Weakness and chaos in Washington and London is not good for Ireland – economically or politically
The western alliance has never looked more dysfunctional or out of sorts as it does this Spring. The United States is now democracy’s sick man. The UK is governed by a party at war with itself. Germany has painted itself into a corner in which it is governed by a Chancellor supported by a potential […]
Making a vote to repeal into a vote to endorse the 12 week on-demand regime could be an unforced political error
As someone who believes strongly that the 8th Amendment should now be repealed and that the issues of abortion should be one to be dealt with by laws enacted by the Oireachtas as it considers right and just, I hesitate to become involved in any heated or bitter debate or campaigning because I know well […]
Real republicanism is about reconciliation and inclusiveness – not violent separatism
The tragedy of the present impasse in Northern Ireland is that the great majority of people, whether unionist or nationalist, are, or appear to be, decent , sensible, well-intentioned women and men who want to get on with their lives and with their neighbours. But is that really true? How come that picture does not […]
A Brexit sparked general election in the UK would be political suicide
Company-keeping used to be condemned by the Catholic Church . It placed those who kept each other’s company in the way of temptation, sin and hell-fire. Young girls (i.e. nineteen year olds and upwards) were regularly instructed that company-keeping without an intention of early marriage was gravely sinful. Worse still, needless to say, was company-keeping […]
The sunny optimism of Davos is similar to that trumpeted at the height of the economic cycle
The well-justified furore about the Presidents’ Club function in the Dorchester Hotel in London, a fundraiser which turned out to be an annual, highly organised, secretive, sleazy grope-fest for the wealthy and their hangers-on, coming as it did in the same week as Davos, naturally provokes the witty to draw parallels between the two events. […]
Brussels must learn from Merkel’s failure to bring her people with her
As coalition talks between Germany’s CDU, CSU and SPD parties have cleared the first hurdle, it looks likely that Angela Merkel will end up heading a grand coalition government in the next eight weeks. Including Martin Schulz in the government will inevitably raise questions about his recent proposal for a new EU treaty leading to […]