From the Balcony, A Publisher's Blog

Nelson should pay his way

2009-12-05T15:08:00.005Z

Can any of the overlords of blogosphere, via Slugger perhaps, tell me how many articles of faith and copyright Minister Nelson McCausland has breached by using a Belfast Media Group photograph on his blog without credit, or, worse, payment.

Didn’t St Colmcille say something about copyright and to every cow its calf back in the sixth century?

And isn’t it just iodine in the wounds that he uses the beautiful picture of Irish America philanthropist Mike Breen and pupils from Coláiste Feirste to attack solid citizens on both sides of the Atlantic?

I won’t even ask whether the department sanctions this type of borrowing/theft/daylight robbery/plagiarism.

So do I sue or just ask him to find his own photos if he won’t pay his way? All advice welcome.

Still it gives me a great opportunity to use this wonderful picture which includes Mike's daughter Shannon and Roise Ní Bhaoill of the Ultach Trust?

(Careful readers of this blog might point out that I've half-inched a few images myself in my time as a blogger but then I'm not the Minister of Culture!)

(p.s. Photograph has now been removed meaning only photo on view on Minister's blog is his own. Sounds like a raw deal. Check out Minister's dignified U-turn.)

Bo Tree treat

2009-12-04T22:46:00.004Z

After the launch of the Arts Council 'Troubles Archives' pamphlets in the Ulster Museum tonight, I got to enjoy dinner at Bo Tree.

I bumped into a fellow-diner who told me he had decided to check out the Thai restaurant on University Road after reading this feature in the Belfast Media excellent online foodie mag, Fork.

Bo Tree has a picture of royalty on display, not unusual in Belfast you might think but I suspect this is the only hostelry in which the royal is a Thai Prince.

Needless to say, Bo Tree is a hit with Belfast's Buddhist monks. Here they are imitating the hungry Christians I see every day in the Cultúrlann (apparently our picture in Fork is from a Japanese restaurant so presume that's about 200 million people insulted with one review!).

Renewed faith in our student population

2009-12-03T23:42:00.002Z

Wonderful as the Zogby talk last night at UU was, I had an even more uplifting experience when I visited the fifth and sixth floors of the new university city centre campus to check out its facilities for our forthcoming Belfast: City of the Quarters conference.

On the top floors, I was met by the inspiring sight of scores of young people (perhaps hundreds) working in an openplan space, typing on laptops, listening to ipods, printing off architectural plans, working a huge loom, building block towns, sitting round a warehouse space critiquing a wallchart. In short, learning. It's as inspirational image of the new Belfast as you're likely to see: hopefully, we'll see it in brochures and videos soon.

But there's more. On the way out, I witnessed an encounter which restored my faith in the studentworld. A twenty-something student was scrambling over an exit turnstile when a member of staff approached and told her she could operate the exit turnstile by pressing a small button. "I know replied the young lady but I'm not cattle. I'm refusing to press a button to leave the college. This is my protest."

I love that. She'll go far and Belfast has a bright future as long as we nurture such creative souls.

And focal scoir or final word: tonight as I was going into the dinner, a beautiful young lady of colour saluted me in Irish. Turns out it was a Brazilian lady who has made her home here and who is a student of Irish on the campus. She's married to an equally talented but not quite as beautiful Shaws Road Irish speaker and I'm told the language of their young family is a mixture of Portugese and Irish.

Áthas orm go bhfuair mé amach inniu!

Obama's bad hand; a Zogby analysis

2009-12-03T23:21:00.005Z

Renowned US pollster John Zogby was speaking at a special dinner in the University of Ulster's Academy restaurant on its belfast campus this evening, as a prelude to his speech tomorrow at the college's DIVA communications conference.

(Run by students at the university's catering college, the food and service at the Academy were excellent.)

Zogby is a Lebanese-American who is one of America's best-known and most respected pollsters. Addressing current US politics, he said he felt that Obama had been dealt a bad hand on Afghanistan and had acted accordingly. He didn't declare a withdrawal and become "a cut and run President" but neither did he give an open-ended commitment on the war against the Taliban. The Afghanistan speech needs to be seen in the context of his other difficulties with the economy and healthcare reform.

He also noted the staggering statistic that 56 per cent of Americans could see themselves in poverty within a year — most likely because of a health emergency.

Obama, he added, had given a lot of Americans hope. "He gave hope to Hispanic-Americans, to African-Americans, who are not a growing part of our population but are a growing part of our electorate and hope to our creative class, those 36 million people working in the creative industries from the media to medicine, architecture to the arts," he said. "But with hope comes great expectations from the electorate and that brings the political danger of not being able to meet those very high expectations."

