Friday, December 30, 2005
2005 in review
Hello to you all. I know some of you have been leaving comments on other threads besides the Christmas one and when I return to the blog seat properly, I'll attempt to publish your comments.First up, I hope you all had a great Christmas. Mine was pretty enjoyable and I found myself watching alot of films over the festive period. Well done to RTE for showing Pirates of the Caribbean. I've been wanting to see that film for a while now!
As the year of our Lord two thousand and five draws to a close, I considered doing the usual nonsense that you tend to see this time of year with the highs and lows of everything etc, but I couldn't be arsed commenting on stuff you already know about. Besides, the BBC do a far better job than I ever could here. With that being said, since this is perhaps my last post of 2005, I thought I'd be remiss if I didn't offer at least some commentary on what has been in many respects a massive year. Therefore, I will sum up my thoughts on what 2005 meant for Ireland, what it meant for the world and lastly, what it meant for this blog, United Irelander.
2005 for Ireland
For all intents and purposes, 2005 was a massive year for Ireland. It began with the fallout of the Northern Bank raid and in January the killing of Robert McCartney was a major issue. The subsequent bravery shown by the McCartney sisters was truly inspiring, seeing them even get the opportunity to meet with the US President. Never before had the 'Republican Movement' been challenged in this way on US soil and it was a group of civilian former Sinn Féin voters who spearheaded this challenge. Remarkable! They would be my choice for any 'people of 2005' award. I believe the McCartney sisters played a big part in Gerry Adams' later call for the IRA to "fully embrace" democratic means. Perhaps the biggest event in the year 2005 though from an Irish perspective was the IRA's announcement that their armed campaign was over. This was also followed by IRA decommissioning. All in all, some major events! Other notable events in Irish politics this year would be the Colombia Three debacle, the Orange Order riots, the incarceration of Padraig Nally, the McDowell/Connolly issue, the OTR legislation and, most recently, the Stormontgate scandal. Quite a year for politics! And that's only what I can remember right now...
Away from politics and in the area of sport, Ireland failed to qualify for next year's World Cup sadly and in perhaps the biggest sporting story of '05, Roy Keane left Manchester United! Dublin also flopped when it came to GAA but I guess some things never change.
In terms of entertainment, um...uh...well RTE are still showing The Panel so I guess 2005 wasn't great in that respect.
2005 for the world
2005 was a big year for the world. Two things which spring to mind straight away for me would be the deaths of Pope John Paul II and George Best. Two great men in my opinion who leave this world a poorer place. There were alot of tragedies in 2005 too. At the start of the year we still had reports of the devastating Tsunami in Asia, we also witnessed the terrible London bombings on the 7th of July, we had Hurricane Katrina hit America as well as a spate of plane crashes around the world which killed many.
For sport, 2005 wasn't that important globally. With it being one of those odd number years, no major tournament such as the Olympics or the World Cup took place. London was given the Olympics though prior to the London attacks. England got humiliated at Windsor park by a gutsy NI side. Overall though, in terms of sport, aside from Lance Armstrong notching up another win at the Tour de France, I can't remember much of note.
For entertainment purposes, I guess the Live 8 concert was the biggest thing. Also Brad and Jen broke up which is apparently important. This year saw many of the usual craptacular reality shows continue such as You're A Star and The X-Factor but as I said above, some things never change. Star Wars Episode III came out this year however and it was a film I managed to see. I thought it was alot better than the first two. Not a bad year in terms of entertainment though all in all.
2005 for United Irelander
I feel this blog really developed well in 2005. At the start of the year I was still pretty much finding my feet but over the course of the last few months, things feel like they have improved and I got welcome mentions in the Sunday Tribune, the BBC and The Guardian. There's a new colour scheme too. I've also added many new links to the blogroll over the year and alot more people have visited over the past twelve months. I've had interesting discussions with lots of people on various issues and it's truly been a pleasure to get visitors from as far off as Italy, Canada, America, Lebanon to name just a few places. Thank you to all those who visit wherever you're from.
Blogging seems to be coming along nicely here in Ireland and with talk of Irish Blog Awards for the start of 2006 as well as the likelihood of new Irish blogs appearing, next year should be even better for Bloglaigh na hEireann, the Boggersphere, whatever you want to call it!
Onwards and upwards...
As I hinted earlier, this may be my last post of 2005 so I'd again like to thank you all for popping by UI over the last year and hopefully there's more interesting discussion to be had. I hope to have normal service resume next week and I've alot of things to get off my chest as we head into another year. God willing, I hope to make United Irelander a real blog of note in 2006.
Have a great New Year ladies and gents and make sure you take it easy! Slán 2005!
Friday, December 23, 2005
Have a very Merry Christmas!
I think the great author Charles Dickens summed Christmas up best when he wrote..."Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveller back to his own fireside and quiet home!"
Christmas is my favourite time of year and while the magic of it is lessens as one gets older, I think it's still possible to, in the words of the Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh, "remember something of the gay Garden that was childhood's".
With that being said, I'm going to take some time off over the Christmas period. This isn't a time of year that should be spent arguing. It's a time to cherish the things that are important in life.
Comment moderation will be put in place for posts until I come back which will probably be in a week or so.
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! God bless.
Fun Irelander Feature - Irish greats poll
What the hell is going on over at Slugger O'Toole? Have Mick Fealty and Pete Baker hit the bottle? Have they been infiltrated by agents who want to turn the site into a laughing stock? The reason I ask is because I've checked Slugger O'Toole's list of nominees for their 'greatest Irish man or woman' poll and I have a bone to pick with them!Now I know what you're thinking, my problem is the fact that women are listed. How dare you persist with that dirty rumour that I view women in a bad light! Of course women deserve to be mentioned! Women are great at alot of things. Cooking, cleaning, washing to name just a few things...
No, my problem relates to the actual nominees listed. They have included such 'greats' as...wait for it...Daniel O'Donnell. Daniel O'Donnell? Are most of Slugger's visitors old ladies or what? And why is Bono there? Twenty Major won't like that. Mary Peters is there too. For what? I know she's a good tennis player and all but still...
Slugger also have a poll up on the greatest Ulsterman or woman but they don't have polls on any of the other provinces. Talk about bigotry. Why couldn't Mr Fealty do a poll on the greatest Connacht man or woman? He could have included such greats as...um...uh...well he could have done polls on great people from Munster and Leinster at least.
Mick Fealty, you have messed up. But not to worry! United Irelander will make everything right. You see Mick, your problem was allowing people to nominate. You need to understand that when it comes to polls like these, people cannot be trusted. Have the last few years of You're A Star and it's overall general crappiness taught you nothing? How have we done in the Eurovision Mr Fealty? Answer me that! As I say, people cannot be trusted - but I can.
That is why I have taken the liberty of creating a PROPER poll which will offer a far more accurate reflection of the REAL male and female Irish greats.
I urge United Irelander's visitors to vote in MY poll, which can be found if you scroll down the sidebar, to determine the greatest Irish man or woman.
As usual please use the comments section of this post to explain how you voted and why.
We'll show those boyos over at Slugger how you do a poll!
Ahern briefed by Orde - Changing times!
Yesterday PSNI chief constable Hugh Orde briefed the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern about the latest developments in the so-called Stormontgate scandal.The two men met for around an hour at Government Buildings in Dublin less than a week after leading Sinn Féin official Denis Donaldson admitted he had been a British spy since the 1980s.
Mr Orde has continued to insist that the IRA was operating a spy ring inside Stormont. He claimed this was evident as documents stolen from Stormont were found in west Belfast during the investigation.
However, Sinn Féin has pointed out that the documents were found in Mr Donaldson's house and were therefore in the possession of a British agent, not the IRA.
In a statement released after the meeting, a government spokesman said the Taoiseach viewed Mr Orde's visit as an indication of the seriousness of the matter. However, he said the substance of the talks was confidential and it would not be appropriate to go into any detail.
First of all, in relation to the alleged spyring, it seems to me that people are neglecting to point out what Sinn Féin have been left to point out - the 'IRA spy ring' documents were taken from the British agent Denis Donaldson's home! That to me means these allegations have absolutely no credibility and were, in my view, all part of MI5's plans to destablise the North.
Aside from the Stormontgate issue though, isn't it absolutely fantastic to see the PSNI's chief constable taking the time to come to Dublin and inform the Taoiseach what is happening in the north of Ireland? It goes to show how times have changed!
The role of the Irish Republic in the North is now well defined and is clearly of great importance. The British government quite rightly acknowledge that. Not only do they acknowledge it, in my view the British want to see the Republic one day take full responsibility on matters like this!
A British official has briefed the Irish Prime Minister on events in the North.
Very soon, these roles will be reversed and it will be an Irish official briefing a British Prime Minister on events in the newly reunified island of Ireland.
The times they are a-changin'!
Love Bigotry!
I'm pretty sure this is a United Irelander exclusive. Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you...Love Bigotry
Oh how I laughed! It's run by 'The Shankill Moaner'!
Here is their mission statement:
- Lovebigotry is a campaign for the unity of Ulster bigots.
- Lovebigotry calls for the democratic rights of the Nationalist / Republican / Marxist / Socialist / Sinn Fein / I.R.A / Taig / Fenian (O.K. - I'll stop now!) community to be neglected.
- Lovebigotry calls for end to equal rights to those evil catholics. We are the supreme race.
- Lovebigotry gives people a voice and encourages them to have their say, unless you’re a taig. In that case we’ll delete your posts from our forum.
- Lovebigotry is a peaceful and democratic initiative by a range of organisations across the province including the The Shankill Butchers, KKK, and King Billy Booze Bargain Basement.
It's hilarious! Check it out!
A time for giving...
Since this is the time of year we're supposed to concentrate on giving rather than receiving (no rude jokes please), I figured I would take the time to update my blogroll as I've been meaning to for a while.
First up, go give Damien Mulley's Blog a look. It's always an interesting read although I don't like his colour scheme. Blue and white? Ugh. Did you know Damien offered me the chance to be a judge in the Irish Blog awards? Tis true. See here if you don't believe me. He's been giving you the UI visitor a bit of stick though. I refer you to this post. Quote:
"Plot getting thicker than the average comment poster on UI’s blog."
Harsh Damien!...but probably fair in some cases.
Next up, I've added City in the Trees. You might recognise the blog owner Lone Primate as he has visited United Irelander of late. He's a good writer and he has a pretty good colour scheme in fairness. Not bad for a guy from Canada.
Also added to the blogroll is Fiona's blog Mental Meanderings. We've put our disagreements behind us and I've come to accept that she was completely in the wrong (Joke). In all seriousness she has a good blog which is worth checking out as is her interview on Disillusioned Lefty.
Next up, is Red Mum. She runs an entertaining blog and her writing talent landed her her own newspaper column. I also like that floating graphic which runs across her screen. Tis witchcraft I tells ya!
I have also added Thinking Out Loud by That Girl to the blogroll. It's a good blog and the posts are well-written and easy on the eyes. She's also the blogger who hosted the recent blog gathering the other night.
Finally, I've added the wysiwyg blog by Janine Dalton. This might be the best looking blog I've ever seen and the posts are of great quality as well. I also have to respect her 'weird habit' which involves bringing a glass of water up to bed - same as myself!
So there you have it. Six new additions. By the way, if these bloggers wisht to reciprocate with some links what with it being the season of goodwill and all, feel free to do so! You know you want to really!
First up, go give Damien Mulley's Blog a look. It's always an interesting read although I don't like his colour scheme. Blue and white? Ugh. Did you know Damien offered me the chance to be a judge in the Irish Blog awards? Tis true. See here if you don't believe me. He's been giving you the UI visitor a bit of stick though. I refer you to this post. Quote:
"Plot getting thicker than the average comment poster on UI’s blog."
Harsh Damien!...but probably fair in some cases.
Next up, I've added City in the Trees. You might recognise the blog owner Lone Primate as he has visited United Irelander of late. He's a good writer and he has a pretty good colour scheme in fairness. Not bad for a guy from Canada.
Also added to the blogroll is Fiona's blog Mental Meanderings. We've put our disagreements behind us and I've come to accept that she was completely in the wrong (Joke). In all seriousness she has a good blog which is worth checking out as is her interview on Disillusioned Lefty.
Next up, is Red Mum. She runs an entertaining blog and her writing talent landed her her own newspaper column. I also like that floating graphic which runs across her screen. Tis witchcraft I tells ya!
I have also added Thinking Out Loud by That Girl to the blogroll. It's a good blog and the posts are well-written and easy on the eyes. She's also the blogger who hosted the recent blog gathering the other night.
Finally, I've added the wysiwyg blog by Janine Dalton. This might be the best looking blog I've ever seen and the posts are of great quality as well. I also have to respect her 'weird habit' which involves bringing a glass of water up to bed - same as myself!
So there you have it. Six new additions. By the way, if these bloggers wisht to reciprocate with some links what with it being the season of goodwill and all, feel free to do so! You know you want to really!
Christmas Caption Time!
A festive edition of Caption Time depicting the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern getting into the Christmas spirit!Can you add a caption to the image to your left?
(My effort can be viewed if you roll over the image)
Friday Fun's Fascinating Fact
Moscow weathermen can be fined for inaccurate weather forecasting!
To be honest I'm not surprised. I mean how hard could it be?
'Tomorrow it will be cold and windy'. Simple enough!
To be honest I'm not surprised. I mean how hard could it be?
'Tomorrow it will be cold and windy'. Simple enough!
Thursday, December 22, 2005
North's parades cost PSNI over €13m
It was revealed today by the PSNI that they spent the equivalent of more than €13m this year on policing Orange Order and other parades.The Orange march which sparked rioting in Ardoyne in north Belfast on 12 July cost almost €1 million in police costs alone.
PSNI Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde said the money could be better used to fund other policing needs and priorities.
He appealed to parade organisers to consider this and engage in dialogue.
Ian Paisley Junior of the DUP said, apparently with a straight face, that the figures reflected the threat posed to Orangemen when they marched. (Nonsense!)
Alex Attwood of the SDLP said the costs should bring the Orange Order to its senses.
What is clear from today's announcement from the PSNI is that these marches, particularly the ones from the Orange Order, are a menace to society and disastrous to the North's economy.
Paisley Junior is kidding himself if he thinks that the figures are caused by those who are against the march. The facts and figures speak for themselves. Almost €1m was spent on the Orange Order riots in July where over 80 officers were injured thanks to the Orange Order. Madness!
I admire Alex Attwood for stating that these costs should bring the Orange Order to their senses, but I don't think the Orange Order have any sense. The little baby pictured above is Caleb Moore who sustained a fractured skull when rioters stoned the car the toddler was travelling in at the Orange Order's Whiterock parade. Will that deter the Orange Order from marching next year though? Hell no!
These parades are a disgrace and are just an excuse for a sectarian orgy of mayhem and destruction.
I don't think there's any chance of the Orange Order seeing sense but I think there's still a chance that the people of the North might.
Only they can stop these sectarian parades! How many toddlers must have their lives put at risk, and how much taxpayer's money must be poured down the drain, before people open their eyes to this massive problem in Ireland's north?
Thursday Thoughts: British citizenship
Yesterday in this post I highlighted how 25,000 Irish people in the North are set to be issued with Irish passports.In the comments section of the post, I felt wulfbeorn brought up a great point:
"This is good news. Now is there any reason why we can't have British citizenship rights granted to people in the Republic?"
I personally feel granting British citizenship rights to people in the Republic would be a great move but, as I pointed out in the comments section, I don't see how this could be achieved without Ireland rejoining the Commonwealth.
I' sure visitors to United Irelander are aware that I support Ireland rejoining the Comonwealth. Leaving the Commonwealth did more harm than good and led to the British bringing about the Ireland Act which led to the demise of the last official links between Ireland's north and south. Fine Gael soon realised they had made a grievous error in taking Ireland out of the association.
As someone who favours a United Ireland, I think rejoining the Commonwealth would be both a great way of rectifying the foolish decision to leave, as well as a great way of legitimising British citizenship for those Irish people in the Republic who may desire it.
If a United Ireland is to occur, it can't be based on an ethnic model. It must be a United Ireland that both respects and protects Irishness and Britishness. Unionists will not countenance a United Ireland that won't acknowledge their right to be British. And why should they?
The Republic of Ireland needs to prove to the unionists in Ireland's north that it respects their tradition and that in a new 32 county State, they will be respected just like everybody else. Allowing people in the south to claim British citizenship would be a good way of showing unionists that Britishness is respected.
If rejoining the Commonwealth can give us the benefit of British citizenship for Irish people in the Republic who desire it, then I think it's a move worth considering.
What do you think?
Women in the nip!
This is an issue that has been reported on some other blogs.Multi-millionaire Peter Stringfellow is set to open one of his clubs in Dublin. Parnell Street, to be exact.
The move has met opposition from locals who have banded together with women's group Ruhama to campaign against the club. Stringfellow has agreed to travel to Dublin in January to hold discussions with those oppose the club.
A decision on whether or not it will be allowed to open was deferred at Dublin District Court today, and will be made in the New Year.
I decided to investigate the matter further so I entered the official website of Mr Stringfellow's strip clubs (purely for research purposes!) and I discovered that the opening night is Tuesday, 10th January. There are some very nice pictures on the website - I never knew a shamrock could be used in that way.
If you want to check out the website for yourselves, for research purposes of course, then go here. (warning - contains material that is inappropriate for young people and feminazis)
My take on this issue is that the club would be situated in an inappropriate area in a very well known part of Dublin and I don't particularly want such a sleazy joint ruining such a vibrant and cultural part of my city. Therefore, I oppose it and hope that it's not allowed to open.
With that being said though, assuming it does get the go ahead, should I go to the opening night and blog the entire Irish stripclub experience? I'm sure that would be a first.
Purely for research purposes obviously!
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
The border is failing
It appears the border is becoming less and less of a problem.It emerged yesterday that up to 25,000 people in Ireland's north will be issued with Irish passports this year.
Over 40 post offices across the border will process the service.
Irish pensioners across the North already get free passports after Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern announced a waiver scheme in August for all citizens over 65.
Mr Ahern said yesterday: "This year 25,000 people in Northern Ireland will avail of our new Automated Passport System through a network of 40 post offices."
The 27.7 million euro (pounds 17m) system fully meets all international specifications and is widely regarded as one of the most secure in the world today."
Up to 650,000 Irish passports in total will be issued this year, resulting in 33 million euro (pounds 20m) in revenue.
The border is becoming more and more irrelevant. This is a key step on the way to the reunification of Ireland.
Clearly schemes like this one benefit the people of the north and the south.
I'm heartened by this development. The border was designed to try and segregate Irish from Irish.
It has failed miserably.
'What If'? Wednesday - All-Ireland team
This is an issue that I have once again found myself debating so I felt it would be a good idea to make a thread about it and to pose the following question to all of you...What if we had an all-Ireland football team?
In my opinion, an all-Ireland football team is the way to go. The late great George Best was the best known advocate for an all-Ireland team. While a few politicians north and south have mooted the idea, nothing concrete seems to happen on the issue.
Let's look at this objectively though...
- The island of Ireland has a population of just under 6 million people when combined. If we established an all-Ireland team, we would be able to pool our resources together and achieve far greater things than we have done separately.
- There is an all-Ireland team for lots and lots of sports. Rugby and cricket are two such examples and the Irish rugby and cricket teams have both had quite a bit of success in recent times.
- There are a horrible set of bigots which disgrace the NI fanbase. Admittedly these people are a minority but they haven't gone away you know. It is my view that the IFA could do more to weed out these bigots and make the team inclusive towards nationalists. However, even though a recent think tank recommended scrapping God Save The Queen as the anthem for the NI team, (shows you their idea of inclusiveness!) the IFA decided to REJECT this idea and RETAIN GSTQ. In other words, the message is that northern nationalists aren't welcome to support the NI team. Of course, an all-Ireland team would have the support of EVERYBODY.
- It might help relations in the North. Sport can help bring people together. If an all-Ireland football team had the chance to go to a World Cup tournnament, something I think would be quite possible, then the whole country would be delighted. North and south.
- It would potentially see the end of the inept, incompetent boobs who run the FAI. That would please me and I'm sure it would please most Irish fans.
This is too much of a good opportunity to pass up. I want some brave TDs out there to start bringing this issue up with the Sports Minister so he too can bring it up with his British counterpart.
United we stand, divided we fall. And in the current World Campaign, both Irish teams fell.
An all-Ireland team is the way to go. Let's see it happen!
Ireland a 'terror target' - Loony lefties
The Irish Government’s support for the war in Iraq is putting Dublin at risk of a terrorist attack, an Oireachtas Committee heard today.The Mid West Alliance against the War today called on the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee to carry out a full investigation into the stop-over of CIA planes carrying terror suspects en route to alleged torture camps.
Spokesman and chief loony lefty, Edward Horgan said: "The decision by the Irish Government to support the war being waged by the US puts the Irish people as a whole, and the people of Dublin city in particular, at risk of retaliation by those who perceive themselves to be the victims of the US-led war.
"The transit of very dangerous military cargoes and munitions through Shannon is also putting members of the public and Shannon airport employees at grave risk."
Ireland supports the war? I thought we had a precious 'tradition of neutrality'? Is Horgan for real? Let's hear what else Edward has to say...
"The Irish Government has allowed 650,000 US armed troops in uniform to pass through Shannon Airport for the purposes of the Iraq War, and this has resulted in the unlawful killing of up to 100,000 Iraqi people."
Oh so Ireland is to blame for the people who have died! Of course!
Senator Paschal Mooney, clearly a very intelligent fellow, said he found the Alliance’s arguments were one-sided and said the removal of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was a good thing.
He pointed out the 80% voter turnout in the recent democratic elections.
He disagreed with Labour Committee member Michael D Higgins who claimed there may have been political interference in decisions by the DPP in relation to complaints about activity at Shannon.
Mr Mooney added: "The people in America, particularly Irish Americans, would not understand if a troupe of gardaí was to go onto a plane at Shannon Airport without any specific evidence."
He said he accepted assurances from the Irish and US governments that Shannon was not being used for rendition flights until there was evidence to the contrary.
Well said, Mr Mooney! Thankfully there's still a few Irish politicians who ahven't gone bananas over the War in Iraq.
Speaking of people who have gone bananas, Seanad leader Mary O’Rourke weighed in her with her two cents:
"There have been incidents of which we would not be proud as a country. The democratic process benefits from people questioning things. We’re not all cloned dolly sheep bobbing our heads up and down."
I don't think you're cloned dolly sheep. I think you're a bunch of parrots all coming out with the same old guff, all the while igoring the wishes of the Iraqi people. Most Iraqis are happy with the performance of the government, 80% turnout at the recent election. Why won't you acknowledge that?
Greens chairman (shouldn't that be yellow?), John Gormless...excuse me, Gormley, said George Bush was a puppet of a neo-conservative troupe in the White House.
He added that the opposition of Irish people to US foreign policy didn’t make them anti-American.
"The war was based on a massive lie. The war is continuing with horrendous casualties, mostly the citizens of that country," he said.
Oh for crying out loud! Why don't you mention the people responsible for the killing? The terrorist scum who you are indirectly assisting! Here's the icing on the cake from oul' Gormley:
"No US war plane should be landing in Shannon because of our tradition of neutrality. They should not be using Shannon as a military airport ... and treating the country like it is any other state of the US."
The 'tradition of neutrality'! Didn't you just know it was coming?! Tell you what Gormley, you can shove that particular tradition up your green arse.
