October, 2021

Patrick Kielty and 100 Years of Union

This blog first appeared as a TV review in The Andersonstown News OK – first, a confession of disinterest: unlike hundreds, maybe thousands of others, I have never found Patrick Kielty funny. However, in ‘Patrick Kielty: One Hundred Years of Union’ (BBC ONE), most of the time he wasn’t trying to be funny, and it helped a lot. Granted,  he  occasionally lapsed into jokey style.  Climbing […]

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Sarah and Sammy: lethal official brutality

When I heard about the brutal rape and killing of Sarah Everard, I found my thoughts going back to 1969 and Sammy Devenney. Like Sarah, Sammy died as a result of police brutality. Unlike Sarah,  he was assaulted in his own home and died some months later. Many people believe him to be the first victim of the Troubles. Given the nature of the Sarah Everard […]

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