THE Unite trade union has urged people to vote to elect a left-wing government for the first time in Irish history. The union, the second largest in the state and a Labour Party affiliate, has also called on Labour to go into coalition with Sinn Féin and other Left parties and “progressive Independents” to make this happen.

“A vote for Fine Gael is a vote for more Fianna Fáil... Free article

LE TREVOR Ó CLOCHARTAIGH

TÁ RUD éigin iontach speisialta ag tarlú i nGaillimh ó thaobh Sinn Féin di. Le roinnt blianta bhí muid beagán trína chéile agus ní raibh an páirtí chomh haontaithe agus a d’fhéadfadh sé a bheith.

D’athraigh sé sin ar an Luan seo caite nuair a bhí coinbhinsiún ar siúl le hiarrthóir a roghnú do Ghaillimh Thiar san olltoghchán. Bhí slua mór millteach i... Free article

The truth has been brought home at last

THE 39th anniversary of Bloody Sunday takes place in an unprecedented atmosphere of celebration marking the successful culmination of a long and arduous campaign for truth and justice. Against all the odds, ordinary people have wrested an outstanding moral and legal victory over a state that murdered peaceful protesters and then told the... Free article

Budget aims to counter blow from Tory-led British Government

THE Assembly’s draft Budget released for public consultation on December 15th contains several measures aimed at countering the severe economic blow inflicted by the British Tory/Liberal Democrat coalition government.
In its October Comprehensive Spending Review, the British Government announced not only massive cuts... Free article

Finance & Famine

BY LAURA FRIEL

“I DON’T KNOW WHY, they must have just liked potatoes.” Speaking of what is known here as ‘The Great Hunger’ and elsewhere less accurately as ‘The Irish Famine’, a tour-guide expressed ignorant bewilderment.
Along with others, my daughter and I were in England on ‘The Shakespeare Trail’ and I can’t even remember why the potato blight came up. Aoife... Free article

WITH the temporary stay of execution granted on Brian Cowen’s leadership of Fianna Fáil after his vote of confidence move, the election campaign can begin (of course, that’s if the whole House of Cards hasn’t collapsed between me typing this and it rolling off the press over 24 hours). But it’s not the posters, leaflets, canvasses of shopping malls, church gates, GAA clubs, I’m... Free article

Sleeping with the enemy

BY MARY NELIS

I AM SHOCKED. Undercover British agents operating in the 26 Counties. Who ever would have guessed it? Hope Michael D Higgins hasn’t to wait as long for answers from Government Buildings or Garda HQ as the relatives of the Dublin/Monaghan bombings for an explanation as to why undercover British agents were involved in an atrocity which... Free article

Conor Murphy speaks out

SINN FÉIN Minister Conor Murphy is calling for changes in the way water and sewerage services are delivered in the North.
The water crisis over Christmas and New Year, which saw thousands of homes and businesses without water for days, led to many people questioning the role of the Assembly Executive and the minister’s current relationship with the... Free article

Vital water service should be in public hands

BY PAUL MASKEY MLA

THE experience of thousands of people across the North during the freeze and thaw over the Christmas and New Year period - and the response of statutory agencies, particularly NIWater (NIW) and the Housing Executive - was unacceptable.
The apparent shortcomings of these agencies included a failure of preparation,... Free article

‘When your back is against the wall, you get the strength from somewhere’

THE 1981 Hunger Strike was a direct result of the withdrawal by Margaret Thatcher’s British Government of political status for Irish republican prisoners and her administration’s intransigence after the 1980 Hunger Strike. MARY DOYLE took part in the 1980 Hunger Strike as a POW in Armagh Jail.
Mary was... Free article