So the elections are over. All the votes are counted. At the time of writing a government is still to be formed in Britain and here in the north of Ireland people are waiting to see who will be the next tenant in Downing Street. For our sins voters here are, at this time, part of the same electoral system so there is some interest at popular level about who will get the top job. This blog has no preference either way. Even benign British Prime Ministers have little real working knowledge of Ireland. They depend a lot on their system of 'permanent government' to guide them. So the challenge for Irish democrats is to educate, educate, educate. Free article

As elections go the campaign to take seats in the British Parliament at Westminster, was a fairly mundane affair, illuminated only by the Fermanagh/South Tyrone result, now known as Michelle and 'the famous four'. Free article

In the run-up to the recent Westminster election, republicans from the 26 Counties rallied in support of their Six-County comrades to lend support to the campaign. For some it was an opportunity to meet prominent republicans they had only ever heard of or read about before. For others it was striking for the sheer size of republican support encountered in areas like Belfast. For all, without exception, it was a chance to throw their weight behind the task on hand - the Westminster elections. Free article

Last week saw European governments propose an unprecedented €110 billion bail-out package for Greece, which includes a €1.3 billion contribution from Ireland; the IMF is to back up this bail-out by another €30 billion. With Ireland ranking ahead of Greece and in fact top of European debt tables, speculation is mounting regarding how this bail-out will affect Greece, Ireland and the other European countries who the EU claim are putting the euro at 'risk'. Here, economist MICHAEL BURKE gives his view. Free article

Tá grúpa sa Pharóiste seo a théann amach gach seachtain ar shiúlóid sna sléibhte Eachtaí, atá ar ndóigh ag breathnú anuas orainn gach lá den bhliain ach nach mbíonn mórán deis ag daoine a bheith ag dul tríothu ar chos de ghnáth. An tseachtain seo caite, mar chuid d'imeachtaí a eagraíodh thart ar chuairt daltaí ón Bhriotáin sa cheantar, d'eagraigh Kevin Cunningham, bunaitheoir an ghrúpa agus saineolaí ar a bhfuil sna sléibhte, turas dúinn trí na coillte agus an portach go dtí sráidbhaile tréigthe. Free article

"And we're receiving reports that Sinn Féin's Michelle Gildernew may be about to lose her seat by a margin of eight votes." Sweet Jesus. My hand is shaking so much I can barely fill my glass with gin as an insufferably smug Arlene Foster fills my screen. Free article

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the execution of Kevin Barry on 1 November 1920. His prison execution is well remembered but less well known is his activity as an IRA Volunteer in the months before his death. Free article