Fintan O’Toole - A man of high principles and quick exits

» BY JUDE COLLINS

SINCE Martin McGuinness has announced his candidacy for the post of Irish President, I’ve lost count of the number of programmes and newspaper articles that have focused almost exclusively on his past in the IRA. It happened again today, Wednesday 23rd September.
I was on BBC Radio Ulster/Raidio Uladh’s ... Free article

Gusty Spence dies

BY PEADAR WHELAN

IN A LETTER written in Long Kesh in 1981, former UVF leader Gusty Spence, who died on Sunday 25th September aged 78, reflected on his reasons for helping re-form the UVF in the mid-1960s.
“I can’t possibly say that I knew the ins and outs of the political machinations in the background because I didn’t. I was approached to join the UVF. The... Free article

BY MARK MOLONEY

» BY MARK MOLONEY

ONE of the cornerstones of democratic socialism is the idea that means of production, that the infrastructural capital and the natural resources of a state should be state owned or commonly controlled.
In government in the South we have the right-wing Fine Gael party and the self-proclaimed ‘democratic socialists’ of Labour. The sell-off of key... Free article

SINN FÉIN TD Seán Crowe was the speaker at three events in the USA to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Hunger Strikes of 1980 and 1981, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 15th, 16th and 17th September.
The Dublin South-West TD was head of ‘Youth Against H-Block’ in 1981.
Starting in Portland, Oregon, Seán travelled to Seattle in Washington State and then to San Francisco in... Free article

JobBridge to Nowhere

» BY MARK MOLONEY

WHEN the National Internship Scheme, also known as “JobBridge”, was announced in June by Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton TD, she promised it would offer unemployed people a real chance to gain valuable experience and get a foot on the employment ladder after training, apprenticeship or graduation.
JobBridge allows companies... Free article

OCTOBER

THE 1981 Hunger Strike came to an end after 217 days on the 3rd October. The momentum of the Hunger Strike had been slowed as a number of men either reulctantly left the strike or were taken off by their families. In the last week of September 1981, Bernard Fox and Liam McCloskey ended their fast.
Following these events, the republican prisoners issued a statement in... Free article

Gátar nó Fás: léiríonn an Íoslainn go bhfuil slí eile ann

LE MAIRTÍN Mac EOIN

NÍ LÉIR CATHAIN a loicfidh nó a mhainneóidh an Ghréig ar a chuid fiacha, ach tá’s ag saol Fódla go loicfidh lá éicínt. Tá na fiacha ró-mhor is an t-ualach ar eacnamaíocht na Gréige ró-throm.
Is léir freisin go bhfuil forsaí airgeadais is polaitíochta na hEorpa ag troid go géar faoin scéal seo mar go... Free article

SDLP runners and riders overtaken by McGuinness

BY PEADAR WHELAN

» BY PEADAR WHELAN

THE CONTENDERS for the SDLP leadership race have burst out of the stalls and are now tearing, hell for leather, around the political racecourse.
The air is thick with policy statements and mission statements outlining how each participant is different from his rivals. And the key question of how... Free article

Martin McGuinness 1 - The People’s President

When is polling day?

On Thursday 27th October

When and where can I vote?

From 7am to 10pm on Thursday 27th October at a polling station near you.
You will receive a polling card closer to election time giving you exact details of where you can vote.
Alternatively, you can check online at www.checktheregister.ie. Just input your name and... Free article

New youth strategy launched at Ard Fheis

» BY MARK MOLONEY

ÓGRA SHINN FÉIN members, college activists and young republicans from across Ireland launched Sinn Féin’s new National Youth Strategy at this year’s Ard Fheis in Belfast.
The comprehensive document aims to increase the capacity of Ógra and college cumainn, making them more efficient and attracting more young republicans... Free article