Northern Ireland – Slugger O'Toole

Violence receding, foundations lagging: findings from new Northern Ireland Peace Index

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on September 4, 2026, 12:59 pm

| Readers 1624

Queen’s University Belfast’s Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice hosted the launch of the first Northern Ireland Peace Index (NIPI). The Index is the result of a partnership between QUB and the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), an independent, non-partisan global think tank headquartered in Sydney. Funded by UKRI through the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the investigators are Dr Andrew Thomson and Professor Dominic Bryan. The IEP team was led by Dr Paulina Pijacka and Dr David Hammond, with Brett Savill, IEP’s …

No Place For Predators In Policing

Soapbox on August 31, 2026, 2:00 pm

| Readers 1071

a close up of a police car with its lights on

The overwhelming majority of police officers are decent, courageous public servants — but a small minority exploit the trust and access of their uniform to prey on vulnerable women seeking help. Rooting them out demands better vetting, sharper supervision, a properly focused Police Ombudsman, and a whole-system commitment to ensuring those entrusted to protect victims are worthy of that trust.

‘It’s all here to be told’: Ulster’s role in the American declaration of independence

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on August 26, 2026, 7:52 am

| Readers 1517

The Linen Hall library in Belfast hosted a panel discussion as part of its USA-NI 250 exhibition programme, marking the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence. The event, “The American Declaration of Independence: American and Ulster Contexts, Links and Legacies,” was chaired by Dr Frank Ferguson of Ulster University, who also serves as chair of the Linen Hall Library’s board. The panel brought together Dr Andrew Holmes (historian of Presbyterianism at Queen’s University Belfast); Aaron Callan (Alderman, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council); Paul McGuigan (documentary filmmaker at Northern …

‘Parental choice is an illusion’: the gap between integrated education demand and provision

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on August 10, 2026, 9:28 am

| Readers 747

As part of this year’s Féile debates and discussion programme, the Integrated Education Fund (IEF) hosted a public event at St Mary’s University College in Belfast, to launch new research into the reality of parental choice in school selection in Northern Ireland. The event was chaired by Amanda Ferguson, a Belfast-based freelance journalist and Northern Ireland correspondent for Reuters, and opened with a welcome from Dr Jessica Blomkvist, IEF’s senior advocacy officer. The research was presented by its author, Kathryn Torney, a freelance journalist, researcher, and consultant. A …

Songs of the blackberry path: Tia Bow maps a journey from the Troubles to discovery

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on July 31, 2026, 5:55 pm

| Readers 333

Blackberry Path is a forthcoming album by Belfast-based songwriter Tia Bow (Fionnuala Fagan-Thiébot), with her bandmates Clare Galway and Danny Trouton. Their one-hour live performance of all of the album’s songs delved into Fagan-Thiébot’s personal narrative, exploring themes of life’s unpredictable journey, self-discovery, friendship, love, loss, care, and hope. The performance took place at the Sanctuary Theatre, itself a former church and space of reflection, and was part of the Eastside Arts Festival. Róisin Whyte provided a support act, singing primarily her own songs …

The UK should unilaterally devolve tax varying powers to NI

Brendan Heading on June 28, 2026, 4:13 pm

| Readers 1406

Budget

It looks like we are a couple of weeks out from a new Prime Minister in the UK. There’s been plenty of commentary about Andy Burnham and what he may bring to the table when, as seems inevitable, he takes over in mid-July. But what about Northern Ireland ? Burnham is making a major set-piece speech tomorrow about his economic plans, and we know that devolving more power to regions across the UK is something he has strong views on. …

Riots in Northern Ireland: this is also about racism

Sarah Creighton on June 15, 2026, 2:21 pm

| Readers 4581

My dad died two days before Christmas in 2023. On the day of his funeral rain poured from the heavens. We waded through thick mud to get to his grave. “Christ,” my brother remarked, “it’s like the f**king Somme.” In Northern Ireland, protestant burials are often small, private affairs. Only close family go and you must be invited to attend. When we arrived, we expected a small number of people. To our surprise, there was a crowd. My dad was …

‘Productive discomfort’: artists grapple with identity’s contradictions in live ARINS podcast

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on May 12, 2026, 12:00 pm

| Readers 401

Belfast Exposed gallery on Donegall Street hosted a live recording of the ARINS “My Identity” podcast on 8 May 2026, as part of the BIEN programme — an ongoing series of exhibitions and events under the title “British? Irish? Either? Neither?”. The event was chaired by Professor Colin Graham of Maynooth University, who hosts the podcast series, with the discussion featuring artists Joy Gerrard and Paul Seawright. It was sponsored by the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression (OICE) and co-presented by Belfast Exposed and the ARINS Project, with special …

‘The violence is continuing’: scholars examine embodied memory of conflict

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on May 8, 2026, 12:05 pm

| Readers 413

The International Conflict Research Institute (INCORE) at Ulster University hosted a seminar to mark the exhibition “Aftershocks: The Sensory Afterlives of Violence”, on display at the university’s Belfast campus until 13 May. The seminar brought together Professor Roísín Higgins (Maynooth University), who organised the event and chaired proceedings, in conversation with Professor Élise Féron (Director of INCORE); Dr Lisa Fitzpatrick (Senior Lecturer in Drama at Ulster); and Dr Adrian Grant (Lecturer in History at Ulster). The discussion focused on their research and its relationship to embodied memory — how conflict …

Govern or Lose: The Choice Northern Nationalism Has Spent Twenty-Five Years Avoiding

Mick Fealty on May 1, 2026, 10:37 am

| Readers 5016

a chalkboard with the word possible written on it

The border poll arithmetic is simple: nationalism cannot win it alone. The votes needed sit with people who want competent government, not constitutional drama. So why, after twenty-five years in power, is there so little evidence of the former and so much of the latter?

