Friday, June 16, 2006

CHARLES HAUGHEY 1925-2006 : A TRIBUTE .
' With pomp and with ridiculous display
the politicians corpse is borne away ,
and all around him carped and slanged
I wept- I had wished to see him hanged ' .

( G K Chesterton , poet and British Liberal MP ) .


Due to 'staff' (!) shortages here at '1169...' - because of some football matches or other , and exams (you show 'em , Junior!) - this Blog will only be updated every second day , for the next few weeks . In short , I have been abandoned by all but this machine ! Sharon .


THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT : INSIDE THE NORTHERN IRELAND (sic) PEACE TALKS (sic).......
From 'MAGILL' magazine , November 1997 .
By Fionnuala O' Connor .

Although debates have scarcely begun and ,for all that , most question whether the Provos can possibly stick with negotiations which end in an improved version of partition , ('1169...' Comment : the answer was 'Yes' , then [1997] , and 'Yes Please!' now ) (P) Sinn Fein's team makes much the stronger impression . ('1169...' Comment : translation - 'they were more desperate for a career in politics than the other lot were') People who imagined they had met 'all the articulate Provos' are struck by what one called "...the sheer intelligence and ability of people I'd never heard of.." . ('1169....' Comment : not surprising , really , if you have 'articulate' people being briefed in what to say by others!)

By contrast , the Ulster Unionist Party's members are seen as stumbling , divided , confused and churlish by design , and devoid of strategy - a judgement made on experience from the start of talks , compounded by the past month .

Since most other participants wanted them there , of course the 'Shinners' came in on a fair wind : they also fit eagerly with the general desire to be sociable , though some were queasy at the initially heavy-handed Adams and McGuinness efforts to force unionists into handshakes and direct dialogue - " You'll have to stop poking , you can't rush this .." , advised Gary McMichael of the UDA's 'political front' , the 'Ulster Democratic Party'.......
(MORE LATER).



THE ROMAN REICH ?
Following the disbandment of the Dublin-based grouping , the NSIWP , a new right-wing organisation , believed to be linked with right-wing Catholic groups , has been formed . COLM KEENA reports .
From 'IN DUBLIN' magazine , 1 October 1987.

A new , extreme right-wing grouping has been formed in Ireland , and operates out of a postal address in Cork : it publishes an internal bulletin titled ' Ar Aghaidh ' , from PO Box 40 , Brian Boru Street , Cork City , and has links with some of the more extreme Irish Catholic Groups and individuals in this country which have been active in recent referenda .

One item in the October issue of 'Ar Aghaidh' tells subscribers that the French National Front is probably one of the most successful of all currently existing nationalistic groups : " The FNJ (youth wing) can be reached at 11 Rue Bernouilli , 75008 , Paris . They have a wide selection of excellent quality literature in French available , and a study of this material is recommended . They have made progress despite the usual defamation from the media and 'liberal' circles . FN's leader , Monsieur Jean-Marie Le Pen , has a realistic chance of actually becoming President in the not-so-distant future . There are definitely lessons to be learnt from the French experience. "

This is followed by the following short item - ' Read Clarion magazine , available from Kiora House , Greystones , County Wicklow . Even though there are noticable differences between it and 'Ar Aghaidh' , there are enough parallels in our relative 'lines' for a look to be of benefit to patriots . ' 'Clarion' magazine is a Catholic 'anti-communist' magazine published by a Jim Keating , of the above Greystones address : Keating has an interesting history with , amongst other things , links to the Moonies.......
(MORE LATER).



THE RIGHT TO SILENCE.......
Section 31 of the Broadcasting Act has just been renewed for another year by State Communications Minister Jim Mitchell , despite increasing protests and lobbying by the NUJ .
HELEN O'CONNOR examines the results of a recent NIHE survey of the attitudes of Dublin people on the issue and GERRY LAVERY looks back to the roots of Section 31 .
From 'IN DUBLIN' magazine , February 1987 .

In the Broadcasting Authority Act of 1960 , Section 31 reads - ' The Minister may direct the Authority in writing to refrain from broadcasting any particular matter or matter of any particular class , and the Authority shall comply with the direction . "

The RTE Authority had been set up as a quasi-independent body under the Broadcasting Authority Act of 1960 , but ultimate power still remained with the State Minister : this represented somewhat of a loosening of control over national communications by the State Administration who , since the Wireless and Telegraphy Act of 1926 , had made the State Minister for Posts and Telegraphs legally responsible for detailed control and operation of broadcasting .

