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October 13, 2005

Hain Confirms Police Board Membership

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News about Ireland & the Irish

NI 10/13/05 Hain Confirms Police Board Membership
SF 10/13/05 Policing Board Will Not Impact New Beginning
NH 10/13/05 Imminent Changes To Policing Board — Hain
NI 10/13/05 Hain’s Statement To The House Of Commons
BB 10/13/05 Hain Report On NI Summer Events
IO 10/13/05 Methodist Defends Priest Over Nazi Jibe
BB 10/13/05 Unionist Anger Over Nazi Remarks
NH 10/13/05 Opin: Commission Still Has A Role
SF 10/13/05 Maskey - Sectarianism Can’t Be Ignored
IE 10/13/05 Reiss Can Still Do The Job, And Well
BT 10/13/05 Govt: To Beat Bird Flu: Wash Your Hands
BB 10/13/05 Mural Giving Shankill A New Image
BT 10/13/05 Brisk Demand For Irish Passports
HA 10/13/05 HSO Pops Concert Features Eileen Ivers

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http://www.nio.gov.uk/media-detail.htm?newsID=12372

Hain Confirms Continuation Of Police Board Membership

Secretary of State, Peter Hain MP, today confirmed the
continuation of the current membership of the Northern
Ireland Policing Board until 31 March, 2006.

Peter Hain said: "On 2 August I announced my decision to
roll forward the current membership of the Policing Board
for a further period.

"As I said in August my over-riding concern is to maintain
stability and continuity in these vital policing
accountability arrangements. This is important for
ensuring effective operation of the Board and support for
policing.

"I have written to all members formally notifying them of
the continuation of the current membership of the Policing
Board until 31 March 2006.

"A competition for independent members of the Board beyond
that date will be launched in the near future. As part of
the reconstitution exercise the political element of the
Board will be appointed on the basis of using the d'Hondt
formula applied to the 2003 election results."

Notes to Editors

1. The Northern Ireland Policing Board

The Northern Ireland Policing Board is an independent
public body established under the Police (Northern Ireland)
Act 2000. The primary function of the Board is to hold the
Chief Constable and police service publicly to account. It
has a key role in ensuring the provision of an effective,
efficient, impartial and accountable police service, which
will enjoy the support of all sections of the community.

The Policing Board is made up of 19 members. The
reappointment for all members will take place from 16
October 2005 and expire not later than 31 March 2006.

The procedures for reappointment have complied with the
OCPA Code of Practice for Public Appointments.

These appointments were made by the Secretary of State
taking account of his statutory duty under Part II of
Schedule 1 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 to
secure, as far as is practicable, that membership of the
Board is representative of the community in Northern
Ireland.

2. Brief summary of appointee's careers

Professor Sir Desmond Rea

Professor Sir Desmond Rea is Chairman of the Northern
Ireland Policing Board.

He is an Emeritus Professor of Human Resource Management at
the University of Ulster.

Sir Desmond is Editor of the Economic Outlook and Business
Review for First Trust Bank.

He is a former Chairman of the Northern Ireland Labour
Relations Agency, the NI Local Government Staff Commission
and of the NI Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and
Assessment.
----

Denis Bradley

Mr Denis Bradley is Vice Chairman of the Northern Ireland
Policing Board.

A current Chairman and Chief Executive of Northland Films
and Director of Treatment and Education at the Northlands
Centre, a centre for the treatment of addictions.

He was a member of both the NI Drugs Committee and the BBC
Broadcasting Council. A founder member of the Bogside
Community Association he has long been associated with
local community organisations.

Mr Bradley is also a freelance Journalist
----

Alex Attwood MLA

Mr Attwood is a solicitor who entered local politics on
election to Belfast City Council in 1985.

He was a member of the Dublin Forum for Peace and
Reconciliation and was a member of SDLP talks team at
Castle Buildings talks 1996-1998 and has been a member of
the Northern Ireland Assembly since 1998.
----

Viscount Brookeborough

Viscount Brookeborough runs a farming and tourist business
at his home, ColebrookePark, in CountyFermanagh.

He is President of Outward Bound NI and is a member of the
Advisory Council of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme in
NI. He is a Trustee of the Housing for The Homeless Fund of
the Simon Community NI. He sits as an Independent Cross
Bench Peer in the House of Lords.
----

Joe Byrne

Joe Byrne is a Queen's University economics graduate who
went on to become a college lecturer before commencing a
political career.Mr Byrne was a member of Omagh District
Council from 1993 to 2005 and served as Chairman in 1997.
He was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political
Dialogue in 1996; was a member of the Northern Ireland
assembly between 1998 and 2003.
----

Fred Cobain MLA

Fred Cobain is an Ulster Unionist Party assembly member for
North Belfast.

He was first elected to Belfast City Council in 1985 and
re-elected in 2005.

He served as Lord Mayor in 1990 and has been a member of
the Northern Ireland Assembly since 1998.

----
Brian Dougherty

Mr Brian Dougherty holds a BSc(Hons) degree in Regional
Analysis and Development and is a Master of Town Planning.

At present he is a Co-ordinator with the Tullyally and
District Development Group in Londonderry. Currently
Chairperson of the North West Community Network, he is also
a member of the Northern Ireland Civic Forum and Area
Representative of the Derry Urban Community Policing Forum.

He has been widely involved with many local youth and
sporting groups and is Secretary of the Northern Ireland
Cricket Association.
----

Sam Foster

Sam Foster is an Ulster Unionist Party assembly member who
held the Fermanagh and South Tyrone seat from 1998 until
2003.

Mr Foster was Minister for the Environment in the devolved
assembly from 1999 to 2002. He is a retired Social Worker
with a C.Q.S.W. qualification. He was a member of
Fermanagh District Council from 1981 – 2001, holding the
Chairmanship from 1995 – 97.He is a former member of both
the Northern Ireland Police Authority and the Ulster
Defence Regiment with the rank of Major (4th) Fermanagh
Battalion.
----

Barry Gilligan

Mr Barry Gilligan runs his own consultancy and property
company. He is Chairman of the Colin Glen Trust and
Chairman of Groundwork Northern Ireland.

Mr Gilligan is a director of Cobra Estates Ltd (Property
Investment and Development/Consultancy Services), Crumlin
Road Courthouse Ltd (Property Development) Ravella
Properties Ltd
----

William Hay MLA

William Hay is a DUP MLA for Foyle.

A haulage contractor by trade, he was elected to Derry City
Council in 1981 and served as Mayor 1993 and Deputy Mayor
1992.

He has been a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly since
1998;

Member of Londonderry Port and Harbour Commission since
1998.
----

Tom Kelly

Mr Kelly is Managing Director of a Public Relations Company
and is Chairman of the Newry Town Centre Partnership.

