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A QUIET CHRISTMAS. The goose was quartered expertly. Your man has that ability. Learnt he says in the days before he became a revolutionary. When he had a life he says. In between Fleadh Ceoil and a short stint as a civil servant, he served his time at the butchering. In those days apprenticeships meant something. He says. Wee Boots was well pleased with the goose. He didn’t pass any remarks on how well it was quartered. Which is just as well, seeing as he got the biggest quarter. As well as a very fine ham. And a goodly chunk of corned beef. And some wonderful soup. Wee Boots was dressed as a Bedouin. He was holding court – or whatever Bedouins do when the Bedouins receive guests - in the front room. Me and your man let on not to notice his attire. We presented our gifts. Wee boots was delighted with the savouries. He served us a cup of camomile and a forkful of pickled red cabbage. He and his brother were discussing the merits of thermal wear. Particularly tops. His brother didn’t

NOLLAG SHONA DAOIBH. It was the night before Christmas And all through the house Not a creature was stirring Not even a mouse. That’s not the case in this house. Between one thing and the other no self respecting mouse would even dare to stir here. Its bedlam. But bedlam of a goodly kind. The bedlam created by the small persons in my life. Especially on the night before Christmas. Or to be exact the day before Christmas. By now they are in Tír na nÓg dreaming of Dadai Na Nollag coming on his reindeers with lots of goodies. Today we ventured forth together. Out in the hard cold of an early glacial afternoon. It was great craic. Anna especially – all seventeen months of her wrapped up like a native of the Artic - slipping and sliding and refusing to wear gloves. And Drithle like a gazelle whizzing ahead of us while Luisne explores the terrain with the zeal of a five year old middle sister. Et moi? Big boots, ear muffs and thermal undergarments are your only man as I learned from Tod

Roger Casement Last week the draft budget for the north revealed that over £100 million has been earmarked for investment in three sports stadium for the GAA, soccer and rugby. Apart from the obvious benefits for the sports there is significant economic benefit for the construction industry and for local businesses in these substantial investments. Casement Park, which was opened in June 1953, has been chosen by the GAA as the location for its new 40,000 seater Ulster stadium. Tens of millions will be spent in building a state of the art covered stadium. News of this multimillion pound investment in Casement Park got this blog thinking about Roger Casement. Roger Casement was not your typical Irish patriot. Although born in Dublin he was raised in and around Ballymena in County Antrim. He was a member of an Ulster Protestant family, a Knight of the British Empire and a British diplomat. He was also a gaelgóir who loved the Glens of Antrim. He was proud to be Irish. He was a thinker who

Off to a family wedding today. Best wishes and long happy life to Áine and Conor. A busy week coming to an end. Madness! From Wexford to Derry. Cork to Dundalk. Leinster House to Stormont. And all places in between. Wednesday in Derry was a good day for the Irish language. At the launch of the An Ciste Infheistíochta Gaeilge this blog reflected on the Hillsborough talks last January. The peace process was in another crisis. The DUP was refusing to move on the transfer of policing and justice powers and the two governments and all of the parties ended up in Hillsborough Castle in an effort to find a resolution. It was eventually achieved, at the end of a long and difficult negotiation, as a result of direct face to face talks between the Sinn Féin team and the DUP. At the outset of the talks Sinn Féin put Acht na Gaeilge, an Irish language strategy for the north, and the 1737 Administration of Justice Act, which bans the use of Irish in the courts, on the agenda. Sinn Fein mapped out

This blog is now the Sinn Féin candidate for Louth and East Meath. In the Fairways Hotel last night party activists from across the constituency unanimously and enthusiastically endorsed my candidacy. I thank them for that. Louth like all the border counties has suffered grievously as a result of partition. The Good Friday Agreement has provided a peaceful and democratic way to unite the Irish people. Sinn Féin is committed to this. The general election, when it comes, will be the most important in recent decades. There is huge public dissatisfaction and anger at the revelations of corruption within the political system. There is frustration and resentment at the policies of parties whose goal is to bail out the banks, and their developer friends in the golden circle, while handing over sovereignty to the IMF/EU. This blog believes that citizens are looking for a new kind of politics. A politics they can trust, that empowers and includes them. A politics that sets aside elites, doesn’t

Tómas Sharkey, Jennifer Green, Mise, Edel Corrigan and Andrew Mawhinney Last Thursday Councillors Tomás Sharkey, Jennifer Green and Edel Corrigan introduced this blog to Andrew Mawhinney who is the Dundalk Town Centre Manager. Andrew explained to us his plans for 2011 but he also showed us some of the material they are using in an exhibition this weekend to mark US President Bill Clinton’s visit to Dundalk in December 2000. Just before he left office President Clinton made one last brief visit to Ireland. It was his third as President. And like the previous two it was a triumphant occasion as citizens gave him, his wife Hillary, and daughter Chelsea an exuberant cead míle failte. The Clinton clann landed in Dublin early on December 12th and after a busy day of engagements they arrived in Dundalk around 9pm where a huge crowd was waiting patiently for them. Martin McGuinness and this blog were there also. Pierce O Hanrahan who was then the Chair of Dundalk Town Council, presented Presi

Monday was this blogs last day as a member of the Northern Assembly. The baton was passed to Pat Sheehan who woke on Tuesday morning as the new MLA for west Belfast. Adh mór Pat. My last day as an MLA was a busy day. At the end of my last speech in the Assembly this blog said my goodbyes. A thank you to the Ceann Comhairle and his colleagues for the fair, balanced and inclusive way the business of the Assembly is conducted, and a go raibh maith agaibh to all of the staff, from the cleaners to the admin people. The Assembly is approaching the end of its first full term. That is a remarkable achievement given the difficulties that have had to be overcome. But the Assembly has to be about delivering for citizens. I reminded them of this. “The island of Ireland is too small for us to be separated forever by an artificial border. Most sensible people know this and the Good Friday Agreement recognises this. God speed the day when we will be united. Today’s debate is an example of the issu

Anne Marie is holding the banner and then from left to right: Kathleen, Gerladine, Bernie, Stella, Mary and Mary and Colette holding the banner on the right We were in the middle of Dublin. I Lar Na Cathrach. Parnell Square was like a skating rink. Buses were playing dodgems with each other outside the office. Traffic was gridlocked. Blizzards swept through Dorset Street. Lightning illuminated the whiteness of it all. The journey north was nerve wrecking. Your man drives too fast. Even by his own standards. The roads were almost deserted. But your man was like a demented sledge rider. Years ago when grit was a film starring John Wayne and absent from our roads I drove my mother home from Dublin during heavy snow. Those were the days before motorways and eventually after many adventures we had to stay over in Newry where we enjoyed the hospitality of the Curran household. The next morning, a Sunday, we ventured forth. Just the two of us. It was great. There was no other vehicles on the