Advertise
-
Books
-
Hearing the Other Voice from the Grave: Why Should we Listen to David Ervine’s Stories?
Ed Moloney’s Voices from the Grave: Two Men’s War in Ireland has received considerable attention in the press and in the public realm since its publication earlier this year. Although the book relates the experiences of the Provisional IRA’s Brendan Hughes and the PUP/UVF’s David Ervine, much of the discussion has focused on Hughes’ stories [...] read our review » -
Help me with the West Wing: Essential viewing or Party Political Broadcast?
Having somehow managed to avoid watching a single episode of the widely praised West Wing TV series I was delighted to discover the entire Box set in my Christmas stocking – and with enough spare time over the holidays to give it a good lash. But with 10 episodes of the first series under my [...] read our review »
-
Of the Old North and other Vanished Kingdoms..
I’m currently trawling through Norman Davies’s fabulous new tome – “Vanished Kingdoms” – Five stars in the (London) Telegraph’s review from Ben Wilson: All the nations that have ever lived have left their footsteps in the sand,” writes Norman Davies. “The traces fade with every tide, the echoes grow faint, the images are fractured, the human [...] read our review »
-
Comment on “I do apologise for anyone who misunderstood the way I was using the metaphor…”
on 17 May 2012 at 10:28 am
‘Cant Sammy Wilson take an axe to this cushy wee quango’
Do you mean the CRC, the Assembly or the DUP?
Go to comment
Comment on Martina Anderson to take over from Bairbre de Brun as MEP?
on 15 May 2012 at 4:44 pm
‘the one big prize’ shome mistake surely?
Will Martina be any less out of her depth than Catriona?
Does it matter? SF have no influence in Europe – only slightly more than DUP
Go to comment
Comment on Calls for withdrawal of NIO may be good for coverage, but…
on 1 May 2012 at 12:19 pm
Pointless posturing from a failed politician
David Cameron and the Conservatives (inc SoS Owen Paterson) got 36.4% of the vote at the last GE – including over 100,000 votes in NI (0.3%)
SF got 0.6% and the SDLP got 0.5%
Liberal Democrats got 23%
So the Coalition has a clear mandate in the UK including NI and that includes the right to appoint the SoS position.
Marty can posture all he likes but everyone in NI and the Republic knows he is blowing in the wind
Funny how Marty is happy to call for the ripping up of parts of the GFA he doesnt like! Suppose it keeps some of his voters happy?
Go to comment
Comment on Sinn Fein’s South Down selection sows seeds for a new post conflict generation…
on 24 April 2012 at 4:52 pm
‘speculation that he rather than Catriona Ruane may get the nod for the next Westminster run against Ritchie’
Difficult decision – introduce fresh young candidate who can grid down Ritchie over a number of years or stick with light weight former Minister who is regarded as a bit of a joke?
Go to comment
Comment on More internal plots inside the UUP?
on 20 April 2012 at 3:20 pm
‘The UUP will stand alone in NI, but retains a good relationship with the Conservatives in Westminister & Europe’
A completely contradictory and inaccurate statement.
The UUP betrayed Cameron and the Conservatives leadership over NI and UUP have rejected merger.
There is no UUP at Westminster (there is no UUP party in the Lords) and the UUP do not have a good relationship with Paterson or others senior figures.
There is no UUP Conservative relationship at europe. Nicholson has a good personal relationship with the Conservatives but the Conservatives MEPs have no time for the UUP as a party. Indeed quite feasible that some of them have never heard of it!
Go to comment
Comment on More internal plots inside the UUP?
on 18 April 2012 at 5:12 pm
All this talk of Nicholson or Kennedy going to the Lords – you have to be represented in the commons to have a chance of a political peerage.
Go to comment
Comment on More internal plots inside the UUP?
on 18 April 2012 at 2:04 pm
I see Tom elliott has strongly endorsed Nicholson.
I see joanne dobson has strongly endorsed Nicholson
I see mike Nesbitt.. oh no actually I dont.
No wonder jim has gone to the media – he smells treachery
Go to comment
Comment on More internal plots inside the UUP?
on 18 April 2012 at 1:11 pm
Apparently ‘steely’ Mike Nesbitt is determined to push him out.
Go to comment
Comment on Mike Nesbitt: “A steely determination to get what he wants…”
on 18 April 2012 at 1:07 pm
UCUNF ‘Declared a failure’ – actually it was the only thing that temporarily halted the UUP electoral slide.
It was a failure in that it didnt win any seats, however, lets not pretend that losing Hermon was much of a loss.
Regardless of personality one MP has no influence
Go to comment
Comment on How will the long slow secularisation of Ireland affect NI’s future politics?
on 16 April 2012 at 11:03 pm
‘has it affected their sense of Irishness. Hardly. They are voting Sinn Féin and SDLP.’
Isnt it the case that it is increasing clear to many people that voting SF or SDLP is NOT part of any sense of Irishness.
Increasing people who are ‘ethnically’ Irish Catholics realise you can be Irish within the UK and Irish without being particualrly Catholic.
Sadly (for Irish nationalism) nationalism built its philosophy on the idea of a strong sole identity exclusive Irish Catholic Gaelic tribe staying united
Go to comment