
The 26-County Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea has apologised to Sinn
Fein Councillor Maurice Quinlivan for making false and defamatory
comments contained in a newspaper article earlier this year.
Published December 28, 2009
Gerry Adams has spoken of how his late father abused family members
when they were children following an explosive family fall-out which
has deeply embarrassed the Sinn Fein President.
Published December 21, 2009
A plan for the unionist paramilitary UDA to disarm has failed because of
a failure by government officials to hand over millions of pounds to UDA
controlled areas, according to reports.
Published December 21, 2009
Murders carried out by a notorious UVF gang in collusion with the RUC
police are set to be investigated by the same police force which stands
accused of ordering the killings, it has emerged.
Published December 21, 2009
Taoiseach blocks banking inquiry
The 26 County Taoiseach Brian Cowen is being accused of blocking a major
inquiry into the banking system because “it’ll expose the close links to
Fianna Fail”.
Published December 21, 2009
Prisoner ‘a pawn in Maghaberry plot’
A republican prisoner at Maghaberry jail in county Antrim appears to
have been the victim of a set up in a bid by prison warders to oust the
new prison governor.
Published December 21, 2009
The transcript of a broadcast interview with Sinn Fein
President by RTE’s Tommie Gorman.
Published December 21, 2009
Statement by family of Gerry Adams
The following statement was issued today by the family
of Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams regarding Mr Adams's late father,
Gerry senior.
Published December 20, 2009
The Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has admitted the Catholic
church in Ireland is facing a “deep crisis” despite the resignation of
the scandalised Bishop of Limerick, Donal Murray.
Published December 17, 2009
The British government sent a Belfast man back to jail based on a secret
claim by British intelligence that he might return to armed republican
activity after his release, it has emerged.
Published December 17, 2009
Dissidents ‘welcome to join Fianna Fail’
Fianna Fail is ready to contest elections in the Six Counties on a
‘united Ireland’ agenda and its candidates will include republicans who
have become disaffected with Sinn Fein over their political direction,
according to to the chairman of Fianna Fail in Fermanagh.
Published December 17, 2009
Dispute continues on truth and legacy issues
The North of Ireland is “not yet ready” for a truth commission to hear
from the victims and families of victims of the conflict, according to
the unionist-dominated ‘Northern Ireland Committee’ of the Westminster
parliament in London.
Published December 17, 2009
British Army killers were ‘psychotic’
A former British soldier who deserted after his regiment shot up a
Belfast dancehall has met with the sister of the man gunned down and
killed that night.
Published December 17, 2009
Christmas toy voucher used in MI5 recruitment bid
A Derry man has said MI5 tried to recruit him as an informer by sending
a Christmas card to his house containing a phone number and a voucher
for a local toy shop.
Published December 17, 2009
The North’s leaders Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness clashed in
public today as the problems at the heart of the power-sharing
government were air
Published December 14, 2009
Countdown to unions’ ‘battle’ with govt
The leader of Ireland’s largest public sector union has said the Dublin
government is facing “a potentially explosive situation” following the
introduction of pay cuts for staff on the state payroll.
Published December 14, 2009
‘No evidence of rule of law’ in RUC killing
An RUC police cover-up surrounding the plastic bullet killing of an
innocent woman led to a breakdown in the rule of law, the High Court has
heard.
Published December 14, 2009
Shell to Sea campaigner to be jailed for nine months
Environmental activist Maura Harrington is facing nine months behind
bars after she refused to sign a bond restricting her right to protest.
Published December 14, 2009
British Army bomb squad wrecks home
A west Belfast man and his disabled brother were forced to wait in
freezing temperatures while a British army unit destroyed the front of
their home in a so-called “controlled explosion”.
Published December 14, 2009
‘Border the concern, not shoppers’
Figures from the first-ever survey on cross-Border shopping revealed one
in six households in the 26 Counties had been on such expeditions in the
first six months of the year.
Published December 14, 2009
There has been a furious response to the Dublin government’s decision
to reduce social welfare payments and cut the pay of the lowest-paid
public service workers in its annual statement of economic policy.
Published December 10, 2009
Flanagan lied, Hamill inquiry hears
Former RUC police chief Ronnie Flanagan lied on oath about the murder of
Robert Hamill, the inquiry into his murder was told on Tuesday.
Published December 10, 2009
Britain washes hands of Stormont stalemate
The British government has said it will not put pressure on the DUP to
end the political stalemate in the North of Ireland.
Published December 10, 2009
Brady family protest at policing meeting
The family of a republican who died in unexplained circumstances in PSNI
custody mounted protest at a District Policing Partnership (DPP) meeting
in Derry on Wednesday.
Published December 10, 2009
Activists confront IMC ‘smear’
An anti-drugs community group in north Belfast have met with the
so-called ‘Independent Monitoring Commission’, widely considered to be a
mouthpiece for British propoganda.
Published December 10, 2009
Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly has been the victim of a hoax bomb threat.
Published December 10, 2009
Lenihan slashes public pay, social welfare, sets new taxes
The Dublin government’s Finance Minister Brian Lenihan has this
afternoon announced the harshest budget in the history of the 26 County
state. He said the cuts and taxes announced today would “send a signal
to the rest of the world that we are able and willing to put our house
in order.”
Published December 9, 2009
The Garda police in the 26 Counties are to hold an illegal ballot to
join state-wide strike actions following the collapse in pay talks
between the Dublin government and Ireland’s main public sector trade
unions.
Published December 7, 2009
Maghaberry prison governor quits
The governor of the North’s main prison for political prisoners has
resigned less than five months after taking up the post.
Published December 7, 2009
Lundy’s Day passes off peacefully
The UVF attacked the nationalist Ardoyne shops in north Belfast ahead of
a highly controversial loyalist march at the weekend
Published December 7, 2009
PSNI loses ‘vindictive’ costs case
The northern editor of the Sunday Tribune Suzanne Breen said she felt
further vindicated by a ruling yesterday on legal costs in her case
against the PSNI police.
Published December 7, 2009
Sinn Fein, DUP in slapfight over deadlock
Sinn Fein has called on the DUP leader Peter Robinson to let people know
exactly why he is still refusing to agree a date for the transfer of
justice responsibilities from the Westminster parliament in London to
the Stormont Assembly in Belfast.
Published December 7, 2009
Israeli police compare notes with PSNI
The PSNI and the Israel police force have controversially held meetings
to compare their ongoing operations in the north of Ireland and middle
East respectively.
Published December 7, 2009
Confusion and anger as budget looms
The Dublin government has been accused of dithering and weakness after
it backed away from a potential deal with the public service trade
unions to avert strike action.
Published December 3, 2009
Ardoyne activists gassed, arrested by PSNI
The son of a former prominent Sinn Fein councillor has accused the PSNI
of “political and heavy-handed policing” alter being sprayed with CS gas
and arrested in north Belfast on Sunday night.
Published December 3, 2009
Dissident republicans okay, says PSNI Chief
In his first full interview since taking up his new post, PSNI police
chief Matt Baggott has said that he has “no problems with dissident
republicanism” but that the use of armed struggle “is just meant to
intimidate and take people back to a day when the streets were full of
the [British] Army.”
Published December 3, 2009
Assembly member joins Fianna Fail
Assembly member Gerry McHugh who quit Sinn Fein two years ago has
joined Fianna Fail, prompting speculation of a potential shift in
nationalist and republican politics in the Six Counties.
Published December 3, 2009
PSNI admits ‘facilitating’ sectarian mob
The PSNI have confirmed they agreed to a loyalist mob gathering in
Portadown shortly before a 200-strong crowd rioted outside a bar in the
town centre.
Published December 3, 2009
New York event to mark MacBride anniversary
An event will take place in New York City Hall next week will mark the
silver anniversary of the MacBride Principles on Fair Employment.
Published December 3, 2009
The British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the 26-County Taoiseach,
Brian Cowen, met again in London today [Monday] for talks on the
deadlock over the devolution of policing and justice powers to Belfast.
Published November 30, 2009
Cowen defers to church over abuse report
Victims of clerical chid abuse have criticised the response of the
Dublin government to revelations that three decades of abuse by
paedophiles in the Dublin Archdiocese were covered up by the church
hierarchy.
Published November 30, 2009
Loyalist mob lays claim to Portadown centre
A loyalist mob staged a ‘show of strength’ on Saturday to intimidate
Catholics from entering the town centre despite the PSNI having advance
knowledge of the planned incident.
Published November 30, 2009
Parades decision a ‘sick joke’
The Parades Commission has said it will allow a loyalist band
commemorating a unionist paramilitary killer to parade past the scene
where one of his victims was killed.
Published November 30, 2009
Solidarity protests over Basque arrests
Protests took place in Belfast and Dublin on Saturday in solidarity with
the Basque struggle and the latest victims of Spanish state repression.
Published November 30, 2009
Scottish independence plans published
Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond published details today of a
planned referendum on Scottish independence, setting out the case for
breaking the 300-year-old union with England.
Published November 30, 2009
Govt apologises over abuse, blames church
The Dublin government this afternoon apologised for “failures” by the
State in dealing with clerical child abuse and said the “deference”
shown to the church in this regard had been “misplaced”.
Published November 26, 2009
The British Army’s elite Special Reconnaisance Regiment were involved in
the ambush in county Fermanagh last week in which a number of shots were
fired, it has emerged.
Published November 26, 2009
Civil servants set to strike again
Around a quarter of a million workers took to picket lines across the
Twenty-Six Counties today [Tuesday] as public sector staff struggle to
protect their pay and conditions.
Published November 26, 2009
Leading loyalist Andre Shoukri had to be re-released from prison after a
threat that his arrest could end hopes of a start to the UDA’s
decommissioning of its weapons in north Belfast.
Published November 26, 2009
New transition for political chameleon
A former member of the hated RUC police and a member of the Orange Order
has become Sinn Fein’s newest Assembly member.
Published November 26, 2009
Unease grows over cross-border shopping
Advertisements aimed at attracting southern shoppers and holidaymakers
to Belfast over Christmas have been banned in Dublin.
Published November 26, 2009
There have been warnings that armed struggle could once again begin to fill
the political vacuum following two incidents in Fermanagh and Belfast
involving the breakaway IRA groups.
Published November 23, 2009
Unionism is winning - Robinson
The DUP was right to agree to power sharing in 2007 because “for the
first time in a generation unionism is winning”, party leader Peter
Robinson has claimed.
Published November 23, 2009
PSNI man ‘surprised’ by Donnelly injury
A member of the PSNI yesterday told Derry Magistrates Court on Friday
that he could not explain how leading dissident Gary Donnelly had
sustained a ‘three-way spiral fracture’ to his left arm after being
arrested.
Published November 23, 2009
Unions amend strike plans after ‘unprecedented’ floods
Trade unions have scaled back plans for thousands of their members to go
on strike tomorrow in five local authority areas around the country
which have been severely hit by flood and storm damage.
Published November 23, 2009
Tohill accused faces extradition north
A Belfast man is to face extradition to the North in regard to the
‘Tohill incident’ in which mainstream republicans allegedly kidnapped
and assaulted a dissident.
Published November 23, 2009
In his final address as President of Republican Sinn Fein, Ruairi O
Bradaigh has outlined the challenges which he believes lie ahead for
Ireland and his party.
Published November 23, 2009
The PSNI has ramped up a campaign of political arrests with the
detention of Marian Price, the National Secretary of the 32 County
Sovereignty Movement.
Published November 19, 2009
Paisley lauds Sinn Fein compliance
Ian Paisley this week praised Sinn Fein for keeping its word on
power-sharing despite the rise in support for dissidents.
Published November 19, 2009
Court upholds discrimination against IRA widow
The widow of an IRA man beaten to death after his prison release has
lost her appeal against being denied compensation.
Published November 19, 2009
Diplock convictions to be overturned
On Friday last week, following a lengthy legal battle, three men were
told that Crown prosecutors were no longer willing to stand over their
convictions for offences as teenagers.
Published November 19, 2009
Basque peace process urged as extradition bid rejected
A Belfast judge has thrown out attempts to have a Basque man extradited
to face political charges in Spain.
Published November 19, 2009
International furore after Irish team ‘robbed’ of World Cup spot
An extraordinary wave of public outrage has gripped Ireland after the
national soccer team was robbed of a World Cup place on Wednesday night
following a blatant foul by France’s Thierry Henry.
Published November 19, 2009
Maghaberry tense after ‘lock down’
A number of republican prisoners were denied food for more than 48 hours
as a ‘lock down’ and search took place at Maghaberry Prison late last
week and over the weekend.
Published November 16, 2009
Cowen invites Haughey comparison
Taoiseach Brian Cowen has repeated exactly the infamous comment of
former Fianna Fail Taoiseach Charles Haughey that “We are living way
beyond our means”.
Published November 16, 2009
The PSNI have been accused of harassing the leadership of the Republican
Network for Unity group and provocatively arresting senior dissident
republican Tony Catney.
Published November 16, 2009
The PSNI’s apparently increasing reliance on the tactics of repression
was highlighted on Sunday a massive operation was deployed to deal with
a sponsored walk on Belfast’s Black Mountain.
Published November 16, 2009
Republican alleges extradition ‘cherry-picking’
A republican facing extradition for questioning about the death of a
British Army sergeant in England 17 years ago has accused the
authorities of “cherry-picking” who they try to extradite.
Published November 16, 2009
PSNI stage bogus alert at Derry pub
The manager of a pub in Derry popular with republicans has questioned
the motivation behind a so-called ‘security alert’ at the premises on
Tuesday, saying it was “pure PSNI/RUC intimidation”.
Published November 16, 2009
A one-time leading member of the Irish Republican Socialist Party has
denied he was a top-level informer.
Published November 12, 2009
McGuinness warning over DUP stalling
Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness has warned of “deep trouble” if there is no deal on policing and justice by Christmas.
Published November 12, 2009
Political motive seen behind raids, seizures
Sinn Fein has criticised police raids in south Armagh in which the
family assets of a friend of the MP for Newry and Armagh, Conor Murphy,
were seized.
Published November 12, 2009
PSNI backtracks on shoot-to-kill disclosures
The PSNI police have said they need ‘more time’ to hand over reports
into shoot-to-kill murders by the force (then RUC) in the Six Counties
in the 1980s.
Published November 12, 2009
Fears have been raised about the health and environmental risks to
Ireland after the British government gave the green light for the
construction of 10 new nuclear power plants -- seven of them along the
Irish Sea.
Published November 12, 2009
‘Christmas not cancelled’ - Tanaiste
The Dublin government has been forced to deny suggestions that it is
‘cancelling Christmas’.
Published November 12, 2009
Tens of thousands of workers took to the streets across Ireland on
Friday in a mass display of discontent with the policies of the Six and
Twenty-Six County administrations.
Published November 9, 2009
DUP raises new stumbling block
Sinn Fein has said the British government must not allow unionists to
block the deal on devolving policing and justice powers to the Belfast assembly.
Published November 9, 2009
IRSP delegation assaulted by crown forces
On Tuesday of last week, senior representatives of the IRSP, including
party spokesperson Willie Gallagher, were the subject of an SAS-style
operation by the British crown forces.
Published November 9, 2009
The passage of a bill through the lower house of the Dublin parliament
establishing the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) has been
greeted with anger and dismay.
Published November 9, 2009
PSNI claims compliance with shoot-to-kill inquest
The PSNI police is to finally comply with a court order to hand over
top-secret reports on the shoot-to-kill policy widely believed to have
operated by the force in the North during the eighties and nineties, it
has been revealed.
Published November 9, 2009
UDA suspected in sectarian attack
Loyalist paramilitaries are suspected of being behind a petrol bomb
attack at the home of a 20-year-old County Antrim man.
Published November 9, 2009
Attack on Britain planned - IMC
An official state propoganda agency has claimed that Irish republicans
are committed to launching an attack in Britain “if the opportunity
emerges”.
Published November 5, 2009
Vindication as pipeline plan is rejected
A ruling by the 26 County state planning board against most of the
Corrib gas onshore pipeline has been strongly welcomed by north Mayo
residents and environmental activists.
Published November 5, 2009
Sinn Fein ‘frustrated’ by DUP tactics
In an unusual move, the 26 County foreign minister Micheal Martin has
intervened in the political process in the North to urge the DUP to
complete the devolution of policing and justice powers.
Published November 5, 2009
Republican youths attacked a PSNI station in south Armagh at the
weekend.
Published November 5, 2009
Protesting for a better solution
Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s day of protest organised by the ICTU (Irish
Congress of Trade Unions), the 26 County Taoiseaach Brian Cowen has said
that he is not seeking confrontations with workers.
Published November 5, 2009
Community activists refute IMC ‘smear’
An anti-drugs pressure group which operates in north Belfast has refuted
allegations that it is behind an increase in punishment attacks on
anti-social elements in the area.
Published November 5, 2009
The British government has been accused of conceding to unionist
blackmail after it emerged that a twenty million pound “gratuity
payment” is to be paid to former part-time members of the RUC.
Published November 2, 2009
‘No IRA role in disappearance’
The IRA has said it was not behind the death of west Belfast man Peter
Wilson in 1973.
Published November 2, 2009
PSNI equality policy to be scrapped
It has emerged that the policy of recruiting Catholics and Protestants
into the PSNI equally will end within 18 months.
Published November 2, 2009
Brits pull out in face of protest action
A decision by the British Army to withdraw its stall from a careers fair
at a university campus in Derry has been welcomed.
Published November 2, 2009
Dissident groups condemn harassment
The 32 County Sovereignty Committee has said one of its members, a
former political prisoner, clashed with the PSNI police on a country
road before an attempt was made to recruit him as an informer.
Published November 2, 2009
No strike threat to swine flu vaccinations
The Irish Health Service Executive (HSE) begins the first phase of its
swine flu vaccination campaign today by offering the H1N1 vaccine to
between 400,000 and 500,000 patients across the 26 Counties.
Published November 2, 2009
The Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has branded as “totally and
absolutely unacceptable” attempts by the DUP to attach the parades issue
as a new condition to an agreed deal on policing.
Published October 29, 2009
Million dollar price-tag for trial testimony
The chief MI5 witness in a ‘Real IRA’ arms trial refused to give
evidence unless he was given 650,000 pounds sterling ($1.1m) and a
medal from the Queen.
Published October 29, 2009
Progress in Derry family’s campaign for justice
The family of a Derry teenager shot dead by British soldiers in July
1972 have urged the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) to co-operate
fully with a new inquest into the killing.
Published October 29, 2009
PSNI pursues vindicated journalist
A journalist faces a twenty-five thousand pound legal bill despite her
successful legal challenge to a Crown force demand that she hand over
information pertaining to the ‘Real IRA’.
Published October 29, 2009
Serial killer returned to jail
An infamous loyalist killer is back behind bars after attacking
two sisters in a pub in Coleraine, County Derry.
Published October 29, 2009
Orange Order in Scotland backs Labour Party
The Orange Order has vowed to mobilise its 50,000 members in Scotland to
oppose the Scottish independence at the next general election and shore
up the vote in favour of retaining Scotland’s union with England
Published October 29, 2009
Clarification urged in hunger strike debate
The controversy over the 1981 hunger strike has continued with
conflicting messages from the current and former Sinn Fein leaders, and
from former prisoners who were inside Long Kesh prison at the time.
Published October 26, 2009
British spies lined up for trial
An extraordinary thirty-five MI5 agents are to be called to court to
give evidence evidence behind screens against three men accused of
dissident republican activity.
Published October 26, 2009
UUP ‘sells soul’ for place in Tory govt
The Ulster Unionists’ sole member of the Westminster parliament failed
to turn up to her party’s conference at the weekend.
Published October 26, 2009
Former RUC man may take Stormont post for Sinn Fein
Sinn Fein assembly member Francie Brolly could be replaced next month by
a former member of the British Crown forces.
Published October 26, 2009
Satisfaction at US hearings on collusion
Raymond McCord has said he could not have hoped for anything better from
the Congressional hearing in the United States into his son’s killing.
Published October 26, 2009
Easter Rising filming gets underway
Filming for a new movie about the Easter Rising will finally get under
way in Ireland in April 2010.
Published October 26, 2009
The 26-County state appears to be heading for strikes and industrial
unrest on a scale not seen for many years after Ireland’s major trade
unions announced protest actions ahead of the December budget.
Published October 22, 2009
Bomb attack at British Army base
A bomb exploded at a British army base in north Belfast earlier today.
Published October 22, 2009
McGuinness upbeat as DUP stalls
Talks over the devolution of policing and justice powers from London to
Belfast have concluded with the DUP still stalling despite a pledge of
significant British government funding for the move.
Published October 22, 2009
Confrontation over Shell drilling operation
A local resident last week blocked the entrance gate to a Shell Inc.
construction site for which there is no planning permission, refusing to
move until proof was provided that Shell’s works on the site are legal.
Published October 22, 2009
Sectarian marches ‘have their place’ - Adams
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has said sectarian parades by the Orange
Order “will have their place in a new Ireland” but they should be held
“on the basis of respect and cooperation”.
Published October 22, 2009
After being closed to the public for more than a decade, Daniel
O’Connell’s crypt below the landmark round tower in Dublin’s Glasnevin
cemetery is open for visits, more than 160 years after his death.
Published October 22, 2009
The people of the 26 Counties are being prepared for an unprecedented
series of wage cuts and devastating cutbacks by the corrupt coalition
government in Dublin.
Published October 19, 2009
The IRA breakaway group known as Oglaigh na hEireann has claimed
responsibility for an under-car bomb in east Belfast last Thursday
Published October 19, 2009
A leading Derry community worker has criticised a PSNI search at the
home of his grandchildren, describing it as “disgraceful.”
Published October 19, 2009
US investment hailed by Stormont leaders
Plans by the New York stock exchange to set up a software facility in
Belfast have been held up as a demonstration that the north of Ireland
is a normal place for business investment.
Published October 19, 2009
Senators distressed by FG policy shift
The Seanad [Senate], the low-profile upper house of the Dublin
parliament, faces abolition if a plan by the 26 County state’s main
opposition party go
Published October 19, 2009
Spanish crackdown on Basque politicians
The Spanish government has ended a new political initiative in the
Basque country with the arrest of ten prominent pro-independence left
activists.
Published October 19, 2009
PSNI stretched by attack, alerts
Claims that a republican group abandoned a massive van bomb in a border
village this week proved unfounded after a dramatic controlled
explosion by the British Army revealed the van to be empty.
Published October 16, 2009
Prisoners back INLA peace move
Prisoners associated with the INLA (Irish National Liberation Army)
currently being held at Portlaoise jail in the Irish midlands have
endorsed a statement on Sunday in which the INLA’s armed struggle was
declared to be at an end.
Published October 16, 2009
Two issues remain in policing and justice talks
There have been further claims of progress by Sinn Fein in its talks
with British prime minister Gordon Brown over the policing and justice
powers. However, the DUP has said there remain matters which require
resolution.
Published October 16, 2009
John O’Donoghue formally resigned as Ceann Comhairle [speaker] of the
Dublin parliament yesterday, defiantly blaming others for the scandal
over his expense claims.
Published October 16, 2009
Warning over coalition’s plans
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has accused the Green Party of having
“signed up for savage cuts in public spending, NAMA and more attacks on
working people and disadvantaged citizens” after it agreed a new
programme for government with Fianna Fail.
Published October 16, 2009
International fund ‘supports’ UDA, UVF
The International Fund for Ireland (IFI) has been accused of paying a
six-figure to a group linked to loyalist paramilitaries, no questions
asked.
Published October 16, 2009
A decision by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) to formally
draw its armed campaign to a close has been welcomed by the political
parties in the North but has caused considerable surprise to its own
supporters.
Published October 13, 2009
Unionist anger at Brady funeral display
Unionists have condemned the republican funeral for Volunteer John Brady
as “obscene”.
Published October 13, 2009
‘Official IRA’ arms report denied
The organisation once known as the ‘Official IRA’ has begun
decommissioning talks with the IICD arms body, it has been claimed.
Published October 13, 2009
Dismay as Greens vote to stay in power
Green Party members have set the scene for massive political upheaval in
the 26 Counties this winter afer they voted to stay in government and
support a programme of unprecedented budget cutbacks in tandem with the
gigantic NAMA bailout for bank shareholders and developers.
Published October 13, 2009
Clinton lauds political process
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged the North’s political
leaders to “complete” the process of devolution during a one-day visit
to Belfast on Monday.
Published October 13, 2009
Sinn Fein responds to victims plan
Republicans should cooperate with a commission to establish the truth
about the conflict but only if it is independent and organised by an
international body, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said this week.
Published October 13, 2009
INLA armed struggle declared over
An announcement was made this afternoon that the INLA's armed struggle
is over and that its future will be based around politics through
exclusively peaceful means.
Published October 11, 2009
Greens to continue in coalition with Fianna Fail
The Green Party tonight voted to continue the Dublin coalition government with
Fianna Fail and the highly controversial Nama plan to bail out Irish
developers and their bankers.
Published October 10, 2009
Brady family appeals for justice
A volley of shots have been fired over the coffin of senior republican
John Brady who died in “mysterious” circumstances while being questioned
at a PSNI police station.
Published October 8, 2009
Following the ouster on Tuesday of the speaker of the Dail, an Ceann
Comhairle John O’Donoghue, increasing turmoil has beset the political
institutions in Dublin and threatens to overwhelm the coalition
government.
Published October 8, 2009
DUP demands unpick Good Friday Agreement
Talks between the first and deputy first ministers and British Prime
Minister Gordon Brown on the devolution of policing powers have ended
without agreement.
Published October 8, 2009
Tensions increase across North
There has been a general increase in tension across the North following
the arrival of the new PSNI chief, Matt Baggott.
Published October 8, 2009
Coroner steps down in Jordan inquest
The North’s senior coroner is to stand aside from hearing an inquest
into the killing of an IRA man shot dead by Crown forces 17 years ago.
Published October 8, 2009
Woman asked to become agent for MI5
A young Fermanagh woman has spoken off her fear after being stopped and
questioned by MI5 agents upon landing at a Spanish airport when she went
on holiday earlier this month.
Published October 8, 2009
The speaker of the Dublin parliament, the Ceann Comhairle, John
O’Donoghue, announced tonight that he will resign next week
Published October 6, 2009
John Brady dies in PSNI custody
A well-known republican died in suspicious circumstances at a PSNI base
in Derry on Saturday night.
Published October 5, 2009
Praise for those who defied Lisbon ‘bullying’
The Lisbon Treaty was backed on its second outing on Friday by 67 per
cent of those who voted in the 26 County referendum.
Published October 5, 2009
DUP seen digging in until election
The positions of the northern parties on policing and justice hardened
last night as it appeared the DUP will attempt to negotiate separately
from Sinn Fein with the British government.
Published October 5, 2009
Mixed reaction to ex-PoW’s book
Former IRA prisoner Gerry ‘Whitey’ Bradley has defended a book that
lifts the lid on his life in the organisation, insisting he is “just
telling my story”.
Published October 5, 2009
US hearings into RUC collusion
The father of a Belfast man who was murdered by a unionist paramilitary
group in 1997 has secured his plea to have a US congressional hearing
into his son’s murder next month.
Published October 5, 2009
Body armour worn by Belfast tour bus drivers
International visitors arriving for bus tours of Belfast this week were
shocked to see their drivers wearing bulletproof vests.
Published October 5, 2009
With results in from almost all of the constituencies, the Lisbon
referendum has been passed in the 26 Counties by a margin of about two
to one.
Published October 3, 2009
Tallies indicate Lisbon II to be passed
Early tallies in the Lisbon referendum indicate that the Treaty is
likely to be passed on the second attempt.
Published October 3, 2009
Voters in the 26 Counties have the potential to draw a line in the sand
tomorrow against a greedy European superstate in Brussels and the
corrupt Fianna Fail government in Dublin.
Published October 1, 2009
Brown, Clinton for crisis visits after Stormont row erupts
The North’s Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness admitted yesterday
that power-sharing is facing a crisis. In a stinging rebuke to Peter
Robinson, he said the First Minister “needs to get his act together”.
Published October 1, 2009
The north’s sports minister has threatened to cut funds from Gaelic
clubs or events named after “paramilitaries”.
Published October 1, 2009
Three-year-olds searched by PSNI
Children as young as three have been stopped and searched by the PSNI,
it has been revealed.
Published October 1, 2009
McGuinness addresses Labour Party conference
Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness addressed a fringe
event at the British Labour Party Conference in Brighton on Tuesday
morning.
Published October 1, 2009
A loyalist faction has been blamed for leaving a device near Ballymoney
in County Antrim.
Published October 1, 2009
The President of Republican Sinn Fein, Ruairi O Bradaigh has stepped
down from the post “for reasons of age and health”. He will continue as
a member of the party’s leadership and is expected to move to the
position of patron of the party.
Published September 28, 2009
Bureaucrats spending millions on ‘Yes’ vote
Anti-Lisbon campaigner Patricia McKenna has threatened the European
Commission with legal action over what she claims is a “propaganda
campaign” over the Lisbon Treaty.
Published September 28, 2009
McGuinness played role in hunger strike tragedy
Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness has revealed that he was a conduit for an
offer from the British government to the 1981 hunger strikers.
Published September 28, 2009
Gormley gives hostage to fortune
The Green Party could collapse the deeply unpopular 26-County government
unless party members back two key motions at the party’s convention on
October 10, it has been confirmed.
Published September 28, 2009
Call for all-Ireland plan on banks crisis
An all-Ireland economic summit must be held to find an alternative to
the controversial plans to establish a ‘bad bank’ to handle toxic debt
south of the border, Sinn Fein said today.
Published September 28, 2009
Irish ships are sailing once again
The 26 County state is suffering net emigration for the first time since
1995.
Published September 28, 2009
The Lisbon Treaty referendum campaign continues to expose a gulf of
opinion between the people of Ireland and the wealthy elites.
Published September 24, 2009
Major PSNI operation for new chief’s arrival
A major military-style operation similar to that mounted for royal
visits swung into action this week as Matt Baggott officially took over
as the new PSNI chief.
Published September 24, 2009
Anger over new Bloody Sunday delay
The Bloody Sunday families have described the latest delay in the
publication of the Saville report into the 1972 deaths as a “kick in the
teeth”.
Published September 24, 2009
Republican confrontation at DPP meeting
Up to 50 republicans forced their way into a public meeting of the local
District Policing Partnership in Derry on Wednesday morning
Published September 24, 2009
‘Wake up and smell the coffee’ - DUP
A prolonged contradiction has arisen in talks over the proposed
devolution of policing and justice powers from London to Belfast, with
the DUP continuing to deny Sinn Fein claims that progress is being made
in the talks.
Published September 24, 2009
Fas directors are ‘scapegoats’
A prosecution is being prepared into the “worthless” expenditures of
State training agency Fas as questions are being asked about a seven
figure payment made by the Dublin government to its former director
general last year.
Published September 24, 2009
Armagh mayhem follows sentencing
Three days of serious disorder erupted in north county Armagh at the
weekend after three members of the Continuity IRA received heavy
sentences for possession of a homemade rocket launcher.
Published September 21, 2009
Durkan ‘jumped rather than be pushed’
SDLP leader Mark Durkan was forced to announce his intention to step
down yesterday by colleagues who made it apparent that the knives were
out for him, it has emerged.
Published September 21, 2009
Shivers bailed from Maghaberry ‘death sentence’
Brian Shivers, who suffers from cystic fibrosis, was granted bail on
Friday after a judge heard prison authorities had failed to provide
essential medical treatment for him.
