March, 2014

Why, I wonder, of all the horrors that the Troubles visited on us, is the death of  Jean McConville  receiving such attention? Perhaps because she was a woman and a mother of ten children. Perhaps because her body was not discovered for decades after her death. Perhaps because it seems so horrible that a person […]

    It’s sometimes funny, the difference between the official world and the unofficial world. Take RTÉ. The oldest example of a collision between these two worlds showed when Gerry Adams was a guest on the Late Late Show. Gay Byrne refused to shake Gerry Adams’s hand, five other anti-Sinn Féin worthies including Hugh Leonard, […]

‘Colony: a country or area under the full or partial political control of another country and occupied by settlers from that country. ‘ ‘Colony:  a group of animals that live close together’ It’s funny the things that make people’s jets red-hot, isn’t it? Earlier this week Billy Hutchinson said he had killed two Catholic men […]

  It’s difficult to ingest your Rice Krispies and at the same time take in the state of the world. But I did hear some mention on the radio this morning that the Assembly’s been flag-discussing. Apparently, in an attempt no doubt to show how progressive they are, the Ulster Unionist Party have proposed that […]

  Billy Hutchison has told The News Letter that his killing of two Catholic men on their way to work helped prevent a united Ireland. He talks vaguely about ‘intelligence’ but provides no evidence that these men were members of the IRA. Billy is the leader of the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP). Imagine if a parallel […]

  One of the first rules you learn in research is what some refer to as the don’t-ask-granny rule. This refers to the sample you use and on which the validity of your conclusions will rest. If you ask your granny what she thinks of her grandchild, chances are you’ll get a different answer than […]

With the day that was in it, I visited Belfast City Hall yesterday.  Myself and my friend parked in a street at the rear of the building and made our way to the front door. As we turned to go in, we saw the front gates decorated by the presence of some flag protestors, complete […]

This is the day. The day on which more guff is spouted about Ireland and Irishness than any other day in the calendar. There’s a big hoo-haa going on about the refusal to allow the LGBT community to march with their banners in the New York parade. The New York mayor has refused to join […]

Imagine this. A country is so convulsed by corruption, the people take to the streets and force the government from office. Far from this ejection of a democratically – elected government being condemned,  the international world applauds these actions. Meanwhile another part of that country, which feels a close sense of identity with a neighbouring […]