News about the Irish & Irish American culture, music, news, sports. This is hosted by the Irish Aires radio show on KPFT-FM 90.1 in Houston, Texas (a Pacifica community radio station)

January 30, 2007

Pressure on DUP After Policing Move

News About Ireland & The Irish

BT 01/30/07 Pressure On DUP After Police Move
BN 01/30/07 Ahern & Blair To Review Power-Sharing Progress
BB 01/30/07 Government Is To Confirm Election
IN 01/30/07 Sinn Fein Councillor Resigns
BB 01/30/07 Stormont Reports Published
IM 01/29/07 IMC Media Notification
BT 01/30/07 Unionist Failure To Attend McCord Meeting
BN 01/30/07 Taoiseach Meets New US Envoy To The North
DJ 01/30/07 Kelly: Rioters Tarnished Bloody Sunday Memory
BT 01/30/07 Devastating Hit List Of Schools (Belfast Holy Cross not on list)
IN 01/30/07 Tensions High On Anniversary Of Devlin Murder
EA 01/30/07 Blog: Irish Abroad Unit Outlines Its Work
BT 01/30/07 Opin: Little Time For Political Sincerity Test
BT 01/29/07 Opin: Highly-Charged Day For All Republicans
BT 01/29/07 Opin: Giant Leap, But Not End Of Brinkmanship
BT 01/29/07 Opin: What Yes Vote Means As Rubicon Is Crossed
IN 01/29/07 Opin: Disgusting Justification For Murders
IN 01/30/07 Whats In A Name? – History, Tourism, Politics
BB 01/30/07 Belfast 1907 Strike To Be Marked
IN 01/30/07 Derry Council Set To Approve River Statue
MN 01/30/07 Knock US Dream Realised

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

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/article2198885.ece

Pressure On DUP After Police Move

[Published: Tuesday 30, January 2007 - 11:22]
By Noel McAdam

The London and Dublin Governments were today set to welcome
Gerry Adams' encouragement for co-operation with the PSNI
as another step forward.

The Sinn Fein President lost no time yesterday in building
on the overwhelming backing from his special ard fheis
moving his party closer to full involvement in policing and
court structures.

His comments will intensify pressure on the DUP to make
clearer its willingness to enter a power-sharing
administration with Sinn Fein by the devolution deadline of
March 26.

Tony Blair and Toaiseach Bertie Ahern were meeting in
London this afternoon, just hours after publication of the
latest Independent Monitoring Commission report which will
underpin recent increasingly positive assessments of the
IRA.

As the last day of the transitional Assembly passed into
history - with MLAs paying tribute to Speaker Eileen Bell,
who is stepping down from politics - Mr Adams made it clear
republicans should report crimes to the PSNI.

"If any citizen is the target of crime, whether it be death
riders, drug pushers or rape, or attacks on our elderly, if
there are crimes against the people, against citizens, Sinn
Fein will be urging and encouraging victims and citizens to
co-operate with the police. There is no equivocation or
qualification on this," he said.

With his party's ard chomhairle (executive) meeting today
to review the response to the ard fheis motion, which
states support for policing will only be implemented when
the DUP agree to share power and the transfer of justice
and policing powers to an Assembly, Mr Adams said the DUP
could have no veto.

"The motion sets out two contexts for progress. The first,
the preferred one, is with the DUP in a power sharing
Executive as set out in the Good Friday Agreement," he
said.

"However, if the DUP is unwilling to embrace power sharing
then there is a second context. The two governments need to
move forward with new all-Ireland partnership
arrangements."

"Sinn Fein will work with them to assure that these
arrangements are acceptable to republicans. However,
whatever happens the DUP will have no veto, no block on
progress."

But DUP leader Ian Paisley insisted his party would wait to
see positive proof that republicans "meant what they say.

"Our demands were a return to pure democracy where nobody
depends on the gun, the bullet and an army and that they
accept, willingly and frankly and fairly, the police, the
law enforcement officers of the Crown and the courts and
the rules of law.

"That is not asking anything of anybody, really. It is the
done thing," Mr Paisley said.

SDLP leader Mark Durkan said: "Sinn Fein needs to follow
through positively on their decision and the DUP need to
follow through on sharing power with nationalists as
equals.

"Sinn Fein are now adopting the very same position that
they have criticised the SDLP for taking on policing. It is
a decision which should not be delayed or used as a
bargaining tool."

© Belfast Telegraph

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

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/?jp=CWSNOJGBKFGB&rss=rss1

Ahern And Blair To Review Power-Sharing Progress

30/01/2007 - 06:54:50

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony
Blair will today review the prospects of securing power-
sharing at Stormont in March.

The Downing Street meeting will follow the release of a new
report by the North’s ceasefire watchdog, the Independent
Monitoring Commission.

It will also be the first time the two leaders have met
following Sinn Féin’s endorsement of the Police Service of
Northern Ireland.

The North's politicians are preparing for a fresh Assembly
Election on March 7. The Transitional Assembly dissolved
from today.

Both leaders have been buoyed by Sinn Féin's decision on
Sunday to allow the party’s elected representative to take
part on policing boards.

They will also be looking for certainty that the Rev Ian
Paisley’s Democratic Unionists will form a power-sharing
government at Stormont featuring Sinn Féin at the end of an
election, now that Gerry Adams has said his party will urge
members of the community to report crimes like rape,
assault on the elderly and joy-riding to the police.

Mr Ahern and Mr Blair have long believed that Sinn Féin
support for the police was essential if the DUP were to be
persuaded to form a devolved government.

Mr Paisley yesterday acknowledged Sinn Féin’s new policy
was a step forward, but he warned republicans that he was
not prepared to accept a post-dated cheque, with Sinn Féin
only moving on support for police in the event of a
devolved government being formed.

Mr Adams’ response that he and his colleagues would urge
their community to co-operate with the police on crimes
like rape and aggravated burglary place the ball back in
the DUP leaders’ court over power-sharing.

With the writ for a new Assembly Election due to be moved
tomorrow, the North's politicians were frantically
preparing their campaign literature, election broadcasts
and posters in anticipation of the prime minister
confirming March 7 would be polling day.

Government sources, however, insisted nothing should be
taken for granted.

Mr Adams will today meet members of the Methodist Church
before heading to another session with his party’s national
executive to discuss how they will implement the motion
passed at their special conference in Dublin on Sunday.

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

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6311507.stm

Government Is To Confirm Election

Tony Blair is expected to confirm that the government
intends to press ahead with a NI assembly election on 7
March.

He is expected to make an announcement after meeting Irish
Prime Minister Bertie Ahern at Downing Street later.

The Stormont Assembly ended its proceedings on Monday with
the politicians paying tribute to the Speaker Eileen Bell.

