Future of Northern Ireland

Unionists must remember doing the right thing to make Northern Ireland better is good enough for now

Terry Wright on January 23, 2021, 11:26 am

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Is the assertion by Gavin Robinson MP in the Irish News, supported by parliamentary colleagues in the Belfast Telegraph, that Unionism needs to find ways to ‘augment, enhance and solidify the Union’ a wake-up call or a case of pro-Unionism for slow-learners? In either case, the reference to Peter Robinson’s view that Unionism needs to get ready to contest a unity referendum must seem like a belated Christmas gift to those whose narrative, in the face of contrary advice from …

An opportunity for unionism to lead the celebration and expression of Northern Irish culture…

Terry Wright on October 2, 2020, 10:21 am

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This is the second in a two-part series on how culture war is a mark of fake politics and not the least in our own backyard and is written from a pro-union perspective. There is an opportunity for unionism to lead the celebration and expression of culture to a new level. To mirror others, who forfeit this to a discourse of power and mob force illiberal cultural fundamentalism, is to deny its common humanity and heritage and impose tribal identity. …

Where “shared memory” and “story” meet lies something valuable

Mick Fealty on September 16, 2017, 1:12 pm

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I was lucky enough to be asked by Youth Action Northern Ireland to present a workshop at their two-day Islands of Innovation conference/symposium attended by young leaders (18-35) yesterday in Belfast. The key purpose was to “explore what Britain and Ireland could look like in 2021, consider how they can contribute and assess what decisions need to be taken now and in the future”. A welcome shift from the resolutely backward focus of our stranded politics right now. It’s hard not to …

We Are The Legacy: The inheritance of millennials living in the post-McGuinness/Paisley age

Soapbox on March 30, 2017, 2:48 pm

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I awoke last Tuesday morning to the unexpected news that shocked us all and experienced the odd emotions that accompany comprehending an earthly existence ending. Unsurprisingly what followed was a mixed bag of media commentary and public opinion, that spanned from the praising of a Republican freedom fighter to the condemning of a terrorist warlord. Of course between these extremes was the telling of a life of two halves and the impact that Martin McGuinness made in the establishment of …

“Not everyone is (driven by) nationalism and patriotism and that’s never been me…”

Mick Fealty on January 15, 2017, 8:14 am

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Northern Ireland Parliament Buildings - Edward Carson statue

Years ago, I recall being led around a monastery in a small town at the head of a long valley and at the foot of a Swiss Alp. The two monks we were withwere rather jolly: being both under fifty, they were much younger than most of their community. At one point, they took us to a room filled with tribal art collected by a sister monastery in Africa. I don’t know if they still have it. One of the …

Soapbox: Respecting the constitutional position endorsed by all the people 1998 is fundamental

Soapbox on February 20, 2016, 6:25 pm

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Trevor Ringland responds to Chris Donnelly’s proposal to co-opt the Irish Tricolour as the only way of resolving the raft of flag disputes. He argues that the issues left unresolved by the longest period of sustained political violence in Irish history cannot be addressed by returning to old arguments, but by creatively breaking new ground within the terms of the historic Belfast Agreement.

Does our future belong to strategic optimists or endlessly tactical ‘passive aggressionism’?

Mick Fealty on December 17, 2014, 10:35 am

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I was talking to a friend the other day about the latest online craze Candy Crush. His advice was pretty direct: never get involved with any game in which there is no finite end. The trick to Candy Crush, apparently, is that it lures you in at the low skill/easy entry end with a series of compelling short term tactical plays. At the same time the developers keep adding more and more layers at the farther, inaccessible side. This means that no matter how …

#SluggerTalks: Unlocking NI’s potential requires a shift in priorities and resources

Mick Fealty on October 31, 2014, 10:19 am

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On Wednesday Shane Greer and I kicked off the first of what we hope will become a regular trans-Atlantic conversation on the future of Northern Ireland. We will being bringing guests into our next session but the main purpose here was to follow up on his original blog essay. It’s a tough call. A few years back I did try to get a conversation going on the future of Belfast which was all but subsumed in the misery of the flag …

#SluggerTalks on the future potential of Northern Ireland

Mick Fealty on October 29, 2014, 12:28 pm

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So today, we bring back the #digitallunch video format only this time we are calling it #SluggerTalks. Tomorrow’s will be the first in a series of two handers between myself and Shane Greer discussing some of the points raised in response to his post last week on what we might do to unlock Northern Ireland’s Tremendous Potential. You can pick it up here shortly, over on YouTube or if you have evolved as far as Google Plus over there at this event page. …

After Commemorations: In the future we should ensure that our weapon of choice is friendship!

Trevor Ringland on October 27, 2014, 1:24 pm

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On the 9th December 2014 the Four Corners Festival is hosting a night at Strand Arts Centre to screen “Joyeux Noel”, a film about the Christmas Truce that took place on the Western Front on Christmas Day, 1914. It is being held to celebrate the courage of those who stepped into “No Man’s Land”, during times of conflict, to show a different way. The French film from 2005 relates the events of that day, seen through the eyes of French, …

How do we unlock Northern Ireland’s tremendous potential?

Shane Greer on October 21, 2014, 8:00 am

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I still remember the spring of 2001. The palpable excitement I felt about something I’d dreamed of since my adolescence and, with sixth form drawing to a close, was finally in a position to realise: leaving Northern Ireland. I was one of the almost 18,000 who emigrated that year, a number that rose to just over 25,000 in 2012-13. And whereas net migration in Northern Ireland was positive the year I left, it has since turned negative (and skews even …

Strength is only part of fixing our busted relationships. We need good leadership too.

Trevor Ringland on August 21, 2014, 2:30 pm

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James Thurber once observed “there are two kinds of light — the glow that illumines, and the glare that obscures.” In Northern Ireland, we have become accustomed to obscuring glare more than illuminating glow. Despite the historic achievement of the Belfast Agreement our politicians still like to amplify a folk version of history to the idea that we remain two separate people whose interests are permanently at odds with one another. The current set of commemorations tend to reinforce that …

Beating ourselves up about ourselves. “Are we normal yet?”

Mick Fealty on August 29, 2013, 10:11 am

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The Oliver versus Kane #DeathMatch (Quintin’s Tigger to Alex’s Eyore) from Tuesday night’s Evening Extra… Stick with it, it starts to get interesting about half way through… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

Perhaps we need more trouble makers in Stormont rather than on streets?

Mick Fealty on December 7, 2012, 9:21 am

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Like FitzJamesHorse, I get a sense that something important may have happened this week, though like him I also think it is way to early to conclude too concretely what they might be. But here are some short near ground thoughts to extend yesterday’s briefing for Hillary. I think it demonstrates that government parties under our rigid and inclusive system put themselves (and the rest of society) in a very dangerous position when they indulge in activism, particularly when it …

An open briefing for US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

Mick Fealty on December 6, 2012, 11:36 am

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First of all, welcome back Madam Secretary and thanks for calling. Second, despite all the nasty headlines, do not panic! It’s not a patch on what was going on when your husband was last in charge. We’ve stopped burning Catholics and isolated Protestants. We’re just after liberals now. What follows is not necessarily a popular analysis, nor one that’s widely held, but I offer it in good faith. One of the first things a ganger teaches his labourers is that you …