The merciless killing of over 30 innocent people in Brussels was the work of ruthless, cruel men. Not cowardly, as some commentators have claimed – you need real courage to strap on a suicide vest and push the button. But despicable none the less. Ordinary people, going about their business, trying to make a living […]
March, 2016
SHAME AND PRIDE by Donal Kennedy
What irredeemably naff characters are Enda Kenny and Charlie Flanagan! When their compatriots and fellow members of the Oireachtas, who like them were invited by the President of the United States to a White House reception in honour of Ireland’s Patron Saint, were singled out for disrespectful treatment by American security officials, instead of showing […]
PU-LEEEEEEEEASE!!!
OK. THREE DAYS TO GO!! And you got up this morning hoping you could do one small worthwhile deed before the day ended, right? Well, this is it. You can walk past it or you can bring hope to people whose lives are a daily struggle for survival. So.PLEEEEEEEEEEEEASE. JUST. DO. IT. We’re 66% of […]
Reimagining Ireland: thinking out loud at Queen’s yesterday
I attended a tw-hour discussion in Queen’s University yesterday. It was part of the ‘Reimagining Ireland’ series which Dr Francis Teeney of Queen’s has been organizing on his blogsite Political Mindfields. It was interesting for a number of reasons. The keynote speaker was Martin McGuinness, the Deputy First Minister. He was a bit frazzled, […]
JOHN BANVILLE: A TWENTY-FOUR CARAT TURD? by Donal Kennedy
I may of course be mistaken but it has long been my conviction that the Man-Booker Prize-winning author John Banville is a twenty-four carat turd. It started with a stupidly boastful piece by him in THE IRISH TIMES one Good Friday. It concerned a failed attempt by the would-be hero to upset fellow-citizens on […]
Alex Kane, John Brewer and telling it like it is
Alex Kane, the unionist commentator, had an interesting article in the News Letter yesterday. In it, he aimed both barrels at Prof John Brewer of QUB and pulled the trigger. Alex was cheesed off with Prof Brewer’s negative line on ‘conflict journalism’ and his favouring of ‘peace journalism’. ‘Conflict journalism’ – well, the name gives […]
FIVE DAYS TO GO…
There are now five (FIVE!) days to go until the Omagh Half-Marathon, which I’ll be running to raise funds for Trócaire. Thanks to the generosity of 26 wonderful people, we are now 54% of the way to our target of £1000. For the first time since I began doing this, I’m beginning to think that…maybe…we’re […]
FORDING THE DIVIDE
David Ford the Justice Minister for Norneverland and also a member of the Alliance Party, says he cannot attend a ceremony that commemorates men who used violence in the 1916 Rising. He has been invited as a guest at the centenary event but has declined. Basically he snubbed the Irish Government and the Irish people […]
I MET A TRAVELLER FROM A FAR-OFF LAND by Donal Kennedy
The traveller was the father of a friend and close neighbour of mine, and when we had been introduced his first words were “I once had lunch with President de Valera.” I would have replied “You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din” which I’m sure he would have enjoyed, for not only was […]
Our Day Out in Dublin
I love Dublin. I suppose when you discover a place in your impressionable youth, the emotional impact tends to more long-lasting. I don’t think it’s exaggerating to say I’ve had a life-long affair of the heart with Baile Atha Cliath. I was down there a week or so ago as part of an Irish-learning group. […]