I have nothing at all against Irish people who opposed the war in Iraq, but these clowns are embarrassing themselves with the vitriol they are coming out with.
They ignore the recent developments in Iraq and continue to spout the same old nonsense.
It's becoming tiresome, lads!
(By the way, if you roll over the images above you will get extra insight into the minds of these two chaps)
Lunch with Gerry Adams...
I came across this piece in The Guardian by James Harkin who had lunch with Gerry Adams.
It's a good read and details Adams' thoughts on the peace process and the future for Ireland...
"The history of Irish republicanism is also the history of betrayals or perceived betrayals on the part of the leadership. I wonder whether Adams ever fears being seen as another Michael Collins, as someone who compromised on the idea of a united Ireland and was subsequently viewed by many of his peers as a sell-out. "Like any thinking human being," he says, "I have doubts about many things. But a lot of what happened in Ireland was as a result of the militaristic tendency being in the ascendancy most of the time. I don't want to glamorise, but there was a lot of bravery, determination and courage. But what was the outcome? A divided Ireland. What was lacking was the political ideology, the unity of purpose, the coherency of a vision and of objectives." It is, I think, the closest Adams will get to an admission that the years of armed struggle failed."
Do Adams and his party have "the political ideology, the unity of purpose, the coherency of a vision and of objectives"?
I don't believe so.
It's a good read and details Adams' thoughts on the peace process and the future for Ireland...
"The history of Irish republicanism is also the history of betrayals or perceived betrayals on the part of the leadership. I wonder whether Adams ever fears being seen as another Michael Collins, as someone who compromised on the idea of a united Ireland and was subsequently viewed by many of his peers as a sell-out. "Like any thinking human being," he says, "I have doubts about many things. But a lot of what happened in Ireland was as a result of the militaristic tendency being in the ascendancy most of the time. I don't want to glamorise, but there was a lot of bravery, determination and courage. But what was the outcome? A divided Ireland. What was lacking was the political ideology, the unity of purpose, the coherency of a vision and of objectives." It is, I think, the closest Adams will get to an admission that the years of armed struggle failed."
Do Adams and his party have "the political ideology, the unity of purpose, the coherency of a vision and of objectives"?
I don't believe so.
Di Canio suspended over fascist salute
You might recongise the player pictured to your left. It is former Celtic and West Ham star Paolo di Canio, now currently at Lazio.He has been banned for one match and fined by the Italian football federation for an allegedly fascist salute. He also misses Wednesdays' Serie A match at Lecce, and has also been ordered to pay €10,000 over the gesture which occurred during Saturday’s league game against Juventus.
Di Canio, 37, saluted his own Rome-based club’s fans after being substituted in the 1-1 draw, as he did on a separate occasion earlier in the season, to mixed views in Italy. He has made similar gestures during previous matches this year.
The player himself is adamant he has committed no offence.
"This is a political sentence and it is unjust," said Di Canio.
"My salute dates back to ancient Rome and expresses a sense of being a part of something, it has nothing to do with a racist ideology.
"I am ready to do it again."
Lazio president Claudio Lotito defended his player and said: "His gesture was not political and it has been misinterpreted."
Well di Canio was never afraid to court controversy during his time in England and it appears he hasn't changed in that regard! Personally I do not think salutes like these can be justified. It is too synonymous with the evil people of the past, more specifically Nazism.
On a similar note, as I understand it, the swastika is actually a religious symbol and is looked upon as a symbol of good luck in some cultures . Even so, nowadays it has negative connotations due to it being appropriated by the Nazis.
With that being the case, I don't think the use of the swastika can be justified and the same goes for salutes like the one di Canio made.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Sinn Féin rejects OTR legislation
I am absolutely delighted at the sensational news which broke earlier today that Sinn Féin has decided to reject the On-The-Run legislation which gave an amnesty to paramilitary terrorists as well as British State murderers.Party vice-president Pat Doherty said the legislation was "far removed" from what had been agreed during 2001 talks with the government at Weston Park.
"We are now calling for it (the legislation) to be rejected and we are withdrawing from anything to do with it," he said.
Mr Doherty said Sinn Fein would also be advising republicans "on the run" not to seek registration under the legislation should it go through.
Urging the government to scrap the legislation and "stick to what was agreed", Mr Doherty said:
"There are no British ground forces on the run.
"It was sleight of hand and inexcusable to bring that aspect into the legislation. It was not agreed at Weston Park. And it is not acceptable and needs to be rejected."
Wow! What a glorious day! Visitors to United Irelander will be well aware that I have vociferously opposed this legislation from the start and that I have done my utmost to point out the inconsistencies of the Sinn Féin position. I took stick from some Sinn Féin supporters for my stance but today I, and everyone else who opposed this bill, have been vindicated!
This is a victory for the people! Make no mistake!
This is not about gloating though. The battle has not even begun yet. We must now all stand together as one and oppose this legislation which the people of Ireland do not want.
Now that Sinn Féin have realised that those of us who opposed the legislation were right to do so, let us all unite as Irishmen and oppose this disgraceful OTR legislation!
United we stand, divided we fall!
Top Ten Tuesday - Christmas songs
As we get closer and closer to Christmas I thought it would be fitting to make this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday a festive occasion! Right now radio stations across the country are filling the airwaves with the usual Christmas songs. Some are them are great, while some are so bad you wouldn't mind banning them altogether in the style of the Iranian President.Today I'm going to focus on the great songs. So with that in mind, I give you the top ten Christmas songs...
1. The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl, Fairytale of New York - This is the best Christmas song of all time in my opinion. Shane McGowan and Kirsty MacColl complement each other very well and you have to love the famous line, "you scumbag you maggot, you cheap lousy faggot".
2. Slade, Merry Xmas Everybody- This is one of the great Christmas songs and is guaranteed to be heard around Christmas time. I don't know anyone who dislikes this song. I think it's great.
3. John Lennon, Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - This is one of my favourite John Lennon songs. I love the intro to this song with the simple guitar melody and Lennon's great vocals before entering into the rousing chorus.
4. Wizzard, I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday - I like this song because it's so damn catchy! Not sure about the video though!
5. Band Aid, Do They Know It's Christmas? - Last year some mediocre pop stars did their best to massacre this song but I still have fond memories of the original song.
6. Shakin' Stevens, Merry Christmas Everyone - OK some people hate his song and I agree it's cheesy but come on, it's so synonymous with Christmas!
7. Bing Crosby, White Christmas - The old classic! I can recall this song getting played alot around my house at Christmas time when I was a young boy.
8. Mariah Carey, All I Want For Christmas Is You - I'm not a big fan of Mariah by any means but like Shakin Stevens, it's an appropriate tune for Christmas.
9. Aled Jones, Walking In The Air - If you're Irish, you'll know that hearing this song on RTE each year is pretty much the signal that Christmas is here! I think it's used by An Post, the postal service, and it's a very nice song.
10. Cliff Richard, Mistletoe and Wine - Now we're in the dregs! I'm not crazy about this song but it's definitely a Christmassy tune.
So there you have it. Feel free to comment on my choices or to offer up some of your own. On another note, it seems our friends across the pond in North America wouldn't be aware of many of the songs listed above. You don't know what you're missing!
Ireland is my country
"Why should Ireland be treated as a geographical fragment of England - Ireland is not a geographical fragment, but a nation." - Charles Stewart ParnellSometimes on a blog an interesting topic can spring up from the most unlikeliest of places. On this thread which was to do with the idea of an all-Ireland police force, the topic of Ireland came up and the right of Irish nationalists like myself to look on the island of Ireland as a country.
Some people told me that I have no right to regard the 32 counties of Ireland as my country. According to them, the advent of partition ended that right and effectively ended centuries upon centuries of Irish nationhood.
I refute that suggestion totally!
As I have pointed out before, the Oxford English Dictionary defines a country as:
"a nation or State; the land it occupies."
So a nation can be classed as a country. Furthermore, Article 2 of the Irish constitution now states:
"It is the entitlement and birthright of every person born in the island of Ireland, which includes its islands and seas, to be part of the Irish Nation. That is also the entitlement of all persons otherwise qualified in accordance with law to be citizens of Ireland. Furthermore, the Irish nation cherishes its special affinity with people of Irish ancestry living abroad who share its cultural identity and heritage."
The first sentence is crucial. Personally I interpret it to mean that the idea of Ireland as a 32 county nation still exists and I justify that by the use of the words "every person born in the island of Ireland". In my opinion, it is defining the nation in a geographical sense, albeit in a subtle manner.
The online encylopedia, Wikipedia, defines a country as "a geographical territory". Let's face it, Ireland's geographical territory can't be more clear-cut as Ireland is an island! It continues:
"There are dozens of other, non sovereign territories which constitute a geographical country, but are not sovereign states."
That to me sums up my country.
As far as I am concerned, my country is the island of Ireland. I don't regard my country as being a 26 county entity and I wager the vast majority of Irish people can relate to what I am saying. The simple fact is, in the Republic we are not brought up to think that our country ends at the border. When I was in school learning geography, I had to know all 32 counties not just 26. I learned stories on Irish mythology and my favourite stories were about the great Ulster champion Cuchulainn. I learned about Irish history which naturally delves into Ulster's history. The Flight of the Earls, the Plantations, the United Irishmen, Home Rule, partition, the Rising, the War of Independence. Clearly Ulster occupies a massive part of Irish history. It can't be unwritten. It's a part of Ireland. It's a part of ME. When I was a young boy we were taught to look on Ireland as a teddy bear - not a headless one though! In my later years, I studied Irish and I had to learn the nuances involved in the different dialects. That included the Ulster dialect.
The point I'm trying to get across to my unionist visitors is that Ulster is part of my country! You cannot take that from me. You cannot tell me that my sense of nationhood is misplaced when it is clear to me that without Ulster, there IS no Ireland! It is an absolutely integral part of my nation. I shall not and I will not sit idly by and be told that my country is some second-rate 26 county State that has no link to the rich cultural traditions of the province of Ulster. I will not!
You see, I'm a Dubliner. And while I may jokingly make jibes about other Irish counties, I know that each county, yes even Cork, make up an integral part of my nation. That includes Fermanagh, Tyrone, Derry, Down, Antrim and Armagh.
I respect the views of those who disagree with me but to tell me that I cannot look upon the 32 counties of Ireland as my nation is a slap in the face to me and the people of the Irish Republic. My great-grandparents would have had no problem looking on people in the north as their compatriots yet because of decisions made by British cabinet ministers relating to partition, Irish nationhood can be destroyed? Countrymen can be turned into foreigners? I don't think so.
My roots are in Ireland and no Briton has the power to uproot them!
I am proud of my country. I am proud to call myself an Irishman. And I am proud to call the people of the 6 counties what I call the people of the 26 counties of the Republic of Ireland - my countrymen!
"No man has a right to fix the boundary of the march of a nation. No man has a right to say to his country: Thus far shalt thou go and no further. We have never fixed the ne plus ultra of the progress of Ireland's nationhood and we never shall." - Charles Stewart Parnell
Christmas under attack by PC loons!
Political correctness - one of the things I despise!Sadly, each year when we approach the 25th of December, loony lefties who espouse political correctness rub their hands together with glee as they prepare for another onslaught on Christmas!
On Sunday, the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said that "silly bureaucrats" wanted to wipe Christian symbols from Christmas.
"It's all because of the idea that our neighbours from other religious traditions will be offended by Christian symbols", said Williams.
"The truth is they're usually much happier with the idea of a Christian festival than with some general excuse to have a good time in midwinter."
Cliff Richard also came out and attacked the PC brigade who villify Christmas:
"I'm saying 'hello, I've got friends who are Asian, I wish them Happy Diwali, they wish me Happy Christmas'. In fact they enjoy Christmas. And when I've been there and there's Diwali going on I've enjoyed that too to be honest with you.
"I'm not so sure why they're so upset about the sensitivity of other religions who actually don't mind that we celebrate Christmas."
Rowan Williams and Cliff Richard are right. The campaign to derail Christmas is obscene and insulting. Nowadays you have employers releasing cards saying 'Happy Holidays' because they're afraid to upset minorities by using the word 'Christmas'. What a load of nonsense! I find it hard to believe that someone can be insulted by the words 'Merry Christmas'.
This political correctness stuff is getting out of hand. You can't say 'chairman' any more, instead you have to say 'chairperson'. You can't call someone a 'foreigner' any more, instead you must call them 'foreign nationals' or 'non-nationals'. You can't use the word 'failure' any more, instead you must use the words 'deferred success'. Fat people aren't fat, they're 'obese'!
It's madness! Thank God Neil Armstrong landed on the moon in 1969 instead of 2005. Can you imagine what would have happened if Neil Armstrong had said his famous words in this day and age? It would probably be something like this...
Armstrong: "That's one small step for Man, one giant leap for mankind."
NASA: "That was beautiful Neil but uh, some of the crew here feel your comments might be a tad insensitive. We feel it's important to point out that it's one small step for people, and one giant leap for humankind."
What a crazy age we live in, eh?
Let me just say this. I love Christmas. Always have. I feel it's a great time of year and it reminds me of the important things in life. I won't listen to those who seek to demonise it.
I will say 'Merry Christmas' as much as I want whether people like it or not! And to those who are offended by me saying Merry Christmas, I have just two words for you...
Merry Christmas!
The Portrait of a Lad...uh Lady
The image to your left is what happens when you commission Rolf Harris to do your portrait!The portrait of the British Queen was designed to mark the monarch's 80th birthday next year, and is said to be an "impressionistic", rather than a "photographic", representation.
"I'm not making any claims that this is the greatest painting in the world," said Harris, who trained as an artist, "I've done the best I can."
The story of the painting will be shown in a BBC documentary on New Year's Day. (Apparently it's not a horror story)
One newspaper described the image as "blurred" with "unflattering heavy features".
That's putting it mildly!
Let's go to Rolf for the last word:
"I wanted to capture the lady as she is with all her humour and reality."
So that explains why she's so funny looking!
You know some people are like fine wine - they get better with age. According to Rolf though, the Queen ages more like milk than wine!
Monday, December 19, 2005
The day the music died
Other Irish bloggers have in recent days highlighted the disturbing behaviour of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, however today he has seen fit to ban Western music from the country’s radio and TV stations.The official IRAN Persian daily reported today that Ahmadinejad, as head of Iran’s Supreme Cultural Revolutionary Council, ordered the enacting of an October ruling by the council for Western songs to be banned.
"Blocking indecent and Western music from the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) is required," according to a statement on the council’s official website.
Songs such as George Michael’s Careless Whisper, Eric Clapton’s Rush and Hotel California by the Eagles regularly accompany Iranian TV and programmes, as do tunes by saxophonist Kenny G.
Following eight years of reformist-led rule in Iran, Ahmadinejad won office in August on a platform of reverting to ultraconservative principals promoted by Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. He has jettisoned Iran’s moderation in foreign policy and pursued a purge in the government, replacing pragmatic veterans with former military commanders and inexperienced religious hard-liners.
Ahmadinehad has previously called for Israel to be "wiped off the map" and described the Nazi Holocaust as a "myth".
He has promised to confront what he called the Western cultural invasion and promote Islamic values during his presidential campaign.
I'm very concerned about Iran with this guy in power. Banning music? In this day and age?
The world needs to keep an eye on President Ahmadinejad. Censorship like this is a step on the road to ruin...
"We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people." - John F. Kennedy
Protests against 'gay weddings'
I see a group of Christian protestors from the DUP leader Ian Paisley's Free Presbyterian church have picketed Belfast City Hall during the historic first 'gay marriage' in the North today.The protestors mounted a noisy demonstration outside as lesbian couple Grainne Close and Shannon Sickles became the first to tie the knot under new civil partnerships legislation.
The Free Presbyterians, carrying banners saying "Sodomy is Sin", described the marriage as an "abomination before the Lord".
Personally I think this is disgraceful. Obviously the issue of 'gay weddings' is a controversial issue and people are entitled to their views on the matter, personally I've no problem with them, but I think it's pretty rotten to come out and protest - at the wedding!
It's Christmas in a few days time and these people have nothing better to do than to come out and try to ruin what should be a happy day. Pathetic!
Incidentally, here are the protesters in question...
A bunch of guys, huddled around in the cold, overlooking the wishes of two ladies...
Isn't that a little gay?
Monday Madness - British rogue elements
No prizes for guessing what I'm angry about this week! It is of course the recent revelation that the Assembly in the north of Ireland was brought down on the basis of one gigantic lie! A lie which claimed that Sinn Féin were operating a spy ring in Stormont when in actual fact, the only spy ring involved the British agent Denis Donaldson who was working for his handlers in MI5!In the last few days there has been alot of speculation on this particular subject. Frankly because, well, we don't really know for sure what the story is! Even the Irish government are confused by the issue with Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern telling us he will be demanding answers from the British government on the matter.
Since alot of people have already put forward their theories on the issue, permit me to put forward my take on this matter:
- Firstly, I believe that there are rogue elements within British Intelligence, more specifically MI5, who have a vested interest for whatever reason in seeing events in the north of Ireland destabilised.
- I do not believe that these rogue elements, or as Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has termed them, 'dissident elements', are one bit afraid to challenge the authority of the British government. Former RTE, BBC and Channel 4 journalist, Joe Tierney, in his book, 'The Dublin and Monaghan Bombings and the Murder Triangle', highlighted the dangers of these elements and how they were prepared to challenge the authority of the then British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson. Tierney wrote:
"On a visit to Dublin in 1972, as leader of the Labour Opposition, Harold Wilson had said in a speech that he could envisage a united Ireland within fifteen years. The speech outraged those right wing elements, including a group of right wing officers within MI5, who Wilson himself believed later plotted against him.
"In an interview with two British journalists, Barry Penrose and Roger Courtiour, in 1976, and shortly after his resignation, Wilson claimed that a right wing MI5 faction had been collaborating with American and South African intelligence to organise a smear campaign against him in the 1974/75 period.
"'I'm not certain,' Wilson declared, 'that for the last eight months when I was Prime Minister I knew what was happening fully in Security.'
"He complained that the security services were incapable of distinguishing between socialism and communism and that a story had been put about of a 'pro-Soviet cell in No 10'. He alleged a level of interference by the security services that bordered on professional treachery and suggested a Royal Commission be set up to examine their accountability."
This is an astonishing thing for a Prime Minster to say! Wilson is alleging that MI5 were basically carrying out their own agenda. 'He alleged it bordered on 'PROFESSIONAL TREACHERY'! As well as that, we have the Prime Minister of Britain saying that for a period of time, he did not know what was going on in Security! He even suggested a Royal Commission be established to look into their behaviour! Unbelievable stuff!
It is my belief that there are still figures in British Intelligence who maintain a considerable degree of influence, which is probably even greater nowadays in light of the current political climate, and that they have acted on their own orders when it comes to NI rather than the orders of Mr Blair and his government, similar to the way they acted under Harold Wilson.
- I believe that MI5 as well as high ranking officials in the PSNI were using Denis Donaldson to try and influence the Republican movement. Perhaps as an agent provocateur. I believe it's quite possible that there are other senior figures in Sinn Féin who are agents.
- I believe that these rogue elements orchestrated the whole Stormontgate affair to bring down the institutions and once more destabilise the North. As the Belfast Telegraph pointed out:
"By indicating that one of the parties elected to Government in Northern Ireland was acting illegally it was inevitable that the whole edifice would collapse.
"It was also inevitable that no unionist party would work to rebuild the Assembly with Sinn Fein while the stench of criminality hung over republicans."
- I believe it's quite possible that these rogue elements were made aware, perhaps by Denis Donaldson, that the IRA were preparing to wind down their military machine. A key event for Republicans was September 11th because after that, terrorism was never going to be tolerated. I believe that this was the point where the IRA realised it was foolish to remain in the political picture and I believe that MI5 did not like this one bit. I believe that they sought to take away the Assembly in order to send a message to Republicans that they had no future in politics in the North.
- Finally, I believe that these rogue elements have seriously undermined the authority of the British government. I believe that they have seriously embarrassed Sinn Féin too. I believe that this issue therefore will be swept under the carpet as any public enquiry will only lead to further embarrassment. How unionists respond to this remains to be seen...
That is my view on this whole sorry affair. Frankly it makes me sick to my stomach to think that, in effect, there are elements in British Intelligence, clearly answerable to no one but themselves, who brought about the fall of Stormont as a way to damage the Republican movement. They ended up damaging much more than the Republican movement however. They damaged all the parties, the two governments and more specifically, the people of the North who were left without representation and forced to undergo several years of Direct Rule - ALL BECAUSE OF A LIE.
There are forces at work in the North that are a grave danger to the people. It's time for all of us to acknowledge that.
Allow priests to marry - Bishop
This has been one of the big stories here in Ireland.The Bishop of Killaloe, Willie Walsh, is calling on the Catholic Church to allow priests to marry.
In an interview with the Sunday Tribune, Bishop Walsh said there was room for both married and celebate priests in the Church and said he believed this might happen in the future.
He added that there needed to be a debate on celibacy in the Church and the issue of sexuality in light of the present crisis the Catholic Church is going through.
Over the past 25 years, up to 100,000 Catholic priests have married. Bishop Walsh said he has known some of these men personally and that they were a great loss to the Church.
I agree with Bishop Walsh 100 per cent. I feel that it is part of human nature to have sexual urges and I don't think there is anything wrong with that. It's part of who we are. The Catholic Church should allow priests to experience this human trait instead of rendering it forbidden.
Furthermore, and Bishop Walsh touched on this above, celibacy needs to debated in light of the recent scandals of the Catholic Church. Are these scandals related to the celibacy rule? Seeing as they have taken place across the world, I don't think we can rule it out.
Like I said, having a need for sex is normal. Surely then to deny this need is abnormal?
'Ma mère' nightmare
Here's a story from Marseilles, France on why internet dating is wrong...
'Skirt-chasing playboy Daniel Anceneaux spent weeks talking with a sensual woman on the Internet before arranging a romantic rendezvous at a remote beach - and discovering that his on-line sweetie of six months was his own mother!
'"I walked out on that dark beach thinking I was going to hook up with the girl of my dreams," the rattled bachelor later admitted. "And there she was, wearing white shorts and a pink tank top, just like she'd said she would.
'"But when I got close, she turned around - and we both got the shock of our lives. I mean, I didn't know what to say. All I could think was, 'Oh my God! it's Mama!'"
The full story can be read here.
See people, this is why you can't trust the Internet! And uh, the French for that matter...
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Brother of Para victim blasts OTR bill
I wouldn't regard the Daily Ireland newspaper as a shining example of objective journalism seeing as their columns rarely have a bad word to say against the Republican movement. However in a report by Eamonn Heuston, the On-The-Run legislation which gives an amnesty to British State murderers, and which Sinn Féin continues to support, comes under criticism from a victim of the British.John Kelly, whose brother Michael was shot dead on Bloody Sunday by British paratroopers, has called for the scrapping of the proposed Northern Ireland Offences Bill.
Mr Kelly said that the families of those whose loved ones had been killed by state forces would never accept legislation that allowed the killers to escape court.
In his strongest attack on the legislation to date, John Kelly told Daily Ireland: "It should be scrapped – pure and simple.
"This is a diabolical piece of legislation and the security forces have been removed from it.
"There's no sense in beating about the bush on this one any longer.
"The soldiers who killed our loved ones should not only be brought before a court, but prosecuted as well."
Seeing as the On-The-Run legislation is opposed by many of the victims of British State collusion, and seeing as Sinn Féin are now of the view that British State forces are responsible for the collapse of the devolved government in the North, can we trust that Sinn Féin will very soon be coming out in opposition of this legislation?
