DING DONG THE WICKED WITCH IS DEAD – PARTY tonight: Thatcher is dead

PARTY tonight, 8pm: Thatcher is dead, The champagne is open n already flowing in CAT BAR, Barcelona:

CAT BAR party poster at http://t.co/CNi485pE3v

Celebrations tonight in Derry, Belfast, Dublin, North of England, SHEFFIELD, Liverpool, Glasgow, Wales, Chile, Argentina, Brixton,  Barcelona... Updates and discussion here

Mega party this Saturday Trafalgar square…

Here is a selection of resources, vids, views, songs that communicate why it is that she became such a hated figure…

Interference, one of Ireland’s best bands

Interference, an amazing band from Ireland. I love rock bands that incorporate fiddle and cello. Heres a few vids and audio pieces by and about them, enjoy.

Interference are an Irish band who formed in 1984. They are noteworthy for their live shows and for their powerful songwriting. Fergus O’Farrel’s song ‘Gold’ was a feature in the Irish film ‘Once‘ which won an Oscar for best song ( Falling Slowly, by Glen Hansard and Marketta Irglova ) and it is one of the major songs in the Broadway show of the same name, which cast performed the song during the 2012 Tony Awards where it won 8 awards.

Links: www.interference.ie | A Not so brief History of the Band (last FM) | Videos de Musica de Fergus O’farrell | Interference on wikipedia

That old joke… Time for Ireland to learn from Iceland

Do you remember that old joke…

Back in autumn 2008 the joke used be that the only difference between Ireland and Iceland was one letter and six months, but that joke is now on us. The economic  experts who predicted doom for Iceland and salvation for Ireland by following their very differen courses, have proved catastrophically wrong.

This morning we heard from the World Economic Forum in Davos, RTE correspondent Tony Connelly told us:

Soros: Ireland got a very raw deal in the euro crisis, compared to Ireland, Iceland is flourishing

Related RTE news article: Ireland got raw deal over debt – Soros

And in greater detail on Irish Times: ‘Raw deal’ for Ireland on debt

Speaking on RTÉ Radio One, Mr Soros said Iceland had fared better with its banking troubles.

“If you compare the fate of Ireland with the fate of Iceland, Iceland is actually flourishing, although it had a bigger banking crisis than ireland in relation to its population, because it simply did not accept the liabilities of the banks,” he said

Now nearly 5 years on and it turns out that Ireland has much to learn from Iceland. Infact in recent weeks there has been some discussion on Irish media about just that. The following post explores what did, and did NOT,  happen in both countries…

Related Links:

Iceland: People Start Revolting In iceland: Summary Of Action News In English | Former PM of iceland Might Face Trial Over 3 Banks Failure | 2008–2012 Icelandic financial crisis (wikipedia) | Guardian: Iceland ex-PM Geir Haarde cleared of bank negligence | Banks as bad as ever; insurers and Iceland in surprisingly good form | Iceland starts to recover its voice after financial crisis | Iceland brought in from the cold thanks to party of punks and pop stars More: inspiredbyiceland

Irelands response: The Unfolding Crisis and Ireland’s Economic Ruin | A History of Iniquity, I: The EU & Eurozone Assault on National Democracy | A History of Iniquity, I: The EU & Eurozone Assault on National Democracy | Farmers group wants Ireland to follow iceland and burn the bondholders | The Bank Bail-Out Is Costing Us Far Too Much | #OccupyIreland, 6 camps and building… Dublin, Cork, Galway, Belfast, Waterford…Letterkenny.. | J19: ‘Indignants’ to protest EU Pact in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick | Ireland still has the option of burning bondholders (Sinn Fein) | Address to European Parliament President: We want our money back (Stephen Donnelly, Independent TD) | That Joke: Dan White: The economic return of Iceland has proved that the joke was on us

British State Collusion… Pat Finucane wasn’t the only one!

Yesterday David Cameron admitted that there was ‘shocking levels of (British state) collusion’ in the Pat Finucane murder, but how much more collusion has there been that still has to be uncovered?

TARGETED BY BRITISH ESTABLISHMENT

EXECUTED BY UNIONIST DEATH SQUADS

** The Pat Finucane Centre** Irish Times: British forces ‘facilitated’ UDA murder of Finucane | Timeline of Pat Finucane case | State agencies ‘involved in murder’ – Cameron | Cameron statement on de Silva report | Finucane widow rejects ‘whitewash’ | Taoiseach’s statement on de Silva report | Gilmore says State seeking full Finucane inquiry | SDLP, Sinn Féin seek public inquiry | Mural unveiled to honour Pat Finucane | Governments ‘knew’ of Finucane risk The Guardian: David Cameron admits ‘shocking levels of collusion’ in Pat Finucane murder | Pat Finucane timeline: from 1989 murder to 2012 report | Critics refuse to let Cameron draw line under Pat Finucane scandal | Pat Finucane report: David Cameron apologises over killing | Pat Finucane’s family denounce report as a ‘sham’ | Pat Finucane’s death is a terrible stain on Britain’s record in Northern Ireland BBC: Q&A: The murder of Pat Finucane Journal.IE: Government “strongly disagrees” with decision not to conduct public Finucane inquiry Soundmigration: How the RUC covered up the murder of Pat Finucane. Whats contained in Chpt 6 of Stevens III WSM: Pat Finucane murder & the cover up of Britain’s dirty war in Ireland Indymedia.IE: British Government Murders Human Rights Lawyers in Occupied ireland