Mary's Gift gets Nelsonian Eye treatment

2009-12-03T08:03:00.003Z

Minister of Culture Nelson McCausland has turned his not inconsiderable linguistic focus to the comments of leading Irish American Mike Breen who recently launched Mary's Gift to help fund Irish schools here.

You can read the Minister's full comments here — apparently Mike's name came up on the ministerial radio because he referred to Pádraig Pearse as a "patriot". Who would ever have thought?

"Here once again we see the influence of Irish republicanism on the Irish language movement." Amazing stuff. Nelson's just copped on that Pádraig Pearse is effectively the father of the entire Irish language revival.

There's a lovely picture of Mike and Coláiste Feirste pupils at the school on the blog? Looks like a Belfast Media snapper's work to me.

Maidin mhaith.

Waterboy

2009-12-02T22:19:00.003Z

In Cavan town today.

No problem getting parked off main street. Christmas shoppers were all in Enniskillen.

I ended up in Enniskillen later though had to drive through a flooded road. This is the gate at the side of the border road which gives you an idea of how slow the flood waters are receding.

In Inis Ceithleann, I hoped to congratulate Peter Quinn on joining an all-island party but turns out he simply addressed the Fianna Fáil Forum in Fermanagh, as asked, and remains party-less.

I did, however, bump into the redoubtable Domhnall Ó Cobhthaigh, former Sinn Féin councillor and one of our sharpest young political minds west of the bann. I was disappointed to hear that he'd left SF and sorrier still to hear he'd given up his council seat. He's lining out with Joe Higgins Socialist Party who are making waves though unlikely to cause a flood just yet.

Domhnall, of course, works for Peter Quinn Consultancy Services in Enniskillen which makes the office ripe for a TG4 soap, methinks.

I reached Béal Feirste again at 9pm, too late to cheer on Coláiste Feirste who went down to a better Edmund Rís team in the colleges' final in Casement Park today. Beidh lá eile ag an bPaorach.

Happy birthday MacBride

2009-12-02T22:11:00.000Z

From tomorrow's leader column in the Andersonstown News:

An entire generation of young people have now come of age in the North of Ireland under the protection of the robust fair employment code created by the MacBride Principles, launched 25 years ago.
It’s hard to believe now that these basic principles, named for human rights icon and Amnesty International founder Sean MacBride, ensuring equality for all in the workplace should have been resisted so bitterly by successive British governments.
Yet, sadly, the record shows that rather than welcome American moves to insist that any US company investing in the North commit itself to employing on merit alone, the British railed against the Principles.
Ultimately, of course, those efforts to hold back equality of opportunity on the shop floor were faced down by Irish Americans who kept up the pressure for fair play until the British had transformed the employment laws here.
Today the workplace is the most integrated part of society in the North of Ireland.
For helping to forge a better and fairer future, therefore, the signatories of the MacBride Principles — including Dr John Robb and trade unionist Inez McCormack — deserve enormous credit.
However, their work is not done. Structural discrimination still exists. It’s not by accident that 19 out of our 20 most disadvantaged wards are in North and West Belfast and in Derry.
Thus the work to ensure equal opportunity must also go on. Next week in the chamber of New York City Hall, Inez McCormack and Gerry Kelly MLA will join the leaders of Irish America to insist that part of the solution to enduring inequality is American oversight and investment. Hosted by our sister paper the Irish Echo, that auspicious gathering will salute the achievements of Irish America in winning the battle for MacBride but also in persuading US pension funds to invest in our fragile economy.
This paper welcomed the bold efforts by New York City and New York State comptrollers (treasurers) last year to build on MacBride by directing over $100m of pension funds to the underserved areas of the North. Unfortunately, those pension monies of hardworking New Yorkers have been caught in a bottleneck; not one cent has been spent.
The greatest epitaph for Seán MacBride would be for the pension investments of hardworking New Yorkers to be spent, as promised, in working class nationalist AND unionist areas along the peacelines of Belfast.
So here's to a happy 25th to the MacBride Principles. Long may they remain a standard for equality and an inspiration for those who battle injustice.

Foinse i mBéal Feirste

2009-12-01T20:20:00.002Z

Ní hé an pictiúr is fearr é dár ghlac mé ariamh ach seo Emer Ní Chéidigh, foilsitheoir Foinse, lena comrádaí Tomás Mac an Rí, taobh amuigh den Chultúrlann i mBéal Feirste Dé Sathairn seo chuaigh thart.

Bhí seans ag Emer Nuacht 24 a bhreathnú agus í sa Chultúrlann. Cé déarfadh nár mhaith comhoibriú a bheith ann idir an dá nuachtán?

