A personal note…
This morning my mother, Maureen Fealty, died peacefully at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald. I will be back to ‘work’ as soon as all arrangements have been completed. In the meantime, here is the memorable last paragraph of what was arguably George Eliot’s most complete novel, Middlemarch: “Her finely-touched spirit had still its fine issues, [...] more »
…a long-standing focus for Catholic discontent.
There is an element of Groundhog Day in the sudden outburst of debate on education and integration/segregation. Despite Brian’s claim that Catholic schools were fully funded in the 1970s (see point 10 in his list), that didn’t occur until November 1992 when it was announced that: In a historical deal agreed between the Catholic bishops and the Department [...] more »
“There can be no greater endorsement of our world class skills and knowledge base…”
I’d welcome Peter Robinson’s call to end state-funding of faith-based schools if I thought he was serious about separating church and state. But he’s just as unlikely now, as he was then, to intervene whenever a supernaturalist Minister attempts to influence what’s on display in our museums, or at our World Heritage site, or in schools within [...] more »
Cuts hit Wales hard.
The first of the major Capital scheme cuts are hitting Wales hard. Whilst there were many environmental objections to the proposed barrage across the Severn a construction boom would certainly have been handy… (£30bn and thousands of jobs during construction). more »
Religion in schools. More than just Catholics
Peter Robinson’s comments on education have opened up a discussion that is solely focusing on the role of the Catholic Maintained Sector. While the discussion is worthwhile, having it without addressing other elements of religious involvement across education is dealing with less than half of the issue. As noted in Tony Macaulay’s report on Churches [...] more »
Elliott leadership under scrutiny.
A caucus of unsettled Ulster Unionist party members met in secret last night to take stock. The loose alliance, the names of whom I have been given is known as ‘The 2010 Group’ from across Northern Ireland. They are increasingly disenchanted with the direction in which the leadership of the party is moving. This prompted [...] more »
PSNI lobby for more than £200m of special funding from the Treasury reserve
The Irish government is commited to providing adequate resources to tackle the continuing republican paramilitary threat. The Garda Commissioner agrees with the assessment of the Home Secretary, Theresa May, that that threat has increased. And with the research telling us “that concepts of the renegade groups as something ‘other’ are too simplistic”, the BBC’s Vincent Kearney [...] more »
Slugger Politics Award pitch: Building trust
Politics would be better if only politicians would …..begin re-building trust in politics, by trusting each other, by engendering trust between parties for the common good, by allowing and facilitating trust in themselves among the governed, and most of all by trusting the people, if given two paths, to choose the right one. Why is [...] more »
A plan for parental choice – the route to transformation
“This is typical Peter Robinson,” said Ms Ritchie. “On the one hand he says the most visionary thing ever said by a DUP politician about our divided society, and then he spoils it with an old-fashioned political sideswipe at Catholic schools. “He is still right that we should aim for a future where our [...] more »
“the task of the forensic historical psephologist is not an easy one”
A perennial ‘hot topic’ amongst Slugger’s more excitable commenters is the alleged demographic imperative. At one point even some of the local political parties were endorsing what they regarded as the inevitable… As a topic for discussion I find it neither enlightening, nor enlightened. Culture and identity are not that simplistic. I’ve previously noted Brendan O’Leary, from [...] more »
Car crash TV – Ivan Yates style…
Former Fine Gael hotshot Ivan Yates had a bit of a car crash on Brendan O’Connor’s show on Saturday night. In brief - most people know him now as a bookie and a well-paid broadcaster on Newstalk where he is a vocal opponent of the current government (aren’t we all). He was a TD for 21 years and also Minister for [...] more »
Is a general election imminent in the south?
The Sunday Business Post goes into some detail on the degree to which the Labour party seems to be getting ready for what looks like an historically high tide in the polls in the Republic. Even to the extent of running a conference on ‘winning the west’ where they have traditionally weak. More interesting is [...] more »
Education: A Benign Form of Apartheid?
I have to admit it’s not often that I agree with Peter Robinson. However, his statement that the education system in Northern Ireland is a ‘benign form of apartheid’ is, in my view, somewhat correct. Where I might differ with Peter Robinson is in his reasons. It does seem true that a segregated education system [...] more »
Tory candidate wants left wing politics: Trevor Ringland’s volte face
Trevor Ringland was one of the shiny new non sectarian, politically right of centre, civic unionist, UCUNF members who was going to take the Tory whip when elected to Westminster. Then unfortunately the story went a bit wrong. Instead he was humiliatingly defeated, managing to take the UUP from second to third, loosing them over [...] more »
Does Glenn Beck really have blood on his hands?
Here’s a question for you: In continuing to employ Glenn Beck, does Fox News really have blood on its hands? Beck peppers his ‘libertarian’ populist screeds with conspiracy theories, and in one recent case, a nutcase – claiming to be inspired by him – is targeting liberals for assassination. Many of his followers are plainly [...] more »
Robinson: “This will test the enthusiasm of the Executive for making savings in local government.”
As Brian has already noted, Northern Ireland First Minister, the DUP’s Peter Robinson, has set out his views on the desirability of a “single educational system” here. As, previously, did the NI Secretary of State. We’ll wait to see if the deputy First Minister is still “all for it”. But in his speech Peter Robinson also tackled [...] more »
Is Peter’s sudden move towards integrated education the game changer?
Peter Robinson’s belief in integrated education comes out of the blue. I believe that future generations will scarcely believe that such division and separation was so common for so long. The reality is that our education system is a benign form of apartheid, which is fundamentally damaging to our society I have to point out [...] more »
Time to send your own message to the media
We’ve doing The Slugger Awards very differently this year. Instead of having rigid ‘Journalist of the Year’ / ‘MLA of the Year’ type awards, we’re asking everyone who reads this blog to tell us what they want politicians / the media / public bodies to do more of. Once we know what behaviour you want [...] more »
Does Andy Marr’s cap fit?
A lot of bloggers seem to be socially inadequate, pimpled, single, slightly seedy, bald, cauliflower-nosed, young men sitting in their mother’s basements and ranting. They are very angry people… Terrible things are said on line because they are anonymous. People say things on line that they wouldn’t dream of saying in person. – Andrew Marr [...] more »
“I remember everything” – redux
Apropos nothing… more »
Guido casts a cold eye on Anglo
Political blogger extraordinaire, Guido Fawkes has set the cat among the Dáil pigeons this evening with fascinating results. Guido has obtained and published a list of foreign Anglo-Irish bondholders as of the close of business tonight. The blogger states: Every child in Ireland is being bequeathed a huge debt at birth to protect the interests of [...] more »
Slugger’s site moderation
Just a quick reminder: Slugger has a comments policy. Personal insults, smears and rudeness are not supposed to be tolerated here and we try to stay on top of this with the ‘delete’ key as much as we can. Normally, Mick picks up a lot of this kind of thing, applying his patience and charm [...] more »
Funeral arrangements
Jim Dougal’s remains are being brought home this evening to 14 Danesfort, Malone. Strictly family. Open house for all to pay respects Saturday and Sunday. Requiem mass Derryvolgie Monday 1PM. Burial afterwards at Drumbo. Eamonn Mallie more »
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