Brian O'Neill 
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 …
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 …
From the Guardian: Andy Burnham has set up a potential showdown with Keir Starmer after convincingly winning the Makerfield byelection, paving the way for his return to Westminster and a likely tilt at the Labour leadership. The outgoing mayor of Greater Manchester promised change after winning the byelection in the early hours of Friday morning with 55% of the votes and a majority almost double the size of his predecessor, Josh Simons. The scale of the win has prompted talk …
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 …
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 …
The 2026 World Cup kicks off today with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa. Yet, the buildup to the tournament feels remarkably subdued compared to previous years. A significant factor is the heavily tarnished international reputation of the US under the current Trump administration. Without sliding entirely into Godwin’s Law, there is an uncomfortable “Berlin 1936 Olympics” vibe hanging over the event. A vast number of fans have been actively put off visiting the United States simply due …
I thought I would throw in a brief interlude of beauty amidst our local misery. Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass at Barcelona’s iconic La Sagrada Família yesterday, delivering a papal blessing to the highest spire of what is now the tallest church in the world. The basilica’s distinctive Modernist structure has been under construction for more than 140 years. However, this past February, work finally concluded on the central Tower of Jesus Christ. Standing 566 feet tall, the spire is …
Last night’s attack in North Belfast was pretty gruesome, even for a society like ours hardened by the troubles. The PSNI issued this statement: Man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a serious assault in north Belfast A man in his 30s, believed to be Sudanese, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a serious assault involving a knife in the Kinnaird Avenue area of north Belfast on Monday night, 8th June, shortly after 10.30pm. He remains …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
On Sunday I brought Junior and his friend over to the Red Bull soapbox race at Stormont. We got as far as the main gates of Stormont before the heavens opened and a torrential downpour took place. Just to add into the mix there were even hailstones, which is a bit bizarre in May but there you go. We did not even get a chance to get out of the car. We just turned around and went back home. But …
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 …
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 …
The pressure continues to pile on the Prime Minister as today his health secretary Wes Streeting announced that he has quit the cabinet, but has yet to launch a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer. Wes does not have a great approval rating of the public so I’m not sure if he has unrealistic notions or some other game is at play. His resignation goes to great lengths to explain how wonderful he was as Health Secretary but the fact that …
At Belfast City Council they are no strangers to daft proposals but this one from the third biggest city in Ireland is kind of genius. STATUE TO THE MOSQUITO OR MIDGE THAT BIT OLIVER CROMWELL ‘That Cork City Council will erect a statue to the mosquito or midge that bit Oliver Cromwell during his siege of the city, later causing his death through ‘Cork fever’ (malaria); and that this statue shall be the ‘world’s smallest public statue’.’ (Proposer: Cllr. O. …
I do wonder if at times Doug Beattie would rather deal with the Taliban than local politics, at least you know where you stand with the Taliban. Despite being an ex-leader of the party and one of their big names, it seems his local constituency is not happy with his liberal stance and is planning to give him the heave-ho for next year’s assembly elections. Where the situation gets weird is that, despite Doug having quite a high profile, he …
