July, 2021

Over lunch today, I was half-listening to Talk Back, where presenter Crawley was wondering why so many people wanted England to lose in the football game tonight – ‘Anybody but England’ thinking. That’s easy. French people by and large are unenthused by English people because they see them as acting in a superior fashion. Likewise […]

Always had a smile for you, Willie; my work as secretary of Derry Credit Union saw me regularly in ‘the  Journal Office’ which handled our printing. Willie McKinney  was a printer whom I frequently met  there  along with John McManus and Larry Doherty to examine proofs and discuss layout and other issues. Willie was quietly […]

Unless it was a sovereign democracy of equal citizens with rights and responsibilities BUT NO PRIVILEGES, a reunited Ireland  would have no attractions for me. No places in parliament or local authorities would be reserved for Catholics, Protestants, Atheists, LGBT lobbyists and no candidates should be excluded  for their opinions. Elections should be based on […]

The refusal of the PPS to bring Soldiers B and F to face their day in court leaves families of the victims of state-sponsored murder at a grave loss. There are two facts in the majority of killings by British forces in Ireland. Those being, the victims were almost certainly innocent and the soldiers carrying […]

Excitement is such a personal thing. One man/person’s excitement is another man/person’s depression. Take Micheál Martin. He’s arranged that €40 million of tax-payers’ money be given away in what he regards as “an exciting opportunity.”  It’s all part of his Shared Island fund, and the lettuce will be given away to academics and researchers. The […]

Michéal Martin is calling for academics north and south to draw on the huge pot of money he has as part of his Shared Island project. There’ll be as much as €100,000 for individual academics to link north and south, and €1 million for research groups north and south to work together. Question: is this […]

As  a long-time subscriber to HISTORY IRELAND I enjoyed the advertisement for the National Library of Ireland which usually featured superb old photographs showing humanity in Ireland in wonderfully human situations. Alas, no more! The May/June issue advertises its “Living With Pride” programme, “a public expression of the National Library’s commitment to LGBT + representation […]

Equality before the law, also known as equality under the law, equality in the eyes of the law, legal equality, or legal egalitarianism, is the principle that all people must be equally protected by the law and equal in the eyes of the law, without discrimination. We’ve heard Arlene Foster say these words on many […]

Equality before the law, also known as equality under the law, equality in the eyes of the law, legal equality, or legal egalitarianism, is the principle that all people must be equally protected by the law and equal in the eyes of the law, without discrimination. We’ve heard Arlene Foster say these words on many […]

Digital Camera Digital Camera Digital Camera Digital Camera Digital Camera     Venice was viewed through both a musical and a literary prism during one’s schooldays in the largest CBS prison  in Ireland of the time:  O’Connell’s CBS across the Royal Canal from Croke Park.  -Gilbert and Sullivan and Shakespeare. Amharcadh ar Venezia trí phriosma […]