Published September 21, 2009
Developers celebrate windfall as families queue for food
Ireland’s multi-millionaire developers were this week toasting the
Dublin government’s bailout of the Irish real estate market in the
Spanish playground resort of Puerto Banus, according to newspaper
reports.
Published September 21, 2009
Barroso mounts Lisbon PR stunt
The European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso kissed babies and
pressed the flesh in an Irish-style political canvas, hours after
threatening serious repercussions for Ireland if the Lisbon Treaty is
not approved in the October 2 referendum.
Published September 21, 2009
Secrets of Royal Black Institution revealed
Loyalist secret societies have “cultivated hatred and sectarianism” and
should be disbanded, according to the author of a new book on the Royal
Black Institution.
Published September 21, 2009
SDLP leader Durkan to step down
SDLP leader Mark Durkan has said he intends to stand aside as party leader after the next Westminster general election, which is expected around May next year.
Published September 20, 2009
The 26 County Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan has confirmed a bailout
measuring in tens of billions of Euro for Irish developers, property
speculators and their bankers.
Published September 17, 2009
Humanitarian appeal for Brian Shivers
A man currently being held on remand at Maghaberry jail on the basis of
controversial ‘low copy’ or ‘low threshold’ DNA evidence could be dead
by the time he is cleared of charges, his lawyer has said.
Published September 17, 2009
Coroner gives shoot-to-kill ultimatum
The PSNI has been given seven weeks to hand over top-secret reports into
the deaths of six men shot dead in Crown force shoot-to-kill operations.
Published September 17, 2009
Pro-Lisbon side ‘using economic fears’
The main political parties are using the current economic crisis to
scare people into supporting the Lisbon Treaty, Sinn Féin’s Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin has said.
Published September 17, 2009
Protest against British Army recuitment
A British Army recruitment event in Belfast city centre was disrupted on
Saturday, September 12 after éirígí activists staged a demonstration.
Published September 17, 2009
Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness has insisted that the North’s political
parties have reached “the end game” in negotiating a financial package
with the British government on the transfer of policing and justice
powers from London to Belfast.
Published September 17, 2009
Scale of NAMA bailout revealed
The 26-County Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan has revealed the
extent of the highly controversial bailout to be provided to the main
Irish banks following heavy losses by Irish developers in the property
markets.
Published September 16, 2009
Collusion behind Loughinisland
A report into the RUC police’s handling of one of the major loyalist
massacres of the conflict is expected to reveal that four British
Crown force agents were aware that unionist paramilitaries were
planning the atrocity.
Published September 14, 2009
There have been calls for a criminal investigation into the actions of
the board of directors of FAS, the 26 County state training agency, who
are to resign en masse over their questionable spending practices.
Published September 14, 2009
Policing tensions spill over in Derry
Two devices were planted by the ‘Real IRA’ outside the homes of
relatives of a Catholic PSNI member in Derry on Friday.
Published September 14, 2009
Flanagan ‘blamed Hamill family for death’
The Robert Hamill inquiry has heard that former RUC/PSNI police chief
Ronnie Flanagan claimed that the Portadown man may have been
accidentally killed by his own family.
Published September 14, 2009
People to pay for my mistakes, Cowen admits
The Taoiseach Brian Cowen has accepted that he had “not got everything
right” on managing the country’s finances, adding that the Irish people
will endure further “short-term pain” to help balance the budget.
Published September 14, 2009
Call for truth over loyalist weapons
Two Belfast families whose lives changed forever after their loved ones
were gunned down by weapons obtained by a British agent in South Africa
have called on the government to tell the truth about their role in the
murders.
Published September 14, 2009
Civilians in Forkhill, south Armagh have expressed their anger after an
abandoned bomb was left in a culvert on the border for over a week.
Published September 10, 2009
No respect for Nama ‘lipstick’
Amendments have been made to the proposed legislation establishing the
National Asset Management Agency (Nama) to help the Green Party
leadership get support for the plan at their special conference of
members this weekend.
Published September 10, 2009
Arms body done with UVF, holds talks with UDA
The IICD arms body under General John de Chastelain has said in a
statement that it believes that the arms decommissioned in June by the
unionist paramilitary UVF is all that remained under the control of that
organisation’s leadership, and that UVF decommissioning has ended.
Published September 10, 2009
DUP ‘seeking new renegotiation’
Nationalists have warned that unionists are seeking a new political
agreement for the North of Ireland in return for the transfer of
policing and justice powers from London to Belfast.
Published September 10, 2009
Angle grinders and saws were used to cut down so-called “peace gates” in
Derry’s Bogside on Tuesday.
Published September 10, 2009
Prosecutors back decision on McGuinness charges
Crown prosecutors have said that Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness
was not charged with membership of the IRA in 1994 because there was not
enough evidence.
Published September 10, 2009
The issue of compensation for victims of the conflict in Ireland has
become enmeshed in a political row over Anglo-Libyan relations and oil
deals believed to be worth billions.
Published September 7, 2009
A Commission on Taxation has recommended the taxation of child benefit
and water charges as part of a reform package of the 26-County taxation
system.
Published September 7, 2009
A Coleraine man was set upon by loyalists on Wednesday night just yards
from the spot where he was left for dead in a previous UDA attack which
killed his friend, Kevin McDaid, in May.
Published September 7, 2009
Covert SAS operation in Tyrone
A Dungannon man has told how he returned home on Thursday to find two
armed individuals dressed in fatigues with their faces blacked out
running up a field behind his house.
Published September 7, 2009
Sinn Fein has vowed to systematically disrupt the business of the Dublin
parliament to prevent passage of the bill setting up the National Assets
Management Agency.
Published September 7, 2009
A conference held at Shannon airport on Saturday heard repeated calls to
prevent major corporations from spending over a million Euro on
promoting a ‘Yes’ vote in the Lisbon Treaty referendum.
Published September 7, 2009
The Scottish government outlined plans today [Thursday] to hold a
referendum on independence for Scotland next year.
Published September 3, 2009
Blame game follows east Belfast riot
The PSNI has been strongly criticised for its actions during a major
riot in east Belfast following a Sinn Fein rally.
Published September 3, 2009
Decline in support for Fianna Fail, Lisbon II
The Green Party has admitted that a snap election may have to be held
within the next six months following a sharp decline in support for the
26 County government and the Lisbon II Treaty referendum.
Published September 3, 2009
The UDA has stepped up a campaign of intimidation in the north Antrim,
sending threatening letters to Rasharkin residents and expanding a list
of targets in nearby Coleraine.
Published September 3, 2009
Hamill inquiry struggles to reach truth
The PSNI chief who led the investigation into the sectarian murder of
Robert Hamill claimed the reason he did not record significant evidence
in police files was because he was so concerned about the risk of
collusion.
Published September 3, 2009
More choppers over south Armagh
There has been in increase in the number of helicopter patrols in the
skies over south Armagh amid a debate over the possibility of a return
of British Army foot patrols in the area.
Published September 3, 2009
Major disturbances in east Belfast
Heavy rioting has erupted tonight in east Belfast after a Sinn Fein
event was attacked by a large loyalist mob.
Published August 31, 2009
Declan McGlinchey, son of INLA leader Dominic McGlinchey, has been found not
guilty of four charges relating to making and possessing a
bomb after the prosecution admitted its low-copy DNA evidence was
“insufficient”.
Published August 31, 2009
New ‘peaceline’ divides Belfast
A new ‘peaceline’ has been erected in Belfast, 40 years after the first
such barriers were built to keep the divided communities apart.
Published August 31, 2009
The 26-County Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin has launched
an extraordinary attack against the ‘Coir’ campaign on the Lisbon
Treaty referendum.
Published August 31, 2009
UDA linked to sectarian attacks
A sectarian arson attack has destroyed an Irish language school in
Castlewellan, County Down.
Published August 31, 2009
The last day of the marching season saw loyalist bands play sectarian
tunes through republican areas and a village in County Down completely
shut down, with tailbacks of up to seven miles long.
Published August 31, 2009
The PSNI were forced to pull back after encountering a ‘Real IRA’
checkpoint in south Armagh this week, it has been confirmed.
Published August 27, 2009
A spate of serious sectarian attacks followed a contentious parade in
the County Antrim village of Rasharkin last weekend.
Published August 27, 2009
McGuinness urges unionists to ‘hold their nerve’
Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness has said the only obstacle to the
devolution of policing and justice powers would be if the DUP “loses its
nerve.”
Published August 27, 2009
Deported Brennan weighs options
West Belfast Long Kesh escapee Pol Brennan said it is a “bittersweet”
feeling for him to be back on Irish soil after his deportation from the
US at the weekend.
Published August 27, 2009
PSNI informer part of murder gang
The Police Ombudsman has confirmed that a Crown force informer was a
member of a gang that gunned down a father of six in front of his wife
and children.
Published August 27, 2009
UDA brigadier in Banbridge mob terror
It has now been confirmed that UDA leader Jackie McDonald was one of
over 100 unionists who laid siege to homes in the Peggy’s Loaning area
of Banbridge for several hours on Tuesday, August 11.
Published August 27, 2009
There has been a wave of praise by politicians in Ireland and Britain
following the death of US Senator Edward Kennedy for his efforts in the
Irish peace process and his decades of political service.
Published August 27, 2009
Former Irish political prisoner Pól Brennan was deported from the US
today [Friday], returning to Ireland for the first time in 25 years.
Published August 22, 2009
Human rights probe into Ardoyne violence
An international human rights adviser is to investigate the
circumstances in which four young people, including a 13-year-old child,
were injured with plastic bullets in north Belfast last month.
Published August 20, 2009
‘Shoot to kill’ case set for Europe
The families of two unarmed IRA Volunteers shot dead by the British Army
SAS nearly 20 years ago are to take their case to Europe over the
failure of the RUC police to hold a genuine investigation.
Published August 20, 2009
Thousands attend hunger strike rally
As part of a weekend of events a rally and wreath-laying ceremony took place in the village of Galbally -- home of Martin Hurson, the sixth person to die in the 1981 fast.
Published August 20, 2009
Burning of Bombay St remembered
Hundreds of members of the West Belfast community gathered on Sunday for
a march and rally to mark the 40th anniversary of the pogroms of August
1969.
Published August 20, 2009
‘No to Lisbon’ campaign launched
A group campaigning for a ‘No’ vote in the October 2nd referendum on the
Lisbon Treaty has expressed concern over guidelines issued to
broadcasters.
Published August 20, 2009
Two republican activists boarded a British warship in Belfast last
weekend.
Published August 20, 2009
This urgent action alert is from the Pol Brennan support group.
Published August 17, 2009
The Green Party is set to hold a special convention on the Dublin
government’s controversial ‘bad bank’ after a swell in grass-roots
opposition
Published August 14, 2009
Sinn Fein brushed off suggestions of internal unrest following a meeting in Navan,
County Meath, this week.
Published August 14, 2009
Tyrone village used as RAF training centre
Residents are demanding that the British Army stop using a County Tyrone
village as a training centre for its war in Afghanistan.
Published August 14, 2009
New PSNI chief appointed amid devolution doubts
Members of the Policing Board have unanimously appointed Englishman Matt
Baggott, head of Leicestershire police, as the new PSNI chief.
Published August 14, 2009
Up to a hundred loyalists descended on an area of Banbridge, County Down
this week terrifying residents and ripping down two Irish flags.
Published August 14, 2009
Police used to suppress workers’ protest
A sit-in action by workers who occupied the Dublin store of
international travel company Thomas Cook ended violently this week when
scores of Garda police used battering rams to raid the premises and
arrest the workers.
Published August 7, 2009
PSNI behind loyalist ‘mob rule’
The PSNI have been accused of facilitating the KKK-style intimidation of
a Catholic family in Larne.
Published August 7, 2009
The PSNI are likely to mount a military-style operation to force an
Apprentice Boys parade through a Belfast sectarian interface this
weekend.
Published August 7, 2009
The North’s Policing Board has agreed to sell off underused and
abandoned PSNI stations in towns and villages across the Six Counties.
Published August 7, 2009
Open letter to the Orange Order
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has issued an open letter to the
Orange Order Grand Secretary Drew Nelson.
Published August 7, 2009
‘Regret’ over checkpoint murder
The British government has expressed “deep regret” over the fatal
shooting of a Tyrone man 21 years ago, but declined to formally
apologise.
Published July 31, 2009
The British Army knew within hours that the bombing the McGurk’s Bar in
1971 was a loyalist massacre of innocent Catholics and not an IRA ‘own
goal’ as it claimed at the time.
Published July 31, 2009
A north Belfast primary school has been targeted by loyalists for the
second time in two weeks.
Published July 31, 2009
eirigi general secretary Breandan Mac Cionnaith has slammed what he
described as yet another example of political policing by the PSNI
following the arrest of a second man in connection with Massereene
attack.
Published July 31, 2009
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has denounced critics who have
questioned his continued leadership of the party and its new political
direction.
Published July 31, 2009
Cuts plan would have huge social consequences - Adams
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has warned that if the report by the
so-called ‘An Bord Snip Nua’ is implemented, its proposals would have
devastating social consequences.
Published July 24, 2009
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton could visit the north of Ireland
in September in the role of peace envoy, it has been revealed.
Published July 24, 2009
A former member of Sinn Fein’s ard chomhairle [high council] has become
the third councillor to quit the party in the 26 Counties in recent
weeks.
Published July 24, 2009
Sinn Fein has clashed with rival republican groups following allegations
that so-called ‘dissidents’ were behind last week’s riots in north
Belfast.
Published July 24, 2009
Concern over ‘renegade’ UDA faction
An East Derry politician has sent an “urgent message” to the 26-County
‘Department of Foreign Affairs’ seeking an immediate meeting following
an apparent split within the unionist paramilitary UDA.
Published July 24, 2009
Use of plastic bullets condemned
A 13-year-old boy was among a number of people injured by plastic
bullets fired by the PSNI during Monday night’s clashes in north
Belfast.
Published July 17, 2009
Call to end anti-Protestant attacks
An increase in the number of sectarian attacks against Protestant homes
and institutions has been condemned.
Published July 17, 2009
PSNI use debts in bid to recruit informer
A County Tyrone man on the verge of bankruptcy has said the PSNI police
offered him two hundred pounds to “set up” a prominent dissident
republican.
Published July 17, 2009
Chaos expected over ‘Bord Snip’ cutbacks
An official report for the Dublin government has laid out
recommendations for one of the biggest planned cutbacks in the history
of the 26 County state, urging 17,300 public sector lay-offs and over
five billion Euro in cuts.
Published July 17, 2009
Nursing home deaths report ‘a whitewash’
Outraged relatives of elderly people who died in the care of Leas Cross
Nursing Home have dismissed an official inquiry in to the scandal as a
whitewash.
Published July 17, 2009
Disturbances continue amid riot recriminations
Serious disturbances have continued in north Belfast and other areas of
the North following intense parades-related conflict on Monday evening.
Published July 15, 2009
Riots break out at Orange parades
Trouble has erupted tonight over loyalist parades in at least thre
nationalist area across the North.
Published July 13, 2009
UDA brigade rejects peace process
The UDA in north Antrim and Derry have further cranked up tensions in
the area by announcing their withdrawal of support for the police and
political institutions.
Published July 10, 2009
Colin Duffy attacked at Maghaberry
Prominent republican Colin Duffy was attacked by prison warders at
Maghaberry Prison earlier this week, according to his family.
Published July 10, 2009
Zaitschek blasts Orde over bogus prosecution
The American chef who served as an international scapegoat by the PSNI
Special Branch for the infamous Castlereagh break-in of 2002 issued a
‘put up or shut up’ ultimatum to PSNI police chief Hugh Orde this week.
Published July 10, 2009
Church attacks linked to DUP bigotry
A string of sectarian attacks has seen five Catholic churches
paint-bombed and a car burnt out at a Gaelic sports club in the North
Antrim area.
Published July 10, 2009
A letter from the unionist paramilitary UDA has warned “foreigners” to
leave the “Queen’s country” by Sunday.
Published July 10, 2009
Lisbon 2 referendum to be held on October 2nd
The second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty is to be held on Friday,
October 2nd, the 26-County Taoiseach has announced.
Published July 8, 2009
Decommissioning: Gunsmoke and mirrors
Decommissioning claims this week by the two main unionist paramilitary
group are being treated with scepticism
in the absence of any
direct confirmation from Canadian General John de Chastelain.
Published July 3, 2009
SF marshals at Whiterock parade
A coat-trailing sectarian parade by the Protestant Orange Order was
delayed on Saturday while British Army bomb disposal experts removed a
number of suspicious devices.
Published July 3, 2009
Oppressive PSNI tactics in Fermanagh, Derry
PSNI brutality at a checkpoint in the Eniskillen area has been
condemned.
Published July 3, 2009
A protest against an event at Belfast City Hall to mark British Armed
Forces Day was prevented from entering the city centre on Saturday by
scores of riot police.
Published July 3, 2009
‘Make your mind up time’ for devolution - McGuinness
Tensions continue between Sinn Féin and the DUP over the devolution of
policing and justice, the handling of the Stormont budget and a host of
other issues.
Published July 3, 2009
Both the UVF and the UDA have issued statements this morning claiming
to have carried out some decommissioning of their weapons.
Published June 27, 2009
Row over policing of sectarian marches
The issue of who should police contentious loyalist parades reached a
head this week after dissident republicans accused former Provisional
IRA prisoners of facilitating a coat-trailing sectarian parade through
republican north Belfast.
Published June 26, 2009
Immigrants abandon ‘racist statelet’
Intolerance is growing in the Six Counties, with a new survey showing
the isolated statelet increasingly turning inward.
Published June 26, 2009
Union Jack to be hoisted over Belfast City Hall
Relatives of people killed by the British Army in the north of Ireland
have protested over official plans for Belfast city council to celebrate
‘British Armed Forces Day’.
Published June 26, 2009
Dublin govt admits role in economic crash
Two reports have predicted a huge contraction in the 26-County economy
and surging unemployment next year as Fianna Fail admitted its mistakes
have fuelled the crisis.
Published June 26, 2009
Hunger strike furore continues
A meeting to tackle the controversy over the handling of the 1981 hunger
strike has failed to resolve the debate.
Published June 26, 2009
PSNI prosecution of journalist defeated
A journalist has won legal recognition for her right to keep
confidential her sources of information on the ‘Real IRA’ after the
PSNI police had ordered her to surrender her documents.
Published June 19, 2009
Britain claims progress on loyalist decommissioning
Suggestions by the British government that unionist paramilitaries have
begun to decommission their weapons are being treated with caution.
Published June 19, 2009
You can do it, Adams tells NY audience
Sinn Féin has held the first in a series of international conferences
discussing the issue of Irish unity.
Published June 19, 2009
Collusion victims to bring civil case
A nationalist victims’ group has signalled its intention to take an
Omagh-style civil action against senior British government ministers in
connection to state killings of unarmed civilians.
Published June 19, 2009
Colonial rents paid for Irish lough
The British Crown is charging rent for the use of Lough Foyle, between
Donegal and Derry, it has emerged.
Published June 19, 2009
The Dublin government appears determined to cling to power despite its
overwhelming rejection at the hands of voters in the 26 Counties.
Published June 12, 2009
The British government timed a decision to announce the retention of
non-jury Diplock courts for a further two years to coincide with one of
the busiest news days of the year.
Published June 12, 2009
Prisoner assaulted by ‘delinquent’ warders
A Republican prisoner has been seriously assaulted in his cell in
Maghaberry jail this Wednesday, according to Republican Sinn Féin.
Published June 12, 2009
Omagh civil case ends with inquiry call
So-called ‘dissident’ Michael McKevitt has announced he is appealing a
judgment that found him and three other men financially responsible for
the 1998 Omagh bombing.
Published June 12, 2009
The only Irish-language newspaper in existence, Foinse, says it may
be forced top cease publication after this weekend.
Published June 12, 2009
Christy Burke resigns from Sinn Féin
Dublin city councillor Christy Burke has resigned from Sinn Féin, it
has been confirmed. He will remain on the council as an independent.
Published June 9, 2009
de Brun elected; Ferris, McDonald miss out
Sinn Féin MEP Bairbre de Brun’s emphatic re-election today in Belfast
on the first count -- the first time a nationalist party has headed a
Six County election -- has been tempered by the party’s loss of its
sitting MEP in Dublin, Mary Lou McDonald.
Published June 8, 2009
Ferris in hunt for Euro seat; RSF wins county council seat
In the European elections, the first counts are in and have revealed a
swing to the left.
Published June 7, 2009
‘A good election for SF’ - Adams
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said the election had been a good one
for the party and that key gains have been made.
Published June 7, 2009
Coalition suffers heavy losses
The Dublin coalition government has suffered a major drop in support in
local and European elections, according to early tallies as well as an
exit poll released today.
Published June 6, 2009
Early figures for voter turnout in the North’s European Parliament
election are showing a significant drop in the numbers voting, but with
Sinn Fein’s Bairbre de Brun in a clear lead.
Published June 5, 2009
A member of the PSNI is believed to have been behind last week’s
sectarian loyalist mob assault in Coleraine in which one man died and
another was left critically injured.
Published June 4, 2009
Election underway in the North
Voting is underway in the European Parliamentary elections at polling
stations across the North and is being described as “slow”.
Published June 4, 2009
McIlveen sentences ‘reasonable’ - ruling
The family of the Catholic schoolboy Michael McIlveen have said they are
“devastated” at a ruling that the jail terms given to his killers were
not too lenient.
Published June 4, 2009
UN call for Irish Language Act
The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has
called for the adoption of an Irish language Act.
Published June 4, 2009
Brown heave could trigger Westminster election
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is under increasing pressure from
his own MPs and is likely to be ousted, according to reports.
Published June 4, 2009
Peace worker killed for being Catholic
Kevin McDaid was killed for the crime of being Catholic -- but his
Protestant wife Evelyn, who was also viciously attacked, has said he
simply wanted peace.
Published May 29, 2009
Public turns against holy orders over abuse
A call for those responsible for child abuse in institutions run by the
religious orders to face criminal proceedings has been led by the
President of Ireland, Mary McAleese.
Published May 29, 2009
PSNI seize Liam Campbell, attempt extradition
Prominent republican Liam Campbell was arrested in dramatic fashion in
County Armagh last weekend when the PSNI police rammed his car after
discovering he had crossed the border from the 26 Counties.
Published May 29, 2009
Emotional hunger strike debate
The Republican Network for Unity held an event last weekend called “What
is the Truth Behind the Hunger Strike?” to examine issues which have
arisen in recent years regarding the negotiations which took place in
1981.
Published May 29, 2009
Election campaigning intensifies
Sinn Féin launched the final stage of the party’s EU and local election
campaigns on Wednesday with the unveiling of billboards, advertisements
and new posters across Dublin.
Published May 29, 2009
A list of Sinn Fein and other republican candidates
in the forthcoming elections across Ireland on June 4th and 5th.
Published May 27, 2009
PSNI ‘never moved’ during fatal Coleraine attack
The Police Ombudsman is to investigate reports that a PSNI unit stood by
and watched as Catholic father-of-four Kevin McDaid was beaten to death
on Sunday evening.
Published May 26, 2009
Man dies after loyalist mob attack
A 49-year-old Catholic man has been killed in a loyalist rampage in
Coleraine, County Derry.
Published May 25, 2009
A press photographer was badly beaten at a unionist paramilitary funeral
for a notorious mass murderer on Thursday afternoon.
Published May 22, 2009
Inquiry hears of investigation failings, PSNI distrust
Blood samples on the clothing of Catholic murder victim Robert Hamill
were not analysed, the inquiry into into his murder has heard.
Published May 22, 2009
Westminster scandal reaches Ireland
In an ironic outburst, British Conservative leader David Cameron has
used an electioneering visit to the north of Ireland to threaten to cut
expenses from Sinn Féin’s Westminster MP
Published May 22, 2009
First official famine commemoration
The first Irish Famine Memorial Day commemoration took place in
Skibbereen in west Cork last Sunday, May 17th.
Published May 22, 2009
Dublin/Monaghan victims remembered
Relatives of those who lost their lives in the Dublin and Monaghan
bombings marked the 35th anniversary of the atrocity with a
wreath-laying ceremony in Dublin this week.
Published May 22, 2009
Journo stands up to the police state
Belfast journalist Suzanne Breen and her newspaper, the Sunday Tribune,
have received widespread support for their refusal to comply with
demands by the PSNI police to identify journalistic sources within the
‘Real IRA’.
Published May 15, 2009
Report identifies institutional sectarianism
Young Catholics are far more likely to face prosecution than
Protestant youths in the North, a new equality study has revealed.
Published May 15, 2009
Furore after attack on home of Mitchel McLaughlin
The 32 County Sovereignty Movement in Derry has denied that dissident
republicans were behind a petrol bomb attack on the home of Sinn Féin
leadership figure Mitchel McLaughlin at the weekend.
Published May 15, 2009
Deadlock as prison protest goes on
A dirty protest at Portlaoise prison is entering its sixth week, with
prison warders admitting they see no signs that the ‘Real IRA’ men
involved will soon end their demonstration.
Published May 15, 2009
UDA leader fined £1 after life of crime
A former unionist paramilitary ‘brigadier’ has been fined just one pound
after prosecutors agreed a deal with the defence in a Belfast courtroom
over the proceeds of his crimes.
Published May 15, 2009
Dismay as Ballymena killers receive light sentences
The family of Catholic schoolboy Michael McIlveen have criticised the
lenient sentences given to seven people convicted in connection with his
savage killing.
Published May 8, 2009
North election campaign underway
Sinn Féin’s European candidate Bairbre de Brun has emerged as the
bookies’ favourite to top the poll at next month’s election but is
facing a hard battle against the DUP’s Diane Dodds.
Published May 8, 2009
Coalition frays as election looms
The Green Party has moved to distance themselves from their Fianna Fail
Coalition partners by refusing to call on their supporters to transfer
their votes in the three sets of elections scheduled in hte 26 Counties
for June 5th.
Published May 8, 2009
Court overturns Fianna convictions
In a landmark ruling, two men convicted in relation to IRA-related
charges 30 years ago when they were teenagers have had their records
cleared.
Published May 8, 2009
Queen moves closer to 26-County visit
A visit by the Queen of England to Derry has been condemned by
Republican Sinn Féin.
Published May 8, 2009
The High Court in Belfast has ruled that a decision to
withhold state funding for a UDA-related group over that organisation’s
refusal to decommission its weaponry was “illegal”.
Published May 1, 2009
Duffy granted judicial review over spy tactics
Colin Duffy has been granted permission by the High Court to challenge
prison service silence about any covert surveillance being used against
him.
Published May 1, 2009
RUC kept loyalist plots secret
RUC Special Branch systematically failed to warn people under threat by
loyalists, the Billy Wright Inquiry has heard.
Published May 1, 2009
Four men guilty of the sectarian murder of a Catholic schoolboy have
been given minimum sentences of up to 13 years in jail.
Published May 1, 2009
A British supermarket chain ordered two young GAA members to remove
their sports jerseys while fundraising at a County Antrim supermar
Published May 1, 2009
Plan for mass ‘supergrass’ trials
A purpose-built ‘supergrass’ unit is to be constructed inside
Maghaberry Prison in the North of Ireland following a decision to
revive the policy of using informers’ evidence in courts.
Published April 24, 2009
Injunction bid to stop informer pressure
British intelligence has offered a six figure sum and a home abroad to
a South Armagh man if he would work with them to help imprison a
republican from the area.
Published April 24, 2009
‘Equality Commission’ rules against Easter Lily
A protest by Sinn Féin’s youth wing blocked the entrance to the
Equality Commission’s Office in Belfast in protest at a recent ruling
discriminating against the wearing of the Easter Lily by nationalists.
Published April 24, 2009
Activist hospitalised after Shell site beating
Farmer and environmental activist Willie Corduff is in hospital after
being attacked by a masked gang during a protest at the planned Corrib
gas pipeline early on Thursday.
Published April 24, 2009
Belfast’s Basque community in fear
A political activist from the Basque country was arrested in a raid in
Belfast this week and faces 14 years in prison if extradited back to
Spain.
Published April 24, 2009
‘Real IRA’ says it executed Denis Donaldson
The ‘Real IRA’ has claimed responsibility for killing infamous Special
Branch informer Denis Donaldson in County Donegal just over three years
ago.
Published April 17, 2009
Diverse groups mark Easter Rising
Hundreds of events, large and small, were held across Ireland to
mark the 93rd anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising by a variety of
republican groups, large and small.
Published April 17, 2009
Anger at treatment of prisoners
Republican prisoners at Maghaberry jail have been punished for wearing
Easter lilies in communal areas at the weekend.
Published April 17, 2009
Pol Brennan, who has been imprisoned in a US jail since January of last
year, has lost an appeal against a federal judge’s decision to deport
him to Ireland.
Published April 17, 2009
Dublin govt recognises ‘Londonderry’ name
A controversy has arises after it emerged that loyalists from Derry are
to be allowed to register their birth place as ‘Londonderry’ on Irish
passports.
Published April 17, 2009
PSNI police Chief Hugh Orde is to leave his position in the North of
Ireland after securing a job in England.
Published April 16, 2009
A statement was read out at an Easter commemoration
organised by the 32 County Sovereignty Committee in Derry city today.
Published April 13, 2009
Political tensions have increased in Belfast with an increased number
of incidents at sectarian interfaces ahead of the marching season.
Published April 10, 2009
Gaza is ‘open-air prison’ - Adams
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams entered the Gaza Strip on Wednesday
after former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was forced to intervene
to enable the visit.
Published April 10, 2009
Several Gaelic sports clubs across the north have been forced to
increase their security after a loyalist paramilitary group made
threats to kill members.
Published April 10, 2009
CIRA statement amid disturbances
British Army bomb-disposal teams found a “viable explosive device”
during a bomb alert in County Tyrone this week.
Published April 10, 2009
Fresh controversy over hunger strike talks
Claims of a possible deal that could have saved the lives of up to six
republican hunger strikers have been rubbished by former Sinn Féin
director of publicity Danny Morrison.
Published April 10, 2009
On this the 93rd anniversary of the 1916 Rising the leadership of Sinn
Féin extends its solidarity to the families of all our patriot dead.
Published April 10, 2009
The 26 County Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan has confronted the
Irish people with the toughest Budget announcement in the history of
the State
Published April 7, 2009
Concern is mounting over next week’s “emergency budget” planned by the
Dublin government deal with the economic crisis.
Published April 3, 2009
Anger at treatment of Colin Duffy
Friends and relatives of Mr Duffy have expressed outrage at a protest
meeting in Lurgan, Couty Armagh at his treatment and the conditions of
his detention.
Published April 3, 2009
Israel refuses meeting with Adams
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams is to visit the Middle East next week.
Published April 3, 2009
Struggle to defend rights, jobs
Catholics are still more than twice as likely to be seeking work as
Protestants in the north of Ireland, according to the latest labour
statistics, published on Friday.
Published April 3, 2009
The Dublin government to make a claim to the United Nations for control
of gas and oil exploration rights potentially worth billions of euro
around Rockall, a tiny, remote island off Ireland’s north-west coast.
Published April 3, 2009
Belfast and other towns in the north of Ireland were plunged into
chaos tonight following dozens of co-ordinated bomb alerts and other
disturbances.
