Irish Republican News: Archives

January 31, 2011

Brian Cowen quits politics

The 26-County Taoiseach Brian Cowen has announced he will not contest the upcoming general election.

January 29, 2011

ONH calls off attack

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.

Cowen to bring down the shutters

Taoiseach Brian Cowen has said he will finally dissolve the Dublin parliament next Tuesday.

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.

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.

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.

‘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.

Egyptian people strike for freedom

So much has changed for the Arab nations in the few days since the flight of Ben Ali in Tunisia.

No civil rights without national rights

The narrative of an out-of-control regiment running amok might have more credibility if Bloody Sunday was an isolated incident.

January 26, 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.

January 25, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Two inspirations

Often in life we come across people who leave a lasting impression on oneself and who inspire and influence a person by their passion and beliefs.

Political pantomime now a circus of despair

It’s almost impossible to know where to begin any commentary this week - the Dail circus may see a few more surreal performances before the citizens finally move in and close it down.

January 23, 2011

Green Party quits government

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.

January 22, 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.

January 21, 2011

Coalition in meltdown

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Inauguration of the First Dail

Many republicans watching this week’s shambolic events at the Dublin parliament would have been bitterly aware that they came on the 92nd anniversary of the inauguration of the First Dail. A look back at that historic day.

Fianna Fail split down the middle by dithering

There’s an eerie congruence between Brian Cowen and Gordon Brown.

January 20, 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.

January 19, 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.

January 18, 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.

Cowen’s last stand

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.

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.

‘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.

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.

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.

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.

Butler to step down from Assembly

Sinn Fein’s Paul Butler is to quit the Six-County assembly after what he said had been a difficult decision.

Tommy Gorman - Recalling the Maidstone

Tommy Gorman was one of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ who escaped from the prison Ship Maidstone in 1972, 39 years ago this week. An interview by Anthony Neeson for the Andersonstown News.

January 16, 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.

January 13, 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.

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.

Upsurge in sectarian attacks

A Catholic primary school and a Gaelic sports club have been targeted in an orchestrated series of sectarian attacks at the weekend.

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.

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.

Sugar industry recriminations

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.

Basque process ‘should heed the Irish lesson’

Gerry Adams responds to the announcement by the Basque armed group Eta, confirming that organisations’ commitment to “a permanent and general ceasefire which will be verifiable by the international community”.

The end of Fianna Fail?

The final session of the 30th Dail began with further indignity being piled on the head of a dying government.

January 9, 2011

Ceasefire call dismissed

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”.

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.

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.

Nairac trial begins

The trial has begun of a south Armagh man accused of killing an undercover British Army officer over three decades ago.

Stone’s conviction upheld

Loyalist killer Michael Stone has failed in his attempt to overturn convictions for trying to assassinate Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness.

Sheehan interview ‘an insult’

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”.

eirigi New Year Statement

A statement issued by eirigi to mark the New Year.

Adams didn’t trade lives for votes

How could Gerry Adams have known what mileage there was in the electoral route for republicans?

January 4, 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.

Teflon Bertie steps down

Former Taoiseach and Fianna Fail leader Bertie Ahern has announced he will not run for the Dublin parliament at the next general election.

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.

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.

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.

Thaw brings water crisis

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.

2010 - Year in review

A look back at the main stories from the year past.

The Tragedy of 1980

The state papers of most interest to me concern the build-up to the 1980 hunger strike, the communications within government and agencies during it, and whether the republican leadership’s analysis and depiction of what was happening has subsequently proved correct