Standing up to Bullies. 

Some politicians rarely, if ever see the irony in the words they use. Take Boris Johnson. He is currently using the dispute between the Ukraine and Russia to distract attention from the Downing Street Party-gate scandal. As more and more voices within his own party are questioning his leadership credentials Johnson is busy presenting himself as a leader on the world stage standing up for the rights of others. And so we get: “We won’t accept a world in which a powerful neighbour can bully or attack their neighbours … all people have the right to live safely and choose who governs them.”

A beautiful woman with a beautiful soul

Last week we buried our friend and comrade Annmarie McCarthy nee McWilliams. She died in hospital on 7 February after a short illness. On Friday morning Annmarie was brought to the republican memorial garden in Ballymurphy where local republicans paid their final respects to a woman Aisling O’Reilly aptly described as “a beautiful woman with a beautiful soul.”  In a wonderful gesture of solidarity and comradeship the honour guard of women comrades surrounded the coffin and held hands as a minutes silence was held.