Derry republican Tony Taylor, released as his internment by the British
approached a significant one thousand days, was released this evening
after a day of tense last-minute negotiations around the details of his
release.
Amid a hostile reaction by unionist politicians to a draft Brexit deal,
one TUV politician has warned that the border through Ireland will be
“maintained by the gun”.
A breakaway anti-abortion, nationalist/republican party being set up by
former Sinn Fein TD Peadar Toibin is organising meetings across the
country and has already recruited two councillors, Sinn Fein Kildare
councillor Ide Cussen and former Sinn Fein Cork councillor Ger Keohane.
Britain’s Direct Ruler in Ireland, Karen Bradley, has been widely
condemned for comments that families of victims of British war crimes
are part of ‘the problem’ for seeking coronial inquests, and that she
was ‘outraged’ by the legal pursuit of the soldiers involved.
Sinn Fein deputy leader Pearse Doherty has called for a debate about the
possibility of establishing an all-island soccer team, following the
resignation of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane as the Ireland management
team.
This is the time of year when republicans traditionally remember those
‘faoi ghlas ag gallaibh’, behind bars in the cause of Ireland. This is
the current list of prisoners as collated from welfare groups, families
and friends.
The DUP leadership is completely at odds with civic unionism after a
draft Brexit deal won praise across the north of Ireland, particularly
from farmers and business interests who see significant advantages in
proposed arrangements to facilitate trade with both Britain and the EU.
Republican Sinn Fein has named a new party President, Seosamh O
Mhaoileoin, at its Ard Fheis [annual conference] last weekend,
replacing Des Dalton without an election.
The elderly father of a political prisoner who’s been in jail for almost
1,000 days without charge or trial has written a heartfelt letter to the
British government pleading for his son’s release.
A shocking British military archive discovered by a grandson of victims
of the McGurk’s Bar Massacre of 1971 proves that the Royal Ulster
Constabulary police originated and disseminated “a line” falsely stating
that the atrocity was an IRA ‘own goal’, just over 4 hours after the
bombing.
There were emotional scenes in a Belfast court this week as families of
the Ballymurphy massacre victims described their grief and loss after
British soldiers killed eleven civilians in 1971.
A debate about an Irish unity referendum/border poll has brought
together speakers representing Sinn Fein, the Irish Republican Socialist
Party, the 1916 Societies and the Peadar O’Donnell Socialist Republican
Forum.
A community is, in the here and now, being
marginalised, penalised and discriminated against, the effect of which
is catastrophic. And the cause is their identity.
Theresa May’s leadership of the Conservative Party is again under
pressure as a series of Ministers resigned and the DUP rallied
opposition to a negotiated Brexit deal.
Meath West TD Peadar Toibin has resigned from Sinn Fein, weeks after he
was suspended from the party after voting against abortion legislation
in the Dublin parliament.
The full text of the chapter of the Brexit agreement that relates to the
Six Counties (pages 302 to 327) from the draft document which was
released tonight.
Negotiations on Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union have
reached a decisive moment as a draft agreement won the support of
the Tory government in London.
After almost 50 years, an inquest has opened into the deaths of eleven
civilians killed by British soldiers in Ballymurphy in west Belfast.
The inquest is expected to last up up to six months.
The paradox of the unstoppable force of Brexit and the DUP’s immovable
intransigence may be resolved within days amid reports of a looming
showdown between the British Prime Minister and the DUP.
The arrest of two journalists for the ‘theft’ of ‘secret information’
used in a TV documentary about the Loughinisland massacre has descended
into a pantomime public row, leaving the victims of the atrocity furious
at the abuse of police resources.
A racist arson attack in east Belfast has followed days after loyalist
paramilitaries in nearby Newtownards dressed up as in full Klu Klux Klan
uniform and posed for photographs outside an Islamic centre.
A report on the use of council funds in the North to make payments to
loyalist paramilitaries and other politically connected groups is a
major embarrassment for the main political parties.
The reunification of Ireland would lead to a massive economic windfall
for the whole island, while Brexit will have disastrous consequences, a
major new international research study has concluded.
This week Dublin City Council became the third council to pass motions
against the extradition of Irish Republicans to the North. The following
is a piece by councillor Ciaran Perry explaining the campaign which saw
his motion passed.
Prominent Donegal man and former republican prisoner John Downey is
behind bars tonight as part of a surprise bid to extradite him to
British jurisdiction to face IRA charges dating from 1972
British government ministers are treating the north of Ireland as a
colonial outpost which must be visited, however briefly, in order to
maintain the validity of their jurisdiction.
The son of a County Tyrone couple who were shot dead by the unionist
paramilitary UVF is to take legal action after discovering a police
notebook containing his personal details was in the hands of the same
organisation who murdered his parents.
Sinn Fein TD Peadar Toibin has been suspended from the party for six
months in a move which could lead to him contesting his seat as an
independent candidate in the next election.
Business figure and TV personality Peter Casey, who came from nowhere to
secure the support of almost one in four voters in the Presidential
election, is to try to build a new political movement on the back of
apparent support for his right-wing populist comments.
A 22-year-old IRA Volunteer who died after the device he was carrying
exploded prematurely 25 years ago was remembered in a commemoration in
Belfast last Sunday.
An account of the awakening of an Irish soldier who led a mutiny against
the British Army over its atrocities in India and Ireland, and his
subsequent execution, 98 years ago this week.
A very poor performance by Sinn Fein in the 26 County Presidential
election is causing alarm within the party over its political leadership
and direction.