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LAST UPDATE | 2 Aug 2022
NORTHERN IRELAND’S POLITICAL leaders have returned to Stormont for a special sitting to deliver tributes to Nobel Peace Prize winner David Trimble.
MLAs returned to observe a minute’s silence and sign a book of condolence in memory of one of the key architects of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement which ended decades of conflict in Northern Ireland.
Trimble died last week at the age of 77 following an illness.
A recall of the Assembly to attempt to elect a new Speaker was postponed last week following his death. The Assembly has not been sitting since the last election in May because the DUP are refusing to participate in the institutions until the UK Government takes action over their concerns around the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Sinn Fein Vice-President Michelle O’Neill paid tribute to Trimble’s “courage and generosity” as she recognised the personal risks he took to achieve peace.
“There is no doubt whatsoever he clearly made a huge contribution, not only in reaching that historic agreement, but by getting his party to sign on for it despite the huge challenges he faced,” O’Neill said.
“As we mourn his passing, let those of us in this House today reflect on the present realities a quarter century on from the hard won peace, and recognise that only through political maturity, civility and co-operation will politics work and deliver for the people we all serve.”
Stormont Speaker Alex Maskey said there is “no doubt that David Trimble took risks and took decisions often in the face of fierce opposition when it would have been personally easier for not to do so,” he said.
Maskey noted the passing of many significant political leaders in recent years, including former DUP leader Ian Paisley, SDLP leader John Hume and Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness.
“I would therefore close by saying that while many of you in this chamber today may not have met them, the legacy of realising the potential of this Assembly and the agreements that were hard won now falls to yourselves.
Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie said that before 1998 unionists and nationalists would not be seen in the same room together, “never mind share a handshake or form a government with joint responsibilities”.
He contrasted that to scenes at Trimble’s funeral on yesterday where political leaders from across the divide came together.
“At David’s humble and dignified funeral, handshakes and pats on the shoulder were offered freely from every political corner with warm words of condolence – that’s progress,” he said.
DUP minister Edwin Poots noted that he was one of only four current MLAs who was elected to the Assembly of 1998.
“His ability and intellect was evident for all to see,” Poots said.
“His attention to detail was second to none. Actually, so much focused on the detail sometimes he didn’t focus on the message, but he was so focused on the detail.
“He was brave, in that he took on the challenges that came his way and they weren’t easy, particularly in a constituency like Upper Bann where the unionist population is very strong and they were certainly uneasy with much of what he was doing, and that transpired in future elections. But he was a dedicated unionist.”
Trimble, a leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, was jointly awarded the Nobel prize with late SDLP leader John Hume in recognition of their efforts to stop the bloodshed and establish a powersharing system of devolved governance in the region.
He then served as the Northern Ireland’s inaugural first minister.
The Stormont institutions are currently in limbo, with the DUP blocking the creation of a powersharing administration in protest at Brexit’s Northern Ireland Protocol.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin and President Michael D Higgins, as well as the UK’s Boris Johnson, were among the mourners who gathered at Harmony Hill Presbyterian Church in Lisburn, Co Antrim, yesterday for Trimble’s funeral.
Reverend Dr Charles McMullen appealed at the funeral service for politicians to use the occasion as inspiration to redouble their efforts to resolve their differences over the protocol.
He said: “Can we use this service today, in a fitting tribute to one of the great, to redouble our efforts on this island home of ours?
“With courage, pragmatism and generosity of spirit, may our politicians engage wholeheartedly in resolving the outstanding issues surrounding the Northern Ireland Protocol, so that our democratic institutions are quickly restored and we can all move forward together.”
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Brendan O’Connor, No.
The argument is that , if you don’t like Brendan O’Connor, you can always switch off the show. The problem is that you CANT switch off the fact that you are paying for the show whether you watch it or not
Shockin
Brendan O Connor must have photos of the D.G of RTÈ in a compromising position with a horse, that’s the only explanation for it!
@ Alan – so that is why they have mandatory payment of fees – sure nobody would pay for all this sh*t otherwise.
Scramble it. And let those who wish to perpetuate this drivel pay for it.
New RTE schedule = same old sh1te
No wonder that RTE is crap, when they do not understand the meaning of the word –NEW
Dear oh Dear ! Hector …. and then Des Bishop, I stopped at that, is there no end to the torture.