Surely the OTR legislation cannot be justified at this stage?
God and justice...
Seeing as it's Sunday, let's talk about religion for a bit. There's a letter in the News Letter from a 'JJ Logan' who writes about the author CS Lewis turning from Atheism to Christianity..."I haven't seen a report on the real reason why C S Lewis turned from atheism to becoming a believer in Christianity. He rejected the idea of a divine being because of all the injustice in the world. But then he asked himself where he got the idea of justice in the first place?
"He had a problem. He wrote: "Man doesn't call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing the universe with when I called it unjust?" Lewis realised that injustice in the world pointed to the One who set the standard for justice.
"He saw that his case for atheism was too simple, and it was the means of setting him on the road that led to him becoming a Christian."
JJ Logan
I've heard that argument for a belief in God before. It relates to how human beings since the beginning of time, no matter where they have lived in the world, have always had a clear sense of right and wrong. For example, if a thief becomes a victim of theft, he too will feel like he has been wronged.
I think that's a powerful argument. Personally, I believe in God. I think it's healthy to have doubts but I think that life is just too complex and quite frankly bizarre for it to be one great big accident!
What do you think though? Are you a believer or a non-believer?
Saturday, December 17, 2005
British rogue elements still a danger
As former Sinn Féin member Denis Donaldson prepares for a life outside Ireland after admitting working as a British agent for the past 20 years, Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness has insisted the only spy ring which operated out of Stormont was operated by British Intelligence Services.McGuinness said he does not know why Denis Donaldson did what he did, but he says the implications are enormous.
Referring to the alleged British spy ring, he said its purpose was to collapse the institutions set up under the Good Friday Agreement, a purpose decided by people who were not prepared to accept the accord, and that the ring was operated by what he calls "securocrats hostile to the peace process".
While I tend to be sceptical of anything Sinn Féin say, I don't believe they are being dishonest on this issue. As I have acknowledged on previous occasions, there is a dirty track record in the Irish peace process of rogue elements within British intelligence who seek to create unstability.
If you check United Irelander's sidebar under the 'British State Collusion' section, you'll find a post entitled 'MI5' which highlights information on these rogue elements published by former RTE, BBC and Channel 4 journalist Joe Tierney in his book, 'The Dublin and Monaghan Bombings and the Murder Triangle". In light of yesterday's developments, I think it would be worthwhile to once again highlight the following passage from the book:
(From page 265)
"As mentioned in chapter 1, the decision by loyalists, assisted by their undercover allies in the various branches of the security forces, to bomb the Republic was taken shortly after the signing of the Sunningdale Agreement in December 1973 - long before the start of the UWC strike.
"The objective of both the bombings and the strike was twofold: (a) to collapse the Agreement and undermine the British Prime Minister of the time, Harold Wilson, whom sections of the right-wing British establishment believed was a closet communist with links to the Soviet Union and who was soft on republicanism and (b) to force the Dublin government into cracking down hard on activites of the IRA.
"On a visit to Dublin in 1972, as leader of the Labour Opposition, Harold Wilson had said in a speech that he could envisage a united Ireland within fifteen years. The speech outraged those right wing elements, including a group of right wing officers within MI5, who Wilson himself believed later plotted against him.
"In an interview with two British journalists, Barry Penrose and Roger Courtiour, in 1976, and shortly after his resignation, Wilson claimed that a right wing MI5 faction had been collaborating with American and South African intelligence to organise a smear campaign against him in the 1974/75 period.
"'I'm not certain,' Wilson declared, 'that for the last eight months when I was Prime Minister I knew what was happening fully in Security.'
"He complained that the security services were incapable of distinguishing between socialism and communism and that a story had been put about of a 'pro-Soviet cell in No 10'. He alleged a level of interference by the security services that bordered on professional treachery and suggested a Royal Commission be set up to examine their accountability."
Shocking stuff I'm sure you'll agree. Mr Tierney's book is well worth a read. Yesterday meanwhile, Denis Donaldson had this to say:
"I was not involved in any republican spy ring in Stormont. The so-called Stormontgate affair was a scam and a fiction, it never existed, it was created by Special Branch."
I don't doubt this. It seems to me that there are still elements in British intelligence, unbeknownst to Tony Blair, who seek to create instability in Ireland. As was the case with Harold Wilson, these rogue elements aren't afraid to challenge the authority of the British Prime Minister.
These rogue elements have proven a threat to people right across the island of Ireland and it is clear that they continue to pose a threat. These rogue elements need to be tackled.
They are a grave danger to both islands.
Carnage on our roads
As Christmas grows near, a familiar and disturbing trend becomes ever more noticeable in this country - road accidents.I was looking at some of the headlines making the rounds for Friday, 16th December, and they make for grim reading. The number of car accidents is simply out of hand right now here in Ireland. Let me show you some of the headlines from yesterday:
"Man in critical condition after hit-and-run" - 'A man has been seriously injured in a hit and run in west Dublin. The 34-year-old victim is being treated at Tallaght hospital after being struck on the N4 near the Lucan turn-off at 11.30pm.'
"Man killed after being hit by lorry" - 'A pedestrian was killed today after being struck by a lorry on a main road in Co Kildare. Gardaí at Lucan in Co Dublin confirmed they were investigating the death of the pedestrian, in his early 20s, in the accident which occurred around 4.10am on the N4 Celbridge Interchange.'
"Pensioner killed after being hit by car in Laois" - 'A 75-year-old man has died after being hit by a car in Borris-in-Ossory, Co Laois, this morning. The accident happened at Sentry Hill shortly after 9am.'
"Woman killed in Kilkenny car crash" - 'Gardaí in Kilkenny are investigating a fatal traffic collision that occurred at approximately 3.30pm today on the main Kilkenny to Urlingford road.
A trailer became detached from a jeep at Kilrush, Freshford, and struck an oncoming car. The female driver of the car was killed in the incident. She was removed to St Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny. She was a Tipperary woman in her 20s.'
This is absolute madness ladies and gentlemen. I don't need to tell you this as I'm sure you're aware of the spate of car accidents that have been reported just in the last week. Road deaths have been occurring left, right and centre. Alot of the tragedies which have occurred have been as a result of a horrible condition which scars Irish society - Irish people drinking and driving. Sadly, more people will die in the coming days and weeks.
I've been looking into this issue further and from reading the statistics of the National Safety Council website, 28% of the fatal collisions this year up until the 8th November occurred between 12 midnight and 6am.
As far as those arrested for drink driving go, "Based on past trends it is likely that over 60% of those arrested will have twice the legal level of alcohol consumed".
I investigated the matter further and found the Gardaí's statistics for those killed this year as a result of car accidents. The summary goes up to 9am on the 16th December and the statistics show that:
- 349 collissions have taken place
- 385 people have been killed
To compare last year with this year...
359 people were dead by the 16th December, 2004. Taking into account that this year's statistics only cover up until 9am yesterday, by my calculations, the number of fatalities on our roads this year now stands at a shocking:
387
That's frightening.
I don't know if anyone reading this blog right now has driven, or regularly drives, whilst under the influence of alcohol. If you have or if you do, I'm not going to lay a big guilt trip on you about it. I'm simply going to say this to you - stop it. STOP IT RIGHT NOW. PLEASE.
Too many people are dying and something must be done to combat this. If you want to go out drinking over the holiday period, leave your car at home. Either that or assign a designated driver. United Irelander has coined this simple motto and he hopes the people of Ireland take it under advisement:
"If ya wanna drive, don't drink. If ya wanna drink, don't drive."
If ever I wanted my words to be adhered to, it's now. For the love of God people show some sense.
Thank you.
All-Ireland policing needed!
Smashing organised crime, drugs and defeating terrorism are the top policing priorities set out by the Government for next year.Justice Minister Michael McDowell said gardaí should bring the gun culture under control and crack down on illegal drugs as a matter of priority.
Other areas set out in the Government Policing Priorities included developing a voluntary reserve garda force, relieving gardaí of administrative duties, preventing rural crime as well as tackling illegal immigration and trafficking of people.
"The Government’s priorities for 2006 highlight some issues of great concern in the area of crime and public safety while building on the considerable progress made by the Gardaí in recent years," Mr McDowell said.
Mr McDowell said funding of €1.3bn would ensure gardaí would be able to move towards achieving the priorities set out.
Under the Garda Siochana Act 2005, the Justice Minister can set priorities for the force and require the Garda Commission to prepare an annual policing plan taking account of the Government’s priorities.
Mr McDowell said the gardaí should primarily focus on targeting organised crime, including drug trafficking, and work to bring the gun culture under control. The priorities stressed emphasis should be placed on combating paramilitary activities, seizing the assets of unlawful organisations and cooperation with all relevant international bodies in fighting terrorism.
Not bad Minister, not bad! But I feel you left out an important priority - forging increased links with the PSNI with a view towards an all-Ireland police service.
Let's face facts. The PSNI has been a failure. Unionists have expressed anger with it and only a few short months ago, relations with the Orange Order and the PSNI reached a low ebb due to the Orange Order and loyalist paramilitaries rioting on the streets of Ireland's north. As for nationalists, many of them still do not support the police service and in light of yesterday's news that Sinn Féin have had a British agent in their ranks, as well as the whole 'Stormontgate' fiasco in general, confidence in the police service from a nationalist perspective is shaky to say the least.
So let's start anew. Let's do what the British Labour party in the 1980s advocated for Ireland - an all-Ireland police force.
It would be a chance to have a service that the people trust and it would be a chance to tackle paramilitaries as a united force.
Let's go for it.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Non-Chinese need not apply
I came across this site courtesy of Res Publica - Irish Born Chinese Blog.
In their own words:
"This is specially for IBCs (Irish Born Chinese) to post articles with regards to IBC's life in Ireland and comment on articles posted."
Only Irish-born Chinese? Isn't that a tad racist?
In their own words:
"This is specially for IBCs (Irish Born Chinese) to post articles with regards to IBC's life in Ireland and comment on articles posted."
Only Irish-born Chinese? Isn't that a tad racist?
Give it a lash Jack!
SF expel 'British agent' in Stormont row
This is an interesting one.
A top republican was thrown out of Sinn Féin tonight - after its leader Gerry Adams alleged he was working as a British agent.
Denis Donaldson, 55, pictured left, is the party’s former head of administration but was expelled after an investigation by the leadership.
Eight days after he and two other men were cleared of spying charges inside Stormont, Sinn Féin announced he had been told to quit last night.
A statement from Mr Adams said: "The collapse of the power sharing government was blamed on allegations of a Sinn Féin spy ring at Stormont.
"The fact is that there was no Sinn Féin spy ring at Stormont.
"The fact is that this was a carefully constructed lie created by the Special Branch in order to cause maximum political impact.
"The fact is that the collapse of the political institutions was a direct result of the actions of some of those who run the intelligence and policing system of the British.
"The fact is that the key person at the centre of those events was a Sinn Féin member who was a British agent.
"This is entirely the responsibility of the British Government."
A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesman said: "Police do not confirm or deny whether an individual is or was an informant.''
In October 2002, Mr Donaldson, his son-in-law Ciaran Kearney and civil servant William Mackessy were arrested on suspicion of operating a spy ring at Stormont.
Republicans were left reeling today by the claims against Mr Donaldson, a popular figure within Sinn Féin.
In his statement today, Mr Adams criticised the use of informers and agents by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
The West Belfast MP said: "What is clear is that there are those within the PSNI and the intelligence agencies who are a law unto themselves, who use informers, spies and agents and who are operating to their own agenda with no accountability.
"They are manipulating the situation for their own narrow ends. They have sought to undermine Sinn Féin and are working against the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement which is the publicly stated policy of the British and Irish Governments.
"The British Prime Minister and the Taoiseach have to wake up to this reality.
"Mr Adams said Sinn Féin had alerted the British and Irish Governments to the negative role in the peace process being played out by elements within the British system.
He continued: "If Britain’s war is over then the British Prime Minister needs to come to terms with the fact that he has to end the activities of the securocrats.
"This entire episode underlines the need for an end to political policing. That, and defending the Good Friday Agreement remains the focus of Sinn Féin."
Unionists said tonight they were astonished by the expulsion.
DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said: "This has certainly given an added twist to the entire Stormontgate scandal, and confirms our view that the reasons the court decided not to prosecute was because to do so would have compromised an agent of the state and sensitive security documents.
"It also raises the question that the decision not to proceed was politically motivated."
Mr Mackessy, one of the three men cleared of the spying charges, once worked as a security man at the offices of Sir Reg Empey, then a minister in the powersharing executive at Stormont.
Sir Reg, now leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, said tonight he would be seeking an urgent meeting with Government officials.
Director of Public Prosecutions Sir Alasdair Fraser has declined to comment on the affair but Sir Reg said: "If this was the person who was being protected by the DPP, then there is no reason why these prosecutions cannot proceed.
"It actually debunks the claims by Sinn Féin there was no spy ring operating inside Stormont, when in fact there was."
I personally don't doubt for a minute that rogue members of British intelligence have tried to create difficulties here in the island of Ireland in the past.
Are they still up to their old tricks though? Who knows. I do however find Jeffrey Donaldson's comments above quite interesting in relation to the issue.
What are your thoughts on the whole scandal?
A top republican was thrown out of Sinn Féin tonight - after its leader Gerry Adams alleged he was working as a British agent.
Denis Donaldson, 55, pictured left, is the party’s former head of administration but was expelled after an investigation by the leadership.
Eight days after he and two other men were cleared of spying charges inside Stormont, Sinn Féin announced he had been told to quit last night.
A statement from Mr Adams said: "The collapse of the power sharing government was blamed on allegations of a Sinn Féin spy ring at Stormont.
"The fact is that there was no Sinn Féin spy ring at Stormont.
"The fact is that this was a carefully constructed lie created by the Special Branch in order to cause maximum political impact.
"The fact is that the collapse of the political institutions was a direct result of the actions of some of those who run the intelligence and policing system of the British.
"The fact is that the key person at the centre of those events was a Sinn Féin member who was a British agent.
"This is entirely the responsibility of the British Government."
A Police Service of Northern Ireland spokesman said: "Police do not confirm or deny whether an individual is or was an informant.''
In October 2002, Mr Donaldson, his son-in-law Ciaran Kearney and civil servant William Mackessy were arrested on suspicion of operating a spy ring at Stormont.
Republicans were left reeling today by the claims against Mr Donaldson, a popular figure within Sinn Féin.
In his statement today, Mr Adams criticised the use of informers and agents by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
The West Belfast MP said: "What is clear is that there are those within the PSNI and the intelligence agencies who are a law unto themselves, who use informers, spies and agents and who are operating to their own agenda with no accountability.
"They are manipulating the situation for their own narrow ends. They have sought to undermine Sinn Féin and are working against the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement which is the publicly stated policy of the British and Irish Governments.
"The British Prime Minister and the Taoiseach have to wake up to this reality.
"Mr Adams said Sinn Féin had alerted the British and Irish Governments to the negative role in the peace process being played out by elements within the British system.
He continued: "If Britain’s war is over then the British Prime Minister needs to come to terms with the fact that he has to end the activities of the securocrats.
"This entire episode underlines the need for an end to political policing. That, and defending the Good Friday Agreement remains the focus of Sinn Féin."
Unionists said tonight they were astonished by the expulsion.
DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said: "This has certainly given an added twist to the entire Stormontgate scandal, and confirms our view that the reasons the court decided not to prosecute was because to do so would have compromised an agent of the state and sensitive security documents.
"It also raises the question that the decision not to proceed was politically motivated."
Mr Mackessy, one of the three men cleared of the spying charges, once worked as a security man at the offices of Sir Reg Empey, then a minister in the powersharing executive at Stormont.
Sir Reg, now leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, said tonight he would be seeking an urgent meeting with Government officials.
Director of Public Prosecutions Sir Alasdair Fraser has declined to comment on the affair but Sir Reg said: "If this was the person who was being protected by the DPP, then there is no reason why these prosecutions cannot proceed.
"It actually debunks the claims by Sinn Féin there was no spy ring operating inside Stormont, when in fact there was."
I personally don't doubt for a minute that rogue members of British intelligence have tried to create difficulties here in the island of Ireland in the past.
Are they still up to their old tricks though? Who knows. I do however find Jeffrey Donaldson's comments above quite interesting in relation to the issue.
What are your thoughts on the whole scandal?
Fun Irelander Feature - Weird habits
I've been memed by one of these, uh...memes by Fence over at Pretty Cunning. The rules are:
"The first player of this game starts with the topic "five weird habits of yourself," and people who get tagged need to write an entry about their five weird habits as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next five people to be tagged and link to their web journals."
Five weird habits? This might prove difficult. I wouldn't say I have alot of weird habits although friends of mine often tell me that I can appear quite strange at times. I respond by telling them that if men in Scotland can wear dresses and get away with it, Irish people should be able to as well. (joke, honest!) Anyway let's see, five weird habits...
1. Compulsive taper - For some reason I'm always taping stuff. If there's a good programme on TV, usually it's not enough for me to watch it, I'll have to tape it as well.
2. Night beverage - I hate waking up in the middle of the night thirsty, thus having to head downstairs. So, I always try to have a glass of water by my bed to avoid such a situation. Thirst is horrible let's face it!
3. Precautionary pissing - I don't know if this is weird or not but I always try to go to the toilet before heading off somewhere. So if I'm set to go out for the night, I'll head to the toilet for a few times before I leave. That's not weird though, right fellas? Fellas?
4. Traffic-button basher - Dunno if this is a weird habit but I'm one of those people who constantly pushes the button for the traffic lights. I know it doesn't make the lights change any quicker but it makes you feel better at least! Anyway, I'm not the only one who does this!
5. Post-food beverage - I hate eating something without having a drink to wash the food down. You see then you're left with the food's taste in your mouth. I'm not sure if this is that bad though considering that conversely, when I'm out drinking, I love to have some food after the drink to soak it all up and that's considered quite normal in this country!
Now I'm supposed to choose five people to do this quiz. OK, I'll choose:
Emma from Canada
Antonio from Italy
Sinéad at Sigla
Gerry O'Sullivan
maca at Ráiméis
Feel free to comment on my weird habits or to offer up some of your own. Personally I don't think my habits are that bad though!
"The first player of this game starts with the topic "five weird habits of yourself," and people who get tagged need to write an entry about their five weird habits as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose the next five people to be tagged and link to their web journals."
Five weird habits? This might prove difficult. I wouldn't say I have alot of weird habits although friends of mine often tell me that I can appear quite strange at times. I respond by telling them that if men in Scotland can wear dresses and get away with it, Irish people should be able to as well. (joke, honest!) Anyway let's see, five weird habits...
1. Compulsive taper - For some reason I'm always taping stuff. If there's a good programme on TV, usually it's not enough for me to watch it, I'll have to tape it as well.
2. Night beverage - I hate waking up in the middle of the night thirsty, thus having to head downstairs. So, I always try to have a glass of water by my bed to avoid such a situation. Thirst is horrible let's face it!
3. Precautionary pissing - I don't know if this is weird or not but I always try to go to the toilet before heading off somewhere. So if I'm set to go out for the night, I'll head to the toilet for a few times before I leave. That's not weird though, right fellas? Fellas?
4. Traffic-button basher - Dunno if this is a weird habit but I'm one of those people who constantly pushes the button for the traffic lights. I know it doesn't make the lights change any quicker but it makes you feel better at least! Anyway, I'm not the only one who does this!
5. Post-food beverage - I hate eating something without having a drink to wash the food down. You see then you're left with the food's taste in your mouth. I'm not sure if this is that bad though considering that conversely, when I'm out drinking, I love to have some food after the drink to soak it all up and that's considered quite normal in this country!
Now I'm supposed to choose five people to do this quiz. OK, I'll choose:
Emma from Canada
Antonio from Italy
Sinéad at Sigla
Gerry O'Sullivan
maca at Ráiméis
Feel free to comment on my weird habits or to offer up some of your own. Personally I don't think my habits are that bad though!
What kind of lover are you?
What kind of lover are you? Take the test and find out:The Lover Style Profile Test
Apparently I'm 'The Devoted Lover':
"The Devoted Lover is a wonderful Lover Style, and is perhaps the best Lover Style when it comes to developing a long-term, caring and rewarding relationship. The Devoted Lover is a treasure to find, though it is sometimes difficult to time establishing a relationship with one just right; usually, this is the last romantic relationship you'll need to find, so sow any wild oats first.
"In terms of physical love, the Devoted Lover can be shy at first but gradually warms and eventually can be a thrilling partner who knows every need of his/her partner. Given a strong and loving relationship, and the right lover, the Devoted Lover can be a delight in bed.
"Best Compatibility can probably be found with: The Suave Lover (most of all) or the Classic Lover, or the Carnal Lover. Congratulations!"
So what kind of lover are you?
New Tory leader backs peace process
The Conservative party's great white hope, David Cameron, has pledged to promote the Irish peace process wherever he can.Speaking yesterday during a visit to Belfast, he said the IRA must prove it has ended its paramilitary and criminal behaviour to ensure progress.
"Today is 12 years to the day that John Major and Albert Reynolds signed the Downing Street Declaration that started the move towards the peace process and the Belfast Agreement," he said.
"What I will do as leader of the Conservative Party, is work with the government, where possible, to try and help bring peace and progress to Northern Ireland.
"Today, most of all I am here to listen and here to learn. I hope that it is the first of many trips that I will be making."
Mr Cameron also said he was maintaining his party's opposition to controversial paramilitary 'on-the-runs' legislation.
"My party in parliament has been very, very clear that people who have committed dreadful crimes in the past must appear in court," he said.
"I hear rumours today that the government is making some moves on this legislation and we will respond constructively to them".
While I admire Mr Cameron's stance on the OTR legislation, even though he probably opposes it for different reasons than I do, I find it hard to take a Tory seriously since they have been in such a diabolical state in recent years. Will Cameron change all that? I'm not convinced.
What I am convinced of is that the British have no interest in subsidising the white elephant that is Ireland's north.
It's bleeding British coffers dry and in my opinion, the British parties probably want a United Ireland far more than the parties in the Irish Republic do!
George - Good or the Best?
Was George Best the greatest footballer of all time? A Co. Armagh reader featured in the News Letter doesn't think so:"Now that the hype and hysteria surrounding the life and death of George Best is over, maybe it's time to reflect on some of the things said of George Best.
"I would like to ask again: Was George Best the greatest footballer the world has ever seen? How many times over recent weeks have we read and heard "no footballer was ever good enough to lace George Best's boots". Nonsense, absolute nonsense! We would all like to think he was the best, but even he couldn't lace the boots of Pele and Maradona, especially Maradona.
"Maradona could do things with the ball that would have left our George mesmerised.
"Best was good, but then he looked good playing with and against the players he had to. The players that Pele and Maradona played with and against were in a different league.
Let's get real."
Co Armagh reader
I don't agree with the author of this post. One of the things that Best had to deal with which Pele managed to avoid was the tough, combative nature of European football. I think it's fair to say that Best had more lumps kicked out of him than the great Pele ever did. For dealing with that, Best deserves high praise. As for Maradona, obviously Diego Maradona deserves to be mentioned as one of the greats. He was instrumental in Argentina's 1986 World Cup success. Was he streets ahead of Best though? Not in my opinion. I think some of the stuff George Best could do with a football was just as good as the stuff Maradona was capable of.
I'm not quite sure who the greatest footballer of all time is. What I do know is that when this topic is being debated, George Best has every right to be considered as the greatest ever. I think it's the author who needs to get real if s/he thinks Best is out of Pele and Maradona's league!
