June, 2016

Loughinisland and after

Sometimes it’s hard to focus, such is the variety of issues nibbling at your ankles for attention. For example, today marks the official birthday of Elizabeth II. She is clearly a much-loved figure in British life, despite particular events like the death of Princess Di and general facts like the way she got her job […]

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‘What’s the point of X-Y-Z?’ by Donal Kennedy

One of the questions asked at the Second Vatican Council was – “what’s the point of having a Latin Liturgy?” This was before Jumbo Jets and “mass tourism” – no pun intended, and if you tell me their decision was divinely guided, I can’t Adam and Eve it. I was a few weeks in London […]

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Why Tony Blair should get his arse out of here

  There are those in the Vote Leave campaign who believe that Nigel Farage is a liability: having him as a spokesman for quitting the EU is a bit like getting a joy-rider to appear in a car commercial. I’m not so sure. There’s normally a cheeky-chappy appeal to Farage (admittedly not much in evidence in […]

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Farage and Cameron on TV: looking good?

Unfortunate and unfair fact: looks matter. And they matter particularly in politics. Having written those two sentences, I can already hear the rumble of onrushing feet as my critics rush to contradict me. Rubbish, they say. What about Churchill? No oil-painting (although he was a painter) but a hugely popular war-time leader. In present-day  Ireland […]

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OUTRAGE AND ULSTER by Donal Kennedy

To the Editor, Belfast Telegraph. Sir/Madam, FLAMING JUNE was ushered in on the 1st of this month with a screaming headline in THE BELFAST TELEGRAPH  by Laura Abernethy – “Outrage as media commentator compares Boys Brigade to dissident republicans.” I’ve listened to BBC Radio all my life, read Dublin newspapers for 65 years and British daily […]

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