Brian O'Neill On Monday night the BBC broadcast ‘True North – I Love Larne’ and it is fair to say the good people of Larne are not best pleased at how the show depicted them. The Larne Times Facebook post about it has over a 100 comments so far with gems like this: “Surely someone in council buildings should of vetted the content before airing. On the upside we now have 1 of the 7 wonders of the world on our doorstep. …
I found myself on the 12th floor of the Europa Hotel the other day, and I must say you get a great view of Belfast. For the tourists they have helpfully marked out relevant sites on the windows. Brian O'NeillI 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. …
Photo by Neil Carey Where was this photo taken? A club in Soho? Nightclub in Manhattan? Er not quite, its Love & Death in Anne Street, Belfast. Local band The Crossfire Hurricanes have launched their début single ‘THE DEVIANT’. You can watch the video below. Best of luck lads 🙂 Brian O'NeillI 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 …
Photo by Billy Mol, Taken on October 18, 2014 Last Saturday over 120 runners took part in the gruelling Mourne Skyline Mountain-Trail Race. The Mourne Skyline Mountain-Trail Race route comprises mainly of forest paths, fire roads and single track grass and granite trail, with approximately one mile on the road. The course measures 35k and there is approximately 11,056ft of ascent and 11,024ft of descent. The highest point was at 2,801ft and the lowest point was at Sea level. Basically you have to run up and …
Photo by: Roger Bradley, Taken on October 14, 2014 The history of the Chinese Community in Northern Ireland traces its roots to the early 1960s, when the first Chinese arrived here. Since this period their numbers have evolved progressively. Currently there are around 8000 Chinese resident in Northern Ireland, representing 51% of the total ethnic minority population. The Chinese community is currently the largest and most dispersed ethnic minority group living in the North. The majority of this community lives in the …
Photo by David Reid, Taken on January 14, 2012 The thing about Gerry Anderson was we are not in the least bit surprised to see him in a photo with a Stormtrooper. His show was a surreal world of hypnotic chickens and phantom fake leather jacket salesmen, nothing he done could ever surprise us. Now we have nothing to talk us down from the ledge after Nolan depressing us all – we miss you Gerry. Last year Gerry wrote and narrated a film …
Photo by Rodney Harrison, Taken on October 13, 2014 Skainos Square has been populated by a band of scarecrows all created by local people and installed in the Square in anticipation of Harvest Celebrations. The congregation at East Belfast Mission are inviting everyone to join them on Sunday, 19th October from 11am to 1pm to celebrate God’s good gifts. Pumpkin soup and light refreshments will be served in the community garden. What your photo to be featured on photo of the day? Just …
I visited Durham Cathedral yesterday. While the Cathedral is very grand and imposing, I was more interested in the LEGO recreation they are building. They are building a model of the Cathedral in LEGO as a fundraiser. You buy a LEGO brick for £1 and you can even add it yourself. The model will be composed of 350,000 bricks. Even more fascinating is they had to hire special LEGO modellers to create the plans, Bright Bricks is the company. Bright Bricks send the …
I saw this bin in Portstewart at the weekend. No idea why they do not accept flags. All suggestions welcome. Brian O'NeillI 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. Oddly for a member of the Slugger team, I am not that interested in daily politics, preferring to …
Photo by Redmum, taken 12 October 2014 The military cemetery at Arbour Hill prison is the burial place of 14 of the executed leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising. Among those buried there are Patrick Pearse, James Connolly and Major John MacBride. The leaders were executed in Kilmainham Gaol and their bodies were transported to Arbour Hill for burial. Brian O'NeillI help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is …
Photo by: Marty O’Connor The North West Mountain Rescue team coming of Croagh Patrick on reek Sunday. Every team on the island attends to provide cover for up to 20,000 pilgrims climbing the mountain on the last Sunday of July. The exercise starts around 3.00 the night before when the teams deploy, A team can deal with three or four causality’s on the day who are either air lifted off or carried depending on the injury involved. What your photo …
Photo by MNM Photography, Taken on September 26, 2014 The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains our Solar System. The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy some 100,000–120,000 light-years in diameter, which contains 100–400 billion stars. It may contain at least as many planets as well. As we all worry about if Stormont will collapse, who can march where etc etc it does no harm to remember that we are one of 7 billion people on a little planet in the infinite universe. Is …
I love a good talk and debate, it’s like the theatre only cheaper and more interesting. In this decade of centenaries there is an abundance of talks for history junkies. Recently I found out about this series of talks happening in Belfast. I missed the first few but will defiantly be at the rest of them. Tom Hartley and Philip Orr are both very engaging speakers. Below are the details of the talks, for context I have left in the earlier talks. Ireland, …
An atmospheric photo by Roger Bradley of a band parade in Banbridge, County Down. Taken on September 12, 2014 Brian O'NeillI 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. Oddly for a member of the Slugger team, I am not that interested in daily politics, preferring to write about …
Photo taken by Brian O’Neill at the Ulster Museum, Sept 2014 Alan McBride is the Centre Co-ordinator of the WAVE Trauma Centre in Belfast. His wife Sharon was among nine people killed by the IRA in the Shankill bomb in 1993. Brian O'NeillI 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 …
The journalist Nell McCafferty at Queens University Belfast, May 2014. Photo by: Brian O’Neill A photo I took of the incendiary Nell McCafferty enjoying a smoke break. Even at 70 she is still as funny, volatile and argumentative as ever. I wonder could we get her for slugger… Brian O'NeillI 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 …
Busker in Castle Place, Belfast – by DavyMac A nice photo from Davy. The busker seems to be the only one ‘in the moment’ while everyone else rushes around. Brian O'NeillI 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. Oddly for a member of the Slugger team, I …
Biker by Mickey Rooney A seriously impressive beard and whiskers on a member of the Knitting Club Scooter Club getting ready for a ride organised by the Bad Samaritans Scooter Club. The photo was taken before a bike trip from Derry/L’Derry around Inishowen last Sunday. I have never been on a scooter in my life but I can’t imagine a better way to spend a Sunday than tootling around Donegal on a scooter. Brian O'NeillI help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site …
Photo by Belfast Snapper taken Saturday October the 4th 2014 Flag protests are no stranger to City Hall but for variety here is one in support of Catalan independence. Recently 1.8 million people took to the streets of Barcelona to demand independence, more than the entire population of Northern Ireland – impressive. Brian O'NeillI 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 …
Photo by Billy Mol A nice spiritual photo for Sunday. Billy Mol perfectly captures the sun breaking through the rocks in the Mournes. Slieve Bearnagh (from the Irish: Sliabh Bearna) is a mountain in the Mourne Mountains. Its summit is crowned by a number of rocky tors. The Mourne Wall crosses the summit of Slieve Bearnagh east to west. Paths lead to the cols on either side of the mountain, namely Pollaphuca (“pool of the púca”) to the west and …