He was formerly a Parliamentary Assistant and is an ex
Director of the Social Democratic Group.
----

Lord Kilclooney MLA

Lord Kilclooney (John D Taylor) is member of the Ulster
Unionist Party and former MP for Strangford. He formerly
served as Deputy Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party.

The former MP is a company director and chairman of the
Alpha Newspaper Group. He is a former M.E.P for Northern
Ireland.
----

Alan McFarland MLA

Alan McFarland is an Ulster Unionist Party assembly member
for North Down.

Mr McFarland served for 18 years in the military before
retiring as a Major in 1992.

Between 1992 and 1996, he was Parliamentary Assistant to
Rev. Martin Smyth MP and Rt. Hon. James Molyneaux at
Westminster.

Subsequently, he was Director of the Somme Heritage Centre,
Newtownards (1996 – 98) – a museum which examines Ireland's
contribution to the First World War.He was a North Down
Member of the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue
between 1996 and 1998, Vice-Chair on the Education
committee in 1996 – 97.
----

Mrs Pauline McCabe

Mrs Pauline McCabe is a Training and Business Consultant
with a Masters Degree in Personnel Management, and is a
Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel
Development.

She has links with Newry Hospice and other charities.
----

Eddie McGrady MP

Eddie McGrady has been the MP for South Down since 1987.

A chartered accountant by profession, he entered politics
in 1960 as a member of Downpatrick Urban District Council.

Mr McGrady was the first Chairman of the SDLP in 1970.

A member of Down District Council between 1973 and 1989, he
was Chairman on several occasions.

He was elected to the Assembly in 1973 and the New Ireland
Forum in 1984, and was an MLA from 1998 to 2003.
----

Rosaleen Moore

Mrs Rosaleen Moore is a Social Worker by profession and was
Director of Mental Health and Disability Services in
Craigavon and Banbridge Health and Social Services Trust.

She has been appointed to the Board of Praxis NI a Mental
Health Charity and retains an interest in this area in a
voluntary capacity.
----

Ian Paisley Junior MLA

Ian Paisley Jnr is Democratic Unionist Party justice
spokesman and assembly member for North Antrim.

He began his political career as a political researcher and
author in 1989.

Notable positions include Northern Ireland Forum for
Political Dialogue 1996-1998; Member of the Northern
Ireland Assembly since 1998.
----

Sammy Wilson MP MLA

Sammy Wilson is a teacher who was elected to Belfast City
Council in 1981 and served as Lord Mayor in 1986 and 2000.

He is Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) assembly member for
East Belfast.

Mr Wilson was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum for
Political Dialogue 1996 and has been a member of the
Northern Ireland Assembly since 1998.

Mr Wilson was elected as Member of Parliament in 2005.
----

Suneil Sharma

Mr Suneil Sharma is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of
Management Accountants.

He is Managing Director of the Befab Group and a former
Commissioner with the Commission for Racial Equality NI.

He is also a member of the Management Committee of the NI
Council for Ethnic Minorities and a trustee for the Spirit
of Enniskillen Trust.
----

Northern Ireland Policing Board, current membership

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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/11486

Reconstituted Policing Board Will Not Impact On Efforts To
Get New Beginning

Published: 13 October, 2005

Commenting on the announcement by Peter Hain that he is to
re-constitute the Policing Board Sinn Féin MP for Fermanagh
& South Tyrone Michelle Gildernew said that the focus of
the British government should be on getting policing right
not on tinkering with the make up of the Policing Board.

Ms Gildernew said:

"Today's announcement from Peter Hain reconstituting the
Policing Board will not impact on ongoing efforts by Sinn
Féin to ensure that we get the new beginning to policing
demanded by the Good Friday Agreement.

"The British government have given a commitment to bring
forward further amending legislation early next year and we
need to see the detail of this given the fact that previous
efforts to give legislative effect to Patten have been so
disastrous.

"Sinn Féin are determined to see an acceptable and
accountable policing service delivered. Unlike the SDLP we
did not jump too early onto a Policing Board which is
unable to hold the PSNI to account and went on to ratify
the purchase of new plastic bullets in direct conflict with
previous public commitments from that party.

"Nationalists and Republicans have endorsed the Sinn Féin
position on policing election after election. These
communities deserve proper and effective policing and we
remain committed to achieving this in the time ahead. The
British governments effort should be on getting policing
right not on tinkering with the make up of the Board." ENDS

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http://www.nuzhound.com/articles/irish_news/arts2005/oct12_imminent_changes_to_policing_board.php

Imminent Changes To Policing Board — Hain

(William Graham, Irish News)

The secretary of state is casting his eye towards a future
of agreed politics. But, drawing on his experience of South
Africa, he tells Political Correspondent William Graham,
that Northern Ireland must first shed its medieval
sectarianism.

Secretary of State Peter Hain has indicated that an
announcement is "imminent" on seeking changes in political
representation to the Policing Board.

The British government is also considering changes to the
Parades Commission and the way it operates in handling
dialogue before contentious marches.

The changes are likely to give the DUP a bigger say on the
Policing Board in line with its increased electoral
mandate.

Observers see these as key political issues as the DUP
heads into a period of hard political bargaining.

The DUP has gone into Downing Street with a political
shopping list and over coming months it will be interesting
to establish what gains Ian Paisley's party makes.

Sinn Féin has also the remainder of its shopping list to
engage the British government on.

Preparations are going ahead to draw up legislation which
could trigger devolution of policing and justice if and
when a powersharing government returns.

Sinn Féin wants to see the wording of this legislation
before calling a special Ard Fheis to consider whether to
sign up for policing.

Mr Hain was asked, will there be changes to the Policing
Board regarding political representation?

"If you remember at the end of July I announced I was
inclined to roll forward the period of office of the
existing board, but not necessarily for a full year. I made
it clear my preference would be it reconstituted before
then if we could get political agreement," he said.

"It is still my intention to do that if we can get
political agreement.

We are working on that at the present time."

It was put to Mr Hain that the DUP at present was pressing
for changes.

"The DUP have got a very strong argument to say that the
board does not reflect the last assembly election and
nobody can really deny that," he said.

"On the other hand the board has been a great success and
policing has been a great success in getting acceptance
across the community divide. Nationalists in the past felt
very off side of policing in Northern Ireland. Now that is
not the case and the SDLP has shown great courage right
across the board in the role they have played.

"So, it is very important that if we can reconstitute as I
want to do that everybody plays a constructive role to keep
the momentum in the successful operation of the board."

Mr Hain was asked when will this happen? He said it is
"imminent" as he has been having detailed discussions in
the last few weeks.

"I will be making an announcement when I am in a position
to do so," Mr Hain said.

