Comments on The Pensive Quill: Chris Bray: Boston College

Interesting Michael. I must confess my memory of t...

2012-01-25T22:56:59.893Z

Interesting Michael. I must confess my memory of the time is sketchy. But what you say is a bit too ‘it was themmins’ to be entirely convincing.

Frank White- It is no big secret why the G.F.A s...

2012-01-08T20:47:10.155Z

Frank White-

It is no big secret why the G.F.A
seemed to be going slowly in the early years- the u.u.p huffs walked away from the Executive 3 times- it was nothing to do with Sinn Feins peace efforts-

3 times the u.u.p walked out of the Assembly-but the people got their revenge at the elections and knocked that party down a peg or two-

Didn’t know that about Greenslade and An Phoblacht...

2012-01-08T18:05:48.799Z

Didn’t know that about Greenslade and An Phoblacht. Always thought he was very sharp on the media, online challenges to print publications etc. Strange how many very intelligent commentators choose to turn off that forensic intelligence on certain issues and go with the flow according to their politics. And they criticise others in the media for the same – http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jun/17/ira-hunger-strike-fleet-street, strange old world indeed.
I thought your exchange with SPON was interesting. There is an honesty and integrity there that is lacking from general political discourse and I wonder if it is the absence of such that has made the years since the ceasefire unbloody yet so bloody partisan – who knows?
I lived in Northern Ireland at the time of the Good Friday Agreement and was optimistic about it and sensed a palpable optimism among people. It infuriated me that SDLP and OUP didn’t make life better for people in NI with genuine power sharing, bringing in laws to create jobs, or anything that people might have felt, cutting road deaths for example. Instead nothing happened. They waited for the IRA/CLMC to give up their weapons and by that time SF and DUP had manipulated their way to dominance. Then those 2 parties accepted the deal they had squealed about the SDLP and OUP wanting. Now we are stuck with SF and DUP, parties that owe themselves to tribal, partial, chauvinistic tendencies. Can we be anything other than fucked?
I want to know why nothing positive happened immediately after the GFA? Were the parties stagestruck? Did the British hobble it? Did the IRA threaten to blow it away? Did it just get bogged down in procedural, bureaucratic detail. Whatever it was the delay was critically important.

Aye Robert a cara happy new year,knew youd be abou...

2012-01-06T10:23:08.049Z

Aye Robert a cara happy new year,knew youd be about somewhere, keeping a watching brief on proceedings here on TPQ,and as unionist with an open mind I,d be interested in your take on the big issues here i.e the B.C. affair and the ongoing debate over the hunger strike deal,

Robert, you were missed. Happy New Year

2012-01-05T23:05:15.066Z

Robert,

you were missed. Happy New Year

Anthony, Happy New Year! "That is a very si...

2012-01-05T21:50:05.228Z

Anthony,

Happy New Year!

"That is a very simple truth test"

It appears Michael has failed your 'polygraph'!

Frank, saw the Greenslade piece myself. Did he no...

2012-01-05T09:28:10.383Z

Frank,

saw the Greenslade piece myself. Did he not used to write for the Sinn Fein's An Phoblacht under an assumed name? So there is no great surprise that he would buy into the narrative of the party. Having said that I thought his conclusion was a decent enough.

Also heard him on Radio Ulster again trying to undermine the research and spinning the SF line. I am not sure he understands what oral history is meant to be. If he does he is avoiding the issues that this case throws up.

It is hard to judge Sinn Fein's position on the matter. Although we do know that a journalist close to the party was arguing online for the archive to be handed over.

http://heartsofoakandsteel.wordpress.com/2011/12/18/ciaran-barnes-journalistic-ethics-on-a-par/

And we also had Danny Morrison making the case for the British police in his endeavours to hobble the defence against any handover.

Strange old world

Fionnchú, as always, good to have your support

2012-01-04T22:14:50.051Z

Fionnchú,

as always, good to have your support

Michaelhenry, before it gets into the courts.

2012-01-04T21:09:21.013Z

Michaelhenry,

before it gets into the courts.

AM- IN the Irish news today it says that the rese...

2012-01-04T21:05:53.998Z

AM-

IN the Irish news today it says that the researchers behind the boston colleges oral history project have demanded the destruction of all those taped interviews-

At least the old nazis waited untill the books were wrote before they burnt them-yous guys want to have all burnt before the research can be made into books-lol-

BC made the decision secretly to not contest the s...

2012-01-04T13:20:25.570Z

BC made the decision secretly to not contest the subpoenas supplied by the courts and with that stance went further with the extent of their compliance when ‘asked’ to do so…sounds like a good servant…..the question is why?
Why would an institution such as BC, willingly hang, drawn and quarter its integrity on a project of such insignificance such as this one?
This is a key question to this sorrowful and insignificant debacle. Their so called ‘disgraceful’ behaviour is irrelevant and their future behaviour also.

There are Machiavellian machinations at work here and BC has been placed in a round room and told to stand in the corner……..their betrayal doesn’t make sense! It would seem that the skeletons in the closet of academia are known to more than one institution!

Larry, the powers that be are out to destroy all ...

