Irish Republican News: Archives

June 27, 2008

‘BIK’ CLEARED
AS TRIAL COLLAPSES

The trial of former IRA chief Brendan ‘Bik’ McFarlane was brought to a sudden climax on Thursday afternoon, when the non-jury Special Criminal Court in Dublin dismissed all charges against him.

Anger over Derry killing

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Towards a united Ireland

Sinn Féin is embarking on a more active engagement with those in Britain who support Irish unity and is seeking to produce “a renewed strategy able to advance republican goals”.

All is not well at Stormont

The £6 million for Irish language broadcasting is the clearest signal yet that all is not well with the power-sharing arrangements at Stormont.

June 19, 2008

‘NO MEANS NO’

The European Union is generating its own crisis as the Eurocrat ‘elite’ refuses to accept Ireland’s NO vote in last week’s referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

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.

Landmine attack in Fermanagh

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.

‘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.

Warning over Drumcree march

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.

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.

Europe’s Plan B

The people have spoken. The Lisbon Treaty is dead. Now it’s time for Plan B.

Crisis? What crisis?

There is an obvious and simple way that the EU can respond to Ireland’s rejection of the Lisbon Treaty: continue as it was.

June 13, 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.

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.

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.

‘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.

June 12, 2008

IRELAND SPEAKS
FOR EUROPE

Irish voters are being urged to go to the polls today to say ‘No’ to runaway plans by the European bureaucracy to create a superstate at the expense of Irish sovereignty and neutrality.

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.

DUP gloating ahead of talks

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.

McFarlane trial opens

The trial of senior Provisional IRA figure ‘Bik’ McFarlane has opened at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin.

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.

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”.

‘The Battle of Caledon’

Forty years ago a family’s decision to make a stand over housing set in motion a chain of events that would give rise to the civil rights movement.

Ireland can once more save Europe from the Dark Ages

Welcome to the most surreal week in the history of Irish politics.

June 6, 2008

‘HONEYMOON IS OVER’

The new First Minister, Peter Robinson, and Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, today start talks with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to try to resolve key issues troubling the peace process.

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.

SF praise for Paisley despite controversies

Ian Paisley left Stormont Castle as First Minister for the last time yesterday, blowing the building a kiss.

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.

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.

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.

Belfast’s consummate politician

Belfast City Council took an enlightened step forward in the politics of reconciliation on Monday night when it elected Sinn Féin councillor Tom Hartley as its mayor.

‘Nasty party’ is Paisley’s legacy

He’s gone, the oul curmudgeon, and good riddance.

June 4, 2008

Power-sharing crisis averted

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.

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.

‘BIK’ CLEARED AS TRIAL COLLAPSES