Although the state papers from both Britain and the Republic were available to journalists nearly two weeks ago, some of the stories are only taking on a fuller shape now.
Despite some considerable spin, this piece by Steve James goes into more detail than most accounts we've seen on the practicalities around the plan to redraw the border in 1972, along with a massive shift in the populations of Catholics and Protestants.
11 January 2003
Adair arrested
Today interview with Loyalist paramilitary leader Johnny Adair appears in the print version of the Irish Times (with another due in tomorrow's Sunday Tribune), the day after he has had his license to be out of jail revoked yesterday, and is now back in jail. He will hear today the details of why he has been arrested.
Book review: integrated education
In the subscription only Irish Times, biographer and critic Bernard Adams reviews 'A shared childhood: the story of the integrated schools in Northern Ireland' by Fionnuala O'Connor.
Evidently O'Connor has managed to traverse some extremely problematic territory with some alacrity:
"Brian Lambkin, once a teacher in the very first integrated school, Lagan College, states: "What we can say confidently now is that it can be done. You can educate Protestants and Catholics and others together, under the same roof, to a satisfactory level. There is no going back from that."
"Enemies, such as Sammy Wilson of the DUP and Monsignor Denis Faul, are given their say and O'Connor convincingly undermines the simplistic notion that if Catholics gave up their preference for their own schools and attended state schools all would be well."
Evidently O'Connor has managed to traverse some extremely problematic territory with some alacrity:
"Brian Lambkin, once a teacher in the very first integrated school, Lagan College, states: "What we can say confidently now is that it can be done. You can educate Protestants and Catholics and others together, under the same roof, to a satisfactory level. There is no going back from that."
"Enemies, such as Sammy Wilson of the DUP and Monsignor Denis Faul, are given their say and O'Connor convincingly undermines the simplistic notion that if Catholics gave up their preference for their own schools and attended state schools all would be well."
10 January 2003
British government strategy shift
James Murray Brown in the print version of the FT goes a little further than most correspondents and suggests that the broad outline of a deal may have been settled in a series of meetings at Downing Street with Sinn Fein and the SDLP:
"The UK government's strategy has changed this year. Officials say the 'period of reflection' is over. They have put new emphasis on the May 1 dare for elections to the Northern Ireland assembly, shifting from the position that elections might have to be postponed - though this has not been ruled out."
"Britain believes there is a six-week window of opportunity to get a deal done before the parties shift into election mode. 'People tend to get frozen into position a couple of months out from an election' a senior official said."
"The UK government's strategy has changed this year. Officials say the 'period of reflection' is over. They have put new emphasis on the May 1 dare for elections to the Northern Ireland assembly, shifting from the position that elections might have to be postponed - though this has not been ruled out."
"Britain believes there is a six-week window of opportunity to get a deal done before the parties shift into election mode. 'People tend to get frozen into position a couple of months out from an election' a senior official said."
More pressure on Sinn Fein
Far from indicating a dangerous split within the DUP, veteran Republican Tommy McKearney believes Will Hay's recent statement that his party will be happy to meet with Sinn Fein under certain conditions only adds to the pressure building in Sinn Fein to come into line with other parties in the process.
Though as this editorial in the largely supportive Andersonstown News indicates there are clearly other pressures on the party pushing it from the other direction.
Though as this editorial in the largely supportive Andersonstown News indicates there are clearly other pressures on the party pushing it from the other direction.
PSNI: dissent within the ranks
Hugh Orde told the US National Committee on Foreign Policy that support for his leadership is not universal within the ranks of the PSNI
Practicalities of unification
Jude Collins initiates some open-ended probing of the practical questions around any future unification of Ireland, based on correspondence with a protestant reader.
As this is an issue that rarely receives much consideration in the media, let us have your comments, criticisms or any links to relevant articles or research by hitting the comments field or by sending them on an e-mail, or indeed to Jude himself.
Update: I've just established a thread on the unmoderated Friends of Slugger O'Toole site on this very subject, with links to previous discussions.
As this is an issue that rarely receives much consideration in the media, let us have your comments, criticisms or any links to relevant articles or research by hitting the comments field or by sending them on an e-mail, or indeed to Jude himself.
Update: I've just established a thread on the unmoderated Friends of Slugger O'Toole site on this very subject, with links to previous discussions.
What chance decommissioning?
The Belfast Telegraph's editorial re-iterates David Trimble's message to the IRA yesterday by suggesting that the IRA's betrays a lack of understanding of what is needed to get the process started again.
However there are some optimistic signs after Martin McGuinness praised Tony Blair for listening careful to Sinn Fein's input at the Downing Street talks yesterday, with Guardian again hinting at the dramatic scenario they thought might take place before Christmas is not completely dead, yet.
However this editorial from the Andersonstown News is rather less than upbeat on the subject.
However there are some optimistic signs after Martin McGuinness praised Tony Blair for listening careful to Sinn Fein's input at the Downing Street talks yesterday, with Guardian again hinting at the dramatic scenario they thought might take place before Christmas is not completely dead, yet.
However this editorial from the Andersonstown News is rather less than upbeat on the subject.
09 January 2003
Ireland is the most global nation
Not strictly to do with the North, but the Republic has been named as the world's most open economy for the second year in a row in survey for the US based Foreign Policy magazine.
Trimble dismisses IRA statement
David Trimble only took a few hours to formulate his response to this morning's direct statement from the IRA. Interestingly he echoes the IRA's own original statement to suggest it is their resistance to change which has held up progress in reaching a satisfactory conclusion to the process.
