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November 07, 2006

Parties Set To Approve Deal By Friday

News About Ireland & The Irish

IT 11/08/06 Parties Set To Approve Deal By Friday
BN 11/07/06 Paisley: SF Response To St Andrew's 'A Step Backwards'
SF 11/07/06 Collusion Report Recommends Brits Co-Op With Inquiry
GU 11/07/06 N Ireland's Help Enlisted To End Sectarian Violence
BN 11/07/06 Trad Groups Get Stamp Of Approval
MT 11/07/06 Makems Play at Rochester Opera House After TG
GU 11/07/06 The Shadow Of A Gunman: Citizens, Glasgow
IT 11/08/06 Death Of Seán Haughey, Brother Of Former Taoiseach

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http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2006/1108/1162889033273.html

Parties Set To Approve Deal By Friday

Gerry Moriarty
08/11/2006

The British and Irish governments are confident that by
Friday all the main parties will have given conditional
approval to the St Andrews Agreement but they have still to
find a solution to the latest standoff between the DUP and
Sinn Féin.

On Monday Sinn Féin delivered a conditional "yes" to the
document while senior DUP sources said they had received
overwhelming support for the course the party was pursuing
in relation to the St Andrews Agreement.

This evening is the deadline for DUP members and supporters
responding to the party's consultation on the document. One
source said so far it had received "thousands" of responses
to its Your Verdict consultation paper and that they were
"overwhelmingly positive".

This will allow the two governments state that the parties
have provided a qualified "yes" to the paper by their
deadline for such a response of this Friday. However,
neither Dublin nor London could outline how the next major
deadline of November 24th to appoint the Rev Ian Paisley
and Martin McGuinness respectively as First Minister and
Deputy First Minister designate could be met.

The DUP and Sinn Féin remain deadlocked over the issues of
a commitment to policing and when justice and policing
powers would be devolved to a restored Northern Executive,
with some politicians saying it may take the intervention
of the British prime minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach
Bertie Ahern to resolve the impasse in the next week or so.

Sinn Féin is holding to its position that Mr McGuinness
cannot sign a pledge of office that incorporates a
commitment to policing and law and order by November 24th
as this would pre-empt a Sinn Féin ardfheis on policing,
which has yet to be called.

Equally Sinn Féin is demanding that it must have a
timeframe for the creation of a department of justice
within the Northern Executive.

The DUP, however, insists Dr Paisley will not take the
position of First Minister designate unless Mr McGuinness
has signed the pledge. Dr Paisley also reiterated yesterday
that the DUP could provide no date for the devolution of
justice powers.

Dr Paisley described Mr Adams's conditional acceptance of
the St Andrews Agreement as a "major step backwards",
adding, "everyone knows, except seemingly Sinn Féin
supporters, that devolution of policing and justice powers
will only occur when the people are content for it to be
devolved.

"Sinn Féin has complained that they are not yet ready to
endorse the police because of their internal problems. The
democratic process cannot be twisted and turned for Sinn
Féin's convenience. The DUP will be maintaining its
position that there must be delivery of support for the
police immediately before this process can move forward,"
said Dr Paisley.

Sinn Féin MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone Michelle
Gildernew yesterday called on the British and Irish
governments to convene a meeting of the Stormont Programme
for Government Committee "to facilitate dialogue between
Sinn Féin, the DUP and the other parties".

British and Irish sources said that what was important was
to ensure Friday's response to the St Andrews Agreement was
generally positive, and thereafter there would be greater
concentration on meeting the more important November 24th
deadline.

© The Irish Times

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http://www.breakingnews.ie/2006/11/07/story284177.html?rss=yes

Paisley: SF Response To St Andrew's 'A Step Backwards'

07/11/2006 - 16:21:18

Sinn Féin’s response to the St Andrews Agreement is
actually a step backwards, the Rev Ian Paisley claimed
today.

The Democratic Unionist leader insisted that because Sinn
Féin had not addressed its obligations on policing,
yesterday’s statement from Gerry Adams’ party was negative
even though it gave the agreement its qualified backing.

“The statement yesterday by Gerry Adams qualifying his
support for the current round of political negotiations is
in my view a major step backwards,” the North Antrim MP
said.

“At St Andrews, the DUP put the issues of the rule of law,
support for the police and courts at the top of the
political agenda.

“Sinn Féin came away from St Andrews with nothing but
pressure on them to deliver up-front on policing and the
rule of law.

“Whilst others have allowed themselves to be distracted, I
have firmly kept myself fixed on this objective, that those
who want to be in government must be committed to this
basic democratic principle.

