Profile for Mr Ulster
Latest posts from Mr Ulster (see all)
Mr Ulster has posted 46 times (2 in the last month).
Northern Ireland: 30 Years of Photography. Discuss.
Tweet To mark its 30th anniversary, Belfast Exposed has organised an extensive exhibition of photographic work, displayed both at its premises on Donegall Street as well as at The MAC. The exhibition — Northern Ireland: 30 Years of Photography — “focuses on the growth of new, fine art documentary practices, more often produced for the [...] more »
Political Drama: What Drama?
Tweet As part of its 15th anniversary celebrations, Stratagem hosted a political drama film and discussion event at The MAC. Stratagem Director, Quintin Oliver, explained how he was motivated by a gift request from his son for a box set of the West Wing series. “He said it would be educational. I realised it was [...] more »
Good Friday Agreement codifies civic rules of the Northern Ireland game
Tweet Although the DUP dismisses the Good Friday Agreement for all its faults, it is hard to deny that that long-negotiated document set the framework under which our politics takes place, with its separation of powers (perhaps too separate), all-inclusive Executive (though lack of collective responsibility), and peculiar voting systems (bifurcated communal designations). Yet this [...] more »
The US and Northern Ireland: A diplomatic perspective
Tweet The UCD Clinton Institute for American Studies was the venue for a day-long conference, “The US and Northern Ireland: A Diplomatic Perspective”. Three panel discussions were represented by high-level speakers, from the Irish and British diplomatic corps as well as by those who had direct access to key decision makers during the past 40 [...] more »
Transforming society through engaging place based leaders
Tweet Transforming society through engaging place based leaders By Allan Leonard for Northern Ireland Foundation 1 November 2012 A conference organised by the University of Ulster addressed the dynamic and innovative approaches to place based leadership, and how they could be applied in Northern Ireland and abroad. Audio: 20121101 UU Conference – 01 Alastair Adair UU [...] more »
NICVA Tweet Up 2012
Tweet NICVA hosted a Twitter “Tweet Up” for its members, to review various aspects of social media and its relevance for the sector. The Twitter hashtag for the event was #NICVATwtUp The host was UTV’s Marc Mallett (@MarcMallett_UTV), an informal, sofa chair style panel containing Chris Brown (@CB_PRandPA), Susie Brown (@Brownturf) (“I am not Chris’ [...] more »
100th Anniversary Titanic Commemoration Service
Tweet When I arrived in Belfast in 1994, one matter that struck me as peculiar was the near neglected Titanic Memorial statue on the east lawn of Belfast City Hall. The situation became blasphemous when the Big Wheel was erected practically right on top of it a few years ago. If I remain circumspect of [...] more »
Addie Morrow service of thanksgiving
Tweet At a service of thanksgiving for the life of Addie Morrow, his nephew Duncan Morrow gave a thorough tribute. Duncan described his uncle as a great oak tree: “We grew in his shadow and we got courage from his strength. In the time of characterlessness, Addie had character. Enough to stand up to [...] more »
Review: To Kill a Mockingbird
Tweet Somehow I escaped reading this essential school text, with its story of racism in 1930s American South. Living in Northern Ireland, I draw parallels with sectarianism, with its similar bigotry and prejudice. To Kill a Mockingbird was part of a Unite Against Hate campaign event at Parliament Buildings in Northern Ireland, which I’ve [...] more »
Red Red Shoes Project
Tweet At the Brian Friel Theatre (Queen’s Film Theatre) was an arts conference hosted by The Playhouse ICAN Project and the School of Creative Arts at Queen’s University. “Nine Tenths Under: Performing the Peace” explores how the arts can cast light on the hidden face of the peace, represented symbolically by an iceberg (stylised in [...] more »
Latest comments from Mr Ulster (see all)
Mr Ulster has commented 39 times (2 in the last month).