Related Blog posts: The Story of Ireland | Provos, Loyalists and Brits (BBC 90′s documentary series) | President Michael D Higgins and the “Real Irish Republic” | Martin McGuinness hoping to be Irish president for 2016 | 30th of January 1972, 14 civil rights activists were shot dead. 38 years later Justice came to Derry | Brian Anson – Architect, Story Teller, Poet, Revolutionary… passed away over the weekend | A full life | Croker and the Brits

#14N Vaga General – European Strike November 14 (Barcelona fotos)

Spain, Greece, Portugal, Italy, France will take to the streets next Wednesday, the 14th of November, in a pan Europen General Strike (last PIGGY Ireland wont be involved) http://europeanstrike.org/14n-europeanstrike-en-fr-es-it/

Report from 29M, last Spanish general Strike: http://tinyurl.com/a4sq7q8

#14N #EUROPEANSTRIKE [EN]-[FR]-[ES]-[IT]

European Strike, people of Europe, rise up !

On November the 14th, Portugal, spain and other countries, will be on global strike to say no to austerity measures. Everywhere in europe, activist social movements organise themselves to say Stop to austerity, stop to those ultraliberal politics serving finance.

Portugal and Spain will be on global strike the 14th november, many countries prepare them to max out all say no to austerity measures ETUC, responding to popular pressure, decided to call for strike demonstrations and meeting for november the 14th. People have to rise up against the austerity politics, organized social fractures, that are used to pay back some debt that is not theirs… People have to fight politics that protect, encourage a minority part of the class who gets richer and richer with this increasing austerity and these illegitime debt interests.

Yes, this debt is illegitime, contracted by the financial world against people’s real interest. This debt is not ours, whe owe nothing to them and we’ll pay nothing.

This day of global strike won’t be a ponctual action. It must be the beginning of a buildup by people against politicians, banks, the markets and industrial trusts.

After this day of struggle, it is an absolute necessity to build together a global unlimited strike.

People of Europe, rise, up, struggle together for a Social Europe, full of equality where none will be left on the side.

Related posts: Moving on… After Spains 29M general strike, how and why peaceful action is the only way to WIN | “Peoples of Europe, Rise Up” Greece’s message being taken up by France, and maybe beyond too?

President Michael D Higgins and the “Real Irish Republic”

Towards a “Real Republic”…

Michael D Higgins, born 18 April 1941, the ninth President of Ireland

Our arts celebrate the people talking, singing, dancing and ultimately communing with each other. This is what James Connolly meant when he said that: “Ireland without her people means nothing to me”. Connolly took pride in the past but, of course, felt that those who excessively worshipped that past were sometimes seeking to escape from the struggle and challenge of the present. He believed that Ireland was a work in progress, a country still to be fully imagined and invented – and that the future was exhilarating precisely in the sense that it was not fully knowable, measurable.

The demands and the rewards of building a real and inclusive Republic in its fullest sense remains as a challenge for us all, but it is one we should embrace together.

Michael D Higgins is the newly elected  ninth president of Ireland and, like many, I think he will do a fine fine job, I wish him well.

He has always been an outspoken man, a passionate socialist who has worked for the rights of the downtrodden, a human rights activist, a poet, a feminist, a philosopher, a fierce critic of irelands involvement in the illegal war in iraq (irish state was officially “neutral”, but that didnt stop the govt), a gaeilgoir (irish speaker), a lover of the arts and culture of Ireland, a man of imagination and deep vision. As Diarmaid Ferriter (professor of modern history at University College Dublin) said, it was striking that Ireland had elected a politician who for decades had been “a thorn in the side of the establishment” — and now was the official face of Ireland. He said Higgins’ triumph reflected voter anger at right-wing politicians who had brought Ireland to the brink of bankruptcy.

To many the somewhat surprising theme of the recent discourse he has opened up over the last year is that of the “Real Republic“, it seems this has been a topic he has pondered all his life and now he is taking it to the national stage, to get us Irish to think about what it means, if it has been arrived at yet (no in his opinion) and how we might get to that better place he dreams of. Before being inaugerated he spent some time alone to “pause and reflect” in the “Connolly Room” before taking office.