She gave her best wishes to those outgoing assembly members
who are seeking re-election.

Whether the politicians return in March with any real power
depends on the DUP and Sinn Fein sorting out their
outstanding difficulties.

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams' comments urging victims of
crime to cooperate with the police have moved matters
forward.

However, DUP leader Ian Paisley wants to see what he calls
"real delivery" by republicans in the coming weeks.

The two prime ministers will survey their options when they
meet at Downing Street this afternoon.

Although the restoration of a power sharing government is
by no means certain, it is likely the government will press
ahead with the St Andrews timetable and that would mean
voters going to the polls on 7 March.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2007/01/30 06:15:11 GMT
© BBC MMVII

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

http://www.irishnews.com/access/daily/current.asp?SID=547516

Sinn Fein Councillor Resigns

By Catherine Morrison

A Sinn Fein councillor has resigned from the party after
describing its historic decision to support policing
structures as “a step too far”.

Martin Connolly, deputy mayor of Newry, said he regretted
the ard fheis decision on Sunday to back the leadership’s
position.

“I feel that my membership of that party is no longer
tenable,” he said.

“I take no pleasure in this decision whatsoever and indeed
I hope to maintain many of the relationships and
friendships I have formed during 25 years of involvement in
republicanism.”

He said he would be continuing in politics as an
independent councillor.

The move comes after a former colleague on the council was
de-selected and then resigned from the party earlier this
month.

Sinn Fein assembly member Davy Hyland left the party and is
considering running as an independent in March’s planned
assembly elections.

Sinn Fein Newry and Mourne councillor Mick Murphy expressed
regret at Mr Connolly’s decision.

“Since his election in 2005 I have worked closely with Cllr
Connolly on Newry and Mourne Council and I wish to pay
tribute to the way he has dedicated himself to representing
the people of the Mournes in his role as both councillor
and vice mayor,” he said.

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

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6312901.stm

Stormont Reports Published

Northern Ireland's parties have not yet been able to agree
the timetable for the transfer of justice powers or how to
appoint a policing minister.

This was confirmed in a Stormont report on policing and
justice.

The report says the DUP and UUP expressed a clear
preference for a single justice minister, while Sinn Fein
preferred two ministers of equal status.

The Programme for Government Committee has now published
five of the six reports which were being prepared for it on
key issues.

Earlier this month, the committee decided that the reports
would not be published unless a strong case was advanced
that they should be made public.

The policing and justice report confirms that Sinn Fein,
the SDLP and the UUP believed a minister should be
appointed using the proportional D'Hondt system, whereas
the DUP backed the election of a minister by a 70% weighted
majority.

Last month, the government suggested that a justice
minister should be elected by cross-community vote.

Initial arrangement

The secretary of state said this initial arrangement should
be reviewed by 2011.

In the policing and justice report, the DUP describe this
government proposal as cumbersome and neither efficient nor
effective.

Sinn Fein say it is helpful and it assumed both the justice
minister and his or her deputy would be elected.

Sinn Fein suggested that locating policing and justice
within the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister
might also be a short-term option.

The SDLP objected to the cross-community vote as contrary
to the principles of the Good Friday Agreement.

The UUP rejected the government model, arguing there should
be a single department led by a single minister. In their
report, all four parties did agree that they should back
the rule of law.

Committee reports

The Stormont Programme for Government Committee has now
published reports on policing and justice, school
admissions, and rural planning.

It released a report on public sector job location last
week when the matter was debated in the Assembly.

A report on rates and water charges was released when the
issue came up for debate on Monday.

The only report so far not published deals with the economy
and the shape of a peace dividend to accompany any
political deal.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2007/01/30 11:24:12 GMT
© BBC MMVII

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

http://www.independentmonitoringcommission.org/documents/uploads/ACF327.doc

IMC Media Notification

29 January 2007

The Thirteenth Report of the Independent Monitoring
Commission was today presented to the British and Irish
Governments under Articles 4 and 7 of the International
Agreement establishing the Independent Monitoring
Commission.

A press conference will be held following the publication
of the Report by the two Governments. It is scheduled to
commence at:

1430 hours on Tuesday, 30 January 2007 in the VIP Suite of
the Waterfront Hall, Lanyon Place, Belfast

Note to Editors:

• This report is made at the requests of the British and
Irish Governments following the St Andrews Agreement. It
covers the period 1 September to 30 November 2006.

• Queries in relation to this notice should be made to our
offices in Belfast

(04428 90 726117)

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

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/article2198656.ece

Unionist Failure To Attend Meeting Prompts Angry Rebuke
From Mccord

[Published: Tuesday 30, January 2007 - 09:04]
By Chris Thornton

Collusion victim Raymond McCord hit out the DUP and UUP
yesterday after the unionist parties didn't turn up for a
meeting about his case yesterday.

The SDLP had invited all parties to sit down with Mr McCord
at Stormont yesterday to discuss last week's Police
Ombudsman report on the murder of his son, Raymond jnr, by
UVF informers in 1997.

Sinn Fein and Alliance joined the SDLP at the meeting, but
Mr McCord said there were no unionist representatives
present to discuss Nuala O'Loan's report.

The meeting took place on the day the Assembly could have
discussed the report, but the DUP and UUP blocked a debate.

"I'm tired of having to fight unionist politicians," Mr
McCord said yesterday. "All I've heard from them is
criticism rather than support.

"They are entitled to criticise Mrs O'Loan. It's a
democracy. But they haven't been in touch with me to
discuss it.

"It seems to me they run away from issues that embarrass
them and embarrass the state.

"I'm not criticising the RUC. There were good policemen who
wanted to do their job, but they were prevented. So why
have the unionist politicians stayed silent?"

Mr McCord said the DUP has asked him for a separate
meeting.

© Belfast Telegraph

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

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/?jp=CWSNOJGBGBCW&rss=rss1

Taoiseach Meets New US Envoy To The North

30/01/2007 - 10:11:31

The US government's new special envoy to the North is
meeting Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the Minister for Foreign
Affairs Dermot Ahern in Dundalk this morning.

Paula Dobriansky is being accompanied on her visit by the
outgoing US envoy Mitchell Reiss.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Bertie Ahern has praised the
positive contribution to the peace process made by
Ambassador Reiss during his time in the job.

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

http://www.derryjournal.com/ViewArticle2.asp

"Rioters Tarnished The Memory Of Those Who Died On Bloody
Sunday" - John Kelly

There Has Been Wide Spread Criticism Of The Rioting Which
followed Sunday's annual Bloody Sunday march.

By Laurence McClenaghan

John Kelly, whose brother Michael was shot dead by British
paratroopers during the 1972 march, accused those young
people responsible for the violent scenes "of tarnishing
the memory of those who were killed in January 1972."