From tartans to Guinness: Identity in Northern Ireland and beyond

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on April 24, 2026, 4:59 pm

| Readers 1263

Belfast Exposed photography gallery on Donegall Street hosted “Why Is Identity So Difficult?”, a public lecture and discussion delivered by Professor Dominic Bryan of Queen’s University Belfast. The event was organised by the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression (OICE) and formed part of the gallery’s BIEN programme, which accompanies three concurrent exhibitions exploring identity in its many dimensions: work on the Irish language tradition; the material decay of Ulster Scots buildings; and the story of the travelling community, refugees, asylum seekers, and new arrivals. In …

Rory Proves (Again) That Sport Belongs to All Of Us

Mick Fealty on April 12, 2026, 11:53 pm

| Readers 1677

Rory McIlroy has spent his career answering questions that have nothing to do with golf. Which flag. Which anthem. Which side. And yet here he is. Again. The best in the world.

Curating the conflict: Everyday Objects and the challenge of representing the Troubles

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on March 28, 2026, 10:42 pm

| Readers 650

An online panel discussion hosted by The Peace Museum in Bradford brought together museum professionals, academics, and heritage practitioners to explore how the conflict in and about Northern Ireland has been represented in exhibitions. Chaired by Dr Louise Purbrick of the Royal College of Art, the conversation introduced the museum’s current special exhibition, Everyday Objects Transformed by the Conflict, developed by Healing Through Remembering (HTR). The panel included Professor Elizabeth Crooke of Ulster University, Dr Karine Bigand of Aix-Marseille University, and Dr …

Claire Hanna Breaks With Nationalist Consensus in her Push for Stormont Reform…

Mick Fealty on March 13, 2026, 10:14 am

| Readers 2385

scenery of waterfalls with trees

Mick looks at Claire Hanna’s direct if deliberately modest assault on the St Andrews settlement with three targeted institutional reforms — and she has done so at precisely the moment Sinn Féin can least afford the scrutiny.

Celebrating 25 Years of the Living Wage Campaign: With 1 in 6 jobs paid below the Living Wage in Northern Ireland Fair Pay Matters More Than Ever

Soapbox on March 9, 2026, 5:15 pm

| Readers 324

Mary McManus is the Regional Manager for Living Wage NI In 2001, in the City of London, faith leaders, union members and teachers staged a bold action in a major bank to demand a real Living Wage. That spark ignited a grassroots movement which, 25 years on, has created real change for workers across the UK. Over 16,000 employers across the UK now commit to the real Living Wage, returning £4.2 billion to low‑paid workers, delivering nearly half a million …

Navigating fraught legacies with trauma-informed archival practice

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on February 27, 2026, 11:46 am

| Readers 546

The Quill Project recently hosted a comprehensive event focusing on the examination of archival practice, care, and ethical responsibility in a post-conflict context. Hosted by the Quill Project — a digital humanities research enterprise based at Pembroke College, Oxford, which is currently focused on building an inclusive digital archive of the Northern Ireland peace process — the gathering at Holywell Trust in Derry/Londonderry was chaired by Barry Houlihan, an archivist at the University of Galway. The event featured a series …

The power of peacebuilding: McAleese’s personal toll and Hume’s enduring call for dialogue

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on February 23, 2026, 12:13 pm

| Readers 1414

The John and Pat Hume Foundation recently hosted a significant gathering at Clonard Monastery to reflect on the enduring legacy of John and Pat Hume in achieving peace and reconciliation in Ireland. Father Ciaran O’Callaghan, Vice-Director of Clonard, welcomed attendees on behalf of the Rector and community, noting the profound connection between the Hume Foundation and the Redemptorists. The event, broadcast globally to an online audience, featured former President of Ireland Dr Mary McAleese as the guest of honour. Broadcaster Jim …

An unavoidable truth : Irish Unity will be a brexit-style process

Brendan Heading on December 24, 2025, 4:29 pm

| Readers 5837

On a recent speaking engagement, Fintan O’Toole made the observation of how important it is to avoid an Irish unity process that ends up like the brexit process. This is a wish that other analysts and political reps have also highlighted. Brexit shows, they argue, the need for adequate preparation. Northern nationalism has upped its rhetoric on this in recent months – SF has been running a time to prepare campaign, and its representatives issue a request for the …

Its well past time for Stormont to act. Its time for gambling reform.

Soapbox on November 21, 2025, 2:06 pm

| Readers 977

Tim Cairns is a Senior Policy Manager for CARE Northern Ireland has a gambling problem. Around 3% of people here, roughly 47,000 adults, are experiencing gambling harm. To put that in perspective, there are more people in gambling harm in Northern Ireland’s six counties than in the whole of the twenty-six counties that comprise the rest of the island. The prevalence of gambling harm here is five times higher than England. The question that is not easy to answer is …

A celebration of music journalism and Belfast’s musical legacy

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on November 8, 2025, 10:23 am

| Readers 951

On a memorable evening at The Deer’s Head, music journalist Stuart Bailie launched his new book chronicling 40 years in music journalism — The Song is Nearly Over. The event featured an intimate conversation with Tim Wheeler of Ash, followed by closing reflections and a performance by Terry Hooley, the legendary founder of Good Vibrations record label. The evening brought together three generations of Northern Irish music history, weaving together stories of punk, Britpop, and the transformative power of music journalism. …