Having advocated for Farrell to rotate his squad entirely against Japan in order to give his front-liners a rest and improve his back-up resources, I must be satisfied that Farrell has met me more than half-way. Only two of the 36 man squad – Darragh Murray and Zac Ward – fail to see game time in the first two matches of this tour, while Robert Baloucoune misses out through injury. There are nine changes to the starting team with Sean …
When you think about it Count Binface is the perfect intergalactic space warrior to puncture the pomposity of Nigel Farage. 'My job is to demonstrate that British democracy is wonderful and unique in the entire Cosmos' Count Binface told #BBCBreakfast why he plans to stand against Nigel Farage in the Clacton by-election – triggered by the resignation of the Reform UK leader who then plans to re-fight… pic.twitter.com/3o3RNSrirk — BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) July 8, 2026 Brian O'NeillManaging Editor of Slugger …
The Democratic Unionist Party’s exposure over Jeffrey Donaldson is not only a matter of individual wrongdoing but also a failure of institutional process. Its employment of relatives, lawful but now disproportionately visible within the party, exemplifies a reliance on privately held knowledge where formal disclosure was needed, the same weakness implicated in the escalation failure the case has revealed. A leadership-commissioned review cannot yet answer for that record while its essential arrangements remain unpublished. The controversy that has overtaken the …
Eventually you live long enough to see things going around again. 30 years ago, it was common practise to have residents for doctors and nurses, but for some reason this fell out of favour. Older medics will have lots of stories about parties in the staff accommodation. The most visible example in Belfast is the old staff tower blocks at Broadway, which were abandoned in 2015 and are a complete eyesore. But the Telegraph reports that some NHS trusts in …
Last night Sinn Féin brought a Private Member’s bill before the Dáil that would have established a Citizen’s Assembly on Irish Unity. From the RTÉ report The party has tabled legislation which, if accepted, would compel the Taoiseach to produce a Green Paper examining the implications of constitutional change within 18 months. It would also trigger the establishment of a Citizens’ Assembly to examine the implications of Irish unity. There have been several suggestions through the years for a Citizen’s …
To counter allegations over his finances, Farage has decided to embrace populism. He has just announced that he is resigning as an MP but will put himself forward as a candidate in the by election, to show that ‘the people’ are behind him and send a message to ‘the establishment’. You have to admire his creativity. 🚨 BREAKING: Nigel Farage has resigned as an MP to trigger a by-election in Clacton "This will be a people vs the establishment by-election. …
The Department says its revised Religious Education syllabus is objective, critical and pluralistic, and the draft is a substantial improvement on the 2007 arrangement. But the Supreme Court’s objection in JR87 was to how Christianity was taught, not to how much of it there was, so adding breadth does not by itself answer a confessional mode of delivery. Two difficulties remain unaddressed: a statutory question about teaching denominational difference in controlled schools, and a withdrawal circular whose wording still assumes …
What you need to know ‘Progress made’ on bid to agree Stormont budget On Thursday (2 July), Executive parties met NI Secretary Hilary Benn and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Rigby in a fresh attempt to agree a Stormont budget. Public services have been operating on contingency budgets since the start of the financial year in April, and senior officials have warned that some services will face cuts if a budget is not agreed by the end of the …
Casement Park’s redevelopment may be reaching its endgame at last. On Friday it was reported that the GAA has decided that the Stadium will not be built to the hoped for 34,000 capacity due to a shortfall in funding and that it will have to be scaled back. According to Enda McClafferty reporting for the BBC…. As a result it will not be able to stage Ulster senior final matches but will instead be used for other provincial fixtures…Rebuilding the …
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 …
I don’t know what caused me to fall in love with America: Old Glory, the bunting, the cowboy hats or the country music sung by Mel Tarner. But I do know where and when it was: early 90s, aged eight or nine, at a working men’s club in East Belfast. Cigarette smoke filled the air, and women ate prawn cocktails served in wine glasses. Every day, people dressed like extras in a spaghetti western. Men with six-shooters on their hips, …
This 4th July, both Irish states will fete America’s founding. But the cherished narrative of Presbyterian Scots-Irish frontiersmen as the backbone of the Revolution obscures the Gaelic Irish written out of the record, the Protestant migration unionists prefer to forget, and the political convenience shaping how both traditions remember.
It is well known that Northern Ireland has an issue with the flying of paramilitary flags, one which our police service has been struggling with for many years. Last week the Belfast Telegraph reported… East Belfast Alliance MLA Peter McReynolds hit out at the latest banners which were placed next to a new housing development completed last year. Such flags are seen as a means of controlling who moves into the properties. “Alliance has always strongly condemned the placement of …
Just over two years ago, Jeffrey Donaldson was view by many as the embodiment of mild-mannered respectability. His reputation as a pragmatic operator had been reinforced by his role in brokering the DUP’s return to the Executive after the Protocol deal. Today, through the extraordinary courage of two women, that carefully constructed image lies in ruins. The contrast between the public legend and the private reality is stark: Donaldson now stands convicted of offences that destroy any claim he ever …
Wallabies team 1. Angus Bell (50 Tests) – #940; Hunters Hill Rugby Club 2. Josh Nasser (11 Tests) – #979; Easts Rugby (Brisbane) 3. Allan Alaalatoa (88 Tests) – #896; West Harbour Juniors 4. Jeremy Williams (25 Tests) – #973; Wahroonga Tigers 5. Josh Canham (2 Tests) – #987; Harlequin Rugby Club 6. Rob Valetini (62 Tests) – #929; Harlequin Rugby Club 7. Fraser McReight (39 Tests) – #937; Albany Creek Brumbies 8. Harry Wilson (c) (36 Tests) – #933; …
An inquiry into white working-class underachievement in England published its report this week. Northern Ireland will be tempted to read it as a study of its own working-class Protestant boys. The disadvantage transfers, the category does not, and the structure that distributes it here is one that the English inquiry was not designed to confront. The Independent Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes, commissioned by the Star Academies, supported by the Department for Education and chaired by Sir Hamid …
On so many occasions since the atrocities of 7th Oct and Israel’s genocidal response in Gaza, I have argued that our Good Friday Agreement peace process offered an example from which Israel could learn. I argued that we in the unionist community, with our experience of suffering terrorism, were best placed to talk to the Israelis; I argued that we should be demonstrating that talking to elected politicians, despite their previous links to terrorist organisations, allowed us to end decades of …
It’s now been ten days since former UDR member, member of the Orange Order, MP, Knight of the Real., Privy Councillor, prominent UUP member and DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson was found guilty of i8 historical sexual accusations. What we know for sure is this, Donaldson is a sexual predator, a convicted rapist and a paedophile. We know this to be true because he’s currently in custody awaiting sentencing for his heinous crimes so I’d like to leave these crimes to …
The Ukraine war has now lasted longer than the First World War. What was intended as a three-day Blitzkreig to seize Kiyiv and the regions bordering Russia, has turned into a stalemate reminiscent of the Western Front in the First World War, where gains are measured in yards rather than miles. Unlike earlier wars, the main cause of death is not artillery, but the drone. According to the Latvian intelligence service, 70-90% of all casualties are caused by drones.[1] President …
