RECENT weeks have seen people across Ireland uniting to demand action on unemployment, in opposition to cuts to public services and to defend the declining income of people on low wages and social welfare. Sinn Féin commends the trade union movement for these mobilisations and we applaud the tens of thousands who took to the streets throughout the country. Free article

ERIC MONTGOMERY is to be honoured at a dinner dance in County Wicklow next month. Originally from east Belfast, a 95% unionist area, Eric and his younger sister went to live with an aunt in Bray when he was five. It was just at the outbreak of the Second World War and there were air raids on Belfast so his parents moved the two children for safety. Then, in 1945, when his father died, his mother came to live with them in Bray. Free article

THE media spotlight is on the plight of those pupils who will be sitting the unregulated tests. I wish them all well and hope they understand that they are unique, valued individuals regardless of what their test results are. I would also like to pay tribute to the majority of children who will not be sitting a test but who will be transferring into a post-primary school which teaches the exact same curriculum as grammar and offers access to the same level of qualifications as grammar schools. Free article

HE was kicked to death in British military custody. The reporter Robert Fisk on hearing the news had gone to talk to the father of this poor Iraqi man. He recalls that the British public relations man was laughing and the young Muslim interpreter had said, "He doesn't care." Fisk did care for he had reported from the North of Ireland and had heard that laughter before. Like Fisk, we could write the script. Free article

ON 9 December - Budget Day in the 26 Counties - the Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government has a choice to make. Will it make the bankers, developers and super-rich pay for the economic mess, or will it punish the working poor and those in receipt of social welfare? Free article

TOMMY stepped back into the shadow of the vacant lot off Dublin's Aungier Street as the crowd of youths rushed towards him. They were out for blood, bats and crowbars in their hands. "There's a bunch of them cornered on Nassau Street," one of them yelled excitedly. Tommy kept his eyes down, tried not to attract their notice. If they guessed his identity there wasn't a hope of escape. Free article

Tá go leor leor naisc idir Éire agus Tír na mBascach, nascanna polaitiúil ar dóigh, nascanna chomhsheasmhacht agus nascanna cultúrtha. I mí an Márta an bliain seo chugainn, le linn Seachtain na Gaeilge mar a tharlaíonn sé, cruthófar nasc eile nuair a chuirtear tús le Rith 2010 - an leagan Éireannach/Gaelach den Korrika, rith mór Bascach atá anois ar an saol le breis agus 30 bliain. I dtír na mBascach ritear an Korrika gach ré bliain agus gach bliain bíonn téama ar leith ag baint leis. Free article

THE inter-county closed season has seen the usual spate of internal wrangling and players' heaves against managers. Justin McCarthy of Limerick possibly got his retaliation in first by announcing wholesale changes to the senior hurling panel which included the dropping of several established names. The fact that only enough players turned up for a trial game to play 12-a-side last week does not, however, augur well for his chances and he is likely to come under pressure to resign or be replaced over the coming weeks. Free article