Republican News · Thursday 27 February 1997

Big Davy Tweed comes across as the strong silent type. Former Irish rugby international, staunch loyalist, defender of Dunloy Orangemen, he has the appearance of real leadership material (though the fact that he plays an accordion in an Orange band does detract from that cool image). But I'm afraid his image was shattered by his first media appearance this week

In a very strange interview with the Sunday Tribune he blurted out the stunning revelation that the ``RUC has found caches of hurley sticks'' in Dunloy. Now that is serious, particularly with the hurling season about to get into full swing, as it were.

It's a good job that big Davy is around to warn people about the dangers lurking in Dunloy. I would urge him to speak up as often as he possibly can.

other big man, Ian Paisley, is also worried about sporting activities in Dunloy. He was asked recently by UTV why he hadn't supported the beseiged Harryville parish priest.

Ian, in that wonderful picturesque language of his, replied,.''Where was Father Mullan when his parishioners were wielding hockey sticks and trying to break the craniums of my constituents in Dunloy?''

What is it about our fine British rulers that they have developed a colonial sensitivity to the use of their proper titles?

One of their not-so-loyal subjects, Sinn Féin's Mitchel McLaughlin is known to cause gritted teeth when he calls Sir Patrick Mayhew, Paddy Mayhew.

d recently, Gearóid O hEara ruffled the feathers of another NIO bigwig, Sir John Wheeler. Wheeler was addressing Derry City Council and afterwards O hEara referred to him as ``John Wheeler''. The stuffy Security Minister climbed on his high horse and insisted that he be addressed by his proper title.

``Alright, Johnny, dead on,'' was O hEara's reply.

d now this week, another Derry Sinner, press officer Dominic Doherty, has annoyed Labour's Mo Mowlam. In a press release he spelt her name ``Molam''. He was amazed to receive a phone call a few days later from Mo herself insisting that in future he spell her name correctly.

She must be practising for her expected elevation to the NIO after the Westminster election. It doesn't augur well.

Edwina Currie, who recently refused to have anything to do with calls to have Roisín McAliskey released on bail, showed her attitude to Irish people in general in an interview with the Irish Times last week. Commenting on the youthful energy on the streets of Dublin, she said, ``Give them an education and they can do anything. I remember the first time I met an Irish accountant. I laughed because I just couldn't believe it. An Irish accountant!''

d she's a moderate Conservative.

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