Sinn Féin remains the best resourced political party on this island
I was at the multiparty talks convened by the leaders of the British and Irish governments, Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern, at Weston Park, a mansion on the borders of Shropshire and Staffordshire, in July 2001. Three years earlier, the Belfast Agreement had been published after talks in Stormont, but progress in implementing the agreement was tortuous and slow. Decommissioning of paramilitary […]
Each day of Netanyahu in office prolongs suffering of 2 million people
What is happening in Gaza is entirely predictable. It was not inevitable, however. As far back as 11th October last, I wrote here of the need to avoid the destruction of Gaza and its people. The dangers of letting Netanyahu pursue his unforgiveable plan to match the Hamas-led atrocities of 7th October with his own […]
We must fulfil duties if any of us are to have rights
When I was studying for my Arts degree in Economics and Politics at UCD in the early 1970s, we had a choice whether to take either Statistics or else Roman Law and Jurisprudence as the third leg of our degree. One look at the Statistics course materials convinced me to take the other option. And […]
Implausible to suggest amendments will have no serious consequence
Tomorrow the broadcast media moratorium on the referendums to be held on Friday will come into effect. And for me what has been a hectic engagement with media of all kinds – here and elsewhere – over the last number of weeks will have come to an end. Voters will have a calm period of […]
I’m voting No-No as reckless amendments will only cause uncertainty
Last week Minister Roderic O’Gorman had an extensive and searching interview with Hugh O’Connell in these pages in which he blandly asserted that critics of his referendums were wrong. As I read the piece, it became increasingly clear that it’s the referendums that are “wrong” – not their critics. We are being asked by two […]
Government says that referendums are important but nothing will change
I do not always agree with the political views of Una Mullaly as expounded in these pages. But I am in definite agreement with her suggestion that the referendums on 8th March should be occasions when citizens exercise their sovereign right under our constitution to decide if their basic law should be amended in the […]