``Nobody is going to tell me that my children don't have a right to be Irish,'' were the words of Caitríona Ruane, director of Féile an Phobail, to a crowd of 350 people at a Cearta meeting in the Royal Dublin Hotel on Wednesday 25 March. Free article

Speaking at last Thursday's launch of a new Community Drugs Training Course at the Falls Community Council (FCC), Gerry Adams said, ``education is the key to dealing effectively with substance abuse. Creative and innovative approaches need to be developed if education is to have any impact.'' He called for a multi-agency approach and a mature debate about ``a realistic, meaningful and empowering way to allow young people to make informed decisions about their lives.'' Free article

Professor Bob Eccleshall, head of the Department of Politics at Queen's University Belfast, has dismissed the research findings of Queen's student Vincent McKenna who, under the guise of the Ormeau Road `Charter for Change', claimed to have carried out a survey which found that 80% of Catholics would be happy to allow Orange marches down the Lower Ormeau Road. Free article

Former Tory Minister in the Six Counties Michael Mates was unsuccessful in his attempt to prevent Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín O Caoláin from addressing the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body in Irish. Free article

A Sinn Féin delegation attended a multi party conference in England on the weekend of 22-24 March during which the Ulster Unionist Party refused to engage in any dialogue. Free article

Seventeen young republicans from across Ireland have travelled to the Basque country for a two week solidarity trip. The Sinn Fein delegation travelled at the invitation of Jarrai, the Basque youth movement. The group includes activists from Dublin, Derry, Belfast, South Armagh, Newry and Portadown, aged from 15 to 26. Free article

The death has taken place of Jim Woll from Cloyne, Co. Cork. Jim was involved in republican activities from the 1930s right up to shortly before his death. Free article