Much has been made in recent weeks about the
credibility of the Parade's Commission because of its
pro-Unionist bias.
But it has now emerged that it is also incompetent.
At the request of the Commission, two functionaries met
with Sinn Féin in Downpatrick last week. The Orange
Order has signalled its intention to march in the
predominantly nationalist town this July.
The Commissioners themselves will visit Downpatrick on
9 and 10 March to take submissions.
Councillor Paddy McGreevy said that Sinn Féin was
meeting them out of courtesy but emphasised that the
party had no faith in the body.
He then asked them what purpose the meeting had when
the Commissioners themselves were coming to take
submissions in two weeks time as advertised in the
local press.
``What?'' the Commission women answered. They had not
even been informed by their own organisation of its
plans to visit the County Down town.
Keeping up the best traditions of a fine body of men is
Robert Sloan (24). The RIR man has just been charged in
Belfast with one of the biggest seizures of Ecstasy
tablets in the North this year.
Sloan, a member of the 8th Battalion, RIR, was charged
in Belfast on 28 February in connection with possession
of £200,000 worth of the drug, with intent to supply.
Sinn Féin demonstrations in the 26 Counties always have
two or three sinister figures lurking about on the
edges. Tough looking (some would say ugly) men, faces
swollen from drink and good living, they wear standard
issue trench coats or anoraks. These are the strong
silent types without which no demonstration is
complete.
They are, of course, members of the Garda Special
Branch. Notoriously camera-shy, they hide at the sight
of a lens. But an intrepid photographer at SF's 1798
commemoration at Enniscorthy managed to take these rare
pictures of the Bashful Branchmen (Branchicus
Lieaboutus).
First the three large, shy creatures in the background
bury their heads at the sight of the camera. Then,
seconds later, they attempt to hide, much to the
amusement of the assembled branch-spotters.
You could spend hours observing their habits.
Cairde Sinn Féin's annual Night at the Dogs in
Shelbourne Park, Dublin, was a roaring (or is it
howling?) success last weekend. The Friends of Sinn
Féin crowded the Greyhound Stadium, making organiser
Joe Reilly a happy man. The night was not without
headaches, though, for the Navan Councillor who is the
financial brain behind CSF. Gardai said they had
intelligence that loyalists were planning an attackin
the capital that day and security was tight around
Shelbourne.
Thankfully, nothing untoward occurred but there was
some amusement at the name of the dog in Trap 3 in the
Paul Donnelly (North Dublin SF candidate) Race. The dog
was called Ring the Police. Also heavily backed by the
republican punters was the eventual winner of the Ray
McCreesh 525 for the John McDonnell Trophy, sponsored
by Sportslocker, Maynooth. It was called Real Branch.
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