He was also asked would there be changes to the Parades
Commission and the way it operates?

"Shaun Woodward [parliamentary under secretary of state]
and I have both made it clear there are lessons to be
learned about the way the commission operates, particularly
its procedures," he said.

"I will not alter the fundamental principles behind the
commission that is to say an independent agency free of
government control, free of police control, able to take an
impartial view in very difficult circumstances in a small
handful of contested parades. That fundamental
constitutional law has got to be sacrosanct.

"I am not going back nor does anybody seriously want to,
even the Parades Commission's most fierce critics, to the
days when chief constables or secretaries of state were
taking decisions.

"If we could apply the Derry model [the Apprentice Boys
parade] to the rest of Northern Ireland that would be the
ideal objective."

He said the commission membership was being reconstituted
at the moment and there has been quite a big application
for membership right across the community.

On what chance there is of the return of devolution –
perhaps next year – he said he was optimistic.

"Devolution is the answer and all the parties have assured
me in private that they want it. The question is the
conditions for it and how soon you can create the basis of
trust and the achievement of negotiations towards that," he
said.

"I don't expect much or anything dramatic until after the
January report from the Independent Monitoring Commission.
It depends what it says. But meanwhile there is a lot of
detailed discussion being taken forward with all the
parties."

He was asked if the detail for example of legislation on
the devolution of policing and justice would be drawn up
soon?

"We are working on it and we are committed to put the
devolution of policing and justice on the statute book but
then only to be triggered and implemented if the assembly
is up and running and if the political conditions are
right," Mr Hain said.

He agreed that Sinn Féin wanted to study the situation on
policing as, for republicans, this would be a historic
change almost on a par with decommissioning.

"This is big stuff given the history," he said.

"I am just pointing out facts. They should be cooperating
with the police. As Northern Ireland normalises then you
have got to have normal attitudes to policing from
republicans and from loyalists.

"We are very far from that at the moment."

It will be early next year before the wording is prepared
on the policing and justice legislation.

On the broader political front Mr Hain said he understood
unionist distrust about republicans but it would be wrong
to discount the enormous historic significance of what
happened on July 28 and IRA decommissioning.

He referred to IRA decommissioning and the long journey
republicans have taken.

"Unionists do say to me in private that they recognise
that, but they are unable to say it in public yet.

"So I think we are in for difficult times, but I am sure we
will get there sooner rather than later," he said.

He was asked what he thought people in the north of Ireland
or the British government could do to tackle sectarianism?

"We have just got to continue to energetically pursue a
shared future agenda. We need to keep working hard on this
because sectarianism is just an ugly stain from the past
and it has no future," he said.

"And when you see things like this medieval desecration of
Catholic graves by loyalist extremists – threats to dig
them up or even urinate on them – this is just the most
ugly stain from the past.

"I was very pleased that Ian Paisley joined with me during
a visit to Ballymena in condemning that outright and also
in joining me in visiting St Louis school where the
classrooms had been attacked a month before. I thought this
was a very important step by him."

Mr Hain was asked about his early political career in
campaigning against apartheid in South Africa and if there
were any similarities with the situation in the north?

"The situations are very different. There you had 80 per
cent of the population being oppressed by under 20 per cent
on a straight white/black basis," he said.

"Here you have a conflict that is centuries old in its
roots and very different indeed.

"The only point I would make is that when you get very
close to a final resolution of a conflict as you saw in
South Africa – the last stages of that are the most
difficult. People have to make huge changes to get near to
each other."

He said that for people to get nearer to each other they
don't have to shake hands – "they just know they just have
to get closer together to turn their back on that past".

October 13, 2005

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http://www.nio.gov.uk/media-detail.htm?newsID=12373

Statement By Secretary Of State Peter Hain MP To The House
Of Commons

In a statement today to Parliament on Northern Ireland,
Secretary of State Peter Hain MP said:

"With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a
Statement about developments in Northern Ireland during the
summer recess period."But first, I know the House will want
to join me in marking, with sadness, the passing of two
very significant figures from the Northern Ireland
political stage: Mo Mowlam and Gerry Fitt."They were
politicians of great courage, passion and, above all,
humanity and we all, in different ways, feel their loss."Mr
Speaker, on 28 July, we saw the statement by the IRA that
its leadership had ordered an end to their armed
campaign.As I said in my letter to Members at the time,
that was important, indeed historic.

"But, of course, it was crucial that the words were carried
through in actions, actions that had to be independently
verified. Two weeks ago, the Independent International
Commission on Decommissioning reported that the IRA had
placed its arms completely and verifiably beyond use.

"Mr Speaker, not so many years ago, unionists and
republicans were agreed on one thing at least: the IRA
would never give up their guns, they would never give up
their explosives: "Not a bullet. Not an ounce". But the
'impossible' has happened: the war machine that brought
death and destruction to thousands of people in Northern
Ireland, Great Britain and beyond – indeed to this House –
has gone. It is something that all Members of this House
have wanted to see happen for so many years, and many
feared they never would.

"But, as immensely significant as IRA decommissioning
undoubtedly is, there is more to be done in demonstrating
that the IRA have put paramilitary activity behind them for
good.

"The next formal report from the Independent Monitoring
Commission, focusing on paramilitary activity, is expected
in the next week or so. That will give an indication of
whether progress has been made in meeting the equally
important requirement for a verifiable end to all
paramilitary and criminal activity. But as it will only
have covered several weeks since 28 July, the two
Governments have asked the IMC to produce an additional
report in January to reinforce the crucial verification
process.

"The Government believes that the interests of everyone in
Northern Ireland are best served by local decision making
through a devolved Assembly. That requires the rebuilding
of trust and confidence and we recognise that that will
take time.

"But if these IMC reports confirm an end to IRA activity,
then the time will have come to move the process forward.

"The summer also saw a murderous loyalist feud, the vicious
attacks on the police and army by loyalist paramilitaries
and sickening sectarian attacks, including obscene threats
to desecrate graves in Carnmoney cemetery – all of which
disfigured Northern Ireland in the eyes of the world.

"Of course this outrageous behaviour appalled the
overwhelming majority of people in the unionist community
and I very much welcomed the opportunity to stand with the
Honourable Member for North Antrim in his constituency,
which had seen sectarian attacks on schools, and join him
in condemning this barbarous behaviour.

"It has taken a long time for the republican movement to
acknowledge that violence does not pay. It is high time
that the loyalist paramilitaries learned it too.

"My decision last month to specify the UVF/Red Hand
Commando sent out a clear signal to those who would persist
with that philosophy that they are wrong and that they must
stop immediately.

"There remains outstanding the question whether a financial
penalty should be imposed on the PUP following the
recommendation made to me earlier in the year by the IMC. I
intend to watch developments carefully over the next few
months, in particular the role that the PUP play in
attempting to secure peace and stability in the loyalist
community, before reaching a decision on this in the
context of the January report from the Commission to which
I have referred.