What do you think?
Friday Fun's Fascinating Fact
US President George W. Bush and Playboy founder Hugh Hefner are related! Bush and Hefner are ninth cousins.
Damn! Does George W. Bush have connections or what?!
Damn! Does George W. Bush have connections or what?!
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Keano the Bhoy!
I'm delighted that my favourite Irish player and one of the few Corkmen I actually like, Roy Keane, has completed his move to Celtic.As he was unveiled at the club, Keane said: "I gave other clubs a chance and was impressed with them all.
"But it's a great move for me. I feel that this is where I belong and I'm here to work hard and win games."
"I've been in the Premiership for a long time and feel I have proved myself there and needed a different environment, different teams, different grounds," said Keane, who had in 1999 said that he would like to end his career at Celtic Park.
"Every boy in Ireland has an interest in Celtic, although my English team at the time was Spurs for some reason.
"I've been up to Celtic to watch a few games and always enjoyed my time here."
"This is not a financial move for me and I'm not coming here for an ego trip or to unwind," said Keane, whose deal is believed to be worth £40,000 a week, about half what he was on at Old Trafford.
"I had an important role in front of the back four at United, but I might be given more licence to play here.
"I push myself hard in training and try to push others hard - and people seemed happy with that until a few weeks ago."
Manager Gordon Strachan added: "He has proved over the last 15 years that he is a competitor.
"You can't get enough competitors in your squad and this was too good a chance to miss."
Keane will not be eligible to make his Celtic debut against Hearts at Tynecastle on New Year's Day as Scottish Premier League rules do not allow for players to be both registered and play on the first day of the new transfer window.
He will instead be aiming to face Clyde at Broadwood Stadium in the Scottish Cup third round the following weekend.
I think this is great news. I didn't want him to join some mid-table Premiership club and while a move to Real Madrid would have been quite something, it would have been hard for me to see him play. At least now I can catch him on Setanta Sports with Celtic!
I think Keane will be a big hit at Parkhead and I think he will prove an inspired signing fby Ggordan Strachan.
Look out Rangers! Celtic just bagged themselves a legend!
United Irelander 1 year old today
It was on December 15th, 2004, that a guy calling himself 'Young Irelander', influenced by the blogs Slugger O'Toole and A Tangled Web, took the plunge and set up his own blog - United Irelander. I must admit that I had alot of uncertainty and anxiety about blogging. I didn't have a clue about any of the technical stuff for one thing. The template scared the hell out of me to be honest! All I knew was that I had alot of things I wanted to get off my chest. I wasn't aware of too many Irish nationalist blogs about the place, certainly not any that reflected my own outlook on nationalism and the United Ireland question, and I wanted that situation to change. So, as a result, this blog was born and it's been alot of fun for me I have to say!
I've been looking through United Irelander's archives, particularly the early stuff that I produced, and I do feel I've come a long way since then. I believe the current posts are of a far better quality than the ones I was producing a year ago. It's surprising looking back because alot of the content I came up with seems quite raw. If you're interested, here are the posts I made on December 15th, 2004:
Welcome!
It's only a game...
What's your squirrel name?
What do you expect?
Ahern backs photographic evidence
The more the merrier
Homeward bound secretary
IRA decides to give?
What you can expect
Hero/Villain of the Day - 15.12.04
Wow, 10 posts! I guess I had the blogging itch right from the start!
For me, blogging has been quite an experience. There have been times when I've been enthralled by it as well as times when I've thought about packing it in. I've had some laughs on this blog as well as some very heated exchanges. I've managed to offend all kinds of people over the last year! Nationalists and unionists, conservatives and liberals. I've managed to offend my compatriots as well as people from across the globe. I've had frank exchanges with people, and exchanges with people named Frank. (Not my best I'll admit)
While I've been involved in heated exchanges with all sorts of people, I hold no animosity towards them. I like having my opinions tested and while at times I've probably come across as proud, stubborn or maybe even arrogant, believe it or not I do have great respect for the people who come here and engage with me.
Regarding the people who come here, I want to say thank you. When I first started this blog there were only a handful of people who visited. Some of the people who visited back then still visit occasionally. Gerry O'Sullivan, Stack, Paul, Howard, to name but a few. Back then, this blog seemed to revolve around my conversations with them yet, a year later, it's gotten to the stage where I can start a thread, come back hours later and find that conversations have taken place without me even being involved. That's very satisfying. This place is welcome to people of all persuasions. Whether you're a unionist or nationalist, whether you're apolitical, whether you're from Ireland or abroad, this place has people from all walks of life and that's satisfying too.
So here we are. Twelve months and 1502 posts later. I have lots and lots of fond memories. Getting visitors from far off countries, talking to people across oceans and continents, getting noticed by the Sunday Tribune, getting noticed by the BBC, getting noticed by The Guardian apparently (thanks Aileen!), the 'end' of 'Young Irelander', the introduction of the 'United Irelander', the squabbles, the jokes, the lows and the highs. It's been alot of fun for me and I hope it's been fun for you as well.
What of the future? Who knows. I really didn't think I'd be blogging this long but blogging is ridiculously addictive. It's like a drug. I find myself wondering if I really want to continue blogging into 2006 but then I think it would be a great shame to pack it in after going this long.
I shan't think about all that now though. Today is about celebrating making it this far - and without a single lawsuit, can you believe it?
Again, thanks for the memories everyone. God bless.
I've been looking through United Irelander's archives, particularly the early stuff that I produced, and I do feel I've come a long way since then. I believe the current posts are of a far better quality than the ones I was producing a year ago. It's surprising looking back because alot of the content I came up with seems quite raw. If you're interested, here are the posts I made on December 15th, 2004:
Welcome!
It's only a game...
What's your squirrel name?
What do you expect?
Ahern backs photographic evidence
The more the merrier
Homeward bound secretary
IRA decides to give?
What you can expect
Hero/Villain of the Day - 15.12.04
Wow, 10 posts! I guess I had the blogging itch right from the start!
For me, blogging has been quite an experience. There have been times when I've been enthralled by it as well as times when I've thought about packing it in. I've had some laughs on this blog as well as some very heated exchanges. I've managed to offend all kinds of people over the last year! Nationalists and unionists, conservatives and liberals. I've managed to offend my compatriots as well as people from across the globe. I've had frank exchanges with people, and exchanges with people named Frank. (Not my best I'll admit)
While I've been involved in heated exchanges with all sorts of people, I hold no animosity towards them. I like having my opinions tested and while at times I've probably come across as proud, stubborn or maybe even arrogant, believe it or not I do have great respect for the people who come here and engage with me.
Regarding the people who come here, I want to say thank you. When I first started this blog there were only a handful of people who visited. Some of the people who visited back then still visit occasionally. Gerry O'Sullivan, Stack, Paul, Howard, to name but a few. Back then, this blog seemed to revolve around my conversations with them yet, a year later, it's gotten to the stage where I can start a thread, come back hours later and find that conversations have taken place without me even being involved. That's very satisfying. This place is welcome to people of all persuasions. Whether you're a unionist or nationalist, whether you're apolitical, whether you're from Ireland or abroad, this place has people from all walks of life and that's satisfying too.
So here we are. Twelve months and 1502 posts later. I have lots and lots of fond memories. Getting visitors from far off countries, talking to people across oceans and continents, getting noticed by the Sunday Tribune, getting noticed by the BBC, getting noticed by The Guardian apparently (thanks Aileen!), the 'end' of 'Young Irelander', the introduction of the 'United Irelander', the squabbles, the jokes, the lows and the highs. It's been alot of fun for me and I hope it's been fun for you as well.
What of the future? Who knows. I really didn't think I'd be blogging this long but blogging is ridiculously addictive. It's like a drug. I find myself wondering if I really want to continue blogging into 2006 but then I think it would be a great shame to pack it in after going this long.
I shan't think about all that now though. Today is about celebrating making it this far - and without a single lawsuit, can you believe it?
Again, thanks for the memories everyone. God bless.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
EU in difficulty - Great!
I must say that the recent problems of the European dictatorship...uh, I mean Union, has brought a big smile to my Irish face!Today, Taoiseach and EU lickspittle, Bertie Ahern, came out and urged an end to the EU budget deadlock.
Talks on the 2007-2013 budget collapsed in June after Britain refused to cut its rebate and demanded a Common Agricultural Policy review.
Mr Ahern, who disgraced himself and his country by helping broker agreement on the sovereignty-stealing EU Constitution during Ireland's presidency in 2004, said he didn't want budget issues to extend into the Austrian and Finnish presidencies in 2006.
"I can't see what is in it for anybody not to finalise it now," he commented.
Speculating on the consequences of a non-deal, the Taoiseach said: "It won't be a death blow to the EU, but I'm sure that's what all the headlines will say."
He said not reaching agreement would not be seen as a failure for Britain's EU presidency, but as a collective failure for all the member states.
Oh boo hoo! The EU is is a spot of bother!
It serves these bumbing, bird-brained bureaucrats right! Their evil plan to steal national sovereignty was thwarted by the brave French and Dutch voters and now their own infighting is tearing them apart!
I love it!
Now if only we could get ourselves out of this disgraceful 'Union'...
Biting into the economic argument
As I highlighted yesterday evening, there was a show on RTE1 this afternoon called The Big Bite, hosted by David McWilliams, which examined the argument for economic reunification. I actually missed the first couple of minutes so I don't know the names of the panellists involved I'm afraid, nor do I know their qualifications, however, if I'm not mistaken, Slugger's own Mick Fealty was on the panel which was a surprise! So did any of you catch the programme?
The programme examined whether Catholics would vote for a United Ireland today due to the economic factors involved with such a move. One panellist said he didn't think they would as it would cause too much upheaval and he pointed out the North's social services are better than the Southern equivalent. However, the host McWilliams pointed out that this gap is now narrowing.
Identity was brought up as well and I was disappointed to hear one panellist talk about how "we'd be dealing with people who are not Irish". McWilliams stepped in again pointing out that before The Troubles, most people in the North defined themselves as Irish Unionists and that to say they're not Irish is very debatable.
The types of United Ireland were brought up as well with one panellist saying it would need to be based on a loose federal system like in Belgium currently or else it would need to be based on a centralised government.
Believe it or not but rejoining the Commonwealth was also brought up (I think they've been reading my blog) however the panellist who brought it up and Mr McWilliams both said they didn't see the point of it.
Even though I missed the first few minutes it was an interesting debate and it's good to see these things being discussed, especially since the northern nationalist parties seem very reluctant to do so.
The general consensus seemed to be that a United Ireland is achievable in an economic sense, however the debate couldn't answer the, as yet, unanswered question on the North - is it worth it from an identity perspective?
All I know is, I should have been on that panel!
The programme examined whether Catholics would vote for a United Ireland today due to the economic factors involved with such a move. One panellist said he didn't think they would as it would cause too much upheaval and he pointed out the North's social services are better than the Southern equivalent. However, the host McWilliams pointed out that this gap is now narrowing.
Identity was brought up as well and I was disappointed to hear one panellist talk about how "we'd be dealing with people who are not Irish". McWilliams stepped in again pointing out that before The Troubles, most people in the North defined themselves as Irish Unionists and that to say they're not Irish is very debatable.
The types of United Ireland were brought up as well with one panellist saying it would need to be based on a loose federal system like in Belgium currently or else it would need to be based on a centralised government.
Believe it or not but rejoining the Commonwealth was also brought up (I think they've been reading my blog) however the panellist who brought it up and Mr McWilliams both said they didn't see the point of it.
Even though I missed the first few minutes it was an interesting debate and it's good to see these things being discussed, especially since the northern nationalist parties seem very reluctant to do so.
The general consensus seemed to be that a United Ireland is achievable in an economic sense, however the debate couldn't answer the, as yet, unanswered question on the North - is it worth it from an identity perspective?
All I know is, I should have been on that panel!
'What If'? Wednesday - No Assembly
Big Ulsterman drew my attention to this article in the Belfast Telegraph detailing comments made by British Secretary of State Peter Hain on the BBC Politics Show where he threatened to scrap the Assembly in Ireland's north if a devolution deal is not worked out before the next election.Mr Hain said there would be no point in the "charade" of electing politicians to an Assembly that does not exist.
As the Belfast Telegraph points out, the Secretary of State has effectively set a deadline for a successful conclusion to new negotiations on the restoration of Stormont and a power-sharing Executive this side of the next Assembly elections - due in May, 2007.
Mr Hain insisted: "We've really got to end this paralysis and get things up and running.
"We cannot have (the politicians) standing again for a suspended Assembly."
The Secretary of State said MLAs are doing constituency work but were not fulfilling the legislative function for which they were elected.
"It isn't a threat, it is a statement of fact," he told the BBC programme.
This is very interesting indeed! The British have been pretty dismissive of unionists in recent weeks and now they are threatening to bring down devolution. The tactic of the British government seems to revolve around the idea that if you make life under Direct Rule uncomfortable for unionists, then they will do their best to revive the devolved institutions.
On the surface of things, the end of the North's Assembly might actually seem worse for nationalists but the British have been very pro-Republican lately and I believe this move will prove beneficial for the nationalist community rather than the unionist community.
But the question must be asked - what if there was no Assembly? What would happen in Ireland's north?
In my own opinion, if devolution is not restored in the North, I think Joint Authority will be introduced as an alternative to Direct Rule.
I don't think it will be easy to justify it by any means, but I do think it will be introduced.
McDowell claims cause anger
The big story in Ireland right now concerns some allegations made by the ever-controversial Justice Minister Michael McDowell. Even A Tangled Web have commented on the controversy.For those of you unfamiliar with the story, recently under privilege in the Dáil, Justice Minister Michael McDowell claimed that Frank Connolly, executive director of the Centre for Public Inquiry and brother of one of the Colombia Three, Niall Connolly, had travelled to Colombia on a false passport when he was a journalist in 2001.
Mr McDowell on Monday revealed that he had personally given documents to the Irish Independent for a story on the issue.
As a result, the CPI's sole backers from the US, Atlantic Philanthropies, withdrew all funding last week.
Mr McDowell has defended what he did claiming it was his duty to tell the public about Frank Connolly’s alleged role in an IRA plot to sell bombing information to Farc rebels in Colombia.
McDowell told TDs: "Undoubtedly, the Centre for Public Inquiry … is one which has, in subversive hands, the capacity to gravely undermine the authority of the state,"
"I regard it as my clear and unequivocal duty to bring into the public domain the central role played in that body by a person [Frank Connolly] who the gardaí are satisfied participated in an important way in the series of visits to Colombia designed to exchange know-how in terrorism and explosives for massive amounts of cash apparently to be spent on distorting our democratic process."
However McDowell has been accused of breaching the constitutional rights of Mr Connolly. The chairman of the Centre for Public Inquiry former Justice Feargus Flood said that Mr McDowell could not override the Constitution as all citizens were entitled to the presumption of innocence.
He said: "All I know is that, in principle, all citizens of this country are innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the rules of the law.
"The minister cannot override the Constitution under any circumstances. Justice shall be administered in public in court."
Mr McDowell has rejected accusations that he breached Mr Connolly's constitutional rights stressing that the information he released was not confidential nor did it prejudice any Garda investigation into the matter. He said the disclosure did not in any sense breach the privacy of any individual and he repeated his earlier claims that the documentation used for Mr Connolly's trip was fraudulently acquired.
In the Leader's Questions slot in the Dáil the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern defended Mr McDowell stating that the false passport application allegedly made by Mr Connolly, which Mr McDowell supplied to a daily newspaper, was not a confidential document. He added that it was already in the public domain.
"The minister has acted at all times properly … and I fully support him," Mr Ahern said.
Green Party TD Ciarán Cuffe and Sinn Féin’s Aengus Ó Snodaigh have both called for the minister’s resignation on the issue.
Labour leader Pat Rabbitte meanwhile asked if Mr McDowell's recent comments about Mr Connolly were linked with an investigation into his department's purchase of Thornton Hall for a new prison.
Wow! Those of you who are not from Ireland probably find this quite difficult to understand. I hope I've explained it adequately as what's written above pretty much covers the whole issue.
My thoughts on this? Well, I am not a fan of the Progressive Democrats nor indeed of Minister McDowell in relaton to his domestic policies. However, when it comes to tackling Republican extremists, I think the Minister has done an admirable job. While I disagree with alot of the man's policies I have no doubt that he is doing his utmost to protect this State from terrorist threats. I therefore support his decision to release Mr Connolly's documents.
I don't accept that the Minister breached Mr Connolly's constitutional rights because, as the Taoiseach and Mr McDowell have pointed out, the documentation was not confidential and was already in the public domain.
Any threat to the Irish State must be opposed. A Justice Minister is honour-bound to ensure the security of the Irish people and Mr McDowell clearly understands that.
Caption Time
How stupid can you get?
For those of you who who are unaware of the British Channel 4 show, Space Cadets, it's a reality TV show that has successfully managed to trick contestants into thinking they have been launched into space.Channel 4’s "cosmonauts" are convinced they are in space and gazing down at Planet Earth.
The reality show contestants spent their first night on board Earth Orbiter One after "launching" on Monday.
Producers delayed showing the unwitting Space Cadets contestants a glimpse of the world because a stray moth blocked part of the view.
But with the creature out of the way, actor Charlie Skelton, Paul French, Billy Jackson and Keri Hassett were finally shown the view outside their spaceship.
Paul, a plasterer from Bristol, exclaimed of the Imax screen: "It’s the world!", while Billy, a recruitment consultant, was also convinced, saying: "You can see land on there."
"All the problems in the world just seem... minor," the 26-year-old added.
Billy, 25, a semi-pro footballer, later added: "You know, it doesn’t seem real... I know it’s real, but it doesn’t seem it."
Oh man. How dumb are these people? Seriously?!
I'm telling you an Irish person would never be fooled by this. We're cynical by nature and I'm confident that an Irish person would rumble such a plan.
Producer: "We're taking you to Russia and in a matter of weeks you'l be in space and we're going to show it live on national televeision."
Irishman: "Ah would ya g'way outta that!"
Brits though eh?
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Good show on RTE tomorrow! (gasp)
Mick Fealty over at Slugger O'Toole has urged us to keep an eye out for RTE's show The Big Bite tomorrow as it contains a debate on the economic reunification of the island of Ireland.
For the Irish visitors to United Irelander, North and South, the show will be on RTE 1 at 2:30 pm.
It should be a good show and I'm pretty sure that the host, David McWilliams, is an economist himself so he should be well able to handle himself!
I might try and tape it and do a post on it for those who won't be able to see it...
For the Irish visitors to United Irelander, North and South, the show will be on RTE 1 at 2:30 pm.
It should be a good show and I'm pretty sure that the host, David McWilliams, is an economist himself so he should be well able to handle himself!
I might try and tape it and do a post on it for those who won't be able to see it...
Cindy Sheehan in Ireland
I see US anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan met with TDs and Senators outside Leinster House in Dublin today.Dubbed the ‘peace mom’ by the media, Ms Sheehan’s 24-year-old son, Casey was killed in Iraq in April 2004.
She made international headlines during the summer when she set up permanent camp outside the Texas ranch of US President George Bush to protest over her son’s death.
The stunt won massive publicity and galvanised support for the anti-war movement.
Ms Sheehan will today meet Green Party chairman John Gormley, Sinn Féin TD Aengus O’Snodaigh and Senator David Norris outside the Dáil.
The Californian will also speak at a public meeting at Dublin’s Belvedere College tonight with Rose Gentle, the mother of a British soldier killed in Iraq.
I must say I have to question why this is happening. Why are these three Irish politicians, and I use the term loosely, meeting with Ms Sheehan?
What is with their agenda? Did they happen to miss the findings of yesterday's survey which revealed most Iraqis are optimistic about the future and happy with their government?
O'Snodaigh, Norris and Gormless...excuse me, Gormley, are all a joke. They don't give a damn about the people of Iraq and simply want to further their own anti-Bush agenda.
Get over it.
Silence is golden
Too much of a good thing is never nice and while I like the Christmas song 'Fairytale of New York', it was starting to do my head in. I think it was getting irritating for alot of you as well so I've removed it.
It might make a reappearance closer to Christmas...
It might make a reappearance closer to Christmas...
Top Ten Tuesday - Bloggeresses
If there's one thing that I've learned from the recent feminism debate in Bloglaigh na hEireann, other than the fact that some Irish bloggers have a sense of humour worthy of Meg Ryan in that Parkinson interview, it's that I actually know a fair few female bloggers. In fact, I link to many of them in my sidebar. With that being the case, I thought to myself what better way to acknowledge that then to make a top ten list of my favourite female bloggers! Yeah that idea couldn't possibly go wrong. So, without further ado, I give you United Irelander's top ten bloggeresses:
1. Caoimhe - Caoimhe was perhaps the first female blogger to regularly stop by United Irelander. Long time visitors to this blog will be aware that it was a testosterone-fueled place for a long time. Caoimhe's presence on the site was welcome and she happens to run a very good blog herself. She is also one of the few Irish bloggers to appear on TV.
2. Emma - As I touched on above, women were hard to come by on this blog a few months ago. Now you would think that a charming blogger like myself would have legions of adoring females hanging around the place but a few short months ago this place was a total sausage fest. I'm telling you the ladies were nowhere to be found. I felt like the average Corkman in a room full of beautiful women - isolated. Then Emma came along and added a female touch to the blog and she happens to be a very good writer herself. Her husband William is a welcome visitor to this place also so my choice should please two people!
3. Jo - Jo runs JoBlog and there's always interesting posts to be found there. She hasn't been blogging long but she's made a pretty big impact in her short time blogging. You have to respect a blogger who likes to post sexy pictures from time to time!
4. Fence - I recently came across Fence's blog Pretty Cunning and I've been a regular visitor since then. She has very interesting content and I like her word association posts though the fact I associated 'carrying' with 'bags' is a bit worrying I have to say. Fence enjoys a bit of banter and isn't easily offended which is what I like in a woman!
5. Fi - Fi runs the blog Trixibell which I enjoy reading because it's not as gloomy and depressing as other blogs. I like the colour scheme too. It's always worth a visit if you're feeling down and Fi is one of the nicer bloggers out there.
6. Sinead - Sinead runs Sigla and we started off on the wrong foot over something I said (surprise, surprise!). I can't remember what it was but I think I described her blog as glitzy or something. Anyway I have since become a regular visitor to her blog which is well worth a vist and she shares alot of my views on football which I also like in a woman!
7. Carrie - Carrie runs The Broom aka Broom of Anger and has been blogging for some time. I've found alot of her posts enlightening and there's a freshness about her writing as she seems to offer a different perspective I find.
8. Auds - I recently came across Auds' blog Reality Check and I've been impressed with the content. She writes from the heart and isn't afraid to be honest which I respect.
9. Redmum - As I understand it this blogger recently gained the opportunity to write a newspaper column which doesn't happen that often. Fair play to her. I wish her well. I say that even though the only comment on United Irelander I can recall from her was in relation to my post on the feminism 'catfight' : "Oh and let me know when your balls drop as I am sure there are any number of people who would kick them back up for you." I like her moxy!
10. Fiona at Mental Meanderings - Now some will question me putting one of my most vociferous critics in this list but I say to them that I need to fill this li...uh I mean I say to them that she deserves her place! No, in all seriousness, if I fell out with everyone I disagreed then with no one would visit this blog! I'm man enough (no offence intended) to say that I think she has a good blog and I would urge others to give it a read.