Distrurbances were first reported to the PSNI at shortly
after 4pm and continued for one and a half hours at Butcher
Gate.

Police were called to the scene after numerous stone
throwing incidents at the junction of Butcher Street and
Nailor's Row, one vehicle was damaged during the trouble
while police arrested two males for riotous behaviour.

A number of petrol bombs were also thrown at police in the
vicinity of Society Street and Butcher Gate.

A number of tourists who had marched on the annual parade,
were also caught up trying to return to the City Hotel
after the speeches had been delivered.

Speaking to the JOURNAL, John Kelly said: "I would prefer
not to comment but these people must be informed that they
have tarnished the memory of those who died on the original
march. The march is a dignified and peaceful means of
protest, violence is the last thing we require. We do not
want anyone else getting hurt or killed. We are saddened to
hear of the trouble and we believe that it undermines the
family day out that the march has become.

"Some of the families are simply horrified at the violent
scenes witnessed," concluded Mr. Kelly.

Peter Anderson, Sinn Fein Councillor for the Bogside said:
"That those youths who participated in throwing stones and
petrol bombs in Fahan Street were not politically
motivated."

Councillor Anderson added, "That this group of youths have,
over the past few years, engaged in serious anti-community
activity in the Bogside area of the city. If they were not
throwing stones in Fahan Street they would be attacking the
Fountain or burning cars in the Bogside.

"There was no reason whatsoever for these young people to
start bother and put the residents of Fahan Street and the
surrounding area through another ordeal of sheer wanton
destruction and vandalism.

"It was clear from the numbers who took part, that the vast
majority of young people who attended yesterday's
commemoration did not or would not insult the memories of
those who died by attacking the very community they came
from."

When asked what parallels he drew between the Sinn Fein Ard
Fhies on policing and the community's apparent disregard
for the PSNI, Colr. Anderson was adament: "If anyone thinks
that these actions were a reaction to the historic vote
being held at the same time then they are sadly mistaken.
These young people are void of anything remotely political
and should desist from this type of action that only serves
to cause hardship to their own community.

SDLP Councillor, Seana Hume, also slammed those responsible
and echoed the calls made by Mr. Kelly: "The actions of
those who rioted must be condemned, especially on such an
important day for the city and the families bereaved on
Bloody Sunday. It should be these people we are thinking of
at this time not stone throwing youths.

"Further, these scenes are not the vision of the city we
are trying to market to tourism, a number of tourists were
caught up in the violence and what will they now think of
our city."

30 January 2007

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

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/great-schools-debate/article2194441.ece

Devastating Hit List Of Schools

[Published: Monday 29, January 2007 - 17:31]
By Deborah McAleese

List of 457 schools up for review according to GMB union
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/template/ver/gfx/template/components/pdf/schools.pdf

Hundreds of Ulster schools thought to be under threat of
closure following a controversial government report were
named last night by a leading public services union.

The GMB union has drawn up a list of 457 schools - a third
of the total in Northern Ireland - which it claims are
subject to review in light of the Bain Report, which
recommended a radical review of schools with lower pupil
counts.

While this is not an official government list and has not
been ratified by the Department of Education it is the
first comprehensive catalogue of the primary, post-primary
and grammar schools across Northern Ireland that are
potentially facing an uncertain future.

The list was put together by the GMB following a report by
Professor Sir George Bain which stated that urban primaries
with fewer than 140 pupils, rural primaries with fewer than
105 and all post-primary schools with fewer than 500 pupils
should be reviewed in a bid to reduce the 50,000 empty
seats currently existing in the school system.

However, a decision on closures will not be based on pupil
numbers alone. Education chiefs will also be taking social,
economic and quality of education issues into
consideration.

It could take up to 10 years for changes to be implemented.

The GMB, which represents non-teaching staff in schools,
claims there are a total of 92 schools facing review in the
Antrim area, 40 in the Armagh region, 33 in Belfast, 90 in
Down, 37 in Fermanagh, 56 in Derry and 109 in Tyrone.

GMB senior organiser Eamonn Coy last night said the union
decided to publish the list so that parents and communities
can join the debate on the schools' future.

He added that the union is seeking an urgent meeting with
Secretary of State Peter Hain to establish how the review
is to be carried out and to seek assurances that
communities will be fully consulted.

"GMB is calling on the community and the school workforce
to defend these local schools. We are also calling on the
school workforces who are not in a union to join GMB so
that their interests are properly represented," said Mr
Coy.

He added: "GMB consider that it is for local communities
themselves to discuss and come to decisions as to how many
schools are needed to provide a first class education
within a reasonable distance from children's homes."

Responding to the GMB list, the Department of Education re-
issued a recent speech by Mr Hain in which he said: "The
educational arguments for having larger schools are
compelling and we need to make changes that are crucial for
the future development of a world-class education estate.

"Maria Eagle has reassured schools that the changes will be
planned carefully and sensitively, with the educational
interests of pupils paramount. I fully endorse this
assurance. We will look at each case carefully and weigh up
the educational needs of particular communities."

Fern Turner, of the National Association of Head Teachers,
said she was concerned that the unofficial naming of the
schools could cause unnecessary alarm for teachers and
parents.

"The reality is that change is always difficult and while
we accept some change is necessary I think we all need to
be very careful about what information we give and how it
is given.

"I am concerned that by giving information before we
actually know the situation, we are panicking people. This
information could cause distress and concern that, at the
end of the day, we possibly won't have to concern ourselves
with at all," she said.

© Belfast Telegraph

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

http://www.irishnews.com/access/daily/current.asp?SID=547518

Tensions High On First Anniversary Of Murder

By Marie Louise McCrory West Belfast Correspondent

A WEST Belfast family involved in an ongoing dispute in
Ballymurphy have told of how they have been threatened they
will be burnt out of their home this weekend, on the first
anniversary of the murder of Gerard Devlin.

Nathaniel Corbett – whose family is related to the
Notarantonios – said his family was threatened during an
attack on their Glenalina Park home.

There has been a year-long campaign of attacks on homes in
the past year in Ballymurphy following Mr Devlin’s death
last February 3.

Four members of the Notarantonio family have been charged
in connection with the murder.

Speaking last night Mr Corbett said a gang threw bottles
and bricks at his home on Sunday night. He said this took
place after his sister’s house in Divismore Crescent was
also attacked.

Mr Corbett said the attackers tried to break down the door
of his home and was confronted by one member of the gang,
who showed he had a knife under his coat.

“There was about 10 or 12 of them altogether,” he said.

“They said ‘We’re going to burn the rest of you out on the
anniversary’.”