Published March 30, 2009
Community punishment in north Armagh
Widescale PSNI raids and detentions have taken place in the Craigavon
and Lurgan areas of County Armagh over the course of the past two
weeks.
Published March 27, 2009
PSNI seeks funds for choppers, jeeps, informers
PSNI Chief Hugh Orde is in talks with the British government to secure
up to 76 million pounds extra over the next two years to bolster the
force’s efforts against republican armed groups in the Six Counties.
Published March 27, 2009
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has said the recommendations of a
British “legacy” panel are incapable of addressing issues of truth and
reconciliation in the past conflict.
Published March 27, 2009
New talks to deal with economic crisis
Widespread strikes threatened for Monday in the 26 Counties have been
called off after an invitation to the country’s largest unions to
resume talks on a new national agreement on economic recovery was
accepted.
Published March 27, 2009
A veteran republican who was the first female Sinn Féin deputy mayor of
Belfast died last Saturday at the age of 72.
Published March 27, 2009
Duffy still held despite court ruling
A Belfast judge ordered today that those being interrogated by the PSNI
over attacks by breakaway IRA groups early this month be released or
charged.
Published March 25, 2009
Two detainees released amid human rights protests
Two men who were arrested last week in connection with dissident in
which two British soldiers and a member of the PSNI were killed
earlier this month have been released without charge.
Published March 23, 2009
Detained man hospitalised in hunger protest
One of the seven people arrested for questioning in connection with the
recent IRA attacks was taken to hospital last [Saturday] night for
medical treatment
Published March 22, 2009
Ireland claim historic rugby victory
Celebrations burst out across Ireland tonight after the national team
clinched its first Grand Slam in 61 years.
Published March 21, 2009
Nationalist youths threw petrol bombs and other missiles at the PSNI on
Saturday following an aggressive raid and arrest operation in Lurgan
and Craigavon in north Armagh.
Published March 19, 2009
Republican Sinn Fein President Ruairi O’Bradaigh has derided Martin
McGuinness’s condemnation of the breakaway IRA groups as “traitors”.
Published March 19, 2009
Challenge to deployment of killer regiment
The Relatives For Justice group is to mount a legal challenge to PSNI
Chief Hugh Orde’s decision to deploy special British armed forces in
the North.
Published March 19, 2009
The Irish political establishment was broadly enthusiastic
following the annual St Patrick’s Day ‘bowl of shamrock’ ceremony and
celebrations in Washington DC with the new US President, Barack Obama.
Published March 19, 2009
Release of ‘death list’ loyalists appealed
The British government has been asked to investigate the leniency of
sentences handed down to two loyalists who used a PSNI database to
gather information in preparation for attacks on nationalists.
Published March 19, 2009
Prominent Lurgan republican Colin Duffy has been arrested by the PSNI police
following a series of early morning raids across the North of Ireland.
Published March 14, 2009
A meeting between Sinn Fein’s Mayor of Belfast and representatives of
the unionist paramilitary UDA took place on Wednesday in a bid to ease
nationalist fears following the recent violence.
Published March 13, 2009
Wall of silence at Hamill Inquiry
A collective “loss of memory” has descended among witnesses at the
public inquiry into the murder Robert Hamill.
Published March 13, 2009
A listening bug may have been placed inside the Vauxhall car that
carried the Omagh bomb, according to a High Court document.
Published March 13, 2009
Extradition hearing for Basque activist
A Belfast judge has approved the extradition of Jose Ignacio de Juana
Chaos to Spain on the charge of “glorifying terrorism”, even though no
homologous offence exists under British law
Published March 13, 2009
Tara campaign for St Patrick’s Day
The campaign group TaraWatch says that it plans to “mobilise 50,000
supporters worldwide” to demonstrate against individual 26-County Ministers as
they attend St Patrick’s Day functions around the world.
Published March 13, 2009
Continuity IRA claims Craigavon attack
The Continuity IRA has claimed responsibility for shooting dead a
member of the PSNI in Craigavon, County Armagh, last nigh
Published March 10, 2009
A member of the PSNI police has been killed tonight in a gun attack in
Craigavon, County Armagh.
Published March 10, 2009
Breakaway groups claim base attack
Claims of responsibility have been made in the name of both the Real
IRA and Oglaigh na hEireann for a gun attack on a British Army base on
Saturday night which left two British soldiers dead.
Published March 9, 2009
Two soldiers killed in attack on British Army base
British soldiers in County Antrim have come under fire in a gun attack
on a military base.
Published March 7, 2009
Devolution bill sparks new row
The passage of legislation to give effect to a deal on the transfer of
policing and justice powers has seen sharp exchanges between the
nationalist parties on the issue.
Published March 6, 2009
The people to pay for Cowen’s mistakes
The Dublin government is planning a new budget of cuts and taxes after
the unemployment rate in the 26 Counties reached 10 per cent and is set
to go higher.
Published March 6, 2009
Bradley seeks to end justice hopes
The future of the controversial Eames/Bradley proposals for dealing
with the ‘legacy’ of conflict appears bleak after one of its authors
lashed out at victims’ groups and Sinn Fein for seeking an independent
truth recovery process.
Published March 6, 2009
Tories to renegotiate peace deal after UUP pact
The British Conservative Party has said “Northern Ireland would be a
better place” if politicians agreed to end power-sharing structures
negotiated in the Good Friday Agreement.
Published March 6, 2009
Republican Sinn Fein said approaches have been made by Special Branch
and MI5 in an effort to get party members to turn informer.
Published March 6, 2009
Veteran republican Eddie Keenan died at his home in Twinbrook outside
west Belfast last week, aged 88.
Published March 6, 2009
The turnout of over 120,000 at Saturday’s national demonstration in
Dublin showed the depth of anger among workers at the handling of the
economic crisis by the 26 County government.
Published February 27, 2009
Britain ‘cherry picking’ legacy proposals
British Direct Ruler Shaun Woodward has ruled out implementing
so-called “recognition payments” to families of victims as a means of
tackling issues of truth, justice and reconciliation arising from the
conflict.
Published February 27, 2009
The husband of a woman killed by an RUC police plastic bullet nearly 28
years ago has won permission to challenge a decision by British Crown
prosecutors not to charge anyone with her murder.
Published February 27, 2009
Prisoners’ discrimination case for House of Lords
Two former IRA PoWs who were denied jobs with a top charity have
taken their case to Britain’s House of Lords.
Published February 27, 2009
Call for ‘new alignment’ at Sinn Féin Ard Fheis
Sinn Féin’s annual conference at the weekend was dominated by the
economic recession and the upcoming elections in the 26 Counties.
Published February 27, 2009
Adams's address to Sinn Fein Ard Fheis
The full text of this year's address by Sinn Fein President Gerry
Adams to his party's annual conference.
Published February 21, 2009
100,000 march in national protest
The protest against the manner in which the financial crisis is being
handled by the Dublin government today has seen the largest march in
the capital in several years.
Published February 21, 2009
New armed group declares readiness
A man described as a spokesman for the Oglaigh na hEireann group has
said that it is made up principally of former members of the
Provisional IRA and denied it is linked to the ‘Real IRA’
Published February 20, 2009
The family of murdered Belfast defence lawyer Pat Finucane have warned
that the British government has suggested that it could abandon a
proposed public inquiry into his murder.
Published February 20, 2009
Sinn Féin holds conference on day of protest
The Sinn Féin Ard Fheis 2009 is taking place this Friday and Saturday
February 20th and 21st at the RDS in Dublin.
Published February 20, 2009
Sinn Féin has marked the 20th anniversary of the murder of a veteran
councillor who “laid the foundation stone for republicanism” in south
Derry.
Published February 20, 2009
‘Vindictive’ fine for McGlinchey
Republican group eirigi hit out yesterday at fines imposed on the son
of murdered INLA leader Dominic McGlinchey for his part in protests at
Stormont against the Iraq war.
Published February 20, 2009
RSF blasts appeal for ‘informers’
Republican hardliners have accused Sinn Fein of telling “Irish people
to become informers”.
Published February 13, 2009
Banks: The seven billion Euro run-around
The scandal over the dodgy dealings of Ireland’s top bankers took
another turn this week when it emerged that vast sums of money were
shuffled between institutions last year in order to conceal grave
financial difficulties.
Published February 13, 2009
Support for coalition crashes amid jobs crisis
Fianna Fail has now slumped into third place behind Fine Gael and the
Labour Party in the latest poll of public opinion in the 26 Counties.
Published February 13, 2009
Omagh families fobbed off again
Omagh bomb victims’ families held what they said was a heated but
unproductive meeting with British prime minister Gordon Brown yesterday
over the role of British intelligence in the attack.
Published February 13, 2009
Vigil held on Finucane anniversary
A vigil has been held in north Belfast to mark the 20th anniversary of
the murder of defence lawyer Pat Finucane.
Published February 13, 2009
Massive bomb defused amid Belfast tension
A bomb weighing 300lb intended for use against a British military base
in County Down was abandoned by republican militants last week.
Published February 6, 2009
McCrea admits meetings with serial killer
DUP MP Willie McCrea has been urged to set out in detail the extent and
nature of his relationship with loyalist murder gang leader Billy
Wright.
Published February 6, 2009
Dublin supports Ballymurphy appeal
The Dublin government is to raise the case of 11 people shot dead in
Ballymurphy by the British Army in 1971 with British Direct Ruler Shaun
Woodward.
Published February 6, 2009
EU to spend millions on pro-Lisbon campaign
The European Commission is spending 1.8 million Euro on a blatant
propoganda campaign in a bid to win a second referendum on the Lisbon
Treaty.
Published February 6, 2009
Fresh appeal to save ‘Ireland’s Alamo’
A great grandson of a 1916 Easter Rising leader has made an appeal for
help in a bid to safeguard a Dublin city centre building that played a
key role in the rebellion.
Published February 6, 2009
Workers seize plant as Waterford Crystal ordered shut
Hundreds of workers were occupying Ireland’s world-famous Waterford
Crystal factory tonight after being told by text message they were
losing their jobs.
Published January 30, 2009
Long Kesh stadium proposal abandoned
Plans for a new international sports stadium at the site of the former
prison at Long Kesh were finally axed yesterday.
Published January 30, 2009
‘Partitionism’ a form of sectarianism - McGuinness
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has hit out at the Dublin
government for describing cross-border shoppers as “unpatriotic”.
Published January 30, 2009
The PSNI police mounted raids in Ardoyne on Tuesday against an
anti-drugs group which they say is linked to republican militants.
Published January 30, 2009
eirigi spokesperson Breandan Mac Cionnaith has called for the immediate
release of Belfast republican Terry McCafferty, who is currently
languishing in a prison in the North.
Published January 30, 2009
Bloody Sunday march to protest delays
This year’s Bloody Sunday Commemorative March in Derry will stop in
William Street - where the original march was stopped on its way to
the Guildhall before it was fired upon by British soldiers, killing
14 civilians.
Published January 30, 2009
‘Truth panel’ provokes unionist anger
There were angry clashes in Belfast today before the publication of an
official report for the British government on dealing with issues of
truth and reconciliation in the North.
Published January 28, 2009
Flanagan, MI5 deny culpability
Former RUC police chief Ronnie Flanagan has denied any knowledge of
Special Branch surveillance of prominent human rights lawyer Rosemary
Nelson prior to her assassination in 1999.
Published January 23, 2009
Dundalk man Liam Campbell is the subject of an attempt to extradite him
to Lithuania following his arrest this week.
Published January 23, 2009
Turmoil for Greens as economic crisis mounts
The Green Party is facing a mounting internal revolt over its
participation with Fianna Fail in the crisis-hit Dublin coalition
government.
Published January 23, 2009
PSNI technician found guilty in UVF plot
A victims’ campaigner has said he will sue PSNI Chief Hugh Orde after
his personal details were passed on to unionist paramilitaries by a
computer operator who was working for the PSNI.
Published January 23, 2009
A claim that the IRA executed a South Armagh man for working as an
informer in 1979 has been denied by local MP, Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy.
Published January 23, 2009
Closer to justice for Robert Hamill
Part of the centre of Portadown was sealed off on Thursday night to
allow the family of Robert Hamill, as well as members of a public
inquiry investigating his murder, to view the area where he was fatally
beaten by a loyalist gan
Published January 16, 2009
Anglo-Irish Bank: Ireland’s Enron
The Dublin government has been forced to nationalise Anglo-Irish Bank
because of a scandal over concealed debt and the serious erosion of
confidence in the bank as a result, Taoiseach Brian Cowen admitted
today [Friday].
Published January 16, 2009
Thousands have demonstrated in Ireland against the continuing Israeli
invasion of Gaza amid mounting calls for the Israeli ambassador to be
expelled and economic sanctions against Israel.
Published January 16, 2009
Courts hear appeals for informer records
PSNI chief Hugh Orde is to be asked to provide the
information which led to Danny Morrison’s conviction for kidnapping
being quashed.
Published January 16, 2009
Sinn Féin have announced plans to commemorate the 90th anniversary of
the first Irish parliament.
Published January 16, 2009
Pat Doherty is to stand down as Sinn Féin Vice President after over
twenty years in that office.
Published January 9, 2009
PSNI recruitment bid captured on phone
An Omagh teenager has recorded on his mobile phone an attempt by the
PSNI police to persuade him to become an informer.
Published January 9, 2009
Sinn Féin has abandoned 2016 target - DUP
The DUP has interpreted comments by Gerry Adams as an admission that
the hope of a united Ireland by 2016 has been abandoned.
Published January 9, 2009
After a decade of delays and deliberate procrastination, public
hearings in the inquiry into the 1997 murder of Robert Hamill are to
begin in Belfast next Tuesday.
Published January 9, 2009
International events to mark Famine
Ireland is to officially recognise the Great Hunger - more than 160
years after British colonial policies coupled with the collapse of the
critical potato harvest resulted in the death or emigration of some two
million people.
Published January 9, 2009
The Dublin government and all of the political parties in the 26
Counties have condemned Israel’s invasion of Gaza and have backed
calls for a ceasefire in the region.
Published January 4, 2009
Anger as republican is returned to jail
The summary imprisonment of Belfast man Terry McCafferty on the eve of
Christmas is being viewed by republican activists as a vindictive
reprisal for the release of the ‘Derry 4’, whose trial collapsed in
Dublin just days before.
Published January 2, 2009
Secret to unity is Irish abroad - Adams
Campaigns to lobby for a united Ireland could tap into the huge Irish
populations living in the US and in Britain, Sinn Féin President Gerry
Adams has said.
Published January 2, 2009
Christmas bomb attempt at GAA club
A bomb discovered on Christmas Eve close to an Armagh Gaelic club could
have been picked up by children who regularly use the area.
Published January 2, 2009
Peace move claim ‘false’ - O Bradaigh
The President of Republican Sinn Féin, Ruairi O Bradaigh, has rejected
a claim that the IRA sought peace talks with the British government in
early 1978.
Published January 2, 2009
Deaths of Tony Gregory TD and Sean McKenna
Independent TD Tony Gregory died today [Friday] at the age of 61 after
a long illness.
Published January 2, 2009
Ireland condemns Israeli bombings
Ireland has joined a wave of international anger and revulsion at the
saturation bombing by Israel of the Palestinian-ruled Gaza Strip in
the middle East this week.
Published December 29, 2008
The trial of four Derry City men accused of membership of the ‘Real
IRA’ collapsed dramatically at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin
today.
Published December 19, 2008
A British soldier has said that locally recruited RIR soldiers allowed
two well-known unionist paramilitaries, stopped a short distance from
the home of human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson shortly after her
murder, to escape.
Published December 19, 2008
PSNI loyalists caught on camera
Four PSNI members have been suspended after they were caught on camera
singing sectarian songs and waving guns while joyriding in their patrol
vehicles.
Published December 19, 2008
A Catholic man is planning to move out of the house where he was tied
up and beaten by a loyalist gang who also ransacked the property on the
outskirts of south Belfast.
Published December 19, 2008
Convicted UDA murderer Michael Stone has said he is to appeal the
16-year jail sentence handed down last week for the attempted murder of
Sinn Féin leaders Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams.
Published December 19, 2008
Miami Showband hold Banbridge gig
The Miami Showband were treated like heroes by adoring fans after
completing a “milestone performance” in the town where three of their
members were massacred by the unionist paramilitary UVF 33 years ago.
Published December 19, 2008
Bill of Rights proposed for North
More than 10 years after a bill of rights was first agreed in the Good
Friday Agreement, the North’s Human Rights Commission has presented its
recommendations on the bill to the British government.
Published December 12, 2008
Provocative speech by Tory leader
The leader of the British Conservative party, David Cameron, has
reversed two decades of Tory policy on Ireland.
Published December 12, 2008
The British Army is to change its official status in Ireland in a move
to highlight the demilitarisation and so-called “normalisation” in the
North.
Published December 12, 2008
Loyalists target former INLA man
A former republican PoW last night blamed loyalists for a pipe-bomb
attack on his west Belfast home.
Published December 12, 2008
United Ireland referendum soon - SF
A referendum on a united Ireland could be held before 2016, Sinn Féin’s
Conor Murphy has said.
Published December 12, 2008
All pork products originating in the 26 Counties since September have
been declared a health hazard by the Dublin government, which has
ordered that all of it be recalled and destroyed.
Published December 7, 2008
The Taoiseach Brian Cowen has been accused of “colluding” with European
Union leaders as he pushes for a re-run of the Lisbon Treaty next year.
Published December 5, 2008
The family of Pol Brennan say that he will appeal a court ruling that
he can be deported from the US.
Published December 5, 2008
The campaigning family of a woman killed in the McGurk’s Bar bombing
have called for a cold-case PSNI police team investigating the killings
to be “dismantled”.
Published December 5, 2008
The four Derry men who were arrested during a
“Real IRA show of strength” for members of the media near the
Derry/Donegal border last March have finally appeared at the Special
Criminal Court in Dublin.
Published December 5, 2008
Tory councillor forced out over IRA past
A Conservative Party councillor has resigned an education post because
of the disclosure of her associations with the IRA in the early 1970s.
Published December 5, 2008
Judge orders deportation of Pol Brennan
Former IRA PoW and H-Block escapee Pol Brennan, who has been living in
the US for nearly 25 years, has been denied the right to remain in the
country by a US
Published November 30, 2008
CIRA raid gunshop, drugs factory
The Continuity IRA is being linked to a raid in the premises of a gun
dealer in the border village of Garrison, County Fermanagh, on Saturday
night.
Published November 28, 2008
Outrage at Dublin’s ‘Disneyworld government’
There have been calls for 26-County health minister Mary Harney to
resign after it emerged she used the state jet and expense accounts
as part of a thinly-disguised six-figure vacation in Florida.
Published November 28, 2008
Ahern refuses to release border killing report
A call by Sinn Féin for the publication of a report of Deputy Garda
Commissioner Eugene Crowley on the shooting of Aidan McAnespie has been
rejected by the Dublin government.
Published November 28, 2008
Republican movement ‘being rebuilt’
Republicans gathered in the Tower Hotel in Derry last week to form a
new coalition bringing together several republican groups to oppose
Sinn Féin’s political strategy.
Published November 28, 2008
President Mary McAleese has made the first official visit by an Irish
head of state to an Orange Order hall.
Published November 28, 2008
IRA Army Council ‘has disbanded’ - DUP
DUP leader Peter Robinson has said he has received direct assurances
that the Provisional IRA Army Council has permanently gone out of
business.
Published November 22, 2008
Brennan in deportation hearing
A Texas judge now has the power to set free former prisoner of war Pol
Brennan -- or deport him to Ireland.
Published November 21, 2008
SF councillor targeted as attacks mount
A Sinn Féin councillor in County Tyrone is believed to have been the
target of a pipe-bomb attack by the unionist paramilitary ‘Orange
Volunteers’.
Published November 21, 2008
Tories enter pact with unionists
The British Conservative Party, under David Cameron, has agreed to form
an electoral pact with the Ulster Unionist Party.
Published November 21, 2008
Harassment of former Basque prisoner
The PSNI police arrested a former political prisoner from the Basque
Country this week on foot of a Spanish extradition order which charged
him with a kind of sedition.
Published November 21, 2008
Poll shows drop for govt, support for Lisbon
Public support for the 26-County government, the Taoiseach Brian Cowen
and his Fianna Fail party has collapsed to the lowest level recorded
since polling began more than a quarter of a century ago.
Published November 21, 2008
Talks deal announced at Stormont
The North's First and Deputy First Ministers have said that their
parties have reached an agreement on the devolution of policing and
justice powers from London to Belfast.
Published November 18, 2008
Stone found guilty of attemped murder
Loyalist killer Michael Stone was found guilty today of attempting to
murder Sinn Féin leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness in a one-man
armed attack on the Stormont Assembly.
Published November 14, 2008
The SDLP is to cease designating itself as a nationalist party in the
Stormont Assembly in a move that could herald a realignment in politics
in the North.
Published November 13, 2008
Britain’s highest court has denied that former RUC police chief Ronnie
Flanagan failed to protect Catholic schoolgirls from degrading and
inhumane treatment during the Holy Cross dispute.
Published November 13, 2008
Progress in search for ‘Disappeared’
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has welcomed the discovery of what
appear to be the remains of Danny McIlhone, a victim of the conflict
who was killed by the IRA in 1981.
Published November 13, 2008
A decision taken by the Progressive Democrats party at the weekend to
disband after 23 years in existence has been widely welcomed.
Published November 13, 2008
Call for British Army base to be Tan War museum
While debate drags on over the future of the prison at Long Kesh there
have been calls for an army base in County Down to be transformed into
a War of Independence tourism centre.
Published November 13, 2008
Last weekend saw a major setback for the peace process as British
forces staged a provocative sectarian parade through Belfast city
centre.
Published November 7, 2008
Tensions spill over in east Belfast
Two nights of violence at an east Belfast interface erupted after St
Matthew’s Church and nationalist homes in the Short Strand came under
attack from fireworks, stones and petrol bombs this week.
Published November 7, 2008
PSNI funds go to UVF, not investigations
PSNI police chief Hugh Orde was forced to publicly apologise this week
after it emerged that his force had lied about millions of pounds it
paid to a construction firm connected to the UVF.
Published November 7, 2008
Paisley calls for Taser attack as war of words goes on
Ian Paisley jnr told a DUP audience at the weekend that he would like
to see his fellow Policing Board member, Sinn Féin’s Martina Anderson,
‘Tasered’.
Published November 7, 2008
Disappointment at Bloody Sunday Inquiry delay
The final report into the Bloody Sunday killings will not now be ready
until, at the earliest, the autumn of next year.
Published November 7, 2008
A British Army parade has passed off relatively quietly in Belfast city
centre this morning in one of the largest Crown force operations seen
in the city in many years.
Published November 2, 2008
Up to 15,000 teachers, parents and students gathered outside the
Leinster House parliament in Dublin this week to express their
opposition to spending cuts by the 26 County government.
Published October 31, 2008
Call for govts to intervene at Stormont
The political crisis at Stormont has deepened with DUP leader Peter
suggesting that the British government should respond to the continuing
stalemate.
Published October 31, 2008
Inquest reopens after coroner views secret files
The North’s most senior coroner John Leckey has revealed that new
evidence had been uncovered in top secret Crown force files regarding
an IRA attack in 1982.
Published October 31, 2008
Anti-Irish penal law challenged
A British ban on the use of the Irish language in courts in the North
which stretches back to 1737 was challenged this week.
Published October 31, 2008
New republican unity project launched
A number of different republican groups have said they will join forces
to explore a united approach in future.
Published October 31, 2008
Republicans to protest RIR triumphalism
Sinn Féin and eirigi are to stage separate protests against a British
Army parade through Belfast city centre on Sunday week.
Published October 24, 2008
Riots in Armagh as SAS men testify
Shots were fired during serious riots in Craigavon and Lurgan, both in
north County Armagh, on Wednesday night.
Published October 24, 2008
DUP claim permanent veto on Justice Ministry
Fresh disagreement has emerged between the DUP and Sinn Féin over the
selection of a future justice minister, with the DUP claiming a
unionist veto over the choice into perpetuity.
Published October 24, 2008
Retrial ordered in sectarian murder trial
The trial of six Ballymena youths facing charges arising out of the
sectarian murder of Catholic schoolboy Michael ‘Mickey Bo’ McIlveen in
May 2006 was dramatically halted and the jury dismissed yesterday
[Thursday].
Published October 24, 2008
The DUP’s Gregory Campbell indicated this week that plans to build a
multi-sports stadium at the site of the Long Kesh prison have been
scrapped.
Published October 24, 2008
A vote in the Dublin parliament on proposed cutbacks was carried by
the coalition government with a reduced majority of seven votes
tonight.
Published October 22, 2008
Dublin govt under threat amid budget backlash
Brian Cowen may be forced to back down on elements of last week’s
budget amid signs that the stability of his 26-County coalition
government is under threat.
Published October 20, 2008
Arms cache found as UDA get cash
Scores of guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition were discovered
by accident this week in a loyalist area of north Belfast as it
emerged that UDA death-squads are receiving huge cash hand-outs from
the Stormont administration.
Published October 17, 2008
The US government’s special envoy to the north of Ireland met northern
political leaders this week in a bid to avert the collapse of the
Stormont administration.
Published October 17, 2008
‘Get out of jail card’ for Murray
A suspected British Crown ‘agent provocateur’ has simply walked out of
Maghaberry Prison in the North.
Published October 17, 2008
Omagh bomb inquiry motion blocked
An Assembly motion calling for full disclosure of information received
by the British and Irish intelligence agencies about the 1998 Omagh
bomb was rejected by the North’s two main unionist parties this week.
Published October 17, 2008
The Ulster Unionist Party has agreed a joint “strategy” with unionist
hardliner Jim Allister to try to ensure that two unionists
are returned as MEPs in next
June’s European elections in the North of Ireland.
Published October 17, 2008
The main points of the 26-County state budget for 2009, presented this afternoon by Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan,
Published October 14, 2008
Ministers in the 26-County government have admitted that tomorrow’s
budget will be a tough one, impacting on everyone, and that major tax
increases are on the cards.
Published October 13, 2008
Robinson in bitter personal attack on Adams
DUP leader Peter Robinson directed a stream of invective against Sinn
Féin President Gerry Adams tonight in the clearest sign yet that the
political stalemate gripping the North is at breaking point.
Published October 11, 2008
US presidential candidate Barack Obama has backed calls for an inquiry
into the murder of Belfast defence lawyer Pat Finucane.
Published October 10, 2008
Two republican groups have separately claimed responsibility for a
roadside device which targeted the PSNI police in County Fermanagh
this week.
Published October 10, 2008
RUC bugged Rosemary Nelson’s home
British Crown forces bugged a house belonging to human rights lawyer
Rosemary Nelson and tried to tap her office phone, the inquiry into
her murder has learned
Published October 10, 2008
Dublin pressure over new border checkpoint
A border checkpoint is operating again more than a decade after the
last permanent border post from the conflict was closed.
Published October 10, 2008
The funeral took place on Wednesday morning of Peggy McGuinness,
mother of the Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness.
Published October 10, 2008
The man accused of the massive Northern Bank robbery in Belfast walked
free from court this morning after all charges against him were
dropped.
Published October 9, 2008
Unionist councillors in Limavady have refused to explain why they
blocked a peace gesture towards a past victim of of an infamous act of
sectarianism.
Published October 3, 2008
Race to kill PSNI member - Orde
The chief of the PSNI police, Hugh Orde, has claimed that republican
militants are engaged in a deadly competition to see who can be the
first to kill a member of the PSNI.
Published October 3, 2008
There was widespread dismay among nationalists after the Policing Board
backed PSNI Chief Hugh Orde’s call for the deployment of Taser electric
stun guns.
Published October 3, 2008
Adams seeks talks with Orange Order
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has called for a face-to-face meeting
with Orange Order Grand Master Robert Saulters.
Published October 3, 2008
Racist chant exposes Scottish fault-line
The Dublin government has been forced to take action over an anti-Irish
chant sung by a section of the Glasgow Rangers supporters during recent
soccer games in Scotland.
Published October 3, 2008
Dublin govt defends deposits, banks
Sitting in emergency session, the Dublin parliament has agreed
legislation to guarantee and underwrite the banking system in the 26
Counties.
Published October 1, 2008
HET investigations ‘compromised and censored’
A police unit set up to reinvestigate conflict-related killings
has been totally compromised by the malign influence of the murderous
Special Branch and should be scrapped, according to a new report.
Published September 26, 2008
Sectarian attacks on GAA, supporters
A Gaelic sports clubhouse in south Down has been gutted in a loyalist
arson attack.
Published September 26, 2008
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams today called for an Independent
International Truth Commission on the confict as the best way forward
on the issue of truth recovery.
Published September 26, 2008
Multiple killer Michael Stone has told a trial judge that his infamous
armed assault on the Stormont Assembly was a “comic parody” and a
“performance artistic protest”.
Published September 26, 2008
Talks seek to resolve Stormont stand-off
First Minister Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin
McGuinness are expected to attend a British-Irish Council meeting in
Edinburgh today [Friday], despite the fact the Stormont executive is
not meeting.
Published September 26, 2008
Court action over secret Omagh tapes
Legal action is to be taken against the British government unless it
hands over recordings of the telephone conversations of a ‘Real IRA’
team as it was transporting the devastating 1998 Omagh bomb.
Published September 19, 2008
Sinn Féin’s former Publicity Director Danny Morrison has demanded to
know why his conviction for the abduction of an IRA informer is to be
quashed without explanation.
Published September 19, 2008
War of words after South Armagh bomb find
The Stormont Assembly this week debated their concerns over continued
armed actions by republicans after a 100lb bomb was discovered hidden
in a hedgerow in south Armagh.
Published September 19, 2008
Appeal for calm as Shell sets sail
It is hoped that a 10-day hunger strike by Mayo teacher Maura Harrington
will end shortly following the announcement by Shell Oil on Thursday
that its pipe-laying ship is to leave Irish territorial waters and sail
to Britain for repairs.
Published September 19, 2008
Politicians challenged over informer pressure
A Derry man has called on members of the Policing Board, which oversees
the PSNI, to state where they stand in relation to Special Branch
pressure on people to turn informer.
Published September 19, 2008
Unionist hardliner Arlene Foster has retained the DUP’s seat in the
closely watched Enniskillen local council by-election.
Published September 18, 2008
Progressive Democrats to be disbanded
Ireland’s small Progressive Democrats party is set to be wound up
after its members in the Dublin parliament agreed that the
organisation was “no longer politically viable”.
Published September 17, 2008
Omagh bomb calls were monitored
Pressure is growing today for a public inquiry into the Omagh bombing
after it was revealed British intelligence chiefs were listening in to
the Real IRA’s mobile phone calls on the day of the attack.
Published September 14, 2008
IRA Volunteers ‘used as spies’
Republican Sinn Féin has accused the Provisional IRA of gathering
intelligence on other republican groups and passing the information on
to the police north and south of the border.
Published September 12, 2008
British PM for key Belfast talks
As the DUP and Sinn Féin continue talks to reach a deal on difficult
issues, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is expected to visit
Belfast next Tuesday.
Published September 12, 2008
The trial has begun before a juryless Diplock court in Belfast of a
bank official for the robbery in 2004 of the Northern Bank.
Published September 12, 2008
Members of a notorious unionist paramilitary death sqaud have been
accused of carrying out a savage assault in which a young mother was
held down by four men and bitten on the face.