So there you have it. My top ten female bloggers or 'bloggeresses'. Now I know some of the ladies might be offended at where they stand but I say to them that positions can rise and fall! Let the debating/catfighting/mud wrestling/ (insert as required) commence!
Also feel free to recommend some more female bloggers who are worth checking out.
1. Caoimhe - Caoimhe was perhaps the first female blogger to regularly stop by United Irelander. Long time visitors to this blog will be aware that it was a testosterone-fueled place for a long time. Caoimhe's presence on the site was welcome and she happens to run a very good blog herself. She is also one of the few Irish bloggers to appear on TV.
2. Emma - As I touched on above, women were hard to come by on this blog a few months ago. Now you would think that a charming blogger like myself would have legions of adoring females hanging around the place but a few short months ago this place was a total sausage fest. I'm telling you the ladies were nowhere to be found. I felt like the average Corkman in a room full of beautiful women - isolated. Then Emma came along and added a female touch to the blog and she happens to be a very good writer herself. Her husband William is a welcome visitor to this place also so my choice should please two people!
3. Jo - Jo runs JoBlog and there's always interesting posts to be found there. She hasn't been blogging long but she's made a pretty big impact in her short time blogging. You have to respect a blogger who likes to post sexy pictures from time to time!
4. Fence - I recently came across Fence's blog Pretty Cunning and I've been a regular visitor since then. She has very interesting content and I like her word association posts though the fact I associated 'carrying' with 'bags' is a bit worrying I have to say. Fence enjoys a bit of banter and isn't easily offended which is what I like in a woman!
5. Fi - Fi runs the blog Trixibell which I enjoy reading because it's not as gloomy and depressing as other blogs. I like the colour scheme too. It's always worth a visit if you're feeling down and Fi is one of the nicer bloggers out there.
6. Sinead - Sinead runs Sigla and we started off on the wrong foot over something I said (surprise, surprise!). I can't remember what it was but I think I described her blog as glitzy or something. Anyway I have since become a regular visitor to her blog which is well worth a vist and she shares alot of my views on football which I also like in a woman!
7. Carrie - Carrie runs The Broom aka Broom of Anger and has been blogging for some time. I've found alot of her posts enlightening and there's a freshness about her writing as she seems to offer a different perspective I find.
8. Auds - I recently came across Auds' blog Reality Check and I've been impressed with the content. She writes from the heart and isn't afraid to be honest which I respect.
9. Redmum - As I understand it this blogger recently gained the opportunity to write a newspaper column which doesn't happen that often. Fair play to her. I wish her well. I say that even though the only comment on United Irelander I can recall from her was in relation to my post on the feminism 'catfight' : "Oh and let me know when your balls drop as I am sure there are any number of people who would kick them back up for you." I like her moxy!
10. Fiona at Mental Meanderings - Now some will question me putting one of my most vociferous critics in this list but I say to them that I need to fill this li...uh I mean I say to them that she deserves her place! No, in all seriousness, if I fell out with everyone I disagreed then with no one would visit this blog! I'm man enough (no offence intended) to say that I think she has a good blog and I would urge others to give it a read.
So there you have it. My top ten female bloggers or 'bloggeresses'. Now I know some of the ladies might be offended at where they stand but I say to them that positions can rise and fall! Let the debating/catfighting/mud wrestling/ (insert as required) commence!
Also feel free to recommend some more female bloggers who are worth checking out.
Get ready Dublin cos here comes love
There's alot of love right now over on the Love Ulster site over the proposed loyalist march in Dublin. They're practically orgasmic! Here's what my favourite lovable scamp from the LU site, 'DV9', had to say:"I can't wait to see the faces on the nationalists when the union-jacks and the ulster flags are flown."
I'll bet you can't wait!
What was the official reason given for the march in Dublin? Whatever it was I think DV9's views offer a more accurate reflection of the aims of the march.
Opinion seems split on this proposed parade between those who are angry and those who just couldn't be arsed over the issue. Perhaps those of us who are angry are being too critical though? Maybe it will prove an enjoyable parade for all the family? What do I know? We might see scenes like the following:
Kid: Why are these people here in Dublin, Dad?
Father: Well son they're here to let the people of Dublin know that they don't want the people of Dublin involved in their lives.
Kid: Huh? I don't understand that. It doesn't seem to make sense.
Father: They're unionists, son. They don't function on logic like you and me.
Kid: But should we really have to put up with this?
Father: Hey just be happy they're not from Cork...
NI economy still weak
As many of you know I am an Irish nationalist and I am of the opinion that Ireland ought to be reunified. I believe that unionists and nationalists will benefit more from a United Ireland and it's clear that the economic argument for Irish Unity is significant in the overall argument for reunification. In the last few weeks and months I have written quite a bit on the economic argument and examples can be found here, here, here, here, as well as here.Continuing that trend I have come across this article in Business World which details the weak state of the North's economy:
"Growth of business activity and new business picked up in the North in November but remained weak compared to the UK, the latest Ulster Bank Purchasing Managers' Index said."
The articles adds that month-on-month expansion of the 'Northern Ireland' economy remained only weak and well down on the UK average.
As well as that, "despite easing, input price inflation remained marked and above that experienced by private sector firms across the UK as a whole."
Commenting on the latest survey findings, Pat McArdle, Chief Economist, Ulster Bank, said November returns show a pick-up in activity but the overall picture is still quite weak and NI had the third lowest reading of the UK regions with employment in the private sector economy static.
One has only to look at this information and to bear in mind the comments of British Secretary of State Peter Hain who declared the North's economy unsustainable and who argued that "the island of Ireland should in future be marketed as a single entity" to realise that Mr Hain is right about the way forward.
We need not only an all-Ireland economy but an all-Ireland state for the good of all the people on this island.
Two facts:
1. NI has the lowest salary wages of any other region in the UK; in fact, the national average is £22,411 and NI is £17,366.
2. The North's cost of living is 4.9% less than the national average.
Let's change that and give the people of the North a brighter future. Only in an all-Ireland state can adequate competition with the British be achieved.
Surrender process?
Here's a letter in the News Letter from a very disgruntled unionist, T Jackson:
"THE present process is not a peace process. It is a surrender process. Surrender to the republican nightmare.
"I appeal to the News Letter to give it the right name in future, The Surrender Process. Every concession Blair gives them is another nail in the coffin of devolution.
"On-the-runs an amnesty, most troops to be withdrawn in the New Year, restorative justice has pleased Sinn Fein. The unionist community, in spite of being the majority community, has no say in their own security.
"A totally untenable position, unacceptable to the entire unionist community.
"The shocking state of law and order as the police reserve is phased out, again in opposition to the wishes of the majority unionist community, with rising crime levels following is another example of the antiunionist Blair tactics.
"Dr Paisley is right to refuse to partake in the Hain political meetings. Blair and Hain are unwelcome in unionist areas.
"Then we have Bertie Ahern saying there is no way Sinn Fein will get into power in the Republic, as the IRA has not disbanded. Yet the British Government expects unionists to have them in power. The Colombia Three, issue now forgotten, walk the streets of the Republic as free men! This is what the UUP has got for the unionist people of Ulster through their "negotiations". Total disaster for the unionist people!
"This is the result of the signing of the disastrous Belfast Agreement."
T Jackson
Alot of what T Jackson writes in relation to Republican 'concessions' mirrors what I myself have written on United Irelander over the last few weeks, however T Jackson is quite harsh in his or her sentiments towards Blair and Hain - "Blair and Hain are unwelcome in unionist areas". Are unionists really this angry at Tony Blair and Peter Hain? I can't say I'd blame them if they were but I've not seen evidence of unionist displeasure much in the media.
What I do object to from T Jackson is the old chestnut of the Colombia Three being brought up. This has nothing to do with Blair. It's an issue for the Irish Republic alone. I also disagree with blame being placed on the Good Friday Agreement and the UUP over unionism's current plight.
If unionists want to point the finger, point it at your 'fellow' Brits. They clearly want nothing to do with you!
"THE present process is not a peace process. It is a surrender process. Surrender to the republican nightmare.
"I appeal to the News Letter to give it the right name in future, The Surrender Process. Every concession Blair gives them is another nail in the coffin of devolution.
"On-the-runs an amnesty, most troops to be withdrawn in the New Year, restorative justice has pleased Sinn Fein. The unionist community, in spite of being the majority community, has no say in their own security.
"A totally untenable position, unacceptable to the entire unionist community.
"The shocking state of law and order as the police reserve is phased out, again in opposition to the wishes of the majority unionist community, with rising crime levels following is another example of the antiunionist Blair tactics.
"Dr Paisley is right to refuse to partake in the Hain political meetings. Blair and Hain are unwelcome in unionist areas.
"Then we have Bertie Ahern saying there is no way Sinn Fein will get into power in the Republic, as the IRA has not disbanded. Yet the British Government expects unionists to have them in power. The Colombia Three, issue now forgotten, walk the streets of the Republic as free men! This is what the UUP has got for the unionist people of Ulster through their "negotiations". Total disaster for the unionist people!
"This is the result of the signing of the disastrous Belfast Agreement."
T Jackson
Alot of what T Jackson writes in relation to Republican 'concessions' mirrors what I myself have written on United Irelander over the last few weeks, however T Jackson is quite harsh in his or her sentiments towards Blair and Hain - "Blair and Hain are unwelcome in unionist areas". Are unionists really this angry at Tony Blair and Peter Hain? I can't say I'd blame them if they were but I've not seen evidence of unionist displeasure much in the media.
What I do object to from T Jackson is the old chestnut of the Colombia Three being brought up. This has nothing to do with Blair. It's an issue for the Irish Republic alone. I also disagree with blame being placed on the Good Friday Agreement and the UUP over unionism's current plight.
If unionists want to point the finger, point it at your 'fellow' Brits. They clearly want nothing to do with you!
Ian Brown forced off stage
Oh those bold boys from Belfast!I see former Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown was forced off stage after fans started throwing bottles during one of his shows in Belfast.
The show started well, with Brown paying tribute to footballer George Best, who passed away recently. However, during one of Brown's numbers - 'Dolphins Were Monkeys' - there were a number of technical problems and the artist had to stop the song and start again.
A member of the audience then threw a bottle onto the stage in frustration, causing a volley of plastic bottles and cups to be thrown. Brown stormed off stage while crew fought to mop up and save the equipment.
Ian Brown returned much later in the night, and apparently he does not believe that this audience represent his fans in the North.
I hope you're right Ian although it sounds to me like you got the fear! (music fans will get it)
I happen to like Ian Brown but I guess the Belfast crowds are hard to please!
Monday, December 12, 2005
Monday Madness - Love Ulster in Dublin
I wish this was a bad joke but that doesn't seem to be the case.A coalition of loyalist groups have announced plans to hold a march in Dublin city centre next month as part of a campaign to oppose what they believe is a push towards a United Ireland.
The march is being organised by the Love Ulster campaign, an alliance of Orangemen, loyalist activists and the victims of IRA violence.
The group was established to oppose what it believes is the dilution of the North's links with Britain as part of a scheme to force the North into a United Ireland.
The organisers say they are in talks with the Gardaí about a route for the parade, which will probably take place towards the end of January.
I think this is absolutely outrageous. If this parade is allowed to happen in the Republic then truly this State is run by incompetent morons.
I have been wary of this Love Ulster camapign from the start as readers of United Irelander will know. You cannot help but b suspicious of a group which is so closely linked with loyalist paramilitaries who have murdered Irish civilians. Many of you will be aware of the 'love' that I have documented from Love Ulster's site. Now this group have decided to come into MY home city and protest against the desire for a United Ireland? A desire that is entirely legitimate? Disgraceful.
Article 3 of the Irish constitution states:
"It is the firm will of the Irish Nation, in harmony and friendship, to unite all the people who share the territory of the island of Ireland, in all the diversity of their identities and traditions, recognising that a united Ireland shall be brought about only by peaceful means with the consent of a majority of the people, democratically expressed, in both jurisdictions in the island. Until then, the laws enacted by the Parliament established by this Constitution shall have the like area and extent of application as the laws enacted by the Parliament that existed immediately before the coming into operation of this Constitution."
The aspiration for Irish Unity is enshrined in my country's constitution. The fact that these people intend to come into my country's capital and protest about a legitimate aspiration is, in my opinion, nothing more than an attempt to incite violence.
What we need in the island of Ireland is tolerance. I'm more than willing to tolerate those Irish people who wish to retain links to Britain but likewise they must tolerate Irish people like myself who wish to see a United Ireland.
To protest about either one of these legitimate aspirations is just plain wrong.
We shouldn't allow this parade to take place!
Iraqi people optimistic about life - survey
Well, well, well! Here is a bit of news that will be positively devastating for the loony lefties who opposed the Iraq war!Get this - a survey carried out by the BBC and other media suggests Iraqis are generally optimistic about their lives, in spite of the violence that has plagued Iraq since the US-led invasion!
A majority of the 1,700 people questioned wanted a united Iraq with a strong central government.
The poll by Oxford Research International was commissioned by the BBC, ABC News and other international media organisations, and released ahead of this week's parliamentary elections in Iraq.
The BBC News website's World Affairs correspondent, Paul Reynolds, says the survey shows a degree of optimism at variance with the usual depiction of the country as one in total chaos.
The findings are more in line with the kind of arguments currently being deployed by US President George W Bush, he says.
Interviewers found that 71% of those questioned said things were currently very or quite good in their personal lives, while 29% found their lives very or quite bad.
When asked whether their lives would improve in the coming year, 64% said things would be better and 12% said they expected things to be worse.
While 53% feel the overall situation in Iraq is bad, 44% still feel it is good and more importantly, 69% expect Iraq to improve, while 11% say it will worsen.
My, my, my! I can't help thinking about those poor extremist anti-war types from organisations such as Peace Alliance who must be absolutely devastated by this poll! They have repeatedly told us what a disaster the situation in Iraq was and how troops needed to be pulled out ASAP! The Iraqi people were unhappy we were told!
Who would have guessed that the Iraqi people themselves would shatter these misguided views?!
Oh diddums!
Last word on feminism spat
I dislike blogger spats. I was involved in a bit of a blogger spat last week with some bloggers over this post which was designed to be humorous. Most people got the humour of the post but others actually thought I was being serious for some reason. Anyway as I say I dislike blogger spats but there's one thing I dislike more than that - censorship.
On Mental Meanderings, a blog run by Fiona de Londras, she wrote this post in which she tore into me more viciously than a man tears into a pie cooked by his lovely housewife. That's all well and good but you see Fiona runs a blog in which comments have to be approved by her before they are published and for some reason she chose not to publish mine!
Good thing I write in wordpad though and that I have a habit of saving what I write. Here's my post in reply to 'london denizen' which Fiona chose not to publish (why I don't know):
london denizen
"When good satire goes wrong (if that's what it was intended to be), the best way to apologise is in an obvious, contrite manner. Not with some tongue in cheek half-arsed attempt."
I'm not going to apologise because certain people didn't get the humour of the post. From the comments on my blog, most people are bemused that Fiona took my comments literally.
You say that "often those who enjoy jokes they know they're not supposed to (e.g. racist jokes, sexist jokes, jokes about sexuality, jokes about nationality) use them in a supposedly 'satirical' context so they may enjoy their taboo laughs but still appear undiscriminatory" well likewise, often those who make jokes on supposedly taboo subjects do so because they have NO discriminatroy thoughts whatsoever!
I don't know how things are where you're from, but over here in Ireland we have been known to be able to take a joke and not get so serious all the time.
On my blog I have a few female visitors and I link to many blogs run by females and you may hear these females make jokes about me being a man and likewise I may make jokes about them being a woman but you see it's all done in JEST.
If that's not your kind of thing well, I guess I'll leave you to enjoy other PC blogs."
Now I'd like to say that I don't post this out of a desire to revive the spat but rather because I don't like to have my side of the argument suppressed.
I'm not rally a chauvinist or misogynist and I don't see why my side of the argument should be denied just because it challenges this lie.
Go raibh maith agat.
On Mental Meanderings, a blog run by Fiona de Londras, she wrote this post in which she tore into me more viciously than a man tears into a pie cooked by his lovely housewife. That's all well and good but you see Fiona runs a blog in which comments have to be approved by her before they are published and for some reason she chose not to publish mine!
Good thing I write in wordpad though and that I have a habit of saving what I write. Here's my post in reply to 'london denizen' which Fiona chose not to publish (why I don't know):
london denizen
"When good satire goes wrong (if that's what it was intended to be), the best way to apologise is in an obvious, contrite manner. Not with some tongue in cheek half-arsed attempt."
I'm not going to apologise because certain people didn't get the humour of the post. From the comments on my blog, most people are bemused that Fiona took my comments literally.
You say that "often those who enjoy jokes they know they're not supposed to (e.g. racist jokes, sexist jokes, jokes about sexuality, jokes about nationality) use them in a supposedly 'satirical' context so they may enjoy their taboo laughs but still appear undiscriminatory" well likewise, often those who make jokes on supposedly taboo subjects do so because they have NO discriminatroy thoughts whatsoever!
I don't know how things are where you're from, but over here in Ireland we have been known to be able to take a joke and not get so serious all the time.
On my blog I have a few female visitors and I link to many blogs run by females and you may hear these females make jokes about me being a man and likewise I may make jokes about them being a woman but you see it's all done in JEST.
If that's not your kind of thing well, I guess I'll leave you to enjoy other PC blogs."
Now I'd like to say that I don't post this out of a desire to revive the spat but rather because I don't like to have my side of the argument suppressed.
I'm not rally a chauvinist or misogynist and I don't see why my side of the argument should be denied just because it challenges this lie.
Go raibh maith agat.
Age of consent change mooted
I see Justice Minister Michael McDowell is considering changing the age of sexual consent in Ireland.
Reports this morning said the minister was worried that the current law on the matter did not reflect reality, but was also wary of making any changes.
His move to examine the situation follows a recent court case in Co Galway in which a man admitted to the statutory rape of his girlfriend when she was 15 and he was 19.
The couple, who are in a stable relationship, later had a baby and both their mothers were in court to support them.The presiding judge gave an 11-month suspended sentence to the accused and also fined him €100.
Under Irish law, a man can be jailed for five years for having sex with a girl under the age of 17 years, while sex with a girl under the age of 15 carries a sentence of up to life in prison. However, the age of consent for boys is currently just 15, so if two 16-year-olds had sex, the boy would be committing a crime and the girl would not.
I do think a change of the law is required. I find it extraordinary that we can have one law for males and another for females! It reflects a bizarre trend in society where a teenage boy who beds a twentysomething woman is seen as a hero, whilst a teenage girl who beds a twentysomething man is to have been taken advantage of.
Let's have equal laws for men and women. The age of consent for boys is currently 15 and the age of consent for girls is currently 17.
I think the age of consent should be put at 16 years for both boys and girls. What are your own thoughts on the matter?
Reports this morning said the minister was worried that the current law on the matter did not reflect reality, but was also wary of making any changes.
His move to examine the situation follows a recent court case in Co Galway in which a man admitted to the statutory rape of his girlfriend when she was 15 and he was 19.
The couple, who are in a stable relationship, later had a baby and both their mothers were in court to support them.The presiding judge gave an 11-month suspended sentence to the accused and also fined him €100.
Under Irish law, a man can be jailed for five years for having sex with a girl under the age of 17 years, while sex with a girl under the age of 15 carries a sentence of up to life in prison. However, the age of consent for boys is currently just 15, so if two 16-year-olds had sex, the boy would be committing a crime and the girl would not.
I do think a change of the law is required. I find it extraordinary that we can have one law for males and another for females! It reflects a bizarre trend in society where a teenage boy who beds a twentysomething woman is seen as a hero, whilst a teenage girl who beds a twentysomething man is to have been taken advantage of.
Let's have equal laws for men and women. The age of consent for boys is currently 15 and the age of consent for girls is currently 17.
I think the age of consent should be put at 16 years for both boys and girls. What are your own thoughts on the matter?
What classic leading man are you?
Find out what classic leading man you are by taking this test - The Classic Leading Man Test.I'm delighted to say that I'm Clark Gable:
"You're a helluva guy, a real split personality and a bit of an enigma. On the one hand, you're a man's man, tough talking and ready for anything. But on the other hand, you soften your rough and tumble core with a disarmingly smooth exterior, and you make the ladies swoon. You're equally admired by both men and women alike, drinking other men under the table all the while charming the socks off half a dozen lovelies. You're a commanding presence, and you know how to get what - and who - you want when you want it. You're drawn to women who, like you, are savvy enough to deal with the world on their own terms. You work well with spitfires. Leading ladies include Joan Crawford, Myrna Loy, and Jean Harlow. No damsels in distress for you."
And just to show I'm not sexist (what nutter would think that?!), here's one for the ladies - The Classic Dames Test.
So what classic leading man or leading dame are you then?
Scrap 'God Save The Queen' - Report
Paul over at The N.Irish Magyar drew my attention to this article from Henry McDonald in The Observer which details a report commissioned by the IFA, and written by the think tank Democratic Dialogue, on the future of football in the North.The 39-page document argues that 'God Save the Queen' should be replaced with a more neutral 'national' anthem at Windsor Park.
'The IFA should consider a public competition to see if a more widely acceptable anthem can be found to the playing of "God Save the Queen", in line with practice in Scotland and Wales,' the authors of the report suggest.
Unsurprisingly, in the report, Catholic football fans cite the playing of the UK national anthem as one of the reasons why they don't travel to Windsor Park for NI internationals.
The report also recommends ending the ban on Sunday soccer and the report urges the government to do more to combat intolerance in sport. It calls for the Football Offences Act to be extended to Ireland's north, allowing anyone found guilty of singing sectarian songs to be prosecuted.
In the report Jim Rainey, of the Amalgamation of Northern Ireland Supporters' clubs, argues that ground stewards needed 'legislative backing' to confront those singing sectarian and racist songs.
I must say I salute the work of this think tank Democratic Dialogue. Visitors to United Irelander will be well aware that I have repeatedly criticised the fact that England's national anthem is played at NI football games and that I have also repeatedly criticised the sectarianism evident amongst NI fans.
This report has done well. Kudos to all concerned.
Real deal for Roy?
Roy Keane may be about to sensationally reunite with his former Manchester United teammate David Beckham at Real Madrid, according to Spanish newspaper Marca.The publication claims that the 34-year-old midfielder had a medical in Britain on Saturday.
Real were thought to be in pole position to sign Keane, although the sacking of coach Wanderley Luxemburgo had cast some doubt over the move.
Marca said the path was now clear for Keane to join Real following a decision by the club's financial division to sanction the funds for wages.
Real had appeared Keane's most likely destination, despite Keane's initial concern about commuting from his Cheshire home.
I think this is great! Everyone said that no matter where Roy went, the fact he was leaving Manchester United was a step down. However going to Real Madrid can't be seen as a step down, can it?
If you ask me, Keane is just the man required to give Real Madrid the kick up the arse they so desperately need.
'Keano' chants at the Bernabeu? Stranger things have happened!
Unionists must embrace nationalists
On Thursday I made a post about this letter from a Matthew Tennis which appeared in the Belfast Telegraph and which complained that NI had been brushed out of British travel guides. Well, I was pleased to read this letter from Reg Catchpole in Illinois, USA, who challenged Mr Tennis' views stating that it's time for unionists to embrace their nationalist neighbours:
"Regarding the complaint from Matthew Tennis (Writeback, December 1) that the "province has been airbrushed out of travel guidebooks", the fact is that most tourists to the six counties are touring other parts of the island of Ireland, so it makes sense to package it as one destination.