"With my deputy, the Hon Member for Delyn (David Hanson), I
have been visiting Loyalist communities, meeting community
representatives, clergy, teachers and local residents.
Where any community has legitimate concerns, we will
address them. But it is equally important that there is
political leadership to enable these communities to join in
the huge progress that Northern Ireland has made in recent
years.

"The summer also demonstrated beyond doubt that there is
one organisation that we can all rely on to uphold the
right of everyone to live in peace.

"Officers of the Police Service of Northern Ireland
displayed exemplary courage and professionalism in
protecting life and preserving order, despite being
attacked with live rounds, blast bombs, petrol bombs and
other missiles. We should be under no illusion, following
the Whiterock Parade, that loyalist paramilitaries were
clearly intent on murdering police officers. Police videos
also showed some Orangemen taking off their collarettes and
hurling rocks at the police front lines – behaviour that I
know the vast majority in the Orange Order deplore.

"Even with those vicious attacks on them – and let us not
forget that nearly 100 of them sustained serious injuries
in a single weekend – the police remained committed to
their task. But they can only be effective if they receive
the support of all sections of the community in Northern
Ireland. Time and again they have demonstrated their
determination to protect all the citizens of Northern
Ireland. It is time that everyone in Northern Ireland
acknowledged this – from Sinn Fein to the Orange Order to
loyalist communities – and got behind the police to support
them in doing their job.

"Mr Speaker, the transformation of policing in Northern
Ireland in line with the Patten reforms is one of the great
success stories of the Good Friday Agreement. It has led to
the policing arrangements in Northern Ireland being admired
around the world, as a model for change. We remain fully
committed to that model for the future.

"A key element in that success is the role played by the
Policing Board. I can tell the House today that I have
decided to reconstitute the Board from 1 April 2006, with
political appointees selected in proportion to the 2003
election results using the d'Hondt formula.

"So what do the months ahead hold for Northern Ireland?
The Government will continue to do all it can to facilitate
progress towards restoration. But we hope that all
Northern Ireland's politicians will seize the opportunity
that this summer's developments present.

"The Government will also take forward work to implement
those aspects of the Belfast Agreement where work is
incomplete or ongoing. We will, for example, continue to
support those bodies and institutions that work for the
benefit of Northern Ireland on a North/South and East/West
basis.

"Some areas of the Joint Declaration of 2003 were dependent
on acts of completion by the IRA. And difficult though
some of these will be for some people to accept, there
should be no surprises since the Government has long made
clear that certain developments would follow on such acts
of completion.

"First: normalisation. In the 2003 Joint Declaration, the
Government set out proposals to normalise the security
profile across Northern Ireland when there was an enabling
environment. Following the IRA statement, I published an
updated programme, on the advice of the Chief Constable and
the General Officer Commanding.

"I want to assure the House that my first and over-riding
priority – and that of the Chief Constable and the GOC –
remains the safety and security of the people of Northern
Ireland. We will not do anything that will compromise
that. But the security arrangements we have in place must
be in proportion to the level of threat. The normalisation
programme published in August, a copy of which I have had
placed in the Library, will see the creation of an
environment that will allow the return of conventional
policing across Northern Ireland, something which all
sections of the community should welcome.

"The other commitment set out in the Joint Declaration was
that we would reinvigorate discussions with the political
parties on the shared goal of devolving criminal justice
and policing. The Government will want to explore the
scope for doing that over the months ahead. In the meantime
we will bring forward enabling legislation for later
implementation, when there is agreement among the parties
in Northern Ireland.

"We will also take forward plans to appoint a Victims'
Commissioner. I very much hope to make an announcement
about this shortly because the many victims of Northern
Ireland's troubles deserve much better recognition and
support. We will never forget them.

"The House will know that we have undertaken to legislate
to deal with the position of individuals connected with
paramilitary crimes committed before the Belfast Agreement,
dealing with those suspects categorised as "on the runs".
As the House will recall, these proposals were published
alongside the Joint Declaration in May 2003. This is not an
amnesty. Nevertheless, the implementation of those
proposals will be painful for many people. I fully
understand this. But the Government believes that it is a
necessary part of the process of closing the door on
violence forever.

"Mr Speaker, notwithstanding the recent turbulence, huge
progress has been made this summer.

"We need to build on that progress.

"The people of Northern Ireland have shown remarkable
patience and resilience over the years.

"We owe it to them not to be deflected from doing all we
can to see a peaceful, stable and prosperous Northern
Ireland in which all traditions are cherished and
respected.

"They deserve no less.

******************************************

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/4335914.stm

Hain Report On NI Summer Events

The NI secretary is to make a statement covering the events
of the summer, including loyalist riots and the completion
of IRA decommissioning.

Peter Hain is expected to use his Commons statement to
signal major changes in the composition of the Policing
Board.

The DUP has called for the board to be reconstituted to
reflect the party's success in the 2003 assembly elections.

The expected change would see the DUP's representation rise
from three to five.

This is without Sinn Fein being included in the
government's calculations.

The Policing Board has 19 members - 10 from the political
parties and nine independents.

Since the 2003 assembly elections confirmed the DUP's
leading role within unionism, Ian Paisley has been pressing
the government to change the make up of the board to
reflect electoral realities.

'Independent nationalists'

The DUP currently have three members, while the Ulster
Unionists have four.

Sinn Fein still has not signalled any intention to join the
board, and if it is left out of the calculations the DUP
would expect to increase their representation to five, with
both the SDLP and the Ulster Unionists losing one member.

However, this would mean the board would have eight
unionists and only two nationalists.

There have been indications that the government might
factor Sinn Fein's empty spaces in, possibly by appointing
independent nationalists.

This would give the DUP four places, while the SDLP and the
Ulster Unionists would have two each.

In August, the secretary of state indicated he could keep
the current members of board in place up until October next
year.

However, the latest changes are expected to be made in a
matter of months, with a new board ready to take over in
the spring.

Meanwhile, Alliance Party leader David Ford will meet
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in Dublin later on Thursday.

Mr Ford is expected to raise his party's concerns about the
forthcoming legislation which will enable paramilitary
fugitives to return home.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2005/10/13 06:58:03 GMT
© BBC MMV

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http://www.online.ie/news/viewer.adp?article=3284452

Methodist Minister Defends Priest Over 'Nazi' Unionists
Jibe

online.ie
2005-10-13 09:00:19+01

Controversial comments by Father Alec Reid comparing
unionists in the North to the Nazis were said in the heat
of the moment, his fellow witness to IRA disarmament
claimed today.

