Brian O’Neill – Page 86 – Slugger O'Toole

How much are you worth? The new University of Ulster Vice Chancellor gets a £250,000 salary.

Brian O'Neill on January 12, 2015, 11:07 am

| Readers 1669

I was reading today about how Yahoo ex-Chief Operations Officer Henrique de Castro got a $60 million payoff. Henrique was sacked after being with the company only 15 months. Nice work if you can get it. On the local scene the University of Ulster has just appointed a new Vice Chancellor. Professor Paddy Nixon will get a £250,000 annual salary – £1000 more than the head of Queens, Professor Patrick Johnston. By comparison Birmingham University pay their vice-chancellor £400,000, Cambridge …

Muslim extremists kill 12 people at Paris office of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo

Brian O'Neill on January 7, 2015, 2:57 pm

| Readers 495

This story is still developing but what we know so far is at least two masked attackers opened fire with assault rifles at the Paris office of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. At least one of the dead is a policeman. From the BBC: The gunmen shouted “we have avenged the Prophet Muhammad”, witnesses say. A major police operation is under way in the Paris area to catch the killers. Four of the magazine’s well-known cartoonists, including its editor-in-chief Stephane Charbonnier …

Are some NHS surgeons on a go slow to boost their private work?

Brian O'Neill on January 7, 2015, 1:35 pm

| Readers 943

The NHS is in the headlines once again for all the wrong reasons. Here is a personal anecdote. My uncle has been in hospital for the past six weeks while he waits for a heart operation. He can get up and walk around but he needs to be in a ward for monitoring. As you can imagine he is going stir crazy. One reference puts the bed day cost to the NHS as £255, so that is 47 days x …

So much of the news this year has been hopeless, depressing, and above all, confusing. To which the only response is to say, “oh dear.”

Brian O'Neill on December 31, 2014, 8:08 pm

| Readers 3252

The one highlight in the otherwise terrible Christmas TV was Charlie Brooker’s 2014 Wipe. It is well worth a watch. A segment of the show was from the acclaimed documentary maker Adam Curtis. In the piece Curtis explores the idea that our current political apathy and disillusionment with politics is a deliberate strategy by our ruling class to keep us all in the dark while they get on with plundering the wealth of the nation. I don’t normally believe in conspiracy …

The results of our 2015 predictions survey!

Brian O'Neill on December 31, 2014, 1:20 pm

| Readers 1497

More than 270 people filled in the survey over the past day and here are the results: Bad news for big Al but not entirely unexpected. Who will be the new SDLP leader? The favourite is Colum Eastwood, but can he reverse the party’s decline or are they beyond all hope? As Gerry Adams begins his 32nd year as President of Sinn Fein it is no surprise that many think he will hang on for another year. As with …

Get out your crystal balls, and take our 2015 predictions survey…

Brian O'Neill on December 30, 2014, 1:02 pm

| Readers 1634

The survey is now closed. You can view the results here… 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 stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.

Merged photos of Belfast old and new…

Brian O'Neill on December 30, 2014, 12:36 pm

| Readers 3516

Someone in The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) has been busy with the aul photoshop. They have merged old photos of Belfast with modern views and the results are pretty cool. Whenever I see old photos of Belfast in its Victorian splendour I can’t help thinking it’s been downhill ever since. But I suppose we can console ourselves with indoor plumbing, antibiotics, the internet, Poundland and all the other wonders of the modern era. See all the photos on …

A Belfast Christmas Carol Video

Brian O'Neill on December 22, 2014, 8:47 pm

| Readers 308

I know what your thinking. A video shot in Belfast featuring child actors, how bad can it be? It is actually pretty good and well worth a watch. Well done to Colin Williams and CFC. 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 …

Photo of the day – Belfast City Hall at Christmas

Brian O'Neill on December 20, 2014, 12:55 pm

| Readers 201

Photo by Belfast Snapper, Taken on December 18, 2014 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 stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.

Photo of the day – Ian Paisley Cuckoo Clock

Brian O'Neill on December 17, 2014, 1:31 pm

| Readers 485

One of Anto Brennan’s creations. 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 stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.

Photo of the day – Six Mile Water, County Antrim

Brian O'Neill on December 15, 2014, 3:26 pm

| Readers 288

Photo by billy Mol, taken November 2014 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 stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.

