Should we really teach our kids of what happened in this country during the period known by many as The Troubles? Absolutely we should. It’s part of us, it’s Irish history and it’s one of rebellion, death, conflict, bloodshed, and tears and there is happiness and joy in there too, something many prefer […]
Mick Clifford – and pro-British propaganda – by Joe McVeigh
Mick Clifford (Irish Examiner 8th April) presents a totally distorted view of the conflict in the north-east of our country and adopts the morally superior attitude of the anti-republican propagandist. This attitude was also adopted by successive Dublin government ministers and the Dublin based media. This attitude was also adopted by Seamus Mallon […]
Making Powerful Enemies – by Michael Lagan
Northern Irish Unionism has a problem. Everywhere it goes it makes enemies with rather powerful people, rather than friends and more and more people are starting to realise it. It’s almost as if it intentionally makes enemies in a bid to make the point that NEI is British […]
Why some unionist politicians turn red-faced and quivering at the word ‘Biden’
As Joe Biden’s Air Force One plane makes its approach to Ireland’s west coast, you’re probably wondering “Why do unionist politicians hate President Biden so much?” Or you may even be scratching your head and wondering “Do unionist politicians really hate President Biden as much as some say?” Scratch and wonder no more. They do […]
The Men Behind the Masks
Once again the young people of Derry are being used as pawns in a game of draconian politics by dissident Republicans who want nothing more than to bring us back to the dark days when the gun and bomb ruled the streets […]
From Russia With Love – by Dave Murphy
Stuck for something to read, I recently pulled Ian Fleming’s From Russia With Love down from my shelves. Although it had been on my shelves for a long time, it had remained unread, probably because I had seen the film too many times and reckoned I knew the plot too well. That was […]
A southern journalist with astonishing long-distance vision
You have to hand it to the southern media – they never give up. You’d think that twenty-five years after the Good Friday Agreement their hostility towards anything like a border poll would have softened a bit. Not a chance. In today’s Irish Times there is an article , the title of which […]
Reflections on the Good Friday Agreement – by Ray Bassett
Address by Dr Ray Bassett, former member of the Irish Government Delegation to the All-Party Talks in 1998. Oulart, Co Wexford , Easter Sunday 2023 Introduction Thank you very much and I would like at the outset to give thanks to the organizers and in particular Brian Cleary for the invitation to be […]
LYING WITH DOGS -GETTING UP WITH THE BBC – by Donal Kennedy
The letter below was emailed by me to THE IRISH TIMES On 2nd December 2015. With its customary courage the paper refused to publish it.. The American feminist Gloria Steinem was interviewed deferentially on British TV a few days ago. She appeared compos mentis and in good physical shape at 81 years old. […]
The Troubles with Peace. – by Michael Lagan
There can be no doubt that the Good Friday Agreement was a positive change for NEI. It was initially a good deal for everyone, no matter what some may think, but is it still? A country that stands still, either politically, culturally, or economically will at some point become stagnant and that is what […]