"Promoting tourism should not be a excuse for such sectarian rubbish - the old days of unionist domination and segregation are over. It is time for unionists to embrace the other people on the island, including nationalist neighbours.
"At least 40% of the population of Northern Ireland hold Republic of Ireland passports and probably would not object to harmonising tourism with the south, as well as other practical harmonising initiatives.
"Mr Tennis needs to wake up to the reality and get over his political and cultural myopia."
Well said Mr Catchpole! It is indeed time that the other people on the island of Ireland were acknowledged by unionists. We count too you know!
"Regarding the complaint from Matthew Tennis (Writeback, December 1) that the "province has been airbrushed out of travel guidebooks", the fact is that most tourists to the six counties are touring other parts of the island of Ireland, so it makes sense to package it as one destination.
"Promoting tourism should not be a excuse for such sectarian rubbish - the old days of unionist domination and segregation are over. It is time for unionists to embrace the other people on the island, including nationalist neighbours.
"At least 40% of the population of Northern Ireland hold Republic of Ireland passports and probably would not object to harmonising tourism with the south, as well as other practical harmonising initiatives.
"Mr Tennis needs to wake up to the reality and get over his political and cultural myopia."
Well said Mr Catchpole! It is indeed time that the other people on the island of Ireland were acknowledged by unionists. We count too you know!
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Poll Results - Green giants?
I've closed the poll on my sidebar which asked the question:
Who should be in the next government?
The results were:
Greens - 35% (6 votes)
Progressive Democrats - 29% (5 votes)
Fianna Fáil - 18% (3 votes)
Fine Gael - 12% (2 votes)
Labour - 6% (1 vote)
Come on people. The Greens? Are they really worth a vote?
Who should be in the next government?
The results were:
Greens - 35% (6 votes)
Progressive Democrats - 29% (5 votes)
Fianna Fáil - 18% (3 votes)
Fine Gael - 12% (2 votes)
Labour - 6% (1 vote)
Come on people. The Greens? Are they really worth a vote?
United Irelander gets Christmassy
Turn your speakers up and you might recognise a familiar Christmas tune.Nollaig Shona daoibh!
Vigil held at US Embassy (yawn)
I see the Peace Alliance aka Tree Hugger central held a vigil today outside the US Embassy in Dublin to protest against the so-called "rendition flights" which are suspected to be passing through Shannon.The NGO Human Rights organisation is not alone in claiming that planes being used by the CIA to transport terrorist suspects have touched down at Shannon up to 50 times in the last year.
Brendan Butler from the Peace Alliance said: "There is considerable evidence from international media, both in America and Europe, that these flights are taking place and that they have actually landed in Shannon because international observers have actually located the numbers of these planes. These are chartered airplanes – chartered by the CIA."
That's nice Brendan. Just one thing though - so what? What does it matter? Why should the Irish people care?
If we're contributing in the fight against terrorism then I really don't see a problem!
We're talking about terrorist suspects here not cub scouts.
I feel bad for these Irish extremist anti-war types. Unlike their British and American counterparts, Ireland's role in the whole Iraq affair has been minuscule. As a result, they can't complain about troop numbers and army operations like the British and Americans. Basically opposing the war in Iraq here in Ireland lacks sexiness. It lacks the cool factor. Therefore these loony lefties have to occupy themselves by concentrating on total non-issues like this one.
Next months' big Irish anti-war story - Dermot Ahern shakes hands with an American soldier! Someone organise a rally quick!
J. Lo sends baby gift to Affleck
I see Jennifer Lopez has sent her ex-fiancé Ben Affleck and his wife Jennifer Garner a gift basket to celebrate the birth of their baby daughter.Apparently, attached to the gift basket was a small note:
"Congrats Ben and Jen on the birth of your child.
"That'll be $10 for the gift basket."
J. Lo
Ah bless. I guess you can't spell love without 'lo'.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Richard Pryor passes away
I was very sad to hear the news that US comedian Richard Pryor has died at the age of 65.Pryor had been ill for years with multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease of the nervous system and he died sometime late Friday or early Saturday of a heart attack at his home in the San Fernando Valley, according to his ex-wife Flyn Pryor.
Richard Pryor was one of the greatest comedians of his generation.
Personally I'll remember him fondly for his comic movie roles in See No Evil, Hear No Evil and in particular Superman III.
RIP Richard.
Miss World 2005 - Iceland!
Well she was number two on my Top Ten list here, but she was number one to the Miss World Judges. Yes, Miss Iceland herself, Unnur Birna Vilhjalmsdottir (try saying that ten times fast), has become Miss World 2005.Miss Mexico, seen here, didn't even make my top ten list! Miss Puerto Rico came third and I had her fifth in my list.
Tragically Miss Switzerland, who was my number one choice, went home empty handed. I doubt she'll go home alone though. Yeowza!
Ah well, congratulations to Miss Iceland. She's one fine looking woman and as I pointed out on Tuesday, I'd do my best to keep her warm!
Sinn Féin lies exposed
"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it." - Adolf HitlerOver the last few weeks Sinn Féin have been criticised by numerous people, myself included, for supporting the British OTR (On-The-Run) legislation which gives an amnesty to terrorists as well as British State forces. Sinn Féin have been claiming that they were unaware British State forces would be included in the legislation. On November 23rd, I posted about comments made by Gerry Adams who when commenting on the OTR legislation said:
"The scheme that we negotiated was published by the two governments at Weston Park (peace talks) in 2003 and related only to OTRs. It did not include members of British state forces.
"Sinn Féin’s position is absolutely clear: we are opposed to the inclusion of British state forces in the current legislation."
However this is a load of you know what as anyone who watched Martin McGuinness' performance on Hearts and Minds with Noel Thompson will tell you. For those of you who missed it, the SDLP over on their website have published a transcript of the interview. I have taken the liberty of highlighting in bold the most damning parts of the interview:
Noel Thompson: Let's start with OTRs first. Mark Durkan says you entered into an alliance of sleaze with the government which has delivered, secured, an amnesty for the security forces. Are you proud of that?
Martin McGuinness: I think that's a silly comment. When this began its life it was on basis of On the Runs and On the Runs specifically referred to nationalist and republicans who found themselves in difficult circumstances for over 30 years.
How many RUC men /UDR men or British soldiers could have been described as On the Runs? None. Why was that? Simply because they were fortunate in having an undeclared amnesty bestowed upon them by successive British Governments.
Noel Thompson: And now you have that written on paper
McGuinness: Well how many of them will come forward to avail of that situation? The people who will gain most advantage from this are those nationalists and republicans who are on the run for over 30 years. I don’t envisage that any people who were involved in the murders of nationalists, and Mark knows this better than I do, is ever going to be brought before a court in this day and age.
Noel Thompson: But you’ve taken that possibility away from victims?
McGuinness: Victims and relatives of victims know, for example in the case of the Bloody Sunday families, the British Army was effectively marched up to Buckingham Palace and were decorated by the British Queen for their activities in Derry on that day. So what’s the likehood of those people being brought before court.
People out there in our community have a good sense what this is all about. People know this is about resolving an anomaly which flows from the GFA, prisoner releases. The fact that there were people found themselves in this almost limbo situation.
SF has has spoken today to a number of victims groups. There is a lot of anger within victim groups about the way which this situation is being reported and the fact that relatives of victims of state violence are being virtually being ignored in the course of this debate.
Noel Thompson: Mark Durkan is pointing out that it is you who are putting them in that position by giving an amnesty to security forces. He wants their voices to be heard
McGuinness: Well Mark is very naïve then if that is the case. Because these people have effectively had an undeclared amnesty for over 30 years. Successive British Governments have stood over murderous activities of some elements of British intelligence services UDR, RUC, and British Army and that’s a fact and people in nationalist and republican areas know that.
Noel Thompson: But they also know there have been inquiries and more inquiries planned?
McGuinness: How many soldiers or how many RUC men have appeared before court for murders of 100s of Catholics and nationalists that have taken place over the years - few and far between
Noel Thompson: And now they never will?
McGuinness: They never would in my opinion. Anyone from the broad nationalist/republican constituency knows that the state always defends its service people. Those people who were involved, even in the importation of arms from S Africa, - what possibility is there that these people would ever stand before a court -I think there is no possibility whatsoever. I am not as naïve as Mark appears to be.
ENDS
I think it's fair to say that lie number one has been exposed! Sinn Féin's President, Gerry Adams, declared to the world that his party were opposed to the inclusion of British State forces. However, one has only to read the interview above from Martin McGuinness, which took place on November 10th, to realise that his party had quite clearly accepted the inclusion of British State forces! The only reason Sinn Féin changed their tune on the issue is because they SEVERELY UNDERESTIMATED the backlash that developed over it!
Now let's expose lie number two with help from the good folks over at El Blogador. First of all, here are recent comments made on British State collusion by Sinn Féin Assembly Member Alex Maskey:
"Unlike the SDLP, Sinn Fein has always supported the victims of state violence and collusion.
"Sinn Fein continues to stand beside these families as we have done for years."
The above comments by Sinn Féin's Alex Maskey are disgusting lies which have been exposed by El Blogador in this post. I'll let them explain:
'"Sinn Féin claims that the SDLP has jumped on the bandwagon on the OTR issue. However, the official minutes of the Northern Ireland Assembly prove otherwise. On 19th February 2002, the SDLP proposed this motion: "That this Assembly considers that the Government’s proposal for dealing with those "on the run" constitutes an amnesty for offences committed prior to April 1998, beyond the requirements of the Good Friday Agreement and that there should be further consideration of a mechanism whereby all those who were guilty of human rights abuses, from whatever quarter, including persons referred to as being ‘on the run’, should acknowledge and give a full account of their actions and recognise the hurt caused to and being endured by victims, families and the community. The Assembly further believes that those exiled by paramilitary organisations should be able to return to Northern Ireland without threat to their welfare by paramilitaries."
'The Sinn Féin members present opposed this motion, including Mitchel McLaughlin, Pat McNamee, Conor Murphy, Barry McElduff and Alex Maskey. The SDLP proposed to ensure that human rights abusers from any group, be it state, loyalist, or republican, would be dealt with by a process which would bring justice for victims'
I think it's fair to say that lie number two has been exposed! Sinn Féin's Alex Maskey claimed that, unlike the SDLP, Sinn Féin have always supported the victims of British State collusion however as El Blogador have pointed out, ALEX MASKEY HIMSELF OPPOSED A MOTION TO BRING JUSTICE TO VICTIMS OF BRITISH STATE COLLUSION.
I salute El Blogador for their excellent work in highlighting the lies of Sinn Féin. I urge you to read their posts over the last few days and weeks which have really been top-notch. They are also responsible for the excellent image which I used for this post! I visit the site regularly and regard it as one of the best nationalist blogs in Ireland and I urge you to make it a daily visit.
It's time we all joined together to expose Sinn Féin for the liars that they are.
DON'T BELIEVE THE SINN FEIN LIES
English get kind draw
Well the draw for the World Cup has been made and the English have been handed a pretty good draw. They have found themselves in Group B and the group looks like this:England
Paraguay
Trinidad & Tobago
Sweden
The English media will no doubt hype up the Sweden encounter as it's Sven-Goran Eriksson going up against his own country.
All in all though, I think England have gotten a decent draw and I think they have a great chance of topping their group.
The real question however is, who will win the World Cup? Will it be England? In my opinion they will do well but they won't win it.
I'm tipping Brazil. They have Ronaldinho. 'Nuff said.
I think Switzerland could prove a surprise package in the tournament. They have found themselves in the same group as France but they did well against them in the qualifying stages (and Ireland of course) and the other teams in their group are South Korea and Togo. I would fancy Switzerland to come out of that group.
I hope the Aussies do well also. It should be the sporting event of the year. A shame Ireland aren't in it!
Friday, December 09, 2005
'Republicans' attempt to bomb Dublin
Gardaí investigating the discovery of an explosive device in a car on the M50 motorway in Dublin last night believe it may be linked to a campaign by the Continuity IRA against drug dealers in Dublin city.The bomb was discovered when gardaí stopped and searched the vehicle travelling northbound near the West Link Toll Plaza (pictured left) shortly after 10pm.
When gardaí confronted the driver of the car, he jumped out and warned them that there was a bomb in the car and that it was primed.
An Army Explosives Ordance Disposal team was called in following the discovery of the device and a controlled explosion was carried out.
A 24-year-old man was arrested at the scene while a 56-year-old man was arrested later in Ronanstown. Both men were being held at Clondalkin Garda Station.
A section of the motorway between the Blanchardstown and Palmerstown exits was closed for four hours while the operation was continuing.
Commenting on the incident today, Justice Minister Michael McDowell said those implicated in the M-50 bomb find last night were spitting on the word "republic".
Speaking this afternoon in Neilstown, Dublin, he accepted that this was a serious development. However, he rejected claims that gang feuds in the city were spiralling out of control.
The minister said last night’s incident showed that all paramilitaries really were criminals at heart.
He went on to say that those who provided the bomb claimed to be republican. He said: "they are spitting on the word "republic" and are besmirching the Irish Flag."
I personally find this a sickening development. These so-called Republicans have now taken to bombing the capital of their Republic. How very noble of them.
I agree with the Minister that they are spitting on the word republic but I disagree with him when he says that the gang feuds in Dublin are not spiralling out of control. They clearly are!
There have been more killings in recent weeks and months in Dublin than in the North. Even though it is drug gangs that are involved, murder is still murder.
I want to know what the Justice Minister is planning to do about this as we are now seeing bombs being brought into the equation.
Something needs to be done quick before innocent civilians get injured or worse.
Fun Irelander Feature - Dear Santa
Dear Santa,Before I detail what I want from you this year I think I ought to clarify a few things beforehand. First of all, I know I engaged in alot of swearing throughout the year but if you compare my swearing to other people it's really not that bad. For example, check out this guy. I bet my record looks alot better now doesn't it? Second of all, some things have been said about the people of Cork, I acknowledge that. But it's all well and good for you as you don't have to share a country with these people. You're up in Lapland which I can only assume is some sort of exotic stripclub. Finally, I'd like to say that the letters I sent to those chaps from RTE's The Panel, Dara O'Briain and that long-haired twat, were written due to a combination of alcohol and melancholy over the state of RTE. I don't really want to insert my boot up their anal regions. I would hate to be given a lump of coal this year over these incidents and I must inform you that if I am, I may construe that as a sign to use the coal to burn down the Christmas Tree in O'Connell Street. You have been warned. Now for my list!
Santa, this Christmas I would really like:
- A United Ireland - I'm not saying it's going to be easy for you to get, it hasn't been easy for any of us admittedly, but you can look on it as a challenge.
- Spire sign - I'd like you to put a giant sign atop the Spire in O'Connell Street which says, 'No fat chicks'. At least that would make the Spire somewhat useful.
- Humour for Fiona - I'd like you to give Fiona over at Mental Meanderings a sense of humour. The poor girl has been doing so much ironing and washing lately that her sense of humour has left her.
- Miss Switzerland - I'd really appreciate it if I could have this girl under my Christmas tree. Thanks.
- Irish success - Please let Ireland win something in 2006. There's only so many times you can wish for England to fail miserably.
- English failure - Please let England fail miserably in the 2006 World Cup.
- Cancel crap RTE shows. - Please cancel The Panel, Tubridy Tonight and any bingo show featuring a transvestite. Cheers.
- Get me an Xbox 360
Thanks Santa. I really appreciate all this.
PS The Guinness that was left out on Christmas Eve last year (which you downed) was not for you. Touch my Guinness this year old man and you'll wake up on St Stephen's Day with the head of a red-nosed reindeer in your bed.
Go raibh míle maith agat!
Queen and President in historic meeting
A historic meeting has taken place between the Queen and President Mary McAleese.The meeting between the two yesterday at Hillsborough Castle, Co Down, marked the first time the two had ever met on the island of Ireland.
The meeting has intensified speculation of an unprecedented state visit to the Republic by the Queen.
In June of this year, President McAleese indicated she would welcome such a visit to the Irish Republic by the Queen.
Mrs McAleese said: "It was a very special day for Anglo-Irish relationships."
A decision on when the Queen should visit the Republic was not down to her, she said.
"I'm long on record as saying that I would welcome it very warmly.
"But it's a matter for the two governments.
"Earlier this year, after the Co-Operation Ireland dinner, it was said then that the two governments were in agreement that the visit should take place."
The timing of that visit would depend on the "final consummation of the peace process in Northern Ireland", she said.
"I think things are developing. Things are going in the right direction, so the day gets nearer."
Prince Philip and the Prince of Wales have made visits to the Irish Republic already but diplomats have been waiting for the right time for a historic state trip by the Queen.
Personally I think it was great that the Queen and the President met yesterday for the first time on Irish soil.
I think it's high time that the Queen visited the Irish Republic. I think she would be greeted warmly and I think it would dispel alot of unionist notions that the Irish Republic is hostile towards Britishness.
Symbolically, it would be a massive gesture. Let's see it happen.
Love will save the day
I thought I'd check in on those kind and loving scamps over at Love Ulster to read what loving sentiments they were expressing as we approach the holiday season.Here's what 'DV9' (a favourite of mine with his overflowing love) had to say on my country's Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern:
"Ahern is scum, always will be till the day the sad ideosyncratic Irish fool dies. All Irish Government ministers are till they give the protestants in the republic the right to be a unionist and the privilage to honour their forefathers identity.
It's time people started contributing to the Irish Consitution thread and providing information on how this Rebel Republic behaves......instead we have so-called unionists/protestants who wish to disagree/agrue instead of providing"
Hmm. I'm confused how wishing death upon someone qualifies as love? Is this a case of hidden love or something? And what's he saying about protestants in the Republic? I happen to live next to a protestant family and I've never heard them say anything about being denied the privilege to honour their forefather's identity. Strange.
Perhaps DV9 has so much love on his mind he's confusing himself?
"When you're feeling down and out
And you've got troubles on you mind
Love will save the day" - Whitney Houston
Sorry Whitney but you ain't got nothin' on Love Ulster's DV9!
Italy considers 20% tax on porn
It is news that is sure to leave Italians everywhere droopy and depressed.Reports yesterday suggested that Italians will have to pay a 20% tax on pornography according to a budget amendment that cleared its first legislative hurdle.
The proposed tax was approved at committee level and is expected to go before the Chamber of Deputies, Italy’s lower parliamentary house, early next week.
The tax is expected to raise about €220m to help reduce the national deficit and to help fund government tax breaks to families.
"I believe the porn tax is important not for moralistic reasons, which don’t concern me, but because I think that at a time of difficult economic conditions for families it is right to tax products that are not essential," MP Daniela Santache was quoted as saying by the ANSA news agency.
Wow talk about a kick in the balls. If this tax goes through the Italian people will be left pretty much powerless. Impotent you might say.
I wonder what Antonio from Italy thinks about all this?
Personally I think the Italian people need to rise up against this law. They need to find stimulus from somewhere. They can't simply fire blanks on this issue...
Friday Fun's Fascinating Fact
The lifespan of the common goldfish is over 20 years!
I find that hard to believe. Every time I've had a goldfish it's usually died within days. I think they're really hard to care for. I mean, what kind of creature dies from overfeeding?
I find that hard to believe. Every time I've had a goldfish it's usually died within days. I think they're really hard to care for. I mean, what kind of creature dies from overfeeding?
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Remembering a legend and a genius
I felt I ought to make a post about a man who I feel was one of the greatest musical talents who ever lived.It was 25 years ago today that this great talent, John Lennon, was taken from all of us when he was shot dead by crazed fan Mark Chapman.
His death was a terrible tragedy.
Lennon created music that was timeless. I am a big Beatles fan. I like In My Life, I Want To Hold Your Hand, Norwegian Wood, and many, many more of their hits.
I also like his solo hit Imagine and one of my favourite Christmas tunes is Happy Christmas (War is Over).
Isn't it fascinating how people from working class backgrounds tended to find themselves with an incredible gift? George Best came from a Protestant working class background in Belfast. Lennon and McCarthy came from Irish Catholic working class backgrounds in Liverpool.
While John Lennon might not be with us any more, at least we know that his musical gift will never ever be forgotten.
RIP John.
A very Merry Christmas,
And a happy New Year,
Let's hope it's a good one,
Without any fear.
Thursday Thoughts: Lines on maps
Since the British Secretary of State Peter Hain announced plans to reduce district councils in Ireland's north from 26 to seven, the subject of repartition has been mentioned quite a bit.I wrote a Thursday Thoughts feature on repartition in November here, and Paul from The N.Irish Magyar has written good posts on the subject lately both here and here.
For those of you who are not aware, the concept of repartition centres around the idea of redrawing the border that separates the north and south of Ireland. Apparently Margaret Thatcher confessed in her memoirs that she gave the idea serious consideration as an alternative to the Anglo-Irish Agreement. Proponents of the idea claim that it will prevent future sectarian conflicts, whereas critics of the idea claim that it is in itself a sectarian proposal which amounts to little more than ethnic cleansing. Below, I will outline the positive and negative aspects associated with repartition for various groups...
Positives for nationalism
- For nationalists, the positives would involve gaining counties which will fall under the sovereignty of the Irish Republic. It would likely involve gaining the counties of Tyrone and Fermanagh, which arguably should never have been part of the NI entity in the first place, as well as Derry and Armagh. This would leave Down and Antrim in a Unionist-dominated polity.
- It could lead to a sitution which the Irish Free State had hoped for under the Boundary Commission in the 1920s - the Unionist-dominated state would prove too small to function on its own economically and would then have to join a United Ireland for its own sake.
- It would mean that a policy of integration could be pursued in the Republic towards the newly acquired northern counties. In the event of Unity by consent under the Good Friday Agreement, federal arrangements might be necessary for the northern counties. However through repartition, such changes would be unlikely and these Ulster counties would simply be ruled from Dublin like Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan are at present.
Negatives for nationalism
- It leaves the nationalists in the new NI entity a tiny minority. Nationalists in staunch republican areas of Belfast could be the victims of loyalist pogroms.
- It could be regarded as a betrayal of the nationalists in the Unionist-dominated counties in the same way certain nationalists in the North regarded the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921 as a betrayal.
- It goes against the very ideals of Irish nationalism. Irish nationalists regard the people of the whole island of Ireland as being part of the nation. The island itself is looked on as the nation's boundaries. To accept some counties and to ignore others makes a mockery of Irish nationalism. Not only that, it makes a mockery of the idea that unionists are an important part of the Irish nation.
Positives for Unionism
- The Union with Britain would seem secure. At present there still exists the threat of a 50+1% majority in the North voting for unity however by virtue of repartition, such fears would evaporate.
- It could lead to the restoration of devolution. Any nationalists left in the Unionist-dominated entity may decide to simply up and leave for the newly acquired counties of the Republic. The nationalists who remain in the new NI would be too small to have much of an impact. Unionists would call all the shots.
Negatives for unionism
- It would mean for unionists the abandonment of their fellow compatriots to a Dublin government in the same way the unionists of Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan were abandoned and left to a Dublin government in the twenties. History would thus be repeated.
- It would make a mockery of the concept of unionism. This is a point Paul made in his posts when he said, "repartition would be the ultimate admission that Unionism could not move beyond the politics of ethicity and religion". It's hard to disagree with that assessment.
- It could lead to the establishment of a state that is too unstable to function properly. Unionists might be forced to swallow their pride and vote for a United Ireland or face economic ruin.