Jesus! We must have the ugliest collection of celebrities in the world.
So love/hate is the highlight then, forget the rest.
Get rid of Tubrity. I have yet to meet anybody who finds him personable or even likeable. How he even got into that industry is beyond me. Never mind the insane wages he commands. Even after all the cuts!
Probably the most uncharismatic man in the world.
RTE …. Real Tedious Entertainment ………..
I think the word is excrement
Dar … I think you might be right !
What possible public service is this drivel providing?????
And we are forced to pay for this drivel! I think I’d sooner go to jail for non payment.
@m join the brigade if non payers. They can’t put us all in jail.
This is communist Russia Mr. Rabbit!!
Premiere of The Guard? Feels like 10 years since that came out,might as well re-run Season 1 of Quantum Leap while they’re at it
“Oi Ginger! which looks at red-headed people in Ireland.”…why? Is there more series called “Oi Brunettes” and “Oi Blond” ???
In what part of Ireland do people say Oi Ginger?
No part. That would be London.
#sacktubridy
SIOBHAN! WILL YA LISTEN!
And the RTE gravy train rumbles on. The sooner they do a Greece on it the better.
Is it just me or is des bishop an extremely unfunny man in every way possible?
Agree. Sell it off and make it pay for itself.
We are a country of few people and less workers than most, what were you expecting? This is as good as it gets
Agreed..If he could learn to be funny in english first it just might work…on the upside given rte,s finances they might only pay for a one way ticket!!
Who are you interviewing on your show the next night Tubridy?
The cameraman about his genital warts?
“That’ll really cheer people up in these hard times”
Yawn!!!
As Graham Norton interviews the world’s A listers over on BBC.
It’s time to take that fat pension Tubridy, before RTE sacks you.
Imagine that Tubridy, the shame of being sacked by the civil service?
In fact you can bring the rest of RTE with you.
The government’s rubbish propaganda machine!
What J would expect Spud is for DJs and continuity announcers to be paid the same as ordinary workers. Because that is what they are.
the government won’t sell rte because rte is the governments propaganda tool.
What is the language Des Bishop doesn’t speak – English??
Love / Hate won’t be the same without the lovely Darren.
Great line up & no Pat Kenny sponging the airwaves, things are on the up! ;-)
Patricia, I think he is in the new series. He was spotted on the set during the year.
Says its for flashback scenes only. He filmed everything in one day sadly.
I heard he’s coming back as a ghost,chains and all
Ah here! Im on series 2 guys! Dammit
Where does Graybo fit in?
Appearances on every channel again?
Him and Miriam both. Yawn!
What a bloody joke! So this is the best our national broadcaster can do! The announcement of this schedule is like announcing that there will be custard in the trifle, same old same old.
As for the two ugly sisters in the pic that is definitely the kiss of death. ” I can’t believe I’m getting away with it” Hector going to the North for the first time will have the Nation sleepless with excitement. Vomit just pure vomit.
Love/ Hate is far too raw for general entertainment although very well produced and acted. It is not suitable for many people and it is a pity that it is being waved as the primary item in the announcement.
BTW it does look like Darren is coming back. Don’t know if it is a resurrection or as a ghost but I’m sure the ladies will be pleased.
Thank the gods for satellite tv!
Savage eye? Hopefully that’s coming back, best thing on rte in years
I’d Pay an extra €20 onto my TV licence, if they stopped making Fair City is there anything more diabolical than this horse sh!t.
Have you seen the ads for ‘the hit’? Has to come a close second to Fair City in the tripe stakes. Who thought up putting Johnny Logan against Duke not-so Special? Really, the must’ve blown the budget there.
so this is what that grinning idiot rabbit is forcing everyone in the country to pay a broadcasting charge for, so we can pay the wages of the likes of the two talentless tits in the picture above along with funding muck like fair city and dear god the voice of ireland sure did ye not know the CIA use that show to get confessions out of terrorists
I want my 160€ back please. Why do they programme exclusively for those that don’t even pay the license fee?
What about science/history/culture/music/nature etc., etc.,?
i.e. programmes that maybe could be sold on or stand the test of time rather than trash. they are still showing repeats of ‘Hands’ made in the 70s they are so desperate.