2012-01-04T12:20:25.258Z

Larry,

the powers that be are out to destroy all that work now. Other than fight it to the end there is not much we can do. If it goes down it will not do so without a fight, even though BC folded and are now hiding behind dishonest statements

Alfie, the Morrison narrative is reduced to clut...

2012-01-04T12:16:16.665Z

Alfie,

the Morrison narrative is reduced to clutching at straws now. he has don ehis own case major damage. The constant shifting of position leave the narrative threadbare

Nuala, a happy new year to you as well. How happy...

2012-01-04T12:14:30.685Z

Nuala,

a happy new year to you as well. How happy for many is another matter given this crisis.

Alfie,

I am so glad that TPQ was of benefit to you in your battles. You are a good guy. Happy new year

Tain Bo, you are right, it is worse than academi...

2012-01-04T12:12:11.609Z

Tain Bo,

you are right, it is worse than academic cowardice. The effects as you say on academic research in the future are beyond serious.

I read the article by Greenslade on the Boston Col...

2012-01-04T00:05:25.432Z

I read the article by Greenslade on the Boston College story - http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2012/jan/02/medialaw-usa. He got it right on protection of sources. The US decision sets a precedent that will damage future serious journalism and research, as if both aren’t getting enough of a booting as it is.
On the other hand, I thought he lazily accepted the Adams group’s slur of Moloney and McIntyre’s research being motivated by a desire to undermine Sinn Fein at face value. It’s a bit like claiming Gerry Adams has been an MLA all these years just to spite Anthony McIntyre. The fact that some people involved with the Belfast Project and the Adams clique don’t like each other is not a ‘salient point’.
In addition, Moloney and McIntyre hardly have to go to such lengths to blow holes in the Adams group narrative. They’ve been running rings around them for years just by writing articles. It says a lot for Sinn Fein’s weakness that it has lost the intellectual argument on republicanism to a journo and a blogger.
SF must be delighted the BC thing has blown up, as it gives them a chance to put pressure on Moloney and McIntyre without any need to revise their bankrupt ideas or expose their mythmaking in a straight argument.

I am curious as to what impact or influence the up...

2012-01-03T19:33:57.440Z

I am curious as to what impact or influence the upcoming American election has on this case and did BC conveniently fold to appease a political party.
Obviously, the so-called left wing Democrats would have great difficulty explaining to the American public if they had objected to the British request for the information on “terrorism” not only would their right wing Republican party counterparts have a field day in the media with this but also their British ally would too.

Would it be safe to assume that Obama and his administration only pay lip service to the peace accord and are seemingly abandoning the interests of peace in Northern Ireland for his parties’ political gain?

Considering we are only, a tiny pebble on the beach of American and British interests. I am curious if this were, an Al Qaeda/Taliban project would they be so willing and enabling to even think about gambling on the possible disastrous consequences it could have on peace.

Yes mackers. I feel the Irish American connection...

2012-01-03T12:19:35.035Z

Yes mackers.

I feel the Irish American connection and history is minute when it is placed beside USA/UK 'interests'. For me all that stuff is right up there with the 'American dream'.

Doubtless many a paddy prospered in the U.S. of A. as they did elsewhere. The sad thing is paddy only ever did well elsewhere. 100 years freedom here left us 6000 empty housing estates, a needle and a bunch of cute hoors laughing up their sleeves planning their next go at it.

THAT'S THE IRISH WAY.

Larry, 'Tehran University would have been m...

2012-01-03T10:33:20.753Z

Larry,

'Tehran University would have been more logical.'

Sad to say but true. I imagine it would have put up something other than BC's sham fight

Fionnchú It is good to see you again my friend I ...

2012-01-02T23:02:17.936Z

Fionnchú

It is good to see you again my friend I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to discuss this elsewhere with me.
I value your opinions and they have giving me plenty to think about.

Go raibh maith agat mo chara

Best wishes, AM. I know this will be difficult. We...

2012-01-02T21:51:54.384Z

Best wishes, AM. I know this will be difficult. We value your integrity.

It's a case of the victors imposing their vers...

2012-01-02T15:21:10.626Z

It's a case of the victors imposing their version of history. SF cannot afford to resist, they facilitated it all.

Head up high Mackers + family. History has already benefited from your work Anthony and the powers that be and their doormats have the foresight to see a potential chink in the 'peace-process' brainwash exercise. Doesn't even have to be a violent alternative to enrage them; ANY alternative will do that.

Democracy????

Marty, http://bostoncollegesubpoena.wordpress.com...

2012-01-02T12:48:23.876Z

Marty,

http://bostoncollegesubpoena.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/researcher-hits-out-at-boston-college-in-ira-interviews-row/

Page 2 the vatican times aka The Irish News well w...

2012-01-02T12:09:13.091Z

Page 2 the vatican times aka The Irish News well worth reading today.

You know a cara much has been said and written abo...

2012-01-01T20:50:24.997Z

You know a cara much has been said and written about this disgraceful show of cowardice by BC in defence of that worthy project,but what has become increasingly annoying to me is the lack of distaste and anger that should be shown to the two egotistical award hunters who I believe may have kickstarted this whole stinking affair,and ruined a very worthy historical record collection of our recent past and who pose as journalists ie. Allison Morrison and Ciaran Barnes.those two scumbags in their quest for a scoop would have been well at home in the now defunct News of the World ,I hope their careers go the same way...