SAOIRSE32

Belfast Telegraph

By Linda McKee
Saturday, November 24, 2007

Archbishop Sean Brady, who today becomes a cardinal, has come a long way since his Cavan childhood.

He grew up on a mixed farm where his father Andrew bred Aberdeen Angus cattle, and remains a keen GAA fan, reminiscing about the days when Cavan won the All-Ireland in 1947, 1948 and 1952.

Sean Brady was educated at Caulfield National School in Laragh, later becoming a boarder at St Patrick’s College in his home county.

Although he considered agricultural science, he decided to study for the priesthood at Maynooth and later at the Pontifical Irish College in Rome.

He then taught at his old college in Cavan for 13 years before returning to Rome where he became vice-rector and then rector of the Pontifical College, later becoming parish priest at Castletara back in Cavan.

After only 13 months there, he was chosen as the new Catholic Primate to succeed Cardinal Cahal Daly.

In October 1996 he became Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All-Ireland as well as chairman of the Irish Episcopal Conference.

A few years ago he made headlines after accepting an invitation from Presbyterian Moderator Dr Ken Newell to be his personal guest at the opening night of the Presbyterian Assembly.

Outside, a protest at his presence was led by Free Presbyterian Moderator and now First Minister, the Rev Ian Paisley.

He is a strong supporter of ecumenism and when Archbishop Alan Harper became the new Church of Ireland Primate earlier this year, the two leaders made a joint visit to both Armagh cathedrals on St Patrick’s Day.

Politically, Dr Brady has worked hard to solidify the peace process and has led a delegation of his senior clergy to meet the Mr Paisley at Stormont for an exchange of views.

In recent months, Dr Brady has made a series of major speeches outlining basic Christian values at a time of increasing secularisation in Ireland and earlier this year he led Irish bishops to meet Pope Benedict at the Vatican.

23 Nov 2007
BBC

A Belfast court has turned down an application for the extradition of Roisin McAliskey to Germany.

German authorities wanted her to face trial for the attempted murder of soldiers at a British army barracks in Osnabruck in northern Germany in 1996.

Ms McAliskey was arrested at her home in Coalisland last May and was on bail.

The Recorder of Belfast, Judge Burgess, refused the application on the basis that it “would be oppressive because of the passage of time”.

Judge Burgess determined that Ms McAliskey believed the threat of extradition was behind her from the time in 1998 when the home secretary announced in the House of Commons that he was refusing to extradite her on medical grounds.

The judge said this was confirmed in Ms McAliskey’s mind by a statement made in the House of Commons in 2000 by the attorney general that there were no grounds for instituting proceedings against her in the UK.

Ms McAliskey’s lawyers had argued that to extradite her would “be an abuse of process as the previous application failed”.

They said it would be unjust and oppressive to grant extradition in the case of a “fragile woman with this appalling history of post traumatic stress disorder”.

This was in reference to evidence given by her mother - former MP Bernadette Devlin - of the mental trauma Ms McAliskey still suffers as a result of an attempted assassination by loyalists in the family home in 1981 when she was aged nine.

The public prosecutor in Germany alleged Ms McAliskey was a member of a Provisional IRA active service unit which fired three mortar grenades at Quebec Barracks in Osnabruck in 1996.

No one was killed or injured but substantial damage was caused to the base.

Home Secretary Jack Straw decided in 1998 not to extradite Ms McAliskey after receiving medical reports.

BBC

23 Nov 2007

The final report from the Bloody Sunday inquiry will not be ready until next year.

Soldiers shot 14 people dead in Derry on Bloody Sunday

Lord Saville has told the victims’ families that he needs more time to complete his findings and have the report printed.

However, families of the 14 people killed will be told in advance when the report is ready to be given to the Secretary of State.

BBC

23 Nov 2007

The loyalist Michael Stone is to stand trial for his alleged attack on Stormont last November.

Loyalist Michael Stone is restrained at the doors of Parliament Buildings

He faces 14 charges, including the attempted murder of Sinn Fein leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness.

Stone, who was wrestled to the ground by security guards at Stormont’s revolving doors, has also been accused of explosives offences.

He was remanded in custody after a PPS request to have him returned to Belfast Crown Court on a date to be fixed.

Stone, whose licence for the Milltown murders has been revoked, is also charged with going into Parliament Buildings with three knives, a garrotte and an axe, possession of an imitation gun and assaulting a member of staff.

A defence lawyer for the 51-year-old has said the incident was not intended to hurt anyone, and was instead a piece of performance art replicating a terrorist attack.