Monthly Archives: December 2015

So…2016

Posted on December 31, 2015 by fitzjameshorse

Athbhliain Faoi Mhaise! 2016…big Centennial Year but I will not dwell on that in this post. Also Assembly Elections and you can bet your life that the European Football Championships will provide a LetsGetAlongerist love-in and we will be treated … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments

SDLP…Not Good With Its Own History

Posted on December 30, 2015 by fitzjameshorse

I really do wish I had been born in a different place and time. In 1952 of course, I did not know I was being born into a “second class” life in termsof housing and jobs…in West Belfast. In 1963, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Seamus Mallon …Again

Posted on December 29, 2015 by fitzjameshorse

Over forty years ago, the late Paddy Devlin told me that Seamus Mallon would one day be the Leader of SDLP. It seemed very unlikely but apart from Eddie McGrady, Mallon was the only MLA from the 1973 Assembly “intake” … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 14 Comments

Ballymurphy Massacre

Posted on December 29, 2015 by fitzjameshorse

It took nearly forty years for the families of Bloody Sunday (Derry, January 1972) to get at least a measure of Justice. And yet it happened in the full glare of the Media. Of course nobody will ever be brought … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

SDLP and SNP…Natural Allies

Posted on December 28, 2015 by fitzjameshorse

One of the most interesting aspects of Colum Eastwood’s campaign launch to become SDLP Leader was the speech by Claire Hanna MLA. Claire recalled going with Colum to Inverness in Scotland to speak at a fringe meeting at the Scottish … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The “Czar” Awards For 2015

Posted on December 28, 2015 by fitzjameshorse

“Keeping An Eye on the Czar of Russia” Awards Night.. A Gala Evening with many of Norn Irons finest political celebs on the Red Carpet, all coveting a “Czar”. The panel of judges….me….had a difficult job in deciding on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 10 Comments

Arise “Lord” Ford?

Posted on December 28, 2015 by fitzjameshorse

My readers are all great admirers of Alliance Party Leader, David Ford. Will he be awarded a peerage …presumably “for services to the DUP and Sinn Féin” before standing down from the Assembly? A peerage would be richly deserved. Ford … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Liam Clarke

Posted on December 27, 2015 by fitzjameshorse

I only met Liam Clarke, the journalist on two or three occasions. Certainly the wider freemasonry of Journalism trstify as to his brilliance and decency. I daresay Slugger O’Toole will do an obituary…maybe even a couple. He might be Slugger’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Urbi et Orbi…My Christmas Message

Posted on December 24, 2015 by fitzjameshorse

And so this is Christmas. And if the Pope can do a message to the City and the World, so can I ….and my message is…..it is a bloody awful world. It looks worse than it did last year and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 5 Comments

“Dad’s Army” Re-Visited

Posted on December 22, 2015 by fitzjameshorse

It is really hard to describe the impact of Television on my Generation…especially to younger folks. And these days, I rarely meet a person who is older than me. Thus visiting my Uncle Jackies house to see the 1957 FA … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 6 Comments