IRA blame Unionists
In a seeming confirmation that the current round of talks are unlikely produce any breakthrough, the IRA have gone public in their criticism of anti-agreement Unionists:
"Pursuing an agenda dictated by those opposed to change obstructs the creation of the conditions necessary to build a lasting peace."
In particular they highlight the continued and unpredictable actions of Loyalist paramilitary organisations.
Gerry Adams adds his comments, with more a detailed analysis from the BBC's Brian Rowan. Story also carried in the Newsletter.
"Pursuing an agenda dictated by those opposed to change obstructs the creation of the conditions necessary to build a lasting peace."
In particular they highlight the continued and unpredictable actions of Loyalist paramilitary organisations.
Gerry Adams adds his comments, with more a detailed analysis from the BBC's Brian Rowan. Story also carried in the Newsletter.
Failure of social democratic approach
Though this extract of an editorial by Paul McDonnell from the Open Republic think tank is from early last year, it deserves recycling. This is a view we touched upon in a slightly more oblique way in October 2002.
Is it possible that this line of thinking may have been at the root of Steven King's indistinctly faint praise of the former British Home Secretary, the late Roy Jenkins, in yesterday's Belfast Telegraph?
Is it possible that this line of thinking may have been at the root of Steven King's indistinctly faint praise of the former British Home Secretary, the late Roy Jenkins, in yesterday's Belfast Telegraph?
Changing nature of British history
This excellent blog comment from Chris Bertram examines the profound shift in the British world view from the early sixties, as seen through his old Ladybird history books, to today. For more just scroll down.
Feeney: renegotiation is inevitable
Brian Feeney looks at the wider scenario and suggests that no matter how elections turn out in May there will be no First and Deputy First Minister or an Executive until the Belfast Agreement is subject to the re-negotiation process required by the current demands of the DUP and the Donaldson faction of the UUP.
He believes that the Agreement, as it stands, no longer has any effective support in any of the Unionist parties. Consequently there will be no acts of completion from the IRA this side of the scheduled May elections.
"Just suppose there are elections in May following some republican act of completion. The DUP will be fighting an election on the simple demand for re-negotiation. The UUP message will be a dog’s dinner and its candidates in disarray, though watch Trimble under pressure from Donaldson edge towards the DUP on re-negotiation."
"Will a new assembly elect an executive? No. The reason is very simple. If you look at the UUP candidates selected, you’ll see Trimble could not deliver unionist consent in a new assembly any more than he can at present. Instead, a malign combination of the DUP and UUP dissidents will control unionist consent."
He believes that the Agreement, as it stands, no longer has any effective support in any of the Unionist parties. Consequently there will be no acts of completion from the IRA this side of the scheduled May elections.
"Just suppose there are elections in May following some republican act of completion. The DUP will be fighting an election on the simple demand for re-negotiation. The UUP message will be a dog’s dinner and its candidates in disarray, though watch Trimble under pressure from Donaldson edge towards the DUP on re-negotiation."
"Will a new assembly elect an executive? No. The reason is very simple. If you look at the UUP candidates selected, you’ll see Trimble could not deliver unionist consent in a new assembly any more than he can at present. Instead, a malign combination of the DUP and UUP dissidents will control unionist consent."
Political vacuum in Loyalist politics
In the Examiner, John Breslin suggests that whatever the political nature of its origins, little that happens nowadays within hardline loyalism has anything much to do with politics.
Durkan against FF move north
In response to remarks made recently by Bertie Ahern, Mark Durkin reacts negatively to the suggestion that Fianna Fail might organise in Northern Ireland:
"...the SDLP are going to be a catalyst for any realignment in politics here both in the north and south of the island. We are not going to be a casualty of it."
"...the SDLP are going to be a catalyst for any realignment in politics here both in the north and south of the island. We are not going to be a casualty of it."
08 January 2003
And from the distant past
A snippet of history in Co Antrim 1798, from 1169 and Counting.
Apparently the body of Henry Joy McCracken was taken to a hostelry on or near the site of the current Morning Star pub, just after his hanging in a vain attempt rouse him back to life.
Unfortunately for them, they were unsuccessful, but the pub can still muster a decent pint of stout to this very day.
Apparently the body of Henry Joy McCracken was taken to a hostelry on or near the site of the current Morning Star pub, just after his hanging in a vain attempt rouse him back to life.
Unfortunately for them, they were unsuccessful, but the pub can still muster a decent pint of stout to this very day.
UUP alleges split in DUP
Irish language in decline?
An apparently shocking set of statistics that would have been hard to believe even 10 years ago, claims that less than a quarter of families in the Gaeltacht still speak Irish.
Some commentators suggest that this implies extinction of the language within 10 to 20 years, it should be taken with a large pinch of salt. This figure seems to includes areas called Breac Gaeltachtai, where the populations speaking Irish have always been in a minority and areas like North Donegal where the language has been in serious decline for most of the 20th century. The report singles out southern Connemara, west Donegal and Dingle as strongholds of the language.
This paper provides some reasonably up to date material on the subject, as does this short critique of the same paper.
Some commentators suggest that this implies extinction of the language within 10 to 20 years, it should be taken with a large pinch of salt. This figure seems to includes areas called Breac Gaeltachtai, where the populations speaking Irish have always been in a minority and areas like North Donegal where the language has been in serious decline for most of the 20th century. The report singles out southern Connemara, west Donegal and Dingle as strongholds of the language.
This paper provides some reasonably up to date material on the subject, as does this short critique of the same paper.
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