Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams says "it is a matter of grave concern that the Taoiseach is allowing Justice Minister Michael McDowell to lead for the government in the media" on the Peace Process. This week has seen a full scale assault on Sinn Féin from the Dublin Government parties. There is deep anger from nationalists and republicans that Bertie Ahern seems to be allowing Michael McDowell and the PDs to dictate government policy on the Peace Process. Free article

Commenting on the American media of his day, film maker John Ford once remarked that when the legend becomes accepted as fact, the only thing left to do is print the legend. And in recent weeks just such a process has been taking place within the British and Irish media. Free article

Nearly a quarter of a century ago, a then unknown British judge called Lord Gardner issued a report following an investigation into the situation inside the North's prisons. One of his recommendations was that 'Special Category Status' for political prisoners should be phased out of the prisons. Free article

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's policy on the Peace Process is now almost entirely dictated by his electoral competition with Sinn Féin and by the PDs' anti-republican crusade that is designed to capture Fine Gael voters. This was confirmed when Ahern stepped up his attacks on Sinn Féin in the Dáil on Wednesday. But the party's Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin hit back and said Ahern's attack was "not about banks in Belfast but votes in Ballybough and Ballyconnell". Free article

After visiting Martin Doherty in Maghaberry Prison on Friday 21 January, Sinn Féin MP Martin McGuinness has written to British Prime Minister Tony Blair demanding the immediate release of the Derry man, who was sentenced to three months in prison for refusing to co-operate with the Bloody Sunday Tribunal Free article

Up to 150 republicans gathered at Andersonstown PSNI Barracks in West Belfast on Sunday last to greet the closure of a building that has stood as a symbol of the British military oppression of nationalists for over 100 years. Free article

The Court of Criminal Appeal's overturning of the conviction of Colm Murphy has highlighted, once again, the nature of the notorious, non-jury Special Criminal Court. Murphy was jailed at the Special Court in 2002 for conspiring to cause the Omagh explosion in August 1998. Appeal court judges on Friday 21 January supported Murphy's claim that the conviction was unsafe and a retrial has been ordered. Free article