24 July 1997 Edition
Editor's desk
The brief encounter at the EC election count in the RDS in 1989 between Charlie Haughey and Sticky supremo Seán Garland took on an eeerie relevance again this week in the aftermath of the McCracken Tribunal where Charlie gave a new meaning to the phrase ``lying-in-state''. Garland was not in the dock this week but he was the star of Prionsias De Rossa vs Independent Newspapers III (This Time it's Personal) which is now showing in the High Court. Unlike Haughey Garland did not lie in person but was only accused of lying by his former comrade De Rossa. De Rossa, of course, has never been known to utter the tiniest fib.
When the Sinn Féin delegation walked into Stormont on Monday morning, Bob McCartney walked out. In his ire McCartney may have consoled himself that a few days before, he had helped the hoped revival of the anti-republican front Families Against Intimidation and Terror (FAIT).
During his recent US tour fiasco MI5 agent Sean O'Callaghan tried to set up Friends of Peace in Ireland, a network of like-minded pro-Brits including the Peace Train and New Dialogue (the British split from the Dublin-based New Consensus) and FAIT. Nothing has been heard of the group since but now FAIT has McCartney, a wealthy barrister who recently won a substantial sum in libel damage from the Irish Times, to thank for a shot in the arm. He revealed last week that he donated £10,000 to FAIT, which, despite the fact that it has received British government funding, constantly whinges about lack of money. A FAIT worse than debt?
The British Royal Navy recently visited San Francisco where they were met by protesters from Irish Northern Aid and the Roisín McAliskey Justice Group. They protested at the presence of the HMS Norfolk as part of a two-month long series of events to promote trade with Britain. ``In general the events were poorly attended and failed to attract much attention'' says our San Franciscan correspondent. Not surprising really, considering that it included such things as a ``workshop on preparing tea and crumpets''.
When the Sinn Féin delegation walked into Stormont on Monday morning, Bob McCartney walked out. In his ire McCartney may have consoled himself that a few days before, he had helped the hoped revival of the anti-republican front Families Against Intimidation and Terror (FAIT).
During his recent US tour fiasco MI5 agent Sean O'Callaghan tried to set up Friends of Peace in Ireland, a network of like-minded pro-Brits including the Peace Train and New Dialogue (the British split from the Dublin-based New Consensus) and FAIT. Nothing has been heard of the group since but now FAIT has McCartney, a wealthy barrister who recently won a substantial sum in libel damage from the Irish Times, to thank for a shot in the arm. He revealed last week that he donated £10,000 to FAIT, which, despite the fact that it has received British government funding, constantly whinges about lack of money. A FAIT worse than debt?
The British Royal Navy recently visited San Francisco where they were met by protesters from Irish Northern Aid and the Roisín McAliskey Justice Group. They protested at the presence of the HMS Norfolk as part of a two-month long series of events to promote trade with Britain. ``In general the events were poorly attended and failed to attract much attention'' says our San Franciscan correspondent. Not surprising really, considering that it included such things as a ``workshop on preparing tea and crumpets''.