A short time later at around 10.10pm a gang attacked the
home of Mr Corbett’s sister-in-law Margaret O’Connor in
Whitecliff Parade.

The grandmother said she went out to ask a group of young
people to take their football away from the door.

She said one of them ran up to her and lifted his fist as
if to hit her however when she moved back he grabbed the
glasses off her face. The house was then attacked with
bricks and stones.

Mrs O’Connor said there were also attempts to break the
windows where her daughter (11) and granddaughter (7) would
normally sleep.

Her four-year-old grandson was also in the house at the
time

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

http://emigrantadvicenetwork.blogspot.com/2007/01/irish-abroad-unit-outlines-its-work.html

Monday, January 29, 2007

Blog: Irish Abroad Unit Outlines Its Work

The Irish Abroad Unit updated the Joint Committee on
Foreign Affairs about their work and the current status of
Irish emigrants earlier this month. Their update focused on
the achievements of 2006 and their plans for 2007.

Ray Bassett of the Unit spoke of the possibility that
immigration reform could be passed by the US Congress in
September or October, but warned of the importance of
caution in these matters. He paid tribute to the work of
the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, and said that the
Irish presence has been helpful as part of the wider
campaign for immigration reform aimed at the wider group of
undocumented immigrants in the US.

Mr Bassett also spoke of the improvements in the status of
Irish emigrants in Britain with €40 million spent since
1984, 80% of that since 2000. The Simon Community credits
increased funding for the fall in the number of Irish
homeless from 600 to 100 since 1999.

He spoke of establishing good links with the GAA, referring
to its ability to bring community together as “sport plus
social inclusion”. He also spoke of how the Unit has
extended funding to Australia, Canada and Argentina, as
well as South Africa and Zimbabwe. The Unit has been given
€15.1 million for funding next year, an increase of €3
million.

During the question period, Mr Bassett responded to the
issue of free travel and broadcasting to emigrants by
saying:

On issues such as RTE, free travel, etc., the Government is
in favour. It is a question of how we proceed from here. We
have extended the centenarian’s bounty outside the State
for those who reach 100 years of age. It will take
imaginative thinking to get around some of the obstacles,
but we are committed to work with the relevant Departments
to assist these people. There is a political and
administrative will to do it, but we need the mechanisms to
get there.

The update sparked a wide-ranging discussion on the status
of the Irish around the world. Senators raised such issues
as the special problems of Argentinians who feel a very
strong link with Ireland and who would like to get
citizenship, but who are too many generations removed under
the current system. Senator David Norris spoke of a letter
he had received from a young Irish man living in Paris who
felt rejected by Ireland because he could not vote here.
Senator Paschal Mooney raised the issue of differences
between the professional Irish of the more recent
generation of emigrants and the traditional Irish
emigrants; he suggested there might be some sort of
structure developed that would encourage the professional
Irish to get involved with those from previous generations.

For the full transcript, see the Oireachtas website
http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=FOJ20070118.xml&Node=H3#H3

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

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/opinion/article2198863.ece

Opin: Little Time For A Political Sincerity Test

[Published: Tuesday 30, January 2007 - 11:00]

After all has been said and done, by the politicians, the
people now will have their say, in a most crucial election.
Do they want to move forward with power-sharing, despite
all their reservations, or will they indicate that a deal
between unionism and republicanism is still some way off?

The biggest obstacle has been shifted substantially, but
the conditions attached to Sinn Fein's acceptance of
policing and the rule of law have not removed it. Nothing
changes until the party executive decides the time is right
- and that, Sinn Fein says, will only come when the DUP
commits to sharing power and transferring policing powers
to Stormont.

Such was the hype surrounding the Sinn Fein ard fheis, and
the historic decision to reverse the indefensible policy of
non-co-operation with the police on either side of the
border, the pressure should now be on the DUP to
reciprocate. But republicans should not be surprised if the
answer from unionists is "Don't tell us, show us."

Too many times, in the past, the UUP accepted gestures from
Sinn Fein at face value, only to be let down when there was
a failure in delivery. The DUP needs to show, in words,
that it is ready and eager to see republicans transform
themselves into unequivocal democrats. But the deeds must
come from Sinn Fein, using the next few vital weeks to show
that helping police to solve crime is a normal civic duty -
today, not tomorrow.

The election should be the culmination of negotiations
between the main parties, setting out clear terms on which
the voters will decide. Sadly, this is far from the case,
even if the success of Gerry Adams in selling his policing
policy, with strings attached, has permitted Tony Blair and
Bertie Ahern to proceed with their election timetable.
Voters are being asked to show which parties they want to
conclude the deal, but not on a deal with every item nailed
down and immoveable.

Since all the focus has been on whether the DUP and Sinn
Fein can agree - and they are not yet on speaking terms -
it would be a major surprise if they did not top the poll.
In fact the danger is that the centre-ground parties like
the UUP and SDLP, who worked so hard at reconciliation,
will suffer in a highly-polarised vote.

With so little contact between the main parties, and so
little time to test each other's sincerity, there must be
doubt whether the March 26 deadline for devolution can be
met. Unionists are being threatened with Plan B, a British-
Irish deal in which Sinn Fein would support the police, but
Plan A is the only practical one, however long it takes.

© Belfast Telegraph

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

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/article2193840.ece

Opin: A Highly-Charged Day For Republicans Of All Hues

[Published: Monday 29, January 2007 - 08:52]
By Noel McAdam

As a republican, Louis Macgiolla Bhrighde admits to having
felt "a bit of a fraud".

The Magherafelt man lost an IRA volunteer brother, Antoine,
who was killed in an SAS ambush in Kesh, in December 1984.

Two years later, Louis found himself in the minority at the
ard fheis which brought the split over republican
participation in the Dail, when he spoke against.

As he left the platform, the next speaker was another
brother, who was in favour. But yesterday, Louis was yet
again among the few voices opposing the party leadership.

"To endorse the police service is to endorse British
occupation in Ireland," he said.

And he had an alternative, he insisted, replacing guerrilla
war with guerrilla politics, "making the border an
irrelevance - and then dismantle their police force."

He told the 1,000 delegates that, unless they were in
operational control at every level or had people
sympathetic to their beliefs and their community, " we
cannot say that we control or influence policing".

In some ways he, and some others, symbolised the position
Sinn Fein has now shifted from - though none of them talks
in terms of quitting the party - and caught the emotion of
a highly-charged day for all strands of the republican
tradition.

MLA Paul Butler, who shared a prison wing with hunger
striker Bobby Sands and was involved in the Blanket
protest, admitted to "mixed emotions" .

"I think of those who have spent time in jail, those who
died on hunger strike," he said, then added: "I am still
involved in this struggle."