In 1953 , Erskine Childers set up Comhairle Radio Eireann which consisted of a committee of five people in a part-time capacity , responsible under him as State Minister for Posts and Telegraphs for general control and supervision of the service : the 'Television Commission' was set up in the late 1950's to perform roughly the same function for the fledging television service and then both were merged into the RTE Authority under the 1960 Broadcasting Act . And then 'trouble' broke-out in the North of Ireland.......
(MORE LATER).







Wednesday, June 14, 2006

CHARLES HAUGHEY 1925-2006 : A TRIBUTE .
' With pomp and with ridiculous display
the politicians corpse is borne away ,
and all around him carped and slanged
I wept- I had wished to see him hanged ' .

( G K Chesterton , poet and British Liberal MP ) .


Due to 'staff' (!) shortages here at '1169...' - because of some football matches or other , and exams (you show 'em , Junior!) - this Blog will only be updated every second day , for the next few weeks . In short , I have been abandoned by all but this machine ! Sharon .


THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT : INSIDE THE NORTHERN IRELAND (sic) PEACE TALKS (sic).......
From 'MAGILL' magazine , November 1997 .
By Fionnuala O' Connor .

Comparatively speaking , Liz O' Donnell is something of a hit , even with unionists , apparently amused by her remark that she is , after all , married to a past pupil of Belfast's Campbell College with the 'sound' surname of Carson .

The interest in personalities , particularly new arrivals , is hardly surprising : 'substantive' negotiation is still in the early stages , with unionists slow to produce papers or 'engage' , a favourite talks word , and by any standards these are bizarre political allsorts , most of them now thrown together for over a year . Even without Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness (pictured here with another Westminster employee) , the mix was unprecedented for narrow , segregated 'Northern Ireland' : from men convicted of loyalist murders and women unaccustomed to thinking of themselves as politicians , to overall Chairman , George Mitchell , former majority leader of the United States Senate .

Over the months before (P) Sinn Fein arrived , the format of negotiation and rules of engagement were hammered out in often bitter exchanges , unionists objecting all the way ; unionists and Provos now attract suspicion and cynicism in almost equal measure.......
(MORE LATER).



THE YOUNGER BREED : ANDY CALLAGHAN.......
From 'The Phoenix' magazine , April 1986 .
No By-Line .

Andy Callaghan was born into a family of eight in the Oliver Bond flats in Dublin and has done very well for himself so far : he cuts quite a dash nowadays , smoking cigars , sporting a crombie coat and cruising around in his Opel Senator car. Money , apparently , is no problem .

His short period in City Hall has been marked by some flamboyant speeches , but he is not a good attender at committee meetings - the only strong stand he has taken to-date has been his opposition to his own party's move to rescind the 'Gaming and Lotteries Act' ; his defence of the one-arm bandits was said to be connected with 'Butcher Smith's (Andy's political buddy in Crumlin) interests in this area .

But Andy finally obeyed his party's political 'whip' : he has already learnt that in Fianna Fail , the party comes first ! If young Andy Callaghan does get the nomination for Dublin South Central , we are all assured of one thing : the battle for the constituency will be a marvel to behold .
[END of 'THE YOUNGER BREED : ANDY CALLAGHAN']
(Friday , 16th June - 'THE ROMAN REICH (in Dublin)' : from 1987.)

THE RIGHT TO SILENCE.......
Section 31 of the Broadcasting Act has just been renewed for another year by State Communications Minister Jim Mitchell , despite increasing protests and lobbying by the NUJ .
HELEN O'CONNOR examines the results of a recent NIHE survey of the attitudes of Dublin people on the issue and GERRY LAVERY looks back to the roots of Section 31 .
From 'IN DUBLIN' magazine , February 1987 .

Even if Section 31 censorship were repealed , says Niall Meehan , there would have to be "...a major attitude change (on the part of the journalists) : they are hemmed in by the inertia of their own profession . They have the problem that they are part of a socio-economic group who favour Section 31 , and they will find it hard to break the mould . "

There still is a lot of confusion surrounding the origins and operation of Section 31 : Charles Haughey , speaking on RTE radio on Friday 16 January , talked about it being enacted "...in 1970 or so.." . AP/RN (issue dated 15 January) talked of "its introduction in 1972." Elsewhere it has been associated most notably with Dr. Conor Cruise O' Brien , State Minister for Posts and Telegraphs in the 1973-1977 Coalition administration .