Breithlá sona do Phobal

2009-12-01T16:50:00.001Z

Lá breithe shona do POBAL
Forbairt na heagraíochta ina slat tomhais ar na hathruithe le deich mbliain anuas

An mhí seo, bheidh sé deich mbliain ó osclaíodh oifigí POBAL, scáth eagras phobal na Gaeilge agus leis an dáta stairiúil seo a cheiliúradh, beidh bricfeasta speisialta ann ar 8.45 ar maidin, Dé hAoine 11 Nollaig in Óstan an Europa, Béal Feirste. Ag an ócáid, beidh ceoltóirí óga ó Choláiste Feirste agus ó Bhunscoil Phobal Feirste, chomh maith le scoth an bhricfeasta agus deis ag an lucht éisteachta díriú ar an mhéid atá bainte amach ag pobal na Gaeilge agus ag an scátheagras le deich mbliain anuas. Orthu siúd a bheidh ag tagairt do thionchar obair POBAL, beidh an Feisire Eorpach, Bairbre de Brún.

Dúirt PF POBAL, Janet Muller, ‘Is maith linn go bhfuil Bairbre de Brún in ann a bheith linn le tuairisc nua ar Acht na Gaeilge a sheoladh dúinn, mar gur thug sí cuidiú leanúnach dúinn ar an cheist seo sa Bhruiséil, ag díriú aird na bpáirtithe ar fad ar stádas na Gaeilge ó thuaidh.’ Seolfaidh Bairbre de Brún tuairisc POBAL atá bunaithe ar chainteanna saineolacha a thug Dafydd Iwan, Uachtarán Plaid Cymru agus Neasa Ní Chinnéide, Cathaoirleach an Biúró Eorpach do Theangacha Neamhfhorleathana, Éirinn ar cheist na reachtaíochta ag ócáid de chuid POBAL i mbliana.

Dúirt Janet, ‘Bhí tacaíocht agus deá-chleachtas idirnáisiúnta i gcónaí iontach tábhachtach dúinn, agus muid ag tógáil ar ár saineolas féin agus ar chumas phobal na Gaeilge an teanga a chosaint, a chur chun cinn agus a úsáid. Cé go bhfuil dearcadh ar leith ag roinnt páirtithe sa Tionól ar an Ghaeilge, le bliain anuas, d’éirigh le POBAL tacaíocht a fháil d’Acht na Gaeilge ó shaineolaithe i gComhairle na hEorpa, ó na Náisiúin Aontaithe, ó pholaiteoirí na Breataine Bige agus ar ndóigh, tá sé dearbhaithe ag rialtas na hÉireann go gcoinneoidh sé féin le gníomh ar an cheist i gcomhar linn.

Níos mó ná rud ar bith eile, is dócha, beidh deis ag pobal na Gaeilge ag an ócáid guth na Gaeilge ó thuaidh a cheiliúradh. Orthu siúd a d’iarr cúpla bomaite le labhairt faoi thionchar dearfach POBAL ar fhorbairt na Gaeilge, beidh Dónall Ó Cnáimhsí (Guth na Gaeltachta), a bhfuil baint aige leis an fheachtas in éadan chiorruithe rialtasacha ar an Ghaeilge, Pól Deeds (An Droichead), Pól Ó Frighil (Comhairle Dhoire), Réamonn Ó Ciaráin (Gael Linn), Daniel Holder (Coimisiún Um Chearta an Duine) agus daltaí ó Choláiste Feirste.

Dúirt Janet Muller, ‘Ar bhealach, tá forbairt na heagraíochta POBAL ina slat tomhais ar an athrú atá ar shaol na Gaeilge ó bhí Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta ann. Bunaíodh ag an pobal ó thuaidh muid leis an phobal a chosaint i gcúinsí ar leith an dlínse seo agus leis an teanga a chur chun cinn i gcóngar is i gcéin . Tá go leor bainte amach ag phobal na Gaeilge ó shin, ach go fóill tá bealach le dul, gan amhras. Tá muid ag dúil leis na dúshláin a shárú sa chéad deich mbliain eile!’

Happy birthday to POBAL
The development of the organisation is a yard stick for the changes of the last ten years

This month, it will be ten years since POBAL, the umbrella organisation for the Irish speaking community opened its offices and to celebrate this historic event, there will be a special breakfast event at 8.45 on Friday 11th December in the Europa Hotel. At the event, there will be young musicians from Coláiste Feirste and the choir of Bunscoil Phobal Feirste, all enjoying the best of breakfast spreads! There will also be a chance to take stock of what has been achieved by the Irish speaking community and by POBAL in the last ten years. Amongst those who will be looking back over the influence POBAL has had will be the MEP Bairbre de Brún.

Janet Muller, POBAL’s CEO said, ‘We are pleased that Bairbre de Brún is able to be with us to launch a new report on the Irish Language Act because she has given ongoing support to us in raising this matter in Brussels and making other parties aware of the status of Irish in the North.’ Bairbre de Brún will launch a POBAL report based on an event earlier this year, when the President of Plaid Cymru, Dafydd Iwan, and the Chair of the Irish Committee on Lesser Used Languages spoke in support of legislation at a POBAL event.