Methodist minister the Rev Harold Good accepted the
Catholic priest's apology over comments he made during
angry exchanges at a public meeting on IRA weapons
decommissioning in Belfast last night.

Fr Reid apologised for saying during clashes with some
audience members at a public meeting at Fitzroy
Presbyterian Church: "The reality is that the nationalist
community in Northern Ireland were treated almost like
animals by the unionist community.

"They were not treated like human beings.

"It was like the Nazis' treatment of the Jews."

Several outraged audience members walked out after the
Redemptorist priest's remarks, including Willie Frazer, of
the victims group Families Acting For Innocent Relatives,
who claimed Protestants were butchered by Catholics during
the Troubles.

Fr Reid, whose talks with Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams
influenced the IRA's decision to declare a ceasefire in
1994, admitted afterwards his remarks were made during a
flash of anger.

"I found myself being strongly provoked and offended by
many of the comments which were being made about my
integrity and my church. In the heat of the moment I lost
my temper," he said.

Mr Good said he was disappointed by Fr Reid's comments but
accepted his explanation.

The Methodist minister told BBC Radio Ulster: "It was said
in the context of a very heated moment within this meeting
when some things were being said about him personally,
about his church, about Clonard (Monastery).

"Allegations that were quite unfounded and unsubstantiated,
which were very hurtful and dangerous, were being made.

"In the heat of that moment Fr Alec reacted in a way that I
know from what he said to me later he regretted the way in
which he put it."

Earlier this year, Irish President Mary McAleese was forced
to apologise for making similar comments in a radio
interview during a Holocaust commemoration recalling the
60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

President McAleese was forced to pull out of a visit to the
loyalist Shankill Road after saying Protestants had raised
their children to hate Catholics in much the same way as
the Nazis had instilled a hatred of the Jews.

Mr Frazer refused to accept Fr Reid's apology today, saying
he had shown bitterness towards the Protestant community.

"He is trying to backtrack. Of course he would apologise
after it all took place. Given the situation he is in, he
had no other choice."

******************************************

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/4337068.stm

Unionist Anger Over Nazi Remarks

Unionists have condemned the priest who witnessed IRA
decommissioning after he compared the unionist community to
Nazis for past treatment of Catholics.

Father Alec Reid's remarks were made at a public meeting in
south Belfast also attended by Reverend Harold Good, the
Protestant decommissioning witness.

The DUP's Nigel Dodds said the remarks were appalling,
while UUP leader Sir Reg Empey said they were almost
racist.

Fr Reid later apologised, saying he had lost his temper.

He said he had been provoked and offended by comments made
by some members of the audience questioning his integrity
and regretted the language he had used.

However, the DUP's Ian Paisley Junior rejected this.

"He's apologised, but he's explaining away the reasons why
he made those comments," Mr Paisley said.

The meeting was held at Fitzroy Presbyterian Church on
Wednesday, and about 200 people were in the hall to hear
what Father Reid and Mr Good had to say.

Fr Reid told the audience: "The reality is that the
nationalist community in Northern Ireland were treated
almost like animals by the unionist community. They were
not treated like human beings. It was like the Nazis
treatment of the Jews."

Mr Dodds, the North Belfast MP, said if unionists had made
similar remarks they would be threatened with prosecution
for inciting hatred.

"The remarks by Alec Reid are appalling and reveal a
mindset which could be portrayed as deeply bigoted and
fundamentally racist," Mr Dodds said.

Sir Reg Empey said the comments damaged Fr Reid's
credibility as a witness.

"It destroys confidence because how can the word of
somebody using that sort of language be taken seriously.

"That's sad, because I'm convinced that a lot of
decommissioning did take place, but Fr Reid is actually
undermining the very work he is supposed to be part of."

Walkout

Willie Frazer of the victims' group Fair walked out of
Wednesday's meeting in protest.

He said he was incensed by the priest's remarks.

"I did fly off the handle but I could not sit there and
allow him to accuse the unionist people of persecuting the
Roman Catholic community for the last 60 years. That is far
from the truth."

On Thursday, Mr Frazer, five members of whose family,
including his father, were murdered during the Troubles,
said he did not accept Fr Reid's apology and said he was
"trying to backtrack on what actually took place".

Last month, Fr Reid and Mr Good acted as witnesses to the
republican paramilitary group's final act of disarmament.

Mr Good said he wanted to disassociate himself from Fr
Reid's comments.

"I identify fully with the hurt and anger felt by many
within the audience and within the wider community.

"However, I sincerely hope that Fr Reid's unqualified
apology will be heard and accepted and that this incident
will not be allowed to overshadow the significance of the
decommissioning which was overseen by Alec Reid and
myself."

Presbyterian minister Reverend Ken Newell, one of the
organisers of the meeting, said Fr Reid's comments had to
be seen in the context "where things were said to him which
I think were below the belt".

Mr Newell said the priest was "wrong to say what he did",
but he could see that within a short time of making the
comments he had wanted to apologise.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2005/10/13 08:07:42 GMT
© BBC MMV

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http://www.nuzhound.com/articles/irish_news/arts2005/oct12_commission_still_has_a_role__Editorial.php

Opin: Commission Still Has A Role

(Editorial, Irish News)

A review of some of the structures of the Parades
Commission, as signalled by Peter Hain in today's
(Wednesday) Irish News interview, could be appropriate.

However, it is essential that any initiative in this area
is not misinterpreted as a concession to unionism.

The Orange Order has moved to an increasingly extreme
position, and needs to be bluntly told to get its act
together.

As has been well-documented, sash-wearing Orangemen were
openly involved in rioting after the contentious Whiterock
march in west Belfast last month.

When loyalist paramilitary groups launched follow-up blast-
bomb and gun attacks on police officers, some senior Orange
figures felt unable to issue any meaningful condemnation.

The institution's west Belfast district master, William
Mawhinney, went so far as to suggest that the gunfire
represented a "proportionate response" by loyalists.

It has been deeply disappointing to find prominent
unionists noticeably failing to distance themselves from
the antics of the Orange leadership.

These developments made the need to maintain a firm and
effective Parades Commission more important than ever.

Mr Hain has stressed that he does not intend to alter the
fundamental principles behind the commission, and that is a
reassuring stance.

He has also highlighted the weight which he places on
dialogue and mediation, areas which the Orange Order has
tried to ignore in the past.

Both nationalists and loyalists have been prepared to
engage in shameful displays of violence after marches
during the last summer. Until they can resolve their
differences through proper negotiations, the Parades
Commission will always have a crucial role to play.

October 13, 2005

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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/11480

Maskey - The Reality Of Sectarianism Cannot Be Ignored

Published: 13 October, 2005

Sinn Féin South Belfast MLA Alex Maskey, who head the
party's outreach to unionism programme responding to the
furore surrounding comments made by Fr Alex Reid has said
that we need to be careful in the language we use but that
we cannot ignore the extent, nature and causes of
sectarianism within our society.

