I”ve never embedded a Vine video before, but there’s a first time for everything… Pat Kenny veteran RTE news and current affairs man has been bagged by UTV Ireland… He’s expected to be returning to TV in early 2015. The channel launches at the beginning of January…
On The Nolan Show this morning, Alex Kane and myself had a brief discussion about his recent article regarding Irish Unity. On Slugger last week, Barton and David chatted at length on the topic of Irish Unity, so I’ve decided to put a few thoughts out there on the subject for others to pick over. more…
Now, when it comes to it, we try to the Scottish referendum seriously in its own terms, not simply to use it as a way to open conversations that are not yet viable in Northern Ireland. We’ll have Phil Mac Giolla Bhain on the ground before, during and after the referendum poll blogging live from more…
Ronan Fanning took the theme for his most recent book from David Lloyd George in the House of Commons in 1919, “there is a path of fatality between the two countries and makes them eternally at cross purposes“. In the Irish Times Fanning takes John Bruton to task for suggesting that the Home Rule Bill more…
Interesting to discover that both Gerry Adams and Peadar Toibin are availing themselves of a new scheme aimed at improving the proficiency of Oireachtas Deputies in Irish… Mr Adams and party colleague Peadar Toibin TD are using the subsidised tuition service which is also available to civil servants and political staff in Leinster House. A more…
One of the blinding stupidities of burning another nation’s national flag on your bonfire, is the near certainty that it will encourage someone else to burn yours, which in turn… Alliance has condemned the actions of republicans who placed Union flags on a bonfire in Londonderry on Friday night. The Fire Service was called in more…
The Belfast Telegraph has a number of articles about the devolution of control over Corporation Tax: with a timeline here. From the Belfast Telegraph: Finance Minister Simon Hamilton said: “I am optimistic that we will get a positive answer from the Prime Minister. “I think that the Government wants to do this and we have more…
The latest opinion polls show Labour’s small lead seems fairly consistent but it remains too small for them to have any confidence in achieving a majority. Ironically despite their currently pathetic level of support the most likely scenario remains the Liberal Democrats holding the balance of power. At one level this failure of the Labour more…
One month away from Scotland’s Moment of Truth, it is worth reflecting how eerie the symmetries and coincidences of history can sometimes be. Followers of Irish and Scottish affairs know this to be a bumper year for anniversaries in both countries. A millennium ago the celebrated Battle of Clontarf was fought just north of Dublin – a crucial more…
Hey, this interview is meant to be listened to! I’ve written up some of the highlights below, but the meat of the conversation is in the audio, so load it up, go for a drive, and let me know what you think in the comments section! I’ll look into making mp3 files available in the more…
As an addendum to the issue of referendum gridlock the other day, here’s some sound advice from Theresa Reidy of UCC… get an electoral commission together first, and second be bloody careful with what reforms you choose to offer in future… Finally, two things to remember: Voters can become fatigued if they face too many more…
Tim Bale in the Telegraph has been considering the deselection of two Tory MPs much favoured by the party’s leadership, and comes up with some genuinely interesting thoughts on what’s happening the centre right undergrowth… Had David Davis somehow managed to beat Cameron to the top job in 2005, he could (assuming he had left more…
The ongoing disaster that is Iraq continues. When the Americans (with British help) invaded Iraq in 2003 I must confess to feeling it has the potential to become another Vietnam. As time has gone on that appearance has strengthened centrally in that like Vietnam the Americans would have been wiser not to invade and having more…
This is a quick companion piece to Mick’s on welfare reform cuts. Gerry Adams issued a longish statement last week on the issue, which presumably can be taken as the current Sinn Féin position. These are a few relevant extracts: The DUP has repeatedly demonstrated an unwillingness to participate positively in any of the institutions. Instead more…
So, at Stormont the DUP and Sinn Fein have informed the ministers of the other parties that they will have to take the brunt of the spending cuts which follow on foot of the OFMdFM parties to come to terms with the relatively generous terms offered Northern Ireland by the Chancellor of Exchequer… #179628975 / more…
In Scotland there’s been talk of little else but the big referendum on whether Scotland should got it alone for two years. In Ireland the cycle of questions pushed out to the people seems to be speeding up… Olivia Kelly in the Irish Times notes they concern “reducing the voting age to 16, reducing the more…
This is the time of year when students either celebrate success or drown their sorrows as the standard debate takes place about are these exams getting easier? And did Northern Ireland come first? Are you getting into the University of your first choice? It was August 2007 when it my turn to open up that more…
Interesting one from `Cybernat` (his term) Craig Murray regarding the proposed Orange Order demo in Edinburgh shortly before the Independence referendum. The proposed Orange for No march appears plainly to be in contravention of the Public Order Act 1936. This act makes it illegal to wear a uniform to promote a political cause: Section 1 (i) more…
It’s worth recapping on Tom Kelly’s column from the Irish News on Monday, asking if anyone cares about the fate of Christians and other religious minorities in the middle east… …for all our pretence to be a Christian country (not that our Christian practices always gives witness to that profession) we seem uninterested in the more…
It’s still there if you look closely. Just under my chin. Can you see it? Just zoom in a bit. Ten years ago I was at the top of my game. Money was great, family was great, loved my job, loads of good more…
