Brian John Spencer

“Sinn Fein’s Arder Carson said that it was his democratic right to choose not to be painted…”

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Or, indeed, not to wear clothes…  ANYhoo…  On Thursday The Belfast Telegraph reported Sinn Féin’s ‘farcical’ attempt to prevent Belfast City Council granting permission for local artist and political cartoonist Brian John Spencer to “sketch the Council Chamber and the Council meeting in January”.  At a Council Strategic Policy and Resources Committee meeting in December 2018 a Sinn Féin motion rejecting the request – which “would involve Mr Spencer being allowed access to the Chamber for a couple of hours …

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William Walker, Unionism’s James Connolly 

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It’s hard to overstate the centrality of Pearse and Connolly to the modern Irish state and Irishness. Yeats wrote in his famous verse wrote: ‘Connolly and Pearse Now and in time to be, Wherever green is worn’ Eamonn McCann wrote: “One learned quite literally at one’s mother’s knee, that Jesus had died for the human race and Patrick Pearse for the Irish section of it.” Professor Michael Laffan wrote: “When I was a schoolboy… reading Carter’s history of Ireland, more space was …

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Irish and Loyalist

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In my first post in this series – looking at what it is to be Irish (as an adjoint to my blog ‘The New Irishman’) – I sought to show that Ian Paisley was 100% Irish. Ian Paisley’s Irishness was stated unequivocally by the man himself; and third party observers have testified to his quintessential Irishness. In my second post I sought to show that the protestant in Ireland has historically, and in Northern Ireland presently, been considered as illegitimate and as an inauthentic outsider – “imperialistic …

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Doesn’t allegiance to the Republic of Easter Week require Brexit?

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For all his political career Jeremy Corbyn opposed Europe. He stood against Europe in the 1975 referendum and repeatedly cast his Commons’ vote against EU Treaties. For the Islington North MP and the hard left, the EU was a committedly capitalist project to be smashed.  The Corbyn conversion to the European plan is symbolic of the erosion and slow death of left-wing euroscepticism. Under the cover of worker rights and free movement of labour, many on the traditional left have …

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Catholic, Erin and virtue. Protestant, Saxon and guilt.*

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    Watch this video, it punched me in the sternum – ‘momondo – The DNA Journey’: We divide people in two. Native or immigrant. Authentic or blow-in. We want certainty, especially in Northern Ireland – Protestant or Catholic, us or them. Catholic is Erin and virtue. Protestant is Saxon and guilt (and “imperialistic blood-suckers” as southern Protestant Hubert Butler said). It’s not unique to Northern Ireland, but is a universal condition. Mistrust of “the other” is typeset into man’s …

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Cartoon – Ted Talks

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Full acknowledgements. Live Drawing. Brian SpencerBrian is a writer, artist, political cartoonist and legal blogger. Actively tweeting from @brianjohnspencr. More information here: http://www.brianjohnspencer.com/ www.brianjohnspencer.com/

Cartoon – Trembling Trimble 2.0

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Trembling Peter, via Live Drawing. Brian SpencerBrian is a writer, artist, political cartoonist and legal blogger. Actively tweeting from @brianjohnspencr. More information here: http://www.brianjohnspencer.com/ www.brianjohnspencer.com/

Cartoon – Degrade and destroy…

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    Cartoon of Peter Robinson under fire. Brian SpencerBrian is a writer, artist, political cartoonist and legal blogger. Actively tweeting from @brianjohnspencr. More information here: http://www.brianjohnspencer.com/ www.brianjohnspencer.com/

Graphic Recording the BIG Election Hangover

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Friday turned out a great night. David McCann summed it up well. I did some live drawing of the guests and also did a graphic recording of each of the main speakers, Simon Hamilton, NILGA’s Derek McCallan and Tim McGarry. Each address was memorable and hopefully those who were there will be able to enjoy these and for those who weren’t there, you can get an idea of what was said.   And of course, the Finance Minister as turkey …

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Cartoon – Brits [values] OUT!

