April 2024
Shock … disbelief … gobsmacked
We’ve never seen anything as seismic as this. The upheaval was right off the political scale.
What happened Easter Week left us all reeling. Flummoxed. Gobsmacked. There was profound shock. Even disbelief. But the facts were incontestable: the politician who’d led the DUP back into Stormont and was the longest serving Northern Ireland MP had resigned as party leader; he was charged with rape and ‘non-recent’ sexual offences; his party circled the wagons as they moved into damage limitation mode. Headlines screamed ‘disaster’, ‘bombshell’ and ‘tatters’.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson’s membership of the party and the Orange Order has been suspended. He will strenuously contest the charges.
Right now, there’s no threat to the newly restored institutions. The DUP and other parties at the table are committed to making the Executive and Assembly work. Despite dark rumblings of conspiracy from other unionist quarters, expect an unshakable determination to keep Stormont on the straight and narrow.
**********
Meanwhile, down south
Meanwhile, while Ulster convulsed, a shock was delivered by the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar followed within days by stalwart Simon Coveney.
A new Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris, is at the helm and he will have a bit of room to manoeuvre when it comes to handing out promotions. FG is in a bad way with so many announcing their intention to stand down – a third of the parliamentary party at the last count.
Simon doesn’t have time on his side to right the listing political vessel. Euro election and local government contests are looming and a few upsets with a handful of bloody noses can be expected.
**********
Euro poll candidates hit the road
Between now and the 7th June when voters in the Republic of Ireland go to the polls, expect wall-to-wall canvassing by wannabe MEPs and Councillors.
The new constituency of Midlands-North West is staggering in size. It totals fifteen of the twenty-six counties, stretches from the Irish Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, occupies more than half the land mass of the country and has an electorate of about 1.2 million.
There’s a lot at skate, a lot to play for. In Donegal over the Easter break, I spotted a car branded ‘Blaney for Europe’. The Fianna Fail Senator has already chalked up thousands of miles in the run-up to getting on the ballot and he will do many more before the votes are counted.
I must declare an interest. Niall is a friend with whom I have had very positive dealings in the recent past. He has gone out of his way to engage in discussions with unionist leaders and of all his Parliamentary colleagues, his grasp of Northern Ireland politics is miles ahead of the herd.
It’s perhaps because he hails from Donegal that his interest in what happens in the near neighbour is so pronounced. He is the Fianna Fail spokesperson on Northern Ireland and a politician who played a significant role in getting a bust of David Trimble commissioned and unveiled in Leinster House.
Blaney hails from a long-standing republican family but that doesn’t stop him from doing trojan work in developing cross-border relationships, driving reconciliation and building a better understanding.
Watch out for him when the votes are counted.
**********
Toxic algae season
We’ve back where we started. Blue-green algae has reared its ugly head at Kinnego Bay in south-eastern Lough Neagh.
The local council warns of the consequences of contact with the horrible stuff – in fact, a poisonous type of bacteria. Images of a repeat of what occurred last summer are all too vivid.
We’re told it’s a priority to fix this worrying level of pollution in what should be the jewel in our tourism crown. If it’s such a priority, why is there such an absence of action on the ground?
**********
Carlichauns
Carlingford leprechauns or Carlichauns are set to wow four- to seven-year-olds with tales of Irish folklore.
A global digital audience can’t wait to see what they get up to in this CG animated series.
We will see the myths and legends of Carlingford and the Cooley Peninsula brought to life. A sequel might involve the political giants at Stormont, but magic might be in short supply.
**********
Next, a Guinness series
Steven Knight who created ‘Peaky Blinders’ is turning his considerable talents to the absorbing story of the Guinness family.
Eight episodes will appear on Netflix and will feature the highs and lows of the clan from Benjamin Guinness who was the grandson of the founder of the famous beverage who died in 1868.
Expect mystery, intrigue and drama. That’s enough right now to work up a thirst.
**********
Shamrock on way out?
If we don’t wear it, we’ll lose it. That’s the message from a shamrock grower after a rapid fall in sales in recent years.
O’Neill’s Flowers in Carlingford, County Lough, did 110,000 pots of shamrock in 2015 but since then, that figure has plummeted to 50,000 pots. It seems the younger generation is giving the St Patrick’s Day symbol the elbow.
Mind you, having seen the impressive display of shamrock in the White House you wonder if more could not be done to export the unique product.
**********
March: so far, so good
The meteorological first day of spring, March 1st, came bouncing in with a flourish.
A survey carried out by the Belfast Telegraph showed a majority of Alliance Party members (37.5%) would opt for unification in any referendum. Some 27.2% want to remain part of the UK and just under 30% said they didn’t know how they’d vote.
What’s the betting those numbers will crop up a few times during the forthcoming General Election as parties battle it out in the eighteen constituencies.
Still in the first week of the month, those of us interested in what happens in the United States saw ‘Super Tuesday’ played out as predicted. The two protagonists, President Biden and President Donald Trump – yes, folks, it’s the battle of the Presidents – are shaping up for a bitter battle at the polls.
Twenty-four hours later, we had the Budget that looked nothing like a big give-away from the Conservative Government in need of a lifeline.
We just managed to catch our breadth in time for the seemingly interminable build-up to the Oscars. Cork actor, Cillian Murphy, took Best Actor accolade for his starring role in the blockbuster, Oppenheimer. We can expect Cork to commission a statue, hold a lavish homecoming bash and name streets and buildings after the star. Invite is in the post!
March, you might say, was a case of so far, so good!
**********
Anybody’s guess
Well before the Ides of March, the exodus had started.
Ministers, a few MPs and other political notables, jetted off to New York and Washington for the traditional St Patrick’s Day festivities.
In the White House, Joe tried to prove he was more Irish than Donald and wished us well with our restored institutions. Michelle and Emma took centre stage. Abundant goodwill flowed into every champagne glass.
Parades abounded. Hair, beer and rivers were dyed green. There was plenty of craic here, too, as well as a decent helping of religion to mark the day.
What the good Saint and trafficked slave would make of it all is anybody’s guess.
**********