Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast)

Alan Meban. Tweets as @alaninbelfast. Blogs about cinema and theatre over at Alan in Belfast. A freelancer who writes about, reports from, live-tweets and live-streams civic, academic and political events and conferences. He delivers social media training/coaching; produces podcasts and radio programmes; is a FactCheckNI director; a member of Ofcom’s Advisory Committee for Northern Ireland; and a member of the Corrymeela Community.

The state of us! Slugger’s panel at the John Hewitt International Summer School #JHISS23

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John Hewitt International Summer School banner decorated with butterflies

The John Hewitt International Summer School is back in Armagh towards the end of July. And Slugger O’Toole is running a panel at 7pm on Tuesday 25th. Details on how to sign up to attend in person on the John Hewitt Society website (ticketsolve). If Northern Ireland had a mother, she might stop it at the front door and say, “The state of you! You can’t go out looking like that.” It’s easy to find fault and criticise the Northern Ireland …

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WATCH: Bertie Ahern in conversation with Dr Giada Lagana (IACES)

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The Irish Association of Contemporary European Studies (IACES) hosted a live-streamed conversation with Bertie Ahern from the Royal Irish Academy on Monday 8 May 2023. The former Taoiseach reflected on the subtle European dimension of the April 1998 negotiations which led to the Agreement, the importance of EU membership on British and Irish coordination, and the subsequent EU support for the peace process. He also talked about the potential for the DUP to return to Stormont and was asked about …

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WATCH: The Legacy of the Agreement #GFA25

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The Linen Hall has organised a series of events looking at the Origins and Legacies of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. The first was held in the library on Monday evening and featured a panel of young MLAs (the criterion was that they had to be under 40 years old) being interrogated by Seamus McKee. Nearly half the population of Northern Ireland today were under 18 or hadn’t even been born when the Agreement was signed and endorsed by referendum. You …

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WATCH: Witness Seminar – the Peace Train Organisation

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The Peace Train Organisation (PTO) ran seven trains between Dublin and Belfast from 1989–1995, and a one-off special train that ran from Holyhead to London in June 1991. It received support from a broad range of civil society: trade unions, churches, business communities, the media, arts organisations, as well as political figures from many parties across Britain and Ireland. At a time when security alerts were both disrupting journeys and dissuading passengers from using the Enterprise train services, the Peace …

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WATCH: Can Ireland Be One? Malachi O’Doherty in conversation with Duncan Morrow #looknorth23

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Duncan Morrow in conversation with author Malachi O'Doherty about his new book Can Ireland Be One at Ulster University as part of recent Look North Festival

For Malachi O’Doherty, the question of Irish unity is less about when there might be a border poll or what the result of a plebiscite would be, but whether this deeply divided island can actually ever be truly united. It’s the topic he has examined in a recently published book: Can Ireland Be One? As part of Look North! The North Belfast Festival, Malachi chatted to UU’s Prof Duncan Morrow.   Filmed by Alan Meban @alaninbelfast in Ulster University on …

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The Rise and Fall of Belfast’s own ‘Fleet Street’ #looknorth23

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Journalists Ivan Little, Allison Morris, Gary McDonald and Jim McDowell on Journalism panel Look North Festival

Last Friday evening, four journalists gathered top discuss the rise and fall of the print media presence on Donegall Street, once Belfast’s very own ‘Fleet Street’. Jim McDowell was joined by Gary McDonald, Allison Morris and Ivan Little. Memories of formal training and learning on the job, old characters in the news rooms and printing presses, deadlines, dubious headlines, drinking on the job, death knocks and even a bit of poetry from John Hewitt. Filmed & edited by Alan Meban …

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Previewing the ninth annual Imagine! Belfast Festival of Ideas and Politics #imaginebelfast

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Imagine festival 202

The Imagine! Belfast Festival of Ideas and Politics is seeking to provide ‘brain food’ to all and sundry over seven days in March. The packed programme is a veritable feast of ‘ideas for a better world’. Now in its ninth year, the festival has over 130 in-person and online events, and the majority are free. While politics is often to the fore, politicians themselves aren’t usually platformed at the non-partisan festival’s events. But this year, one event will be exploring …

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WATCH: Slugger TV – a vision for North Belfast #looknorth23

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David McCann sitting beside Nuala McAllister, Phillip Brett and Allison Morris during recording of Slugger TV at the Look North festival.