Janet said, ‘International support and best practice has always been very important to us as we built up our own expertise and the ability of the Irish speaking community to defend, promote and use the Irish language. Even though some of the parties in the Assembly have a particular attitude to the language, in the last year, POBAL has succeeded in getting support for the Irish language Act from experts at the Council of Europe, from the United Nations, from Welsh politicians and of course the Irish government has also confirmed that it will continue to work on this matter with us.

More than anything else, though, this event will give the Irish speaking community in the north the chance to celebrate its own voice. Amongst those who will spend a few minutes talking about the influence of POBAL, will be Dónall Ó Cnáimhsí from campaign group Guth na Gaeltachta which is opposing Irish government cuts to Irish, Pól Deeds (An Droichéad), Pól Ó Frighil (Derry Council), Réamonn Ó Ciaráin (Gael-Linn), Daniel Holder (NIHRC) and pupils from Colaiste Feirste.

Janet Muller siad, ‘in a way, the development of the organisation POBAL is a yardstick for the change that has taken place in the life of the Irish language community since the Good Friday Agreement. The community in the North established the group to help protect the Irish language in the particular circumstances of this jurisdiction and to promote Irish far and wide. The Irish speaking community has achieved a great deal since then, but there is still a way to go, without doubt. We are ready for the challenges of the next ten years!’

MacBride silver lining

2009-12-01T14:45:00.003Z

Legendary Irish American human rights attorney Brian O'Dwyer has made it possible for us to hold a special event in the chamber of New York City Hall next week to mark the 25th anniversary of the MacBride Principles on Fair Employment.

Here's a note from your host, Speaker Christine Quinn.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the MacBride Principles on Fair Employment.

On Tuesday, December 8, 2009, the New York City Council will be hosting a special reception and panel discussion titled "Building on MacBride". The event will take place from 4:45 p.m. to 7 p.m. at New York City Hall. This event, which is being co-sponsored by the Irish Echo newspaper, will feature a panel discussion with opportunities for audience questions and comments.

The MacBride Principles, consisting of nine fair employment affirmative action principles, are a corporate code of conduct for U.S. companies doing business in Northern Ireland. This will be a moment for us to reflect on the North's significant fair employment gains and to discuss how New York City and Northern Ireland can work together to build on these gains.

Among the invited speakers are: Niall Burgess, Consul General of Ireland in New York; Gerry Kelly MLA, a junior minister in the Northern Ireland power-sharing Executive and Sinn Féin representative for North Belfast; Inez McCormack, signatory of the MacBride Principles; and Joe Jameson, Irish American Labor Coalition. The discussion will be moderated by Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, publisher of the Irish Echo.

The Invite is here but you have to rsvp to attend.

Stró an Ghnó

2009-11-30T17:07:00.002Z

Beidh Coiscéim ag foilsiú Stró an Ghnó ar 12 Nollaig sa Chultúrlann agus tá súil agam go dtig leat a bheith linn ar 1pm sa Cheathrú Póilí don seoladh sin.

Is bailiúchán atá ann de scéaltaí agus blúiríní eolais a phioc mé suas maidir le cúram custaiméirí agus cúrsaí fiontraíochta le tamall anuas.

Breac le pictiúirí agus comhairle ó chuid de na daoine a bhain aitheantas amach sa Bharr 50 Gnó le Gaeilge a thionscnaigh Lá agus atá á reachtáil anois ag Grúpa Meán Bhéal Feirste.

"Enormous outpouring of cultural innovation" in Gaeltacht Quarter

2009-11-30T06:30:00.001Z

The new Gaeltacht Quarter project will be the engine to drive the revival of West Belfast, a top architect and Irish language advocate has said.

Addressing the annual Cothaigh dinner as part of the weekend Gaeltacht Quarter Festival, Fleadh Feirste, Ciarán Mackel, chair of the Gaeltacht Quarter board, said the Irish language was as important to West Belfast’s rebirth as the Lagan was to Laganside.

Among the key elements of the new Gaeltacht Quarter project, stretching from St Mary’s University College-St Dominic’s campus on the Falls to Coláiste Feirste and the former Beechmount leisure centre site could be:

• A new office building at the junction of Broadway and the Falls for the schools body Iontaobhas na Gaelscolaíochta.

• A major, ultramodern extension to An Chultúrlann.

• An Lúbra artpiece — the biggest-ever public artwork in West Belfast — celebrating the Irish language and welcoming visitors to the Gaeltacht Quarter which is being created by the world famous artist Brian O’Doherty.

• The redevelopment of the Beechmount leisure centre campus.