Its interesting to ponder where his preoccupation has arrived from; Despite the claim that he is a Galway man, he was actually born in Limerick, but due to poverty sent out aged 5 to do his “rearing” in county Clare… This led to a difficult childhood, which was as a direct result of his father being treated badly due to the fact that he fought for the republican side during the Irish civil war after having being number 2 in the Cork brigade of the IRA in the Irish war of independence. He wrote a poem 2o years ago “Betrayel” (listen to him read it here) discussing his fathers treatment in “modern Ireland” and spoke candidly, acocompanied hand in hand by his wife  Sabina Coyne, on RTE’s Miriam meets (13.50 – 19.30 minutes) in 2010 about his feelings about the ill treatment his father suffered due to the vision of the “Republic” he fought for, temporarily created but that was killed off by the emergence of the Irish Free State. Its a complicated topic, there are many different takes on the topic, but one things should be very interesting; to see how this discourse unfolds over the following seven years.

Connolly's flag flown over GPO 1916

The 4 goals of Michael D’s seven year mission:

• The real republic
• Inclussive citizenship
• Creative society
• Ireland home and abroad

Related Links:

Irish Times: Higgins urges hope, courage | Vision of a new Ireland | A thinker unafraid to speak his mind | Full text of President’s inaugural speech | President will bring ‘nobility of spirit’ to office | Higgins declared president elect with one million votes | International congratulations for Higgins | Higgins pledges presidency of transformation in speech | Higgins’s archive speaks volumes for his passion Other Reports: Michael D Higgins inaugurated as President (RTE) | ‘We need to think about an entirely different kind of society’ (politico.ie) | A President for all the people (Irish Independent) | Michael D’s call to arms for a bright, confident and successful future (Irish Independent) | Poet, rights activist Michael Higgins wins Irish presidency (Associated Press) | The most passionate man in Irish politics (Hot Press 2004) Other Links: wikipedia | Facebook election page | Vincent Browne show: eve of Michael D’s inauguration Radio Interviews: Miriam Meets… Miriam O Callaghan with Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina Coyne | Today FM’s Ray D’Arcy Show | Ryan Tubridy interviews Michael D Higgins Videos (see below) The Real Republic: Renewing the Republic: Michael D. Higgins’ book (view inside here on Amazon)| Republic lost its way, laments new Irish President (Belfast Telegraph) | Time for a real republic: President Michael D Higgins (Eolas Magazine) | Renewing the Republic (Irish Times series) | President calls for an inclusive republic (Irish Echo) | A Presidency With Enormous Potential (The Irish Republic-blog)

The Story of Ireland

The Story of Ireland is a  five part groundbreaking new BBC series presented by Fergal Keane about the history of Ireland cultural, social, and economic, and its role on the international stage.

Ireland is living through a significant period in its cycle of history since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, the island has been at peace. This is unprecedented in the history of modern Ireland and so seems like a perfect time to reflect on the Irish as a people now, as a modern European nation, and how we got to this place.

BBC review: Myth and history: the Story of Ireland

So let the music keep your spirits high – Music from #OccupyIreland

#OccupyIreland, 6 camps and building… Dublin, Cork, Galway, Belfast, Waterford…Letterkenny..

Occupy Ireland network is giving hope where previously there was none.

“So let the music keep your spirits high” is a line from a great song by Jackson Browne, that was made famous for many Irish by Christy Moore;  “Before The Deluge“.

Anyway down in Dame Street, down by the banks of the Lee, out on windswept Eyre Square, up by writers square, out with the blahs down in the Deise or making trouble up in Tír Conall…

Aswell as plotting and scheming, building tent cities, making, sharing out and eating food, doing the wash up, managing live streams, giving the odd interview to RTE or TV3, agreeing with those shaking jazz hands, chatting passionately with a stranger over a cup of tea, sitting in wonder, drying off wet socks, composing a poem… (the list goes on, all part of making Revolution) There has been a whole host of cracking music, from both people down living in the camps and also people who have come down to visit… So heres a bit of a list, granted it wont be a full one, of whats be going on…

Follow the camps on TWITTER: #OccupyIreland – #OccupyDublin – #OccupyCork – #OccupyGalway – #OccupyBelfast – #OccupyWaterford – #OccupyLetterkenny

A great crowd at #OccupyDameStreet for Billy Bragg’s free solidarity gig, off the back of a truck

‎Christy Moore: musician, singer, poet, warrior, legend

Christy Moore is one of Irelands superstars!!!

Watch a music playlist – 100 tunes, click here… It starts with LISDONVARNA…

“Here we are in the county Clare, tis a long long way from here to there… If its music you want, you should come to Clare…”

Recent articles in the Irish Times: ‘How many gigs are left? Is it 10, 100 or 1,000?’

Below are a couple of choice vids and interviews. Enjoy

looking for activist Barcelona

I responded to a post on the COUCHSURFING network, this post is for the benefit of those who are interested in this helpful information and who are not part of the CS network, ie, they cant view the discussion therein…)

Location: Places >> Europe >> Spain – España >> CATALUNYA – CATALONIA >> Barcelona