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Books
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Patrick McGinley’s ‘That Unearthly Valley: A Donegal Childhood’: Book Review
Tweet In Bogmail and Foggage, Patrick McGinley sent up the Irish (could he or it be otherwise?) murder mystery genre. He scooped dollops of encyclopaedic wit and mordant satire into these entertainments. A later saga proved more somber and meditative, the Black and Tan War ending as The Lost Soldier’s Song, while The Trick of [...] read our review »
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Spare us a phoney row about racism, we’ve got enough on
Tweet A silly media row about racism just had to figure in the riots’ post mortem. Was the Tudor history expert David Starkey racist on Newsnight when he said: The whites have become black. A particular sort of violent, destructive, nihilistic, gangster culture has become the fashion. And black and white, boy and girl, operate [...] read our review »
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…if University education were universally available and availed of, the country would collapse in one generation
Tweet The words of Brian O’Nolan, variously Brian Ó Nualláin, Myles na gCopaleen, Myles na Gopaleen and, of course, Flann O’Brien. That O’Nolan was referencing his own dissolute student days at UCD only mildly distracts from the prophetic undertone of his words: I paid no attention whatsoever to books or study and regarded lectures as [...] read our review »
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Comment on Ann Travers: “If had joined the IRA or a loyalist paramilitary and killed someone, I would be being listened to…”
on 21 May 2013 at 7:31 pm
The BBC will use anyone to get a headline or an exclusive.
They know how fragile and vulnerable Ann Travers is, but do they care about her physical or mental health – no way, the story is the only thing that counts.
Wendy, I’m surprised and disappointed with you for using this unfortunate victim.
As for Jim Allister ‘supporting’ her – no, that doesn’t surprise me at all.
Ann, beware of your new-found ‘friends’.
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Comment on “Republicans should remember that the third colour in the Irish flag is Orange…”
on 20 May 2013 at 10:21 pm
Baby Fin – You have a point about the unfairness of the comparison of the OO to the KKK. But I would imagine the KKK would be more upset.
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Comment on “Republicans should remember that the third colour in the Irish flag is Orange…”
on 20 May 2013 at 6:48 pm
AU, – Do you have to work hard to sound so stupid?
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Comment on Taoiseach could do with answering some of the questions he once aimed at Michael McDowell?
on 20 May 2013 at 6:26 pm
Aye, but wee Enda wasn’t in power back then.
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Comment on Flaws in Enda Kenny’s case on abortion exposed as the hierarchy brings out the ex factor
on 19 May 2013 at 6:41 pm
Has no one told either of the Martins that you cannot be a person of faith if you support or take part in child abuse or molestation?
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Comment on UKIP: We’ve proved we can get votes in Wales, England and Northern Ireland…
on 17 May 2013 at 11:17 pm
Nigel does his best to promote everything English/British.
How English/British is the name Farage?
Should anyone tell him he’s actually of French descent?
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Comment on PSNI: “if the NCA is unable to operate fully in Northern Ireland, this will have a detrimental impact on our ability to keep people safe”
on 16 May 2013 at 7:52 pm
How effective is the oversight of the PSNI?
We have the case of the two men convicted of the killing PSNI officer Stephen Carroll and a couple of days before their appeal is due to commence, their witness is arrested and held for a number of days. Coincidence or the dirty tricks department trying to muddy the waters of the appeal.
So if the PSNI dirty tricks cannot be kept in check what chance is there of supervising the activities of the NCA?
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Comment on PSNI: “if the NCA is unable to operate fully in Northern Ireland, this will have a detrimental impact on our ability to keep people safe”
on 15 May 2013 at 10:46 pm
Sounds to me like the PSNI are afraid of being kept out of the loop.
‘Let our Chief Con in on the details and then he will report to us annually’.
So if something happens on April 1, we may be given a sanitised version the following March 31.
As for finding agreement, when accountability was mentioned, NCA answered ‘forget it’ – that’s some negotiation.
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Comment on Ferguson’s departure: Rivals must work to burst “the incumbency bubble” of the EPL
on 9 May 2013 at 6:36 pm
Mick, you attribute too much foresight to Murdoch – he merely followed the path set by Eddie Shah. Where did he disappear to?
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Comment on “during the Derry visit, Martin McGuinness and Peter Robinson were nowhere to be seen, surely mindful of their upcoming trade mission to China.”
on 8 May 2013 at 10:31 pm
It seems that Song is calling the tune!
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