Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | 44 minutes ago
Saturday's a day for catching the mood, so how are you bearing up? Apart from the petrol queues at Tescos, thanks to their price war, not too badly in my case, assuming the pension funds holds up. A backlash against all the solemn stuff nobody can do anything about is inevitable. Naturally somebody has to blame the media and it's Cranmer's turn. The financial crisis in the new bird flu. Christmas...
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | yesterday
Not full-blown yet.. But it’s getting personal.. DUP leader Peter Robinson responds to Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams’ comments - noted by George earlier. Mr Robinson rejected claims of bigotry in his party and said the Sinn Féin leader's comments should be treated with “pity rather than scorn”. “What a sad spectacle Gerry Adams has become,” said Mr Robinson. “He has resorted to making outlandish and...
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | yesterday
Many claim it - from Sinn Féin to Fianna Fail to the SDLP and a wealth of smaller groups including RSF, IRSP, Workers Party, éirígí and the 32CSM (sorry if I left you out). To address the question requires a definition of what Republicanism is and that isn’t something easily agreed on.
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | yesterday
Last month, the Times reported how 16 per cent of the new recruits to the British Army in Northern Ireland since April were from south of the border, more than double the figure for 2006. Slugger dealt with it here . However, today the Irish Independent reported that an “expensive” recruitment drive by the British Army in the Republic had resulted in just 24 applicants signing up in the last 18 months....
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | yesterday
Niall Stanage on BBC NI Hearts and Minds with some useful background information on the recent kerfuffle over one US presidential candidate’s reported opinions on Northern Ireland and the exaggarated importance of the Irish-American vote, and that of the influence of the Irish-American lobby. [Bill] Clinton gets a mention too [The “thinking man’s shit”? - Ed] It “has never been just about those “dreary...
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | yesterday
So, it would be amiss to criticise SF for a failure to produce any ideas on policing without suggesting some, so here's a brief attempt.
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | yesterday
It seems DUP leader Peter Robinson is now fully aware of the chill economic winds blowing through Northern Ireland and like any decent politician worth his salt, has embarked on a policy of blaming someone else for the upcoming woes. While others blame, for example, the banks , Robinson preferred instead to focus on Sinn Féin when addressing a business dinner in East Belfast.
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | yesterday
I hesitate just a moment before applauding the award of this year's Nobel Peace Prize to the international negotiator Martti Ahtisaari. He flitted across our screens for trying to jump start decommissioning before going on to greater things. Nothing personal or ideological, just that as the headline says: Got conflict? Mr. Ahtisaari is your man. He's a professional negotiator and as such, he's above...
BBC News (Free subscription) | yesterday
Differing fuel pump prices incenses consumer body
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | yesterday
So, I have been elevated from a complete blackout to a top level commentator on site so I thought I better announce myself first. Mwahahahaha. Expect some technical hiccups while I work the blogging software out, and some terrible posts I will not be able to blame on anything else. On that note, perhaps Mick should consider this for the new blogging software.
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | yesterday
Arggh! Nevermind Executive stalemate, Presidential elections, or the financial apocalypse, my Saturday nights have just been ruined. The legendary Skibunny club in Auntie Annies is to end after 11 years on 1 November. Easily the best playlist in Belfast and an excellent vibe is to be no more. I must have discovered more new music off the back of it in the last 6 months than from anywhere else. One...
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | yesterday
Sinn Féin's strategy on Policing and Justice has largely been to focus on the St Andrew's Agreement, and policing as totemic issue to republicans. The details of that have been debated somewhat endlessly on this site already , but the key point is that this effectively reduces the argument to a semantic one split along sectarian lines.
BBC News (Free subscription) | yesterday
Bairbre de Brun is selected by Sinn Féin to contest next year's elections to the European Parliament.
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | yesterday
The abortion reform campaign doesn’t look like a dead duck by any means. I can’t find any press coverage yet, so important exchanges are below the fold.
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | yesterday
Our old friends the dogs in the streets will have a complete theory about the Northern Bank robbery and I doubt if Chris Ward is central to it. I have to say I’m totally ignorant of the gossip but let's see if I've got it right what the Times and the Guardian are trying to tell me. Henry McDonald The Guardia n In the weeks after the Northern Bank robbery, security sources in Northern Ireland and the...