A major report by consultants Deloitte on the development of the Gaeltacht Quarter is due to be published before Christmas, Ciarán Mackel revealed.

“The Gaeltacht Quarter is about regeneration and creating enterprise and employment and about extending the services for Irish speakers of all ages and for all in this community,” he added.

“An asset-based and public-sector backed Gaeltacht Quarter delivery focus can see real projects blossom within a three-five year period. We can create a living, bustling quarter which people will visit in significant numbers and in which many more will work, live and thrive.”

And the leading architect and town planner said the Gaeltacht Quarter could impact on high levels of joblessness in West Belfast. “The Gaeltacht Quarter is an astonishing paradox,” he said. “On the one hand it contains two out of the three most disadvantaged wards in the northeast corner of this island, on the other it is the site of an enormous outpouring of cultural innovation.”

Commissioned last year, the Deloitte report is expected to suggest that the Gaeltacht Quarter project should be driven forward by a Laganside-style company answerable to the Office of the First and deputy First Minister.

"Courage and ingenuity"

2009-11-29T20:33:00.000Z

The oration of Senator Mary White to the annual General Tom Barry commemoration in Cork
onSaturday, 28 November 2009:

Is cuís áthas agus onóra a Dom a bheith in bhúr láthair inniu. Mo bhuíochas do lucht eagraithe na hócáide seo agus go mór leis an tUasal Con O’ Farrell.....don chuireadh a bheit mar chainteoir ag an gcomóradh seo agus mo bhuíochas le Peadar ó Riada agus Cór Chúl Aodh don cheol álainn “Mo Ghile Mear” a chualamar cúpla nóiméad ó shin.
General Tom Barry and his comrades who we remember here today dedicated themselves to free Ireland which had been subjugated to British domination for seven centuries.
Ultimately, it was the determination, self-sacrifice and bravery of General Tom Barry, the West Cork Flying Column, Cumann na mBan and the People of Cork - as manifested so well at Kilmichael and Crossbarry and many other places - which forced Britain to negotiate and led to the withdrawal of British forces from the greater part of this island.
General Tom Barry and his comrades displayed not just courage, but ingenuity in developing a new type of guerilla warfare that allowed them to take on an enemy over thirty times their size and, in doing so, established a template for national self-determination movements around the world.  
There is no doubt in my mind that General Tom Barry deserves much more recognition for his role in achieving independence for the greater part of our country.
He was inspired throughout his life by the memorable opening words of the Proclamation of 1916: 
Irishmen and Irishwomen………. 
“ We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies, to be sovereign and indefeasible….”

In his book Guerrilla Days in Ireland General Tom Barry wrote
“ the beauty of those words enthralled me. Lincoln at Gettysburg does not surpass it nor does any other recorded proclamation of history.
Let us also remember, Leslie Bean De Barra, Tom’s wife, who was just as brave as her husband, and was one of the last women to leave the GPO on the Friday of Easter week 1916. Leslie was Director of Organisation for Cumann Na mBan and travelled around the countryside encouraging women to join the republican movement.
In 1939 Leslie Bean de Barra joined the Irish Red Cross on its foundation and as chairwoman in the 1950s she represented Ireland at international level. Leslie received many awards for her humanitarian work including decorations from the Dutch, German and Italian governments and in 1978 the Henri Dunant medal the highest award of the International Committee of the Red.

On Thursday of this week , the draft 20 –Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030 was published by Éamon Ó Cuív TD, An tAire Gnothaí Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta. The vision and aim in this new strategy is to ensure that as many Irish people as possible are bilingual in both Irish and English in 20 years time.

Mar a dúirt an Taoiseach Brian Cowen le déanaí, tá an Straitéis bunaithe ar spiorad na ndaoine agus an bród atá ag an bpobal ina dteanga agus le comhoibriú idir an Stát agus an pobal tá súil go mbeidh fás ag borradh leis an teanga nuair a thagann deiridh le tréimhse an Straitéis i gceann 20 bliain.
Irish is part of the culture and heritage of every part of this island including the north of Ireland and the promotion and protection of the language there is also a priority in this new strategy.
I myself feel that we are on the turning point of growing popular interest in the use of our beautiful native language and in our hearts we know that our language represents a vital part of our identity as Irish people.

A pioneering study published in the past year by that great advocate for the Irish language , An tAthair Michael Mc Greil found that positive aspirations for the Irish language were held by over 93% of the people and nearly half of the population feel that they have some level of fluency in Irish.
This afternoon, I am calling on the Women of Ireland to mark the Centenary of 1916 by becoming leaders in restoration of our beautiful language. I am calling on Irish women, mothers, grandmothers to speak to speak Irish to their children and grandchildren and lead the momentum of greater use of Irish in everyday life between now and 2016 the centenary of the 1916 Rising.
In 1969 speaking on RTE to Brian Farrell, Tom Barry said “I have a social conscience. I believe the poor and the less well-off should always be helped.” He always maintained that people who ‘fell on hard times’, should be assisted by those who could afford it. Today, inequality is at the root of a wide range of health and social problems in Ireland. During the Celtic Tiger we became carried away by material consumption and as our society became more unequal the gap between the rich and poor widened considerably.