Photo of the day – brakes!

Brian O'Neill on December 11, 2014, 4:51 pm

| Readers 304

Photo by James Hislop. Taken on May 16, 2014 Dan Kneen fails to control his bike during the Thursday practice session at the NW200 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 stuck in front of a screen, I am a …

Traffic Today, Gondola Tomorrow – A proposal for a ski lift between Belfast and Lisburn

Brian O'Neill on December 11, 2014, 10:05 am

| Readers 1040

Anthony McNamee is proposing this radical transport idea to ease congestion and make life easier for commuters. The idea is not as crazy as it sounds. There is a 1km Gondola system over the river Thames in London. For over 10 years I drove the road from Newry to Belfast and back, a daily commute of anything up to two hours in each direction. I was there in 2006 and 2007 for the full pain of the M1-widening project, and …

How can we fix the Belfast traffic gridlock?

Brian O'Neill on December 10, 2014, 8:38 am

| Readers 2217

If you were one of the poor sods stuck in yesterday massive traffic jams in Belfast you have my sympathies. It took the wife an hour to move 2 miles on the Westlink. A quick recap. A suspicious object was discovered about 3pm close to the M1 at Lisburn’s Saintfield Road junction. The country-bound section of the motorway was then shut from Blacks Road in west Belfast to Lisburn until 5.30pm when it declared a hoax. The interesting thing about …

Photo of the day – Milltown Cemetery at dawn

Brian O'Neill on December 5, 2014, 12:08 pm

| Readers 316

Photo taken by Stuart Borthwick, shortly after dawn, 18 October 2014 Stuart says: I am fascinated by the quality of light at dawn in Milltown Cemetery, West Belfast. For those who do not know it, the entrance to the cemetery is at the junction of Falls Road and Glen Road, with the cemetery itself sloping downwards, towards the M1 motorway. The sun rises over the silhouetted horizon of East Belfast, and shines its first light on the Divis Mountain to …

Photo of the day – SS Nomadic

Brian O'Neill on December 1, 2014, 3:32 pm

| Readers 408

Photo by: Andrew Palmer, Taken on November 17, 2014 The ship is now open to visitors, click here for details… History from wikipedia… Nomadic was commissioned by the White Star Line in 1910, to tender for their new ocean liners RMS Olympic and RMS Titanic, which were too large to dock in Cherbourg harbour. She and her running mate SSTraffic ferried passengers, their baggage, mail and ship’s supplies to and from large ocean liners moored off-shore. The keel of Nomadic was laid …

Photo of the day – Manannan Mac Lir

Brian O'Neill on November 28, 2014, 5:03 pm

| Readers 375

Photo by: Stephen Wallace Manannan Mac Lir is an Irish Sea God overlooking the Atlantic Ocean from the slopes of Benevenagh Mountain, County Derry/Londonderry 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 stuck in front of a screen, I …

Join us for the Slugger end of year review show, Monday, 15th Dec 2014

Brian O'Neill on November 26, 2014, 11:43 am

| Readers 1740

Join us for an evening of debate and entertainment as we look back on the political year in 2014. Our panel of expert speakers is sure to provide lively conversation and analysis. Never mind the Christmas shopping, this will be far more entertaining. The venue The venue is the beautiful Dark Horse Bar. This is directly opposite the Duke of York Bar in the Cathedral Quarter. Here is the location on the map… A full bar will be available and …

Photo of the day – can you guess this Belfast landmark building?

Brian O'Neill on November 24, 2014, 5:08 pm

| Readers 448

Not Italy but sunny Belfast yesterday. Can you guess where it is? Let us know if the comments below. 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 stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.

‘Deprivation’ fund gives grant of £350,000 to Lurgan Golf Club

Brian O'Neill on November 23, 2014, 1:37 pm

| Readers 3997

Another cracking exposé by the one man opposition that is Jim Allister. The Department of Social Development gave a grant of £350,000 to Lurgan Golf Club under its ‘Neighbourhood Renewal’ scheme. It gets even better. A member of the club, who is a senior official in DSD, was involved in processing the application. But he failed to disclose his interest, contrary to departmental guidance on conflicts of interest. Jim Allister said: “The Neighbourhood Renewal Fund exists, surely, to regenerate and help deprived …