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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Gallagher is part of the Fianna Fail machine even if the
tracks of his party membership have been covered with a floor mat upon
the face of which ‘independent’ is brightly stencilled.
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.
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.
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.
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”.
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.
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.
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams spoke at the International Conference to
promote the resolution of the conflict in the Basque Country, in San
Sebastian on Monday.
At the very least you would have expected Cameron to reflect in his
attitude and demeanour the reality that in front of him was a grieving
family whose father and husband was killed by those in the British
government's pay.
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.
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.
Presidential candidate Martin McGuinness has said that an election
debate on state-run RTE television on Wednesday night amounted to a
“trial by television”.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
On Thursday Teresa Treacy was released from jail,
still vowing to protect what is left of her carefully nurtured wooded
estate from the pylon men and their diggers.