Published September 12, 2008
Strong turnout urged in Fermanagh by-election
Next Thursday sees an important local council by-election in
Enniskillen, County Fermanagh.
Published September 12, 2008
Dublin govt admits economic crisis
The 26-County government, facing an unprecedented budget deficit, has
brought forward its annual economic policy statement by two months amid
heavy criticism of its failure to act over a looming meltdown in the
Irish economy.
Published September 5, 2008
Irish Navy deploys for Shell destruction
Eight more environmental activists were arrested in County Mayo today
[Friday] after an extraordinary confrontation between the Irish Naval
Service and campaigners attempting to halt the construction of a
potentially dangerous high-pressure gas pipeline.
Published September 5, 2008
Controversy mounts over British military parades
Belfast City Council this week voted that a civic reception for British
troops should go ahead in November, despite nationalist opposition
Published September 5, 2008
Prison warders urged to reveal CR gas concern
The British government is coming under renewed pressure to admit a
cancer-causing gas was used on republican prisoners during a 1974 Long
Kesh riot.
Published September 5, 2008
Obama seeks to recover from Irish policy blunder
US Presidential candidate Barack Obama has asked former senator George Mitchell and six leading
Irish-American politicians to advise him on Ireland amid a backlash
over his campaign’s handling of Irish issues.
Published September 5, 2008
IRA leadership ‘has ceased to function’ - IMC
The Provisional IRA’s ruling Army Council that once directed its armed
struggle is no longer operational, a report for the British and
26-County governments has declared.
Published September 3, 2008
Sinn Féin has called for urgent talks with the Democratic Unionists to
resolve the crisis that is said to be confronting the new political
institutions in the north of Ireland.
Published August 29, 2008
IRA prisoners seek to clear record
IRA prisoners falsely imprisoned are to attempt to have their
convictions overturned and their records cleared.
Published August 29, 2008
Barack Obama could abolish the post of US special envoy to the north of
Ireland if he becomes president as he responds to the Taoiseach’s call
for a review of the relationship between Ireland and the US.
Published August 29, 2008
Sharp reaction to Lisbon re-run proposal
Opposition parties in the 26 Counties joined forces this week to
strongly criticise the Dublin government’s Europe minister Dick Roche
after he said that a second referendum on the European Union’s Lisbon
Treaty was on the cards.
Published August 29, 2008
Sinn Féin’s youth wing has been causing controversy over attempts to
literally ‘green’ the north - one postbox at a time.
Published August 29, 2008
British soldiers observed murder of teenager
A Police Ombudsman investigation into the murder of Belfast teenager
Damien Walsh will confirm British soldiers watched the killing by the
unionist paramilitary UDA and did not intervene, it has been reported.
Published August 22, 2008
Wreathes not enough for Omagh victims
A cross-border public inquiry is the only proper tribute to relatives
bereaved by the Omagh bomb blast, a memorial service heard on Sunday.
Published August 22, 2008
Controversy at hunger strike commemoration
Unionist condemnation of the use of a replica machine gun during a
republican commemoration ceremony has pointed up the hypocrisy of the
current debate on weapons decommissioning.
Published August 22, 2008
PSNI involved in killing, inquest told
A PSNI Special Branch agent was involved in the brutal assassination of a
Belfast man outside a school in the North of Ireland, an inquest heard
today.
Published August 22, 2008
The priest hero who famously went to the defence of besieged Catholic
schoolgirls in Belfast’s Ardoyne in the face of loyalist attacks is
moving against his wishes to Paris, as a chaplain to English-speaking
residents there.
Published August 22, 2008
Paisley calls for return of shoot-to-kill
Policing Board member Ian Paisley Jnr today urged the PSNI to shoot
republican militants on sight following an abortive rocket attack in
County Fermanagh at the weekend.
Published August 19, 2008
It has been announced that the British Army’s Royal Irish Regiment is
to stage a full military parade in Ballymena, County Antrim, fuelling
tensions over the summer marching season
Published August 15, 2008
The British and Irish governments should intervene in the event of the
failure of the Stormont Executive to guarantee political progress by
“other arrangements”, Gerry Adams has said.
Published August 15, 2008
Anger at desecration of IRA memorial
A memorial to IRA hunger strikers in Newry has been vandalised by
loyalists.
Published August 15, 2008
Republicans urged to ‘report sinister approaches’
The 32 County Sovereignty Movement has urged all republicans,
regardless of which movement they are affiliated with, to make contact
with a solicitor and publicise any approach made by British or
26-County intelligence services immediately.
Published August 15, 2008
Resignation follows Robinson outburst
A controversy over comments by DUP MP Iris Robinson has led to the
resignation of one of her advisors, a psychiatrist who Robinson claimed
could “cure” homosexuals.
Published August 15, 2008
SF postpones justice post ambition
Sinn Féin and the DUP have agreed that neither party will fill the post
of justice and policing minister -- but Sinn Féin has reserved the
right to take the job at a future date.
Published August 8, 2008
Hurricane delays Brennan hearing
Three US congressmen have signed a letter to Department of Homeland
Security secretary calling for H-Block escapee Pol Brennan to be
granted bail, pending resolution of deportation proceedings against
him.
Published August 8, 2008
Britain ‘ignoring’ human rights judgements
European court judgments on British Crown force killings and collusion
with unionist paramilitaries have been ignored, human rights
campaigners said yesterday.
Published August 8, 2008
A series of raids and arrests connected to the death of County Armagh
man Paul Quinn last October has drawn protests.
Published August 8, 2008
The Sinn Féin Mayor of Belfast has unveiled an Irish flag in his
official offices, while a County Derry colleague has questioned
the public’s use of the flag.
Published August 8, 2008
Spy device linked to SAS ambush
A Crown force spying device has been discovered at a house used by IRA
Volunteer Sean O’Farrell, who died in an SAS ambush in 1992.
Published August 1, 2008
Mob attacks Dublin soccer kids
Dublin children as young as 12 years of age have been subjected to a
terrifying sectarian attack while attending a high profile youth soccer
tournament in Coleraine, County Derry.
Published August 1, 2008
Power struggle over Ballymena bonfire
Scuffles involving Sinn Fein representatives broke out after materials
assembled for a republican bonfire in Ballymena were removed on
Wednesday night at the request of a resident opposed to the event.
Published August 1, 2008
Restorative justice group approved
The British government has said that funding for a controversial
republican neighbourhood justice scheme has been approved.
Published August 1, 2008
Eight years pressure to inform
A County Fermanagh man has been forced to flee the Six Counties after
refusing to work as a Special Branch informer.
Published August 1, 2008
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has accused the DUP of pushing the
North's power-sharing government toward crisis.
Published July 25, 2008
Mixed reaction to Sarkozy visit
Thousands gathered outside the Dublin parliament this week to
demonstrate their opposition to a second Lisbon Treaty during the visit
of Nicolas Sarkozy, the French premier and current president of the
European Unio
Published July 25, 2008
Struggle will re-ignite in Derry - 32CSM
A republican group in Derry has predicted that the conflict will
begin again in the city as the conditions return for armed struggle.
Published July 25, 2008
Political realignment seen in North
The Ulster Unionist Party is in negotiations with the British
Conservative Party over moves towards a possible merger between the
parties.
Published July 25, 2008
Protestors arrested, removed in Shell land grab
Thirteen members of the Shell 2 Sea Group were arrested on July 22nd
for challenging the legality of construction work on a contentious
pipeline in an area designated for "Special Conservation
Published July 25, 2008
North recovers from ‘Orangefest’
Attempts by the Dublin and London government to rebrand sectarian
marches and ghoulish bonfires as “cultural events” failed before they
began last weekend when loyalists embarked on violent rampages on the
eve of the ‘Twelfth’, the height of the marching season.
Published July 18, 2008
The British government has accepted that its deliberately lied when it
claimed that the IRA was responsible for a bomb which killed 15 people in
December 1971.
Published July 18, 2008
Call for end to Stormont stalemate
The North’s power-sharing executive has failed to meet for over a month
amid fears of a stalemate between Sinn Féin and the DUP.
Published July 18, 2008
RSF denounce Fermanagh arrest operation
Republican Sinn Féin has accused the PSNI police of “abducting” three
republicans in County Fermanagh.
Published July 18, 2008
Gag order on ‘Stakeknife’ reports
Newspaper reports on the ‘Stakeknife’ spy, who was reputedly the
British Army’s highest-ranking double agent within the IRA, are being
censored by the British government.
Published July 18, 2008
Sarkozy to defy Irish referendum
The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, intends to pressurise Irish
voters to back the Lisbon Treaty in a second referendum after ruling
out any possibility of renegotiating the draft constitution for the
European Union.
Published July 11, 2008
Britain denounced for massive spying operation
The British government has been strongly criticised by the European
Court of Human Rights for illegally and secretly monitoring all
electronic communications between Ireland and Britain for years.
Published July 11, 2008
Sectarian attacks in north Belfast
A North Belfast father-of-three was stabbed in the head and neck with a
spear in a near-fatal sectarian attack.
Published July 11, 2008
Call on Britain to release files
The Dublin parliament has urged the British government to release
security files on the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.
Published July 11, 2008
Welcome for McShane inquest verdict
A jury has unanimously found that the British Army was responsible for
the death of a former republican prisoner in Derry almost 12 years ago.
Published July 11, 2008
Media frenzy as McCartney trial ends
The case of a fatal stabbing outside a republican bar, and a subsequent
media campaign which reached the White House, ended this week in a
Belfast courtroom.
Published July 4, 2008
Parades held amid tensions over ‘secret’ Drumcree talks
An Orange Order march in west Belfast passed off quietly last weekend
despite a controversial incursion onto the republican Springfield Road.
Published July 4, 2008
Republicans clash after Derry shooting
The PSNI have arrested two teenage girls and are also
questioning three male teenagers in connection with the death of
Emmett Shiels.
Published July 4, 2008
Inquiry hears of intimidation of lawyers
The Rosemary Nelson inquiry has been told that defence lawyers were
subject to “deliberate and systematic intimidation” by the RUC police.
Published July 4, 2008
Report ‘sexed up’ in Tara fraud
A leading archaeologist employed to survey the motorway through the
ancient Irish capital city of Tara has said her findings were altered
to support the motorway when in fact she pointed to evidence against
it.
Published July 4, 2008
The INLA have denied any involvement in the murder of 22 year-old Derry
man Emmett Sheils, who was shot dead in Derry on Tuesday morning.
Published June 27, 2008
Report highlights British checkpoint killing
The family of a County Tyrone man shot dead by the British Army 20
years ago has said the publication of a report into his killing marks
the “beginning and not the end” of their fight for justice.
Published June 27, 2008
Adams in historic Drumcree talks
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has confirmed that he has met with the
Protestant Orange Order to discuss the infamous Drumcree parade in
Portadown.
Published June 27, 2008
A battle a day for Irish speakers
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has accused unionists of “irrational
hostility” to the Irish language and Irish speakers.
Published June 27, 2008
PSNI attempt to recruit informer in Spain
A prominent republican hardliners has accused the PSNI police of
following him on holiday to Spain in an attempt to recruit him as an
informer.
Published June 27, 2008
British gun killed Donegal child
A boy from County Donegal killed by unionist paramilitaries was shot
down using a standard-issue British Army sub-machine gun, it emerged
this week.
Published June 19, 2008
Members of the British Crown forces were lucky to escape with only
minor injuries following a roadside landmine attack in County Fermanagh
at the weekend.
Published June 19, 2008
‘Corridor of Hate’ mother pursues British justice
Seven years after the blockade of a north Belfast primary school by
unionist paramilitaries, the mother of one former student has taken her
legal challenge over the handling of the 12-week Holy Cross protest to
Britain’s highest court.
Published June 19, 2008
The 32 County Sovereignty Movement has claimed that the Drumcree parade
in Portadown is likely to go ahead this year for the first time in 11
years.
Published June 19, 2008
Bush visit inspires protests, photo-ops
Irish Republicans were divided this week as US President George Bush
visited Belfast to support the Irish peace process while evading
questions over his war in Iraq.
Published June 19, 2008
Lisbon Treaty rejected - final results
In a shock for both the Irish and European political establishment,
the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty has been defeated in Thursday’s
26-County referendum.
Published June 13, 2008
Lisbon Treaty set for rejection
First results from the Lisbon Treaty referendum have confirmed that
the treaty is set to be rejected by the Irish electorate.
Published June 13, 2008
Early Lisbon tallies suggest ‘No’ victory
Counting of votes in the Lisbon Treaty referendum began at 9am today,
and early tallies show the vote leaning toward the ‘No’ side.
Published June 13, 2008
‘Yes’ camp see Lisbon victory after high turnout
The outcome of the Lisbon Treaty referendum is thought to be close
following a relatively high turnout of voters on Thursday.
Published June 13, 2008
President subjected to loyalist hate
A mob of loyalist bigots gathered outside the gates of a school in
County Derry on Tuesday to jeer and hurl sectarian abuse at the
President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, and her husband Martin.
Published June 12, 2008
The leaders of the four parties that make up the northern Executive
have not formally met since power-sharing was established in May last
year, it has emerged.
Published June 12, 2008
The trial of senior Provisional IRA figure ‘Bik’ McFarlane has opened
at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin.
Published June 12, 2008
Vindication for Derry peace activists
There were jubilant scenes in a Belfast court this week as six Derry
anti-war protesters were unanimously acquitted of destroying property
belonging to multinational arms company Raytheon.
Published June 12, 2008
Robinson investigated for ‘hate crime’
There have been calls for the DUP’s Iris Robinson to resign as chair of
the Assembly’s Health Committee following her extraordinary outburst
against homosexuality, which she described as a mental
illness and “an abomination”.
Published June 12, 2008
Support for Lisbon Treaty collapses
The number of people intending to vote ‘No’ to the European Union’s
Lisbon Treaty has almost doubled in three weeks, according to the
latest poll.
Published June 6, 2008
SF praise for Paisley despite controversies
Ian Paisley left Stormont Castle as First Minister for the last time
yesterday, blowing the building a kiss.
Published June 6, 2008
Tom Hartley elected Belfast Mayor
Sinn Féin’s Tom Hartley was elected as the new Mayor of Belfast on
Monday night, narrowly defeating the DUP’s Diane Dodds.
Published June 6, 2008
UN man’s regret at Nelson murder
A leading human rights expert from the United Nations has expressed
deep regret that he had been unable to save the life of Lurgan lawyer
Rosemary Nelson.
Published June 6, 2008
Former PoWs launch US campaign for status
A group of former IRA prisoners living in the US has launched a
campaign to secure their legal status there.
Published June 6, 2008
A potential political crisis in the North has been averted after Sinn
Féin agreed to resume power-sharing alongside the Democratic Unionist
Party tomorrow ahead of talks in London on Friday.
Published June 4, 2008
Sinn Féin denies threat to process
Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness has said he hopes outstanding issues in
the peace process can be resolved in time to allow tomorrow’s
nomination of the DUP’s Peter Robinson to replace Ian Paisley as First
Minister.
Published June 4, 2008
Justice for victims unlikely, says British truth panel
In a carefully-crafted public address yesterday, the new “Consultative
Group on the Past” warned that, while the British role in the conflict
should be acknowledged, victims should not expect to secure the justice
they were seeking.
Published May 30, 2008
Former First Minister and Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble has
said that unionist paramilitary violence during the period of the
first Belfast Assembly was linked to DUP opposition to the Good Friday
Agreement.
Published May 30, 2008
Attack on Belfast commercial property
Two incendiary devices were discovered at a department store in Belfast
after one partially detonated in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Published May 30, 2008
Annual Famine memorial day approved
Forgotten victims of the Irish Famine are to be remembered in an annual
official memorial day for the first time.
Published May 30, 2008
Triumph for hunger-strike movie
A film about hunger striker Bobby Sands has won a major award at the
Cannes film festival.
Published May 30, 2008
The Real IRA has claimed responsibility for a bomb attack against a
member of the British Crown forces in County Tyrone on Monday of last week.
Published May 23, 2008
PSNI’s stalling tactics blasted by coroner
The senior coroner in the North of Ireland has strongly criticised the PSNI
after an inquest into the killing of an IRA man almost 16 years ago was
delayed again.
Published May 23, 2008
Arms ‘ultimatum’ for unionist paramilitaries
British Direct Ruler Shaun Woodward has warned the UDA and UVF the
“train is leaving the station” for them to hand in their weapons and
commit to the peace process.
Published May 23, 2008
Bush to visit Belfast to back stalled process
US President George W Bush is planning to visit Belfast next month,
where he is expected to claim the Irish peace process as part of the
legacy of his presidency.
Published May 23, 2008
Unionists attacked a film about life on the H-blocks during the 1981
IRA Hunger Strike even before it was screened for the first time as
part of the Cannes Film Festival last week.
Published May 23, 2008
Senior Provisional IRA commander Brian Keenan has died after a battle
with cancer.
Published May 21, 2008
Britain recognises UVF ceasefire
The British government has announced that it has decided to once again
recognise a ceasefire by the unionist paramilitary UVF.
Published May 16, 2008
FBI agent is focus of Omagh trial
Fresh doubts have been cast over the testimony of top FBI informer
David Rupert in the Omagh civil action, which is sitting in Dublin.
Published May 16, 2008
Nationalists have warned the British government that they will oppose
any attempt to introduce 'draconian' new laws allowing a British Direct
Ruler to order that inquests must be held in secret.
Published May 16, 2008
Attacks continue despite peace efforts
A Catholic man is recovering from head injuries after he was attacked
with baseball bats and a knife in a sectarian attack in Ballymena.
Published May 16, 2008
Court hears details of Stormont murder bid
Unionist serial killer Michael Stone planned to "slit the throats" of Sinn
Féin's Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, Belfast Crown Court was told
this week.
Published May 16, 2008
McGuinness says IRA finished, attacks hardliners
Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness has warned that any attempt to bring the
Provisional IRA back into the political equation “is a big mistake”.
Published May 8, 2008
Paisley, Ahern declare history at Boyne site
First Minister Ian Paisley at the Battle of the Boyne site said on
Wednesday that people should together share “this island home” of
Ireland and be an example to the world.
Published May 8, 2008
Tear down the walls, urges Bloomberg
A high profile US-Northern Ireland investment conference has been
taking place in Belfast this afternoon [Thursday].
Published May 8, 2008
US still holds H-Block escaper
H-Block escapee Pol Brennan will remain in a Texas jail for several
more weeks, and possibly months, after an immigration judge denied him
bail.
Published May 8, 2008
The Court of Criminal Appeal in Dublin has quashed the convictions by
the non-jury Special Criminal Court of five Munster men on charges of
membership of the Real IRA.
Published May 8, 2008
Cowen elected Taoiseach, names Cabinet
The newly elected Taoiseach Brian Cowen has appointed Mary Coughlan as
his Tanaiste [Deputy Prime Minister] in his new Cabinet announced this
evening in Dublin.
Published May 7, 2008
A new victims support group has been set up this week by the father of
a Protestant collusion victim and a Catholic priest.
Published May 2, 2008
IRA not involved in Quinn murder - IMC
A government-appointed commission which monitors the conflict in the
north of Ireland has concluded that the Provisional IRA was not
involved in the death of south Armagh man Paul Quinn.
Published May 2, 2008
Charges have been dropped against all 18 unionist paramilitaries
arrested in relation to UDA violence in Carrickfergus, County Antrim,
despite renewed feuding in the town.
Published May 2, 2008
Shell rejects residents’ proposal on gas terminal
Shell Oil has rejected a proposal by County Mayo residents that it
should move its gas refinery to a coastal, rather than offshore,
location.
Published May 2, 2008
Spy equipment ‘removed in raid’
The PSNI have been accused of using the search of the home of leading
republican hardliner Gary Donnelly as a cover to remove sophisticated
electronic equipment
Published May 2, 2008
Parades Commission to be scrapped - reports
Plans to replace the North’s Parades Commission have been described as
“absolute madness” by nationalist
Published April 25, 2008
Justice group sues over Dublin’s secrets
Victims of the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings said this week they
are suing the Dublin government because it has failed to release part
of an investigation into the single most devastating attack in the
history of the conflict.
Published April 25, 2008
Orange Order singled out for compensation
A new British government scheme offering financial compensation for
attacks on Orange Halls has been described as sectarian.
Published April 25, 2008
Protests as departing Paisley attends Cork reception
Three men were arrested during a republican protest objecting to Ian
Paisley’s attendance at a civic event in Cobh, County Cork.
Published April 25, 2008
National treasures under the hammer
Sinn Féin has condemned the sale of historical artefacts relating to
the 1916 Rising and the War of Independence at an auction in Dublin.
Published April 25, 2008
Hopes for justice as Nelson Inquiry opens
The head of British military intelligence in Ireland is among a string
of top spooks to have been questioned by the inquiry into the murder of
human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson, it has been revealed.
Published April 18, 2008
A BBC television documentary has shown footage of their crew being
attacked and intimidated in the village of Stoneyford as they were
filming a programme about sectarianism.
Published April 18, 2008
Police Ombudsman complains of workload
The new Police Ombudsman Al Hutchinson has warned that his office is in
danger of reaching a “tipping point” because of its heavy workload.
Published April 18, 2008
Welcome for equality-based US investment
A $150m investment
package is being provided to the Six Counties from New York and will be subject to the MacBride equality principles.
Published April 18, 2008
Surge of support for Scottish independence
For the first time, independence has taken a lead in an opinion poll on
Scotland’s constitutional future.
Published April 18, 2008
Peter Robinson to be next First Minister
The DUP has elected Peter Robinson to succeed Ian Paisley as its new
leader and First Minister in the northern Executive.
Published April 14, 2008
Good Friday Agreement marked ‘transition’
Unionists must be persuaded to scrap partition, Sinn Féin President
Gerry Adams has said.
Published April 11, 2008
The Omagh bomb civil action must be public, the judge said during legal
discussion this week at the start of the trial.
Published April 11, 2008
No police role for IRA - Adams
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has said people in west Belfast must
“get real” and understand that the Provisional IRA is not going to
return to tackle criminality in the area.
Published April 11, 2008
Cowen assumes FF leadership, backs process
Tanaiste Brian Cowen has been elected leader of Fianna Fail unopposed
and is set to become 26-County Taoiseach when Bertie Ahern steps down
on May 6.
Published April 11, 2008
Appointment of Victims Commission disrupted
Growing tensions between Sinn Féin and the DUP over the proposed
appointment of a chief Victims’ Commissioner has caused the passage of
a Bill to be unexpectedly postponed.
Published April 11, 2008
Brian Cowen to be next Taoiseach
Brian Cowen will be the next 26-County Taoiseach and leader of Fianna
Fail, it was confirmed today.
Published April 5, 2008
Loyalists rampage in Castle Street
A Celtic fan remains seriously ill in hospital after his throat was
slashed during a mob loyalist attack on a pub in west central Belfast.
Published April 4, 2008
PSNI ‘alienating nationalists’ - Maskey
A furious row erupted between the PSNI Chief Hugh Orde and Sinn Féin’s
Alex Maskey at a public meeting of the policing board on Thursday amid
rising fears over a crime wave in nationalist west Belfast.
Published April 4, 2008
Hunger-strike dispute lost in translation
New light has been shed on reported republican reaction to a British
offer which might have ended the 1981 hunger strike after four deaths.
Published April 4, 2008
UDA ‘will never go away’, court hears
A guarantee that the unionist paramilitary UDA would not disband was set to be declared before a planned 'show of strength', according to court documents.
Published April 4, 2008
A proposed Bill of Rights for the Six Counties was published in
Belfast this week despite major public differences by its drafters on
its main proposals.
Published April 4, 2008
Bertie Ahern announces resignation as Taoiseach
The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has announced he is resigning as the
Prime Minister of the 26 Counties and as the leader of Fianna Fail.
Published April 2, 2008
Riot at Derry Easter commemoration
The PSNI police clashed with republican youths in Derry during what the
PSNI described as an “illegal” Easter commemoration at the city
cemetery on Monday.
Published March 28, 2008
Ahern under pressure over British currency payments
The 26-County Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has come under serious political
pressure from his Coalition partners for the first time since the
formation of the current Dublin government.
Published March 28, 2008
A piece of electronic equipment described as a “sophisticated bugging
and tracking device” has been found in the vehicle of one of its
Dublin-based members, the 32 County Sovereignty Movement has said.
Published March 28, 2008
Tenth anniversary of Agreement marked
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has said Sinn Féin is proud of the
role they have played in the course of the negotiations which led to
the Good Friday Agreement.
Published March 28, 2008
Easter saw the first major day of parading in the new season, which
will see thousands of parades take place through the summer months.
Published March 28, 2008
Diggers move in after Tara con job
Hopes for progress in efforts to save the Tara heritage site were
dashed on Thursday this week after the National Roads Authority (NRA)
tore up an agreement with conservationists.
Published March 21, 2008
Blair helped draft IRA statements - Adams
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has confirmed that British prime
minister Tony Blair edited IRA statements in the course of the peace
process, saying it was “normal in a process of negotiation”.
Published March 21, 2008
PSNI accused after murder spree
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has lashed out at the PSNI police after
another brutal murder in west Belfast highlighted the massive increase
in crime in the area in recent years.
Published March 21, 2008
Inquiry bid to question prosecutors blocked
The British government has refused to allow the actions of the Crown
prosecution service be included in the inquiry into the sectarian
murder of Robert Hamill and subsequent cover-up, it has been revealed.
Published March 21, 2008
Ahern angers Irish-America on St Patrick’s Day visit
US President George Bush said that “more progress can and will be made”
in the north of Ireland during the annual gathering of politicians in
the White House for St Patrick’s Day.
Published March 21, 2008
Bitter exchanges between parties
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams and DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson
held talks Tuesday in an attempt to defuse growing tensions between the
two parties.
Published March 14, 2008
Local government plans agreed; elections postponed
It was announced on Thursday that the Northern Executive has agreed on
a compromise proposal to create 11 “super-councils” by 2011.
Published March 14, 2008
Paisley claims he ‘smashed’ Sinn Féin
The DUP leader Ian Paisley, who is set to resign in May, has revealed that
he never shook Martin McGuinness’s hand in almost a year of government.
Published March 14, 2008
Gibraltar and Milltown victims remembered
An event celebrating the life of IRA Volunteer Mairead Farrell went
ahead in Sinn Féin’s private offices at the Belfast Assembly last
weekend following a ban on the commemoration using a public space at
the Assembly buildings.
Published March 14, 2008
‘Bik’ to face trial after appeal rejected
The Supreme Court in Dublin has dismissed an appeal against the trial
of H-Block escaper Brendan ‘Bik’ McFarlane on charges connected with
an IRA kidnapping in 1983.
Published March 14, 2008
Dismay as Mairead Farrell commemoration is banned
A memorial for Mairead Farrell, one of three IRA Volunteers shot dead
by the SAS in Gibraltar 20 years ago, has been banned.
Published March 7, 2008
Rejectionists attacked at SF Ard Fheis
Every step Sinn Féin took brought it closer to its “central and most
urgent” goal of a 32-county republic,
Martin McGuinness has said.
Published March 7, 2008
‘Unrepentant unionist’ addresses Ard Fheis
Anti-collusion campaigner Raymond McCord surprised Sinn Féin organisers
by addressing the party’s annual conference wearing his father’s Orange
Order sash.
Published March 7, 2008
Hamill inquiry delayed again as Woodward stalls
The delayed public inquiry into the death of Robert Hamill, who was
kicked to death in Portadown in 1997, faces a new delay.
Published March 7, 2008
Eleventh-hour appeals to save Tara
Poet and Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney has described the M3 motorway as
a ruthless desecration of the sacred landscape around the Hill of Tara.
Published March 7, 2008
Ian Paisley announces resignation
Rev Ian Paisley has announced he is to resign as leader of the
Democratic Unionist Party and First Minister in the northern Executive
in May.
Published March 4, 2008
Adams address to Sinn Fein Ard Fheis 2008
An abridged version of Gerry Adams’s Presidential
Address delivered this evening to the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis 2008.
Published March 1, 2008
The Dark’s ashes are scattered
The ashes of former IRA hunger striker Brendan ‘The Dark’ Hughes have
been scattered in west Belfast and in County Louth.
Published February 29, 2008
IRA refuses to meet British truth panel
The Provisional IRA is to refuse to meet the ‘Eames/Bradley
consultative group on dealing with the past’, it has been revealed.
Published February 29, 2008
March in defence of Irish language
Thousands of people took to the streets of Belfast city centre on
February 23 to show their support for the Irish language and cultural
diversity.
Published February 29, 2008
SF to discuss Irish unity policy
The Sinn Féin Ard Fheis will take place in the RDS in Dublin this
weekend.
Published February 29, 2008
Clinton to mark Agreement anniversary
Former US president Bill Clinton has confirmed his attendance at
celebrations in Belfast to mark the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday
Agreement in April.
Published February 29, 2008
Death of Brendan ‘The Dark’ Hughes
One of Belfast’s most senior republican figures and a legendary IRA
fighter, Brendan Hughes, died at the weekend after a short illness aged
59.
Published February 21, 2008
‘Should have been open war’, say unionists
The Belfast Assembly repeatedly descended into an angry shouting match
this week over the suggestion that the conflict in the North should be
classified as a war in order to begin the healing process.
Published February 21, 2008
British blamed for ‘assassination attempt’
Republicans in Derry have stepped up their security after what they
believe was an assassination attempt on a senior ‘Real IRA’ figure.
Published February 21, 2008
US Homeland Security turns vindictive
The US Department of Homeland Security has deported Mark James
McAllister, the son of former Irish Republican prisoner Malachy
McAllister, to Ireland.
Published February 21, 2008
EU to ignore Irish referendum result
There has been anger and incredulity in Ireland over a vote by the
European Parliaments today [Thursday] NOT to respect the result of the
Lisbon Treaty referendum.
Published February 21, 2008
McGuinness blasts republican militants
Martin McGuinness, Sinn Féin’s Deputy First Minister, has described
republicans who still believe in armed struggle as “no-hopers” who are
“detached from reality”.
Published February 15, 2008
DUP to block transfer of powers
The North’s First Minister Ian Paisley and Sinn Féin president Gerry
Adams have clashed over the devolution of policing and justice powers,
scheduled for May.
Published February 15, 2008
Family forced out of Stoneyford
A Catholic father of three has expressed anger at being forced to leave
Stoneyford, County Armagh by a long campaign of sectarian intimidation
and death threats.
Published February 15, 2008
RTE to cut off northern radio listeners
Politicians on both sides of the border have expressed dismay about a
decision by the Irish state broadcaster, RTE, to drop its Radio 1
medium-wave service.
Published February 15, 2008
Michael McKevitt has begun a Supreme Court appeal against his conviction of the charge of
“directing terrorist activities”,
Published February 15, 2008
Pol Brennan arrested, faces deportation threat
A former IRA Volunteer who escaped from Long Kesh prison more than 24
years ago and fought a long battle against extradition from the US has
been arrested by immigration officials in Texas.
Published February 8, 2008
Low copy justice for Strabane men
A County Tyrone republican has been ‘interned’ despite being cleared of
attempted murder charges this week.
Published February 8, 2008
State support for Orangeism, not Irish
The Orange Order in the 26 Counties is to receive substantial funding
from the Dublin government, it has been announced.
