These talks look well worth attending. The program will run as follows – 28TH April 2016 – Harry Midgely was a maverick in Northern Ireland politics, making a long journey from socialist activist to Minister for Education in the Stormont government. This talk is by the historian, Jim McDermott. 5th May 2016 – Winifred Carney more…
Eurosceptic hearts were gladdened last week, when they claimed victory in the referendum. Of course I’m referring to the Dutch referendum on the free-trade deal between the EU and the Ukraine, in which a majority of the minority who voted in the Netherlands on Wednesday, chose to reject the deal. Despite insisting that neither Dublin, more…
In the Sunday Times (£) a review by the historian and failed candidate for Canadian PM Michael Ignatieff of a book lets a little air into the deadlocked subject of Dealing with the Past, “ In Praise of Forgetting: Historical Memory and Its Ironies” by David Rieff presents arguments to counter our prevailing orthodoxies of more…
Pitching for Unionist or Nationalist unity in a bid to maximise representation for one tradition or the other is a well established tactic at election time in Northern Ireland. All unionist parties strictly advise ‘their’ voters to transfer to fellow unionists, regardless of sharp political differences on socio-economic, moral or other issues, whilst Sinn Fein more…
Interesting wording from Fine Gael this pm: note the lack a mention of “partnership”… Following exploratory talks this morning, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil negotiating teams have agreed to meet early next week to discuss how a viable minority government would work. I’d mark that down as progress, not least because it now matches the more…
The Guardian’s eminent film critic Peter Bradshaw, briefly and favourably, reviews film-maker Mark Cousins’ “meditative tribute” to his hometown, “I am Belfast”- a “valuable, heartfelt tribute to a city”. …there is much food for thought. He notes the fact that images of the Titanic, created at Belfast’s Harland and Wolff shipyard, are everywhere in the city since more…
Over the next four weeks, the Irish News political correspondent, John Manley and myself will be conducting a video podcast called “On The Doors” looking back over the week that was in politics. Episode One is out today & we were joined by the commentator, Adrianne Peltz. This week, we looked at trouble in the SDLP more…
Michael Gove promises “wholesale change” of the prison system. Is his reform agenda One Nation Conservatism in action or just more empty social-justice rhetoric from the Tory government? The prison service is in crisis and getting worse. As a report from Nick Hardwick, the former chief inspector of prisons, shows, more prisoners were murdered, more…
The ongoing saga of the Raymond McCreesh play park took another turn yesterday. Bea Wotton the now 88 year old mother of one of the IRA victims at Kingsmills was granted leave for a Judicial Review of the decision to name a play park in Newry after McCreesh. The park was named after the IRA more…
FactCheckNI — Northern Ireland’s first ever fact-checking service — was officially launched at the Skainos Centre in Belfast. The project — funded by the Big Lottery Fund through Building Change Trust — aims to influence public policy in regards to the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, keep politicians right in terms of both more…
Kate Nicholl is a former candidate for the Alliance Party. She writes for us today on the issue of abortion rights & in defence of those who oppose an extension of the 1967 act. I’m going to say something unpopular about abortion. And defend those who don’t support the extension of the 1967 Act. Right more…
Sarah Bardon in the Irish Times quotes Willie O’Dea… ’ Limerick City TD Willie O’Dea said the people of this country voted to get rid of the outgoing government and the party could not accept any partnership or coalition. He said: “The people who are supporting me and who are asking about my views . more…
Gerry Carlile is a well known local businessman from West Belfast. He has written an interesting article about the need for a new generation of entrepreneurs to emerge in West Belfast to help drive the economy forward. This caught my eye as mostly it chimes with my own thinking that SME’s are Northern Ireland’s route more…
There is a lot of talk about coalitions and minority governments going on these days since the Irish electorate gave a collective “huh?” to the main parties. As I noted earlier there have now been the first talks between the Taoiseach and Fianna Fail leader about possibly forming some sort of grand coalition. It has more…
In the first meeting between the Micheal Martin & Kenny, the Fine Gael Press Office told us about this offer; This evening the Taoiseach Enda Kenny and the Leader of Fianna Fáil Micheal Martin had a positive and constructive meeting during which they discussed the current political situation and options for the formation of a more…
The UUP held an event in Dublin this afternoon to give a Unionist perspective on the Easter Rising. Here are the remarks given by the party leader, Mike Nesbitt; (I have highlighted some key passages) I hope today has been challenging, but not for its own sake. We are not here simply to be controversial. more…
This is an exclusive interview with an Ulster woman of a very different character. Deborah McAleese’s interview in the Belfast Telegraph with a housemate of the young woman convicted of self aborting is searing, very hard to read. Oddly the impact was less in voice on the Nolan show ( substitute ) because the housemate was composed more…
A policy proposal in the DUP manifesto has started a little of debate over just when Northern Ireland came into existence. In today’s Irish News, John Manley talks with Eamon Phoenix and whilst he dismisses the DUP date of 5th May as inaccurate, he still does not have a concrete date for the foundation of Northern more…
In the DUP manifesto,, buzz phrases like better service delivery and the modernisation of government are invoked in support of the business- like appeal of Arlene Foster the party is relying on at the outset of their campaign. There is a marked lack of “shared future” and united community rhetoric. At the same time unionist/loyalist more…
In the Irish Times Pat Leahy lays out what he thinks will happen in the days after what’s likely to be another choreographed failure to form a government in the Dail today. What will be discussed is not a coalition or even a shared programme, but the terms under which Fianna Fáil might enter into more…