Although the economic boom raised the living standards of many, unfortunately, Ireland remains an outsider among rich European nations in its high degree of income inequality. In 2008 the OECD found that amongst the EU-15, Ireland ranked first in terms of earnings inequality.
General Tom Barry, over the course of his life, fought against the twin social ills of inequality and poverty. As the government attempts to plot a course to economic recovery, it is vital that the most vulnerable members of society - those who depend on social welfare payments, are not left behind.
Social inequality is one of the major challenges facing Irish society and is the cause of many problems such as poor mental and physical health, crime, drug abuse and deprives us of the creativity, skills and talents of so many of our people.

During the Celtic Tiger years fears were being expressed that we, as a nation, were becoming too busy, too wealthy or too selfish to give time to one another as a result of our busy lifestyles. However, 2006 census found two out of every three citizens regularly take part in voluntary or community activities and the majority are in regular contact with their neighbours.
The very best of community spirit was evident during the savage flooding that devastated your city and many other parts of our country.

Next Saturday , December 5th is United Nations International Volunteer Day and I exhort everyone , young and old , men and women - to make a special effort to call to their elderly neighbours on that day and to continue that good work into the future.
In turbulent times, Ireland needs a new approach; a visionary and altruistic approach which puts the values of community first. An approach which would be informed by the Irish proverb, ‘Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine’ — we exist in each other’s shelter.
In doing so, we should take great heart from the role played by President Mary McAleese and her husband Martin in making their home in Áras An Uachtaráin a welcoming place for community and bridgebuilding with our Northern neighbours.
One of the remarkable achievements of the Good Friday agreement was that it allowed both traditions to maintain their political aspirations: the unionist tradition to remain in the United Kingdom and the nationalist tradition to aspire to a United Ireland.  The political key was that change could only come by consent. 
Throughout his life General Tom Barry continued to keep the question of the partition of Ireland to the fore. As A Nationalist and Republican, I believe passionately that the unfinished business of the 21st century is the pursuit by wholly peaceful means.

Every effort must be made no matter how small, towards mutual respect and good relations between the different communities on this island. Greater harmony, can only benefit Ireland and lead to the unity of mind, heart and soul of all Irish people both here at home and further afield in order to achieve an Ireland that is reflective of all, excluding no one, embracing all, welcoming all and showing the world the true nature of Irish people. .
Is ea, is feidir linn.

Appalling indictment of EU leader

2009-11-29T13:50:00.002Z

The United Nations Committee Against Torture held its 43rd session in Geneva earlier this month.

Visitors to this blog won't be surprised to hear the roll call of nations with dubious records on the treatment of their prisoners which found themselves in front of this auspicious UN body.

Yemen
El Salvador
Colombia
Moldova
Azerbaijan
Slovakia (a member of the EU admittedly but only a democracy since 1993)

But also there was Spain...desperately trying to deny its torture and ill-treatment of Basque detainees. Mo náire sibh.

Blogtalking heads

2009-11-28T06:56:00.002Z

What do you mean you don't have 40 minutes to spare to watch me, Mick Fealty of Slugger O'Toole and Gary McKeown mouth off about issues on which our knowledge is both superficial and stupendously elevating?

Blogtalk (episode 6) from Northern Visions/NvTv on Vimeo.

This is a production of NV/TV in Belfast which in turn is a child of the wonderful Northern Visions which was begot by Just Books in Winetavern Street when the Pope was an altar boy.

This blogathon should probably be read in conjunction with this lament for journlism by Michael Gerson in the Washington Post.

Amnesty, UN join outcry over Basque persecution

2009-11-27T18:00:00.001Z

Dear Mr. O´Muilleoir,

My name is Ainara Mendiola and I am the coordinator of "Egunkaria case" international campaign. "Egunkaria" was the only Basque-language newspaper and it was closed down by the Spanish military police (Guardia Civil) in 2003.

We have spread information about the case worldwide ever since and we received many adhesions and important backing from several human rights and political organizations (such as the United Nations, Amnesty International, the International Press Association, many groups of the European Parliament and the Spanish Congress, Pen International, the Basque Government), medias and intellectuals as well as thousands of ordinary people from around the world.

