October, 2021

Shaw said of Trotsky that in an argument, he cut off his opponent’s head and then held it up to show that there were no brains in it. I’ve read little  of Trotsky so cannot comment. But I am lost in admiration of a scholar, who in the most urbane and polite manner can slice […]

As I type these words, I’m listening to Jim Allister on Raidio Uladh who is explaining that he’s not in favour of allowing a Sinn Féin MLA as First Minister, he is implacably opposed to a Sinn Féin MLA as Deputy First Minister also. Well, he may not be a democrat but you have to […]

This TV review first appeared in the Andersonstown News On Thursday night last, I watched  two current affairs programmes –  Prime Time on RTÉ and Newsnight on BBC TWO. The news items they dealt with were different, as was their style of delivery.   Newsnight took near-sinful pleasure in showing Boris Johnson promising  not to raise National Insurance contributions. He has recently made […]

Most European countries with Catholic or Protestant traditions have public “Holidays” on HOLY DAYS observed by the Catholic Church. The Church adopted pre-Christian festivals and made them her own. The people were freed from unnecessary servile slave-like work and helped to enjoy themselves. In England most of these Holy Days were abandoned following the break […]

The title of this memoir-cum- aide memoire  by the modern Renoir of  the Republic  could  well have been titled ‘Luncheon at the Gloating Party’ for every one of its pages chugs along smugly while  samultaneously(sic) throbbing with triumphalism, bigly.  The mentally unchallenged author, instead, who has incrementally  made a bigger impression upon himself with every […]

Those of you who have enjoyed “GUYS AND DOLLS” may remember “Big Giulie” (that’s miss-spelt here) who, with an unmarked dice and a loaded gun was on a winning streak until flattened by SKY MASTERSON’ The Irish Plenipotentiaries when they signed Articles of Agreement in London had no Sky Masterson to wallop Lloyd George, Winston […]

The British in the person of the good Lord Frost are getting fed up with the EU. The protocol is unacceptable as it stands, and this notion of the European Court of Justice having a say in matters affecting British people is a non-starter.  Simon Coveney does not think that kind of talk makes sense. […]

Since the foundation in 1795 of the Royal College of St Patrick (Maynooth College) by parliamentary act, the Catholic hierarchy, with a few notable exceptions, has consistently taken the side of the British in Ireland. This seminary was largely funded by the British government in return for the loyalty of the Catholic hierarchy and clergy. The role […]

Armagh Virumque Cano  Oliver Plunkett, Archbishop of Armagh, did not deserve to be hanged. But he was, after a trial in London in 1681. He was martyred for his Faith. But it took until 1975, a full 294 years for a Pope, (Paul VI) in Rome to declare him a Saint. Neither Pope Paul VI […]

This blog first appeared as a column in The Andersonstown News. There are other certainties besides death and taxes. There Is the fixed certainty that the DUP is in a life-and-death struggle to survive, and the related certainty that the party’s survival will depend on Jeffrey Donaldson. Let’s take a step back and consider what manner of man this is, who has been called to […]