Brian O'Neill 
Who does not love a good musical? I love a dancing nun as much as the next guy. I can sing every note of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. I can concur with Lee Marvin that Home is made for comin’ from, for dreams of goin’ to. Musicals are great. Now in the Netherlands, they are doing a musical on the life of our very own King Billy. It seems he is still as big a deal in Holland as …
No, a wormhole hasn’t opened and taken us back to the 1970s – this time it’s the son, Kyle Paisley. Writing on Facebook, he had this to say about King Charles meeting the Pope: This week we will see what is, perhaps, the most significant event in the religious world, when King Charles joins in prayer with Pope Leo. It is the first time that this has happened since the Reformation, and it comes in the five hundredth year after …
In a recent episode of the I’m ADHD! No You’re Not podcast, Robbie Williams joked that he collects diagnoses like scout badges. ADHD, bipolar, eating disorders, the full set. It was funny, but also uncomfortably accurate for our times. We live in an age where labels have become a kind of social currency. We wear them, trade them, even compete for them. It reminds me of my work with computers, where everything depends on neat categories and structured data. When …
Sorry to hear of the death of Ed Moloney. I was a regular reader of his Broken Elbow blog, but I had noticed updates had been slow the past year. There is a nice obituary for him on his website: Edmund “Ed” Moloney passed away on October 17, 2025 at the age of 77 in New York City after a brief illness. Moloney was an award-winning Irish journalist, author and film-maker best known for his coverage of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and …
Today is World Mental Health Day. To be honest, I never really got these special days, is mental health not kind of a 365 thing? Anyway the BBC decides to rain on Stormont’s parade by highlighting their lack of progress on improving our terrible mental health. From the BBC: Stormont’s mental health strategy being scaled back due to lack of funds is “absolutely devastating”, Northern Ireland’s mental health champion has said. Prof Siobhan O’Neill said the news was disastrous after …
Gavin dropped out of the race after the Irish Independent reported on Saturday that he owed €3,300 to a former tenant. Challenged about the allegation during RTÉ’s presidential debate on Sunday, he said: “If it happened, I’m very sorry. I’m looking into it and will sort it quickly.” He also admitted he didn’t yet have “all the information” on the matter. The whole thing had more than a whiff of Father Ted’s infamous line about money “only resting in my …
As I’ve said before, I’ve got a love/hate relationship with the internet. On the one hand, it gave me a career, makes life easier in countless ways, and lets me inflict my musings on the God‑fearing people of Northern Ireland. On the other, it melts my head. The technical term for this is “it’s twisting my melon, man.” For someone whose attention span was never stellar, the constant stimulation online feels like being an alcoholic at an open bar. A …
Immigration is a hot topic these days, but why let the facts get in the way of emotion? From the Irish News: According to the ONS data, the north’s net population increased by 7,467 between mid-2023 and mid-2024, representing a net growth of 0.39%. Across the north’s 11 council areas, Newry, Mourne and Down saw its population fall, with the remaining areas recording estimated increases of less than 2,000 people each. The Belfast City Council area added just 1,857 new …
From the BBC: The terrorism case against Kneecap rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh has been thrown out following a technical error in the way the charge against him was brought. He was charged in May after allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed organisation Hezbollah at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London, in November 2024. The 27-year-old, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, denied the charge and has described it as political. Chief …
A few months back, I had to register for one of the government’s online tax services. To do so, I needed to verify my identity. That meant downloading an app, scanning my passport, and then taking a photo of my face to prove it matched the passport image. The whole process took only a few minutes, and I was actually impressed at how smooth it was. Not long ago, you’d have been traipsing down to a government office, waiting in …
The Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, is making no secret of his desire to challenge Keir Starmer for the leadership of the Labour Party. From the Guardian: Andy Burnham has said Labour MPs are privately urging him to challenge Keir Starmer to become prime minister but any such move would have to be “more than a personality contest”. In an intervention likely to increase speculation that he is seeking a return to Westminster, Burnham accused Downing Street of creating a …
From the BBC: Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been sentenced to five years in jail after being found guilty of criminal conspiracy in a case related to millions of euros of illicit funds from the late Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi. The Paris criminal court acquitted him of all other charges, including passive corruption and illegal campaign financing. The ruling means he will spend time in jail even if he launches an appeal, which Sarkozy says he intends to …
A bizarre exchange in the Assembly on Monday. From Hansard: Mr McNulty: On a point of order, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. Who nicked my phone? Madam Principal Deputy Speaker: Sorry? Mr McNulty: Who nicked my phone? Somebody has stolen my phone. Madam Principal Deputy Speaker: We will get Building Services to try to find out who nicked your phone. A Member: There is a phone sitting there. Is that it? Mr McNulty: Yeah. It’s been some joker. Some Shinner joker. …
Ireland goes to the polls on 24 October 2025 to elect a new President (well, the southern bit). With Michael D. Higgins completing his second and final term, the race is wide open. And for the first time since 1990, the ballot paper will feature just three names: Independent TD Catherine Connolly, Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin, and Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys. The presidency is a largely ceremonial role, but it carries huge symbolic weight, representing the Irish people abroad, shaping …
The Irish Daily Mail managed to get an amazing exclusive that an Ulster Protestant man was once a member of the Orange Order. Not only that, but an Ulster Protestant woman once attended Orange Order parades as a kid. Amazing, eh? In other news, the Pope is Catholic, gravity is still in operation, and DUP politicians remain cross about something or another. He was a member over 50 years ago, well before he met Heather Humphries. I think this is one …
Sometimes Northern Ireland is equal parts surreal and depressing. For some reason, McDonald’s at Connswater in Belfast has become a focal point for racist protests as staff and delivery drivers are abused and attacked by mobs under the pretence of ‘protecting women and children from dangerous migrants’. In today’s Beltel, Allison Morris exposes some of the ring leaders: A man convicted of the attempted murder of a 14-year-old child is part of a far-right vigilante ‘save our children’ group patrolling …
Ex-BBC journalist Stephen Walker has a different view of retirement than most of us. After writing an acclaimed biography of John Hume, he has turned his attention to one of the other main figures of the peace process – David Trimble. In his new book, David Trimble: Peacemaker, he explores the history of a complex character who still divides opinion to this day. Extracts from the book have been covered by the Belfast Telegraph, and there are some interesting gems. …
I was very tempted to go with the headline ‘Was Éamon de Valera a b@stard?’ but I thought it best to keep it civil. A story by Rory Carroll in the Guardian questions the narrative around Éamon de Valera’s father. From the story: Éamon de Valera fought in Ireland’s 1916 rebellion and, as taoiseach and president, stamped his identity on the newly independent country. Modern Ireland has since rejected much of his conservative Catholic ethos, but De Valera remains a …
Ah Pivitol, the organisation tasked with occasionally reminding us all that the Stormont Emperor has no clothes, not even a cheap tracksuit from Primark. Their latest report, entitled ‘18 Months of the Northern Ireland Executive: A Review’ (PDF), is available for you all to read it and weep. I need to go and prepare junior’s French toast with a side of mango yoghurt and fruit, so forgive me that I have not read all 60 pages yet and have cheated …
Although it is from 2012, Sherry Turkle’s TED talk ‘Connected, but alone?’ is still the best summary of what tech is doing to us and our relationships. If you have some time this fine Sunday, give it a watch. You see it everywhere now, people are glued to their devices. Even when we are together, we are alone. When I am out in restaurants or bars, I see endless couples or families all sitting silently, each person on their device. …
