Balrog (Free subscription) | 17/08/2009
As part of the St Andrews Agreement the British government signed up to the introduction of an Irish Language Act. The fact that they have failed to live up to that comes as no surprise. That said what they should do is to repeal, with immediate effect, the 1737 Administration of Justice Act . This is a piece of legislation which forbids the use of any other language in a court save English. This relic...
UK-TOP-News (Free subscription) | 30/07/2009
MEP Bairbre de Brún has called on the Stormont Executive to set energy efficiency measures among its top priorities, as the new Swedish EU Presidency
Simon Darby (Free subscription) | 17/07/2009
Over the last few days I have received complaints that the comments section on this blog has not been working properly. Being the diligent and thoughtful chap that I am I've experimented with the excellent Google Chrome browser recommended to me by our Simon Bennett a few weeks ago. Firefox, recommended to me by our Simon Bennett years ago has also been employed. The result of this battle of the browsers...
BBC NEWS | The Devenport Diaries (Free subscription) | 16/07/2009
Our new MEP Diane Dodds has now got her feet under her desk in the European parliament. Today she took an early crack at the government, criticising Baroness Kinnock for naming Tony Blair as the likely UK candidate for EU President and thereby treating the Irish referendum in October as a "fait accompli". The DUP news release was headlined "No need for any EU President, let alone an...
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | 19/06/2009
The BBC have apologised for the remarks of reporter Gareth Gordon following Bairbre de Brún’s election as an MEP. Bairbre spoke first in Irish, to howls of derision from the TUV and others after she topped the poll in the euro election. This prompted the BBC to lower the volume and for reporter Gareth Gordon to remark ... ‘I'll say something in English until she say's something in...
Politics.ie (Free subscription) | 13/06/2009
By Jim Gibney The Thursday Column 11/06/09 There is only one word which accurately describes the election of Sinn Fein's Bairbre de Brun to the...
Indymedia ireland (Free subscription) | 11/06/2009
European Election OR Sectarian Head Count 2009? Sinn Féin's sitting MEP Bairbre de Brún created Northern Ireland electoral history by topping the poll with 126,184 votes. However, both the Dublin and Irish governments will tonight be pondering nervously about the future of their landmark Good Friday Agreement (Sunningdale Mark II).
SAOIRSE32 (Free subscription) | 10/06/2009
BBC 9 June 09 Diane Dodds, the newly elected DUP MEP, has said she is "not in politics to make friends with anyone". Diane Dodds celebrates her as election as an MEP with husband Nigel The remarks followed an incident on Monday at the King's Hall when Mrs Dodds refused to shake the hand of Sinn Fein's Bairbre de Brun. "We're not here to be best buddies with anybody. We're here to do...
Belfast Media | Home (Free subscription) | 10/06/2009
This week’s historic European election result will have ramifications for the hard fought South Belfast Westminster seat, local political commentators have said. In the wake of Sinn Féin’s Bairbre de Brún topping the poll, the DUP vote being substantially down and a strong showing from Jim Allister of the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), there has been talk of a crisis in...
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | 09/06/2009
Here’s that unmissable interview with Bairbre de Brun with her party President, one Mr G Adams acting the lig at her side… Check out the rest of his site for interviews with candidates and assorted others at the count centre yesterday ...
rebels yell (Free subscription) | 09/06/2009
European Election OR Secterian Head Count 2009? Sinn Féin's sitting MEP Bairbre de Brún created Northern Ireland electoral history by topping the poll with 126,184 votes. However, both the Dublin and Irish governments will tonight be pondering nervously about the future of their landmark Good Friday Agreement (Sunningdale Mark II). The proverbial fly in the ointment comes in the form...
Belfast Media | Home (Free subscription) | 09/06/2009
Sinn Féin’s Bairbre de Brún is almost certain to top the poll when the European election results are announced later today. With the three unionist parties all taking votes from each other, the West Belfast politician is clear favourtie to finish first – making Sinn Féin the largest political party in the North. The battle for the two other seats is tight. The DUP’s...
Splintered Sunrise (Free subscription) | 09/06/2009
All right, here's the first-preference tally: de Brún (PSF) 126,184 – 26.0%, -0.3% Dodds (DUP) 88,346 – 18.2%, -13.8% Nicholson (UCUNF) 82,893 – 17.1%, +0.5% Maginness (SDLP) 78,489 – 16.2%, +0.3% Allister (Prodiban) 66,197 – 13.7% Parsley (Alliance) 26.699 – 5.5% Agnew (Green) 15,764 – 3.3%, +2.4% Bairbre de Brún elected on the first count, Nicholson...
BBC NEWS | The Devenport Diaries (Free subscription) | 08/06/2009
That was what Jim Allister promised during his speech after the final election result was declared. After the obvious parody of Gerry Adams' comment on the IRA, some Sinn Feiners shouted "get your own lines". But up at Stormont this will be no joking matter. The TUV leader lost his seat, but was the winner in every other way (what is the opposite of a Pyrrhic victory'). He vowed to contest...
The Guardian (Free subscription) | 08/06/2009
Bairbre de Brún re-elected, but surprise poll showing for hardline unionist Jim Allister raises concerns in Dublin and London Sinn Féin has topped the poll in the European elections in Northern Ireland, but the performance of a hardline unionist opposed to power sharing has created yet another political headache for Gordon Brown. Sinn Féin's sitting MEP Bairbre de Brún...
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