In fact the roots of what is referred to as 'Section 31' go back much further than any of those dates and can be found in the original Broadcasting Authority Act of 1960 .......
(MORE LATER).







Monday, June 12, 2006

Due to ' staff ' (!) shortages here at '1169...' - because of some football matches or other , and exams (you show 'em , Junior!) - this Blog will only be updated every second day , for the next few weeks . In short , I have been abandoned by all but this machine ! Sharon .


THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT : INSIDE THE NORTHERN IRELAND (sic) PEACE TALKS (sic).......
From 'MAGILL' magazine , November 1997 .
By Fionnuala O' Connor .

It was John Taylor who led the Ulster Unionist Party's brief withdrawal from Stormont on October 21 , 2000 , complaining that new (Free State) Minister for Foreign Affairs David Andrews had arrived with an 'aggressive' attitude towards debate on Articles Two and Three of the (State) Constitution : both men may be crucial to what internal observers see as an emerging new Stormont 'group dynamic' .

Taylor has not been present as yet for long enough sessions to allow any certainty about his role . In the other parties one theory had it that the Ulster Unionist Party 'walkout' was designed to wrongfoot the absent leader : another theory believed Trimble knew but professed ignorance when he arrived at the talks building .

David Andrews' performance draws mixed initial reactions : did he provoke the walkout ? " It was a standard outline , " counters a nationalist . Others called the walkout a "stunt" , but were not won by Andrews - " Too laidback , that does'nt go down well here . " Different groups gave him credit however for emphasising his partnership with Junior (Free State) Minister Liz O' Donnell , some think deferring to her longer Stormont experience and greater local knowledge . " Ray Burke never did that , " a Unionist noticed .......
(MORE LATER).



THE YOUNGER BREED : ANDY CALLAGHAN.......
From 'The Phoenix' magazine , April 1986 .
No By-Line .

Adele Ramsey's (Andy Callaghan's Fianna Fail running-mate) close ally and would-be-king-maker in all this is the appropriately named Kevin King : and allied to Andy is the equally intriguing (but more resourceful) Paddy 'Butcher' Smith , who seems to own most of Crumlin village : he hails from Cavan , owns 'Mullingar Meats' and finances the local 'Dublin Journal' newspaper which is not unfriendly , to say the least , to our young hero .

That kind of support is vital to Andy in the pursuit of his next ambition which , surprise , surprise , is a seat in Leinster House at the next election . The two sitting Fianna Fail Leinster House members , Ben Briscoe and John O' Connell , can expect to be nominated automatically for the Dublin South Central constituency , and after that Mount Street (Fianna Fail Head Office) may add one or two to the 'election ticket' : Alderman Mary Mooney will almost certainly be the party's first choice for the addition , and Andy Callaghan is pushing hard to be the second.......
(MORE LATER).



THE RIGHT TO SILENCE.......
Section 31 of the Broadcasting Act has just been renewed for another year by State Communications Minister Jim Mitchell , despite increasing protests and lobbying by the NUJ .
HELEN O'CONNOR examines the results of a recent NIHE survey of the attitudes of Dublin people on the issue and GERRY LAVERY looks back to the roots of Section 31 .
From 'IN DUBLIN' magazine , February 1987 .

Niall Meehan says it took the unlawful detention of Father Niall O' Brien in the Philippines to get Nicky Kelly freed here and that it will take something similar to displace Section 31 censorship here .

But one of the main problems he sees are the people who implement the Section 31 restriction on a day-to-day basis - the RTE journalists themselves : he stated - " Section 31 has become a naturalised part of the RTE landscape . I think RTE journalists were browbeaten into submission as regards Section 31 during the 1970's and the only thing that will change their opinions will be more public support for associations like the 'Repeal Section 31 Committee'. "

But the NUJ and the FWUI in RTE have made recommendations about Section 31 that are presently being implemented : every time it is felt that the Section affects the reporting of any story , journalists are now issuing 'Government Health Warnings' , so called because the viewer or listener is warned about what he/she is not being told because of the operation of Section 31 censorship - according to journalists in RTE , while some of their number are actually in favour of the Section , others are only 'chomping at the bit' , waiting for even a temporary relaxation of the censorship restriction , so that they can pursue some 'hard interviews' with Sinn Fein . Niall Meehan is not so convinced.......
(MORE LATER).