St Patricks Day. Getting better, but more work to do…

St Patrick’s Day in Belfast used to have a reputation for being a damp squib. Festivities were normally confined to the West; even then, the parades were small affairs. I can’t remember when parades first started entering the city centre—maybe in the late 1990s or early naughties? There was the usual Unionist wailing and gnashing of teeth about ‘Republican hoards taking over the city centre’, but after a few years, things settled down. But it was never the most family-friendly …

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Open sunday – politics free zone…

Street vendor with a suitcase

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. 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 …

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Open Sunday – discuss what you like…

open sunday sign, signage, open

The idea for Open Sunday is to let you discuss what you like. Just two rules. Keep it civil and no man/woman playing. 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 …

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Ireland defend their Six Nations Rugby Crown successfully.

Six Nations Super Saturday Italy 24 Wales 21 Italy recorded a well deserved victory over a callow Wales side in Cardiff and condemned Wales to the wooden spoon. In truth the score line flattered Wales who scored two late converted tries to add some respectability to the result. With George North now also retiring Wales are bereft of experience and international class and it will be some time before they can rebuild a side capable of challenging for titles in …

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Memories of Belfast Department Stores…

I have just been listening to Radio 4 and a girl describing the department store which has just closed in her hometown of Hull. It all sounded so familiar to me, and then I realised that I had lived through the 50’s and 60’s in Belfast, and even saw the final closure of Anderson and McAuley Ltd in the 1980’s, which was the end of an era of shopping experiences, and so much better than the online era you are …

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despite the begrudgers, Ireland in 2024 is a rather good country…

white and black concrete building under blue sky during daytime

Maybe because St Patrick’s Day is coming up and we’re in the middle of Seachtain na Gaeilge, I’m feeling a bit patriotic – so am going to write about why I think the Republic of Ireland is a rather good country now, despite the many begrudgers.  Firstly, there are the well-known demographic and economic indicators: in the 50 years of EU membership, life expectancy has risen from 71 to 81.5 years; incomes per head have increased fourfold; the number of …

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It looks like a Trump Biden rematch for the American Presidency…

If you think our politics are bleak in the land of the free, (terms and conditions apply). Out of over 300 million, the best they could come up with is these two. Over in the red corner, we have the 77-year-old Donald Trump who, according to the BBC: The 77-year-old, who is the first former president in US history to be criminally charged, now faces 91 charges across four separate cases. And his legal troubles don’t end there, as Mr …

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What would a united Ireland look like?

Terry Wright asks the quite reasonable question: “What will a united Ireland look like?” and unionists often feel frustrated when they get what appears to them to be an unclear answer. But there is also a problem with the question because no one can foretell the future with absolute confidence and certainty. So perhaps it is more helpful (and accurate) to explain how the process of change is managed in Ireland, and how this might apply to Northern Ireland in …

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Reality check for unionism finally arrives: Better late than NEVER, NEVER, NEVER…..

person standing in cave

In encounters with Sinn Féin groups in what they chose to term ‘uncomfortable conversations’ and individuals promoting a future Ireland in line with their nationalist. usually republican ideology and agenda, I have failed consistently to get an answer to the question: “What will this new Ireland that you envisage look like?” The stock answer is usually spun around a need to engage on a range of matters- economic, cultural, educational, the long-standing movable feast of reconciliation and symbols. The territorial …

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Return of Stormont has zero impact on party fortunes – new poll confirms…

We have now had two opinion polls conducted since Stormont opened its doors for business again and both tell the same story. So far at least it has not moved the dial on party support by a jot. Today’s Liverpool University poll in the Irish News is within a whisker the same as the LucidTalk poll published three weeks ago and you can see from the graphs below how steady party support has remained for the last year. It is …

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Cillian Murphy becomes the first Irish-born winner of the best actor award…

Here’s some good news for a change: Cillian Murphy took home the Best Actor award for his role in the smash hit light-hearted romantic comedy about nuclear annihilation – Oppenheimer. Cillian Murphy wins Best Actor for his role in #Oppenheimer at the 2024 #Oscars pic.twitter.com/UmRAiLO9Qg — The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 11, 2024 From the BBC: The film dominated proceedings, winning best picture, best director for Christopher Nolan, and best supporting actor for Robert Downey Jr. Murphy was named best …

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The Kenova report questions the whole basis of dealing with the past. But will anybody take up its challenge?

Chief Constable John Boutcher’s tone was measured but his words were scathing. On the face of it, his three most striking conclusions throw dealing with the past into the melting pot all over again. I want here to deal with the wider implications of the interim Kenova report  on Stakeknife,.    These can be seen already,   in advance of the final version due for publication after the victims and families have responded to their individual private briefings. Firstly the Stakeknife …

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From Belfast to Pamplona…

white and brown concrete building

Brian had said previously that he’d be interested in a blog about some of the contrasts between my home city and adopted city and I’ve finally gotten around to it so here goes with the stream of consciousness. As I’ve alluded to here a few times, my wife is Basque. We lived in West Belfast for seventeen years, spending every summer of those seventeen years here before finally deciding to come here to live full time several years ago and …

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Open sunday – politics free zone…

Street vendor with a suitcase

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. 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 …

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Open Sunday – discuss what you like…

open sunday sign, signage, open

The idea for Open Sunday is to let you discuss what you like. Just two rules. Keep it civil and no man/woman playing. 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 …

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Live Blog: England 23 Ireland 22 f/t

Live Blog: England 23 Ireland 22 f/t Expectations are hugely high for this Irish side – a situation which in the past has resulted in them becoming tentative and conservative. Can they handle the psychological pressure of being 12 point favourites for the match? They need to trust themselves and each other just to give it a lash from the off. Do not allow England to gain the initiative and get the crowd behind them. England are brilliant at defending …

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How Do You Solve a Problem Like Downpatrick?

Downpatrick is a strange place. It is like something from ancient Greek mythology where the Gods both bless and curse a place. Blessed in that it is a handsome place; the old streets have old world charm potential about them. English street, being the Georgian street containing the Cathedral, the view and ‘the grave’ (supposedly containing St Patrick, St Brigid and St Columcille), a 17th century coaching house and some cobbled side streets, it is very much a potential movie …

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Goodbye, Cinema Etiquette: The Clash of Mr Smelly Socks & the Popcorn Police…

2 women sitting on blue leather chair holding white and red plastic cups

I went to the cinema recently and had a serious sensory shock. However, it wasn’t due to the bright lights, explosions, or quick-witted dialogue: I was overcome by the brutal behaviour of those around me. Since when did people forget how to act at the movies? We’d arrived just on time and went straight in. I slid into my seat, munching happily on the goodies brought from the garage down the road: life was sweet. There was a sigh of …

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Stakeknife interim report released…

After 7 years and 40 million,  the Operation Kenova interim report has been released. Summary from the BBC A British Army spy operating at heart of the IRA during the Troubles in Northern Ireland probably cost more lives than he saved, an investigation finds Freddie Scappaticci, codenamed Stakeknife, was linked to 14 murders and 15 abductions; he worked in a ruthless IRA unit known as the “nutting squad” UK security forces failed to prevent some murders to try to protect …

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Voting begins on Irish referendums on Family and Care…

woman holding man and toddler hands during daytime

From BBC News: Voters will be given two ballots – one white and one green. The white ballot will ask if voters want to accept or reject the Thirty-Ninth Amendment of the Constitution Bill – otherwise known as the family amendment. This proposes inserting the words “whether founded on marriage or on other durable relationships” into the constitution. The current protection afforded to families under the constitution, as currently written, only extends to families built around a marriage. However, if …

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