Gerry Adams

SF and DUP clash on policing move

BBC News (Free subscription) | 11 hours ago

The Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams accuses his DUP counterpart of breaching a commitment to "sell" a policing deal to unionists.

“Sinn Féin is committed to ending dual-mandates within our party..”

Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | 05/11/2009

Sinn Féin councillor Conor Maskey has criticised the DUP MEP Diane Dodds for double-jobbing - she’s still a councillor apparently - “Sinn Féin is committed to ending dual-mandates within our party..”. Meanwhile the party has selected Northern Ireland Executive Junior Minister, Gerry Kelly, MLA, as their candidate for north Belfast in the next general election. Do they...

For or against the Parades Commission, in leiu of joint leadership it is likely to stay…

Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | 03/11/2009

Two interesting pieces in two different papers impinge upon the future fate of the Parades Commisson. So far as we know the Ashdown reports argues for its abolition, and replacement with a two tier mechanism putting dispute resolution in the hands of local councils, with appeals being run up to OFMdFM… Yep, that OFMdFM… The one that can’t make any decisions about what papers to...

Big problems - small politics

Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | 30/10/2009

With parading the new manufactured crisis on the hill you could be forgiven for believing the big two parties have the big issues of the day in hand. It doesn't seem to be the size of the public finance deficit or the crisis in education but the smallness of partisan bickering which is dominating our regional government. Partisanship is the order of the day as narrow sectional interest is always put...

“obey the communal imperative”

Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | 29/10/2009

That’s Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams’ advice to the DUP on the devolution of policing and justice powers. And, as well as describing the DUP leader Peter Robinson’s speech in the Commons as “not a sincere, genuine or a serious effort to resolve the issue of Orange parades”, he’s declared the linking of the parades issue to the transfer of those powers “unacceptable”....

No new parades regime, no devolution of J&P - Peter spells it out

Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | 29/10/2009

Although we risk getting snowed under with posts about parading, this latest overview is worth another entry. In last night's Commons debate the linkage between devolving justice and policing and a new parades regime has never been put more clearly by Peter Robinson. I recommend reading it in full. Devolution will not take place unless or until the final Ashdown report is approved. There's still no...

DUP parades call 'unacceptable'

BBC News (Free subscription) | 29/10/2009

DUP calls to make resolving the parades issue a precondition for devolving policing are unacceptable, says Gerry Adams.

Republican Criminals Smoked Out

DaithaiC (Free subscription) | 29/10/2009

The Anne Scan - "No Smoking" In the bad old days before the Gerry Adams Gang aka Gerry and the Peacemakers discovered Peace, Love and Understanding one of the more disreputable aspects of the IRA (In Ireland these things are relative) was the euphemistically named “Fundraising Activities.” Indeed these crypt-fascists masquerading as Republicans were the greatest beneficiaries...

Archives reveal death list found at IRA gang's flat

SAOIRSE32 (Free subscription) | 28/10/2009

Newly released file shows IRA bombers had target list including MPs, lords and police officers, as well as cultural and military sites Alan Travis The Guardian 28 October 2009 A death list and the names of potential bombing targets that included the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Tate Gallery and part of Buckingham Palace were found in a London flat occupied by the IRA's Balcombe Street...

• MPs and lords were on IRA death list - The Guardian

A few pales beyonded

Click opera (Free subscription) | 26/10/2009

• Britain was convulsed last week by the appearance of Nick Griffin on the BBC's Question Time. The editor of the New Statesman, for instance, came to see the Brel show at the Barbican, but rushed off halfway through to watch Question Time live. While I obviously disagree completely with Griffin's views on immigration, I think the BBC was right to let him express them on TV. A robust democracy...

“But we think we can move on from that.”

Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | 24/10/2009

During the coverage of the UUP Conference today, BBC NI’s Jim Fitzpatrick did a quick interview with the Conservative Party’s Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Owen Paterson, MP. Here’s a question and answer transcribed from that interview. [ Jim Fitzpatrick ] “Perhaps there is less of a tension on the constitutional issue in those areas, although Scotland excepted...

Francie Brolly to retire

Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | 24/10/2009

Francie Brolly the Sinn Fein MLA for East Londonderry has announced that he is to retire from the assembly before the end of the year. The 71 year old former teacher and folk singer from Dungiven was elected to Limavady Council in 2001 and the Assembly in 2003 and 2007. Mr Brolly said: “I have been proud to serve the great people of East Derry in all their diversity and I thank God for the privilege...

Mr Adams: Unionists are not going away, you know…

Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | 23/10/2009

We’ve more videoed interviews coming from the BIPA, but I thought this was worth flagging up as a reaction to Gerry Adams’ extended hand of friendship there on Tuesday… It’s what I take to be the editorial in yesterday’s Newsletter ... and it is, to some extent stating the ‘bleedin’ obvious’, but possibly missing the point of the Adams pitch…...

There was an offer on the table – but the prisoners weren’t told

SAOIRSE32 (Free subscription) | 23/10/2009

THE HUNGER STRIKE Was there a deal? Irish News 22/10/2009 Richard O’Rawe – former republican prisoner, PRO of the 1981 hunger strikers and author of Blanketmen – responds to Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams on claims a deal was available which would have saved the lives of six hunger strikers There is now no room for doubting that the hunger strikers, by their sacrifice and courage,...

Racists, Nazis, bikes, buses, oil rigs and money

Gareth Wyn (Free subscription) | 22/10/2009

I might not like him or his party but believe that the BBC is right to have Nick Griffin ( who I admit to mixing up with chubby carton character Peter Griffin) on this evenings Question Time. Back in the 80's and 90'S Sinn Fein were banned from appearing on the news as Mrs Thatcher believed that to allow it would provide them with the oxygen of publicity. I remember the words of people like Gerry Adams...