Positives for the British government
- They have a much better chance of getting the devolved institutions up and running and know that the Irish government have to deal with the headaches that come with four of the counties.
Negatives for the British government
- They might end up with an all new - and more expensive - headache if the new Northern state proves unworkable and unviable. There is also the threat posed by paramilitaries. Will Loyalists decide to deal with the troublesome nationalists left over in the new NI state? Will Republicans decide to stick up for them and to also make the new NI state unworkable in the hope of triggering a United Ireland? Both situations seem likely.
Positives for the Irish government
- Assuming the integration of the new counties occurs without any difficulties, the Irish people would likely be very jubilant to witness such a historic event. It would likely be portrayed as a great coup by whatever government is in power. It could also lead to the end of the Northern issue from a Dublin perspective.
Negatives for the Irish government
- The integration of the new counties could cause immense economic and social difficulties for the Irish government. A constitutional shake-up might be required. There is also the matter of those unionists left to the Republic of Ireland state. Will they voice their frustrations through arms thus presenting the Irish State, with its very poor army, with a terrorist problem it has never had to face before?
Taking all these views into account, my take on repartition is that it's a bad idea. I think there are positives and negatives in the idea for everybody but I also think that, for everybody, the negatives far outweight the positives.
If there is one thing nationalists and unionists here in Ireland should agree upon it's that the notion of repartition ought to be vehemently opposed.
In my opinion, the solution to the constitutional problem we face in Ireland is not to draw new lines on maps. In my opinion, the solution rather is to erase the current one!
NI not in British travel guides - So what?
Some people seem to just want to complain for the sake of complaining! Check out this letter from Matthew Tennis in the Belfast Telegraph:
"The more I see it, the more angry, offended and upset I become.
"Go into the travel section of any good bookshop and you will find a reasonably large selection of travel guides covering either all or almost all of the world's countries.
"The three brands which predominate are Dorling Kindersley, Lonely Planet and Rough Guides.
"Look up the guides for Britain and you will see something depressingly familiar. It is virtually impossible to buy a travel guide for the United Kingdom as a whole.
"Instead the policy is to publish one book for Great Britain (which excludes us by virtue of the name on the cover) and another book for the whole island of Ireland.
"When are travel guide publishers going to do it properly and stop airbrushing Northern Ireland out of the United Kingdom?
"Oh for a travel guide for Britain which includes Northern Ireland!
"Oh for a travel guide which recognises Northern Ireland's rightful place within the United Kingdom and stops the ignorant practice of lumping it in with the Republic of Ireland, which is an alien foreign country."
MATTHEW TENNIS, Carnalea, Co Down.
I'm sorry but how can you be angered, upset and offended by this?!
The key sentence here from Mr Tennis is: "Oh for a travel guide for Britain which includes Northern Ireland!"
Mr Tennis, the North isn't part of Britain! Why on earth should it be included?
What's wrong with an all-Ireland travel guide? Surely that makes more sense as there's likely to be more north/south travel anyway. Imagine buying a travel guide in the North that doesn't give any details on the South. Wouldn't that be a bit stupid?
His last sentence is complete bollocks. The Republic is an 'alien' country? I myself wouldn't regard Britain as being an 'alien' country! Mr Tennis' comments are just too silly!
I think Mr Tennis should do us all a favour and go pick up this book!
"The more I see it, the more angry, offended and upset I become.
"Go into the travel section of any good bookshop and you will find a reasonably large selection of travel guides covering either all or almost all of the world's countries.
"The three brands which predominate are Dorling Kindersley, Lonely Planet and Rough Guides.
"Look up the guides for Britain and you will see something depressingly familiar. It is virtually impossible to buy a travel guide for the United Kingdom as a whole.
"Instead the policy is to publish one book for Great Britain (which excludes us by virtue of the name on the cover) and another book for the whole island of Ireland.
"When are travel guide publishers going to do it properly and stop airbrushing Northern Ireland out of the United Kingdom?
"Oh for a travel guide for Britain which includes Northern Ireland!
"Oh for a travel guide which recognises Northern Ireland's rightful place within the United Kingdom and stops the ignorant practice of lumping it in with the Republic of Ireland, which is an alien foreign country."
MATTHEW TENNIS, Carnalea, Co Down.
I'm sorry but how can you be angered, upset and offended by this?!
The key sentence here from Mr Tennis is: "Oh for a travel guide for Britain which includes Northern Ireland!"
Mr Tennis, the North isn't part of Britain! Why on earth should it be included?
What's wrong with an all-Ireland travel guide? Surely that makes more sense as there's likely to be more north/south travel anyway. Imagine buying a travel guide in the North that doesn't give any details on the South. Wouldn't that be a bit stupid?
His last sentence is complete bollocks. The Republic is an 'alien' country? I myself wouldn't regard Britain as being an 'alien' country! Mr Tennis' comments are just too silly!
I think Mr Tennis should do us all a favour and go pick up this book!
1916 Rising HQ saved
This is a welcome bit of news.Dublin City Council has voted unanimously to protect the house used as the final headquarters of the leaders of the 1916 Rising.
Developers had wanted to demolish 16 Moore Street as part of a plan to transform the area into a huge shopping complex but the move sparked a campaign to save the building, which was built in 1763 and had fallen into serious disrepair.
On Monday night, Dublin councillors voted to add the building and three adjoining houses to the list of protected structures, as recommended in an architect's report.
The leaders of the 1916 Rising eventually surrendered from 16 Moore Street after being forced to flee the nearby GPO, which was on fire following several days of heavy bombardment.
I think this is excellent news. This building is of enormous historical significance and to tear it down would be scandalous. Well done Dublin City Council.
"A nation that forgets its past has no future." - Winston Churchill
Irish politics - D'oh!
This would only happen in Ireland!Minister for Finance Brian Cowen was compared to cartoon character Homer Simpson as he delivered his Budget in the Dáil.
Fine Gael Finance Spokesman Richard Bruton said Mr Cowen’s announcement made many promises but the Irish people were sceptical of whether those vows would be delivered.
Referring to a quote from Homer Simpson in an episode of the animated series, Mr Bruton said:
"'Making promises makes me a good father’, he [Homer] said, but the worldly wise Lisa said: ‘Keeping promises is what would make you a good father.’
"And that’s the test. Today’s Budget undoubtedly passes the Homer Simpson test of being a good Budget but the Irish people have grown sceptical like Lisa Simpson.
"They want to see their money deliver results and the main result that this Budget has an eye to, unfortunately, is the outcome of the next General Election."
Is this guy for real? Homer Simpson quotes?! If we're going down that route, here's one for Fine Gael's Richard Bruton:
"People can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. Forfty percent of all people know that."
Or better yet, here's a quote from Homer Simpson that sums up our TDs quite well:
"Marge: Homer, the plant called. They said if you don't show up tomorrow don't bother showing up on Monday.
Homer: Woo-hoo! Four-day weekend!"
Who needs Springfield when we have Dáil Éireann?
United finish last
Benfica 2 Manchester United 1Benfica were once a great football team in Europe. Once upon a time, so too were Manchester United.
United were abysmal. Apparently this is going to cost United up to £15m.
I bet they feel really stupid now that they didn't give this guy a new contract!
A very bad bit of business!
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
How to completely miss the point...
Hey, remember this post I made on the feminism debate that had been ongoing in the Irish blogosphere?
Well one of the ladies I mentioned in my post, Fiona at Mental Meanderings, apparently thinks I'm a misogynist or something! Check this post of hers out:
"I have decided to heed Suzy's call for calm in the current debate about women bloggers in the Irish corner of the blogosphere. In response to Aud's initial post I (and Beth and Maura) were pretty strong in our opinions (which of course can’t be seen as ‘strength’ but has to be defined as ‘catfighting’ by United Irelander…quelle surprise)"
"I wouldn’t even have put up this post were it not for noticing this load of drivel from United Irelander...
"Then Fiona at Mental Meanderings decided to stop doing the ironing temporarily and to add her two cents (more likely her husband's two cents seeing as men are the natural bread-winners)"
"Just to let you know yes, I do sometimes iron, when I get a break from writing a PhD, writing a book, completing two conference papers, the blog and teaching ten hours a week all of which leads to me earning significantly more than two cent in a lesbian household where, seeing as we both have perfectly healthy waistlines, the absence of a “natural bread-winner” appears to have had no negative effects.
"Truth be told it’s exactly the breed of condescending idiocy evident in UI’s post that dissuades Irish women from blogging more."
Now I'm surprised she has completely missed the point of my post. What she calls "drivel" and "condescending idiocy", I call satire and injecting a sense of balance into the issue!
It's funny because JG in the comments section said of my post:
"By any chance are you trying to provoke outrage among female bloggers with this post? I'm thinking they probably won't be so silly to fall for it."
Looks like you were wrong mate!
So Fiona, in conclusion, I'm not a misogynist really nor was I trying to be "condescending". Most of the people who commented on the post were intelligent enough to figure out that my comments were not an attack on women but rather an attack on the perception that men these days are misogynist and condescending and that feminism isn't as relevant as it once was!
Dont worry though honey, I don't blame you for missing the point. You are a woman after all!
Well one of the ladies I mentioned in my post, Fiona at Mental Meanderings, apparently thinks I'm a misogynist or something! Check this post of hers out:
"I have decided to heed Suzy's call for calm in the current debate about women bloggers in the Irish corner of the blogosphere. In response to Aud's initial post I (and Beth and Maura) were pretty strong in our opinions (which of course can’t be seen as ‘strength’ but has to be defined as ‘catfighting’ by United Irelander…quelle surprise)"
"I wouldn’t even have put up this post were it not for noticing this load of drivel from United Irelander...
"Then Fiona at Mental Meanderings decided to stop doing the ironing temporarily and to add her two cents (more likely her husband's two cents seeing as men are the natural bread-winners)"
"Just to let you know yes, I do sometimes iron, when I get a break from writing a PhD, writing a book, completing two conference papers, the blog and teaching ten hours a week all of which leads to me earning significantly more than two cent in a lesbian household where, seeing as we both have perfectly healthy waistlines, the absence of a “natural bread-winner” appears to have had no negative effects.
"Truth be told it’s exactly the breed of condescending idiocy evident in UI’s post that dissuades Irish women from blogging more."
Now I'm surprised she has completely missed the point of my post. What she calls "drivel" and "condescending idiocy", I call satire and injecting a sense of balance into the issue!
It's funny because JG in the comments section said of my post:
"By any chance are you trying to provoke outrage among female bloggers with this post? I'm thinking they probably won't be so silly to fall for it."
Looks like you were wrong mate!
So Fiona, in conclusion, I'm not a misogynist really nor was I trying to be "condescending". Most of the people who commented on the post were intelligent enough to figure out that my comments were not an attack on women but rather an attack on the perception that men these days are misogynist and condescending and that feminism isn't as relevant as it once was!
Dont worry though honey, I don't blame you for missing the point. You are a woman after all!
Sinn Féin = Ourselves and the Brits
Two significant things have happened in the last forty-eight hours. First up, the SDLP and the DUP criticised new guidelines on community restorative justice schemes. The SDLP labelled them a "political cop-out" while the DUP said they were flawed. However, the guidelines have been welcomed by Sinn Fein and groups which run projects in nationalist areas. Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly denied the community restorative justice scheme was an alternative to a policing service.Interestingly, BBC NI political editor Mark Davenport highlighted potential problems...
"Under the proposals, the police will have to be informed if community restorative justice groups want to handle a specific case.
"However in republican areas, there will be no obligation on those running schemes to contact police officers directly.
"Instead, they can contact the Probation Board or Youth Justice Agency, which will pass a proposal by a community restorative justice group on to the police.
"Alternatively, the proposal could be passed to an advisory panel featuring the PSNI and representatives of the scheme, Probation Board or Youth Justice Agency.
"The police will then consider if there needs to be any action - such as fingerprinting - before referring the case to the Public Prosecution Service, which will ultimately decide if it should be handled by a community restorative justice scheme."
Hmm. It seems to me this 'community restorative scheme' is simply vigilante rule in fancy clothing! Without a doubt, this will concern unionists.
The second significant thing which happened in the last forty-eight hours concerned the news that the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, based on the south Armagh border, will be leaving the North in the middle of January.
British troop numbers in the North are set to be cut to a 30-year low in 2006 and will mean the number of soldiers will fall below 9,000, lower than at any time since the early 1970's.
For the first time since the Troubles began, only troops in battalions normally resident in the North will be serving there.
Now you won't be surprised to learn that I welcome these moves but, again, I imagine they will concern unionists seeing as we are yet to receive confirmation from the Independent Monitoring Commission that the IRA have kept their noses clean since they announced an end to their armed campaign.
The reason these two things are so significant is because they are two of many examples in recent weeks of moves on the British government's part to to please Sinn Féin, even if it's at the expense of unionists. Not long ago I ran a poll asking if the British wanted rid of NI. Now more than ever it seems that they do. Unionist concerns have been constantly ignored. Let me sum up the actions of the British in recent weeks:
- British Secretary of State Peter Hain declared that the NI economy was unsustainable in the long term and recommended an all-Ireland model
- The British government pushed ahead with the On-The-Run legislation
- The British pushed ahead with their plans to reduce the number of district councils in the North
- The British have pushed ahead with their plans for community restorative justice schemes
- The British have pushed ahead with their plans to reduce British troop numbers in the North.
We are approaching Christmas fast at this stage but it doesn't seem like the unionists will be getting any presents from the British!
So I'd like to ask any unionist visitors to United Irelander this...do you feel the British want you in the Union?
They put the sin in Sinfin!
I was disgusted to read about this story. (hat-tip A Tangled Web)In Britain, a girl of 16 was suspended from school for...wait for it...wearing a crucifix. To see the 'offensive' crucifix, go here.
The girl, Sam Morris, was sent home after refusing the deputy head’s order to remove the Christian symbol, which she wore on a chain.
The girl's mother, Debra, accused her daughter's school of discrimination pointing out that Sikh children were allowed to wear a steel bracelet, known as a kara, for religious reasons. She said her daughter had every right to express her faith as well.
"She thinks it's very unfair when other people are allowed to wear religious symbols. It just ends up creating a divide between the pupils," said Mrs Morris.
"Everyone is being told that they should be living in unity, but this rule is not right. Sam has just as much right to celebrate her own religion."
Howard Jones, the deputy head who sent Miss Morris home, said the one-day suspension was a "last resort" after a 30-minute conversation failed to persuade her to take it off.
He said: "There was a long period of persuasion with her and she was given time. It was only at the end of that that I reluctantly had to exclude her for a day. I met her mother today and readmitted her daughter."
He said the school policy was "even-handed and fair".
He added: "As a Christian I don't have to wear a crucifix but Sikhs don't have that option and we have to be understanding. We live in a multi-faith society."
I think this Howard Jones is a twat. If this was my daughter I'd be damn proud of her. How dare this school have one rule for one faith and another rule for other faiths!
It's total discriminationand it's loony leftism at its worst!
I applaud this young girl for having the courage to stand by her beliefs.
Sinfin community school, shame on you bigots!
Irish Honours?
Here's a letter from the Irish Examiner in relation to Irish people accepting official British honours...
"Your correspondent Sorcha Healy (Irish Examiner letters, November 21) sees no problem with Irish citizens accepting official British honours.
"She dismisses critics as "misguided" or worse, "bigots."
"Article 9 of the Irish constitution stipulates "fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State" on the part of all citizens. More specifically, Article 40 explicitly excludes "titles of nobility or of honour."
JA Barnwell
Firstly, in relation to the above letter, Mr Barnwell is right about Article 40 in the sense that Article 40 (2.1) states:
"Titles of nobility shall not be conferred by the State."
However Mr Barnwell ought to have looked closer at Article (2.2):
"No title of nobility or of honor may be accepted by any citizen except with the prior approval of the Government."
I'm pretty sure all of those Irish people who have accepted British honours have first consulted the Irish government about the matter. Therefore, Irish people who accept British honours are not doing anything improper nor would I regard it as any kind of insult to the State.
In relation to Article 9, I personally don't think it's an act of disloyalty to accept a British honour. I myself would not accept a British honour as I'm a citizen of a republic and I like to think that all men and women are created equal. I don't like the idea of a monarch bestowing something upon me as I feel it implies a monarch's superiority. Even so, I have nothing against those Irish people who choose to accept such honours.
What about the idea of Irish State honours though? Should we have some form of award for our citizens who achieve something extraordinary?
I'm not so sure as I think a republic ought to endeavour to promote the idea of equality among citizens so with that being said, I guess I'm against the idea. What are your own thoughts?
"Your correspondent Sorcha Healy (Irish Examiner letters, November 21) sees no problem with Irish citizens accepting official British honours.
"She dismisses critics as "misguided" or worse, "bigots."
"Article 9 of the Irish constitution stipulates "fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State" on the part of all citizens. More specifically, Article 40 explicitly excludes "titles of nobility or of honour."
JA Barnwell
Firstly, in relation to the above letter, Mr Barnwell is right about Article 40 in the sense that Article 40 (2.1) states:
"Titles of nobility shall not be conferred by the State."
However Mr Barnwell ought to have looked closer at Article (2.2):
"No title of nobility or of honor may be accepted by any citizen except with the prior approval of the Government."
I'm pretty sure all of those Irish people who have accepted British honours have first consulted the Irish government about the matter. Therefore, Irish people who accept British honours are not doing anything improper nor would I regard it as any kind of insult to the State.
In relation to Article 9, I personally don't think it's an act of disloyalty to accept a British honour. I myself would not accept a British honour as I'm a citizen of a republic and I like to think that all men and women are created equal. I don't like the idea of a monarch bestowing something upon me as I feel it implies a monarch's superiority. Even so, I have nothing against those Irish people who choose to accept such honours.
What about the idea of Irish State honours though? Should we have some form of award for our citizens who achieve something extraordinary?
I'm not so sure as I think a republic ought to endeavour to promote the idea of equality among citizens so with that being said, I guess I'm against the idea. What are your own thoughts?
An election a Tory can win...
So the Conservative party have chosen their new leader and it's the 39-year-old David Cameron.Mr Cameron beat his rival David Davis by 134,446 votes to 64,398 in a postal ballot of Tory members across the UK.
For those of you looking for some information on him...
- He was educated at Eton College and Brasenose College, Oxford.
- He was special adviser to Cabinet ministers Michael Howard and Norman Lamont in the 1990s, then communications director at Carlton television
- Became MP for Witney in 2001
- He was also Tory campaign coordinator at general election, then shadow education secretary.
Oh and one other thing - he'll be losing to Gordon Brown at the next British general election.
Isn't British politics just SO dull?
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Top Ten Tuesday - Miss World girls
As I indicated in my post on feminism yesterday, I'm a big fan of women and women's rights. In fact, I like women so much...I'm going to rank them in order of attractiveness. How great is that?!This lovely lady to your left is Ireland's very own Rosanna Davidson who won the Miss World contest in 2003. I'm pretty sure that was the only thing an Irish person won that year so fair play to her.
Doesn't she look lovely altogether? I know what you're thinking. You're thinking along the lines of Father Jack aren't you?
"More water!"
Well I know that's what I was thinking. And since I'm thinking along those lines it's time for me to come up with a list of the top ten Miss World contestants! Thumbnails of contestants can be seen here, and further information can be found here.
So without further ado I give you the top ten Miss World contestants:
1. Miss Switzerland - This contest is over. This lady has it won. What a beauty! Wow! Apparently her motto is "Be natural". Hey, around you darlin' I'd be natural all the time!
2. Miss Iceland - I'd do my best to keep this girl from Iceland warm! She has a great smile and just looks so...cute. Her favourite motto is "You are what you do". Hmm...
3. Miss Denmark - A very cute blonde! She's quite young though but hey, I'm not ageist!
4. Miss Holland - This girl from the Netherlands looks alot like Helen Hunt, who I find very sexy! Apparently one of her interests is the 'body pump'. If that means what I think it means, she's my kind of lady!
5. Miss Puerto Rico - Maybe it's the red hair but she comes across as a fiery little minx! Apparently she loves to do the belly dance. And I'd love to see it!
6. Miss New Zealand - Wow I just checked her picture again and I'm wondering if I should bump her up a few more places. This girl is hot! Her personal motto is "Can't is not an option". That's what I need, a girl who has a positive outlook like me. Hey quit laughing!
7. Miss Scotland - This beautiful wee lass reminds me of ITV presenter Gabby Yorath with that enchanting smile! Her name's Aisling and she likes Celtic dancing so she's alright in my book!
8. Miss Northern Ireland - Sporting the very common Northern surname 'Evangelista', Lucy here is a fine-looking young woman and looks great in lingerie! We'd probably have a fiery relationship too. If we ever got into an argument I could refer to her as 'Miss occupied six counties'. Apparently though Lucy has worked with tribes in Kenya so she should be well able for the tribal aspects of Irish politics.
9. Miss Australia - Here's a very sexy blonde. I wouldn't mind going down under with her. You heard me!
10. Miss Ireland - Ireland's entry, Aoife Mary Cogan, is a great looking girl but I must admit I can't see her claiming the prize. She could claim me though quite easily! She's from Castleknock however but hey, nobody's perfect!
So there you have it. The top ten Miss World contestants. Feel free to comment on my choices or to offer up your own.
When I did a top ten list on the Rose of Tralee some months back I correctly picked the Mayo Rose to win and I think it will be a travesty if the Swiss girl doesn't win this competititon. What a sexy lady!
Switzerland for the win!
Ireland and gay marriage
The Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has said that legislation is being written for civil partnerships for same-sex couples here in Ireland but that it will not mimic marriage exactly, as that would be unconstitutional.Mr McDowell said that the Republic is committed to recognising equality in the proposals, which will be enacted next year.
As of yesterday, same-sex couples can register their partnerships in the UK, including in the six counties.
Gay and Lesbian couples in the North will now have the same rights as married heterosexuals in terms of tax, pensions and state benefits.
I would class myself as quite a traditional person. I believe in traditional family values and make no apologies for that. I think it's a healthy way to be. Alot of you may recall a post I made some months back in which I explained my opposition to gay adoption. Some of you agreed with my position, some of you did not. That's OK as it's a controversial issue but I am a believer in the traditional family model and I'm not ashamed to say that. With all that being said though, I was quite shocked at the results of a Sky News Ireland poll on Monday where 51 per cent of the people who voted said they were against gay marriage.
I myself have no problem with gay marriage. I tend to take John Stuart Mill's 'Harm Principle' into account on this matter. As far as I'm concerned, what two consenting adults do with their lives is their business. It doesn't affect me. I don't believe it poses a danger to society so I'm surprised at the poll's results. I guess conservative values remain strong in Ireland. Sometimes that's good, sometimes that's bad. In this case, I think it's bad.
To quote the words of an American comedian speaking on the issue of gay marriage:
"Let the gays get married. Let them be as miserable as the rest of us."
Seems fair enough to me!
Bible Belt breakdown
The woman pictured left is Marguerite Perrin who achieved quite a bit of notoriety in America for her astonishing performance on American TV show Trading Spouses, which is basically the American version of Wife Swap. You simply have to watch it. It's unmissable TV.You can watch a clip of her here.
Have any of the North American visitors to United Irelander seen this clip before?
I thought Wife Swap was controversial but this is just crazy!
Nally refused leave to appeal conviction
What a disgrace this is. Padraig Nally has been refused leave to appeal against his conviction and six-year jail sentence for the manslaughter of Traveller John 'Frog' Ward.At the Central Criminal Court today Nally's defence had argued that Mr Justice Paul Carney had usurped the constitutional function of the jury by refusing to allow it to consider a not guilty verdict. Mr Justice Carney had ruled that such a verdict on the evidence would be perverse.
