Almost Another Bloody Sunday

HOW close did we come to another Bloody Sunday last weekend in Belfast? Very close, according to senior Sinn Fein officials who tried desperately to hold back protestors as they advanced on British Army personnel defending Loyalist marchers.

The trouble began when 300 or so drunken hangers-on to an Orange Order parade marched through a Catholic neighborhood screaming slogans and insults.

That was enough for Catholic protestors who were hemmed in in their own neighborhood, and they surged towards the army lines throwing bottles and stones at the Orangemen. The situation suddenly turned very nasty as the army drew their weapons to confront the Catholic crowd.

According to one senior Sinn Fein member, the soldiers were incredibly nervous and had their hands on the triggers as the crowd advanced. Desperately the Sinn Fein members tried to get between the crowd and the army trying to drive them back.

“It was definitely another Bloody Sunday a few seconds more,” says one Sinn Fein member. “The soldiers, especially those who got separated from their units were ready to fire.”

If they had the consequences, both for the soldiers and protestors, would have been catastrophic.

Amazingly, among those protecting the army was Sinn Fein North Belfast representative Gerry Kelly. He broke his wrist in his attempt to hold the protestors, mainly young men, back. Fortunately he and others succeeded in defusing what was an incredibly dangerous situation.

The incident shows that just beneath the surface the tensions simmer, and given the proper spark the situation could easily spiral out of control. Everyone in North Belfast knows that they literally dodged a bullet this marching season, and the fallout seems certain to continue for some time.

Finding New Kerry Roots

EVEN though Senator John Kerry has now disavowed his Irish roots after revelations about his Jewish heritage, this has not stopped at least one genealogist claiming that Kerry still has a drop of Irish in him.

According to Derry, New Hampshire genealogist Richard Holmes, Kerry does have an Irish relative. Holmes has claimed that he has traced Kerry’s roots in part to the Rev. Ian McGregor, who emigrated from Derry and founded the New Hampshire town that later split in two into Londonderry and Derry.

Perhaps Holmes’ claims might be taken more seriously if he didn’t reveal in the same interview that Kerry is also related to pop tart Britney Spears, a dubious connection given some of her latest shenanigans. 

We think Kerry will stick with the Jewish roots and the Catholic conversion story for now, as it’s bound to help with getting votes.

Young Man On the Rise

TIPPERARY-born Declan Kelly, president and chief executive of Financial Dynamics, was the subject of a large profile in The Wall Street Journal last week, a clear indication that the 35-year-old is fast becoming a rising star on Wall Street.

Financial Dynamics is a global business, a communications firm with offices all over the world. Kelly became involved when the company bought out his public relations company in Dublin. A year or so later, Kelly turned around and bought out Financial Dynamics. He is now based in New York.

The Journal article was a rave review for his business. The paper noted that the company had grown by a third this year to date – spectacular numbers at a time when Wall Street has been pretty quiet and the stock market static. A name for the future, no doubt.

Party Platforms Spark Debate

IT seems that every four years we get a spirited fight between Irish American activists and the Democratic Party on the issue of the platform position on Ireland. Four years ago Al Gore was castigated by many Irish American supporters because the platform statement was seen as anodyne.

This year it is John Kerry’s turn, but the key issue is whether it matters a hill of beans what the platform statement says. After all, President George W. Bush made many promises on Ireland which have not been kept, not that Democrats have been above breaking their own promises on this issue.

The bunfight which takes place every four years or so is totally unnecessary. The reality is that like on other issues, the situation changes dramatically if the candidate, either a Republican or Democrat, is elected. 

Malachy’s Back!

AUTHOR, comedian and die-hard Michael Flatley fan Malachy McCourt has a new book out – he seems to have one every few weeks now. This one is called Bush Lies in State, and as you may guess it is heavy on the invective and perhaps a trifle light on the facts.

Here is a flavor of the book, just in case you are in any doubt about which side it is on.

“In the year of their Lord 2000 AD, a band of profiteers seized the presidency. Led by . . . Blinky Bin Bush and the Mullah Cheney Dick, they informed the nation that God had ordained this takeover.”Get the idea?

A Gaelic Football Fest 

OVER 600 young men (and some young women) will take part in the underage North American Gaelic Football championships in Purchase, New York this weekend.

Teams from Boston, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Detroit Ottawa, Toronto and New York will compete at the State University of New York campus. All age divisions from under 10 to under 18 will be competing.

It is a truly historic event and evidence, if any was needed, of the strength of native Irish games among Irish American kids in the U.S.

With emigration from Ireland falling off, the future of the Irish games are in the hands of the young Irish Americans. Thus it is heartening to see such a huge response for this inaugural tournament. If you happen to be in the area the event would be well worth a visit.