Martin McGuinness had a catch in his voice as he proposed
the extensive motion heralding Sinn Fein support for
policing.

He was talking about a meeting with IRA volunteers and
families last Monday at which some left the room.

Just for a moment, the voice of the former IRA second-in-
command choked, as he said his heart had left with them -
but his head stayed in the room.

As he arrived, McGuinness was among those who drew the
loudest jeers from a small placard protest staged at the
main gates by Republican Sinn Fein.

"Here comes the Chief Constable," they shouted, and
"traitor" . McGuinness called the remarks "unpleasant and
unjust" but said: " I can take all that because I come from
a tradition that fought the British Army and the RUC to a
standstill.

"We are being criticised by groups who have yet to fight
them to a start."

The party's MEP, Mary Lou McDonald, seconding the motion,
said she believed arguments that the move legitimises
partition and British jurisdiction were " misplaced".

In a day of change, even the location for yesterday's ard
fheis was different. The concert hall at the Royal Dublin
Society, where delegates have gathered for their annual ard
fheis for years, was in darkness, dusty, festooned with
stacked chairs and occupied only by a couple of dishwashers
escaping the heat in the canteen.

Instead, activists gathered in the vast barn of the next
hall in the RDS grounds, the book-lined walls replaced with
bare brick. T-shirts on sale at the Sinn Fein stall (€10
for extra large) proclaimed "Homeland Security" and showed
a fairly rough band of armed renegades who looked as if
they could quickly sort out a domestic. But they weren't
exactly doing a brisk trade.

Questions as to whether they were selling police whistles
or heavy boots only drew blank looks. But then, it's only
five weeks until the next ard fheis...

© Belfast Telegraph

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

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/article2193814.ece

Opin: A Giant Leap, But It's Not The End Of Brinkmanship

[Published: Monday 29, January 2007 - 08:54]

Political Correspondent Chris Thornton argues that there
are still many steps ahead in the process of republican
support for police

One giant leap for republicans. Not quite as huge a step
for the political process.

At least not yet. The immensity of what happened in
Dublin's RDS yesterday can't be overlooked - the grassroots
of Sinn Fein have, in Gerry Adams' words "created the
potential to change the political landscape on this island
forever".

They turned their backs on a huge part of their ideology.
In some ways, the decisiveness of the vote showed that the
arguments were already won and suggests, rather than
reluctance, readiness to support policing.

But note the conditional language Mr Adams used - he didn't
say the Sinn Fein delegates have changed the landscape, he
said they created the potential.

Many DUP members will no doubt feel a bit like the brother
of the Prodigal Son today: bristling at praise heaped on
Sinn Fein for doing what they think should have been done
all along.

They will have additional cause for feeling irked. The
motion passed by Sinn Fein's special ard fheis does not
actually trigger support for policing.

Instead, it empowers the party's executive, the ard
chomhairle, to pull that trigger - so to speak - at a later
date. Political landscapers have their shovels, but haven't
broken sod yet.

The willingness is there, which is of great significance
when you consider that not so many years ago they were more
interested in burying police officers than supporting them.

However, a few conditions contained in the motion have yet
to be fulfilled, which is why Ian Paisley described it as
"a post-dated cheque".

First, the power-sharing Executive at Stormont has to be
established.

Secondly, the Sinn Fein leadership has to be satisfied that
policing and justice powers are going to be transferred to
Stormont from London.

This keeps up the game of political chicken, since the
DUP's conditions for delivering their end of a deal are
pretty nearly the opposite of Sinn Fein's.

Last night Mr Paisley talked about "real delivery" and
"true, visible and open support for the police" still being
needed.

In that sense, nothing has changed: Sinn Fein want an
Executive as a pre-condition for supporting the police. The
DUP want support for the police as a pre-condition for an
Executive.

That simplifies things: the devolution of policing and
justice powers is a huge background issue. For Sinn Fein it
is arguably the most important pre-condition, as it allows
them to maintain that their PSNI is an Irish police force,
not a British one.

It is also something that raises the hackles of some of Mr
Paisley's hardliners.

Sharing power with Sinn Fein is bad enough - don't forget
the reaction to Martin McGuinness's appointment as
Education Minister. Sharing law and order powers is on
another plane.

So, what is a Government to do about all this? Probably
what it has done all along - carry on regardless.

On Monday we get the last sitting of the Assembly. Tuesday
sees an IMC report that is expected to emphasise the
positives - although, given that the DUP talks about the
need to dismantle terrorist structures, the IMC's comments
on the state of the IRA Army Council might be seized on by
some in Mr Paisley's party.

After that, it's an election to an Assembly that's
existence is far from certain. There have been suggestions
that the Government might yet call off the election if the
DUP commitment to an Executive is still in doubt.

The tone of Mr Paisley's statement last night suggests
that's a bluff he's willing to call. And the tenor of the
Government's previous actions - think of Mr Paisley's non-
committal commitment of November 24 - suggest the election
will still happen.

The aftermath of that election is much harder to see,
especially if Sinn Fein and the DUP come out with stronger
mandates to reinforce their mutually exclusive positions.

But it may be that the Government considers it a mere
mopping up exercise.

Sir Reg Empey, the Ulster Unionist leader, has argued for
some time now that the Government has been more concerned
with getting republicans to accept policing than with re-
establishing Stormont.

If that's so, the Government has its victory. The motion
passed yesterday also provides for supporting the police in
the absence of a power-sharing deal with the DUP. The
leadership can also decide to support the PSNI when "
acceptable new partnership arrangements" to implement the
Good Friday Agreement are in place.

Opposition to the police is now merely tactical rather than
a point of principle. There's no going back on that. But
it's clear there are still plenty of steps ahead.

© Belfast Telegraph

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

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/article2193862.ece

Opin: What 'Yes' Vote Means In The Long Term As Rubicon Is
Crossed

[Published: Monday 29, January 2007 - 08:56]

Political Correspondent Noel McAdam explains why Sinn Fein
support for policing will not be put into place until the
time is right

In historical, ideological and, even more importantly,
emotional terms, the significance of Sinn Fein's biggest
step towards supporting policing is difficult to
underestimate.

Mainstream republicanism has put a century of trenchant -
and violent - opposition to policing in Northern Ireland
into reverse.

They have crossed a republican Rubicon. And there is no way
back. Yet, it would be important also not to overstate the
shift it represents.

For, at least in the short term, the Sinn Fein shift
yesterday is tactical as well as strategic. Mainstream
republicans facing the policing issue finally concluded:
"Yes - but not yet."

Veteran party member and Belfast councillor Tom Hartley
accurately described the decision as a fundamental change
in Sinn Fein's strategic direction.