“Sinn Féin has avoided addressing this matter.

“In their most recent statement they have attempted to
unhook themselves by raising all manner of pre-conditions,
including the seasonal old chestnut that Sinn Féin will
support the police only when the police change.

“They are once again back to calling for a precise date for
the devolution of policing and justice when everyone knows,
except seemingly Sinn Féin supporters, that devolution of
policing and justice powers will only occur when the people
are content for it to be devolved.”

With Northern Ireland’s politicians facing a deadline of
Friday to state their views on British Prime Minister Tony
Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s plan for restoring
power-sharing, Sinn Féin yesterday announced it would
follow the timetable laid out by London and Dublin.

But while Sinn Féin said it believed the St Andrews
Agreement had the potential to deliver power sharing,
Dublin MEP Mary Lou McDonald said the party was not yet in
a position to hold a special conference to discuss whether
or not it should endorse the Police Service of Northern
Ireland.

Ms McDonald said while the primary focus of today’s party
executive meeting was the St Andrews Agreement, the issue
of policing was discussed.

The MEP insisted that Mr Adams was not yet in a position to
put a proposal for a party conference to the executive.

“The resolution of the issue of policing is a matter for
the two governments and all the political parties – issues
which need resolved include agreement on the model and
timeframe for transfer,” she said.

“Sinn Féin is committed to bring an end to decades of bad
policing. All elements in policing need to be accountable.
Sinn Féin rejects any role in civic policing for MI5.

“Justice and the fair and impartial rule f law are
essential elements of a society at peace with itself. We
want to see democratically accountable civic policing, and
we will continue to work until we achieve this.

“Gerry Adams will propose to the Ard Chomhairle that we
convene a special Árd Fhéis as soon as these matters are
resolved.”

The DUP has said it needs Sinn Féin to join with the other
Assembly parties in publicly supporting the Police Service
of Northern Ireland if it is to share power with them next
March.

To do that, Gerry Adams must recommend to his party’s
executive that a special conference be held to change its
policing policy.

Mr Paisley said decision day had come for Sinn Féin on
policing.

The DUP leader asked: “Are they going to abandon once and
for all their double speak, lies and ambiguities?

“Are they going to move from years of support for
criminality and terror and embrace fully democratic
principles, including the support for the police and the
rule of law?”

Mr Paisley said that Sinn Féin had effectively admitted it
was not yet ready to endorse the police because of internal
problems.

He said: “The democratic process cannot be twisted and
turned for Sinn Féin’s convenience.

“The DUP will be maintaining its position that there must
be delivery of support for the police immediately before
this process can move forward.”

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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/16644

Independent Report On Collusion Recommends British Co-
Operation With Inquiry

Published: 7 November, 2006

Ó Caoláin urges Taoiseach to use his influence with British
for compliance

Speaking in Leinster House today Sinn Féin Dáil Leader
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD called on the Taoiseach Bertie
Ahern to use his influence on the British government to
push them to co-operate with a full-scale international
inquiry into collusion, under United Nations guidelines and
with full access to information in the hands of the British
authorities. Deputy Ó Caoláin was speaking after an
Independent International Panel on Collusion in Sectarian
Killings published its report.

He said, "The Independent International Panel on Collusion
in Sectarian Killings has examined murders - including the
Dublin and Monaghan bombings - organised from the infamous
Mitchell farm at Glenanne, Co. Armagh which was a loyalist
base. It concludes that in 24 of the 25 cases they examined
there is "significant and credible evidence of involvement
of police and military agents of the United Kingdom, both
directly and in collusion with loyalist extremists". They
also found that "at least some police superiors in Northern
Ireland knew of an expressed approval of instances of this
conduct, and that senior officials in London had
information sufficient to put them on notice of the serious
risk of this conduct". This is the first truly
international and impartial examination of collusion from a
Human Rights law perspective.

"The Report which was presented to the Taoiseach today
finds that in 74 murders, including the Dublin and Monaghan
bombings, there is strong evidence of collusion. It says
that knowledge of collusion went to the top and that as
early as 1973 senior British government officials were put
on notice of the hand-in-glove relationship between the UDR
and loyalist paramilitaries. I have called on the Taoiseach
to press the British for investigations that will examine
how high up the chain of command in Belfast and London
there was knowledge, acquiescence or complicity in
sectarian attacks on both sides of the Border. The British
state should acknowledge its responsibility and provide
full information to the bereaved families.

