Jim Fitzpatrick signed Limited Print of Elizabeth O’Farrell | Health and Care in a New Ireland | An Act of International Piracy

Old Farts As I get older I seem to be farting more than I used to. Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t keep a record of my farts. That would be impossible but I do have a notion that my flatuence is more intense since I turned seventy, or at least I’m getting more complaints than I used to. Richard is particularly offensive and loud in his protestations at my alleged emmissions. Especially in the car. He is theatrical. And dramatic. And loud. Not satisfied with lowering the windows he...

8 Kesä 17min

Mothers Against Genocide This column makes no apologies for writing so much about the genocide in Palestine and the urgent need for ceasefires and a peace process. At least 14,000 babies face imminent death from starvation. Over 60,000 Palestinian children, women, men have been killed, including more than 4,000 since Israel ended its ceasefire in March. One especially harrowing example of Israel’s murder machine at work was the deliberate targeting last Friday of the family home of Hamd...

1 Kesä 18min

San Francisco – A Ballymurphy Man/A Work in Progress If you live in the San Francisco area go along to the Vogue Theatre on 1st June to see a sneak preview of Trisha Ziff’s film – A Ballymurphy Man. It’s me telling my story, talking about the influences in my life and of our efforts to build the peace process. Trisha is still working on the final cut and The World Premier of her documentary film will take place in the Galway Film Festival on 12 July. But this is an opportunity for...

25 Touko 12min

PRESIDENTIAL VOTING RIGHTS In a historic vote in the Assembly last week its members overwhelmingly passed by 46 votes to 25 - a motion calling on the Irish government to implement the recommendation of the 2013 Constitutional Convention on the Constitution to extend “the right to vote in elections for President of Ireland to all Irish citizens on the island of Ireland.” The reality of course is that successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments have deliberately refused to implement this r...

18 Touko 15min

Swinger I spent the last week in Dublin in the Four Courts as part of the outworking of my case against the BBC’s Spotlight programme nine years ago. But more of that when it’s over which could take another fortnight. On the morning that the case started our Gearóid phoned me to say that his father-in-law Paddy ‘Swinger’ McBride was dead. The news was a great shock. I had spent a half hour or more a few days before chatting with Paddy in his home. He was just out after a spell in hospital, an...

11 Touko 14min

Statue of Bobby Sands to be unveiled On May 4 at 3pm, a statue of Bobby Sands will be unveiled in the Republican Memorial Garden in Twinbrook, where Bobby lived. The organisers of the event, all local republican activists and all inspired by the courage and self-sacrifice of Bobby and his comrades, have worked hard over recent years to raise the funds for the statue. Former hunger striker Pat Sheehan who spent 55 days on the 1981 hunger strike will speak about Bobby and his comrades who died....

3 Touko 16min

Kathleen Lynn – a Rebel Woman I hope you all had an enjoyable Easter. Across the island and further afield commemorations were held at countless locations to remember those who fought in the 1916 Easter Rising and in all of the generations of the freedom struggle. The Belfast turnout was big and Pearse Doherty, who made an exceptional speech, was given a very warm welcome. I saw no mention of his remarks or those of other republican speakers on RTE, BBC or other broadcasters. So much f...

27 Huhti 15min