Mary Harney isn't about to ditch Bertie Ahern. Contrary to Sunday Independent leading articles about PD plans to stage a walkout on the back of the Burke scandal, it must be clear today that Mary has no intention of knocking on doors between now and Christmas. Free article

``Come on you Fenian bastard, I'll fix you now,'' says an Orangeman removing his sash as he confronts a nationalist resident. ``It's payback time, you Fenian bastards,'' shouts a riot-clad RUC officer. In 1996 during the ``Tour of the North'' parade two thousand riot-clad RUC dragged, batoned and kicked several hundred nationalist residents off their own streets to facilitate an Orange march through nationalist areas of North Belfast. Free article

Ní bheadh iontas ar bith ar einne a bhí ag leanúint scéal cásta Pat Buckley le beagnach fiche bliana anuas leis an nuacht an tseachtain seo go bhfuil an sagart anois ina Easpag. Ceapadh Buckley ina Easpag i searmanas príobháideach i lár Mí Bealtaine nuair a chuaigh sé faoi lámha an Easpaig Micheal Cox. Free article

Once again the spectre of football violence rears it ugly head. English football violence, to be precise. In the French city of Marseilles English `fans' went on the rampage last weekend and into Monday. They sacked bars and overturned cars during their three-day rampage. Up to 32 people were reported hurt. Free article

After the ill-fated attempts by the French to land at Bantry Bay in 1796, the West Cork area was heavily militarised by the English forces and by local landlords' private armies. Many of the soldiers were Irish, and Catholic and joined these armies (the militia especially) by force rather than by choice. They were poorly treated by their officers and during 1798 there was great unrest within the ranks. Free article

A surprisingly honest assessment of Mason's `enquiry' into RUC torture came from Official Unionist hack John Taylor on BBC TV's `Tonight'' programme last Tuesday. He concluded: ``We welcome a form of enquiry which will clear the RUC''. Free article

Euroballs 98 (Channel 4) Fantasy World Cup (UTV) Reggae Boyz (BBC2) Fod an Duchais (TnaG) Free article

In a recent interview Derry's new mayor, Joe Miller of the DUP, cited Oliver Cromwell as the political figure he most admired.

It's worth noting that Cromwell is famous for the sacking of Drogheda in 1649 when most of the two thousand defenders were slaughtered and the remaining handful shipped off to exile in the West Indies

Mayor Joe said he admired Cromwell for his ``diplomatic... Free article

The week in quotes... Free article