But yesterday was about much more than the hand of history.
It was about the heart and the head, too; in fact, probably
the entire upper body - leaving only the legs as there
could be a kick or two yet on the road to devolution.

For the lengthy motion carried forward clearly defers
activation. Support for policing has been agreed. But it
will not be put into effect until the time is right.

The result of yesterday's long- anticipated ard fheis was
never really in doubt - the only issue was the margin of
the leadership's victory.

Gerry Adams, Gerry Kelly and others repeatedly insisted the
verdict was not 'in the bag' precisely to put pressure on
waverers to vote in their favour.

Had the motion been lost, not only would the peace process
itself have been plunged into freefall, the present Sinn
Fein leadership would have been in crisis as well.

But the republican leadership leaves little to chance.
Thus, most of the party's local units across Ireland
mandated their delegates how to vote. Others were given the
freedom to decide how to vote on the day, but it was
impossible to quantify their strength.

Only Ogra Sinn Fein, the youth wing, went public with its
decision to vote against, but it had less than 20 votes to
work with.

A mid-Ulster activist said party units in the north west
had been allowed to make a final verdict yesterday.

And there were boos when, as the queue of speakers
stretched further and further, it was suggested that
speaking time be cut from three minutes to two.

Those who broke the three- minute deadline tended to be
loudly cheered. While there were complaints that, as one
delegate put it, "for some strange reason" amendments had
been withdrawn, there was no attempt to curtail debate. But
dissenters were outnumbered by about eight to one.

To a large degree, Sinn Fein could not deliver on the force
of their motion even if they wanted to. The Policing Board
- to which Sinn Fein can now allocate members - will not be
reconstituted until after the Assembly elections of March
7. No delivery on that before the election, then.

Similarly with district policing partnerships. Both the
motion and its proposer, Martin McGuinness, made clear it
is for the PSNI "to make strenuous efforts" to earn the
trust and confidence of nationalists and republicans. In
his keynote speech of the day, he made little attempt to
justify or explain Sinn Fein's strategy.

Instead, he touched all the buttons - the sacrifice of
volunteers; the " hurting" of republican families; the
ineffectiveness of republican dissidents and their
collective enemies including 'securocrats' and unionist
'rejectionists' - designed to bring about his "decisive
Irish republican yes".

But on the issue of trust between former sworn enemies who
are expected to bury the past and work together to deliver
policing, he insisted: " They're not going to get that
trust tomorrow morning."

But, above all, the motion transfers the authority for
implementing support for policing to the party's ard
chomhairle (executive) at a time of its choosing. That will
be, it says, "only when the power-sharing institutions are
established" and when the executive is satisfied policing
and justice powers will be transferred to the Assembly and
Executive.

But if power-sharing is not returned by the St Andrews
timetable of March 26, then implementation of support for
policing will happen "only when acceptable new partnership
arrangements to implement the Good Friday Agreement are in
place".

If the ard fheis amounted to a 'done deal' in some
respects, the political response last night was equally
predictable. Sinn Fein can expect the British and Irish
governments to accentuate the positive and use the ard
fheis as the spur for the election they will confirm
tomorrow.

For unionists, there is an element of the old proverb of
being careful for what you wish for - in case you get it.
Speaker after speaker yesterday emphasised the lack of
appetite among unionists for republican involvement in
policing, as a key reason for doing it.

© Belfast Telegraph

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

http://www.irishnews.com/access/daily/current.asp?SID=547466

Opin: Disgusting Justification For Sectarian Murders

By Susan McKay

Willie Frazer was outside Sunday’s Sinn Fein ard fheis in
Dublin with a placard accusing republicans of having blood
on their hands.

He expressed outrage at the idea that the “law-abiding
population” would negotiate with terrorists to get them to
support democracy, law and order.

Three years ago, Frazer was refused a personal protection
weapon because the police said they had “reliable
intelligence” that he “associated with loyalist terrorist
organisations”. He denied it.

He is the spokesman for the Families Acting for Innocent
Relatives (Fair) victims group.

The DUP’s pious Jeffrey Donaldson was sent out by the party
yesterday to rubbish Sinn Fein’s decision to support the
PSNI. The “significant conditionality” of the republican
decision would have to be removed, he said.

Last year, Frazer and Donaldson marked the 30th anniversary
of the IRA’s Kingsmills massacre by claiming they had a
dossier containing the names of the murderers.

DUP leader Ian Paisley used parliamentary privilege in 1999
to accuse, among others, Eugene Reavey of carrying out the
atrocity in which 10 innocent Protestant workmen died.
Paisley claimed he had reliable police intelligence.

It was an outrageous and unfounded allegation.

It was also irresponsible and dangerous. The then chief
constable, Ronnie Flanagan, said there was no police
intelligence to suggest Eugene Reavey was involved in the
massacre, or in any way connected with terrorism. The night
before Kingsmills, a loyalist paramilitary gang had
slaughtered three of Eugene’s brothers at their home in
south Armagh.

These murders are before the European Court of Human Rights
because of strong indications that Ulster Defence Regiment
colluded with the UVF.

The gang had gone on that night to murder three members of
another Catholic family, the O’Dowd’s.

Two of the Reaveys died at the scene.

The youngest brother, Anthony, died later. While in
hospital he became friends with Alan Black, who survived
Kingsmills, and who has said that he knows Eugene Reavey to
be completely innocent.

The UDR stopped Mrs Reavey, the mother of the dead men, on
the road on her way home from the morgue and mocked and
harassed her.

The family became the victims of a whispering campaign
which said they had been targeted because they were in the
IRA. A couple of weeks ago, Eugene Reavey decided to
publicise the fact that the Historical Enquiries Team (HET)
which is investigating the murders of his brothers had told
the family that they had been the “innocent victims of
senseless sectarian violence”. The chief officer of the
HET, Dave Cox, also apologised for the behaviour of the
security forces back in 1976.

Fair responded by claiming the HET had angered and hurt
victims.

It has for years carried a reference to Paisley’s
allegation on its website despite PSNI demands that it be
removed.

Now it has added a disgraceful article called ‘Just never
proven guilty’.

This claims the HET’s “words are meaningless and hollow for
they can never assure innocence, all they can do is point
to a lack of legal convictions”. (sic)

It goes on to say “after all we are all innocent until
proven guilty” and, because the men are dead and can’t be
tried, “the whole issue is a moot point”.

Having thus made nonsense of the central tenet of our
justice system, Fair addresses collusion. Why would “those
with access to security force intelligence” choose an
innocent family to kill, it demands.

On the other hand, it goes on, if the Reaveys were named in
such intelligence, why would the police deny it?

A conspiracy, perhaps, involving the IRA, the HET and the
PSNI, Fair suggests.