Published February 8, 2008
Raymond McCord to address SF Ard Fheis
Sinn Féin has confirmed that Raymond McCord Snr has agreed to speak at
this year’s Sinn Féin Ard Fheis at the end of this month.
Published February 8, 2008
No more Bloody Sunday lies, marchers demand
The report of the second Bloody Sunday Inquiry must be given to the
families of the victims at the same time it is received by the British
government, the large crowd at this year’s commemoration march was
told.
Published February 8, 2008
Parades Commission appointments ruled illegal
The Parades Commission was thrown into turmoil this week with leading
Orangeman David Burrows forced to resign after Britain's highest court
ruled that the British decision to appoint him was illegal.
Published January 31, 2008
Provisional IRA urged to disband
A leading Derry republican has called on the Provisional IRA to
disband.
Published January 31, 2008
Four Victims' Commissioners named
Sinn Féin and the DUP have rejected claims that four new victims'
commissioners were named this week because the First and Deputy First
Ministers could not agree on a single person
Published January 31, 2008
Civil rights movement remembered
Tuesday marked the formal establishment in 1967 of the 'Northern
Ireland Civil Rights Association' (NICRA).
Published January 31, 2008
Child victim of sectarian assault
A Toomebridge schoolboy was assaulted on Thursday as he waited for a
school bus in what the PSNI have admitted was an anti-Catholic attack.
Published January 31, 2008
Now tell the truth, Flanagan urged
Former RUC/PSNI police chief Ronnie Flanagan last night apologised to
the families of people killed in the 1998 Omagh bomb.
Published January 24, 2008
SF councillors assaulted by baying mob
wo Sinn Féin councillors were struck by unionist protesters amid
chaotic scenes at a meeting of Limavady Borough Council last week.
Published January 24, 2008
A patient who discovered his medical files may have been leaked by a
hospital worker to unionist paramilitaries has said he is “disgusted”
at the hospital’s handling of the c
Published January 24, 2008
Call to halt Taser deployment following death
The PSNI police is being urged to withdraw plans to deploy Taser guns
in the North of Ireland following the death of a man in England.
Published January 24, 2008
SF prepare for Lisbon Treaty vote as Greens go quiet
In a close vote at the weekend, the Green Party leadership failed to
secure enough support from party delegates to support the Lisbon Treaty
referendum.
Published January 24, 2008
PSNI training for Taser attacks
There has been anger at the announcement that members of the PSNI have
begun training with high-voltage Taser weapons and will be deploying
them on the streets within weeks.
Published January 17, 2008
Paisley ‘peace for land’ deal revealed
The Democratic Unionist Party’s Ian Paisley Jr used the peace process
talks at St Andrews to push for a shopping list of property-based
demands for his own constituents, it h
Published January 17, 2008
Bomb attack follows informer claims
A unionist paramilitary group calling itself the ‘Real UFF’ has
admitted responsibility for planting a pipe bomb at the home of a
former Sinn Féin member in Antrim.
Published January 17, 2008
DUP Minister in anthem protest
The North’s ‘Culture Minister’, Edwin Poots of the DUP, is calling for
an end to the playing of the Irish national anthem before Gaelic games
in the North.
Published January 17, 2008
Secret papers reveal one-sided war
Top-secret British military documents reveal the British Army’s failure
to tackle unionist paramilitary death squads during one of the darkest
periods of the conflict.
Published January 17, 2008
The Policing Board is to investigate the extent of the attempted
frame-up of Sean Hoey by senior members of the PSNI police over the
1998 Omagh bomb.
Published January 9, 2008
No new checkpoints on border - Brown
The British Prime Minister has said there are no plans to introduce
immigration controls at the border between the British-ruled Six
Counties and the rest of Ireland.
Published January 9, 2008
Concerns have been raised about escalating violence and criminality
linked to the unionist paramilitary LVF following a firebomb attack on
a house in County Armagh.
Published January 9, 2008
Church of Ireland attacks Bill of Rights
The Protestant Church of Ireland has criticised plans to draft a Bill of
Rights for the North of Ireland
Published January 9, 2008
Republican denies working as informer
High-profile republican Paddy Murray has denied being a police
informer.
Published January 9, 2008
Paisley to oppose devolution of powers
The DUP leader Ian Paisley has clashed with British Secretary Shaun
Woodward over the devolution of police and justice powers from London
to Belfast, which is scheduled for May.
Published January 3, 2008
Demos planned as dozers target new Tara find
TaraWatch, the group campaigning against the construction of the M3
motorway close to the archaeologicaly sensitive Hill of Tara in County
Meath, has said it will hold international protests on January 8th.
Published January 3, 2008
Attacks on GAA, Orange Halls continue
A Gaelic sports club in County Fermanagh has been damaged in a
sectarian arson attack. Graffiti was also painted on the walls of the
club in Drumgoon near Maguiresbridge.
Published January 3, 2008
Stone claims he was ‘artist in residence’
The assault on the Belfast Assembly buildings by notorious unionist
paramilitary killer Michael Stone was a work of art, he has claimed.
Published January 3, 2008
The annual New Year statements issued by Sinn Féin
President Gerry Adams and by the 32 County
Sovereignty Movement.
Published January 3, 2008
McGuinness claims British directing groups
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has said he believes British
military intelligence is directing some republican activities.
Published December 20, 2007
A man questioned by the PSNI police in connection with the recent IRA
gun attack on a PSNI member says some of the ‘evidence’ against him
was a page from Wikipedia, the online encyclopaedia.
Published December 20, 2007
Sectarian attacks ‘orchestrated’
A sectarian attack on a 12-year-old schoolboy in a County Antrim
village is linked to continuing loyalist death threats against a
Catholic family in the area.
Published December 20, 2007
Unionists walk out over Long Kesh plans
The future of the former Long Kesh prison, scene of decades of resistance by Irish republican prisoners to
British rule, descended into farce yesterday amid warnings
that a planned peace centre/sport stadium project could collapse.
Published December 20, 2007
Aer Lingus language move provokes anger
Aer Lingus has scrapped its familiar Irish-language greeting in the
North of Ireland because it might upset unionists flying to and from
Belfast.
Published December 20, 2007
Devolution threatened over IRA structures
The DUP has insisted there will be no devolution of policing and
justice powers to the Six County Executive without the complete
dismantling of the Provisional IRA’s structure.
Published December 12, 2007
Ireland complicit in US human rights abuses - report
Ireland is failing to live up to its human rights obligations by
accepting US assurances that CIA flights used for smuggling prisoners
to detention and torture centres are not passing through Irish
airports, the Irish Human Rights Commission said on Tuesday.
Published December 12, 2007
Paisley/McGuinness delegation meets George Bush
First Minister Ian Paisley and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness
have been praised by US president George Bush for their “courage”
during a meeting in the White House.
Published December 12, 2007
Fianna Fail registers in Six Counties
Fianna Fail has officially registered as a political party in the Six
Counties, party leader Bertie Ahern has announced.
Published December 12, 2007
Sinn Féin builds new 26-County strategy
Sinn Féin held a major conference in Dublin at the weekend to plot a
new way forward for the party in Irish politics, particularly in the
South.
Published December 12, 2007
Coroner to receive shoot-to-kill reports
Top-secret reports on the shoot-to-kill policy of political killings
operated by the British government in the north of Ireland are to be
opened to the chief coroner John Leckey.
Published December 5, 2007
Gerry McHugh resigns from Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin Assembly member Gerry McHugh has resigned from the party,
blaming “undemocratic” practices.
Published December 5, 2007
Bugging lawyers unlawful, says judge
The bugging of conversations between lawyers and clients has been ruled
unlawful by a British judge.
Published December 5, 2007
US visit pushes investment buttons
First Minister Ian Paisley and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness
opened the Nasdaq stock market in New York today (Wednesday) as part of
a trip to promote the Six Counties to US capitalists.
Published December 5, 2007
Catholic north-west is most deprived
The sectarian divide still dominates the North’s economy according to
new figures on the continuing east/west polarisation in the Six
Counties.
Published December 5, 2007
Real IRA issues statement, video
The ‘Real IRA’ have issued a statement that they intend to
launch further attacks on the PSNI police following two gun attacks on
PSNI members in Dungannon and Derry in the past two weeks.
Published November 28, 2007
First DPP meeting in west Belfast
Republican traditionalists are planning to mount a protest against this
week’s first ever meeting of the District Policing Partnership (DPP) in
west Belfast.
Published November 28, 2007
Harney clings to post as cancer scandal deepens
Fianna Fail has been forced to threaten parliamentary backbenchers with
expulsion in an effort to win the no-confidence vote on the 26-County
Minister for Health, Mary Harney today [Wednesda
Published November 28, 2007
One of the Colombia 3, Jim Monaghan, has this week published a book
about his experiences, Colombia Jail Journal.
Published November 28, 2007
A chorus of denunciation has appeared in the mainstream Scottish media
against University of Glasgow lecturer Dr Jeanette Findlay for
defending soccer fans who sing Irish rebel songs.
Published November 28, 2007
Judge rules out McAliskey extradition
Roisin McAliskey will not be extradited, the Belfast Crown court said
today.
Published November 23, 2007
Threats, protest in policing dispute
A District Policing Partnership (DPP) meeting in Belfast was called
off on Monday night following a republican protest.
Published November 22, 2007
Man hospitalised after vicious PSNI assault
A republican in Derry has had his arm fractured in three
places during PSNI raids in the city.
Published November 22, 2007
New ‘peace line’ built as loyalist attacks continue
A new ‘peace line’ is under construction in north Belfast to protect
the nationalist Throne estate from sectarian attacks by loyalists
living in White City, on the other side of the school.
Published November 22, 2007
McGuinness, Paisley to visit White House
US president George Bush is to meet Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness
at the White House on December 7 and congratulate them on taking “the
historic path” towards a peaceful future in the North.
Published November 22, 2007
A parade seen by residents as racial intimidation has been called off
after talks between the ‘Pride of the Raven’ loyalist band and
representatives of the Chinese community in south Belfast.
Published November 22, 2007
Horror at Omagh arson massacre
A devastating house fire in which a nationalist family of seven died in
the early hours of Tuesday morning was deliberately set, the PSNI
police has confirmed. A sectarian motive has not been ruled out.
Published November 15, 2007
Nationalist homes at a north Belfast interface came under attack from a
sectarian gang just hours after statements were read by leading UDA
paramilitary members at Remembrance Day commemorations.
Published November 15, 2007
Welcome ‘up to a point’ for UDA move
Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness has given a qualified welcome to the
decision by the largest faction of the unionist paramilitary UDA to
“stand down”.
Published November 15, 2007
Row continues over Quinn killing
One of the men named in England’s ‘House of Lords’ over the murder of
Armagh man Paul Quinn yesterday [Wednesday] challenged his accuser to
repeat the claims in public.
Published November 15, 2007
‘Section 31’ censorship on health issues
A decision to remove whistleblower medic John Crown from the panel of a
popular Irish chat show has been strongly condemned as a new form of
censorship.
Published November 15, 2007
The largest faction of the unionist paramilitary UDA has announced
that its armed gangs -- who use the cover name of the ‘Ulster Freedom
Fighters’ (UFF) -- will “stand down” from midnight tonight.
Published November 11, 2007
Paisley seeks deal on border checkpoints
The North’s First Minister Ian Paisley has lobbied British Prime
Minister Gordon Brown for an assurance that planned new border passport
controls will not be established between Britain and Ireland but
between the North and South of Ireland.
Published November 8, 2007
Departing Ombudsman warns of collusion dangers
Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan - who left office this week - has
revealed that she could not believe what she was seeing when she
compiled her major report on police collusion with UVF killers earlier
this year.
Published November 8, 2007
Pressure on Ahern after poll drop
Fianna Fail has suffered a large drop in support since the general
election in May and satisfaction with the party leader and Taoiseach
Bertie Ahern is also down significantly.
Published November 8, 2007
FIFA presents plan on political football
Proposals by the sport’s international regulators FIFA have been
welcomed by nationalist politicians as paving the way for an
all-Ireland soccer team.
Published November 8, 2007
Oration at the funeral of Martin Meehan
Full prepared text of the oration delivered by Sinn Féin President
Gerry Adams at the funeral of Martin Meehan this week.
Published November 8, 2007
Veteran republican Martin Meehan has died, aged 62. It is believed he
suffered a heart attack at home in Belfast on Saturday morning.
Published November 3, 2007
The plight of Tyrone woman Roisin McAliskey was prolonged further this
week when a Belfast court deferred a decision on whether or not the
mother-of-two will face extradition to Germany.
Published November 1, 2007
Anger at report on Cairns killings
The campaign to find the truth behind the truth of the murder of the
two Cairns brothers in 1993 will continue despite a controversial
finding by Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan that there was no evidence of
British Crown force collusion in the killings.
Published November 1, 2007
Visitor subjected to racist nightmare
An engineer falsely accused of being an illegal immigrant while
holidaying in the North of Ireland was arrested and imprisoned purely
because of his race, the Equality Commission said this week.
Published November 1, 2007
Executive seeks to boost Six-County economy
The North’s first programme for government aimed at boosting investment
and employment was overshadowed this week by the announcement that over
900 jobs have been lost in a County Derry plant closure.
Published November 1, 2007
US bid to bring down ‘peace lines’
A key American behind-the-scenes player in the Irish peace process
visited Belfast in recent days in a bid to encourage what once were
warring communities to come together.
Published November 1, 2007
Senior members of the unionist paramilitary UDA have made a
thinly-veiled threat to return to full-scale violence following a
decision by the Belfast Executive to halt funding for a UDA-linked
'peace' group'.
Published October 24, 2007
Billy Hutchinson arrested over Devlin killing
A leading unionist politician is among seven members of the unionist
paramilitary UVF who have been arrested by the PSNI investigating the
brutal sectarian murder of a Catholic child two years ago.
Published October 24, 2007
Adams denies Provisionals to blame for death
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has denied his movement had any
involvement in the murder of a 21-year-old County Armagh man.
Published October 24, 2007
McAliskey testifies in daughter's extradition case
Former MP Bernadette McAliskey told a court yesterday that she could
never see her daughter Roisin allowing herself to be extradited to
Germany to stand trial for an alleged IRA attack on a British Army base
in 1996.
Published October 24, 2007
Queen, Pope to mark peace with Irish trips
Dublin officials are on standby to prepare for a historic visit by the
English Queen sometime next year, it has been confirmed.
Published October 24, 2007
‘Irish language rights will not be stifled’ - Adams
The British government is under pressure to intervene after a minister
in the Six-County executive ruled out plans to introduce an Irish
language bill in the Belfast Assembly.
Published October 17, 2007
CIRA vows to maintain struggle
Republican hardliners in County Armagh have vowed to continue their
armed campaign in the area despite a massive PSNI/MI5 operation in the
Craigavon area on Thursday.
Published October 17, 2007
Cameras show PSNI allowed Catholics to be attacked
The Police Ombudsman’s office is to investigate a murderous mob attack
on three young Catholic men in Portadown town centre last week which
mirrored the controversial murder of Robert Hamill in the town ten
years ago.
Published October 17, 2007
Dublin ‘Love Ulster’ rally called off
Organisers of last year’s attempted ‘Love Ulster’ rally have withdrawn
their request to hold another rally in Dublin after a meeting with the
26-County government.
Published October 17, 2007
Europe takes action as new Tara monument uncovered
The European Commission has begun legal action against the 26-County
government over the continuing construction of the M3 motorway through
the Tara Valley.
Published October 17, 2007
MI5 take over North ‘security’
MI5 -- British military intelligence -- has taken charge of all British
security interests in the North of Ireland for the first time, it was
revealed today.
Published October 12, 2007
The North’s Social Development minister Margaret Ritchie has received a
death threat days before she was due to withdraw government funding for
a group linked to the unionist paramilitary UDA.
Published October 10, 2007
Unionists attack Irish language
An extraordinary unionist attempt to ban the use of the Irish language
at the Belfast Assembly has been defeated.
Published October 10, 2007
A man who worked as an informer within the Irish National Liberation
Army (INLA) has been uncovered within the ranks of the republican
socialist movement in Derry.
Published October 10, 2007
Sectarian attack mirrors Hamill killing
Community representatives have condemned the PSNI for failing to
intervene during a sectarian attack on two Catholic men in Portadown,
County Armagh.
Published October 10, 2007
Peace hopes fade in the Basque Country
A top member of banned Basque political party Batasuna has said the
arrest and detention of most of the party’s leadership is a declaration
of war by the Madrid government.
Published October 10, 2007
Children under attack in north Belfast
Residents at a north Belfast interface say they are being forced to run
a gauntlet of sectarian violence every time they leave their homes.
Published October 3, 2007
Progress seen in Tara campaign
A decision by 26-County Environment Minister John Gormley to place a
preservation order on an ancient fort has been hailed as a potential
breakthrough in the campaign to save the historic Tara Valley from a
motorway development.
Published October 3, 2007
Bullets have been sent to news studios in Belfast with the names and
details of six people, including Sinn Fein party president Gerry Adams
and the party’s senior press officer Richard McAuley.
Published October 3, 2007
Pressure grows on new coalition
The Green Party has come under fire from opposition parties in the
South for “an extraordinary abdication of responsibility” following its
continued backing of Bertie Ahern despite a mounting corruption
scandal.
Published October 3, 2007
British PM seen calling snap election
Parties in the North are bracing for a likely Westminster general
election that could undermine attempts to ‘bed down’ the Belfast
Assembly.
Published October 3, 2007
Ahern survives vote of no confidence
The 26-County Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, last night won a vote of confidence in the Dublin parliament,
despite a challenge by the main opposition parties over the veracity of
his evidence before the Mahon corruption tribunal.
Published September 27, 2007
British imperialism appears again
Britain is preparing natural resource claims on tens of thousands of
square miles of the Atlantic Ocean floor, stretching from Rockall
Island off the Irish coast down to Las Malvinas and Ascension in the
south Atlantic.
Published September 27, 2007
Policing Board divided over human rights
Sinn Féin representatives have refused to endorse the Policing Board’s
latest human rights report.
Published September 27, 2007
Adams speaks out against suicide, crime
The governments on both side of the border need to show leadership in
tackling suicide and self-harm, Gerry Adams has said.
Published September 27, 2007
A large crowd assembled at Timoleague Cemetery last Sunday to remember
IRA Volunteer Diarmuid O’ Neill whose 11th anniversary was that day.
Published September 27, 2007
‘Republican Party’ heads North
In a significant policy shift, Fianna Fail is to become an all-Ireland
political party with a view to gaining power in the North -- but will
not contest elections to the Westminster parliament in London.
Published September 20, 2007
RUC faulted over Nelson murder
Death threats against prominent human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson
were broadly ignored by the RUC police prior to her assassination,
according to a new report.
Published September 20, 2007
Tension in north-west following threats
A brick and a package containing three bullets were thrown through Sinn
Féin offices in County Fermanagh last week. The same offices were badly
damaged in a suspected arson last month.
Published September 20, 2007
Up to one hundred protesters breached the perimeter of the Shell site
in Erris, County Mayo as part of a planned ‘day of action’ last weekend
against plans for a high-pressure gas pipeline and refinery.
Published September 20, 2007
Irish speaker wins court appeal
An appeal court has acquitted an Irish language teacher who had been
arrested for talking to the PSNI police in Irish.
Published September 20, 2007
Paisley quits church role amid protests
DUP leader Ian Paisley will step down in January as Free Presbyterian
Moderator to avoid a split in the church with those who disagreed with
his political position.
Published September 12, 2007
Ten families in County Antrim have been warned their homes may be
targeted in UDA gun attacks within the next week.
Published September 12, 2007
New hearings are to be held into six deaths at the centre of a Crown
force shoot-to-kill policy in the North 25 years ago.
Published September 12, 2007
British soldier back in combat despite killings
A soldier who was jailed for life following the shooting dead of two
teenagers in the North of Ireland is to serve in Afghanistan, according
to a report today.
Published September 12, 2007
Veteran republican opposed oppression
More than 1,000 people attended the funeral in Maghera, County Derry,
on Saturday of founder Provisional IRA member and former Sinn Féin
Assemblyman, John Kelly.
Published September 12, 2007
Provisional IRA founding member and former Sinn Fein assemblyman John
Kelly has died.
Published September 6, 2007
North’s politicians lend experience to Iraq
It has emerged this week that senior unionist and nationalist
politicians from the North have been working to build relationships
between Iraq’s warring factions.
Published September 5, 2007
Republicans criticise PSNI actions
The PSNI police have been accused of acting ‘in a brutal manner’ during
an incident in a County Derry village in the early hours of Saturday
morning.
Published September 5, 2007
Sligo Sinn Féin councillor, Sean MacManus, has dismissed speculation
that he is about to resign from the party after two others councillors
in the South quit the party last week.
Published September 5, 2007
A bomb attack on a Catholic church in County Down is the latest in a
series of sectarian attacks across the North.
Published September 5, 2007
Gilmore is new Labour Party leader
Eamon Gilmore is certain to become the next Labour Party leader after a
number of potential rivals confirmed that they would not be contesting
the leadership election.
Published September 5, 2007
The Real IRA has claimed responsibility for a bomb which exploded on
the railway line in Newry last month, which it said was aimed at
drawing in members of the PSNI to the area.
Published August 30, 2007
Derry shoot-to-kill remembered
A vigil was held in Derry at the weekend to mark the 25th Anniversary
of the murder of Eamonn “Bronco” Bradley, who was shot dead by the
British Army’s Royal Anglican regiment on the 25th August 1982, aged
23.
Published August 30, 2007
Parades Commission rulings ignored
Residents of a nationalist enclave in east Belfast are furious that a
loyalist parade engaged in provocation on Saturday in open defiance of
a ban by the Parades Commission.
Published August 30, 2007
McAliskey mounts extradition defence
A defence lawyer has told an extradition hearing in Belfast that Roisin
McAliskey was not in Germany at the time it is claimed she was involved
in an attack there.
Published August 30, 2007
Euro legal action against Tara motorway
Environmental campaigners are to take legal action against the
26-County State to stop the destruction of heritage sites in the Tara
valley during the construction of the M3 motorway.
Published August 30, 2007
Rabbitte resigns as leader of Labour Party
Pat Rabbitte has resigned as leader of the Labour Party following
Labour’s disappointing showing in May’s general election in the 26
Counties.
Published August 23, 2007
Sectarian rampage in Tyrone village
A loyalist mob rampaged through the Catholic district in the Tyrone
village of Castlederg last week.
Published August 22, 2007
Executive ‘fudge’ as UDA violence continues
Supporters of a disaffected UDA gang are believed to have been
behind a spate of attacks in Carrickfergus at the weekend including one
on the home of a single parent mother of two.
Published August 22, 2007
Paisley vows to block language rights bill
A letter by the DUP leader Ian Paisley promising to block
legislation aimed at preserving the Irish language in the North of
Ireland has been condemned by Sinn Féin.
Published August 22, 2007
Talks break out in Shannon dispute
Aer Lingus pilots have agreed to call off their planned 48 hour strike
after airline bosses went into talks over the airline’s controversial
announcement two weeks ago to axe the Shannon Heathrow route and open a
hub in Belfast.
Published August 22, 2007
Bridging the way to an independent Scotland, united Ireland
Cross-border proposals are being prepared to link Ireland to Scotland
through a 21-mile bridge or tunnel from the Antrim coast to Galloway in
south-west Scotland.
Published August 22, 2007
Omagh trial described as a ‘farce’ by victim’s husband
The husband of a victim of the Omagh bomb says the only man in the
North to stand trial in connection with the attack should be acquitted.
Published August 16, 2007
A decision by Aer Lingus to set up a new base in Belfast at the expense
of existing services at Shannon Airport in the west of Ireland has
created an escalating controversy which could see the airline
completely grounded next week - by its own pilots.
Published August 16, 2007
Vulnerable autistic child deported
There is public anger after an autistic boy and his family were
forcefully deported from Dublin this week.
Published August 16, 2007
Apprentice Boys march ‘an example to others’
The Apprentice Boys parade in Derry at the weekend saw eight
nationalist youths arrested as petrol bombs were thrown during clashes
with the PSNI, but without major violence.
Published August 16, 2007
Danish apologise for Viking invasion
The Danish government did its bit for the peace process this week when
it expressed regret over the Viking invasion of Ireland more than 1,000
years ago.
Published August 16, 2007
Adams calls for Truth Commission
An independent truth commission, including international experts,
should be considered for dealing with the past conflict, Sinn Féin
President Gerry Adams said on Tuesday.
Published August 8, 2007
Craigavon riot after bomb find
Republican youths fought running battles with the PSNI police on
Monday following a day-long military-style police operation in the
town of Craigavon, County Armagh.
Published August 8, 2007
All-island bid to stop foot and mouth disease
The Dublin government and the Belfast Executive have promised to
co-operate closely to stop foot and mouth disease spreading from
England to animals across the Irish Sea.
Published August 8, 2007
ritish Army to use North as training ground
The North of Ireland is to be used increasingly to train British
soldiers before they are sent to conflict zones such as Afghanistan and
Iraq, it has been confirmed.
Published August 8, 2007
Anger at PSNI role in South Armagh
The 32-County Sovereignty Movement has accused Sinn Féin of making
“choreographed” moves to bring the PSNI police into South Armagh.
Published July 31, 2007
The legal battle by RUC/PSNI police bidding for anonymity during a
public inquiry into the 1997 killing of Catholic man Robert Hamill was
sent back to the High Court in Belfast today.
Published July 31, 2007
DUP says no to Irish language rights
The DUP’s minister for culture in the Six Counties, Edwin Poots, has
given no commitment on providing an Irish language Act despite a
high-profile meeting with Sinn Féin’s Gerry Adams.
Published July 31, 2007
Commissioner appointment was sectarian - report
The appointment of the widow of an RUC policeman as the North’s interim
victims’ commissioner was discriminatory and was designed to placate
Ian Paisley and the DUP, a report has confirmed.
Published July 31, 2007
Cold-blooded shooting was ‘lawful’
The wife of a man shot dead by British soldiers in 1971 has spoken of
her hurt and anger after a police investigation team told her they
could not find the killers and concluded his death was lawful.
Published July 31, 2007
Sinn Féin wins first Seanad seat
Sinn Féin has made history by winning a seat in the Upper House of the
Dublin parliament.
Published July 25, 2007
Shoot-to-kill: Answers demanded
One of the most controversial inquiries of the conflict involving the
RUC’s notorious “shoot to kill” policy, has been reopened.
Published July 25, 2007
Campaigners rally in defence of Tara
Campaigners opposed to the route of the M3 motorway through the ancient
city of Tara carried the flags of all 32 counties in a protest march in
Dublin on Saturday.
Published July 25, 2007
26-County Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has sanctioned a hand-out of Irish
taxpayers’ money to a Belfast community group under the control of one of
most notorious units of the Ulster Volunteer Force.
Published July 25, 2007
Republicans explode roadside device
The PSNI police has described two roadside bombs planted near a
roundabout in Newry as a “dangerous but ultimately pointless, cowardly
and empty gesture”.
Published July 25, 2007
‘Twelfth’ parades pass without serious violence
Nationalists across the North refused to be provoked as hundreds of
sectarian parades passed off last week without major incident.
Published July 18, 2007
Republican hardliners have been linked to a bomb attack on a PSNI
police station in Strabane, County Tyrone.
Published July 18, 2007
Firework attack across peace-line
A man was struck in the chest by a firework thrown over a ‘peace wall’
that runs across Manor Street, near their north Belfast home.
Published July 18, 2007
Five people who are protesting against the M3 motorway being routed
through the historic Hill of Tara site in Meath have been arrested.
Published July 18, 2007
Shell protesters defy Garda clampdown
Two more supporters of the ‘Shell to Sea’ campaign may now face charges
following a five-hour protest related to the Corrib gas project in
north Mayo.
Published July 18, 2007
Several hundred Orangemen and loyalist bands were stopped by PSNI
police at Drumcree Bridge in Portadown on Sunday as the annual
confrontation over a sectarian march passed off without incident.
Published July 11, 2007
Tensions are rising ahead of a controversial Orange Order parade in
west Belfast.
Published July 11, 2007
A unionist paramilitary gang linked to British Crown forces planned to
murder 30 Catholic schoolchildren in south Armagh in 1976, it has
emerged.
Published July 11, 2007
Elements within Ian Paisley’s DUP are attempting to remove the historic
status of the Long Kesh prison and hospital wing where hunger-strikers
died.
Published July 11, 2007
PSNI found guilty of serious discrimination
The PSNI police are refusing to pay after an equality tribunal issued a
judgement in favour of a police photographer who suffered abuse for marrying a Catholic.
Published July 11, 2007
RUC man blows whistle on collusion cover-up
A former RUC police ‘whistleblower’ has blasted a decision not to
prosecute 20 members of the British Crown forces who had previously
been identified in the investigations by John Stevens as having been
involved in collusion with unionist paramilitaries.
Published July 4, 2007
Vicious sectarian attack in north Belfast
A 15-year-old Catholic boy was beaten unconscious with a golf club in a
savage attack by a sectarian gang who then tied wire around his neck
and dragged him along a street.
Published July 4, 2007
Members of the Irish Republican Socialist Party have protested outside
a hall last night where PSNI chief Hugh Orde, at the invitation of Sinn
Féin president Gerry Adams, spoke in west Belfast on how to tackle
anti-social crime.
Published July 4, 2007
‘Dignified’ protest at Whiterock Parade
A sectarian parade by the Protestant Orange Order passed off without
incident in west Belfast on Saturday.
Published July 4, 2007
New focus to campaign for undocumented Irish
Campaigners on behalf of undocumented Irish immigrants in the United
States are pressing for a special immigration deal for Ireland after
the US Senate rejected a comprehensive reform Bill.
Published July 4, 2007
Shaun Woodward replaces Peter Hain as Northern Secretary
Shaun Woodward has been named as Britain’s new Northern Secretary,
replacing Peter Hain.
Published June 28, 2007
Blair resigns; Gordon Brown becomes British PM
In a carefully choreographed handover of power in London, Tony Blair
has tendered his resignation as British Prime Minister to the Queen at
Buckinghame Palace.
Published June 27, 2007
Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness has strongly criticised British Secretary
Peter Hain and former Policing Board vice chairman Denis Bradley over
the establishment of a new group to ostensibly examine ways to deal
with the past conflict.
Published June 27, 2007
British soldiers pull out of south Armagh
The last British soldiers pulled out of south Armagh at the weekend.
Published June 27, 2007
Nationalist residents are considering legal action following
a Parades Commission ruling on the controversial Whiterock parade in
west Belfast next Saturday.
Published June 27, 2007
New Police Ombudsman appointed
There has been a cautious welcome to the appointment of former
oversight commissioner Al Hutchinson as Police Ombudsman in the North.
Published June 27, 2007
Employment discrimination continues - report
Unemployment among Catholics remains twice that of Protestants, despite
advances in the peace process and increasing employment north of the
border.
Published June 27, 2007
Ahern names Cabinet; vows not to govern indefinitely
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has given the clearest signal yet that Tanaiste
Brian Cowen will replace him as leader of Fianna Fail and Taoiseach
during the course of the new parliament in Dublin.
Published June 18, 2007
All change as Adams, McGuinness meet Blair, Salmond
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams and the party Chief Negotiator Martin
McGuinness have held what is expected to be their last talks with the
British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the House of Commons.
