Sometimes it’s tempting to despair. You’ll find people who imagine you say things you didn’t, believe (or pretend to believe) you’ve written things you haven’t. People who, if you have a point of view different from theirs, just can’t make that leap towards engagement and discussion, stick instead with hostility and vitriol. But then, once […]
March, 2015
Five reasons not to be old
Yes, yes – I have a vested interest in age discrimination. But even if you’re enjoying the delights of youth or even middle-age, you should be mad as hell and raise your voice to say it’s just not on in this age of equality. Did you know that if you’re old(er): 1. You’d better move […]
The Nolan Show: Jeffrey gets caught in the coils of a poppy.
It never stops, you know. This is March and this morning I was the Nolan Show talking about The Poppy. The topic wouldn’t have popped up except that one of the new councils has members who don’t see why, if the poppy is sold on the premises, the Easter lily shouldn’t also be sold. […]
“IRISH QUEERS” WANT TO MARCH! By Kieran Maxwell
It seems we Irish can’t go anywhere without wanting to march and cause a kafuffle. The 254th annual St Patrick’s Day parade in New York is apparently embroiled in an equality row. Mayor of New York Bill de Blasio is again reported to be boycotting this year’s march because of the lack of an […]
FEET OF CLAY Do we need to erect monuments or playparks to our heroes? by Harry McAvinchey
Do we need to rethink our ideas about heroes in Norneverland ? It’s a question that has recently exercised my mind and has become something of a very emotive and divisive rallying call here. It’s already affecting our social relationships, in this still very divided society.You’d think we could see this through new eyes. […]
Derry shows how it’s done
How has Derry managed to solve the problem of marching bands? On the face of it, the city looks one of the least promising places for such a thing to happen. It was the Apprentice Boys’ march in August 1969 which precipitated the Battle of the Bogside, and the stories of unionist marchers pausing at […]
KIM’S GLUTEI MAXIMI and 50 SHADES OF…. by Harry McAvinchey
In Norneverland there is always talk about religiosity and conservatism .Someone’s always squealing about morality or sex …or what you should be allowed to see or do with your own body. You’ll get them on the radio ranting about god and sodomy and all the rest..and how women are way too sexy for their own […]
Raymond McCreesh park: let’s not honour those who take innocent life
So Tom Elliott is pushing for a law making it illegal to name a public place after a terrorist. This follows on the naming of a play-park in Newry after hunger-striker Raymond McCreesh, who died in 1981 along with nine other republican prisoners. The Prime Minister in the government which refused to accede to the hunger strikers’ […]
‘Paths to Glory’ by Soinbhe Lally
It was a stupendous event in the Odyssey Arena last night and a splendid victory by IBF Super Bantam Champion, Carl Frampton over challenger Alanos. A fight on a par with the mythological tales of those heroes who fought epic bouts of single combat. For Belfast, N. Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, it is […]
Talking about Ruth and age
Man 1: What do you think of old Ruth? Man 2: Old Ruth who? Man 2: There’s only one old Ruth – Dudley Edwards. Man 1: That’s got the makings of a chant in it: ‘There’s only one Ruth Dudley Edwards, one Ruth Dudley Eeeeedwards…’ Man 2: Yes but why do you call her ‘old […]