Open Sunday – discuss what you like…
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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.
Open sunday – politics free zone…
2015
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.
Muted Chords: The Gap Between Past Protests and Gaza’s Plight…
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“Give Peace a chance” John Lennon sang many years ago, Country Joe McDonald’s cry was “Whoopee we’re all gonna die”, and CSNY told us all about the four dead students in Ohio. Then in 1971 Marvin Gaye made his classic …
UUP Conference – new leader calls for hope at disappointing party conference #UUP2024
1982
The UUP conference began with a closed session that was supposed to ratify Mike Nesbitt as their new leader. The suggestion that he’d rather wait until he could address the members in person seemed to be ignored, and a vote …
A do-nothing Programme for a do-nothing Executive
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A couple of weeks back, the sixth Northern Ireland Executive released its draft Programme for Government. Coming over six months after the Executive was formed in February, following a gap in office of around two years, a naive observer might …
Michelle O’Neill addresses Ard Fheis for the first time as First Minister
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Michelle O’Neill took the stage of the 2024 Ard Fheis for the first time as First Minister. The party’s strong results in Northern Ireland have been a bright spot in a difficult political year, and O’Neill’s personal ratings remain high …
Weekly Bulletin…
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Political, policy and regulatory developments impacting Northern Ireland What you need to know this week Housing developers could be asked to pay water costs Under new proposals being considered by the Minister for Infrastructure John O’Dowd housing developers could be …
Sinn Féin’s drop in the southern polls demonstrates the problem of “pre-fab” politics…
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There was a time when I paid more attention to polls than I have over the last six or seven years. To be honest I lost interest in trying to analyse them because with the increased frequency of each publication …
356 registered alcohol-specific deaths in 2022 in Northern Ireland…
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As the famous philosopher Homer once said, “To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems”. That is Homer Simpson, by the way, not the Greek fella. We love the booze in Northern Ireland. Stressed after work? …
Puncturing poison politics: what if Northern Ireland elected MPs using a more proportional electoral system?
2010
This article is also in English Ag meath pholaitíocht nimhneach: tá córas thoghchánach Mhainistir Thiar níos chionmhairí de dhith orainn. Cúpla mí ó shin, scríobh mé – comhúdar leis an Ollamh Brendan O’Leary – alt san Irish Times, ag déanamh …