Published June 18, 2007
No peace process for ‘Larry the Chef’
Larry Zaitschek, the American chef who faces extradition proceedings
against him over the so-called Castlereagh barracks ‘break-in’, has
been warned by the FBI that he faces a death threat if he returns to
the North.
Published June 18, 2007
‘Real IRA’ admits McGurk killing
A breakaway republican paramilitary group has admitted responsibility
for the murder of a father-of-five in west Belfast four years ago,
saying the killing was “criminally wrong”.
Published June 18, 2007
PSNI not trusted with stun guns
The Chief Constable of the PSNI police, Hugh Orde, has been told to
rethink plans to arm his force with 50,000-volt stun guns.
Published June 18, 2007
Ahern elected Taoiseach as Greens back FF/PD agenda
The 30th Dail has elected Bertie Ahern to a third term as Taoiseach in
a three-party coalition between Fianna Fail, the Green Party and the
Progressive Democrats.
Published June 14, 2007
Green Party set for coalition with FF, PDs
Green Party negotiators this evening agreed to join a Fianna Fail-led
26-County government and will put proposals to members tomorrow.
Published June 12, 2007
The Basque group ETA has called off its 15-month-old ceasefire, marking
the end of a troubled peace process with Spain.
Published June 11, 2007
‘Tour of the North’ to go ahead
The Parades Commission has ruled that a controversial Orange Order
march can pass a north Belfast interface next week.
Published June 11, 2007
A Ballymena man has told a court in chilling detail how he played dead
to escape being murdered and of having to watch and listen as his
would-be sectarian killers plotted to saw up his body.
Published June 11, 2007
Councils struggle with power-sharing
A bitter war of words erupted between Sinn Féin and the SDLP at the
weekend after the SDLP agreed a last-minute deal with Ulster Unionists
to take the two top positions in Belfast City Hall.
Published June 11, 2007
A former republican socialist activist and volunteer is the latest in a
long list of deaths which have occured in the ‘special supervision
unit’ of Maghaberry Prison.
Published June 11, 2007
Talks between Bertie Ahern’s Fianna Fail and the Green Party to agree a
programme for a coalition government have broken down without a deal,
raising new question marks over which parties will be in a position to
form a government when the Dublin parliament sits next Thursday.
Published June 8, 2007
Sinn Féin has said it will not be willing to support a minority
government from the opposition benches amid continuing negotiations
over possible coalition partnerships in Dublin.
Published June 4, 2007
Assembly debates policing powers
The policing Oversight Commissioner in the North, publishing his final
report on the conversion of the RUC police to the PSNI, has warned that
real change could be over a decade away.
Published June 4, 2007
Participants in a unionist band parade engaged in threatening and
provocative behaviour in the small Suffolk estate in west Belfast on
Saturday.
Published June 4, 2007
New ‘peace line’ divides school
A 25ft-high security fence is to be built inside the grounds of an
integrated primary school to protect nearby homes from sectarian
attacks.
Published June 4, 2007
Paisley Jr defends anti-gay views
Northern Executive junior minister Ian Paisley jnr has stood by
controversial recent remarks denigrating homosexuality and has
complained that criticism of the remarks amounted to an abuse of his
freedom of expression.
Published June 4, 2007
SF takes up seats on Policing Board
Sinn Fein has taken up its position on the North’s Policing Board for
the first time this morning.
Published May 31, 2007
Sinn Féin’s hopes for a major breakthrough in the 26 Counties with this
election were not borne out, despite some impressive performances and
an increase of some 20,000 votes over their 1997 total.
Published May 29, 2007
A Sinn Féin motion calling for new equality legislation was defeated
due to unionist opposition in the assembly last week.
Published May 29, 2007
NIO plot to renege on stop and search powers
British officials have proposed deploying special ‘anti-terrorist’
legislation across England, Scotland and Wales in an attempt to retain
the repressive measures in Ireland.
Published May 29, 2007
PSNI police have raided the home of a Strabane republican in an
escalation of tensions between local republicans and the force.
Published May 29, 2007
Protestors defy Tara destruction
There have been clashes at the construction site in the Tara valley
where the Dublin government is attempting to construct a motorway
through an important archaeological site.
Published May 29, 2007
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is considering a number of coalition options as
the 26-COunty general election counts are completing.
Published May 26, 2007
Michael McDowell quits politics
Deputy Prime Minister and Progressive Democrats leader, Tanaiste
Michael McDowell, has quit Irish politics in a dramatic response to his
election defeat today.
Published May 25, 2007
Small parties suffer as FF set to retain power
The 26-County general election now seems almost certain to return
Fianna Fail’s Bertie Ahern as Taoiseach, who may do so without the
need to again form a coalition with the decimated Progressive
Democrats.
Published May 25, 2007
Ahern likely to return as Taoiseach
In unofficial tallies in Thursday's 26 County General Election, the
vote for Bertie Ahern's Fianna Fail appears to be up and, while it is
early days in the election count, the party looks likely to form part
of the next government in Dublin.
Published May 25, 2007
Roisin McAliskey has been arrested on foot of a new extradition bid by
Germany.
Published May 21, 2007
Derry Republican Charlie McMenamin has walked free from court 27 years
after he was wrongly convicted.
Published May 21, 2007
DUP may veto Irish Language Act
The DUP’s Gregory Campbell has said his party will veto an Irish
Language Act for the North of Ireland.
Published May 21, 2007
Arthurs arrest ‘political policing’
Sinn Féin has criticised the PSNI after a prominent republican was
arrested during a raid on addresses in County Armagh and in Dungannon,
County Tyrone.
Published May 21, 2007
McGuinness backs Omagh bomb inquiry
Sinn Féin is prepared to co-operate with any independent, international
inquiry into the 1998 Omagh bomb, it has been confirmed.
Published May 21, 2007
Ahern makes landmark speech at Westminster
The restoration of power-sharing in Belfast marks the dawning
of a new era for the island of Ireland and for Anglo-Irish relations,
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told British parliamentarians last week.
Published May 21, 2007
DUP to get files on republicans
The appointment of two senior members of the DUP to the Privy Council,
allowing the party to gain access to high-level security intelligence,
has been criticised by nationalists.
Published May 15, 2007
Paisley visits Boyne battlefield
The planting of a walnut tree on the Battle of the Boyne site in County
Meath by 26-County Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and DUP leader Ian Paisley on
Friday has highlighted a new dispensation in north-south relations.
Published May 15, 2007
Sinn Féin confirms policing move
Sinn Féin has confirmed that it will take up its seats on the North’s
Policing Board, which has a supervisory role with the PSNI police.
Published May 15, 2007
Republican prisoners held in Maghaberry jail have agreed to suspend
their 10-month long protest.
Published May 15, 2007
British choppers engage in suspicious activity
British army helicopters being flown in rural County Tyrone at
night-time, apparently as part of preparations for “foreign” war zones,
are infuriating residents.
Published May 15, 2007
British Prime Minister Tony Blair has announced his decision to stand
down as leader of the British Labour Party and resign as Prime Minister on June 27th.
Published May 10, 2007
‘Bertiegate’ scandal hogs election headlines
The Progressive Democrats said they were within hours of quitting the
26 County coalition government with Fianna Fail yesterday as a crisis
over corruption allegations continued to dominate the general election
campaign.
Published May 8, 2007
Sinn Féin campaign ‘quietly confident’
The North’s deputy first minister-designate Martin McGuinness has
predicted Sinn Féin will be “the story of the election” in the 26
Counties later this month.
Published May 8, 2007
Cautious welcome for UVF statement
An announcement by the unionist paramilitary UVF that it is effectively
‘standing down’ has been welcomed, but there were calls for it to go
much further.
Published May 8, 2007
Campaigners have won a four-year battle to force the Dublin government
to officially recognise an annual event to commemorate the Great
Hunger.
Published May 8, 2007
Scottish nationalist triumph challenges union
Scotland moved closer to independence after the Scottish National Party
(SNP) became the largest party in the Scottish parliament this week.
Published May 8, 2007
British Direct Ruler Peter Hain has signed the order paving the way
for a new era of power-sharing to begin.
Published May 7, 2007
UVF issue statement on new role
The unionist paramilitary UVF has said it “will assume a non-military,
civilianised, role” from midnight and claimed that its arms have been
“put beyond reach”.
Published May 3, 2007
EU chief in Belfast backs power-sharing
The President of the European Commission Jose Barroso visited Belfast on Tuesday to announce financial aid and support for the new Six-County administration.
Published May 2, 2007
Ahern address at Westminster sparks debate
A row how has broken out over plans by the 26 County leader Bertie
Ahern to make a high-profile address to the London parliament at the
height of the 26 Countyh election campaign.
Published May 2, 2007
Important find vindicates ‘Save Tara’ campaign
Just 24 hours after the 26 County Minister for Transport ‘turned the
sod’ on the billion-Euro M3 motorway project in Co Meath it has been
confirmed that a site of major archaeological importance has been
discovered.
Published May 2, 2007
Official IRA mark death of Johnny White
A man has been arrested after shots were fired at the funeral of former
Official IRA leader Johnny White.
Published May 2, 2007
SNP within reach of historic victory
Campaigning is today drawing to a close in the British local elections
which could see Scottish nationalists become the largest group in the
devolved Scottish parliament at Holyrood.
Published May 2, 2007
The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has set Thursday May 24th as the date for
the general election in the 26 Counties.
Published April 29, 2007
Paisley to join Ahern in Boyne visit
DUP leader Ian Paisley and the 26-County Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, will
visit the site of the Battle of the Boyne together next month, it has
been confirmed.
Published April 27, 2007
A political representative of the UVF has said unionist paramilitaries
will wait to see whether power-sharing between Sinn Féin and the DUP
succeeds before decommissioning their weapons.
Published April 27, 2007
Nominees to Policing Board ‘not cheerleaders’
Former IRA prisoner Martina Anderson, who will be one of three Sinn
Féin nominees to the newly-constituted Policing Board, has said she
will be going in to hold the PSNI to account.
Published April 27, 2007
Sinn Féin TD Martin Ferris was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving
at the weekend, the party has confirmed.
Published April 27, 2007
Mayo farmer Willie Corduff, who was jailed for three months in 2005
over his opposition to Shell’s inland gas refinery at Rossport and
high-pressure pipeline through his farm, has been awarded the world’s
most prestigious environmental prize.
Published April 27, 2007
Sinn Féin meets Policing Board
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has said his party is set to take up
its positions on the Policing Board following a first ever meeting with
the controversial body.
Published April 21, 2007
Back-room Garvaghy deal denied
Sinn Féin has dismissed accusations that it is negotiating a deal with
the DUP to allow the Protestant Orange Order march through the
nationalist Garvaghy Road in Portadown.
Published April 21, 2007
The DUP leader Ian Paisley has stated that he will see out the full
four-year term of the Belfast Assembly as First Minister, despite the
initial understanding that he would resign within the first two years.
Published April 21, 2007
UDA and UVF listed as charities
A British government document has described unionist murder gangs as
voluntary organisations in the same bracket as children’s charities.
Published April 21, 2007
The 26-County Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, has refused to
allow a jailed IRA Volunteer temporary release to sit a college
entrance exam.
Published April 21, 2007
Special Branch linked to Ormeau Road massacre
A number of Catholic families whose loved ones were murdered in the
1990s have asked the Police Ombudmsman’s office to investigate the
role of self-confessed RUC/PSNI Special Branch agent Stephen ‘Inch’
McFerran in some twenty killings.
Published April 15, 2007
Trouble broke out in Derry after a heavy PSNI presence turned out to
monitor an Easter commemoration organised by the 32 County Sovereignty
Movement.
Published April 15, 2007
The British army and MI5 military intelligence shredded files on
collusion returned by the Stevens Inquiry, it has been confirmed.
Published April 15, 2007
The Provisional IRA has apologised to the family of a republican killed
by its members 17 years ago.
Published April 15, 2007
Free cross-border travel for Irish pensioners
A new cross-border agreement travel scheme has come into effect, giving
senior Irish citizens unlimited use of bus and rail services and other
transport services throughout Ireland.
Published April 15, 2007
Breandan Mac Cionnaith resigns
Sinn Féin political adviser Breandan Mac Cionnaith has resigned from
the party without commenting on the reasons for his departure.
Published April 10, 2007
Hardliners ‘becoming more sophisticated’
A primed mortar rocket was defused in County Armagh and two other bombs
were made safe in County Tyrone amid signs of increasing activity by
republican militarists.
Published April 10, 2007
McDowell denies Dublin/Monaghan cover-up
The Dublin government has denied that it is trying to cover up the
truth about the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings, in which 33
civilians died.
Published April 10, 2007
Driver’s life wrecked by sectarian harassment
A Catholic bus driver who endured half a decade of sectarian
harassment and intimidation at work said the ordeal has “ruined his
life”.
Published April 10, 2007
US Congressional delegation celebrates peace moves
The deal between Sinn Féin and the DUP marks a significant triumph for
US foreign policy, senior congressmen said in Belfast on Sunday.
Published April 10, 2007
The annual Easter statements issued by the main republican groups.
Published April 7, 2007
Bombs investigation ‘buried and forgotten’
Survivors and the bereaved of the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings
have vowed to continue their battle for justice after a report by
criminal lawyer Patrick MacEntee failed to provide significant new
information.
Published April 5, 2007
A leader of the unionist paramilitary UDA has ruled out weapons
decommissioning, claiming loyalists still “feel threatened”.
Published April 5, 2007
Demolition of the perimeter wall of the infamous H-Blocks has begun,
marking a final end to Long Kesh’s function as a prison and the first
phase in the construction of a new multi-function development on the
site.
Published April 5, 2007
SF lines out Six-County Ministerial team
Sinn Fein has confirmed its team of ministers for the Belfast
executive.
Published April 5, 2007
Tributes to plastic bullet campaigner
Emma Groves, a west Belfast woman who became a major factor in the
campaign against plastic bullets after being blinded 35 years ago, has
died.
Published April 5, 2007
Mixed reaction to power-sharing delay
“Everything we have done over the last 10 years has been a preparation
for this moment,” proclaimed British Prime Minister Tony Blair,
leading a vocal and mainly positive response by Irish and British
political leaders to the successful outcome of the DUP-Sinn Féin
negotiations this week.
Published March 30, 2007
The representative of Ian Paisley’s DUP at the European Parliament, Jim
Allister MEP, has resigned following the party’s deal to begin sharing
power with Sinn Féin in May.
Published March 30, 2007
Legal breakthrough in shoot-to-kill cases
The father of an IRA Volunteer shot dead by the British Army’s SAS in
1990 today won a five-year legal battle over disclosure of confidential
British reports about the killing.
Published March 30, 2007
Bombers may escape justice - Ahern
Nobody will be brought to justice as a result of the long-awaited
report into the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings, the 26-County
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said.
Published March 30, 2007
UDA tensions follows grant aid
The unionist paramilitary UDA is still heavily involved in extortion
rackets, the PSNI police has said, despite the British government
handing the group 1.2 million pounds sterling last week.
Published March 30, 2007
Parties agree new date for power-sharing
Sinn Féin and the DUP have agreed a new deal to start sharing power on
May 8 following historic face-to-face talks between DUP leader Ian
Paisley and Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams at Stormont today.
Published March 26, 2007
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams and DUP leader Ian Paisley will hold
their first ever face-to-face talks today as parties are faced with a
deadline for the restoration of the Six-County political institutions,
or, more likely, an agreement to suspend the process for a number of
weeks at the request of the DUP.
Published March 26, 2007
Devolution restored pending agreement
British Direct Ruler Peter Hain has signed the restoration order to
devolve governmental powers from London to Belfast, requiring the
Belfast Assembly to meet tomorrow [Monday] to nominate a new locally
elected administration of unionists and nationalists.
Published March 25, 2007
Responding to the news that Ian Paisley’s DUP is seeking a further
delay in Monday’s planned restoration of the political institutions in
the Six Counties, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has said the Dublin
and London governments must now proceed to put in place their
all-Ireland partnership arrangements for the governance of the North.
Published March 25, 2007
DUP refuse to commit to power-sharing
Nominations to the Belfast Assembly executive will not take place by
Monday’s ‘deadline’ following a resolution of the DUP’s ruling
council, reports have indicated.
Published March 24, 2007
‘Yes but No’ - DUP mulls options
A long-awaited commitment to power-sharing by Ian Paisley is in doubt
this weekend amid reports that the DUP may go through the motions of
appointing a Six-County Executive but will block meetings of the
Executive taking place for an undefined “testing period” of at least
two months.
Published March 24, 2007
Brit chopper crashes in border town
Villagers in Crossmaglen, South Armagh are outraged after a British
Army helicopter crashed, narrowly missing a nearby estate.
Published March 24, 2007
Sinn Féin set to join Policing Board
Sinn Féin will participate fully in the Policing Board and other
structures once the power-sharing institutions in Belfast are restored,
party president Gerry Adams has said.
Published March 24, 2007
A bail application for republican political leader Gerry McGeough has
been postponed after lawyers for the British Crown claimed that either
Germany or the USA might seek to have him extradited.
Published March 24, 2007
Two members of Republican Sinn Féin in Belfast were visited in their
homes by the PSNI police and informed that their lives are under threat
from a previously unknown group, the party has said.
Published March 24, 2007
Bush backs deadline at shamrock ceremony
At the annual St Patrick’s Day White House reception, US President
George Bush threw his weight behind efforts to hold all sides to the
March 26th deadline for the return of a local Six-County power-sharing
administration.
Published March 18, 2007
Allegations and rumours have multiplied in Belfast following the murder
of two nationalist taxi-drivers on Monday.
Published March 18, 2007
The British government has reneged on new Irish language legislation at
the insistence of the DUP.
Published March 18, 2007
MacEntee report on bombings completed
The injured and bereaved of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings reached a
potentially crucial milestone yesterday with the completion of an
long-awaited report into the attacks.
Published March 18, 2007
St Patrick’s Day shame for Dublin government
Part of the ancient Irish capital of Tara dating from the seventh
century has been dismantled this week to make way for the controversial
M3 motorway.
Published March 18, 2007
Plan ‘A’ for Sinn Fein after gains
Further electoral gains for Sinn Fein has effectively turned the Six Counties
into a two party statelet and created a situation unimaginable a
decade ago.
Published March 13, 2007
McGeough arrest ‘highlights lack of change’
The arrest at an election centre of an independent republican
candidate has been described as an abuse of the democratic process and
a return to the dark ages of political policing.
Published March 13, 2007
RSF blames censorship for low vote
Republican Sinn Fein president Ruairi O Bradaigh has said RSF’s failure
to make an impact in last week’s Assembly election was “as expected”
after an “almost total media blackout” of his party.
Published March 13, 2007
Ombudsman to investigate ‘Dirty War’ killings
Allegations that British military intelligence and Special Branch
police sanctioned their informers and agents within the IRA to carry
out certain killings are being investigated by the North’s Police
Ombudsman.
Published March 13, 2007
SF backs Irish ‘illegals’ campaign
Sinn Fein has backed a campaign on behalf of undocumented Irish
immigrants in the United States.
Published March 13, 2007
Assembly election - Final update
Counting in the Belfast Assembly elections is drawing to a close this
evening with significant gains for Sinn Féin and Ian Paisley’s DUP, a
major setback for Reg Empey’s UUP, a breakthrough for the Green Party
and the apparent final demise of Bob McCartney’s UKUP.
Published March 9, 2007
SF and DUP set to dominate Executive
Gerry Adams’s Sinn Féin and Ian Paisley’s DUP have continued to add
seats in the election to the Belfast Assembly as counting continued
late into the night in some centres.
Published March 9, 2007
Gains for SF, DUP; Gerry McGeough arrested
Results are being announced in the North of Ireland’s Assembly
election with the DUP and Sinn Féin polling very well.
Published March 8, 2007
Sinn Féin has dismissed an election-eve statement by 320 former IRA
and INLA prisoners who have called for republicans to vote against the
party and for independent republican candidates in today’s election.
Published March 7, 2007
SF Ard Fheis builds party momentum
Seven motions running contrary to Sinn Féin’s policy of tentative
support for Britain’s PSNI police were either voted down or withdrawn
during the party’s annual conference (Ard Fheis) at the weekend, which
mainly focussed on election preparations.
Published March 7, 2007
Injustices mount for ‘McCabe killers’
A High Court judge has again allowed the 26-County state another three
weeks to avoid a challenge by four republicans jailed for the
manslaughter of a Garda police detective to its repeated refusal to
grant them temporary release.
Published March 7, 2007
Election: Constituency profiles
An indicative constituency-by-constituency look at today’s election,
with the emphasis on the nationalist and republican contests.
Published March 7, 2007
Election: Pre-election statements
Election-eve statements by the Presidents of Sinn Fein and Republican Sinn Fein.
Published March 7, 2007
RSF blasts ‘exclusion politics’
Republican Sinn Féin has criticised what it says is a “media blackout”
of their candidates.
Published March 1, 2007
March for Irish language rights
Thousands of supporters of the Irish language took part in a march
through the city centre last weekend demanding equal rights for the
language.
Published March 1, 2007
The graves of nearly 40 people have been desecrated in an
overnight attack on the republican plot at Milltown Cemetery in west
Belfast.
Published March 1, 2007
Sinn Féin’s traditional Belfast headquarters has reopened following a
refurbishment, including new repairs to structural damage suffered in
loyalist attacks.
Published March 1, 2007
Holy Cross case goes to House of Lords
The mother of a Holy Cross schoolgirl is taking her legal claim to the
House of Lords with her complaint at the manner in which the PSNI
failed to defend her daughter from sectarian violence and intimidation
five years ago.
Published March 1, 2007
The unionist paramilitary UDA has announced that it will recognise and
accept the authority of future Sinn Féin ministers following Assembly
elections.
Published February 25, 2007
‘Internment’ of the Special Criminal Court
Republicans have called for international sanction against the Dublin
government over the use of “internment” in the 26
Counties.
Published February 25, 2007
A Sinn Féin delegation last week took part in a conference on policing
organised by the Policing Board amid continuing controversy over the
issue ahead of next week’s election.
Published February 25, 2007
Betwixt and between the election hustings
The North’s election campaign moved into full swing last week, with the
Democratic Unionist Party publishing its manifesto.
Published February 25, 2007
Sinn Féin promises to tackle water charges issue
A recurring theme in the assembly election in the North is the British
government’s proposal for water charges.
Published February 25, 2007
The London government has ruled out a gesture of reconciliation ahead
of the controversial appearance of an English rugby team at the site of
a notorious British massacre in 1920.
Published February 20, 2007
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has held a first meeting with the PSNI
chief since his party made its historic decision to support British
policing in the North.
Published February 20, 2007
A judge who quashed a conviction against a Sinn Féin assembly member
and a Derry-based journalist has spoken of a “distinct feeling of
unease” about the 1979 convictions.
Published February 20, 2007
Intimidation threat over GAA facilities
A unionist group in Antrim has threatened ‘another Harryville’ if plans
for development of facilities by St. Comgall’s Gaelic Athletics club
proceed.
Published February 20, 2007
Family of New Lodge Six appeal for meeting
The families of six men shot dead in the New Lodge area of Belfast have
called on the British government to launch a new investigation into
their deaths after a former unionist paramilitary admitted he helped
plan the attack with British intelligence.
Published February 20, 2007
The Six Counties is facing its biggest election contest in years as
some 250 candidates launch their bids for seats in the troubled Belfast
Assembly.
Published February 15, 2007
British Army spytower comes down
The last remaining British Army spypost in South Armagh has been
dismantled in a move which has been described as ‘the end of an era’.
Published February 15, 2007
DUP leader Ian Paisley has said any move to allow republicans facing
conflict-related prosecutions in the north of Ireland to come home
would be “a deal breaker” for sharing power with Sinn Féin.
Published February 15, 2007
O Caolain suffers heart attack
Sinn Féin’s leader in the Dublin parliament, Caoimhghin O Caolain, is
recovering after suffering a heart attack at his home last week.
Published February 15, 2007
UVF man links FRU to New Lodge massacre
A former unionist paramilitary has revealed that British military
handlers organised and took part in a gun attack that left six Catholic
men dead.
Published February 15, 2007
Tourists caught up in sectarian violence
The ‘Paddywagon’ company, which uses green minibuses decorated with
leprechauns and shamrocks, released photographs of a bus which was
targeted in Belfast on Tuesday.
Published February 10, 2007
Justice bill provokes anger, concern
Nationalists have expressed dismay at the draft legislation relating to
justice issues in the Six Counties which is currently passing through
the London parliament.
Published February 10, 2007
The DUP is experiencing its own problems as it faces into an election
amid a public expectation that the result could see it sharing power
with Sinn Féin.
Published February 10, 2007
Finucane conspirator Mark Barr found dead
UDA paramilitay Mark Barr, who was once charged with the killing of
Belfast defence lawyer Pat Finucane, has been found dead in mysterious
circumstances.
Published February 10, 2007
So-called ‘supergrass’ Raymond Gilmour has been warned he will be targeted by the
Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) if he tries to set foot back in
Derry.
Published February 10, 2007
‘Devolution or dissolution’ threat as DUP stalls
The future of the northern Six Counties must lie in a local,
accountable, devolved, power-sharing government, 26-County Taoiseach
Bertie Ahern has said at the conclusion of a meeting with the British
Direct Ruler Peter Hain.
Published February 5, 2007
New plastic bullets found to be more lethal
So-called safer plastic bullets, first fired in 2005, have caused more
harm than those used previously, according to research on people struck
by them in the North of Ireland.
Published February 5, 2007
Northern committee back on Leinster House agenda
Plans for Six County members of the Westminster parliament in London
to take part in a special committee of the Dublin parliament have been
welcomed as a step forward by nationalist politicians in the North.
Published February 5, 2007
Republicans consider electoral strategy
An umbrella group led by former republican prisoners opposed to Sinn
Féin’s new political direction is due to meet in the Gasyard Centre
later today [Monday] to plan a strategy ahead of the Assembly elections
in March.
Published February 5, 2007
Policing Board faces new controversies
The Policing Board, which oversees policing in the North of Ireland, is to be reconstituted with Sinn Féin
representatives for the first time later this month.
Published February 5, 2007
DUP press home policing demands
Pressure has mounted on the DUP to accept power sharing in light of
Sinn Fein’s latest concessions, but DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson
said his party will wait to see if Sinn Fein displayed support for the
PSNI “on the ground”.
Published February 1, 2007
Bloody Sunday victims remembered 35 years on
The 35th anniversary of Bloody Sunday was marked with a rally attended
by several thousand people in Derry on Sunday. The massive crowd,
believed to have been significantly larger than last year’s, retraced
the steps of the civil rights and anti-internment marchers of January
30 1972 from Creggan to the Bogside.
Published February 1, 2007
Elections to the Belfast Assembly are to go ahead on March 7 despite
the continuing failure of Ian Paisley’s DUP to agree a power-sharing
deal.
Published February 1, 2007
MI5 attempt recruitment of former PoW
MI5 unlawfully detained a former republican prisoner last week before
apparently attempting to recruit the man as an informer, it has
emerged.
Published February 1, 2007
McAllister unable to attend family funeral
The family of a former republican PoW, who is fighting deportation from
the US, say he is devastated at being unable to attend his father’s
funeral in Belfast.
Published February 1, 2007
SF Ard Fheis backs policing motion
In a show of hands, a specially convened Sinn Féin ardfheis (party
conference) has voted strongly in favour of a leadership motion
expressing support for the PSNI police.
Published January 28, 2007
Adams address to the special SF Ard Fheis
The full prepared text of Gerry Adams's address to
the special Sinn Féin conference on policing policy, currently taking
place in the RDS in Dublin.
Published January 28, 2007
Adams makes late appeal for PSNI support
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has made a last-ditch appeal to party
supporters to sign up to support the PSNI police and British courts in
the North of Ireland ahead of a crucial party conference on the issue.
Published January 27, 2007
Derry name dispute to continue
The High Court in Belfast has ruled that Derry City Council must use
the British colonial name ‘Londonderry’ for the city.
Published January 27, 2007
‘Upside-down’ UDR victims’ fund
A proposed fund for families of the Ulster Defence Regiment killed in
the conflict has been criticised as offensive and one-sided.
Published January 27, 2007
DUP may veto Dublin’s cross-border projects
DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson has said his party might move to block
attempts by the Dublin government to fund projects north of the border.
Published January 27, 2007
A high-profile republican whose kidnapping prompted a crisis in the
peace process in 2004 has delivered “a plea for mercy” on behalf of two
of his kidnappers who are due to be sentenced next month.
Published January 27, 2007
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has said he does not think there will
be a serious split in his party ahead of a special conference to debate
supporting the PSNI police.
Published January 22, 2007
Debate appeal rejected as PR stunt
A call by Sinn Féin to meet with and “brief” the leaderships
of three republican armed groups -- the INLA, Continuity IRA and Real
IRA -- about the current situation has received a cool response.
Published January 22, 2007
The US special envoy to the North, Mitchell Reiss, is to step down this
month after almost three years in the post.
Published January 22, 2007
Ireland’s two Human Rights Commissions have called for the appointment
of a top judge to examine the need for a cross-border public inquiry
into the Omagh bombing.
Published January 22, 2007
Three County Armagh brothers gunned down by a unionist paramilitary
death squad 31 years ago have finally had their names cleared of
involvement with the IRA.
Published January 22, 2007
Republicans protest policing move
A second Sinn Féin assembly member has resigned from the party over its
moves towards accepting policing.
Published January 17, 2007
Britain’s Attorney General has received prosecution files on seven
serving and retired RUC policemen after Nuala O’Loan, the North’s
policing ombudsman, conducted an inquiry into accusations of their
involvement in a number of political murders in the 1990s.
Published January 17, 2007
Adams attends funeral of David Ervine
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams was among the political leaders who
attended the funeral of the former unionist paramilitary and political
negotiator, David Ervine.
Published January 17, 2007
It would be a travesty of justice if the man accused of the Omagh bomb
atrocity was convicted, his barrister today told the single judge who
will decide his fate.
Published January 17, 2007
Scottish Catholics demand action on discrimination
Prominent Scottish Catholics have signed a petition to the Parliament
at Holyrood demanding an investigation into new statistics revealing
deep discrimination against Catholics in Scotland.
Published January 17, 2007
Sinn Féin’s ruling executive has decided to support a proposal for an
Extraordinary Ard Fheis to go ahead on January 28th, despite the
refusal of the DUP to commit to a deal on policing or power-sharing.
Published January 13, 2007
Nationalists clash over MI5 change
Sinn Féin and the SDLP have clashed over whether a statement by the
British prime minister Tony Blair on the role of British military
intelligence in the North of Ireland is positive or negative for future
policing plans.
Published January 12, 2007
Plastic bullet victims not guilty - Orde
Sinn Féin has welcomed comments by PSNI chief Hugh Orde expressing a
measure of regret for deaths caused by the use of plastic bullets in
the North of Ireland.
Published January 12, 2007
Omagh police witnesses under investigation
Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan is investigating the conduct of two key
PSNI police witnesses in the non-jury Diplock trial of Armagh man Sean
Hoey.
Published January 12, 2007
Few answers in meeting over killings
A meeting with a British government minster has been a let-down for the
families of the victims of a unionist paramilitary gun attack in a
County Down pub in 1994.
Published January 12, 2007
Polish recruits to boost Catholic numbers for PSNI
The PSNI police may be able to meet the Patten requirements for
increased numbers of Catholic recruits by drawing from the nearly 1,000
Polish people who have applied to join the force.
