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Northern Ireland election

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Bowls and Muskets

  • Mark Devenport
  • 11 May 07, 05:10 PM

So Bertie gave Ian a wooden bowl at St Andrews, and Ian returned the favour today when he visited the site of the Battle of the Boyne by giving the Taoiseach a musket. Will Bertie use it on Enda Kenny or Vincent Browne?

If King Billy's supporters had given King James' boys a few muskets back in 1690 then history might have been different. It's said that amongst King James' 25,000 strong army one man in every three had no musket and another man in every three had a musket that wouldn't fire.

No need for muskets now, according to the Health Minister Michael McGimpsey. Interviewed for tomorrow's Inside Politics he tells me that Thursday's Executive meeting was unbelievably "matey". He suspects work has been going on between the DUP and Sinn Fein for some time.

The Ulster Unionist Minister controls 47% of the new executive's budget, but he's not hopeful about getting any more cash to spend out of Gordon Brown. Instead he reckons the Chancellor is now focussed on his move into Number Ten and will steadfastly refuse to give the Executive ministers any further cash injection. Perhaps they will need that musket back after all...

Comments   Post your comment

  • 1.
  • At 12:22 AM on 12 May 2007,
  • Bedd Gelert wrote:

Interesting photo-call..

I was half expecting Bertie to ask if it had been put verifiably beyond use.. which would be a relief to the Chancellor of the Exchequer..

  • 2.
  • At 05:16 PM on 13 May 2007,
  • Pandora wrote:

You will remember your blog of 28 March entitled 'Stupid Questions' - well you no longer hold the singular distinction of being accused of asking a 'stupid question' by a local politician.

Your 大象传媒2 Newsnight colleague, Liz McKean, was similarly admonished in an interview with Ian Paisley for Newsnight shown on 8 May. In that interview, Ms McKean asked Dr Paisley as he ideally would have liked a longer period of time to try and test Sinn Fein's commitment to the rule of law, why did he not ask the Prime Minister for more time? Dr Paisley retorted by saying that she was asking a 'stupid question' and she should refer that question to the Prime Minister!

It seems to be a developing trend, that the political dogs of war no longer bark at each other, but rather have turned their attention towards the media.

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