Recent media coverage has again demonstrated a highly selective version of the past 30 years of conflict in Ireland, while Unionist politicians have attempted to politicise the issue of victims. The British government has introduced the Inquiries Act to prevent meaningful investigations into controversial state killings and the PSNI's Historical Enquiries Team is but the latest example of the state investigating itself. Here Sinn Féin MLA PHILLIP McGUIGAN argues for republicans to begin using every available forum to raise the truth about the conflict and to expose Britain's role. Free article

Can low prices in retail stores be bad for consumers, for workers, for low income and poor households, for the economy and for the environment? According to a growing number of unions, environmentalists, charities and small businesses the answer is yes. This week as the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) in Britain begins a full scale inquiry into the competitive practices of the big four retailers, in Ireland new changes to competition law is putting our retail sector on the same footing as the now suspect British market. Free article

Last Sunday Fermanagh beat Dublin. To the best of my recollection, and that of any of the other sad people who would know these things, it is the first time that Dublin have been beaten by Fermanagh in senior football. Or maybe in anything other than drinking vodkas and red bull, or driving at high speed on the wrong side of the road. Denise. Free article

Well, it was an earth-shattering event: Michael McDowell apologising for intemperate language; and the media relished the chance to bask in this public criticism, though emphasising the "voluntary" nature of McDowell's contrition. What wasn't earth-shattering was that McDowell should have used utterly inappropriate language to defend his policies vis-à-vis Garda recruitment, because he uses utterly inappropriate language every time he opens his mouth. Free article

An Phoblacht's famous weekly satirical column Free article

Belfast republican Bobby Sands completed his third week on hunger strike for political status in the H-Blocks of Long Kesh on Sunday 22 March 1981. His comrade Francis Hughes, from South Derry completed his first week on the strike on the same day. Also on that day Sands and Hughes were joined on their fast to the death by two other blanket men, Raymond McCreesh from South Armagh and Patsy O'Hara from Derry City. Free article

The week in quotes. Free article