Published January 12, 2007
Progressive Unionist Party leader David Ervine has died this afternoon
having suffered two heart attacks and a stroke over the weekend.
Published January 8, 2007
Parties square off ahead of 26-County election
The 26-County Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said that he would accept Sinn
Féin support for a minority Fianna Fail government after the next
general election, but that he would not agree any deal with them in
return for votes.
Published January 8, 2007
Two further sitting Sinn Féin assembly members have said they will not
stand for re-election in the proposed March assembly poll, but have
denied that the current debate on policing policy lies behind their
decisions.
Published January 8, 2007
Independent republicans to contest all constituencies
A former Sinn Féin member and H-block blanket man is to stand as an
independent in Mid-Ulster if the assembly election goes ahead in March,
while another former IRA prisoner is considering running in
Fermanagh-South Tyrone.
Published January 8, 2007
Ombudsman ‘faces test’ over Lawlor investigation
The parents of murdered father Gerard Lawlor are meeting senior
investigators from the Police Ombudsman’s office today for the first
time over new allegations that the PSNI police failed to act on
information supplied by a witness.
Published January 8, 2007
Four members of the Sinn Féin Assembly team have said they will not be
going forward for re-election amid heightening tensions inside the
party over policing.
Published January 4, 2007
Nationalists clash over policing moves
The nationalist SDLP has said moves by Sinn Féin towards support of
policing in the north pointed to the “futility of the armed struggle”,
while Republican Sinn Féin accused their republican rivals of
“surrender”.
Published January 4, 2007
Charges against two men accused over the Northern Bank raid two years
ago were dramatically withdrawn in Belfast on Wednesday.
Published January 4, 2007
Contingency plans to the fore in 1976
Papers released show considerable political confusion in the British
and 26 County governments in 1976 following the collapse of Sunningdale
power-sharing efforts.
Published January 4, 2007
The oldest surviving IRA member who fought in the War of Independence
celebrated his 105th birthday this week.
Published January 4, 2007
Adams address at Brookeborough
The text of a keynote address by Sinn Féin
President Gerry Adams MP at an event in County Fermanagh to commemorate
the 50th anniversary of the deaths of Seán Sabhat and Feargal Ó
hAnnluain who were killed during the Brookeborough raid.
Published January 2, 2007
Sinn Féin to hold Ard Fheis on policing
Sinn Féin’s national executive has backed the motion put by party
President Gerry Adams to convene a special party conference on the
issue of policing today.
Published December 29, 2006
'Do not underestimate the difficulties' - Adams
The full text of yesterday’s statement by Sinn Féin
President Gerry Adams, in which he initiated a process to bring about a
critical change in Sinn Féin’s policy on policing in the North of
Ireland.
Published December 29, 2006
The High Court in Belfast has ruled that British Direct Ruler Peter
Hain acted unlawfully when he changed the nature of an inquiry to one
which enables the British Crown to keep evidence secret.
Published December 29, 2006
Some 72 Catholic recruits have quit the PSNI, citing a range of reasons
for dropping out, including work difficulties and republican
paramilitary threats.
Published December 29, 2006
Thatcher’s Congressional medal blocked
A group of Irish-American politicians has blocked the
US Congress from awarding a congressional medal to former British prime
minister Margaret Thatcher.
Published December 29, 2006
British Army recruitment opposed
It has emerged that in some of west Belfast’s schools the British Army
is openly recruiting through distributing glossy magazines, pamphlets
and leaflets in classes aimed at enhancing young people’s career
prospects.
Published December 29, 2006
Adams moves to change party policy on PSNI
A meeting of the Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle [leadership] to discuss
policing arrangements in the North of Ireland has been called by party
leader Gerry Adams in a move which could lead to Sinn Féin
controversially agreeing to support the PSNI police.
Published December 28, 2006
The non-jury trial of Armagh man Sean Hoey for the 1998 Real IRA Omagh
bomb and other attacks is set to continue despite a defence attempt to
have the case thrown out because of “shortcomings, lies and mysteries”.
Published December 23, 2006
Murdered journalist praised for stand against LVF
Journalist Martin O’Hagan was gunned down in the street for exposing
the drug-dealing activities of a unionist paramilitary gang, an inquest
has heard.
Published December 23, 2006
Portadown talks claim dismissed as spin
The Orange Order in Portadown has denied reports that it is willing to
engage in direct talks with representatives of the nationalist Garvaghy
Road over the issue of parade routes for the first time.
Published December 23, 2006
Haughey era disgraced by tribunal report
The regime of former Taoiseach Charles Haughey has been exposed as
corrupt and criminal in a scathing report by the Moriarty tribunal.
Published December 23, 2006
Stormont attack was ‘art’ - Stone
Loyalist killer Michael Stone has written to British Direct Ruler Peter
Hain stating that his recent attack at the Belfast Assembly was an
exercise in performance art influenced by Pablo Picasso and Eamonn
McCann.
Published December 23, 2006
Republican grassroots discuss policing
A long-delayed meeting to discuss the direction of the peace process
and republican strategy was finally held in south Derry last week.
Published December 18, 2006
More than 1,300 members of the British Army have received a criminal
conviction while stationed in Ireland in the last six years.
Published December 18, 2006
Murders continue in 26 Counties
A spate of gangster-style killings in the 26 Counties within a week has
brought fresh criticism of the Dublin government’s approach to the
growing problem of gun crime.
Published December 18, 2006
Hopes for Irish language in the North
The British government has begun a 12-week consultation process on an
Irish language Act for the Six Counties.
Published December 18, 2006
Calls for investigation into 1984 attack on Adams
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams MP has instructed his lawyer to write
to the Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan following the publication of a
news report in Belfast which links the RUC police Special Branch to the
gun attack on him in March 1984.
Published December 18, 2006
Adams discusses PSNI support with Orde
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams is holding potentially significant
talks with PSNI police chief constable Hugh Orde in Belfast today
[Wednesday].
Published December 13, 2006
High-tech British spy operation uncovered
Thousands of pounds worth of hi-tech surveillance equipment has been
uncovered spying on the home of a County Down republican.
Published December 13, 2006
Teenager survives sectarian attack
A Catholic teenager attacked by a sectarian mob in Ballymena has said
that he is “lucky to be alive”.
Published December 13, 2006
Bik McFarlane subjected to ‘judicial farce’
A Dublin court has insisted on going ahead with a non-jury trial of
H-Block escapee and IRA prison leader Brendan “Bik” McFarlane on
charges dating from 1983.
Published December 13, 2006
‘Ireland’s Alamo’ designated a national monument
The last headquarters of the leaders of the 1916 Rising is to be
designated a national monument following a sustained campaign for its
preservation.
Published December 13, 2006
The PSNI station in Craigavon County Armagh came under mortar attack on Tuesday
in one of three incidents linked to traditionalist ‘dissident’
republicans inside 24 hours.
Published December 7, 2006
Crumbs for poor in Budget giveaway
The 26-County Budget 2007 presented yesterday by Minister for Finance
Brian Cowen has been attacked for failing to tackle the “real issues
facing Irish society”.
Published December 7, 2006
Culling of register a blow to nationalists
The North’s latest electoral register has this year dropped 82,000
voters, with a dramatic reduction in the numbers of registered voters
in nationalist areas.
Published December 7, 2006
US Congress urged to intervene over Drumcree death
The 1998 RUC killing of an American-born Belfast man is set to become
an issue in the new US Congress that will convene in early January.
Published December 7, 2006
Landmark interface university project was undermined
The British government and the University of Ulster have been slammed
by Sinn Féin for “strangling” plans for the proposed Springvale
University in northwest Belfast.
Published December 7, 2006
The main points of the annual 26-County
budget for the year 2007, announced by Minister for Finance Brian
Cowen today.
Published December 6, 2006
Adams to meet Blair, Orde on policing
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams is to meet British prime minister Tony
Blair in London later today to discuss how to overcome unionist
obstacles to restoring power-sharing in the North of Ireland.
Published December 1, 2006
Britain ‘colluded in international terrorism’
In a significant advance for victims of collusion, a committee of the
Dublin parliament has definitively announced its finding that British
Crown forces colluded with unionist paramilitaries to carry out a
series of gun and bomb attacks in the 26 Counties.
Published December 1, 2006
Meeting exposes rift in republicanism
A public meeting of republicans to discuss policing was held in west
Belfast on Monday night, with sharply contrasting views put forward.
Published December 1, 2006
Denials and excuses after EU torture flight report
The Dublin government has denounced the findings of a European
Parliament committee that it aided the US in smuggling foreign citizens
to secret torture centres.
Published December 1, 2006
Malachy McAllister refused asylum plea
The US Supreme Court has declined to hear the asylum application of a
Belfast man Malachy McAllister fighting his deportation from the US to
the North of Ireland.
Published December 1, 2006
Notorious unionist paramilitary killer Michael Stone has been charged
with five counts of attempted murder over his attack on the Belfast
Assembly at Stormont buildings on Friday.
Published November 25, 2006
Hain faces inquiry over appointment deception
Nationalists have warned that a scandal over the actions of British
Direct Ruler Peter Hain and some of his senior civil servants over the
appointment of the North’s Victims’ Commissioner Bertha McDougall is
being ‘swept under the carpet’ by the British government.
Published November 25, 2006
Families getting caught in poverty trap
Most households dependent on unemployed persons or those on minimum
wage do not have enough income to sustain a basic standard of living,
new research has shown.
Published November 25, 2006
Objection to murder ended British Army career
A former senior British army intelligence officer has claimed that his
British military career in the Six Counties was ended after he raised
objections about the murder of a nationalist man in County Armagh.
Published November 25, 2006
Anger over mounting crime wave
The 26-County Minister for Justice Michael McDowell is under pressure
over rising gun crime following three fatal shootings in just over a
week.
Published November 25, 2006
Assembly evacuated amid political chaos
A notorious unionist killer has forced the suspension of the Belfast
Assembly after he passed through security lines to throw a smoking
device into the assembly buildings at Stormont.
Published November 24, 2006
A leading member of the INLA has described claims that Gerry Adams and
Martin McGuinness are under a death threat as “bogus”.
Published November 19, 2006
DUP man jailed for electoral fraud
A former DUP mayor who “attacked the very heart of democracy” through
electoral fraud is beginning a four-month prison sentence.
Published November 19, 2006
DNA experts dispute Omagh evidence
A top American forensic expert has disputed the DNA evidence against
Omagh bomb accused Sean Gerard Hoey.
Published November 19, 2006
Nationalist anger as Hain faces down court criticism
British Direct Ruler Peter Hain has been urged to resign after the
Belfast High Court last week found that he had actged improperly in
making public appointments as political concessions to the DUP.
Published November 19, 2006
The Dublin government is to yield to a demand by residents of a town in
the Kerry Gaeltacht to retain the English language version in its
official name.
Published November 19, 2006
Legislation lifts agreement deadline
Proposed legislation published in London today has confirmed the
British government will not require the Belfast Assembly to nominate
the First and Deputy First Ministers by the previously declared
deadline of November 24.
Published November 16, 2006
Garda thuggery against environmental protestors
A peaceful demonstration at the site of Shell’s construction site in
County Mayo has
seen some of the worst state violence so far by the 26-County’s Garda
police.
Published November 14, 2006
St Andrews process seen struggling
British Direct Ruler Peter Hain is to include an election to the
Belfast Assembly in legislation he is introducing in London on Thursday
in preference to a potentially risky referendum vote.
Published November 14, 2006
Judge blasts Hain’s lies over appointment
British Direct Ruler Peter Hain has been disgraced after a High Court
judge called for an inquiry into the biased appointment of a
victims’ commissioner and an attempt to cover up the real nature of the
appointment by British civil servants.
Published November 14, 2006
Institutionalised abuse in nursing home
The report into the Leas Cross nursing home scandal has concluded that
the level of care provided to residents constituted institutional
abuse.
Published November 14, 2006
PSNI’s HET to ‘investigate’ collusion
A new investigation team is to be set up by the PSNI police, ostensibly
to probe the involvement of British forces in sectarian murders in the
North.
Published November 14, 2006
Govts to move St Andrews process forward
The Dublin and London governments announced today they would draw up
legislation to implement the St Andrews proposals to revive power
sharing in the North of Ireland.
Published November 10, 2006
Policing roadblock looms for process
There are signs that Ian Paisley’s party will not meet the November 24th deadline
for the designation of First and Deputy First Ministers.
Published November 9, 2006
Loughinisland - How high does it go?
The families of the six men gunned down by a death squad 12 years ago
as they watched a World Cup soccer match in a bar have travelled to the
heart of the British establishment to call for an inquiry.
Published November 9, 2006
Council plan receives mixed response
Details have been announced of new plans for seven ‘super councils’ in
the North to replace the current 26 under the review of public
administration announced by the British government last year.
Published November 9, 2006
Cross-border danger of losing votes
Up to 20 per cent of the names on the current electoral register in the
26 Counties have been deleted as part of a review of the register, while across the border a deadline for maintaining your right to vote falls this week.
Published November 9, 2006
In a keynote address to Friends of Sinn Fein, Mr. Adams makes an appeal to
republicans for maximum unity in the time ahead.
Published November 9, 2006
Adams mandated to continue St Andrews process
Following two weeks of internal discussions on the St Andrews proposals
by the Dublin and London governments, the Sinn Féin ard chomhairle
(leadership) has voted to pursue the current process.
Published November 6, 2006
A Catholic youth survived a sectarian gun attack in Coleraine when the
weapon jammed last night.
Published November 4, 2006
Britain to boost North subsidy
The British government is to increase its spending in the Six Counties
following meetings with the North’s political parties.
Published November 4, 2006
Hamill anonymity ‘a cover-up bid’
Former RUC officers due to give evidence at the Robert Hamill murder
inquiry have succeeded in overturning a ruling that they are not
entitled to remain anonymous.
Published November 4, 2006
The public inquiry into the murder of the notorious unionist
paramilitary leader Billy ‘The Rat’ Wright inside Long Kesh Prison
almost nine years ago began in Belfast this week.
Published November 4, 2006
Referendum to protect the rights of children
A constitutional referendum is to be held in the 26 Counties to protect
the rights of children, probably in the Spring.
Published November 4, 2006
British government representatives in Rome have been investigating the
possibility of a simultaneous visit to the North of Ireland by Pope
Benedict and England’s Queen Elizabeth, according to reports.
Published October 30, 2006
The former Long Kesh prison is being demolished today, with the process
starting with the demolishion of the former internment compound (Nissen
huts).
Published October 30, 2006
Govts promise cross-border economic plans
The Dublin and London governments have said they plan to work together
to create an all-Ireland “economic strategy” following the publication
of a joint report.
Published October 30, 2006
A number of inquiries into killings in the Six Counties by British
forces, directly or as a result of collusion with unionist
paramilitaries, have been postponed.
Published October 30, 2006
IMC sees problems from IRA stepping down
There has been a dramatic use of hard drugs in the North of Ireland as
a result of the peace process, according to a mamber of a
government-mandated ceasefire watchdog body.
Published October 30, 2006
The parents of a County Derry man in a coma after being beaten and left
for dead by a UDA murder gang have accused the political establishment
of turning a blind eye to unionist paramilitary violence.
Published October 25, 2006
PSNI collusion suspected in Lawlor murder
Evidence is mounting that PSNI police agents were involved in the
murder of a young Catholic man shot dead by unionist paramilitaries
four years ago.
Published October 25, 2006
Republican Sinn Féin President Ruairi O Bradaigh has been refused a
visa to visit New York for a book launch.
Published October 25, 2006
Shell protest 'like civil war'
The site of a planned gas terminal in the west of Ireland remains the
scene of tense early-morning standoffs between police and environmental
protestors.
Published October 25, 2006
US immigrants favoured over new eastern Europe
People from Bulgaria and Romania will not be allowed to work freely in
the 26 Counties for seven years after their two countries join the
European Union next January.
Published October 25, 2006
Sinn Féin launches consultation process
Sinn Féin has begun a wide consultation process with party members and
supporters before deciding if it will support policing in the Six
Counties and the other St Andrews proposals.
Published October 20, 2006
CIRA carry out punishment attacks
The Continuity IRA (CIRA) has claimed responsibility for three
punishment shootings in the past week and warned further attacks would
follow.
Published October 20, 2006
Controversy is brewing over plans in the St Andrews proposals to embed
British military intelligence into the Six-County establishment.
Published October 20, 2006
Pressure to end fundraising ban
Two high-profile Sinn Féin representatives have been denied entry to
the US, despite speculation that the ban on party members fundraising
in the country could soon be lifted.
Published October 20, 2006
Thousands to attend Dublin rally
Thousands of republicans, including much of the Sinn Féin leadership,
are expected to attend a major health rally in Dublin tomorrow
afternoon (Saturday).
Published October 20, 2006
Paisley pulls out from Adams encounter
DUP leader Ian Paisley today pulled out of a meeting that would have
seen him come face to face with Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams.
Published October 17, 2006
‘Dissidents’ oppose St Andrews deal
The President of Republican Sinn Féin has said the
St Andrews document “will not be a final settlement between Ireland and
England because it does not address the historic Irish Question, ie the
issue of the presence of the British government in Ireland”.
Published October 16, 2006
The abolition of the controversial 11-plus examination by Sinn Féin’s
Martin McGuinness will remain an enduring legacy of his tenure as
Minister for Education in the North of Ireland, despite apparently
contradictory claims by the DUP.
Published October 16, 2006
Heavy gang treatment for Shell to Sea campaign
Shell to Sea campaigners who have been threatened and physically abused
by the Garda police in their protest against an onshore gas refinery in
County Mayo plan to take legal action against the force.
Published October 16, 2006
Forensic shambles exposed at Hoey trial
Crown prosecutors have admitted the credibility and reliability of
police witnesses in the Omagh bomb trial have been shattered.
Published October 16, 2006
DUP men insult victims’ relatives
The DUP attacked relatives of people murdered by the unionist
paramilitary UVF and as a result of collusion at the St Andrews talks
last week.
Published October 16, 2006
Parties comment on govts' proposals
DUP leader Ian Paisley said this afternoon that considerable progress
had been made during the talks at St Andrews in Scotland.
Published October 13, 2006
Full text of 'St Andrews Agreement'
The full text of the 'St Andrews Agreement', published today by the Dublin and London governments.
Published October 13, 2006
Govts outline 'St Andrews Agreement'
After three days of intensive negotiations in Scotland, the British
Prime Minister and 26-County Taoiseach have set out a sequence of
moves on policing and the restoration of local power-sharing in the
North of Ireland.
Published October 13, 2006
Ian Paisley has demanded that Sinn Fein state
clearly that it will support the PSNI police and encourage its
community to work with the PSNI before it will agree to share power
with Sinn Fein.
Published October 12, 2006
Sinn Féin determined to make progress - Adams
The Sinn Féin delegation for this weeks crucial peace talks arrived in
Scotland earlier this morning. Gerry Adams delivered a significant speech ahead of the political negotiations in St. Andrews.
Published October 11, 2006
Nationalist demonstrators blocked a main road in Belfast for more than
an hour on Saturday to protest against a televised ceremony marking the
disbandment of the British Army’s Royal Irish Regiment.
Published October 10, 2006
Paisley holds ‘useful’ talks with Catholic Primate
The first ever face-to-face talks between DUP leader Ian Paisley and
the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland were very good and useful,
Mr Paisley has said.
Published October 10, 2006
Journalist’s murder case inactive, five years on
On the fifth anniversary of the murder of Martin O’Hagan last week, the
National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said it had lost faith in the
ability of the PSNI police to properly investigate the case.
Published October 10, 2006
Hunger striker fights for eyesight
The leader of the IRA prisoners in the H-Blocks in 1980 has undergone an
operation to save his sight, badly damaged by 52 days of starvation
during the first Hunger Strike.
Published October 10, 2006
Govt blamed for airline industry crisis
There are fears that an attempt by budget operator Ryanair to take over
Aer Lingus, Ireland’s recently privatised national airline, could
be detrimental for airline workers and travellers alike.
Published October 10, 2006
Paisley to meet Catholic Primate
A historic meeting between the head of the Catholic church in Ireland
and Democratic Unionist Party leader Ian Paisley is scheduled to take
place next week in Belfast.
Published October 5, 2006
Garda mayhem at Corrib gas protest
Mayo residents were shocked and angered this week after the 26 County
state forcibly cleared sit-down protesters to allow construction
workers enter the Corrib gas terminal site.
Published October 5, 2006
Hospital activists step up campaign
Campaigners for Monaghan Hospital may bring their protests
at the downgrading of the hospital to the M50 motway in the coming
weeks.
Published October 5, 2006
UDA faction to end violence - claim
The south-east Antrim ‘brigade’ of the unionist paramilitary UDA has
claimed all its members will have stood down within the next five
years.
Published October 5, 2006
Judicial review sought over use of Irish in court
A request for a judicial review has been put before the Crown Court
in Belfast in regard to the case of a teacher who was arrested after
speaking Irish.
Published October 5, 2006
Ahern apology preserves Dublin government
The 26-County Prime Minister, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is set to continue
in office with the support of his coalition partners after he made a
public apology for receiving payments from business figures while
serving as Minister for Finance in 1993.
Published October 3, 2006
A former British army major conceded yesterday that parts of a bomb
examined in 1998 may have been “forensically altered”.
Published September 30, 2006
A former DUP mayor of Coleraine has admitted six charges of electoral
fraud.
Published September 30, 2006
A man jailed for life over the 1988 killing of two British army
corporals in west Belfast has been deported from the U.S.
Published September 30, 2006
‘Groundhog day’ talks must end - Hain
DUP leader Ian Paisley has said that his party “will not be bullied” by
a British government which has declared that a November 24th deadline
for an agreement in talks is legally binding.
Published September 30, 2006
British troops ‘involved in showband massacre’
A member of the Miami showband who was injured in an attack which
killed three of his bandmates in 1975 has said it is his belief
that the checkpoint at which his band’s minibus was stopped was
commanded by a British army officer.
Published September 30, 2006
Ahern admits receiving payments
In an interview on Irish television this evening, the 26-County Prime
Minister, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, admitted receiving sums of almost
forty thousand Euro from business figures he described as “long
standing friends”.
Published September 26, 2006
Sudden death of Michael Ferguson
Sinn Féin Assembly member Michael Ferguson died suddenly last night at
his home in Belfast at the age of 53.
Published September 25, 2006
Paisley rejects policing overtures
DUP leader Ian Paisley has set out a number of preconditions ahead a
planned political summit in Scotland, including that the IRA “be stood
down and abandoned”.
Published September 25, 2006
Drumcree marchers taunt Garvaghy residents
Unionists mocked the murder of a Catholic teenager during a
controversial weekend march to Drumcree in Portadown by the Protestant
Orange Order.
Published September 25, 2006
Inequality doesn’t pay for DUP
DUP councillors in Coleraine have paid almost thirty thousands Euros
towards a legal bill over a decision to exclude Sinn Féin from last
year’s Christmas dinner.
Published September 25, 2006
The brother of a former hunger striker has left Sinn Féin following a
dispute within its south Derry branch.
Published September 25, 2006
Hain makes u-turn on McCord killing
A Police Ombudsman report on the murder of Raymond McCord may be
“extremely uncomfortable for the British state”, British Direct Ruler
Peter Hain has admitted.
Published September 19, 2006
PSNI clash with Belfast youths
The PSNI police have been accused of heavy handedness after an armoured
police vehicle crashed into a car in north Belfast on Sunday night.
Published September 19, 2006
Sinn Féin and representatives of the unionist paramilitary UVF have
taken part in ground-breaking talks in Derry.
Published September 19, 2006
Gloves off for Portadown Orangemen
Residents of the nationalist Garavaghy Road in Portadown have called on
the Parades Commission to review a decision not to impose restrictions
on an Orange Order march due to take place in the town later this week.
Published September 19, 2006
Farmer gets bill for British Army base
A 69-year-old south Armagh farmer has been landed with a tax bill for
land adjacent to his property occupied by the British Army.
Published September 19, 2006
Catholics attacking themselves - Paisley
Nationalists have hit out after Ian Paisley jnr claimed a wave of
attacks on Catholic homes in the greater Ballymena area were “self-
inflicted”.
Published September 15, 2006
DUP leader Ian Paisley has declared that a deal by the November 24th
deadline set by the British and 26 County governments is unlikely and
branded proposed peace talks in Scotland “a waste of money”.
Published September 15, 2006
26 County Justice Minister Michael McDowell has succeeded Mary Harney
to become the new leader of the Progressive Democrats and will also
take over the role of Tanaiste, or Deputy Prime Minister.
Published September 15, 2006
Policing issues provoke controversy
Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan has defended herself after a fierce
attack by the chairman of the North’s Police Federation.
Published September 15, 2006
The poorest members of society in the North are worse off than they
were a decade ago despite rhetoric by the British government to the
contrary, a new report has found.
Published September 15, 2006
The hardline right-winger Michael McDowell looks set to be elected
leader of the Progressive Democrats in a move that could herald a shift
in politics in the 26 Counties and an early election.
Published September 10, 2006
The official body set up to report on IRA and unionist paramilitary
activity has said the IRA is committed to following a peaceful
political path.
Published September 10, 2006
West Belfast Gaeltacht wins official status
Belfast City Council has voted to officially designate part of the
largely nationalist Falls Road as a Gaeltacht area.
Published September 10, 2006
Almost 30 years after a teenager was jailed for being in the junior
wing of the IRA, his conviction was overturned yesterday.
Published September 10, 2006
Dialogue key to ending conflict - Adams
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has urged the US to adopt a similar
approach to that used in the Irish peace process in efforts to resolve
the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Published September 10, 2006
The 26-County Deputy Prime Minister, Tanaiste Mary Harney, has
announced she is stepping down as leader of the Progressive Democrats.
Published September 7, 2006
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams is en route to the Middle East to meet
with peace workers and political figures in Palestine and Israel.
Published September 5, 2006
Protesting republican prisoners in Maghaberry have completed another
48-hour fast, the fourth to be held since prisoners began a campaign
for political status on June 19.
Published September 5, 2006
Sectarian provocation in Ballymena
The Parades Commission, which is supposed to adjudicate in disputes
over sectarian parades in Catholic areas, has been accused of blithely
ignoring breaches of its determinations by Protestant marchers.
Published September 5, 2006
PSNI admits using chidren as spies
The PSNI police in the North of Ireland has confirmed it is using
nationalist children to inform, even on their own family.
Published September 5, 2006
US immigration ruling baffles republicans
The Board of Immigration Appeals in the United States has overturned a
lower court decision to rule that Sean O Cealleagh, convicted of
playing a role in the deaths of two British soldiers in 1988, can be
deported.
Published September 5, 2006
British knew Dublin bombers in 1974
Families of victims of the Dublin/Monaghan bombings have demanded a
public apology after it emerged that the British government has always
known the bombers’ identities but failed to bring them to justice.
Published August 31, 2006
26-County Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British prime minister Tony Blair
are reported to be considering holding “hothouse” talks with the
North’s parties in Scotland in the second week in October.
Published August 31, 2006
Catholic homes attacked in County Antrim
A Catholic family in the County Antrim village of Ahoghill has come
under attack for the fourth time in a year, while in nearby Ballymena,
another Catholic family was targeted by petrol bombers.
Published August 31, 2006
Dispute fells republican ‘unity’ meeting
Republicans considering a debate on possible alternatives to the troubled
1998 Good Friday Agreement have abandoned a meeting scheduled for Tuesday
night, with conflicting reasons given for the decision.
Published August 31, 2006
Summer marches end without violence
The summer marching season ended last weekend without serious trouble
during the annual ‘Last Saturday’ marches by the ‘Blackmen’ of the
Protestant Royal Black Order.
Published August 31, 2006
British soldiers admit using ‘unknown’ gas on prisoners
The British government is under pressure to confirm that it used a
lethal gas on republican prisoners during a prison riot 32 years ago.
Published August 27, 2006
Loyalists butcher rival drug dealer
Unionist paramilitaries are believed to be behind the brutal murder
of a rival drug dealer.
Published August 27, 2006
Republicans to discuss new political direction
A meeting to discuss the current state of republicanism and to
establish “a way forward” is being held in the County Antrim village of
Toome on Tuesday evening.
Published August 27, 2006
‘Fascist’ McDowell presides over Mountjoy hell
26-County Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has been described as
“fascist” in a report issued as two more prisoners died in Mountjoy
prison.
Published August 27, 2006
Scottish prosecutors caution Polish goalkeeper over blessing
The Catholic Church has led angry condemnation of a decision by
Scottish prosecutors to caution a Polish footballer who blessed himself
during a Glasgow soccer match.
Published August 27, 2006
A couple and their three-month-old baby have been forced from their
home in north Belfast following an arson attack on Sunday.
Published August 22, 2006
The PSNI has finally admitted to the family of a murdered County
Donegal teenager that the UVF was responsible for his death -- after 33
years -- despite the force knowing all along.
Published August 22, 2006
Ian Paisley’s DUP has been warned that an all-Ireland agenda led by the
Dublin and London governments would proceed in the absence of agreement
on power-sharing in the Six Counties.
Published August 22, 2006
Sinn Féin criticised over INLA tribute
Organisers of a commemoration to mark the 25th anniversary of the death
of hunger striker Michael Devine have defended the firing of a gun at
the event.
Published August 22, 2006
All those entitled to vote in the Six Counties are being urged to
complete the new registration form in order to register their votes.
Published August 22, 2006
A large bomb was partially detonated by the Real IRA at the empty home
of an industrialist and unionist peer in another attack by the
breakaway armed republican group.
Published August 18, 2006
The PSNI police have been strongly criticised after raiding two homes
in a violent manner in Dungiven, County Derry.
Published August 18, 2006
Gardai out of control - Morris
The Morris Tribunal of Inquiry into Garda police corruption has spoken
of widespread anarchy in the force.
Published August 18, 2006
Campaign to demilitarise Derry beach
A senior Dublin government official has visited a stretch of beach in
the North which is being used as a British army training ground.
Published August 18, 2006
Some of the worst rioting in north Belfast in months took place last
Sunday night.
Published August 18, 2006
Special non-jury ‘Diplock’ courts are to remain part of the British
judicial system in the North of Ireland, it has been confirmed.
Published August 13, 2006
Real IRA claim disruption, firebombs
The Real IRA has forced the closure of the main cross-border road and
rail links today, after it claimed responsibility for a series of
firebomb attacks in Newry last week.
Published August 13, 2006
A Catholic family in Ballymena have escaped a murder bid after their
house was attacked with a petrol bomb in the early hours of Sunday
morning.
Published August 13, 2006
Campaign for release of Michael McKevitt grows
A campaign to overturn the conviction of the republican prisoner
Michael McKevitt gained momentum yesterday as a distinguished panel of
human-rights advocates assembled in Belfast to highlight his case.
Published August 13, 2006
Apprentice Boys celebrate Derry siege victory
Clashes with republican youths preceded and followed the annual parade
by the Apprentice Boys in Derry on Saturday, but the PSNI police has
said they are pleased that the main parade passed off without greater
incident.
Published August 13, 2006
Concerns increased last night over the state of the UVF’s ceasefire
after it 20lbs of high-powered explosives -- enough to power ten car
bombs -- was uncovered.