The HET is soon to investigate Kingsmills and Fair says it
should have waited to see the “evidence” it will present
before “exonerating” the Reaveys.

This disgusting justification for sectarian murder and for
slander is reproduced on the website of a loyalist radio
station in Scotland. Fair thanks Calton Radio for inviting
it to address an

anti-republican rally and praises the quality of its
loyalism.

The station has been the subject of complaints about
sectarianism.

Fair’s slogan is ‘help us to tell the truth’. The DUP says
it won’t sit down with terrorists.

Frazer and the DUP dismissed Nuala O’Loan’s report on
collusion last week.

This indicates a ‘significant conditionality’ because the
police ombudsman is a pillar of the policing establishment.

They also want to take it or leave it when it comes to
police intelligence.

They should not get away with slurring the victims of
sectarianism, nor with accusing an innocent, law-abiding
man of mass murder. The Reavey family has suffered enough.
smckay@irishnews.com

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

http://www.irishnews.com/access/daily/current.asp?SID=547547

What’s In A Name? – History, Tourism, Politics For Starters

By Valerie Robinson

Derry or Londonderry? Dingle or An Daingean?

Southern correspondent Valerie Robinson hears about the
emotive issue of place names

Communities at opposite ends of the island would argue that
a place name can mean so much more than an address or a
word on a signpost.

Derry and Dingle have been at the centre of separate
controversies in recent months over efforts to change or
prevent changes to their names.

Nationalist politicians have vowed to continue a battle to
have the

‘London’ removed from ‘Londonderry’ after a judge ruled
that that a

previous decision to change the council’s name had left the
city’s title unaltered.

Traditionally known as Derry among Ireland’s nationalist
population, the city was first officially called
‘Londonderry’ in a charter granted by King Charles II in
1662.

In Co Kerry, the Gaeltacht tourist town of Dingle – best
known as the home of long-suffering Peig Sayers as well as
Fungi the dolphin – has also been at the centre of a row
after a government decision to officially change its name
to An Daingean.

In the wake of the War of Independence, the Free State was
keen to assert its ‘Gaelic-ness’ and that included changing
the names of King’s County and Queen’s County to Co Offaly
and Co Laois.

Most people also had little problem with the 1922 decision
to swap Kingstown for Dun Laoghaire, while Queenstown in
Cork Harbour became known as Cobh.

However, in some cases attempts to swap anglicised names
for their Gaelic counterparts failed to ignite public
enthusiasm and by the 1970s, even as the Troubles took
hold, officials in Co Meath agreed to revert from Ceanannas
Mor to Kells and from An Uaimh to Navan.

Belfast historian Eamon Phoenix says that while Irish names
had been adopted in many places during the 1920s, in the
case of places like Kells and Navan, people had an
affection for the name that could not be altered by
political developments or the Gaelic revival.

He believes that in the case of some place names, it is
their association with sadder times in Irish

history that has cemented them in people’s psyches.

‘‘In some cases, the workhouse was a forbidding but central
part of people’s lives during the Famine and Victorian
times,” Dr Phoenix said.

“If you had ‘Derry Workhouse’ or ‘Lurgan Workhouse’ then
the name became embedded in people’s

psyches and the way the name is spelled is often decided by
facts like that.”

While many people in the 26 counties were keen to reclaim
their

heritage at the beginning of the 20th century, in Northern
Ireland the

situation has always been ‘‘complicated by its two
traditions’’.

On the Fermanagh border, one village is known as Roslea
among local nationalists but is described as Rosslea by
unionists – it’s simply a case of taking or adding an ‘s’,
but it speaks volumes.

In south Derry, the ‘unionist’ Draperstown also becomes the
‘nationalist’ Ballinascreen.

‘‘Place names reflect tradition. People often believe the
name of the place they live is hallowed by centuries of
history and tradition,’’ Dr Phoenix said.

In the north west, the situation is complicated by the fact
that both ‘Londonderry’ and ‘Derry’ are mentioned in the
1662 charter.

The ancient document states: ‘‘We will, ordain, constitute,
confirm, and declare that the said city or town of Derry,
for ever hereafter be, and shall be named and called the
City of Londonderry.’’

However, it recognises that ‘Derry’ is in common usage by
the people.

‘‘Ironically, right up to 1921 and beyond unionist
politicians referred with great pride to the ‘Siege of
Derry’ and the ‘Apprentice Boys of Derry’. It wasn’t until
the 1970s that they started to articulate the word
‘Londonderry’,’’ Dr Phoenix said.

The city’s rightful name will remain an issue after the
court ruled it would be necessary to petition Queen
Elizabeth II or change the law before the ‘London’ could be
officially dropped.

In the case of Dingle, a compromise has been devised to
keep everyone happy, with a majority of residents voting in
a referendum last October to change from An Daingean to
‘Dingle Daingean Ui Chuis’.

The names row in Co Kerry first erupted in 2004 with the
introduction of the Placenames Order for Gaeltacht areas
under the Official Languages Act

Gaeltacht minister Eamon O Cuiv announced that the name
Dingle officially no longer existed, despite having had no
prior consultation with townspeople.

The minister also said the town had to be signposted only
as An Daingean.

The order covered more than 2,300 Gaeltacht placenames but
Dingle was the only one that sparked controversy.

Dr Phoenix said Dingle/An Daingean’s popularity as a
tourist spot may have led to local concerns about the name
change.

‘‘Dingle is a tourist destination, with people from France
and

Germany and other places coming back every summer,” he
said.

“The word ‘Dingle’ rolls off the tongue, so naturally
people were worried.’’

Last November, Mr O Cuiv eventually bowed to public
pressure from councillors and said he would not stand in
their way to change the name to the bi-lingual Dingle
Daingean Ui Chuis, admitting he had never envisioned a
Gaeltacht town wanting to retain an English name.

The final decision now rests with environment minister Dick
Roche and the government.

‘‘You can never be really sure how people will react to a
name change.

“For some, it is welcome, for others it’s interfering with
tradition and pride of place,’’ Dr Phoenix said.

“Whether people have a Gaelic preference or they have a
name like Kells that just rolls off the tongue, it can be a
very emotive subject.”

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

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6311853.stm

Belfast 1907 Strike To Be Marked

The centenary of a Belfast strike when Catholic and
Protestant workers united briefly is being marked in
Dublin.

More than 5,000 dockers downed tools for four months in the
1907 Belfast Lockout for better pay and conditions.

Royal Irish Constabulary police later mutinied when ordered
to escort "scab" workers to the docks.

Soldiers were called in to end the strike, which was led by
trade union crusader Jim Larkin who is commemorated with
statues in Belfast and Dublin.