This month’s edition of Slugger TV was filmed in front of a live audience as part of the Look North! The North Belfast Festival last Saturday 25 February. You can catch it here, or sit back, kick your slippers off and enjoy it on the tellybox this evening: NVTV at 8pm (Freeview channel 7; Virgin channel 159). Local politicians Nuala McAllister (Alliance) and Phillip Brett (DUP) explained their vision for their North Belfast constituency. They were joined by journalist Allison …

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WATCH: QUB Post-Brexit Clinic

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Picture of four Queen's University academics: Prof David Phinnemore, Dr Billy Melo Araujo, Prof Katy Hayward and Dr Lisa Whitten

The latest in regular Post-Brexit Clinics run by Queen’s University was run on Friday morning. If you missed it, here’s a chance to catch up with both the opinion polling that the academics have been using to track sentiment and reaction to Brexit and the Protocol, and to get an update on legal action around the Protocol, and dynamic regulatory alignment. Clinic regulars Professors David Phinnemore and Katy Hayward were joined by Dr Billy Melo Araujo and Dr Lisa Whitten. …

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Sixth opportunity to elect an Assembly Speaker fails as Dáithí watches from the public gallery

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SF vice president Michelle O'Neill looks on as press photographers snap pictures of Daithi Mac Gabhann in the Great Hall of Parliament Buildings

With the morning mist still lingering over east Belfast, the Northern Ireland Assembly met at noon. The first item of business was – as always in this long series of recalls – the election of the Speaker and (at least two) Deputy Speakers. Letters from Speaker Alex Maskey ahead of the sitting had reminded MLAs that their order, language and debate should be constructive and that Points of Order should not be abused. Many MLAs walked down the steps into …

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The Forgotten Tribe – British MEPs

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Watch back the recent panel discussion about the work and legacy of Northern Ireland’s MEPs, organised by IACES on the back of the publication of “The Forgotten Tribe – British MEPs”. Jim Nicholson, Giada Lagana, David Harley and Carl Whyte, chared by Viviane Gravey.

DUP Conference – smaller event enthusiastically embraces new leader #dup22

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“We have cause for optimism” said Stephen Dunne, North Down MLA in his mid-morning speech. He was referring to the party’s “strength and the determination to defend Northern Ireland’s place in the Union”. But walking into the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Shaws Bridge, I wondered if “optimism” was on the minds of DUP delegates returning to the scene of leadership challenges and fractious votes over the last 18 months. Today was their first conference since the pandemic, and the first …

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Six young activists reflect … Years of Hope: 2022 and 2072

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The final event as part of the recent Linen Hall Library exhibition on 1922 and 1972 looked forward rather than back. Six young activists joined Bronagh Hinds to discuss the contemporary issues of 2022, and their hopes for life in 2072. You can hear the thoughts of Beth Elder, Joel Keys, Dara McAnulty, Dara McLaughlin, Inez Murray and Cohen Taylor. The Years of Chaos & Hope Exhibition finishes today at the Linen Hall Library. Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast)Alan Meban. …

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Arrests and Internment in the 1970s

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Back on Wednesday 17 August, Seamus McKee chaired a lunchtime panel on Arrests and Internment in the 1970s as part of the Linen Hall Library’s Years of Chaos & Hope Exhibition. Seamus was joined by Harry Donaghy, Eibhlín Glenholmes, William Mitchell and Jim Wilson. The exhibition continues in the city centre library until 31 August. Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast)Alan Meban. Tweets as @alaninbelfast. Blogs about cinema and theatre over at Alan in Belfast. A freelancer who writes about, reports …

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Years of Chaos & Hope: The Troubled Twenties

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As part of the Linen Hall Library’s Years of Chaos & Hope exhibition – which runs in the library until 31 August – Anne-Marie McInerney, Edward Burke, and Jim McDermott took at look at some of the issues which contributed to the chaos of 1922: civil unrest, reprisals, internment, and the border. The Troubled Twenties was chaired by Melissa Baird and recorded by me on Monday 8 August 2022. Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast)Alan Meban. Tweets as @alaninbelfast. Blogs about …

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1922 & 1972: Years of Turmoil, Loss and Hope Deferred

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1922 and 1972 were troubled years. A century and 50 years on, a Linen Hall Library exhibition running this month has shone a light on what was happening and what can be learned. Years of Chaos and Hope has been reflecting on the conflicting identities, protests, backlash, arrests, evictions, expulsions, shootings, and bombs which contributed to the chaos of 1922 and 1972. Using material from the library’s archive, the exhibition (which is open until 31 August) explores the troubled times …

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