Mr Maskey said:

"I appreciate that many unionists have had difficulties
with the language used by Fr Alex Reid. But, by the same
token many of these same unionists and indeed church
leaders have used language that has denigrated and
demonised nationalists and republicans.

"Of course, we need to be careful in the language we use
but we cannot ignore the elephant in the room. If we are
going to meaningfully challenge it then we need have an
honest debate about the true extent, nature and causes of
sectarianism within our society.

"Unionist leaders are in denial about the history of the
state, their own responsibility for this and for the
conflict which resulted from this. The Good Friday
Agreement contains Equality, Human Rights and Policing
agendas precisely because there has been institutionalised
discrimination, sectarian policing, injustice and
repression." ENDS

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http://www.irishecho.com/newspaper/story.cfm?id=17246

Reiss Can Still Do The Job, And Well

By Ray O'Hanlon
rohanlon@irishecho.com

In early August, with the North summer marching headlong
into yet more bitter street confrontations, Irish American
leaders gathered in New York with Hillary Rodham Clinton to
discuss U.S. policy towards Northern Ireland and how Irish
America could inject some new life into the peace process.

One of the ideas floated at the meeting was to focus on a
possible successor to Ambassador Mitchell Reiss as U.S.
special envoy to the wee North.

True, Reiss had been off the radar a bit as he settled back
into the groves of academe at William and Mary College in
Virginia.

It is here that Reiss lectures and ponders what can be done
with what is his number one northern pursuit: that of
analyzing the murky political machinations of North Korea,
or as it likes to call itself, the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea.

But Reiss hadn't completely forgotten that other North and
word was that he was not a happy camper when he learned
that some folk in faraway New York were already looking
beyond his tenure as envoy.

True, William and Mary is as good place as any to
contemplate a conundrum such as Kim Jong Il's earthly
paradise.

And it would equally serve as a good place to put on the
back burner and forget about the perennial headscratcher
that is Norn' Ireland.

The campus, located in Colonial Williamsburg, looks like a
period painting and the college's academic reputation is as
solid as they come.

Until recently, the chancellor was Henry Kissinger and he
has been replaced by retiring Supreme Court justice Sandra
Day O'Connor.

The college itself goes back to 1693 when it received it's
charter from none other than King William of Orange and his
missus, Queen Mary 11.

Given such august founders, Reiss's sense of irony must
have been given a jolt when King Billy's latter day
followers went bananas on the Whiterock Road.

As it turned out, Reiss wasn't walking the gilded halls of
William and Mary when September began to resemble the Julys
of yore. He was actually in the auld sod.

Always the diplomat, Reiss didn't entirely loose the rag
when the September loyalist riots turned parts of Belfast
into a war zone. But he did accuse unionist leaders of
dropping the ball big time.

Leadership was needed, Reiss said, but not much had been in
evidence during the several days of disturbances following
a Parades Commission decision to divert an Orange march
down a street a few yards from the Order's intended,
"traditional," route.

Reiss said that there had been "absolutely no excuse" for
the trouble.

"What you really need is leadership, and unfortunately in
the last few days, we haven't seen very much of it," he
said.

"I think all of us are pretty disappointed with the
abdication of responsibility by many unionist political
leaders."

Needless to say, these comments didn't go down too well
with unionists and it wasn't long before Reiss was at the
wrong end of a verbal tongue lashing from Ian Paisley's
DUP.

The party's Nigel Dodds accused Washington's ambassador of
making one of the most unhelpful, negative and damaging
contributions he had ever heard.

Dodd's described Reiss's criticism of unionist leadership
failings as "crass" and said that the U.S. envoy no longer
had any credibility among unionists.

At this juncture, the meanderings of Kim Jong Il -- dear
leader, or whatever his people are required to call the guy
-- must have been taking on a whole new appeal.

Having no credibility with unionist leaders would
ordinarily be a bit of a handicap for anyone trying to get
a handle on the North imbroglio.

But it certainly did Reiss's flagging profile no harm with
Irish America.

The man was back in the frame, front and center.

He was again in more recent days when he briefed Irish
American community leaders at the State Department.

Irish National Caucus president Fr. Sean McManus came away
from the event in no doubt that the U.S. role in the peace
process was still in very good hands.

"He is very impressive," McManus said of Reiss.

"I would have the greatest confidence in Ambassador Reiss,"
McManus added.

"While I might disagree with him on individual, specific
issues, I think he can still do an excellent job and will."

For as long as his president wants him to that is. But will
that mean the entirety of President Bush's second term?

That could in large part depend on Reiss and his own
judgment as to how much time he can set aside for a peace
process that still seems intent on taking a step back every
time it takes one forward.

If he decides to step down from the envoy post, or if he is
replaced, will the new envoy be, like Reiss and Richard
Haass before him, a State Department diplomat?

Or will the administration plump for someone from an
entirely different, perhaps non-diplomatic background?

The New York meeting of early August seemed to thinking in
precisely these terms.

It actually came up with a list of potential envoys. It's
called the "Initial Potential Name List for Irish Special
Envoy Presidential Appointment."

Quite a mouthful.

Here -- drum roll please -- is the list: Ambassador Howard
Baker,

Tom Brokaw, Mario Cuomo, Bob Dole, Bill Flynn, Lee Iacocca,
former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, former senator Sam
Nunn, George Pataki, Colin Powell;

General Norman Schwarzkopf, and former General Electric
head Jack Welch.

It's an intriguing list to be sure. And there are few in
Irish America who wouldn't relish the prospect of Stormin'
Norman taking on Nigel Dodds, Big Ian et al.

But frankly, the list looks a little unlikely for any
number of reasons. At the same time it's never too early to
look ahead.

Irish America will continue to make Northern Ireland an
election issue as best it can and the identity of who
occupies the special envoy job is intricately tied in with
such an effort.

In the meantime, however, the envoy is Mitchell Reiss. And
he appears to be more than up to the job.

This story appeared in the issue of October 12 - 16, 2005

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http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=665028

Government Advice To Beat Bird Flu: Wash Your Hands More
Frequently

By Jeremy Laurance
13 October 2005

Britain's chief medical officer will launch a secret weapon
against the spread of avian flu today - a small plastic
bottle of alcohol rub issued with a warning to wash your
hands often.

Sir Liam Donaldson will warn that clean hands are the best
defence against the threatened flu pandemic and regular use
of the alcohol rub could save millions of lives from other
hospital infections.

A global campaign to improve hand hygiene is to be launched
in 12 countries around the world today. Doctors fear that,
when a flu pandemic strikes, hospitals will be overwhelmed
and could become breeding grounds for the disease as it is
transmitted between patients and medical staff.

