Author Jude Collins

Are you familiar with The Spectator? It’s a British political magazine which provides room for some of Britain’s right-leaning-flat-on-the-floor commentators to air their thinking. These days, naturally, it’s all about Brexit. Here’s a clip from one of its recent articles: “Today’s vestigial Republican militants comprise drug dealers, petty criminals, Provisional lifers miffed that a career […]

The former Ulster Unionist from Derry, Terry Wright, was on TV this morning. You could call him a veteran unionist, but his thinking about politics here is anything but old-fashioned. He doesn’t believe in a united Ireland, but he is very much in favour of sitting down and talking to people who do. This raises […]

S . From HANSARD 17 JUNE 1880 –  Frank Hugh O’Donnell MP asked the Chief Secretary of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, if he will lay on the Table the Oath or Form of Attestation of the Irish Constabulary; and whether it is true that freemasonry is the only secret society to  which an Irish […]

An Gorta Mór memorial in Philadelphia Just when you thought you knew all the players in the Brexit balls-up –  Britain, the EU, Ireland north and south – a new players steps  in . Over the last couple of weeks, the voice of America has sounded. The first and most dramatic intervention came  from Brendan Boyle. You may have heard […]

It’s remarkable what you can see on the internet. Quite by accident I came across a diatribe by Ruth Dudley Edwards against various bodies, which parade at Easter, calling themselves Oglaigh na hEireann. She described them as traitors. Most people are careful about using such words, even when their own loyalties have been constant. Ms […]

It’s becoming increasingly clear that we have a police problem. Most of us know that the role played by the RUC during the Troubles produced massive difficulties, not least because of inadequate Catholic recruitment and deep suspicion of collusion. Seeing the vital role the forces of law-and-order play in any society,   Chris Patten was drafted […]

The main topic of discussion on the Nolan show on TV last night was the inevitability or otherwise of a border poll following Brexit. I was phoned and asked would I be willing to appear, then emailed and told they had only ‘pencilled in’ participants, and finally emailed and told to take my cocoa and […]

Nine days after the King’s Own Scottish Borders shot dead four unarmed Dubliners and wounded about forty more on Bachelor’s Walk, John Redmond, without consulting either party colleagues or the Irish electorate  presumed to commit Ireland to war on Britain’s behalf against Germany and the Hapsburg Empire, in alliance with Serbia, whose agents had murdered […]

 Normally Brexit is a topic that’s unlikely to tickle your funny-bone. It may well involve the loss of thousands of jobs, the tanking of the pound, farmers out of business, increased food prices and decreased food quality, social division, political antagonism and family shouting-matches.  But The Irish Times has a Brexit report this morning that […]

I was told this story by a reliable source within hours of its occurrence but bound to secrecy at the time. But thirty eight years have passed and I think if ever a truth and reconciliation body is established, it would make a good footnote, not to mention reflection on the claim that Ulster is […]