Anybody in Ulster keen on claiming US Vice President JD Vance as one of their own?
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In his 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy JD Vance wrote that “to understand me, you must understand that I am a Scots-Irish hillbilly at heart” So writing from the heart on X Vance waded into the lists in the politicians’ row over the …
Storytime with Houdi – Broken Land…
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It was the Monday of St. Patrick’s week 1988. I was driving to my work in Newcastle Co. Down having just got my girlfriend’s father’s blessing for our marriage, making me the happiest man in Ireland. I turned the radio …
Why the Summit of the Cities Matters for All of Ireland…
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By Brendan Mulgrew, Managing Partner, MW Advocate Later this month Belfast will host what I believe is one of the most significant civic gatherings ever held on the island of Ireland. For the first time, all twelve cities across the …
Blue Pallets, Red Pallets and the Politics of Legitimacy: Who Really Owns Belfast’s Bonfires?
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Every July, blue and red pallets go up in flames on loyalist bonfires across Belfast. The theft is brazen, the impunity is total, and the cultural defence is well rehearsed. But behind the smoke lies a harder question — who is actually running this politics, and what do they gain from ensuring nothing ever changes?
The SEN crisis is not just an EA problem: it is built into the structure of our school system…
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Northern Ireland argues about special educational needs as a problem of delivery. The first question is where in the school system the need is concentrated, and its selective structure has already decided that before any reform has begun. The long-awaited …
Can Political Unionism Break from the Tribal Herd? Discuss.
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Northern Ireland’s unionist parties face a reckoning — caught between reactive politics and the collaborative vision of the Good Friday Agreement. Without a credible strategy or genuine commitment to its three strands, political unionism risks permanent decline.
A Moment Worth Noticing at Belfast City Hall…
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DUP’s Tracy Kelly hands over chain of office to new Belfast mayor Róis-Máire Donnelly from Sinn Féin. pic.twitter.com/VqZ9m8ckNd — Mark Simpson (@BBCMarkSimpson) June 2, 2026 This exchange seems to have resonated with a lot of people, and it’s easy to …
Sinn Fein now say they want to liberate the Assembly by removing the mutual veto. What is the DUP’s response? Dismiss it as bluff or accept the challenge?
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Fresh from taking a bit of a battering in the May 22 by elections in the Republic , Sinn Fein have received a setback for their ambition to build a left wing coalition in the Republic to challenge the Fine …
Northern Ireland Sees Upward Trend in Motorcyclist Deaths and Serious Injuries Compared to GB…
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Sadly, I recently witnessed a serious motorbike accident close to where I live. As paramedics, police officers and concerned members of the public gathered to help, my immediate thoughts were with the rider and their well-being. The incident also left …
Our Problem with Islam
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I understand the reasons for encouraging ‘politically correct language’ (today we would use the term ‘woke’) but have also been suspicious of the motives of some of its adherents. Correcting offensive language is necessary and takes courage, but sometimes those …