July, 2022

After a video emerged of ‘’chants referencing the IRA’’ at the recent Ulster Fleadh, there has been condemnation from politicians, public figures, and the event organisers. The Ulster Fleadh have stressed in their official statement that they wish to build relationships across all communities and in this respect, I can fully understand their public denunciation […]

Sabina Higgins, wife of President Michael D Higgins, is in hot water.  She recently wrote a letter to The Irish Times,  calling for a negotiated settlement of the war in Ukraine. In the absence of negotiation, she said, “the long haul of terrible war will go on”. The Ukrainians weren’t pleased. Kira Rudik, a member […]

  “Respect our culture”. It’s a cry we hear most years around July time regarding bonfires and the like.  How respectable is Loyalist culture though? I’m a firm believer that everyone has a right to culture, a right to practice and enjoy their culture.  However, what I do not find acceptable is a culture which […]

As I write this, thousands of people are having a whale of a time in Birmingham. They are the Commonwealth athletes, and there are over 5,000 of them. Add to that the supporters of the 72 teams involved, either arriving with their team or living in Britain, and you’ve got an awful lot of happy, […]

David Trimble has died and has been hailed as a great leader, a political giant who led unionists to a better place. Did he really?  Was he an impressive figure? And speaking of political leaders, Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, has sacked shadow minister Sam Tarry for appearing on a picket line […]

  There has been a great deal of tosh talked in recent days about courage. David Trimble has been the focus of much of it, with emphasis on  the boldness of his having come to an agreement with nationalists and republicans to share power. And the price his party paid for this. He has been […]

The dominant narrative on what is euphemistically called ‘the troubles’ is that it was largely a sectarian conflict. Whilst this viewpoint conveniently diminishes the British involvement in our problems, it manages to thrive because it is based on partial truths. There is undoubtedly a sectarian element to our struggles, and it is within this context […]

  An unsung hero of American poetry, Josh Billings, gave us one of the wisest lines in the history of creative writing, “But the wheel that squeaks the loudest, is the one that gets the grease”. A true statement when it comes to our local history. Since 1969, many people have given their perspectives on […]

It was one of those contests where you wonder “Is there no way they can both lose?” In the excitement of people identifying as belonging to the Rishi or the Liz camp, it’s easy to forget these are two right-wing Tories, both intent on slashing tax. The only thing that differentiates them on policy is […]

  De mortuis nil nisi bonum – We should speak no evil of the dead. So let me start by noting that David Trimble, who died yesterday, spared us the UUP under the leadership of John Taylor, aka Lord Kilclooney. At the time, Taylor was expected to grab the glittering prize. Trimble ended up triumphant. […]