In 1970, at the age of 22, Bernadette ‘Devlin' McAliskey was elected to represent the constituency of Mid-Ulster, which includes her home area of East Tyrone. Although she is no longer a Member of Parliament, and her international profile has receded, this radical Republican activist is still a kind of people's tribune in her own embattled nationalist community. Nowadays … [Read more...] about Deadly Tales from County Tyrone
IRA
Doherty’s Supreme Disappointment
At the end of it all, it was from his fellow inmates at the Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, federal penitentiary that Joe Doherty heard the news. "Hey Joe, you're going to go," shouted an inmate who was tuned in to the radio, which had just announced the U.S. Supreme Court's decision of that day, January 15. The Court decision had effectively paved the way for Doherty's deportation … [Read more...] about Doherty’s Supreme Disappointment
The Roads to Nowhere
With the implementation of the Single European Market at the end of 1992 that "opened up all European frontiers to free movement and trade" no one in the border counties of Fermanagh and Leitrim registered more than a cynical shrug of their shoulders. For years the border, imposed under threat of war in 1922, had not only cut through their homes and fields but every aspect of … [Read more...] about The Roads to Nowhere
Ourselves Alone: An Interview with Gerry Adams
The Sinn Féin office is located in a what could hardly be called a luxury building in what seems to be a mostly deserted area of West Belfast. In the room where I sit, there is a one-bar electric fire, a couple of mismatched chairs and little else. Somewhere on the outside a band is practicing, the drums that one usually associates with Loyalists are getting a fair belting from … [Read more...] about Ourselves Alone: An Interview with Gerry Adams
The Politics of Peace
Once again, Northern Ireland dominates headlines, both in Ireland and internationally. The Manchester IRA bomb was a huge blow for the peace process and set back support in the U.S. for Sinn Féin. Once again, Gerry Adams has to answer whether or not he can bring about a ceasefire. But the IRA is not the only problem. Day after day, it seems it is one step forward and two steps … [Read more...] about The Politics of Peace