"The Report concludes that there is a strong case for the
British government to co-operate with a full-scale
international inquiry into collusion, under United Nations
guidelines and with full access to information in the hands
of the British authorities. I am calling on the Taoiseach
to press the British Authorities for such a process, as
recommended in this new report, one which does not look
only at individual cases but at the systems and the
structures which made collusion possible and at patterns of
collusion." ENDS

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,1941822,00.html

Northern Ireland's Help Enlisted To End Sectarian Violence

Owen Bowcott, Ireland correspondent
Wednesday November 8, 2006
The Guardian

Iraq's national security adviser toured Belfast yesterday
in a fresh effort to learn about Northern Ireland's
experience of conflict resolution.

Muwaffaq al-Rubaie, who is heading a delegation of
government officials on the three-day visit, drew parallels
between Iraq's and Northern Ireland's sectarian and
political disputes.

Speaking in the Europa Hotel, once bombed by the IRA, Mr
Rubaie said: "Although our conflict is on a different scale
there are many similarities, particularly where there is a
religious background laid on top of a political
background." The delegation is meeting politicians from
Northern Ireland's main parties as well as members of the
policing board, the police ombudsman's office and weapons
decommissioning authorities. The oversight bodies were
models that could be adapted for Iraq, he suggested.

Northern Ireland's experience has previously been used in
attempts to stop sectarian infiltration of the Iraqi
police.

Mr al-Rubaie said violence in Iraq might last years but
insisted it was unsustainable and would fall in the coming
months amid new security measures. "Eighty per cent of the
country is secure ... Millions of people go to work every
day. Nine out of 10 ministries in Baghdad are not even in
the international green security zone.

"It's in the interest of everyone that Iraq prevails over
terrorism. Otherwise it's going to be a disaster worse than
Chernobyl, a disaster of world war two magnitude ... I know
the war is unpopular ... But it's worth spending blood and
treasure."

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http://www.breakingnews.ie/2006/11/07/story284199.html?rss=yes

Trad Groups Get Stamp Of Approval

07/11/2006 - 18:45:40

Four renowned groups are being featured on postage stamps
in recognition of their role in bringing Irish msic to an
international audience.

The new Irish postage stamps issued today depict The Clancy
Brothers and Tommy Makem; The Dubliners; The Chieftains and
Altan.

An Post chairwoman, Margaret McGinley said: “Each stamp
comprises a snapshot in time and depicts the group at a
particular point in their own unique history.

“The fact that these groups continue to develop their music
and to dazzle and delight their fans – as an ensemble or as
individual musicians – is testament to their musical
brilliance.”

The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem first emerged on the
American folk scene in 1955. The late Paddy, Tom and Bobby
Clancy were survived by their brother Liam who celebrated
the stamp launch with Tommy Makem.

The Dubliners – Ronnie Drew, Luke Kelly, Barney McKenna and
John Sheahan - were featured on a 48c stamp.

The Chieftains who have collaborated with musicians Frank
Zappa, Emmylou Harris and Van Morrison were also pictured.
The founding members of Altan, who achieved gold and
platinum albums and continue to tour, were featured on a
75c stamp.

Ms McGinley said: “We remember today those shining stars of
Irish Music no longer with us but who have left a rich and
lasting legacy of music and lyrics. In particular we
remember Derek Bell of the Chieftains; Ciaran Bourke and
Luke Kelly of the Dubliners; Brothers Paddy, Tom and Bobby
Clancy and Frankie Kennedy of Altan.”

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http://business.mainetoday.com/newsdirect/release.html?id=3627

The Irish Are Coming! The Irish Are Coming!

Returning for their sixth annual appearance, the Tommy
Makem/Makem and Spain Brothers' show at the Rochester Opera
House has become a big affair. Each year Irish music lovers
pack the house on the Saturday following Thanksgiving.
Slated for Nov. 25 at 8 p.m., this year promises another
raucous encore. Tommy Makem blends humor, poetry and song
with historical insight and infectious energy. His song
Four Green Fields, penned in 1968, has become such a
standard among Irish singers worldwide that it is often
mistaken for traditional.

Tommy Makem has been entertaining audiences for more than
five decades. Born in County Armagh, in Northern Ireland,
he gained international fame in the 1960s, helping to bring
Irish vocal music to an all-time high. He has sung in some
of the world's most renowned concert halls, including
Carnegie Hall in New York City, the Royal Albert Hall in
London and the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, and
has numerous national public television specials. He has
also appeared on such highly-rated television shows as the
Today Show, Good Morning America, The Ed Sullivan Show, the
Tonight Show and Rosie O'Donnell. His knowledge of Irish
culture and prominence in it has garnered him a host of
awards, including two honorary doctorates.

