26 June 1997 Edition
Editor's desk
I'm certainly impressed at how high former members of An Phoblacht staff have risen. Not only are ex-journalists sprinkled liberally throughout the heights of commerce, law and the media, not to mention Danny Morrison making waves in the literary world but now we have one of the most powerful women in the state and a TD.
The former is of course our former esteemed editor Rita O'Hare who was named in the Sunday Tribune as one of the 60 most powerful women in the state due to her role as Sinn Féin's Director of Publicity.
The latter is Caoimhghín O Caoláin who brought his experience as a bank official to his role as general manager of An Phoblacht in the 1980s. And a good job he made of it - watch out Leinster House Accounts Committee.
Caoimhghín also got a mention on UTV's Teletext which said that ``a mild-mannered former bank clerk will be the first member of the IRA's political wing to take a seat in the Irish parliament''. You can argue with that for a number of reasons but the thing I can't get out of my head is that anyone would see Caoimhghín in the mould of that most famous mild-mannered bank clerk: Private Pike from Dad's Army.
As the Orange Order increases the pressure in this year's marching season, it is interesting to see that the courts are finally getting round to prosecuting brethren in cases arising from last year's little jaunts.
One who gives the lie to the claim that only local Orangemen want to march along their traditional routes is a loyalist who appeared at North Antrim magistrates court last Thursday accused of riotous behaviour during a rerouted march in Dunloy last year. He is Billy Garrett, 32, of Silvio Street in the Shankill area of Belfast who was also charged with attempting to take a vehicle without the owner's consent.
Also finding themselves in court recently were DUP duo, Derry's Gregory Campbell, described as their `security' spokesperson, and newly elected DUP councillor David Tweed from Ballymoney.
38 year old Tweed is accused of assaulting a man in a bar the day after the Twelfth last year. He is due to appear again on 3 July, three days before this year's Drumcree march.
Obstructing traffic and ``hindering lawful activity'' at the Caw roundabout in Derry's Waterside was the charges levelled against Gregory Campbell. Two other party councillors Joseph Millar (a former RUC member) and William Irwin have also been charged.
One little irony for Tony Blair as he sets out his plans for decomissioning is contained in his policy for banning legally held handguns. This policy emerged following the killing of schoolchildren by a crazed gunman in Dunblane in Scotland. The thing is that this policy is confined to Britain - it won't cover the Six Counties. So we have the situation that as Blair looks across at the main advocates of decommissioning - the Unionists - he is looking at the only people who will remain armed if all his policies work out as Trimble et al envisage. All the guns in Britain will be handed in and - they wish - the only guns remaining in the Six Counties will be those in the hands of the Unionist population. Quite a neat move - if it ever came off...
No doubt there will be quite a few republicans tuning in to the live coverage of Britain's handover of Hong Kong to China next week, if for no other reason than to see another bit of Empire going West (or East, in this case).
But they may find it a bit hard to stomach, particularly as the Brits have decided to play I Vow To Thee, My Country and, of course, Rule Britannia. But don't worry. The best bit will be when they all scramble aboard the royal yacht and slip away forever.
The former is of course our former esteemed editor Rita O'Hare who was named in the Sunday Tribune as one of the 60 most powerful women in the state due to her role as Sinn Féin's Director of Publicity.
The latter is Caoimhghín O Caoláin who brought his experience as a bank official to his role as general manager of An Phoblacht in the 1980s. And a good job he made of it - watch out Leinster House Accounts Committee.
Caoimhghín also got a mention on UTV's Teletext which said that ``a mild-mannered former bank clerk will be the first member of the IRA's political wing to take a seat in the Irish parliament''. You can argue with that for a number of reasons but the thing I can't get out of my head is that anyone would see Caoimhghín in the mould of that most famous mild-mannered bank clerk: Private Pike from Dad's Army.
As the Orange Order increases the pressure in this year's marching season, it is interesting to see that the courts are finally getting round to prosecuting brethren in cases arising from last year's little jaunts.
One who gives the lie to the claim that only local Orangemen want to march along their traditional routes is a loyalist who appeared at North Antrim magistrates court last Thursday accused of riotous behaviour during a rerouted march in Dunloy last year. He is Billy Garrett, 32, of Silvio Street in the Shankill area of Belfast who was also charged with attempting to take a vehicle without the owner's consent.
Also finding themselves in court recently were DUP duo, Derry's Gregory Campbell, described as their `security' spokesperson, and newly elected DUP councillor David Tweed from Ballymoney.
38 year old Tweed is accused of assaulting a man in a bar the day after the Twelfth last year. He is due to appear again on 3 July, three days before this year's Drumcree march.
Obstructing traffic and ``hindering lawful activity'' at the Caw roundabout in Derry's Waterside was the charges levelled against Gregory Campbell. Two other party councillors Joseph Millar (a former RUC member) and William Irwin have also been charged.
One little irony for Tony Blair as he sets out his plans for decomissioning is contained in his policy for banning legally held handguns. This policy emerged following the killing of schoolchildren by a crazed gunman in Dunblane in Scotland. The thing is that this policy is confined to Britain - it won't cover the Six Counties. So we have the situation that as Blair looks across at the main advocates of decommissioning - the Unionists - he is looking at the only people who will remain armed if all his policies work out as Trimble et al envisage. All the guns in Britain will be handed in and - they wish - the only guns remaining in the Six Counties will be those in the hands of the Unionist population. Quite a neat move - if it ever came off...
No doubt there will be quite a few republicans tuning in to the live coverage of Britain's handover of Hong Kong to China next week, if for no other reason than to see another bit of Empire going West (or East, in this case).
But they may find it a bit hard to stomach, particularly as the Brits have decided to play I Vow To Thee, My Country and, of course, Rule Britannia. But don't worry. The best bit will be when they all scramble aboard the royal yacht and slip away forever.