So the Ombudsman has delivered his latest report (or letter) to Mairia Cahill, not simply on the deficiencies of, first the RUC and secondly the PSNI in handling her case, but some damning news for Sinn Fein too.
The BBC reports:
…the RUC, Northern Ireland’s police force before the PSNI was formed in 2001, had information about allegations of child abuse by an IRA member 10 years before the complaints were made but failed to act.
He also found that there had been a very odd decision… Read more
Posted in Current Affairs
THIS WEEK IN THE NEWS.
I’m hoping to resurrect this feature – we had some fun with it a while ago and it was great that people replied to some of the issues we highlighted – looking forward to hearing from you.
Was reading the old Sunday ‘Lies’ this week and seen that stalwart of truth and honour, Richard Sullivan, had an article reporting on the alleged tensions in North Belfast, featuring the LVF, UVF and the UDA. Some of the stuff he was relaying was very specific, if it was the truth, and it got me thinking as to whether the PSNI has visited him to find out who the sources are that he quotes. Read more
Posted in Current Affairs
The Rocking Chair.
One of the many craft ideas in the Kesh was to build a Wishing Well from plain wooden clothes pegs. Pegs came in large bags by the hundred and sometimes there would be leftover pegs. On one occasion I asked a friend for his leftover pegs. I sat down to see what I could do with them. My mother always liked a rocking chair so I started to design and build a small model chair. I needed a coping saw blade, some white wood glue, sandpaper and stain. And patience. The first effort kept falling over. Eventually I got the balance just right. The 2 rockers needed a lot of sanding to get an even roll action. When the glue had hardened I lightly sanded the whole chair. Then one coat of Mahogany stain. When the item was sitting out for the stain to dry one man walked past, seen it , came in and asked how much would that cost. ( In truth it had cost nothing as all the items were available!) A little earner had just been born. Later versions would include painted hearts, baize covered rockers and lollipop sticks with names engraved. This item is the granddaddy and is 36 years old.
R
Posted in Current Affairs
Seeing this cottage again brings back a lot of memories to me. I must have painted at least 30 of these over the course of some years. The image, whilst quite detailed, was fairly easy to paint but it took a while. I think the original image came from a card someone had received or got out of the shop. it was continuously passed round and made the artists a few pounds. Thanks to big R for sending this into the site. Keep them coming. B.
Posted in Current Affairs
There was a full house in the east Belfast Con Club as a wide range of people packed into the main room to participate in the legacy consultation and panel discussion.
Despite many hoping that the event would prove to be a failure, it turned out to be a fantastic evening providing a platform for the unionist and loyalist community. The very best of our community was showcased as people from all sections of unionism, and those who would not identify as unionists, came together for a respectful, courteous and articulate debate. Read more
Posted in Current Affairs
One On. B Wing
First the smells
human smells
fetid-malodorous
and piss and disinfectant
mixed with the rank
odours of steamed food
and ablutions.
Then the noise
clanging and banging
and jangling of keys
and echoes of
commands
ringing round the eaves.
The circle
polished-mirror like
wings spoked out
1-2-3-4
the cacophony of
unlock and the din
of sparbled boots
across the floor.
A world of
half sheets
board papers-requests
bullies and creeps
of fear and dread
and an overwhelming
foreboding of
torment ahead.
Robert Niblock
Posted in Current Affairs
This was a painting I done for a friend of mine whilst I was in Maghaberry prison sometime around 2014/15.
The obvious theme is centred around identity and the painting contains a line from a poem by Rimbaud – ‘Je est un Autre’. The translation roughly means ‘I is another’. This sense of being someone who others don’t know has been examined countless times by writers, ex-prisoners and academics for years. BR
Posted in Current Affairs
For those of you who follow the LKIO site, could I apologise for the lack of articles, opinions and opportunities to highlight issues you feel important enough to comment on.
I’m hoping to try and get the site back to relevance but it will not happen if people don’t contribute articles etc. and comment on those presented.
If you have an article or anything you may want to be considered for the site please send them to me at robert.rdgrs@googlemail.com but remember we will not be presenting articles that are malicious or could be described as personal attacks on others. That doesn’t mean we will not publish constructive arguments – as Slugger O’Toole says, ‘Play the ball, not the man’.
We are going to introduce an opportunity for contributors to display paintings, arts and crafts, handicrafts, memorabilia – political and personal – and any other creative piece with an attached few lines or a few paragraphs explaining its creative history.
All contributions will be considered.
Bobby Rodgers, September 2018
Posted in Current Affairs
As the sun rose in Sri Lanka and spread its life-giving rays across the fields and hills, striking the bleached bones of the men, women and children butchered and slaughtered on the orders of the Sri Lankan government and perpetrated on its behalf by its security forces, armed by Britain and other western States, it began to set on Ian Paisley Jr.
Paisley’s sin being, having failed to declare to the British House of Commons two hugely expensive holidays to Sri Lanka, approximately £100,000 in cost but vigorously stated to be half that cost by Junior himself who having initially denied it the first place! Read more
Posted in Current Affairs
For the first time the UK government have admitted they’re considering a general amnesty arising out of the Troubles. Although an amnesty is not government policy, the admission came in a Lords debate instigated by the former Chief of General Staff of the Army Lord Dannatt, supported by other former top brass and former secretaries of state. What remains unclear is how this would affect the Legacy package of the Stormont House Agreement, including the proposal for an independent Historical Investigations Unit (HIU) the terms for which came under sustained attack. Read more
Posted in Current Affairs