Comment on Political Drama: What Drama?
on 24 April 2013 at 11:42 pm
@wildturkey Your alternative American political fiction made me smile. Of course, the crucial phrase is “the british see the writing on the wall”. I recall the splits between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill in regards to the spoils of WWII, i.e. America wasn’t fighting to restore the British Empire. Ah but if only the writing on the wall was so clear all those centuries ago…
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Comment on Political Drama: What Drama?
on 24 April 2013 at 11:36 pm
@Mister_Joe Indeed your point was made by Neil McKay (in the UTV clip provided above), that making fictional political drama for Northern Ireland would be particularly challenging because many of its characters “have had previous lives”.
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Comment on Good Friday Agreement codifies civic rules of the Northern Ireland game
on 11 April 2013 at 7:41 am
@SirIkeBroflovski Cities are a good place to start. My professional work includes an initiative called the Forum for Cities in Transition that is based on the premise that those who have gone through deep societal conflict (or who are still dealing with it) are in the best position to assist other cities in the same situation.
We have had some excellent and encouraging results from city-to-city collaboration, e.g. police exchanges between PSNI and Kosovo Police.
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Comment on Good Friday Agreement codifies civic rules of the Northern Ireland game
on 10 April 2013 at 12:29 pm
@Nevin Thanks for the further RSA Ireland link; my link to parent RSA website was taken from that RSA Ireland page.
BTW what does acronym JCSS represent? Links?
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Comment on For Everyone – the main points from Alliance’s blueprint for a shared and better future
on 1 February 2013 at 11:49 am
@DC 30/1/2013 1230 “It seems a bit strange in this day and age that religious organisations pretty much hold key influence over the running of schools…”
Was ever thus, and don’t forget that the (whole) primary and (vast majority) secondary school system in the Republic is owned and controlled by churches.
Attempts were made in 1930s by original Northern Ireland Parliament to secularise school system here, but defeated by both Presbyterian-controlled schools as well as by the Catholic Church.
At least the law in the Republic forbids employment discrimination in schools. I remain mystified how it can still be allowed in Northern Ireland.
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Comment on An open briefing for US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
on 7 December 2012 at 12:01 am
I’m sympathetic to the comments above re US Senator George Mitchell, who was referenced repeatedly at a recent conference on USA relations with Northern Ireland.
In our international project, Forum for Cities in Transition, Northern Ireland is used as a positive case study, as higher up the ladder of conflict transformation. But as in any divided society, underneath is always the potential to be drawn back to status quo ante.
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Comment on The US and Northern Ireland: A diplomatic perspective
on 26 November 2012 at 5:25 pm
@wildturkey Kind thanks.
@fitzjameshorse1745 Ditto. Re Ulster-Scots, post-1798 emigrants proved useful to President Jefferson in pushing through Bill of Rights and more republican design on America (after failure of its confederal design 1776-1789); see United Irishmen, United States by David Wilson. Agree re your “exiled children” remark, as Scots-Irish in America go on to represent the mainstream while Irish-America are the diaspora. And emphasising the Crown in the great republic wouldn’t have much appeal!
Or as I challenged an Irish-American about Northern Ireland, asking him what if loyalists during America’s War of Independence maintained upper New York, he replied, “That’s easy, they went to Ottawa!” A place where the Orange Order parades freely.
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Comment on The US and Northern Ireland: A diplomatic perspective
on 25 November 2012 at 12:02 am
@Brian Thank you for your compliment. Re further details, John Hume was mentioned A LOT. Although it’s not possible to embed the audio files here, I’ve provided links. If you’ve got the time, you’re welcome to listen in the original presentations. For example, Paul Quinn talked anecdotes re Hume.
@Kevsterino I’ll take the credit, kind thanks; I’ve been posting articles here for a little while, and will do my best to keep ‘er lit.
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Comment on Addie Morrow service of thanksgiving
on 4 April 2012 at 11:31 am
@SDLP supporter: Thank you for your kind comment, but I have to say that your former party leader John Hume was particularly abusive to Addie. Not that Addie held a grudge, nor do I. I reckon the lesson is to treat decent people decently.
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Comment on Review: To Kill a Mockingbird
on 3 April 2012 at 6:12 pm
@Harry Flashman: Your adult recommendations?
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