Sinn Féin has come in for scathing criticism in the past weeks, with many blaming the party for the deadlock in the peace renegotiations, after the Stormont Assembly was suspended at the beginning of August by Secretary of State for Northern Ireland John Reid to allow a six-week break during which the parties could return to the drawing board. A Unionist rejection of … [Read more...] about Sinn Féin Under Pressure
david trimble
The Last Word: The Far Side of Revenge
There was a terrible silence in Omagh in the days after the bombing. It seemed that not even birdsong could be heard in a town that was full of life and joy and laughter when the world turned upside down on 15 August 1998. To those who know nothing of Northern Ireland it may seem distasteful to engage in the arithmetic of tragedy, but the difference with Omagh was that the … [Read more...] about The Last Word: The Far Side of Revenge
Sinn Féin Surges Ahead
On election day in Northern Ireland, David Trimble, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and First Minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly, was roughed up by Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) supporters as he approached the polling station. Trimble needed the protection of the police to get in and out of the building unharmed, and ended up with a few bruises. When the votes were … [Read more...] about Sinn Féin Surges Ahead
Gerry Adams The Way Forward
Kelly Candaele talks to Gerry Adams about recent developments in Northern Ireland. ℘℘℘ Gerry Adams is no stranger to violence. In 1984, he told reporters that he believed there was a ninety percent chance he would be assassinated. Two months later, he was shot by loyalist paramilitaries. While he denies ever having been a member of the IRA, most close observers of the … [Read more...] about Gerry Adams The Way Forward
Women in Northern Ireland Politics
In war-torn Northern Ireland, for women to fight for equal rights would have been seen as a betrayal to the Nationalist or Unionist cause, Anne Cadwallader examines the position of women on the political front post ceasefires. The women of Northern Ireland have, in virtually every sphere of influence, through their work in the community and the trade unions, through … [Read more...] about Women in Northern Ireland Politics