You can hear the whole thing as kindly podcast by my old mucker (and newly liberated) Davy Sims… Thanks too to Mark Devenport (who nearly made the shortlist and is considered very highly in these parts!) Alan in Belfast (who I felt enough confidence in to introduce to a couple of members of my family!) with good summation of the night. Coverage in the Newsletter, Irish News and the BBC Online News are carrying the winners.
Short answer: very little, other than he enjoyed the environs of Hillsborough Castle, enjoyed working with the local politicians, and has Gerry Adams to thank for Bobby his dog. Peter Mandelson’s book The Third Man has captured media headlines in recent weeks as the Times serialised the most juicy bits. But what did he have [...] read our review »
Writer Christopher Hitchens has died aged 62. He was as contrary as he was brilliant. Here is a brief In Memoriam from Vanity Fair (his outlet of choice since 1992) and, here, a longer tribute from his friend Christopher Buckley Stanley in The New Yorker. Better, perhaps, though to post one of Hitchens’ own writings in [...] read our review »
Northern Ireland’s peace process has been promoted as an international success story. The Republic’s Department of Foreign Affairs has its Conflict Resolution Unit, which aims to disseminate the ‘lessons’ of the Northern Ireland peace process. And some of the prominent players in our peace process have travelled abroad to other troubled spots to share their [...] read our review »
Slight confession. Having misread the category name earlier in the day when I skimmed the shortlist announcement online while talking to someone on the phone, I told your sister you were a shoe-in for the award, and she should shout loudly in protest if you didn’t win, because you really deserved to!
She probably thinks I’m a nutter. Hopefully, a harmless nutter
At least the politicians and surrounding ecology have been encouraged to aim high and try hard to win next year’s Jobsworth title!