Ireland's political and cultural magazine
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Only 25% think the Fianna Fáil Taoiseach, Mr Martin, is the most influential politician in government. By Conor Lenihan. The latest opinion poll, this time from the Irish Mail on Sunday, posits more bad news for Fianna Fáil and its somewhat beleaguered leader Micheál Martin. Fianna Fáil’s opinion-poll rating continues to languish around the 15% level […]
By David Burke. 1. The counter-insurgency gurus. During the period 1970-72 Brigadier (later General Sir) Frank Kitson served as Brigadier of 39 Brigade in Belfast. It is arguable that he caused more damage to relations between the British government and the Nationalist community than any other individual in the British Army. There are many stories […]
Taoiseach, Tánaiste, multiple Ministers, civil service, Garda, official inquiries and EU complicit in wrecking the life of one of Ireland’s leading business representatives. How a former CEO of ISME has been shafted by the State because of two key sensitivities in Irish politics: the relationship between the Social Partners (unions and employers) and government, of which […]
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A recent protest, perhaps the world’s smallest that was improperly touted by the media as spontaneous, featured more wedding organisers than brides By Jed Lonstein Recently a story appeared in all the major media outlets in Ireland. It was a protest without precedent. There were no marker-scrawled placards or grim-faced anoraks, no barriers or batons. […]
By David Burke. 1. Where was the ‘EFGH’ Unit of Support Company of 1 Para during the Ballymurphy Massacre? Next week marks the 50th anniversary of the introduction of internment. It began on 9 August 1971. By the 11th, ten people had been murdered by paratroopers in Ballymurphy. Earlier this year, the coroner who […]
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As the summer turns to rain it’s time for some fresh faces. By Conor Lenihan. In the light of the botched Zappone Envoy appointment the Covid lockdown guidelines are again under the microscope.When is a Lockdown guideline not really a line of any sort?Clearly when former Taoiseach and current Tánaiste Leo Varadkar is in attendance […]
Former Minister getting plum diplomatic gig inflames leadership issues in two main government parties. By Conor Lenihan. The appointment of Katherine Zappone as an Irish diplomatic envoy has already let loose a lot of free speech – not all of it complimentary. The question is: at a very challenging time for the state do we […]
By David Burke. Brigadier Frank Kitson, who is still alive, ran 39 Airportable Brigade area, i.e. Belfast, as if he was a mob boss with the city his patch. He let the paratroopers under his command run riot in that domain. Some of the more decent and honourable British army officers were aghast at their […]
By David Burke. 1. 50-year Concerted Cover-up. The British government’s determination to absolve all British soldiers involved in killings during the Troubles means that there are now precious few opportunities to get to the bottom of what really happened during the Ballymurphy massacre and on Bloody Sunday. The Bloody Sunday cover-up went into high […]
By Deirdre Younge Kingsberry case The High Court in Belfast granted permission in early July for the family of a former member of the UDA, William Kingsberry – shot dead in 1991, to sue Libya for supplying the assault rifle used by the IRA unit that killed him. New approach The Kingsberry case, which is […]
Nor is Israel based on the rule of law By Sami Abou Shehadeh In an opinion piece published on the 24 June in the Jerusalem Post , a right-wing Israeli newspaper, the Irish ambassador to Israel, Kyle O’Sullivan, claimed that Israel is a country based “on the rule of law, on democracy, and on respect for […]
By Deirdre Younge. Tom Oliver, a farmer from Riverstown, on the Cooley peninsula, was kidnapped, interrogated and murdered by the IRA in July 1991. They alleged he was a Garda informant. The murder by the IRA’s punishment squad didn’t only cause devastation for his family but split the tight-knit community in which he lived. […]
By David Burke. 1. “No other perpetrator involved would be given anonymity, for some reason Soldier F is a protected species”. In the last week, Colum Eastwood MP, the Leader of the SDLP, named ‘Soldier F’, in the House of Commons, under privilege. ‘Soldier F’ had faced murder charges for his actions on Bloody […]
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Blessed with extraordinary articulacy they squander it on vitriol and abuse of the most vulnerable and minorities
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The US Vice President will stick fast to her boss.
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Memories of hell on earth with its resilient, generous people
Campaign-fundraising rules were so loose in the late 1950s that it was easy for Joe Kennedy to derive a coach and horses through them.
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Humans need the perspective of distance to see how much damage they are doing to the only planet on which they can ever thrive
No justification for under-assessed road, says NI inquiry, while Irish Greens remain mute
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European Cork has no vision or strategy and a problem delivering high-quality development