The jury in Castlebar last July had two verdicts open to them, murder and manslaughter. They found the 61-year-old not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter after just over two hours deliberating.
Refusing leave to appeal today, Mr Justice Carney said he did not believe he could look John Ward's widow and her 11 children in the face and say that he was required to certify leave to appeal because he did not provide the jury in the case with the mechanism to bring in a perverse verdict.
This is an outrage. The only thing 'perverse' about all this is the fact that Padraig Nally is currently incarcerated. A man who killed a burglar with a history of criminality who had broken into his home.
Irish justice - Criminals matter, victims don't.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Blogosphere catfight!
Women - you can't live with 'em...ahem.The claws have come out folks! There's an almighty catfight brewing in our humble Irish blogosphere! Yes, these bloggeresses have left the kitchen and the dinner-making to debate....wait for it...feminism. (shudder)
From Sigla, I learned of this post by Auds over at Reality Check who bravely explained why she is not, and never has been, a feminist.
"Now more than ever is the stereotype of the weak woman unable to hack it reinforced by those sisters claiming to speak for all," wrote Auds.
She continued:
"But most of all we need to reclaim the freedom to be feminine."
Seems fair enough to me, but, as expected, the Feminazis were outraged at any sign of support for people without a vagina. As Auds explained in her follow-up post:
"So far I’ve been called foolish, witless, bad mannered, complacent, poorly educated with suspect intelligence with stereotyped, ill-informed, fanciful ungrateful opinions. Fair enough – maybe I am and more."
Well I don't think it's very fair. I think the detractors should stop forcing their views down other people's throats. Lay off the Oprah, ladies.
However, as highlighted above, the ladies of the Irish blogosphere were about as impressed as they would be by the local talent at a Cork disco. Here is what Beth Bond had to say over at 'Broccoli for Breakfast':
Men are not the 'official enemies' of feminism...Feminism is not a single ideology and since its inception has never been. If, as Auds suggests, claiming to be a feminist depends on the definition, then I suggest that she and women of her ilk educate themselves in the many definitions of feminism out there – Marxist feminism, eco-feminism, liberal feminism, post-colonial feminism and black feminism – take your pick, just don't assume that all feminism is radical or separatist, please."
Meow! I just checked the list of blogs Beth here links to. Are there any male bloggers there? At all? Hmm. This post by the way was a follow-up from her earlier post, 'Are Men Necessary?'
Next we had Maura at Babblogue join the melee:
"Women are under more pressure to be the all-round superwoman who is a sex-kitten and domestic goddess while having a non-threatening career than ever before, and it's not feminism that's shovelling that unrealistic goal, but the glossy world of commercialism...Sure, we've achieved a lot, but we still have a ways to go. I don't think it's time to ignore feminism just yet..."
It was time to ignore feminism years ago! Yeah women are real oppressed by commercialism! Remember that Diet Coke ad where the women stand around leering at the hulking brute doing his work? Oh those poor women!
Then Fiona at Mental Meanderings decided to stop doing the ironing temporarily and to add her two cents (more likely her husband's two cents seeing as men are the natural bread-winners):
"Auds simply bashes feminism in this extract and fails to offer any justification for her self-confessed hatred of feminism: she doesn’t engage with the theory, she doesn’t explain her point of view. This kind of polemic is reflective of the ignorant dismissal of feminism rife among young women who have the opportunities they have because of the feminist movement and who now shun that label, shun the movement that helped to liberate them, fail to recognise the inherent patriarchy within a liberal system such as Ireland’s and refuse to inform themselves about feminism for fear of being labeled the undesirable man-hating feminist."
Patriarchy within the Irish system? This anti-penile hysteria has reached breaking point! Were things really that bad for women in Ireland? We're all aware of the stereotype of the 'Mammy' culture and it's widely known that 1916 rebel James Connolly pushed for women's rights. Women played a big role in the Rising and in Irish history in general. I think some women are letting themselves be influenced by Feminazis from America who seem to want to completely get rid of men from society.
In closing, I'd just like to say this. There is NO agenda against you, ladies. Actually us guys quite like you if truth be told. And, when you're not doing the ironing, making the tea, cooking the dinner and doing all your other mandatory chores, we are quite willing to spend time with you believe it or not. It's high time you abandoned this tired old guff about women being neglected. You aren't. Deal with it.
Don't blame us because we have a penis and you don't.
Now if you'll excuse me, writing this long post has made me thirsty and I need a cup of tea. Where's a woman when you need one eh?
Monday Madness - Loony lefty letter
Here's a short but sour letter in the Irish Examiner by a loony-lefty from Leitrim which I think brings shame on all the decent people of Ireland. It reads as follows...
"US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has decided the enemy in Iraq should not be called insurgents.
"How about calling them freedom fighters instead?"
Keith Nolan
No Mr Nolan, let's not call them freedom fighters. Let's instead call them inhumane terrorist scumbags who decapitated Ken Bigley and who murdered Irish-born aid worker Margaret Hassan.
I'm sure Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi will be delighted at how his tactics are being perceived by certain leftist morons in the West.
I wonder what this woman, Pat Kember, wife of Norman Kember, a Briton kidnapped in Iraq, who made a televised appeal begging for his release on Al Jazeera television, would have to say about Mr Nolan's assertion that the men who kidnapped her husband are 'freedom fighters'?
Keith Nolan, your comments make me sick. Shame on you.
"US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has decided the enemy in Iraq should not be called insurgents.
"How about calling them freedom fighters instead?"
Keith Nolan
No Mr Nolan, let's not call them freedom fighters. Let's instead call them inhumane terrorist scumbags who decapitated Ken Bigley and who murdered Irish-born aid worker Margaret Hassan.
I'm sure Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi will be delighted at how his tactics are being perceived by certain leftist morons in the West.
I wonder what this woman, Pat Kember, wife of Norman Kember, a Briton kidnapped in Iraq, who made a televised appeal begging for his release on Al Jazeera television, would have to say about Mr Nolan's assertion that the men who kidnapped her husband are 'freedom fighters'?
Keith Nolan, your comments make me sick. Shame on you.
Who should be in the next Government?
Two separate opinion polls in Irish papers on Sunday morning have revealed support for Fine Gael is growing.The studies in the Sunday Tribune and Sunday Business Post suggest that if a general election was held next week, Fine Gael would be likely to lead the next government.
The Sunday Tribune claims Fianna Fail's popularity is down by 4%, with Fine Gael gaining by 5%.
With that being said, I have added a new poll to my sidebar which asks the question:
Who should be in the next Government?
Please take the time to vote and use the comments section of this post to explain who you voted for and why.
Right now I think I would give my vote to Fine Gael and I would favour a Fine Gael/Labour coalition government.
We've had too much of Fianna Fáil here in Ireland in my opinion. It's time for a change.
What party would you like to see in government though?
(Oh and in case anyone is wondering why Sinn Féin weren't included as an option in the poll, all of the southern parties have indicated that they won't touch the idea of Sinn Féin in a coalition government with a 50 ft barge pole)
Why do SF support the OTR legislation?
"Sinn Fein's position is absolutely clear, we are opposed to the inclusion of British state forces in the current legislation. "In our view it represents the latest attempt by the British state to conceal the truth about its involvement in the killing of citizens." - Sinn Féin's Gerry Adams speaking on the On-The-Run legislation.
If that's the case Gerry, why won't your party come out and oppose the legislation in the way the SDLP, UUP, DUP, Fine Gael and Labour have?
Can any Shinner explain this to me?
Sinn Féin's Conor Murphy was asked this question on Hearts and Minds, which you can watch here, but unsurprisingly he wouldn't give an answer. (I recommend you watch this clip to observe the ever-excellent Noel Thompson make a fool out of Mr Murphy)
The situation is clear-cut. Sinn Féin claim they oppose the inclusion of British State forces in the legislation - so why not then oppose the legislation?
Drogheda take FAI Cup
I'd like to congratulate Drogheda United on claiming their first ever trophy at senior level. They defeated Cork City 2-0 in the FAI Cup final at Lansdowne Road yesterday.Man of the Match Gavin Whelan and captain Declan O'Brien got the goals to deny eircom League Premier Division champions Cork City the double.
I'm pleased for Drogheda's fans. As well as that, it's nice to see those Cork boys shut up every now and again!
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Connery calls for Scottish independence
I see actor and best James Bond ever (don't deny it) Sir Sean Connery has reiterated his desire for an independent Scotland, as he accepted a lifetime achievement award at the European Film Awards.The 75-year-old said he wished he could be accepting the prize, "as if Scotland was independent and had a voice in Europe".
His words were welcomed by the Scottish National Party.
"The SNP are very proud to have the support of Sir Sean," said a spokesperson for the SNP.
"We congratulate him on this prestigious honour."
Sir Sean has said he will not live in Scotland until it is independent.
I agree with Sean Connery. I'd like to see an independent Scotland as well as an independent England.
Come on you Scots! William Wallace and James Bond can't be wrong!
Peter Crouch scored...alleluia!
So Liverpool managed to beat Wigan 3-0 on Saturday.
But the big news is...Peter Crouch scored a goal!
Miracles do happen!
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Legend laid to rest
As I'm sure you're all aware, football legend George Best was today laid to rest beside his mother Ann in Belfast.The police said an estimated 75,000 to 100,000 were on the streets and at Stormont for the funeral.
I found it very moving myself to listen to the poem read out by George's son, Calum, which was given to him by Belfast woman, Julie McClelland, which had struck a chord with him.
The poem was called 'Farewell our Friend' and he became very emotional as he read it. The poem is as follows:
"Farewell our friend, but not goodbye,
"Your time has come, your soul must fly.
"To dance with angels, find the sun,
"But how we'll miss our special one.
"He walks among us just a while,
"Weaved your magic, made us smile.
"Your life was so full of light and tears,
"We lived it through you, through the years.
"The golden days, they went so fast,
"The precious times, why can't they last?
"So many loved you, did you know?
"We were not ready to let you go.
"The stars from Heaven are only lent,
"A gift from God, that's why they're sent.
"We won't forget our Belfast boy,
"He filled our lives with so much joy.
"Your star will shine now in the sky,
"Farewell our friend, but not goodbye."
A truly beautiful poem. Farewell George. This world is a poorer place without you. RIP.
Men banned from sitting next to children
This is just crazy.Air New Zealand and Qantas have decided to ban men from sitting next to unaccompanied children on flights, sparking accusations of discrimination.
The airlines have come under fire for the policy that critics say is political correctness gone mad after a man revealed he was ordered to change seats during a Qantas flight because he was sitting next to a young boy travelling alone.
Auckland man Mark Worsley (pictured above) says an air steward approached him after take-off on the Christchurch to Auckland flight and told him to change seats with a women sitting two rows in front. The steward said it was the airline's policy that only women were allowed to sit next to unaccompanied children.
"At the time I was so gobsmacked that I moved. I was so embarrassed and just stewed on it for the entire flight," said Mr Worsley.
"I felt that it was totally discriminatory. Besides the point of what the hell was I going to do on a crowded flight."
The 37-year-old shipping manager, who has 2-year-old twins, recently contacted National Party political correctness eradicator Wayne Mapp who said the airlines' policy was an example of political correctness that had got out of hand.
"I think this is a gross over-reaction by the airlines. What do they think men are going to do that women won't? It is the same as saying men shouldn't sit beside children on a bus."
Children's Commissioner Cindy Kiro meanwhile said she commended the airlines for putting thought into the policy and for endeavouring to keep children safe.
Dr Kiro said she did not think it was intended to be a slur against men.
Well I for one think this is a slur against men. Do only men abuse children? Of course not.
This individual, Mark Worsley, must have been absolutely mortified. I know I would be. Imagine being asked to move on the grounds that you are perceived as being a threat to a young child!
It's outrageous and I hope the airlines scrap this politically correct, but morally incorrect, policy very soon.
Security guards shown shooting at Iraqis
A "trophy" video appearing to show security guards in Baghdad randomly shooting Iraqi civilians has sparked two investigations after it was posted on the internet, the Sunday Telegraph has reported.The video has sparked concern that private security companies, which are not subject to any form of regulation either in Britain or in Iraq, could be responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent Iraqis.
The video, which first appeared on a website that has been linked unofficially to Aegis Defence Services, contained four separate clips, in which security guards open fire with automatic rifles at civilian cars.
All of the shooting incidents apparently took place on "route Irish", a road that links the airport to Baghdad.
There are no clues as to the shooter but either a Scottish or Irish accent can be heard in at least one of the clips above Elvis Presley's Mystery Train, the music which accompanies the video.
A spokesman for defence firm Aegis Defence Services - set up in 2002 by Lt Col Tim Spicer (pictured above), a former Scots Guards officer - confirmed that the company was carrying out an internal investigation to see if any of their employees were involved.
You can view the shocking video for yourself here.
What are your thoughts on the footage? I find it deeply disturbing.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Fun Irelander Feature - Christmas Quiz
Seeing as you all seemed to enjoy my last quiz, UI's Irishness test, I've gone ahead and created another one:What Christmas character are you?
Go ahead and find out what Christmas character you relate to! Enjoy!
McDowell - A true Republican
Tom Griffin over at The Green Ribbon highlights some pro-Unity comments from Justice Minister Michael McDowell."I strongly believe that a united Ireland would benefit all the people on this island, including unionists. Whether it is 2016, or 2036, it will probably happen within the next generation," said McDowell.
The Minister went on to warn that Ireland must become a more accommodating place for the unionist tradition, which he said was a big part of the island's heritage.
"It is not republican to be anti-British. The people of Britain have been very, very good neighbours by any standard," he said.
"This country has to embrace its Anglo-Irish traditions, not as a relic of the colonial past but as a rich tapestry of our heritage."
Michael McDowell is spot on with his remarks.
I am not a big fan of Mr McDowell, mainly because I oppose his party as well as his party leader, however I have long been impressed with his views on the United Ireland issue.
Here is a guy who is absolutely hated by Shinners and yet he possesses an understanding of what it means to be a true Irish Republican that Shinners seem unable (or unwilling) to grasp.
Also, due to his no-nonsense approach to IRA activity, the guy possesses a popularity amongst unionists that Sinn Féin MPs could only dream of having!
Kudos to you, Minister! Keep up the good work!
What are your own thoughts on the Minister for Justice?
New Langerland cartoon
Poll Results - British have given up NI
I have closed the poll on my sidebar which asked the question:
Have the British given up on NI?
The final result was:
Yes - 81% (21 votes)
No - 19% (5 votes)
I can't say I'm surprised by this result. I think one has only to look at the actions of the British government in recent weeks to see that it has an agenda. I believe that agenda involves distancing mainland Britain from the North.
What remains to be seen is the effect that this will have on politics in the island of Ireland....
Have the British given up on NI?
The final result was:
Yes - 81% (21 votes)
No - 19% (5 votes)
I can't say I'm surprised by this result. I think one has only to look at the actions of the British government in recent weeks to see that it has an agenda. I believe that agenda involves distancing mainland Britain from the North.
What remains to be seen is the effect that this will have on politics in the island of Ireland....
Friday Fun's Fascinating Fact
Americans are responsible for generating roughly 20% per cent of the garbage in the world.
Hmm. I'm staying tight-lipped on this one!
Hmm. I'm staying tight-lipped on this one!
Thursday, December 01, 2005
SDLP 1 Sinn Féin 0
"The scheme that we negotiated was published by the two governments at Weston Park (peace talks) in 2003 and related only to OTRs. It did not include members of British state forces.
"Sinn Féin’s position is absolutely clear: we are opposed to the inclusion of British state forces in the current legislation.
"In our view, it represents the latest attempt by the British state to conceal the truth about its involvement in the killing of citizens." ~ Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams speaking on the OTR proposals on November 23rd of this year.
Now today over on Slugger O'Toole they have highlighted remarks made by the SDLP's Alex Atwood proving that Sinn Féin DID know that British state forces would be included! You can read the details in full on Slugger here but the damning details are as follows:
- Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams have both said publicly that Sinn Féin did not accept that members of the British state forces should be part of this process.
- They did accept it - and we have final proof. We have gone back to the Sinn Fein/British Government side deal of April 2003. It states that a qualifying offence would be any scheduled offence committed before 10 April 1998.
- Scheduled offences are offences like murder, bomb making, possession of weapons and are always tried in Diplock Courts.
- State killings in Northern Ireland are scheduled offences. That’s why people like Guardsmen Fisher and Wright and Lee Clegg were tried in Diplock Courts.
- So when Sinn Fein signed up to anybody who committed any scheduled offence before 1998 being able to skip jail, they accepted state killers getting away with it - now and in the future. They accepted this in black and white in the Hillsborough side deal.
Another significant aspect is in relation to loyalists since the IRA were at least required to decommission, however: "loyalists will be able to benefit even if they do not decommission a single bullet. Even if they do not end their drug dealing, intimidation, punishment shootings and crime. If this legislation is passed, the UDA will be able to benefit right away."
Relatives for Justice, the Pat Finucane Centre and Justice For the Forgotten all oppose this legislation! Why then are Sinn Féin supporting it?!
Let every Sinn Féin supporter look deep down within themselves and ask themselves in good conscience if they can support legislation which is built on UTTER LIES from the Sinn Féin hierarchy and which are opposed by VICTIMS OF BRITISH STATE COLLUSION!
What are you people? Republicans? Or sell-outs?
As 'Alajn' on Slugger O'Toole so eloquently put it:
SDLP 1 SF 0
"Sinn Féin’s position is absolutely clear: we are opposed to the inclusion of British state forces in the current legislation.
"In our view, it represents the latest attempt by the British state to conceal the truth about its involvement in the killing of citizens." ~ Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams speaking on the OTR proposals on November 23rd of this year.
Now today over on Slugger O'Toole they have highlighted remarks made by the SDLP's Alex Atwood proving that Sinn Féin DID know that British state forces would be included! You can read the details in full on Slugger here but the damning details are as follows:
- Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams have both said publicly that Sinn Féin did not accept that members of the British state forces should be part of this process.
- They did accept it - and we have final proof. We have gone back to the Sinn Fein/British Government side deal of April 2003. It states that a qualifying offence would be any scheduled offence committed before 10 April 1998.
- Scheduled offences are offences like murder, bomb making, possession of weapons and are always tried in Diplock Courts.
- State killings in Northern Ireland are scheduled offences. That’s why people like Guardsmen Fisher and Wright and Lee Clegg were tried in Diplock Courts.
- So when Sinn Fein signed up to anybody who committed any scheduled offence before 1998 being able to skip jail, they accepted state killers getting away with it - now and in the future. They accepted this in black and white in the Hillsborough side deal.
Another significant aspect is in relation to loyalists since the IRA were at least required to decommission, however: "loyalists will be able to benefit even if they do not decommission a single bullet. Even if they do not end their drug dealing, intimidation, punishment shootings and crime. If this legislation is passed, the UDA will be able to benefit right away."
Relatives for Justice, the Pat Finucane Centre and Justice For the Forgotten all oppose this legislation! Why then are Sinn Féin supporting it?!
Let every Sinn Féin supporter look deep down within themselves and ask themselves in good conscience if they can support legislation which is built on UTTER LIES from the Sinn Féin hierarchy and which are opposed by VICTIMS OF BRITISH STATE COLLUSION!
What are you people? Republicans? Or sell-outs?
As 'Alajn' on Slugger O'Toole so eloquently put it:
SDLP 1 SF 0
Thursday Thoughts: December
Another day, another month. Yes it's goodbye to boring, cold November and hello to an exciting, but even colder, December!November is, in my opinion, one of the most boring months around. But hey, it's outta here! December, in contrast, is action-packed! Think about it there's all the shopping, getting the holidays organised, shopping, making the preparations for Christmas, shopping, visits from relatives, oh and did I mention the shopping? Then when that's out of the way, you get down to the best day of the whole year - Christmas! If that's not enough, only a few days later it's the end of the year and it's time to party!
December is to the calendar what Ireland is to the world - a breath of fresh air!
So with that in mind, what are your plans for this crazy month? In particular, what are your plans for Christmas?
Myself, I look forward to getting some new clothes (though I hate the actual shopping), I look forward to the delicious Christmas meal with turkey and stuffing, I look forward to watching what will hopefully prove to be great TV (could we send Ryan Tubridy to the South Pole maybe? I know Santa's not there, that's what would make it fun), I look forward to hopefully attending a few parties (can't forget the mistletoe), and last but by no means least, I look forward to having the opportunity to sit back, relax and take in the holiday spirit.
I hope you all have a great December, a great Christmas and a great New Year.
Beannaigh sinne, a Dhia.
Ahern criticised over OTRs
I'm pleased to see the Opposition parties taking the Taoiseach to task on the issue of the On-The-Run legislation which will provide an amnesty for IRA terrorists and British State forces who murdered Irish civilians."Rather than dragging the presidency down a route of dubious constitutionality, we should have made arrangements for these persons to attend before a court to proclaim their guilt and to be released on licence which could be revoked if under unfortunate circumstances could be revoked. A presidential pardon is irreversible and irrevocable," said Fine Gael's Enda Kenny.
"It seems to me that Article 13.6 of the Constitution has never been interpreted and this does present dubious constitutional consequences."
"It seems that proceeding along this route will result in Aras an Uachtarain being turned into some sort of court of Queen Elizabeth."
Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte accused Mr Ahern of opting for the presidential pardon mechanism for OTRs because he didn't want to risk public outrage if the killers of Det Garda Jerry McCabe were included.
"You couldn't bring in a piece of legislation before this House that excluded the killers of Jerry McCabe and that is why we are in this position," Mr Rabbitte said.
"If you look at the outrage at the legislation in the House of Commons running right across from the DUP to the SDLP, you can't defend it.
"We have these people getting off scot-free and we're not inviting people here to hide for as long as they can hide, but if at any stage down the road in ten or 15 years' time they're caught, then they have an insurance policy they can resort to," Mr Rabbitte added.
Well done to the Opposition! Bertie Ahern is risking the popular support his party enjoys by backing this disgraceful legislation which protects criminals.
In related news, Relatives for Justice, the Pat Finucane Centre and Justice For the Forgotten, which represent the families of people killed as a result of alleged collusion between members of the security forces and loyalist paramilitaries, called on British Secretary of State Peter Hain to rethink the fugitive law.
Bertie Ahern, Tony Blair, Peter Hain, you are faced with a simple choice.
Do you cater to the families who had to put up with this and this?
Or do you cater to people like this and this?
The world is watching...
Sinn Féin threaten SDLP man
Here's a quick question for you.At a recent council meeting in Derry, in response to critical remarks made by SDLP leader of the council Pat Ramsay, a councillor named Kevin Campbell said Mr Ramsay's comments "could put the councillors' homes and families at risk of attack."
Now guess what party Mr Campbell represents?
No, it's not the Alliance Party. It's Sinn Féin of course! What was that Gerry Adams said about the war being over?
Here's another quick question for you. Was Mr Campbell reprimanded for his threat?
The answer? Of course he wasn't! Sinn Féin have actually come out and explicitly stated that Councillor Campbell WILL NOT be withdrawing his remarks.
Does that therefore mean they echo his sentiments?
The SDLP have said they will not be back in the council chamber until the remarks are withdrawn.
I don't blame the SDLP. The remarks made by the Sinn Féin Councillor are frightening.
Could you in good conscience ever give your vote to Sinn Féin?
© 2008 United Irelander.