Union leaders from Northern Ireland and the Republic will
gather on Tuesday at Larkin's grave in Dublin's Glasnevin
Cemetery where they will lay a wreath to mark the
centenary.

Larkin's niece Stella McConnon Larkin is also due to attend
the commemoration.

Catholics and Protestants were just as divided by politics
and religion in those days, but Larkin achieved a fragile
unity for several months as Falls Road and Shankill Road
came together, said political historian Eamon Phoenix.

"Larkin was a giant of a man and he used his charisma and
oratorical skills to articulate grievances of the working
classes," he said.

"Sectarianism was sidelined and Home Rule dropped off the
agenda for a short period in 1907."

A Siptu spokesman said of the commemoration: "This is the
first of a series of events to mark the 1907 general strike
in Belfast, when Catholic and Protestant workers united to
demand trade union recognition and decent working
conditions.

"The strike brought the city to a standstill, even the
police joining in the dispute. It was eventually put down
by the use of troops."

Larkin later founded the unions that eventually formed
Siptu and also co-founded the Irish Labour Party with James
Connolly in 1912.

Former Irish Labour Party leader, Ruairi Quinn, who is
attending the event, said the Belfast Lockout was one of
the first examples of the worker radicalism and led to the
famous Dublin Lockout in 1913.

"The Belfast strike was a major event in the early years of
the trade union movement," Mr Quinn added.

Casual workers such as dockers and carters in Belfast at
the turn of the century often worked under extreme
hardship. They received no holidays and were often laid off
during work shortages.

Most of the striking workers were employed by industrialist
Thomas Gallagher who owned the Belfast Steamship Company
and members of the National Union of Dock Labourers.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2007/01/30 06:17:45 GMT
© BBC MMVII

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

http://www.irishnews.com/access/daily/current.asp?SID=547492

Derry Council Set To Approve River Statue

By Seamus McKinney.

DETAILED plans to build a 160 ft statue of St Colmcille in
the middle of Derry’s River Foyle at a cost of £16 million
have been provisionally approved by the city’s council.

Councillors who viewed the plans yesterday said the
structure would be similar to New York’s Statue of Liberty
or the Christ statue overlooking Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

The plan was put to Derry’s development committee by the
Inner City Trust yesterday and received backing from all
parties.

It will now go before the full council where it is expected
to win the same support.

Inner City Trust chief executive, Paddy ‘Bogside’ Doherty
told a behind-closed-doors meeting of the committee the
statue would be built 50 yards into the River Foyle from
Derry’s Waterside bank at St Columb’s Park. Access to the
statue would be through a bridge from St Columb’s Park and
by ferry from the city’s west bank.

Visitors would be able to climb the inside of the statue to
chest height – or ascend the statue in one of two lifts –
where they can view Derry from two huge windows.

Mr Doherty said the various government agencies whose
support was necessary were already on board.

He told councillors that with their support he hoped to
move quickly on the project.

“The Inner City Trust project is an attempt to create a
haven of peace on the centre of the river which divides the
city where both Catholics and Protestants together can meet
and appreciate historic shared Christian heritage,” he
said.

“The building on the River Foyle, representing Columba,
will present a new image of the city.”

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

http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=937&Itemid=38

Knock US Dream Realised

Michael Duffy

THERE was a real sense of occasion and achievement in the
air at Ireland West Airport Knock on Monday afternoon, as
Mayo’s most important piece of infrastructure added a vital
string to its already substantial bow.

The thousands of people from the west of Ireland who left
these shores in the last century to eke out a living in the
USA will now be able to fly directly to their birthplace,
as an immensely proud airport CEO, Liam Scollan, and Board
Chairman, Joe Kennedy, announced the commencement of
transatlantic flights from Knock to both New York and
Boston, starting at the end of May.

The announcement, on what Minister Eamon Ó Cuív described
as a ‘landmark day’ for the airport, was greeted with joy,
pride and plenty of emotion as a host of speakers charted
the rise of the airport from the days of the ‘foggy, boggy’
negativity to the heights of transatlantic transportation.

Knock Parish Priest and board member, Monsignor Joe Quinn,
recalled how he himself had heard the airport’s father
figure and founder, Monsignor James Horan, articulate his
dream of flights from the States landing in his very own
airport.

“Monsignor Horan’s dream was to provide an airport here
which would be a vital piece of infrastructure for the
region, but would also facilitate pilgrims coming to Knock
Shrine from all over the world and allow emigrants easy
access to return to their homeland. Today’s announcement is
a further realisation of that dream,” he said.

Chairman of the airport’s Board of Directors, Mr Joe
Kennedy, fought back tears during his address, recalling
the days when he himself had to emigrate from his native
Doocastle. He said he was ‘immensely proud’ to be Chairman
of the airport at the time of this pivotal development.

“Today is a special day and I am immensely proud that I had
the opportunity to be an instrument in the delivery of
Monsignor Horan’s ultimate dream. This announcement is the
most significant route development in the airport’s
history. We have a saying that we must leave no stone
unturned here at Ireland West Airport but this was a mighty
big stone and it needed pushing up a big hill. We would not
have got it to the top without scores of people pushing
it,” said a delighted Mr Kennedy.

Chief Executive of Ireland West Airport Knock, Liam
Scollan, is confident that the flights will be a huge
success, with market research conducted by the airport
revealing hugely positives statistics.

But in Knock on Monday, this decision was about much, much
more than just number crunching.

“To all of us in this room, those of us living in the west
of Ireland, there is a much deeper, heartfelt reason to be
overjoyed at this first scheduled service to two great
American cities. Every family in the west of Ireland was
affected by emigration and this development will allow the
ten million Irish Americans in the Boston and New York
areas alone direct access to their homeland,” added Mr
Scollan.

An official launch of the services is also taking place in
New York and Boston this week, while seats on the opening
flights were expected to be snapped up quickly when they
went on sale on Monday on flyglobespan.com, at the airport
itself and in all travel agents.

Benefits to the west

• 35,000 US visitors for 2007
• 56,000 for 2008
• Tourism revenue of €28m for 2007
• Tourism revenue of €45m for 2008
• Increased visitor numbers to Knock Shrine
• Enhanced investment potential
• Enhanced export potential for local business

----
To Subscribe to Irish Aires Google News List, click Here.
To Unsub from Irish Aires Google News List, click Here
For options visit: http://groups.google.com/group/IrishAiresNews

Or join our Irish Aires Yahoo Group, Click here

To Get RSS Feed for Irish Aires News click HERE
(Paste http://irishaires.blogspot.com/atom.xml into a News Reader)

To January Index
To Index of Monthly Archives
To Searches & Sources of Other Irish News
Posted by: Unknown / 6:56 AM
Comments: Post a Comment

<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?