Political parties in Northern Ireland are gearing up for September talks in England at Leeds Castle in an effort to restore the dissolved Northern Ireland Assembly. Arms decommissioning, policing, and demilitarization are again expected to top the agenda, and although there is little sign of where a breakthrough can be made, pre-talks overtures from the main parties – the … [Read more...] about News: Fresh Talks to
Kick-Start Assembly
Gerry Adams
News: Fresh Talks to
Sinn Féin and PUP Angry Over New Report
On April 20, 2004, Paul Murphy, Secretary of State of Northern Ireland, announced that the International Monitoring Commission (IMC) had recommended monetary sanctions upon Sinn Féin for the alleged abduction of a dissident Republican by the IRA and on the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) for its connection to the Ulster Volunteer Force, a loyalist paramilitary group. Angry … [Read more...] about Sinn Féin and PUP Angry Over New Report
Martin McGuinness: The Man, The Myth, The Minister
The evolution of Martin McGuinness – from high school dropout and IRA man to political leader seeking an end to violence and, finally, his emergence as Northern Ireland's Minister for Education. If it's fair to judge the effectiveness of a politician by the depth of his opponents' dislike for him, then the Sinn Féin MP and Assemblyman for Mid-Ulster, Martin McGuinness, … [Read more...] about Martin McGuinness: The Man, The Myth, The Minister
The First Word: “Dear Sir or Madam”
When Northern Ireland comes to lunch, it can be uncomfortable. It nags at complacency and the notion that everything will be okay and peace will hold, even though there are signs that say otherwise. On June 19 – a beautiful New York morning – I make my way to the Mutual of America building on Park Avenue for a National Committee on American Foreign Policy lunch to hear … [Read more...] about The First Word: “Dear Sir or Madam”
Furor Over RUC Recruitment Campaign
Belfast: Republicans and nationalists have attacked Royal Ulster Constabulary chief Sir Ronnie Flanagan for launching a new recruiting drive before outstanding police reforms are completed, Brendan Anderson reported in The Irish Voice. Sinn Féin's president Gerry Adams has asked young Nationalists not to join the force and to ignore an RUC advertising campaign which is … [Read more...] about Furor Over RUC Recruitment Campaign