But the Seacoast of NH calls him one of their own. Over 30
years ago, Makem relocated to Dover, where relatives and
fellow Armagh natives had migrated. And it was there that
he raised his daughter, Katie, and three sons, Shane, Conor
and Rory. The Makem Brothers, all Irish-born as well,
followed in their father's footsteps and have been
performing Irish folk music for more than 15 years. Their
recent merger with Manchester's Spain Brothers has formed a
group that the NY Chronicle named the definitive Irish folk
singers of their generation and Roger McGuinn, former front
man for the Byrds, called "warm, joyful and full of life."

The World Folk Music Association awarded Tommy Makem its
Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999 and he has been named to
Irish America Magazine's Permanent Hall of Fame. In
December 1999, he was named one of the Top 100 Irish
Americans of the century by the magazine.

Tommy Makem performs at the Rochester Opera House with
special guests the Makem and Spain Brothers on Saturday,
Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $24
and may be purchased online at http://www.rochesteroperahouse.com/,
order by phone at (603) 335-1992 or at the box office
window located in the Rochester city hall building at 31
Wakefield Street in Rochester, NH.

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http://arts.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,,1941805,00.html

The Shadow Of A Gunman: Citizens, Glasgow

Mark Fisher
Wednesday November 8, 2006
The Guardian

Time and space are the distinguishing qualities of Philip
Breen's staging of the Sean O'Casey classic. He takes two
diversions from the traditional presentation of the Dublin
tenement tragedy; both are risky, and both pay off. The
first is to play the two-act drama without an interval; the
second is to break the mood of naturalism with a set
without walls, the furniture of Seumas Shields' rented room
fronting an open stage.

By dropping the interval, the director intensifies the
play's day-in-the-life trajectory. We move seamlessly from
the banter of the early scenes between salesman Shields and
his room-mate Donal Davoren - the poet mistaken for an IRA
fighter - passing through Donal's flirtation with Minnie
Powell, the Republican romantic from upstairs, and on to
the midnight conversation interrupted by a blast of gunfire
and a British army raid.

It means that, instead of kicking off act two with a blast
of energy, Breen takes the pace down to a soporific night-
time whisper. In doing so, he risks lulling us into sleepy
indifference as Michael Glenn Murphy's self-contained Donal
and Ciaran McIntyre's blustering Seumas mutter to each
other across the bedroom. The strategy pays dividends,
however, as the gunfire erupts, forcing us to sit up and
confront the unpredictable terror of life during wartime.

Soon after the arrival of the army auxiliaries, the
spaciousness of Colin Richmond's set also begins to make
sense. Initially it is in the long sprints the terrified
neighbours must make to reach the apartment, underscoring
their sense of panic. Most powerfully, it is in the
soldiers' upturning of the flat, leaving a desolate
landscape backed by a defiant slogan on the back wall - "We
serve neither king nor Kaiser, but Ireland" - and
emphasising O'Casey's continued political relevance.

Until November 18. Box office: 0141-429 0022.

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http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2006/1108/1162889033191.html

Death Of Seán Haughey, Brother Of Former Taoiseach

Fiona Gartland
08/11/2006

Seán Haughey, brother of former taoiseach Charles Haughey,
died yesterday in Dublin following a long illness.

An assistant manager of Dublin Corporation in the 1980s, Mr
Haughey died in St Mary's Hospital, Phoenix Park, aged 82.

He is survived by his elder sister Maureen and brother Fr
Eoghan Haughey, his two daughters, Ann and Mary, three
sons, Darach, Niall and Brian, as well as 12 grandchildren.

A respected civil servant and keen golfer, Mr Haughey was a
member of the Royal Dublin Golf Club. In his early days, he
was an accomplished soccer player with Shelbourne. He was
also active in the community of Clontarf where he lived on
Dunseverick Road with his late wife, Imelda. He helped in
fundraising for the local parish church, St Anthony's.

Last night his nephew, Seán Haughey TD, paid tribute to
him, and described him as "a public servant of the utmost
integrity. He was highly regarded by councillors of all
parties and none, a very straight talker, he gave it as it
was and was always direct in his dealings with
councillors."

Mr Haughey's removal will take place today at 6pm to St
Anthony's Church, Clontarf. Funeral Mass will be held at
11am tomorrow followed by burial in St Fintan's Cemetery,
Sutton.

© The Irish Times

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