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  Of all the ink and wind spilt over Pastorgate, surely Alex Kane has it best (The View, BBC, 29.5.14): “[Peter] Robinson is the leader of unionism in Northern Ireland. His primary job in that role alone is simply to promote the values of a multi-cultural, multi-national state. He makes people living here feel like they’re not quite part of the country and that’s very dangerous.” Brigid Brophy wrote in the Spectator in 1981: “The Northern Irish have indeed made …

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Cartoon – “Forgive me for…” [part 2]

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As surmised, we got it. Full acknowledgements to Ian Knox. Joint Exhibition of the work of Ian Knox and I, this evening (May 30 2014) at the Slugger Hangover Event at the Hudson Bar from 8pm! Full information here. Brian SpencerBrian is a writer, artist, political cartoonist and legal blogger. Actively tweeting from @brianjohnspencr. More information here: http://www.brianjohnspencer.com/ www.brianjohnspencer.com/

Cartoon – Right at home

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  Will we get walk back? If we do, I think this Ian Knox cartoon on the Ruth Patterson apology is apt. Brian SpencerBrian is a writer, artist, political cartoonist and legal blogger. Actively tweeting from @brianjohnspencr. More information here: http://www.brianjohnspencer.com/ www.brianjohnspencer.com/

Cartoon – Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

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  It’s Basil! Brian SpencerBrian is a writer, artist, political cartoonist and legal blogger. Actively tweeting from @brianjohnspencr. More information here: http://www.brianjohnspencer.com/ www.brianjohnspencer.com/

Live drawing #TweetupNI (and with Ian Knox)

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Local tweeters give Ellen and the Oscars a #TweetUpNI selfie. David McCann kicked proceedings off at around 8pm with a healthy turnout. #tweetupni @dcmbfs kicks off the tweetup in McHughs pic.twitter.com/zJbVp9HPfl — Alan in Belfast (@alaninbelfast) March 13, 2014   Derek McCallan from @NI_LGA launched #participate14.Then the mayor spoke:   Belfast Lord Mayor @newbelfast addressing @sluggerotoole #tweetupni – positivity & his Buddhist chaplain! https://t.co/4dRsEz9U0L — Alan in Belfast (@alaninbelfast) March 14, 2014   Then Terry McHugh gave us some stand-up and mixed in …

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Cartoon – away from Home, Alone 2

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Brian SpencerBrian is a writer, artist, political cartoonist and legal blogger. Actively tweeting from @brianjohnspencr. More information here: http://www.brianjohnspencer.com/ www.brianjohnspencer.com/

Exhibition, ‘Belfast Faces and Famous Places’

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‘Belfast Faces and Famous Places’ opened at Common Grounds (16-17 University Avenue) on June 7 and runs until mid-July. I studied law and french at university but couldn’t suppress the impulse to draw. Doodling as others transcribed lectures and lessons. The impulse was especially towards converting people and events into line and ink. So there’s a lot of QUB lecturers caught up in my sketchbook. The other outlet was the venerable student newspaper, the Gown. A publication that can count …

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“[Mr. Robinson, Mr. McGuinness], tear down this wall!”

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Caption competition I’ve kicked it off: “[Mr. Robinson, Mr. McGuinness], tear down this wall!” Brian SpencerBrian is a writer, artist, political cartoonist and legal blogger. Actively tweeting from @brianjohnspencr. More information here: http://www.brianjohnspencer.com/ www.brianjohnspencer.com/

Aaron and Brian’s Sunday View: Flags and a Visit of an old friend

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This week the news was dominated by two events, the vote on reducing the number of days that the union flag is to be flown at Belfast City Hall, which has been flown at City Hall since it opened on 1906 and the visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The vote brought an angry call from the unionist community which led to people protesting on the streets which consequently turned violent. This has caused damage across various parts …

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