Slugger O'Toole

It would be a mistake for Unionists to seek terms for Irish unity now. There’s a bigger future to discuss

Brian Walker on July 10, 2020, 1:09 pm20 Comments | Readers

The time, therefore, has finally come for unionists, particularly those in Northern Ireland, to consider the terms on which they could tolerate, if not accept, a united Ireland… On the eve of Northern Ireland’s centenary next May, Unionism needs to form an assembly of its own to answer that question. So what should unionism demand in exchange for its tolerance of unification? First, let’s acknowledge that unionism holds a pretty decent hand should it care to play it: the knowledge …

Spinners and Losers: Sinn Fein cool the heat…

Jay Burbank on July 10, 2020, 7:10 am126 Comments | Readers 1624

As ‘crematorium-[side]gate’ moves into its second week, and the legislature bit its gums into a non-legally binding motion, it appears as though the heat is shifting. The media are now fixating on two Belfast city council big hitters (BBC): The Belfast Telegraph is reporting the council’s chief executive Suzanne Wylie and director Nigel Grimshaw have lodged a formal grievance with a solicitor. They are said to have warned they may resign if “concerns are not resolved”. What I find remarkable …

The Past Was Certainly A Different Country… But That’s Entertainment

Ciaran Ward on July 10, 2020, 7:00 am33 Comments | Readers 531

“The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.” (British novelist LP Hartley, 1953) In the months following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the subsequent Black Lives Matter demonstrations, a whole new debate has opened up on how we should perceive the events and actors of the past. History is undoubtedly awash with shameful events. In scenes reminiscent of the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe at the end of the 1980s statues of …

“This decision is directly, but not solely, related to the issues which arose around the Bobby Storey cremation.”

Pete Baker on July 9, 2020, 7:04 pm47 Comments | Readers 1760

As BBC NI political editor Mark Devenport said a few days ago, there is “No prospect of Stormont falling.” That doesn’t mean there might not be casualties elsewhere… Having apologised in public for “operational decisions” around the Bobby Storey cremation at Roselawn Cemetery, the Belfast Telegraph reports that Belfast City Council Chief Executive, Suzanne Wylie, and director of city and neighbourhood services, Nigel Grimshaw, have lodged a formal grievance with the city solicitor, and have threatened to resign “if [their] …

The DUP must decide whether to lead… or follow Sinn Féin

Shane Greer on July 9, 2020, 9:09 am124 Comments | Readers 5856

There has been little to celebrate these past few months. But as someone born and raised in Northern Ireland, and whose home is now across the Atlantic, I confess to having felt enormous pride recently at the Northern Ireland Executive’s handling of COVID-19, and the characteristic resolve with which the people of Northern Ireland have faced our viral enemy. But then Bobby Storey died and Sinn Féin raised a middle finger to all who have suffered through isolation to protect …

Soldiers, Soup and Sandy Row: Challenging a fixed mindset…

Jason Conlon on July 9, 2020, 7:24 am205 Comments | Readers 1747

The anecdotal examples given here are intended to act as blunt signifiers, and can hopefully trigger a much broader conversation on identity and growth mindsets – concepts that are very much intertwined and blurred together, positively, across the community already The American psychologist Carol Dweck is renowned for her research on mindset theories, and her work is widely referred to in the education sector. The general idea is that people who welcome challenging situations, who embrace their mistakes and value …

Dublin’s ‘shared island’ narrative signals an intent to save the institutions of the Belfast Agreement by actually using them

Mick Fealty on July 8, 2020, 4:10 pm240 Comments | Readers 2548

I really warmed to Brian Walker’s perceptive (if someone rhetorical) question in his headline last week, which read “From united Ireland to a united island to a shared island. What’s in a phrase?” It’s a good question, not because there is a difference in this government’s policy and the last (it’s not actually a policy, more a shift in the frame through which policy might later flow), but as Brian has noted, the change occurred in the drafting of the …

Assembly debate on the Storey debacle reveals a deeply rooted inequality-under-the-law problem..

Mick Fealty on July 8, 2020, 9:38 am137 Comments | Readers 2109

Interesting how the motion moved and voted upon last night by Chris Stalford MLA of the DUP passed easily… That this Assembly acknowledges the immense sacrifices that people, families and communities have made during the COVID-19 emergency; pays tribute to those who selflessly prioritised the need to keep each other safe above their own personal needs, particularly during times of trauma, loss and grief; expresses disappointment in the actions of those in ministerial office who breached public guidance and failed …

#CargoOfBricks: Cooperation, looking outwards and maximising Northern Ireland’s advantage…

Mick Fealty on July 8, 2020, 7:02 am15 Comments | Readers 621

Episode Seven of #CargoOfBricks, is with Willie McCarter a man who brought Fruit of the Loom in from the US to expand his family business at a time when the Troubles were at their height and brought skilled jobs to both sides of the border: In it Willie tells us: In the early 80s, with high-interest rates as governments tried to get inflation under control, the business was getting crushed on cost and prices. With IDA support, they looked for …

Is Now The Right Time for Brexit?

Kevin McAteer on July 7, 2020, 7:00 am232 Comments | Readers 2581

If Covid 19 has taught us one thing, we are not ready for a crisis to be sprung upon us. Stormont has been constantly criticised for its slow response, crucially regarding the PPE fiasco. The Brexit crisis however has been four years in the making meaning we should be preparing right? Recently some Northern Ireland MPs have advocated for a Brexit extension. However is Brexit at this time really a bad idea? As a pro European supporter I can be …

Will genuine reconciliation ever be possible?

