Some people believe the DUP and the Tories are not a natural fit: that Sammy Wilson is lacking in the kind of urbane manner that Tories naturally display, and similarly that you could never find a P G Wodehouse figure like Jacob Rees-Moggs in the ranks of the DUP. Those are indeed stand-out differences. But […]
April, 2019
Julian Assange: weirdo or what?
It’s funny what the mainstream media conccntrate on. Except you’ve glued your eyes shut (bad idea) or thrown your TV out the window (possibly good idea), you’ll know that Julian Assange has been plucked from the Ecuadorian embassy in London and is in police custody, awaiting possible extradition to the US. He looked a weird […]
Echoes of a School Visit to Stormont byJohn Patton
In 1967, while teaching in a Derry Secondary School I was part of a school visit for the history and English departments to the Parliament at Stormont. None of the four teachers involved had ever visited Stormont but had been part of an organised demonstration outside the building the previous year to protest against the […]
JOHN HUME , AN IRISH PEACEMAKER AND EUROPEAN STATESMAN by Ambassador Daniel Mulhall [via John Patton]
JOHN HUME , AN IRISH PEACEMAKER AND EUROPEAN STATESMAN by Ambassador Daniel Mulhallby John Patton ng “The European Union is the best example in the history of the world of conflict resolution” – John Hume in the European Parliament, 4th of May 2004 Throughout last year, I was involved in a number of events marking the 20th anniversary […]
Some thoughts from the wise men of Brexit
You wouldn’t know whether to laugh or weep. I choose to weep. Pass me a bed-sheet – Jude “I believe that millions of people who voted Leave were also inspired by the belief that Britain is a great country, and that outside the job-destroying coils of EU bureaucracy we can survive and thrive as never before. “ – Boris Johnson `’We could have two referendums. As it happens, it makes more sense […]
Good and bad local soccer players
Man with pint: Now that Jay Donnelly has been made walk the Cliftonville plank, who would you reckon is Cliftonville’s best player? Man with whiskey: It’s hard to say. There are many players on the team who would be in the running for top spot. Man with pint: Yes, yes, comparisons are odious and all […]
A GAA debate in the shadow of Brexit by Dave Alvey
A debate in the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) flared up and spilled over onto the national airwaves in early March. The prospect of a Hard Border as a result of Brexit was its backdrop but as arguments have flown from both sides the discussion has prompted deeper questions pertaining to national identity and the isolated […]
A GAA debate in the shadow of Brexit by Dave Alvey
A debate in the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) flared up and spilled over onto the national airwaves in early March. The prospect of a Hard Border as a result of Brexit was its backdrop but as arguments have flown from both sides the discussion has prompted deeper questions pertaining to national identity and the isolated […]
PRICKS ON THE MAKE – PERFECT TARGETS FOR A KICKING? by Donal Kennedy
I think Professor Roy Foster coined the phrase “Micks on the Make.” From what I’ve read of his writings I think he would be hurt if anyone thought of him as a “Mick”, or a “Fenian” and I suspect he’d get “into a right Paddy” if he were to be thought of as a “Tadhg” […]
PRICKS ON THE MAKE – PERFECT TARGETS FOR A KICKING? by Donal Kennedy
I think Professor Roy Foster coined the phrase “Micks on the Make.” From what I’ve read of his writings I think he would be hurt if anyone thought of him as a “Mick”, or a “Fenian” and I suspect he’d get “into a right Paddy” if he were to be thought of as a “Tadhg” […]