The latest news we have is that five former leading members of "Egunkaria" are going to be judged at the Spanish National Criminal Court beginning on 15 December, accused of belonging to ETA armed group. Those are the members to be judged:

            - Joan Mari Torrealdai
            - Iñaki Uria
            - Txema Auzmendi
            - Martxelo Otamendi
            - Xabier Oleaga

There is no proof of such charges and even the prosecutor of the Spanish National Criminal Court has claimed the case to be invalidated. But it is a politically motivated action which is going to be held.

Therefore, we would like to get your attention to this serious attack against the freedom of speech, human rights, the Basque language and the Basque culture. Attached to this message, I have sent you an explanatory document about “Egunkaria” case, as well as some other interesting documents. Apart from that, we will be pleased to give you as much information as you need and all the defendants are available to have interviews.

You will find several documents about “Egunkaria” in many languages on the following website (it will be activated soon): www.egunkaria.info/international .
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you very much.

Yours sincerely,

Ainara Mendiola
Coordinator of the international campaign in favour of Egunkaria
Martin Ugalde Kultur Parkea
20160 Andoain, Gipuzkoa (Basque Country)
e-mail: egunkaria.press@gmail.com
Office number: (00 34) 943 30 40 30
Website: www.egunkaria.info/international

Christine Quinn on Belfast trip

2009-11-27T17:15:00.002Z

The Speaker and President of New York City Council Christine Quinn is interviewed for Adrian Flannelly's Irish Radio show about her Belfast trip.

Agus Nollaig shona duitse fosta

2009-11-27T12:15:00.003Z

Now I know why the Irish Government is contemplating a 20-year plan for Irish...it takes eons to get the authorities to take even baby steps.

This time last year, this blog noted that the invitations from the British Irish Joint Secretariat were in the official language of Britain but not of the Republic of Ireland.

Complaints were duly lodged.

One year later and....we're back to the future.

One doesn't expect any better of the Irish side but with the British signing up to deliver "robust action" for Irish in the Good Friday Agreement, you really do expect to see An Ghaeilge acknowledged.

There's always next year.

The educated classes

2009-11-27T09:39:00.002Z

I had an interesting night at Queen's University last night where Bertie Ahern was the guest speaker at the annual Co-Operation Ireland gala dinner.

Though still a TD, Bertie, who serves on the board of Co-Operation Ireland, gave a diplomacy-free talk about the state of the nation, urging increased support for the reconciliation work of the all-island body which has just celebrated 30 years of endeavour.

He said governments had a key role to play in financing Co-Operation Ireland. "When you say to governments you have a security problem, they say, 'how much do you want'," he said. "However when you say it's an issue involving support for marginalised communities, you don't get the same support. I would be wary of that because prevention is always better than cure."

He also voiced support for Irish people to shop wherever they want, contrary to the oft-stated views of some of his Dáil colleagues, defended, belatedly, his €500,000 Bertie Bowl stadium plan and said many politicians were "short on vision" and stressed the need to provide more support for young people.

"Fighting for peace every day is our responsibility," said the man who was Taoiseach during the tough Good Friday negotiations when he impressed all by travelling to the talks despite the death of his mother in the middle of those 1998 deliberations.

At 11pm, on the way from the Great Hall at 11pm to my car, attired in finest dickie bow and tuxedo, I encountered some of our erudite student populace making their way out for the night. Drink in hand, one saluted me with "you look well tonight" to which his pal rejoinered, "you look like a faggot".

Of all the insults, the cream of our educated youth decides the most offensive is to accuse a stranger of being gay. Co-Operation Ireland clearly has its work cut out for it.

Making the trains run on time...and in two languages

2009-11-26T12:20:00.006Z

Anyone who had the misfortune to have to use the cattle byre which was Newry Train Station will be pleased to see it emerge as a regional, modern building at the end of a £12m rebuild programme.

Better still for Irish speakers is that Translink have been coaxed over the line on bilingual signage. You can see see 'Iúr Chinn Trá Stáisiún Traenach' on the 'totem' behind Conor Murphy and his giant scissors in our picture. I'm told the signage inside is Sainsbury's West Belfast store-standard.

Minister Conor Murphy, who has committed to reversing the neglect of Newry, Derry and other points west, said at the opening: "This new station will provide a modern, attractive facility for passengers with many new amenities, including the provision for 300 parking spaces for the use of rail passengers. The new station with its state of the art passenger building and concourse is in stark contrast to the facilities previously provided. Reliability, comfort and accessibility are important factors in attracting people to public transport and I hope passengers will quickly see the benefits arising from the investment in this new station for Newry."

Pictured with Minister Murphy are Newry and Mourne Mayor John Feehan of the SDLP and Translink CEO Catherine Mason.

You can see the great bilingual signage on YouTube (look out for the bilingual plaque).

Basque journalists on the rack

2009-11-25T18:16:00.003Z

Those of us who yearn for peace in the Basque Country and vehemently oppose the ETA campaign will be saddened to hear that the Spanish courts are to proceed with the bogus case against Martxelo Otamendi and the executives of the Basque daily newspaper Egunkaria which was closed down in February 2003.