Brian O'Neill on July 7, 2020, 6:35 am491 Comments | Readers 3421

Alex Kane is never short of opinions; after all, that is his job. One of his latest tweets has gotten people talking: I’ve spent many, many years, reflecting on the possibility of genuine reconciliation between unionism and republicanism (either in NI in UK, or in a united Ireland). My conclusion: it will never be possible. The chasms are now unbridgeable. — Alex.Kane (@AlexKane221b) July 6, 2020 Alex does get stick for being a pessimist, but I prefer to think of …

Time for Fianna Fáil TDs to stand up straight, with shoulders back and make the impossible leap…

Mick Fealty on July 6, 2020, 12:59 pm111 Comments | Readers 2301

Miriam Lord captures well how the loud complaints from Fianna Fáil TDs who did not get the nod for a ministerial seat, with the headline: Martin sparks Olympian levels of whingeing in Fianna Fáil (she’s worth a subscription to the paper alone). Two thoughts strike me in response. One is that those complaining that the west wasn’t represented well enough ought to reflect on just how ineffective the method of putting in TDs who physically represent western constituency has been over …

Integrating society, creating shared spaces, enabling conversations

Paul Gosling on July 6, 2020, 9:02 am46 Comments | Readers 931

Integrated education should not be perceived as a threat to anyone’s sense of identity, but the sector needs to consider how it promotes itself across all of the community, says Roisin Marshall, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE). She was talking in the latest Forward Together podcast from the Holywell Trust. “Integration isn’t about dumbing down anyone’s identity,” she says. “It’s about enabling people to have conversations which are sometimes about not agreeing with each …

Loyalism must succeed where Sinn Fein has failed…

Soapbox on July 6, 2020, 8:47 am200 Comments | Readers 7406

Moore Holmes is a Loyalist from East Belfast. You can find him on Twitter I have a fond memory of my dad telling me how foolish he thought the phrase, “learn from your mistakes.” Each time it came up in a conversation, he’d half-chuckle and half-scoff, provocatively asking, “why not learn from someone else’s mistakes and save yourself the hassle?” Although my dad would be at pains to point out that I’ve sung “Fathers Advice” far more than I’ve ever …

How much of the extra £33m dividend from UK Culture Secretary will be spent on NI arts? (updated with response from Communities Minister and Arts Council NI)

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on July 5, 2020, 11:15 pm22 Comments | Readers 1335

A major injection of £1.57bn into the cultural sector by the UK Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden may prematurely raise the hopes of Northern Ireland artists that their industry is finally set to receive the relief and attention that many other areas of business have already enjoyed. The question for the NI Executive is how much of the expected £33m (via Barnett consequentials) will be spent on the cultural sector? Northern Ireland already spends less than half what England, Scotland and Wales spend on arts per head of population.

As the pace of modern life gets quicker all the time, poetry provides a much needed pause…

Lynda Tavakoli on July 5, 2020, 7:10 am66 Comments | Readers 1096

“My favourite poem is the one that starts ‘Thirty days hath September’ because it actually tells you something.” (Groucho Marx 1895 -1977) I know I’m treading on precarious territory here with that one word – poetry. There. Many of you will have zoned out already but I hope you’ll stay with me for a little longer as I try to untangle my thoughts on a subject that seems to divide so many folks, in so many different ways. But before …

A love letter to libraries…

Lisa Wells on July 5, 2020, 7:00 am19 Comments | Readers 885

As lockdown measures ease we are heading into new territories and hoping for a safe future. Aspects of our lives which we may have previously taken for granted are opening up again. Most notable to me is the reopening of our libraries. And hairdressers, obviously. I’m not a complete eejit. One of the upsides of lockdown has been the plethora of homes being shown on tv. I enjoy scanning past the interviewee and looking at whatever part of the house …

Read more…A love letter to libraries…

There’s no Twelfth, so no parades or bonfires are required…

Choyaa on July 4, 2020, 4:08 pm281 Comments | Readers 27945

As a starting point, I am fully aware of the irony, I’m an Orangeman, penning an article outlining my opposition to any type of parade or bonfire over the Twelfth weekend this year. Like Unionism, Orangeism (bands, lodges, and supporters) doesn’t do long term planning, so when the leadership of the Loyal Orange Institution (LOI) decided to cancel this year’s Twelfth celebrations back in March, it was an unexpected and decisive move. The Institution made a long terms decision (well …

Cycling – One of life’s simple pleasures…

Ciaran Ward on July 4, 2020, 7:00 am55 Comments | Readers 1173

Normally at this time of the year, cycling fever would be in the air with the Giro d’Italia a recent memory (remember the year it started in Belfast?), and that other famous pharmaceutical warehouse on wheels (sorry, bike race) the Tour de France just about to start. This year it’s all different though, but it hasn’t stopped the Middle-Aged Men In Lycra (MAMILs, I believe the modern terminology is) – ie people like myself – from making the most of …

Other parties would be well advised to keep Michelle O’Neill in the awkward position she has worked her own way into

Mick Fealty on July 3, 2020, 4:28 pm315 Comments | Readers 11964

So, I’ll put my neck where Brian wouldn’t and say, crisis, what crisis? There are two reasons this won’t lead to a real crisis in Stormont. One is that the party who pulled it down last time is in the one that’s in the dog house this time. Two, if the others have learned anything from Sinn Féin’s collapse of the institutions in January 2017, a collapse brings no good to anyone (including Sinn Féin who lost all the ground …