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19 March 1998 Edition

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Editor's desk

The Dublin North by-election welcomed a strange new politician to 26 County politics. He was John McDonald, the Irish Unionist candidate.

John wants to turn the political clock back a century or so and welcome all of Ireland back under British rule. His election literature was a little bit more vague, however. He speaks of ``a free Anglo-Celtic Union of Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales.''

John also has strange views on commemorating the 1798 rebellion. He says, without irony, that the 200th annniversary has been ``hijacked by militant Irish nationalism'', failing to realise, of course, that the 1798 was precisely militant Irish nationalism.

But John McDonald's views did find some takers. he polled 107 votes.


Britain's Channel 5 television station took out an ad for its news programme in the London Times last week and it can only be described as an unwarranted attack on Gerry Adams. The ad lists five facts about the Sinn Féin President, ending with the scurrilous claim : ``gerry adams likes bing crosby and willie nelson''.

Can his image survive after this?


The Parades Commission certainly has an image problem. Recent appointments to the Commission - a mixture of loyalists and Castle Catholics - mean that not a single nationalist or republican is a member. Their response has been to put a very defensive little leaflet into every house in the Six Counties.

The leaflet gives a little thumb sketch of each Commission member (salary £30,000). Included is Glen Barr who, we are told, ``has a trade union background in the north west. He has served on the Fair Employment Agency, the Community Relations Council and was a founder and Vice-Chairman of Derry Boston Ventures. He is currently Chief Executive of the Maydown Ebrington Group and is involved in cross community welfare and training work and is a Board member of the City Partnership''. No mention of the part of his CV which caused the most comment when he was appointed; that he was a UDA commander in Derry. Not relevant, says a Parades Commission spin doctor.

The leaflet also tells us that ``of course'' the Commission would not have to use its powers ``if those involved could resolve their differences and reach agreements themselves''.

Nowhere, ``of course'', does it say that the reason that agreement can't be reached is that the loyal orders refuse to talk to local residents.

The leaflet is entitled `Who do they think they are?'

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