Sorry but Love/Hate is totally overrated. It’s Fair City for junkies.
BBC has some of the best documentaries on TV, BBC Four is a great channel and just shows what a real public broadcaster can do. All the BBC channels come in free with a satellite too. With shows like Ripper Street filmed and produced in Dublin RTE could at least do a joint production and broadcast it here
Yep – same goes for the very good BBC Science Club… hosted by? yep, an Irishman. We need to shift our vitriol to the RTE management not the presenters. They haven’t a clue how to run a TV station or radio for that matter.
I think you meant “a thriller with Gabriel Byrne” …..not “a thriller about Gabriel Byrne”?……
Withe centrepiece being the Bracken days
Coola Boola
Not Sinead Crazy Grey Hair. Of all the atrocities in that schedule she is the worst. Pure shit apart from love/hate. Nepotism alive and well in rte
“station bosses emphasised that they were trying to create a distinct separation between RTE One and RTE Two and create a clear identity for each”
Sure why not rename one so………….maybe something like, oh I dont know, Network 2 or something might work?
If you think RTE is bad ? What about the utter rubbish TV3 is spewing out every night ?
That may be, but our tax money doesnt go to TV3. Its a privately funded tv channel so they can show whatever they want.
Exactly Alan. It doesn’t cost us, what is it, a red cent…..
Des Bishop, Hector & Mario Rosenstock are all on a plane over the Atlantic when the engines fail.
Not a joke!
More wishful thinking.
Where’s Savage Eye?
Those two in the picture would go lovely together…
Ugh when I heard Des Bishop was going to China I knew it was inevitable we’d get some rubbish show about it. Stay in China Des don’t come back.
Hey we don’t want him here in China either!
Send him home via Siberia.
Only show I’m looking forward to seeing is love/hate the rest are just…meh
Tubridy, please NO.
Among the new shows on RTE One will be an entertainment series which will see see 2FM presenter Hector Ó hEochagáin travel to Northern Ireland for the first time ……..
cant wait…
Don’t worry Trish, we’ll get u to the hospital before ya pop yeh…
The DVD player will be busy AGAIN this winter! …not even the cheap booze from the local bottle shop could anaesthetise one from this line-up of audio-visual manure…
The Guard premier? Are we stuck in a time warp or what…
Where is Gerri May. Marty will never manage without her. Its a shame she is gone. Starting to fit in and then they drop her.
Does this country honeastly need RTE? Fair enough keep Radio 1 but I say scrap it as a TV Broadcaster and save a lot of money for the country. More important things out there than broadcasting poor standard of TV programmes.
Love Irish Pictorial Weekly!
Rte will focus on providing program’s for the under 35′s. grand so I don’t have to watch
Love/Hate is the only thing worth watching. Thank God for British TV.
They wouldn’t have been able to gather a larger collection of shite together if they tried and we’re forced to pay for it.
Coming soon: Love Hate (Angelus edition), Saturday with Miriam with guests 1 Irish comic 2 RTE staff and whoevers made the English papers this week, plus 100 other autumn telly treats
The same old sh1t. Des Bishop go the China WHY who cares.
Brendan O Connor is absolutely insufferable. Miriam is starting to dose me out of it too. And they’re laughing all the way to the bank with their inflated salaries – I mean O Connor is reputedly on €150,000 per annum! WTF
I wish RTE would release a schedule without RTE.
Doesn’t seem too bad looking for to republic of telly won’t be watching that d4 head vogue what’s her name though
I didn’t think ‘What Richard did’ was that good…..
I dont live at home but I’ve watched O’Connor and Turbidy online and I can’t believe that this is best RTE can find. They are equally unwatchable. I wonder what the viewing figures are compared to Gaybo. Shame on RTE.
Big schwinging micky. They can stick in in their ears.
what about bbc utv sky and you all pay sky upc a fourtune a month for crap.
what was the song 57 and fxxkall on.
I pay UPC for stuff I want – documentaries, good dramas, football, horseracing. For the RTE licence I get very little I would go out of my way to see and heavily biased news output. If it was a standalone channel with UPC I definitely wouldn’t subscribe.
Get all the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 channels for free with a satellite, only pay for the dish and box or an installer if you don’t feel like doing it yourself.
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