Integrated Education must change to survive
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In the face of recent rejections, the Integrated sector, rather than doubling down on its founders’ ecumenical approach, must now change if it is to meet the demands of an increasingly plural and secular Northern Ireland.
Michael Jackson moonwalking up the Garvaghy Road…
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A few days ago TUV deputy leader Ron McDowell was caught using AI to exaggerate the crowd at a rally in Portadown the other night, when questioned about the photo he claimed it was a joke. TUV deputy leader Ron McDowell …
SDLP deselects MLA Justin McNulty and select Pete Byrne for Assembly election…
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From the BelTel: The SDLP has deselected MLA Justin McNulty with Crossmaglen councillor Pete Byrne, who has been chosen to run in Newry and Armagh in next year’s Assembly election. Mr Byrne won the vote at a selection convention in …
Reconciliation is Needed More than Ever in Northern Ireland. Can New Technology Bring People Together?
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The Northern Ireland Executive is currently consulting on its first Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy, and I would encourage anyone interested in our economic and social future to respond before the consultation closes on 7 October. [Northern Ireland’s Draft Artificial Intelligence …
Drumcree’s Irish-language heritage is a rich resource for us all…
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Peadar Ó Doirnín (1700-1769) was a native of north Louth (Raskeagh townland), just north of Dundalk. Ó Doirnín was an exuberant sort of character. I imagine him to have been as fond of women and drink as his near-contemporary Robert …
Hegseth unveils Office of Religious Affairs for US Military…
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From USA Today: Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, in his latest effort to boost the role of religion in military life, announced the establishment of the Office of Religious Affairs during his Sept. 30 “State of the Force” address in Quantico, …
Twenty-five years of damning reports on academic selection…
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In September 2026, Queen’s University Belfast published the latest in a long line of reports Exploring Academic Selection and Grammar Schools in Northern Ireland. The authors of this Nuffield Foundation-funded study reviewed the UK research, interviewed parents, principals and stakeholders, …
Andy Burnham says the UK could ‘go all the way’ and rejoin the EU…
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From the Guardian: Andy Burnham has opened the door to the UK rejoining the EU, saying Britain could “go all the way”, as he prepares to reconsider Labour’s post-Brexit red lines. The prime minister used a series of interviews after …
Drumcree and the limits of law and people power…
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Bridgewater is a Slugger reader from Belfast. At the risk of losing half the readership immediately, I should disclose at the outset I am from the nationalist community. Like the vast majority of that community, my sympathies lie with the …
A Numbers Game
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Amid all the tension this week around Drumcree, we all need to unwind. Right? So while we fret about how politicians and the police might handle the Portadown standoff, let’s grab some respite with a TV drama featuring a standoff …