Northern Ireland

What the Mallon bugging row reveals is the fragility of the Southern State.

HARD BY THE SUBWAY STATION in downtown Queens, suburban New York, lies the Astorian Manor. A confection of neon and plaster, it offered, on this below freezing night in late January, shelter from the kind of cold that drives people insane. Within the haze of its baby-blue womb lay comfort and Aid. Irish Northern Aid.  From Marie Crowe in New York

ON FRIDAY DECEMBER 16TH at 5.40pm Chief Supt J.J. McNally left Don Tidey in an upstairs room at 87 Main Street, Cavan and came to talk to reporters waiting below in the Garda Station.   by Tommie Gorman

THE TUMULT AND THE shouting had died, the television lights had been turned off, the journalists had gone back to their papers to write their stories. In other words, it was Sunday afternoon at me Sinn Fein Ard Fheis, Gerry Adams' speech had cherished and there was nothing left to listen to or write about.  By Colm Toibin.

On September 12, 1971, Ballymena United came to the Brandywell football ground in Derry for a league game against the home side. Ballymena's bus was luckless1y parked in the heart of the Bogside and when they returned it had been burned to a shell. It being just a month after the introduction of internment, many vehicles in Derry met with a similar fate.

FIRST THERE IS SALLINS. SALLINS IS A SMALL village in Kildare. There are humpback bridges at either end of the village. Go over the humpback at the northern end and, curving off to the left, there's a couple of miles of typical country road. Then a sharp right onto a lesser road. Up this for a few hundred yards. By Gene Kerrigan

Magistrate John Fyffe said dispassionately: "If there is any disruption by any member of the public, or any relative — any person guilty of disruption or harassment will be excluded from the court." He sat back and the door in the wall to his right, a few steps up, opened. Three men in civilian clothes came out and down, quickly, smoothly, and were in place below the magistrate, still on his right, within seconds. The third man was Raymond Gilmour.

The banqueting room in Belfast's city hall is used for the really big occasions. It is there that the politicans gather to hear the verdict of the electorate upon them. It is here that they are wined and dined in the successful years. A large stained glass window spells the message out for them. Pro Tanto, Quid Retribuamus. For all this, how will we repay you?

"The military struggle will not slow down to relate to Sinn Fein's political activity". Michael Farrell interviews two spokespersons authorised to speak on behalf of the leadership of the IRA.

Michael Farrell interviews Gerry Adams MP, vice-president of Sinn Fein.