Political upheaval as Britain votes to quit European Union of the monopolies

May Day 2016

Amid profound political and constitutional crisis and financial upheaval, British Prime Minister David Cameron has fallen on his own sword and announced his resignation – although not until the Conservative Party conference in October. Results from the referendum on EU membership initiated by Cameron show it pulling Britain and the north of Ireland out of the European Union by a total vote of an estimated 51.7 per cent to 48.3 per cent.

Frongoch, the first internment camp

Memorial at the site in Frongnoch, Wales where Irish patriots were interned following the 1916 Rebellion.

People in Wales have called on the governments in Dublin and Cardiff to provide a permanent commemorative centre in Frongoch, where 1,800 Irishmen were interned after the 1916 Rising.

The PoW camp, on the site of an old whisky distillery outside the town of Bala, held rebels such as Michael Collins, Terence MacSweeney and Richard Mulcahy.

It became known as ‘The University of Revolution’, as it was here that plans were discussed for future attacks on British rule in Ireland.

“During the summer, we sent an invitation to President Higgins to come here on the centenary of 2016,” said Councillor Alwyn Jones, who lives nearby.

The dodgy ‘Duke of Cornwall’ and his dirty dealings

Renewed focus on the “Duke of Cornwall” and his so-called “human rights” – Following a British Supreme Court ruling that the correspondence of the Prince of Wales to government must be released, the Kernow branch of the Celtic League assert that the activities of his estate in Cornwall should also come under focus, and they want people to get involved. MICHAEL CHAPPELL*

Scottish independence: ‘Scotland Demands Democracy’ (2002)

We are providing information on the background of the movement for Scottish independence, its background and the issues involved. This article by Tony Seed was published in Mac-talla, the annual Gaelic edition of Shunpiking, Nova Scotia’s discovery magazine, May, 2002, No. 42, and is slightly revised by the author for this publication.

The massive ‘Scotland Demands Democracy’ demonstration at the European Summit held in Edinburgh, December 11 and 12, 1992. Over 25,000 people participated and endorsed the Democracy Declaration of Scotland, read by the actor Sean Connery | Photo courtesy of Alan Miller (Click to enlarge)

IN accordance with the September 1997 referendum, Scotland now has home rule. Nearly three hundred years after the abolition of the last Scottish parliament, the country again has its own elected legislative authority. But there is no knowing if this stage will be Scotland’s last.

Debating chamber of the Socttish parliament

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON reckoned that Calton Hill was the best place to view Edinburgh, “since you can see the Castle, which you lose from the Castle, and Arthur’s Seat, which you cannot see from Arthur’s Seat.” Here, below the hill in one of the city’s greatest buildings, the Grecian Old Royal High School, it was assumed for many years Scotland’s new Parliament would sit. Less than a year before the first elections, the Scottish Office unexpectedly announced that a new building would be commissioned. Empty docklands were proposed. Ultimately the ideal location chosen was a disused brewery – in Holyrood, at the foot of the Royal Mile, neighbour to the royal palace – a site that satisfied no-one except the land owners and the royals. The parliament, which has been sitting in the Church of Scotland Assembly Hall, will move into this £200 million home soon.