In early 1985 my days as a trainee supermarket manager in Dublin had reached the end of the line. The company offered me a very substantial position as assistant manager in their biggest ever store, but there was a sting in the tail. It was located in West Belfast. It was a progressive step in my career but I was nervous about entering the killing fields of: if you are a Catholic, the north of Ireland, or if Protestant, the …
“Do you believe the DUP is being fully honest about what it knew in relation to Jeffrey Donaldson’s double life?” That is the question voters were asked by LucidTalk in their latest poll for the Belfast Telegraph. The BT is holding over the results on voting intentions for another day or two. There can be little doubt that, after reading today’s responses, the DUP leadership’s anxiety levels will be twisted up another few notches as they are forced to wait. …
Psst…if you’re middle-aged or older let’s have a wee side-meeting on the comfy chairs. Now, I know no one thinks they’re ‘middle-aged’ but if your choice of tipple comes with a shot of Rennes and you pack Ibuprofen before your passport then this means you. Pull up a seat. There’s been a bizarre trend among us in the Repeat Prescription Frequent Flyers Club – and I’m looking at greying men in the group here – to describe young people as …
An open letter to Andy Pollak. Hi Andy, I’m sure you must feel that “I am out to get you” with the number of OP’s and comments I have written which directly respond to yours. But blogging for me is primarily about starting or facilitating a conversation and you should take it as a compliment that I consider your contributions so important that they demand engagement on my part. Very few unionist commentators articulate unionist concerns as well as you …
As a unionist, attending Féile an Phobail for the first time was a little daunting, but in general I have found the discussion and debate sessions enjoyable and welcoming to all viewpoints. (I think this year will be the fourth occasion that I have attended.) Hence, I am surprised to see Féile cancelling an event organised by the Women’s Rights Network called Respect, Rights and Reality on the grounds that this event would “promote campaigns against rights for the transgender community.” In a …
Chris McCracken is the Managing Director of The Linen Quarter Business Improvement District The public reception for the Fleadh has been overwhelmingly positive, but the media have recently returned to a familiar theme: dereliction and decay in the city centre. Nobody can argue that everything is how it should be – the broken promises around Tribeca are a particular point of contention. I would also acknowledge social challenges in relation to street based substance abuse, which is often a symptom …
So, I have a theory. My theory is that when D’hondt was run following the restoration of the institutions over two years ago, the DUP deliberately avoided picking up the Finance portfolio (they chose Education after Sinn Féin chose Economy) because they figured it would cause them to share in taking it in the neck from a public who despair of anything being done to improve our local circumstances. Sinn Féin on their second choice chose Finance, allowing the DUP …
Jack Russell is the author of the believethedata.org blog, where this article was originally published. Anna Burns’ Milkman is a remarkable book. Based on her experiences growing up in Belfast during the Troubles, it conveys a claustrophobic sense of oppression and suspicion, gossip and control. Words and actions, even objects, are burdened with an oblique symbolism that draws meaning from its sectarian context – the “us” and “them” against which the book’s disconcertingly mundane plot plays out. Given this weight of symbolism, maybe the most remarkable feature …
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced last week that all military personnel aged 30 and over will be annually screened for testosterone deficiency. Those with “low testosterone” will be offered testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). “Warriors” under 30 will be able to opt in for testing but the Pentagon is saying nothing on whether TRT will be available to women. The evidence for an association between aggression and testosterone levels exists but it is weak according a 2019 study (a meta …
The new UK Prime Minister has wasted little time in assembling his new cabinet, but of particular interest to those of us resident in Northern Ireland would be his choice of Secretary of State. Any suggestions that Hilary Benn would retain the role were swiftly dealt with as Benn confirmed yesterday in a post on X that he was leaving the government. It has been a great privilege to serve as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and to work …
Kier Starmer has resigned as UK Prime Minister saying ‘his work is done’ – which many of you will have your own opinions on how successful his leadership was. After being appointed by King Charles, Andy Burnham becomes the 7th UK Prime Minister in a decade and the 5th PM in 4 years, which shows the difficulty in governing the country since the division Brexit vote and the rise of the far right. Andy Burnham has a likeability factor, which …
What you need to know NI Secretary does not want to step in to set Executive budget as Fiscal Council warns of bailout mentality On Wednesday (15 July), Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn MP appeared before the NI Affairs Committee. BBC NI reported that Mr Benn was hesitant to step in to set a Stormont budget, insisting it was the responsibility of the Executive and that ministers “should do their job”. On reform of the Stormont institutions, Mr Benn said there is “something …
As most of you will know the sub-four-minute mile was long considered impossible until Roger Bannister managed it in 1954. Sensei and many athletes have smashed his record. The latest is Scottish athlete Josh Kerr, who set a new world record in an amazing time of 3:42. He managed to keep an average speed of 16.2 mph which is pretty damn fast. Well done to him. Scottish athlete Josh Kerr breaks the 1-mile world record with a time of 3:42.66, …
A few years back, at a junction close to where I live, a neighbour while driving out of the street was struct by a motorbike, driving at speed up the main-road, probably on the pavement. It was dark. The motor-bike was without lights so it was unseen and the rider without helmet, was catapulted with his bike over the bonnet of the car and badly injured. Tragically he died a few days later in hospital. The police interviewed my neighbour …
The idea for Open Sunday is to let you discuss what you like. Just two rules. Keep it civil and no man/woman playing. Comments will close at 12 pm on Monday. Brian O'NeillManaging Editor of Slugger O’Toole. I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in business, marketing and IT. My politics tend towards middle-of-the-road pragmatism; I am not a member of any political party. When not …
In addition to our normal open Sunday, we have a politics-free post to give you all a break. So discuss what you like here, but no politics. Comments will close at 12 pm on Monday. Brian O'NeillManaging Editor of Slugger O’Toole. I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in business, marketing and IT. My politics tend towards middle-of-the-road pragmatism; I am not a member of any …
In another of his continuing series of articles chronicling the difficulties of unionism and the unpreparedness of the Irish people for a United Ireland, Andy Pollak criticises the British government for failing to take unionist concerns into account during the Brexit negotiations and the sectarian bile directed at Heather Humphreys during the 2025 Irish general election campaign. But all good governments act in the interests of their people. The notion that a British government would favour the interests of 2% …
Roaring Hanna is a Slugger reader from Belfast Well alas for our ‘nearest and dearest’ neighbours once again the World Cup isn’t coming home, that’s this year just as it didn’t every year since ’66 and ’62, ’58, 54 & ’50 before that. You really do have to wonder at the mentality of all the little Englanders who have a sense of entitlement that they seriously believe that their team really have a chance to lift the Jules Rimet? Of …
With many Ulster fans pleased with an uptick in their province’s performances on the rugby pitch in reaching the final of the Challenge cup and providing eight players to the Irish rugby team that beat Japan last time out, they may be less than concerned that the fortunes of their main rival, Leinster, seem to be heading in the opposite direction. But Leinster’s recent victory in the URC final may have disguised a number of alarming developments at the province …
From hot house London (figuratively as well as literally)., I’m dismayed but no longer surprised that the trend of unionist opinion over the still unfolding Donaldson scandal may be diverting from the cul de sac of the DUP to the black hole of TUV. I’m picking this up from Andy Pollak’s post where he speculates on the likely impact of the extent of the scandal on the DUP’s fortunes at the next Assembly election. What the DUP establishment knew and …
