Features
Ireland’s Direct Provision system has been widely condemned by human rights organisations, but a network of private companies continue to make millions from the detention of asylum seekers. Gerard Stewart takes a look at the murky world of profiteering that lies behind Direct Provision. The recent revelation of the
Features
The removal of the 8th Amendment was a political and social landmark in Ireland’s history. One year on, however, and serious barriers to abortion services remain, particularly in rural areas. Steph Hanlon looks at how the system stacks up against the demands of the movement for Repeal. We’ve
Features
Frida Kahlo was undervalued in her time, but today her art, her fashion and her politics are commercialised worldwide. Here, Mike Gonzalez looks back at the art and politics of a woman who worked hard to curate her own persona, translating her pain and passion into personal and political expression.
Features
“The Irish Catholic was despoiled by force, the Irish Protestant toiler was despoiled by fraud… The spoliation of both continues today.” So remarked James Connolly in his article on the Twelfth of July, republished here 105 years later. As this Saturday is the 12th of July, and as I am
Features
Amidst ongoing tension over the erection of a bonfire in East Belfast, People Before Profit Cllr Matt Collins comments on the situation. The issue of bonfires is once again at the centre of politics in Belfast, after a week-long standoff between loyalists, Belfast City Council and the PSNI over
News
The US government is detaining thousands of migrants, in what can only be described as a system of 21st century concentration camps. Justin Akers Chacón—professor of U.S. History and Chicano Studies in San Diego and author, with Mike Davis, of No One is Illegal—examines the background to
Features
There is a wide-held belief that the EU is a champion of women’s rights, aided perhaps by screeds of official documents on gender equality. Across the EU women still lag severely behind men in pay and how they are treated at work. Marnie Holborow—writer and socialist activist
Features
Sinn Féin are telling porkies again—this time over flags. The party voted against a proposal from PBP to remove ‘Soldier F’ banners, arguing instead for a catch all action against ‘all banners’, which PBP did not support. Now the Sinn Féin spin machine claims that it was PBP who
Features
Art reflects the world around us, but does art not also help shape the society we live in? John Molyneux—a Marxist writer with a prodigious output over many decades, who has also had a lifelong interest in visual art—tackles this fascinating subject, in this extended piece based on
Features
Welfare Reform has been a disaster. And disabled people have been consistently under attack as a result. Ivanka Antova, a disability rights advocate, takes a look at the impact of this devastating policy. You will be forgiven if you are completely uninspired by the ongoing Conservative Party leadership debacle. Coverage
Features
The departure of Gerry Adams was set to herald a new era for Sinn Féin. But after a spate of disappointing elections, questions are being asked about the direction of the party under Mary Lou’s leadership. What is behind this sudden decline? Tommy McKearney—author of the the Provisional
Features
Tax havens are often portrayed as exotic islands, in far flung parts of the world. But as economist Brian O’Boyle explains, tax evasion is incorporated into capitalism on a global scale. And the amounts of money stolen are staggering. One important myth about tax havens is that they are