Speaking before leaving for Geneva to launch the campaign
at the headquarters of the World Health Organisation, Sir
Liam said the threat of bird flu was one of his greatest
concerns.

"It does keep me awake at night. It is not a matter of if a
pandemic happens but of when," he said.

Fears about avian flu were raised last week by David
Nabarro, newly-appointed as a UN co-ordinator for avian and
human influenza, who said the next pandemic could claim
from five million to 150 million lives.

It depends on the avian flu virus which has so far infected
more than 100 people in the Far East killing more than half
of them, mutating so it spreads among the human population.

Dr Nabarro called on political leaders to take immediate
action to halt a human pandemic, warning that the higher
death figure would result if governments failed to act now.

Sir Liam, who chairs the World Alliance for Patient Safety,
said the flu virus was transmitted in droplets in the air
when infected people coughed or sneezed, the same as the
cold and other respiratory viruses.

But a key route of transmission was from the hands of
someone infected, who touched their nose or mouth and then
opened a door or pressed a lift button later touched by
someone else.

"We want to try and reduce the risk of cross-infection in
people admitted to hospital when a pandemic strikes," Sir
Liam said.

At any one time, more than 1.4 million people worldwide
become seriously ill from an infection they pick up in
hospital, including up to one in 10 hospital patients in
developed countries such as the UK.

The commonest infections are Staphylococcus aureus, of
which the antibiotic resistant form MRSA (Methicillin
resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is the most lethal, and
E.coli. Together they cause hundreds of millions of
patients to fall ill in hospital every year.

The campaign for clean hands, the first Global Patient
Safety Challenge launched by the WHO, aims to provide
bottles of alcohol rub on every ward in every hospital and
clinic. Muslim scholars have approved the use of the
alcohol-based product by Muslims and more than 200
hospitals in Saudi Arabia have installed alcohol rub this
year.

Sir Liam said: "The Global Patient Safety Challenge
addresses a vital area. Healthcare-associated infections
can be reduced, saving millions of lives worldwide."

******************************************

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4335872.stm

Mural Giving Shankill A New Image

A move to soften the image of west Belfast's Shankill Road
has seen a loyalist paramilitary mural being replaced by
something more colourful.

Graffiti artists have been hard at work painting over the
Ulster Freedom Fighters mural which dominated the local
landscape for many years.

The work took two days to complete.

Entitled Hidden Treasures, it features some of the best
bits of past and present Belfast life.

Murals have often been seen as a symbol of Northern
Ireland's divided past, glorifying both loyalist and
republican paramilitaries while also marking territory.

In the past few years, they have even become a tourist
attraction, with visitors to Belfast taking bus tours along
the Shankill and Falls Roads.

Shankill community development worker William Smyth said it
was important now to start changing young people's
attitudes.

"Our children are conditioned daily by paramilitary murals,
and we need to recondition them to life that's non-
paramilitary," he said.

The artists were a little surprised find themselves taking
on such a project.

Darren Finnegan says this was "definitely the first time"
they had done something like this, adding: "Hopefully it's
the start of a lot more projects".

Fellow graffiti artist Boyd Hill said he had painted in
locations such as Cape Town, New York and France but never
anything like this.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2005/10/13 10:19:22 GMT
© BBC MMV

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http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=664995

Brisk Demand For Irish Passports

Allison Bray
13 October 2005

The Irish passport is becoming on of the most sought-after
travel documents in the world.

A record number of passports will be issued this year as
the worldwide frenzy to claim Irish citizenship continues.

A staggering 650,000 passports, worth ?33m in revenue, are
expected to be issued this year, with applications for
close to 500,000 passports already completed or being
processed, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

DEMAND

"This will be the most we've ever issued in history, and
that's likely to continue growing," a spokesman said.

There was a 13pc increase in the number of Irish passports
issued to the end of September compared to last year and
officials have predicted the surge in demand will continue
unabated.

"The perception of Ireland is very positive abroad and when
you're carrying an Irish passport it's now regarded as
having the highest security specifications," according to a
Department spokesman.

More than 25,000 passports applications are currently being
processed in Northern Ireland, where they will be issued
through a network of 40 post offices across the border.

Demand is also high among expatriates, notably those
entitled to Irish citizenship living in Britain, Canada,
New Zealand, South Africa and the US.

HARP

A decision to waive the ?75 charge for a 10-year passport
renewal for Irish pensioners North and South of the border
is also thought to have contributed to the increase.

Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern said the recent
revamp - with the old hand-written version bearing the Harp
logo replaced with a new hi-tech EU version - has made
Irish passports one of the most secure in the world.

Anyone born on the island of Ireland to at least one Irish-
born parent is eligible for citizenship and a passport - as
are the children of at least one Irish-born parent living
abroad.

However, recent amendments to the Constitution to clamp
down on the abuse of Irish citizenship now requires non-
nationals to be resident in Ireland for three years before
they can claim citizenship for their Irish-born children.

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http://huntsville.about.com/b/a/210047.htm

Hso Pops Concert Features Eileen Ivers

Huntsville Alabama Blog
From Jean Brandau,
Your Guide to Huntsville, AL.
October 12, 2005

In response to great patron interest, the HSO has
reinstated the Pops Series which opens on Saturday, October
29, 2005 at 7:30 in the VBC Concert Hall with superstar Amy
Grant, one of the loveliest and most enduring figures in
popular music. Initially most successful in the "Christian
pop" genre, Amy Grant is one of the first Contemporary
Christian Music artists to successfully cross over into
mainstream pop music. She has won multiple Grammy and Dove
awards and was elected to the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in
2003. She has five gold and six platinum albums.

Sponsored exclusively by SAIC, Miss Grant and the HSO will
present a concert that showcases the top hits of an amazing
28-year career. This is Miss Grant's first first Symphony
show tour.

Appearing with the HSO on New Year's Eve is the exciting
Irish and Celtic fiddler Eileen Ivers and her band
Immigrant Soul. The nine-time All-Ireland Fiddle Champion
and Riverdance star has been called a "sensation" by
Billboard magazine and "the Jimi Hendrix of the violin" by
The New York Times. Ms. Ivers' band represents a unique
blend of African and Latin percussion and bass, Irish
instrumentals, and soulful American vocals. The exclusive
sponsor of the New Year's Eve concert is The Boeing
Company.

Imagine The Beatles playing in concert with a symphony
orchestra. What would that have sounded like? Fans can find
out when Classical Mystery Tour performs live with the HSO
on Saturday, May 13, 2006. Featuring original members of
the Broadway show Beatlemania, the show takes the audience
on a journey from the early years through the Sgt. Pepper
and Abbey Road days. Classical Mystery Tour has been
described by the Los Angeles Times as "more than an
incredible simulation."

