October 25, 2014

The abuse of power

kennycahill.jpg A mud-slinging campaign by the Irish political establishment has effectively halted Sinn Fein’s rise to become the largest party in the 26 Counties.

Talks ‘a sham’ - Sinn Fein

stormonthousetalks.jpg Sinn Fein has described the Stormont multi-party talks a “sham process” and warned that there is limited prospect of agreement unless the DUP shows a greater willingness to engage.

UDA targets lawyer

omuiri.jpg A UDA murder gang is targeting west Belfast lawyer Padraig O Muirigh, it has emerged. It is the same outfit which, in collusion with British forces, carried out the 1989 killing of high-profile Belfast defence lawyer, Pat Finucane.

Ladder of informer recruitment bids

mccusker.jpg A County Derry man has said that PSNI men offered to “get rid” of assault charges if he agreed to become an informer.

Ill prisoners humiliated by Maghaberry regime

maghaberrybig2.jpg Support groups for republican prisoners in Maghaberry have complained about the medical maltreatment of prisoners at the jail.

Water meters reach Belfast

belfastwatermeter.jpg The Republican Network for Unity say they have photographs of water meters which have recently been installed behind the backs of west Belfast residents.

Double tragedy

shotoutcar.jpg In an interview, west Belfast woman Flo O’Riordan recalled the night her two best friends were murdered, 43 years ago this week.

The case of the emperor’s thumb

cahillmicrophones.jpg I was on RTE’s Prime Time last night. It was of course about the Mairia Cahill case and it was what you might call a learning experience.

October 18, 2014

Stormont crisis over unionist bad faith

mcguinnessrattledrobinson.jpg The North’s political process has ground to a halt after the DUP dramatically reneged on a deal to appoint a Sinn Fein Speaker of the Stormont Assembly and then entirely boycotted the opening of a new round of talks in Belfast.

SF facing media campaign over abuse allegations

mairia.jpg Sinn Fein has strongly rejected claims it sought to “cover-up” allegations of sexual abuse against a member of the Provisional IRA.

Anger as Craigavon Two sentence is extended

johnpaulwootton.jpg Miscarriage of justice victim John Paul Wootton has had his life sentence tariff increased by four years by the Court of Appeal, despite the chief justice admitting that the youth played no identifiable role in the CIRA action for which he received a life sentence.

Budget ‘too little, too late’ for those in need

waterprotestgpoflag.jpg The coalition 26-County government has been accused of using this week’s annual budget announcements as an attempt regain popular support after comprehensively losing two by-elections while 100,000 people marched in Dublin against the hated new water charges.

Loyalists planned killings before and after ceasefire

garyhaggartybig.jpg In 2005, ten years after the organisation declared a ‘ceasefire’, the unionist paramilitary UVF continued to gather personal information on leading republicans with the intention of targeting them for assassination.

Relatives’ suspicions over coalition’s 1916 agenda

1916relatives.jpg Relatives of Easter Rising combatants are still being kept in the dark about commemoration plans for the centenary. Meanwhile, concerns have mounted that the Dublin government will promote a pro-British version of the events of 1916, which launched Ireland’s fight for independence.

‘Satanic’ IRA claims revealed as psy-ops plot

satanicira.jpg British military intelligence agents in the north of Ireland used fears about demonic possessions, black masses and witchcraft as part of a psychological war against emerging armed groups in the conflict in the 1970s, they have admitted.

Reneging on deals is just no way to do business

duptalks2.jpg This week in the Assembly we witnessed the latest example of DUP bad faith.

October 14, 2014

Budget 2015 - main points

budget2015.jpg The following are the main points of the fiscal changes announced this afternoon by 26 County Finance Minister Michael Noonan

October 11, 2014

Govt thrashed in by-elections as 100,000 protest water charges

waterchargedemo.jpg Crowds not seen in several years have demonstrated against water charges on the streets of Dublin city centre this afternoon as voters delivered a stunning message of no confidence in two by-elections to the Dublin parliament.

Sinn Fein surge continues

mcdonaldadams.jpg With two by-elections to the Dublin parliament taking place this week, a poll has shown that Sinn Fein’s support has risen to become the joint largest political party in the 26 Counties.

Gardai attempt to break up water protests

gardawater.jpg The Mayor of Dublin, Christy Burke, has been forced to seek a meeting with Garda police chiefs over what he described as the excessive force being used against anti-water charge protestors in the city.

ONH mount attacks in Belfast

onhmural2.jpg A breakaway IRA group has claimed responsibility for a grenade-style bomb thrown at the PSNI in north Belfast this week.

Councillor burned out of Ballycastle home

padraigmcshane.jpg The UDA is being blamed for an arson attack on the home of a nationalist councillor in County Antrim. Extensive smoke damage was caused to Padraig McShane’s home in the town of Ballycastle early on Saturday.

Budget showdown as parties diverge on tax rates

pearsedohertyflatbig.jpg The 26-County Taoiseach Enda Kenny has promised that next week’s budget will see the first step in reducing the top rate of tax for the state’s highest earners, but that any move to abolish the new charges and taxes on the general public would amount to “economic and social madness”.

New British nuclear threat after Commissioner goes missing

hinckley.jpg A decision by the European Commission to give Britain approval to build a nuclear plant just 150 miles from Rosslare is generated considerable concern.

Emigrants, northerners ‘tuned out’

seanparker.jpg The Dublin government has been urged to do more to maintain contact with its emigrant population after a deceased Galway man was only saved from an unmarked grave in England by the efforts of a deaths registration official in London and a retired school teacher.

Water is a human right

water.jpg An introduction to the Right2Water campaign and its petition.

October 4, 2014

‘No funds’ for war crimes investigations

bloodysundaybody2.jpg Plans to abandon or scale down a number of investigations into past British atrocities in the north of Ireland are being blamed by Stormont ministers on a cut in the British exchequer’s annual block grant for the Six Counties.

Low expectations as new talks are announced

villiers.jpg A fresh round of talks aimed at reviving the Stormont Assembly and the other political institutions of the peace process are expected to begin next month.

Bobby Sands’ deathbed featured in documentary

keshbedsands.jpg Unionists have reacted badly to news that the bed in which IRA hunger-striker Bobby Sands died remains intact inside the former Long Kesh prison.

Orange halls and Protestant church attacked

orangehallconvoy.jpg A series of attacks on Orange halls in Donegal and Armagh has been widely condemned.

‘Direct action’ after mural is painted over

vanburned.jpg A Housing Executive van has been burned out after it removed a republican mural a wall in the Ligoniel area of north Belfast.

Tensions mount over water meter protests, corruption

waterarrest.jpg A public campaign against the installation of water meters in the 26 Counties has further escalated following the official start of billing of the public by Irish Water, the new state-owned water utility board.

The truth about the past is withheld

topsecretbig.jpg The British government has no intention of allowing the truth to be told about its forces’ role in the conflict.

No-one can claim victory in war still being fought

psniplastic2.jpg I’d never really thought to analyse the question ‘who won the war?’ because by my assessment the war is far from over.

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