Ian Paisley Snr
Exclusive: Ian Paisley’s belated acknowledgment of David Trimble’s legacy: the principle of Consent…
Tweet Now, this is interesting. No really, it is. And for a couple reasons. One is what it says. And two, though I am not sure whether it made the print edition of today’s Belfast News Letter, that it was only on the site for about a hour last night before it disappeared. It’s Doctor [...] more »
Ian Paisley to retire as Free Presbyterian minister
Tweet Rev. Dr. Ian Paisley is to step down from active church ministry. The 85 year old former moderator of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster has announced that he will be preaching one more sermon in the Martyrs’ Memorial at Christmas but is going to devote his time to writing his memoirs. Dr. Paisley [...] more »
Paisley and Prospero mark 2
Tweet This week Dr. Paisley left Stormont for the last time as an elected member of the Assembly. This is an update of a blog I did almost three years ago but I thought I would recycle it: At the end of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Prospero turns to the audience and says “Now my charms [...] more »
“unionist unity in the sense of one grand political party is, in my opinion, a non-runner”
Tweet A BBC report picks up on an article in the News Letter by Lord Bannside, aka former DUP leader Ian Paisley Snr. Here’s the section which deals with the question of “unionist unity”. Questions 3 and 4: Is unionist unity essential for the achievement of your vision? And, if so, what does that mean? Unionist unity in [...] more »
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Books
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Talking to a brick wall: how to make politicians listen?
Tweet It took me a long time to warm to advertising agencies. The first time I worked with one I was working in sales management on Fairy Washing Up Liquid. I was due to attend a meeting at which I was to be told what consumers really thought of the brand. I remember my reluctance [...] read our review »
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Manchán Magan’s ‘Oddballs: A Novel of Affections’: Book Review
Tweet A skilled chronicler in travel narratives and documentaries of those who wander the fringes, Manchán Magan’s debut novel follows four characters on the fringe. Two of them, teenaged Rachel and her quasi-aunt Charlotte, collide after a long estrangement in New Hampshire, and take off on Charlotte’s Wiccan pilgrimage to ye olde England of, as [...] read our review » -
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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