Pops Single tickets and subscription packages are
available. Tickets may be purchased by phone at 539-4818,
in person at the HSO offices and online at http://www.hso.org.
Tickets may also be purchased at the door on concert night
beginning at 6:30 p.m. Single ticket prices to Amy Grant
range from $34 to $70 with group and student rates
available. Three concert Pops subscription packages range
from $54 to $150.

Artist Biographies

Amy Grant

From the time she picked up a guitar as a teenager and sang
for her school friends to her multi-platinum albums, Amy
Grant has always found a musical way to share her life. In
the process, she's not only become an icon in Christian
music but also one of the most celebrated artists in pop
music today. Her first album, titled Amy Grant (1978),
introduced the world to a fresh-faced and fresh-voiced
young woman with a contagious faith and an engaging spirit.
Following the album's success were nationwide tours and
more hit albums, including Father's Eyes (1979) and Never
Alone (1980).

In 1982, Miss Grant released what would become her
signature album, Age to Age, resulting in her first Dove
Awards, including Contemporary Album of the Year and Artist
of the Year. In addition, she won a Grammy for Best Gospel
Performance. The album Straight Ahead (1984) brought more
sales records, radio hits, Dove and Grammy awards, and a
performance of the album's hit, "Angels" on the Grammy
Awards national broadcast.

Miss Grant's subsequent album Unguarded (1984) was her
first "cross-over" vehicle, resulting in mainstream radio
hits, an MTV video, a place on the Billboard charts, and
several television appearances. Next came one of Miss
Grant's most critically acclaimed albums, Lead Me On
(1988), that contained unmistakable folk leanings and stark
vulnerability of lyrics. The multi-platinum Heart In Motion
(1991) made Miss Grant a mainstream pop star, and included
"Baby, Baby," a number one hit on Billboard's chart. House
of Love (1994), Miss Grant's fourteenth album, included the
title duet with country superstar and husband Vince Gill.

Miss Grant's television work include her prime-time network
Christmas special A Christmas to Remember (1999); her
portrayal of a blind music teacher in A Song From the Heart
(1999); and her reality show Three Wishes (September 2005),
in which a town is granted three wishes.

In anticipation of her 25th anniversary in the business of
making music, Miss Grant came full circle with the 2002
release of Legacy Hymns and Faith, a collection of favorite
hymns presented in a comfortable mix of Americana, folk,
bluegrass and gospel. The much-anticipated 2003 release,
Simple Things, her seventeenth album, was three full years
in the making. In the fall of 2004, Miss Grant released
Greatest Hits 1986-2004, a collection of songs spanning her
pop music career.

Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul

Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul, Nine Time All-Ireland
Fiddle Champion, London Symphony Orchestra, National
Symphony at The Kennedy Center, Boston Pops, musical star
of Riverdance, The Chieftains, Hall and Oates, Afrocelts,
Patti Smith, Paula Cole, founding member of Cherish the
Ladies, performances for Presidents and Royalty worldwide …
this is a short list of accomplishments, headliners, tours
and affiliations.

Fiddler Eileen Ivers has established herself as the pre-
eminent exponent of the Irish fiddle in the world today. It
is a rare and select grade of spectacular artists whose
work is so boldly imaginative and clearly virtuosic that it
alters the medium. It has been said that the task of
respectfully exploring the traditions and progression of
the Celtic fiddle is quite literally on Eileen Ivers'
shoulders. The Washington Post states, "She suggests the
future of the Celtic fiddle." The daughter of Irish
immigrants, Eileen Ivers grew up in the culturally diverse
neighborhood of the Bronx, New York. Rooted in Irish
traditional music since the age of eight, Eileen proceeded
to win nine All-Ireland fiddle championships, a tenth on
tenor banjo and over 30 championship medals, making her one
of the most awarded persons ever to compete in these
prestigious competitions. The intrigue of learning more
about the multicultural sounds of her Irish-American
childhood eventually took hold. After graduating magna cum
laude in mathematics from Iona College and while continuing
her postgraduate work, Eileen fully immersed herself in the
different genres of music that she experienced growing up
in New York.

In 1999 Eileen created a touring production to present this
music, which developed into Eileen Ivers and Immigrant
Soul. A mix of African and Latin percussion and bass, Irish
instrumentalists, and American soulful vocals, the group
headlines major performing arts centers, guest stars with
numerous symphonies, performs at major festivals worldwide
and has appeared on national and international television.
Eileen has also shared the stage with two of the world's
most celebrated violinists, classical virtuoso Nadja
Salerno-Sonnenberg and jazz great Regina Carter, in the
critically acclaimed "Fiddlers Three." This show continues
to fascinate symphony audiences throughout the U.S.

Ivers' recording credits include over 80 contemporary and
traditional albums and numerous movie scores. Her latest
CD, entitled Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul, continues to
display why Ivers is hailed as one of the great innovators
and pioneers in the Celtic and World music genres. ZETA
Music, the world's leading electric stringed instrument
maker, has recently introduced the Eileen Ivers Signature
Series blue violin.

Classical Mystery Tour

Starting with their first show at the Orange County
Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles, Classical Mystery
Tour has been a hit with both critics and fans. The Los
Angeles Times called the show "more than just an incredible
simulation...the swelling strings and soaring French horn
lines gave Saturday's live performance a high goose-bump
quotient...the crowd stood and bellowed for more."

Although the Fab Four musicians in Classical Mystery Tour
look and sound just like The Beatles, Classical Mystery
Tour is more than just a rock concert. The full show
presents some thirty Beatles tunes sung, played, and
performed exactly as they were written. Hear Penny Lane
with a live trumpet section; experience the beauty of
Yesterday with an acoustic guitar and string quartet; enjoy
the rock/classical blend on the hard edged I Am the Walrus.
From early Beatles music on through the solo years,
Classical Mystery Tour is the best of The Beatles like
you've never heard them: totally live.

Classical Mystery Tour features Jim Owen (John Lennon) on
rhythm guitar, piano, and vocals; Tony Kishman (Paul
McCartney) on bass guitar, piano, and vocals; Tom Teeley
(George Harrison) on lead guitar and vocals; and Chris
Camilleri (Ringo Starr) on drums and vocals.

"We really make an effort to sound exactly like the
originals," explains Owen, who admits that he and the other
three Classical Mystery Tour members are big Beatles fans.
"The orchestra score is exact, right down to every note and
instrument that was on the original recording. On Got to
Get You Into My Life, we have two tenor saxes and three
trumpets. That's what it was written for, and that's what
we use. And on A Day in the Life, can you imagine that big
orchestra crescendo happening live?"

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