Month: October 2026

As the dispute at Drumcree winds down, Northern Ireland is left to look at the political aftermath. Commentators have been talking about what is playing out within the DUP as Carla Lockhart advocates for ‘profound consequences’, seeming to mean removing Michelle O’Neill as First Minister by having Emma-Little Pengelly resign as Deputy First Minister, whilst DUP leader Gavin Robinson argues that such a move would be highly damaging to Unionism. The open divide is causing outsiders to ask, what is …

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As the Drumcree crisis intensifies, some Unionists are calling for profound political consequences, potentially including the collapse of Stormont and its institutions, whilst others are considering the bigger picture and believe that this would be a strategic mistake. Over the weekend, the BBC reported that Carla Lockhart MP said, in relation to Stormont, that it cannot be “business as usual” and that there need to be “profound consequences”. This follows the decision of the Secretary of State, Sir Chris Bryant, …

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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 …

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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 …

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If you’re looking for a way to while away the time waiting for the next round of shadow boxing over Garvaghy Road, look no further than  Sam McBride’s latest  patiently laid out account of Executive dysfunction. Not evasion alone but a mix of evasion and rare activism that has elements of cash for ash about it. Namely,  larger grants to maximise production but do environmental harm  The story is about Lough Neagh, the great freshwater lake which supplies most of …

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She drives me crazy Like no one else It was as if the Fine Young Cannibals were singing this song just for me, from the piped music in the department store I was managing in 1989. The building was situated in a housing estate where unemployment was widespread. This resulted in the store experiencing an inordinate amount of shoplifting. I was promoted from a much smaller store in Newcastle, Co. Down, as the company wanted to stymie the haemorrhaging losses. …

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The Festival of Social Science is a yearly celebration of research that helps us understand people, communities and society. Now in its 25th year, the festival gives everyone the chance to explore topics such as health and wellbeing, crime, equality, education and identity through engaging events led by researchers from universities across the UK. All events are free to attend. Most are open to everyone, while some are designed for particular audiences or age groups. This year, more than 300 …

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Northern Ireland Secretary of State Chris Bryant has overturned the parades commission determination allowing the Orange Order to parade along the Garvaghy Road, having earlier been asked by the PSNI Chief Constable to review the determination. The Belfast Telegraph quotes him as saying “In the interests of wider public interest and safety, I’ve come to the conclusion that the circumstances under which that decision was made have now changed considerably. As a result, the procession cannot go ahead as it …

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What do Jamie Bryson and Liz Kimmins have in common? Yes, you guessed it! Both have recently had reasons to celebrate significant legal developments involving two of Northern Ireland’s most controversial roads, although in very different circumstances. In our Infrastructure Minister’s case, it was the Court of Appeal’s monumental decision that cleared the way for the Department to progress the long-awaited A5 Western Transport Corridor – after losing a previous High Court battle in June 2025. Minister Kimmins deserves considerable …

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Something unreal is happening in talks to try to find an end to the nightmarish deadlock at Drumcree. On the one side is the Portadown district of the Orange Order, often led – judging by television pictures and press statements – by its young legal adviser, the ultra-loyalist agitator Jamie Bryson. On the other are the Garvaghy Road nationalist residents, led by Breandán Mac Cionnaith, a former Provisional IRA bomber and now a member of Eirígi, an anti-Good Friday Agreement …

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As a naturalised Irishman and as a European, I find myself thinking far more about the Russia Ukraine war than I do about Drumcree. The war is existential for Ukraine, and perhaps for liberal democracy in eastern Europe. Together with the antagonism of Donald Trump, it threatens the foundations of peace and prosperity of all of Europe. Drumcree, on the other hand, must be a godsend to the extremists in Northern Ireland, making them relevant again having been side-lined for …

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The Executive Office’s draft Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategy proposes that AI should help teachers grade and analyse pupil performance data. The Education Authority (EA), announcing its rollout of Copilot and Gemini, points to one supplier-funded study of Copilot. That study recorded what participants believed but did not measure what pupils learnt. While time saved on administration is a real gain, a better-educated pupil and a grade a teacher can stand over are different achievements. The strategy requires every AI initiative …

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From the Irish Times: People in the Republic will one day need to offer apologies to northern nationalists for forgetting about them “for a very long time” after partition, former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said. Speaking in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, on Monday night, Varadkar said reconciliation was usually spoken about as if “it’s just about the two main communities of Northern Ireland becoming reconciled with each other”. The South “went off and built our State and largely forgot about what …

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For decades it has been widely believed that many of our young folk who decamp from Northern Ireland to pursue further education elsewhere tend not to return. The logic was that with our many local problems there would be greater opportunities and perhaps even a better quality of life for our best and brightest. As they made their lives elsewhere, Northern Ireland was diminished by their absence. Hence, we suffered from a brain drain (or ‘Human Capital Flight‘ as the …

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Episode One of the new series of ‘Blue Lights’ last week ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. But before we dive into that, another quick reminder of the ground rules for these reviews. We would urge those commenting on this post who have already binge watched Series Four, not to give away any spoilers about future episodes. Focus instead on this episode and the one that preceded it, as we’re reviewing each instalment as it airs each week on …

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At last, even an inflated cost of nearly £ 2  billion, a new dualled A5   can be built.   Although the delay was represented as a Sinn Fein  failure, better now to look at as a victory for all, particlarly  in the  west and a big project for a Shared Island contribution.  Let’s get motoring – well,  sometime within the next  five years Brian WalkerFormer BBC journalist and manager in Belfast, Manchester and London, Editor Spolight; Political Editor BBC NI; Current …

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So much more real than the familiar ranting,  Mick’s evocative  post captures spot on  how Catholic sentiment built up from the start of the Troubles,  grew in intensity during the long killing seasons and has finally been enshrined in powerful myth. Myths are more than made up stories.  They are versions of reality recalled and under pressure, re-enacted  No question  who were  the underdogs.  Nightmares persist.  Quite different Protestant sentiment grew up in parallel expressed in the current upheaval  but …

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The return of Drumcree to our newspapers and political headlines has brought back troubling memories for many people in Northern Ireland. However, in trying to untangle this difficult problem, perhaps we also need to ask ourselves whether we are understanding Unionism and Nationalism properly? To recap on recent events, the Parades Commission permitted a limited Orange Order parade along the Garvaghy Road. This prompted legal challenges, appeals and a major protest by local residents and their supporters. The parade did …

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Jack Russell’s recent article argues that integrated education must abandon the 40/40/20 aspiration and its “essentially Christian” character if it is to survive. His evidence on how young people and parents now identify is compelling, and I agree with much of his diagnosis. Extending that diagnosis beyond the integrated sector raises a wider question about where reform is needed, and I reach somewhat different conclusions on two points. Russell’s proposals concern a sector that educates 8.5% of pupils. The controlled …

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