At the time, five senior officials of Egunkaria were arrested and tortured, including Martxelo, by the Guardia Civil; conduct subsequently condemned by the UN rapporteur on torture.

The trial against the Egunkaria accused starts on 14 December. It is a travesty. Newspapers should not be closed down in any country, not least in an EU country and the international community must insist this sham is stopped.

I think back to my last conversation with the hero of the Irish peace process, Fr Alex Reid, who told me he returned from the Basque Country because peace was unattainable. "The Spanish government is not interested in dialogue," he said.

This case confirms his thesis.

Martxelo Otamendi (pictured) and his co-accused Inaxi Uria were frequent visitors to Belfast and addressed a packed meeting in Teach Basil some years back on the subject of a daily Irish newspaper. Martxelo has since travelled to the Aisling Awards on many occasions.

A powerpoint presentation of the Egunkaria case is here (hope this works, if not techies will sort tomorrow).

Fleadh Feirste

2009-11-25T18:00:00.002Z

Is togra an-dearfach é Fleadh Feirste a thosaíonn amárach le lasadh na solais Nollag ar an chrann Nollag ag an Chultúrlann. Leanfaidh sé ar aghaidh ansin le himeachtaí ar feadh cheithre lá, ina measc Cothaigh oíche Aoine sa Chultúrlann.

Téann ardmholadh chuig Jake Mac Siacais agus foireann na Cultúrlainne, Fhorbairt Feirste agus na Ceathrún Gaeltachta as an imeacht seo a thionscnú...cé go mbogfainn féin gach rud chuig an 12ú Iúil.

Go n-éirí go geal le Fleadh Feirste.

Ireland 2009

2009-11-25T17:49:00.004Z

If I only had the energy to go to TripAdvisor to tell them my hotel in Galway had no hot water in the shower at 6am this morning and then doubled up by having no soap/shampoo in the soap/shampoo thingy they insist in using instead of giving you a good old fashioned bar of soap and a bottle of shampoo.

Still, despite delays at Galway airport due to strong winds at Dublin (and, boy, that was some landing when we finally arrived), I arrive home safe if only partially washed.

The two great sights of Ireland 2009 which greeted me on my way to TG4 yesterday for the TG4 7 Lá show were a five-mile queue of striking workers and co. snaking their way into Newry for the Day of Action bargains and Galway under water from our Aer Arann plane as we came into land at Galway.

It's a disaster out there in Galway and Clare; in Cork half the populace can't drink the water. Anyone who thinks, as Taoiseach Brian Cowen suggested yesterday in the Dáil that the insurance companies will pick up the bill should think again.

I suspect that anyone who claims won't be able to afford the cover next year because their premium will be bumped up or, in fact, all insurance companies will decide these floods are a permanent fixture and decline cover entirely.

Certainly, after our premises were fire-bombed earlier this year, we claimed our insurance only to find out when renewal time came round last week that no-one wanted our business. Nice that.

Breakfast in the heart of the Shankill

2009-11-24T06:05:00.002Z

My own Aisling has been to be able to enjoy a pint of Guinness in a Shankill Road pub some Saturday evening with a full view of the populace passing by (and they of me).

I haven't realised that dream yet but I did enjoy breakfast at 8am yesterday morning at Edendbrooke primary school on Tennent Street in the Shankill yesterday morning, courtesy of Terence Brannigan, chair of the CBI here (and a native of East Belfast) and Betty Orr, school principal (pictured)

Edenbrooke is a beautiful old listed school with new sports facilities and caters for around 200 children from the upper Shankill area.

Around 70 per cent of children receive school meals — which means their parents are of meagre financial means. Educationally, the Shankill faces many challenges but most revolve around ambition and aspiration. One way to generate ambition is to work with the parents, though funding for a pioneering programme with parents has been axed.

There's also a need to celebrate success and give a leg-up to young people who want to follow an academic path. The annual Aisling bursaries go to young people heading off to university and obviously can't go to 11-year-olds entering secondary schools. However, Betty did give me an idea about providing bursaries to the parents of children.

Now there's a thought...and if I didn't have a glass of Guinness, I did have a sausage, an egg and a slice of potato bread.

Dála an scéil, beidh mé ar mo bhealach go Conamara Dé Máirt le bheith ar 7 Lá anocht.

Cúúúúúipéar!

2009-11-23T06:21:00.000Z

Tá deis againn anois vóta a chaitheamh le Mairéad Cooper as foireann peil na mban Aontroma as an tsárchúl a scóráil sí sa chluiche ceannais i bPáirc an Chrócaigh. TG4 atá ag eagrú an chomórtais anseo.