UK City of Culture 2013
“and it is all taking place during the 400th anniversary of the city being granted its Royal Charter…”
A UTV report acknowledging the contribution of PSNI Chief Superintendent Stephen Martin in Londonderry’s successful bid, against Sligo, to host the All-Ireland Fleadh during the UK City of Culture year notes another reason for denizens of the city to celebrate in 2013. From the UTV report The addition of the Fleadh means 2013 is shaping [...] more »
Londonderry to host All-Ireland Fleadh in UK City of Culture year
After the application of some internal, and external, pressure the Ulster Council of Comhaltas reversed their earlier decision in time for the organisation’s central executive to select Londonderry to host their All-Ireland Fleadh during the UK City of Culture year in 2013. In the event, the only other candidate was Sligo… [Adds - Apparently Ennis withdrew [...] more »
“This further signifies the positive effect the City of Culture title is generating in the region…”
Whilst Comhaltas dither, and differ, over whether to hold their All-Ireland Fleadh in Londonderry during the UK City of Culture year in 2013, the UK’s Big Lottery Fund Chair, Peter Ainsworth, was in the city today to announce a £1million small grants programme to “support communities across Northern Ireland that want to play a part in [...] more »
“I am shocked, totally and utterly shocked.”
After dithering by the Londonderry branches, about being associated with the UK City of Culture, it’s now reported that the Ulster Council of Comhaltas have declined to support the city’s bid to host the All-Ireland Fleadh in 2013. From the Derry Journal report Moves to bring the 2013 All-Ireland Fleadh will now not proceed after [...] more »
Londonderry’s bid for All-Ireland Fleadh in 2013 to go ahead
At the second tiime of asking, Londonderry branch delegates of Comhaltas have agreed to bid to host the All-Ireland Fleadh during the UK City of Culture year by 13 votes to 1. As the BBC report notes Some Comhaltas members, who initially opposed the move because of the UK link in Derry’s City of Culture [...] more »
“The only way to neutralise the U.K. prefix…”
Nevin pointed at a rare tree of relevance in the comment zone yesterday. It’s the full statement from the former Sinn Féin “Director of Unionist Engagement“, now “Sinn Féin Junior Minister”, Martina Anderson, on the reluctance of some within Comhaltas to host the all-Ireland Fleadh in Londonderry during the UK City of Culture year. [That [...] more »
“we are a city of culture…”
More symptoms of that political psychosis in evidence in Londonderry. Sinn Féin’s Martina Anderson has informed the BBC that, at a meeting of the Irish music organisation Comhaltas in the city on Wednesday night, members failed to agree on a bid to host the all-Ireland Fleadh in 2013. From the BBC report “It is deeply disappointing,” [Martina [...] more »
“The restoration of this beautiful building, due to be completed in….”
Another example of the kind of openness, transparency, and forward-planning that makes Derry City Council the local government it is… They’re moving to facilitate restoration work. And the BBC reports that the £3million Guildhall Restoration Project, on which work began in August 2010, is not expected to allow the 19th Century Guildhall to re-open until Spring [...] more »
“good fences make good neighbours”
Boundary issues of a different kind feature in another Belfast Telegraph report, although the BBC version seems to play it down somewhat… Derry City Council have agreed to apply for planning permission for a 1.8 metre high, 170 metre long, “fence” at an “interface” at the playing fields at Lisnagelvin in Londonderry - the UK’s City [...] more »
“The clue is in the name.”
More symptoms of political psychosis in the UK City of Culture 2013. As reported in the Londonderry Sentinel A new call for the change to the title was made at the Cultural Partnership Forum meeting on October 5, when Donncha MacNiallais, a spokesman with the Bogside Residents Group, raised his concerns, saying the use of the [...] more »
More symptoms of that political psychosis…
They’re at it again in Londonderry, where The Sentinel reports that Sinn Féin MLA Raymond McCartney “has attacked the Ordnance Survey of Ireland for its preference for ‘Londonderry’ over ‘Derry.’” That would be the same place that will be the UK City of Culture in 2013… From The Sentinel report “I have raised this matter directly [...] more »
“who pull down statues, who deny the history of any place”
With Londonderry keen to capitalise on its 2013 UK City of Culture title, despite the apparent confusion of some, Mark Devenport notes a singular failure of irony by Northern Ireland junior Minister, Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly. Rejecting TUV calls for the historic buildings at the Maze to be demolished, Gerry Kelly told reporters in North Belfast this [...] more »
Derry/Londonderry will be UK City of Culture 2013
From the BBC report Londonderry has been chosen as the UK’s inaugural City of Culture. The announcement was broadcast live from Liverpool on the BBC’s The One Show on Thursday night. Derry, which was short-listed alongside Birmingham, Sheffield and Norwich, will take the mantle in 2013. more »
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Books
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Ian O’Riordan’s Miles to Run: An invitation to madness?
Ireland is in the middle of a boom – a running boom. Chances are, even if you have never run a step yourself (apart from some painful P.E. classes many moons ago), someone you know has taken up running over the last little while. Road races in Northern Ireland and in the Republic have seen [...] read our review »
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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 » -
Books: Listening to Van Morrison…
Great little review of Listening to Van Morrison by Griel Marcus… It’s a short book, not a biography or a career survey, but an attempt to follow those moments in Morrison’s music, as he’s made it from his first records with Them, from Belfast in 1965 to the present day, when something happens that breaks [...] read our review »
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