Published August 10, 2006
Tensions rise ahead of Apprentice Boys marches
Tensions have increased along two north Belfast interfaces ahead of
parades by the unionist Apprentice Boys organisation.
Published August 10, 2006
‘Dissidents’ march in Ballymena
A parade by republican hardliners passed off peacefully in Ballymena
last night with its organisers vowing to continue with the annual event
until restrictions on it are lifted.
Published August 10, 2006
Jonty Brown arrested over McCord killing
The arrest of two so-called RUC police ‘whistleblowers’ and a third
former RUC man by the office of the Police Ombudsman has clouded the
issue of RUC collusion with unionist paramilitaries.
Published August 10, 2006
Anti-war demonstrators yesterday occupied the premises of a military
contractor in Derry in protest at the company’s involvment in the war
in the Middle East and in particular its work for the Israeli Defence
Forces.
Published August 10, 2006
An 11-year-old girl caught scribbling her name on a section of Derry’s
walls was subjected to a terrifying ordeal by the PSNI police.
Published August 5, 2006
Shell in pipeline ‘PR exercise’
An announcement by Shell OIl that the controversial Corrib gas
pipeline is to be re-routed has not impressed residents of the
Rossport area of County Mayo.
Published August 5, 2006
PSNI back down on land seizures
The PSNI has been forced into a climbdown over plans to make residents
in Crossmaglen, County Armagh hand over valuable land to the force.
Published August 5, 2006
Hunger-strike rally to go ahead
A major national hunger-strike commemorative rally is set to go ahead
on August 13th at Casement Park stadium, owned by the Gaelic Athletics
Association, despite the opposition of the GAA’s Dublin-based central
council.
Published August 5, 2006
DUP accepts Good Friday Agreement - Adams
The DUP has accepted the principle of power sharing and dialogue with
Sinn Féin, Gerry Adams has said.
Published July 31, 2006
Several hundred loyalists staged a rally in Belfast on Saturday night
in a ‘show of strength’ amid trouble between rival factions in the
unionist paramilitary UDA.
Published July 31, 2006
Community Restorative Justice (CRJ) has branded the British
government’s latest proposed guidelines overseeing the restorative
justice project as “arrogant”.
Published July 31, 2006
Prisoners stage 24-hour hunger strike
Republican prisoners in Maghaberry in County Antrim have stepped up
their protest by staging a 24-hour fast.
Published July 31, 2006
Independent Fianna Fail no more
A political schism of more than 35 years has ended with the return of
the Blaney clan’s Independent Fianna Fail grouping into the party it
split from in 1970.
Published July 31, 2006
The London and Dublin governments now accept that the Provisional IRA’s
war is over, according to statements made today by the British Direct
Ruler in the 6-Counties, Peter Hain, and the 26-County Minister for
Justice, Michael McDowell.
Published July 25, 2006
The Continuity IRA has said it carried out two gun attacks on the PSNI
in Armagh city on July 12.
Published July 25, 2006
US groups lobby Senators on extradition treaty
Leading figures in Irish America have testified in opposition to the
ratification of a proposed extradition treaty between the United States
and Britain at Senate hearings in Washington.
Published July 25, 2006
Peace role seen for Ireland in Middle East
The President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, has said she expects the
Dublin government to give ‘profound consideration’ to any United
Nations request to contribute to a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.
Published July 25, 2006
Vindication for anti-war group
Five anti-war members of the ‘Pitstop Ploughshares’ have been found not
guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of damaging a US aeroplane at
Shannon Airport over three years ago.
Published July 25, 2006
The British government has been accused of allowing the UDA to “stick
up” taxpayers after engaging the unionist paramilitary group in talks
for funds to “retrain” its murder gangs.
Published July 20, 2006
Cutbacks signalled ahead of ‘Plan B’
The Dublin and London governments are being urged to spell out their
plans in the apparently likely event of political parties in the North
missing the November deadline for a deal.
Published July 20, 2006
Carthy killing was wrong - Barr
The killing by Garda police of a depressed young man outside his County
Longford home six years ago was unnecessary, the judge who carried out
a two-year inquiry into the incident has said.
Published July 20, 2006
McKevitt case for Supreme Court
Republican hardliner Michael McKevitt has been given leave to go to the
Supreme Court in a fresh bid to challenge his controversial non-jury
conviction for ‘directing terrorism’.
Published July 20, 2006
There is anger and concern in Ireland at Israeli attacks on civilian
targets in Lebanon, with little action by the international community
to intervene.
Published July 20, 2006
SF marshal Orange parades, hold PSNI talks
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has accused DUP leader Ian Paisley and
his party of having done nothing to ensure a peaceful Twelfth - in
contrast to republicans.
Published July 17, 2006
Paisley ‘rant’ upsets policing appeal
There was concern this week after DUP leader Ian Paisley expressed his
party’s potentially violent opposition to political compromise,
undermining British government attempts to win over Sinn Féin support
for the PSNI.
Published July 17, 2006
Dublin cowed by British threats on undercover operation
The British government considered banning Irish immigration and
stripping the Irish community in Britain of social security and voting
rights after eight plain-clothes SAS men were arrested in the
26-Counties on active service.
Published July 17, 2006
Republicans have expressed concern after talks between the unionist
paramilitary UDA and the 26-County Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, in Dublin.
Published July 17, 2006
Govt blames road deaths on public
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has denied his government is to blame for the
mounting death-toll on Ireland’s roads.
Published July 17, 2006
New forensic approach urged on ‘Disappeared’
Provisional IRA Volunteers accompanied a forensics expert to the burial
sites of five victims whose remains were never recovered, the Sinn Féin
President revealed on Monday.
Published July 12, 2006
IRA statement on McConville case
The Provisional IRA has issued a statement affirming that Jean
McConville had been an informer at the time she was killed in 1972
following a declaration by Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan that she had
no evidence to corroborate the claims.
Published July 12, 2006
‘Political charade’ stumbles on
Nationalists have criticised Ian Paisley’s party for its continuing
efforts to undermine a local power-sharing solution in the North of
Ireland as set out in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
Published July 12, 2006
Ireland opposes British nuke plans
Irish politicians have expressed fears about a new generation of
nuclear plants like Sellafield located across the Irish Sea after the
British government indicated it intends to build nuclear power
stations.
Published July 12, 2006
Bertie Ahern has given the green light for his government to sell off
Ireland’s national airline, Aer Lingus.
Published July 12, 2006
Ardoyne march dispute reignites
Nationalists have expressed anger that a coat-trailing Orange Order
parade is to be allowed to pass Ardoyne in north Belfast on the evening
of the Twelfth of July, despite calling off a protest for a morning
parade on the same day.
Published July 7, 2006
RUC man ran collusion HQ - Barron
The farm of an RUC policeman was used as a centre of operations for
unionist paramilitary activity at the height of the conflict, according
to the final report of Justice Henry Barron.
Published July 7, 2006
The British army is expected to vacate its last hill-top spy post in
south Armagh next week amid a controversy over the future of British
Army lands in the area.
Published July 7, 2006
PSNI back sectarian flag intimidation
The PSNI police has been accused of “working hand in glove” with the
unionist paramilitary LVF to erect flags in the nationalist end of
Lurgan town last week.
Published July 7, 2006
Catholic homes in Lurgan and a school in County Derry came under attack at the weekend.
Published July 7, 2006
Statement of the Taoiseach and British Prime Minister
A statement on the state of the peace process and a ‘work plan’ were issued in Belfast on
Thursday by Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern.
Published July 2, 2006
The British government is attempting to turn sectarian and sometimes
violent celebrations of a 17th century battle victory over Irish
Catholics into a “festival” for tourists -- and has provided a
six-figure grant to the Protestant Orange Order to do so.
Published July 2, 2006
Republican prisoners at Maghaberry jail have said news of their
ongoing protest is being censored by the mainstream media, pointing out
that only one of Ireland’s main daily papers has carried details of the
protest.
Published July 2, 2006
A Parades Commission ruling banning Orangemen from marching along the
Garvaghy Road on Drumcree Sunday has been welcomed.
Published July 2, 2006
A hoax bomb alert on the outskirts of north Belfast has been connected
to an Orange Order parade in the area last week.
Published July 2, 2006
Chef extradition linked to custody pressure
American chef Larry Zaitschek says he will fight any attempt to
extradite him to Ireland to stand trial in connection with the
Castlereagh incident.
Published June 27, 2006
Peaceful Springfield Road parade
Residents on Belfasts nationalist Springfield Road allowed a small
sectarian parade by the Protestant Orange Order to pass through the area on
Saturday.
Published June 27, 2006
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and 26-County Taoiseach Bertie Ahern
will reportedly set out a timetable of work on Thursday in the
build-up to November 24, the date the North’s politicians must choose
between local power-sharing or joint authority by the two governments.
Published June 27, 2006
‘Institutional racism’ in North
Prominent human rights lawyer Imran Khan has said there is
institutional culpability in the failure to deal with racism in the
north of Ireland.
Published June 27, 2006
Protests will greet the largest warship in the British Navy when it
arrives in Dublin on
Published June 27, 2006
There are mounting fears of a major feud among rival groups within the
unionist paramilitary organisation UDA after its north Belfast units
rejected instructions to expel its leadership.
Published June 22, 2006
CIRA prisoners call for public support
Republican prisoners in Maghaberry have called on members of the public
to support their campaign for political status.
Published June 22, 2006
Major British operation in Armagh and Fermanagh
Hundreds of PSNI police and British army troops, took part in a massive
military operation in parts of Armagh and Fermanagh on Monday.
Published June 22, 2006
Controversial priest Fr Denis Faul has died after a lengthy battle with
cancer.
Published June 22, 2006
Loughinisland families demand truth, justice
The families of six Catholics murdered in a County Down pub by unionist
paramilitaries 12 years ago have accused police of protecting those
involved in the killings.
Published June 17, 2006
The legacy of controversial former 26-County Taoiseach Charles Haughey
is under debate following his death aged 80 at his home in Kinsealy,
County Dublin, on Tuesday morning.
Published June 17, 2006
DUP criticised for Assembly go-slow
Sinn Féin has accused Ian Paisley’s DUP of attempting to use delaying
tactics to stretch the timetable within which there should be
an Executive formed at the shadow Belfast Assembly.
Published June 17, 2006
Shackled prisoner found at Shannon
The discovery of a US military prisoner being illegally transported
aboard a civilian plane at Shannon airport in the west of Ireland has
reignited controversy.
Published June 17, 2006
The PSNI police are investigating the financial affairs of the Ulster
Unionist Party (UUP), it has emerged.
Published June 17, 2006
Inequality backed by Court of Appeal
A Court of Appeal ruling which upheld British Direct Ruler Peter Hain’s
decision to appoint two members of the anti-Catholic Orange Order to
the Parades Commission has been strongly criticised by nationalists.
Published June 11, 2006
Tensions increase ahead of marching season
A Catholic pensioner of 91 was attacked in her home during the week
amid a number of violent incidents across the North.
Published June 11, 2006
Dublin lied about torture flights - CE
A report by the Council of Europe has found Ireland guilty of collusion
with the CIA in the illegal transfer of prisoners to secret
interrogation centres.
Published June 11, 2006
The arrest of two people in connection with the 1994 Loughinisland pub
killingws is being seen as the result of a campaign for justice by the
families of the victims.
Published June 11, 2006
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has told representatives in Iberia that
dialogue and respect for political and democratic rights was the key to
achieving peace in the region
Published June 11, 2006
UVF gunmen were working for Special Branch
Members of the unionist paramilitary UVF who shot double-agent Mark
Haddock last week may themselves have been working for the murderous
Special Branch division of the PSNI police, according to reports.
Published June 6, 2006
McDowell blamed for rape law debacle
Amid a public furore over the collapse of its laws on statutory rape,
the 26-County government has said a constitutional referendum may be
needed to resolve the crisis.
Published June 6, 2006
The first meeting of an Assembly committee established to outline the
path to the restoration of power-sharing has broken up in acrimony.
Published June 6, 2006
Anger at Ballymena march provocation
Nationalists are angry after unionist bandsmen broke a deal
struck last week surrounding a contentious parade in Ballymena on
Saturday.
Published June 6, 2006
Film director challenges colonialist critics
Renowned film-maker Ken Loach has hit back at British press criticism
of his award-winning film on the War of Independence.
Published June 6, 2006
Claims by an MI6 operative in the Sunday tabloids that Sinn Féin
MP Martin McGuinness was a British spy have been rubbished.
Published May 30, 2006
Call for Great Hunger memorial day
Efforts to designate an annual memorial day to remember victims of the
Great Hunger have been boosted following the approval of a motion on the
issue by Dublin City Council.
Published May 30, 2006
Sinn Féin backs Assembly committee
Sinn Fein said today that it would take part in a committee aimed at
preparing for local power-sharing government in the North of Ireland.
Published May 30, 2006
MI5 gets millions to fight republicans
Over 20% of the financial resources of British military intelligence is
being used to battle irish republicanism, it has emerged.
Published May 30, 2006
Loach hailed for cinema triumph
A new film on the Irish War of Independence is set to boost
international understanding of the struggle against British rule
after it scooped top honours at the Cannes Film Festival.
Published May 30, 2006
The killer of Belfast lawyer Pat Finucane is enjoying his freedom after
serving just 18 months of a 22 year sentence for the brutal murder.
Published May 27, 2006
Adams backs Orange right to parade
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has controversially backed the right of
the Protestant Orange Order to hold sectarian parades - despite
American observers reporting 'grotesque anti-Catholic displays' at last
year's parades by the order.
Published May 27, 2006
Hain defiant as appointments row grows
British Direct Ruler Peter Hain has been accused of wasting
money by appealing a High Court ruling which overturned his
appointment of two Orangemen to the Parades Commission.
Published May 27, 2006
US urged to back immigration reform
A US Senate decision to fast-track new immigration measures has been
welcomed in Ireland on behalf of many undocumented Irish citizens
settled in the USA.
Published May 27, 2006
Moving tribute to member of Birmingham Six
Mourners at the funeral of one of the Birmingham Six, Richard
McIlkenny, were told on Thursday that he has 'finally found freedom'.
Published May 27, 2006
The British government encouraged leading organisers of contentious
sectarian parades to apply for posts on the Parades Commission during a
secret meeting last autumn, it has been revealed.
Published May 23, 2006
Tragic death of miscarriage of justice victim
The British government is being urged to apologise to the Birmingham
Six following the death of one of the six, Richard McIlkenny.
Published May 23, 2006
US Congress backs Finucane cause
The US House of Representatives has voted overwhelmingly to call on the
British government to reconsider its position on the inquiry into the
murder of Pat Finucane.
Published May 23, 2006
Thousands defied the rain to attend hunger-strike
commemorations for South Armagh IRA man Raymond McCreesh and the Derry
INLA hunger striker Patsy O’Hara.
Published May 23, 2006
A week-long hunger and thirst strike by Afghan asylum-seekers protest
in St Patrick’s cathedral in Dublin was dramatically ended late on
Saturday night as garda police stormed the church.
Published May 23, 2006
Dark day for Ballymena nationalists
Loyalists attacked mourners on their way to the funeral of murdered
Catholic schoolboy Michael McIlveen today.
Published May 17, 2006
Hypocrisy as UVF allies with UUP
The main political representative of the unionist paramilitary UVF has
joined the assembly group of the Ulster Unionist Party in a move
described both by nationalists and rival unionists as “breathtaking
hypocrisy”.
Published May 17, 2006
Politician, policeman, paramilitary
It has emerged that a former deputy mayor of Ballymena was a leader of
the unionist paramilitary UDA while he was a serving British Army
officer.
Published May 17, 2006
Portadown Orangeman Don MacKay has been forced to resign from the
Parades Commission after being exposed earlier this year for using
false references when joining the commission.
Published May 17, 2006
Concern for Afghan hunger strikers
Asylum seekers from Afghanistan are mounting a determined hunger strike
in Dublin's St Patrick's Cathedral in a campaign for refugee status.
Published May 17, 2006
Shadow of the Belfast Assembly
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has said he will nominate DUP leader
Ian Paisley as First Minister and his own party’s chief negotiator
Martin McGuinness as Deputy First Minister when the Belfast Assembly is
reconvened on Monday.
Published May 13, 2006
British Direct Ruler Peter Hain has said Sinn Fein will not be forced
to publicly back policing in the North as a condition of power-sharing.
Published May 13, 2006
The US government is to consider the possibility of blocking access to
the website of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement following a meeting
with relatives of the 1998 Omagh bomb.
Published May 13, 2006
26-County Army closer to conflict
Plans for participation in European Union battle groups by the
26-County Army has come in for strong criticism.
Published May 13, 2006
The final report of the Bloody Sunday inquiry will not be published
until next year, the families of those killed have said.
Published May 13, 2006
Members of the family of Bobby Sands assembled for a private gathering
on Friday in the former Long Kesh Prison near Lisburn to mark the 25th
anniversary of his death.
Published May 8, 2006
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams made a weekend plea to Ian Paisley's
DUP to play a leading role in ensuring a peaceful Protestant marching
season.
Published May 8, 2006
The Sinn Fein leadership has issued a call for four republicans who
failed to turn up in court for sentencing after admitting the abduction
of a dissident republican to turn themselves in.
Published May 8, 2006
It is thought that growing pressure on British Prime Minister Tony
Blair to resign could undermine his ability to continue the current
phase of the peace process.
Published May 8, 2006
The organisation behind the long-running television show Sesame Street
has launched a new project which aims to break down sectarian barriers
between children in the North.
Published May 8, 2006
Sinn Fein will be forced to give its backing to the PSNI police when
powers for policing and justice are devolved from London to Belfast,
British Direct Ruler Peter Hain has claimed.
Published May 3, 2006
The PSNI police has been strongly criticised after allowing a mob of
loyalists to attack defenceless nationalists after wrecking a billboard
erected in honour of the 1981 hungerstrikers.
Published May 3, 2006
Orders to maintain talks boycott
Leaders of the Protestant marching orders have said they still will not
talk directly to Sinn Fein or to residents groups about their sectarian
parades through Catholic areas.
Published May 3, 2006
26-County Minister for Communications Noel Dempsey has been accused of
siding with Shell Oil following a government report on its planned
high-pressure gas pipeline through County Mayo.
Published May 3, 2006
O’Hare release angers loyalist
Hardline unionist Willie Frazer has claimed that the PSNI police failed
to arrest former Irish National Liberation Army leader Dessie O'Hare at
his wife's home in south Armagh at the weekend.
Published May 3, 2006
An official report for the Dublin and London governments on allegations
of IRA and unionist paramilitary activity is the “most positive” yet
about the Provisional IRA following a peaceful path.
Published April 28, 2006
Marching season ‘breakthrough’
Nationalist residents have welcomed talks involving the Protestant
marching orders over their provocative and triumphalist parades through
Catholic areas in the summer months.
Published April 28, 2006
Helicopter incident in South Armagh
A South Armagh man is lucky to be alive after a lump of concrete fell
from a British Army helicopter onto his roof.
Published April 28, 2006
Britain’s ‘Duke of Edinburgh’, Philip Mountbatten, joined Irish
President Mary McAleese as guest of honour at an awards ceremony in
Dublin today despite protests by republicans.
Published April 28, 2006
Partition a tragedy for northwest
The partition of Ireland has left border communities struggling under a
lack of services both North and South, a Sinn Fein conference was told
on Wednesday.
Published April 28, 2006
A government report is expected to again confirm that the Provisional
IRA no longer poses a threat and has moved further in what is described
as “ending criminality”.
Published April 24, 2006
Anti-Catholic parades in line for aid
Member lodges of the Protestant Orange Order have applied for over
two hundred thousand Euros of grant aid money to stage sectarian
parades.
Published April 24, 2006
Stab victim survives sectarian attack
A 20-year-old man has described how he was stabbed in the back in a
vicious sectarian attack at a busy shopping centre on a Saturday
afternoon.
Published April 24, 2006
Jurists criticise inquiry legislation
Controversial new legislation which will dictate how inquiries into
British Crown force collusion in a number of murders are held has been
criticised by an international panel of eminent jurists.
Published April 24, 2006
Easter lily sanction suspended
A judge has ordered a republican prisoner to be released from a County
Antrim prison's punishment block while a legal challenge is heard on
the wearing of Easter lilies.
Published April 24, 2006
Prisoners punished over Easter Lily
A republican prisoner has been refusing food and water after being
thrown into the prison's punishment block for wearing an Easter Lily.
Published April 21, 2006
Bill creates ‘transitional Assembly’
British Direct Ruler Peter Hain is rushing emergency legislation through the London parliament to enable the recall of the Belfast Assembly on May 15th....
Published April 21, 2006
Concern at Bloody Sunday delay
Relatives of the Bloody Sunday victims have described the delay in the
publication of the report of the new Saville Inquiry into the 1972
shootings as 'ridiculous'.
Published April 21, 2006
Sectarian attackers ‘seen at parade’
Councillors in north Antrim have said members of a sectarian gang who
stabbed a young Catholic last weekend were spotted on
the sidelines of a parade by the Protestant Apprentice Boys
organisation in Ballymena.
Published April 21, 2006
SF seeks to prevent export of artefacts
Sinn Fein is to put forward a motion in the Dublin parliament demanding
legislation to prevent the sale and export of important historical
documents.
Published April 21, 2006
Huge turnout for Rising events
The Dublin establishment has joined in the commemorations held across
Ireland this Easter weekend to mark the 90th anniversary of the 1916
Rising.
Published April 18, 2006
A former senior RUC police officer has confirmed that a north Belfast UVF
commander was involved in more than a dozen murders while he worked for
RUC Special Branch.
Published April 18, 2006
Quiet start to marching season
The first of this year’s parades by the Protestant marching orders have
passed off without incident.
Published April 18, 2006
IRA apologises for death of civilian
The Provisional IRA has apologised to the family of a Catholic man
killed in a bomb blast almost 32 years ago.
Published April 18, 2006
An Irish republican awaiting repatriation from an English prison has
ended a fast begun in a bid to obtain better medical attention and
speed up his repatriation to be nearer his loved ones in Ireland.
Published April 14, 2006
DUP ‘disdain’ for new approach
Ian Paisley's DUP has warned London against any attempt to jointly
manage the Six Counties with the Dublin government.
Published April 14, 2006
A Sinn Fein official who was heavily involved in the party’s
negotiating team at the Belfast Assembly in the run up to the 1998 Good
Friday Agreement has died.
Published April 14, 2006
SDLP dissidents challenge Durkan
SDLP leader Mark Durkan is set to face a leadership challenge from the
former vice-chairman of the party.
Published April 14, 2006
In a decision filed on Monday, the United States Court of Appeals for
the Third Circuit decided against the McAllister family’s appeal
against deportation.
Published April 14, 2006
The text of the annual Easter message by the
Provisional IRA, in English and in Irish.
Published April 13, 2006
RUC man revealed Donaldson hideout
A former RUC policeman helped identify the remote hideaway of British
superspy Denis Donaldson last month, it has been revealed.
Published April 9, 2006
Parades routed through flashpoint areas
The Protestant Apprentice Boys organisation has been given a green
light to hold sectarian marches through two combustible ‘interface’
areas on Easter Monday.
Published April 9, 2006
Maghaberry prison authorities are trying to drive conditions for
prisoners on the republican wing back to those of the 1970s.
Published April 9, 2006
British intelligence services tried to recruit him a Tyrone man to spy
on the Real IRA while on a family holiday last month in the United
States.
Published April 9, 2006
Same old story for Policing Board
Nationalists have criticised the re-election of Desmond Rea as chairman
of the North’s Policing Board.
Published April 9, 2006
Joint Statement by Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair
The text of a Joint Statement issued today by
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the
city of Armagh
Published April 6, 2006
Govts press ahead with recall plan
Sinn Féin has told Tony Blair that under no circumstances will it take
part in a powerless ‘shadow’ assembly in Belfast or its committees.
Published April 5, 2006
Movement on demilitarisation welcomed
Republicans have welcomed action on the promised demolition of five
remaining British army spy posts in south Armagh, which began suddenly
this week.
Published April 5, 2006
No Catholics need apply for new fund
Catholic areas are excluded from a new 33 million pound plan to
combat poverty in Belfast, it has been revealed.
Published April 5, 2006
Parades Commissioner openly biased
A member of the supposedly independent Parades Commission has admitted
he is working in support of the Protestant Orange Order “from inside
the fence”.
Published April 5, 2006
A former IRA Volunteer has been imprisoned in Germany over an attack on
a British army base in the country almost 17 years ago.
Published April 5, 2006
Denis Donaldson, who spied for British forces for over twenty years while working as a top
Sinn Fein official, has been found dead.
Published April 4, 2006
Paisley’s demands conceded, say reports
It is being reported that the Belfast Assembly will be recalled three times in the next few
months and could be finally shut down on November 24.
Published April 3, 2006
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has been removed from a US government
‘terrorist watch list’ following a meeting between US politicians and
transport officials.
Published April 3, 2006
Sinn Fein condemns Derry bomb hoaxers
Republican youths have been blamed for bringing parts of Derry’s
Bogside area to a standstill
Published April 3, 2006
British demilitarisation promised
An announcement that British army personnel in the North will be
reduced to 5,000 by July 2007 has been greeted with scepticism by
nationalists.
Published April 3, 2006
The vice-chairman of the SDLP has resigned from his position, launching
a bitter attack on the party and its leadership.
Published April 3, 2006
Sinn Féin has said it is not willing to take part in an Assembly
if there is no prospect of having an Executive up and running by
the summer.
Published March 28, 2006
Cash for victims and families lies unclaimed
Just one third of a 9 million Euro fund set up by the Dublin
government to help victims of the conflict has been claimed, it
has emerged.
Published March 28, 2006
Hunger strikers and families remembered
Republicans across the country yesterday lit candles on Sunday to
mark the 25th anniversary of the 1981 hunger strike.
Published March 28, 2006
Informers ‘getting away with murder’
The family of a 19-year-old Catholic man shot dead by unionist
paramilitaries have publicly denounced the police investigation
which has failed to yield a single arrest in almost four years.
Published March 28, 2006
SF, Greens rise in latest poll
Bertie Ahern’s Fianna Fail party is losing ground amid a swing
to the more progressive parties, according to the latest
26-County poll conducted by the Red C organisation.
Published March 28, 2006
No future in parties’ fanciful ideas on assembly
In an unusually sharp and pointed criticism Sinn Féin president
Gerry Adams publicly questioned the quality of the advice being
given to US president George Bush, which is shaping his
administration’s policy in relation to the peace process here.
Published March 28, 2006
Irish example for Basque peace process
Tributes have been paid to the Irish role in bringing about the
ceasefire by Basque separatist group ETA, particularly that of
peace intermediary Fr Alec Reid.
Published March 28, 2006
The following is the text of the address on Monday by Sinn Féin
President Gerry Adams MP to Sinn Féin’s National Elected
Representatives Forum in the Writers Museum, Parnell Square in
Dublin.
Published March 28, 2006
Barmy logic of US Homeland Security officials
By Danny Morrison (for Daily Ireland)
Seven hundred people gathered on St Patrick’s night in Buffalo to hear Gerry Adams give an address on the subject of the peace process. However, he didn’t appear, having been detained by Homeland Security officials at Reagan National Airport in Washington, until he missed his flight.
Published March 24, 2006
Sinn Féin remains opposed to reported plans from London and
Dublin for the restoration of an Assembly at Stormont with
limited powers and a target date for the appointment of
a powersharing executive.
Published March 24, 2006
The History of the Basque Country
The Basque Country, Euskal Herria, Vasconia, Navarre, etc. are
some of the many names given to the Basque nation throughout its
history. A nation, which, like Ireland, has endured a long
struggle against aggression by its neighbours. A nation that has
managed to survive to the present day, maintaining its own unique
identity.
Published March 24, 2006
Ahern accepts past collusion, future cover-up
26-County Prime Minister, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said he
always believed there was British collusion in the murder of
Belfast defence lawyer Pat Finucane.
Published March 24, 2006
A permanent ceasefire announced by Basque pro-independence
organisation Euskadi Ta Askatasuna [Basque Homeland and Freedom]
has gone into effect.
Published March 24, 2006
Unionists could gain control over Housing
Nationalists have expressed concern at British Direct Ruler Peter
Hain’s proposals for changing the role of the Housing Executive
(HE) in the North.
Published March 24, 2006
A prominent loyalist was shot in yet another attack in County
Antrim linked to the unionist paramilitary UDA - the third within
weeks.
Published March 24, 2006
Pressure is growing on the 26-County Minister for Justice,
Michael McDowell after has was forced to apologise twice for
political outbursts while controversy mounts over unexplained
deaths in police custody.
Published March 24, 2006
A “shadow assembly” could operate in Belfast for a “few months”
while efforts are made to restore power-sharing, Bertie Ahern has
said.
Published March 20, 2006
Adams defies ‘carrot and stick’ pressure
Efforts by Gerry Adams to brief Irish-American supporters of the
peace process this week were hampered by a fund-raising ban and
travel issues.
Published March 20, 2006
Govts seek to quell concern over CIA renditions
Aircraft used by the CIA to transport prisoners to countries
where they are reportedly being tortured have landed in the
North, it has been revealed.
Published March 20, 2006
Birmingham Six man seeks apology
One of the Birmingham Six has promised to launch legal action
against the British government unless he gets a public apology.
Published March 20, 2006
Renewed US support sought for peace process
The US government and Irish Americans have been urged to support
Sinn Féin’s call for the implementation of the Good Friday
Agreement.
Published March 20, 2006
All change in world of all-Ireland politics
People say nothing ever changes here, but they’re wrong. Movement
is so slow, glacial even, that usually people don’t notice.
Published March 20, 2006
St Patrick’s breakthrough for Belfast
Belfast enjoyed its first ever official St. Patrick’s Day parade
with good cheer at the weekend despite disagreement over the
waving of the Irish flag.
Published March 20, 2006
The Irishmen who died for Mexico
The Saint Patrick’s Battalion in the US-Mexican War has placed
the Irish as a revered race in Mexico; even to this day, an Irish
person in Mexico will be told a countless number of times about
the famous ‘Irish Martyrs’ who defected from the US Army and gave
their lives trying to save Mexico from US aggression from
1846-1848.
Published March 20, 2006
Struggle for freedom is story worth reading
Last Thursday, March 9 was Bobby Sands’s birthday. He would have
been 52.
Published March 16, 2006
Adams, Ahern back emigrants’ rights
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams in New York yesterday morning
pledged his party’s “full support for the Irish Lobby for
Immigration Reform.
Published March 16, 2006
Institutional inequality must end
The North’s Equality Commission is being urged to begin
investigations of public institutions with records of
discrimination.
Published March 16, 2006
The Diary of Bobby Sands (part 2)
For the first seventeen days of his hunger-strike 25 years ago
this week, Bobby Sands kept a secret diary in which he wrote his
thoughts and views.
The following is his writings for the last eight days. It is extracted from ‘Skylark Sing your Lonely Song: An Anthology of the Writings of Bobby Sands.
Published March 16, 2006
US envoy Ambassador Mitchell Reiss has suggested that Sinn Féin’s
insistence on further police reform can be equated with the DUP’s
refusal to hold talks with republicans.
Published March 16, 2006
Adams appeals for peace progress
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams MP has said he is increasingly
concerned at the handling of the current talks by the Dublin and
London governments and the recent partisan behaviour of the US
government.
Published March 16, 2006