Has Eoghan Harris lost the plot? Bemused, I read his recent article on the southern political parties lineage to 1916. He proceeded to use a combination of revisionism, a deficiency in historical knowledge and good old bitterness as a weapon to try and beat Sinn Fein with. He is obviously disconcerted with Sinn Fein rolling […]
February, 2015
BLOW HOLE by Randall Stephen Hall
Blow Hole. By Randall Stephen Hall © https://soundcloud.com/randall-stephen-hall/blow-hole When I realized that I was losing it, a bit, around the back of my head I thought the most therapeutic thing to do was just come out. So writing a song about it seemed like the most logical next step. “Blow Hole” was my new […]
ARE WE A CIVILISED SPECIES YET? by Harry McAvinchey
So that’s the solution then? Jordan has just executed two people in retaliation for the barbarous killing of their own pilot who had been caught and finally burned to death in a cage a few days ago by Islamic State militants.The man was doused in petrol whilst locked in a cage , then set aflame. […]
Nelson McCausland: what a piece of work!
“What a piece of work is a man!” Shakespeare said. “How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty!/ In form and moving how express and admirable!/ In action how like an Angel! in apprehension how like a god!” Nelson McCausland, of course, wasn’t around at the time of Shakespeare but the Bard could have had […]
WHAT IS PEACE , ANYWAY? by Harry McAvinchey
Have unionists lost out on the peace process? Apparently many living in east Belfast think that is the case .Why would that be, do you think? What was the peace process supposed to deliver anyway , besides peace? I actually thought that “peace” was a good enough result in the first place.Peace is a […]
Mary gives Francis a belt of a crozier
So Pope Francis may be the advocate of change but he hasn’t a problem with people who hit their child the odd skelp. But never in the face, the Pope adds: that would be to take from the child’s dignity. Before you could say “Be-have!”, the experts on child-rearing and human rights were on […]
HAVE HOMOSEXUALS GOT FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE IN NORNEVERLAND? by Harry McAvinchey
There are no gay unionists!!! It really is a curious thought , isn’t it ? The idea that within the entire unionist voting community there are no homosexual people anywhere. None! Nada!They just don’t seem to exist. Well.. if they exist….Where are they? Maybe it goes against the grain for a homosexual person to […]
Last night in the Wellie Park Hotel
It’s a tricky job writing about the man who hires you to write a weekly column; but since there are people who think every word I write stinks of bias anyway ( i.e., my political thinking differs from theirs) there’s little to lose. Last night I was at the launch of Mairtin O Muilleoir’s campaign […]
WITCHES IN NORNEVERLAND by Harry McAvinchey
Dear …dear …witches in Norneverland in 1711 and 2015. The Mary Dunbar witchcraft case is being discussed again because there’s talk about erecting a plaque to commemorate the great witchcraft Islandmagee trial of 300 years ago . Someone also wants these poor “witches” pardoned . Are they serious? Well , of course they are […]
Peter looks homeward
As evolutions go, this is a significant one. That’s not how it was intended to be seen. But the facts are there. The DUP isn’t interested in the welfare of the UK. It’s interested in this tight little corner of Ireland alone. Sinn féin, you might say. How else to interpret Peter Robinson’s declaration that […]