Politics – Slugger O'Toole

‘A feasible bite out of a big apple’: outcomes from ARINS/Irish Times North-South surveys 2024

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on March 14, 2025, 4:22 pm

| Readers 1462

The ARINS (Analysing and Researching Ireland, North and South) project recently held its first event in Belfast, focusing on constitutional futures and the socio-political landscape of a potential United Ireland. After a keynote presentation by Professor Brendan O’Leary, discussions, insights, and reflections were made by fellow panellists Professor John Garry, Dr Jamie Pow, and Dr Dawn Walsh. The event was a collaborative effort with the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at Queen’s University Belfast. …

‘A floating process’: drafting the Downing Street Declaration

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on December 15, 2023, 10:22 am

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The thirtieth anniversary of the Downing Street Declaration was marked by a panel discussion organised by ARINS (Analysing and Researching Ireland, North and South) and held at the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) in Dublin. RIA member Professor Katy Hayward chaired the conversation with Professor Ian McBride, Seán O’Huiginn, and Sir Jonathan Stephens. The event was in support of the Quill Projects at Pembroke College, Oxford; Writing Peace is bringing together archives, private papers, and oral histories from across the political …

GRACE: measuring trust for better community relations

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on October 17, 2023, 11:52 am

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On the International Day of Peace, as part of Good Relations Week, research undertaken through a partnership between the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations (Coventry University) and Community Relations in Schools (CRIS) was launched. The research examines the role of trust-building in school-based reconciliation initiatives: “Trust, while taken for granted as important, has not been deeply unpacked or examined to better understand its more particular role in facilitating a move towards reconciliation,” declared the organisers, and the panel …

‘Building anew’: sharing lessons of transition in Germany and Ireland

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on October 10, 2023, 11:50 am

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A conference to mark Germany Unity Day was held at the Royal Irish Academy, co-hosted by ARINS (Analysing and Researching Ireland, North and South), Maynooth University, and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Dublin. Two panel discussions explored practical matters of transition in Germany while being alert to and making attempts to avoid and/or counter societal polarisation in any transformation process. The German Ambassador to Ireland, Cord Meier-Klodt, said that for him the focus of the day’s …

Constructive journalism is ‘pressing, urgent, and needed everywhere’: inaugural B° Future Festival

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on September 21, 2023, 9:54 am

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The Bonn Institute hosted an inaugural, two-day B° Future Festival for journalism and constructive dialogue, held in the city’s LVR LandesMuseum. The first day for registered delegates was conducted mainly in English and discussed various dimensions of constructive journalism — such as focusing on human experiences and solutions, trauma-informed interviewing, community engagement workflows, and the business case for newsrooms. The second day was opened up to the general public, with a long list of information and practical sessions at various …

The impermanence of land and legacy

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on July 29, 2023, 7:12 am

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Impermanence is a collection of essays by writers from or living in Northern Ireland. Its co-editor, Neil Hegarty led a discussion at a John Hewitt International Summer School event, with contributors Jan Carson, Susan McKay, and Nandi Jola, reflecting upon the book’s themes and suggesting ways of looking at our past, present, and future. Neil Hegarty provided context for the book. He was in Paris and witnessed the burning of Notre Dame, which made him think about the loss of …

GFA and Windsor Framework ‘tributes to complexity’: McDonagh at JHISS

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on July 26, 2023, 4:53 pm

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At the opening address of this year’s John Hewitt International Summer School in Armagh, Bobby McDonagh, former Irish Ambassador to the UK and Permanent Representative to the EU, explored themes of the nature of identity, the beauty of complexity, the power of language, and reasons for optimism in the future of society on this island. McDonagh began with reference to this year’s chosen poem by John Hewitt, “An Irishman in Coventry”, written in 1958. The poem deplored “The glittering fables/Which …

Opsahl Commission 30th anniversary: ‘civic poetry’ still yielding insights

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on July 24, 2023, 9:15 am

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Laurence Simms (joint secretary of the British-Irish Secretariat) hosted a reception to mark the 30th anniversary of the Opsahl Commission, which invited and gathered oral and written submissions from individuals and civil society organisations about their suggestions for the way forward in Northern Ireland. Several dozen guests at the Notting Hill residence listened to reflections by various participants of the initiative and shared their stories with each other afterwards. Simms welcomed all who travelled long and short to attend. Remarking …

‘A long-term devotion to complexities’: women, art and activism

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on June 7, 2023, 4:47 pm

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As part of the Belfast Photo Festival and hosted by the Ulster Museum, several panels of women spoke about how the realms of artistic practice and activism have evolved over recent decades, with consideration of future change. National Museums NI curator, Anna Liesching, explained to the audience of several dozen that the motivation for the day-long symposium was the current exhibition of work by Hanna Starkey, a collection of 21 two-metre portraits of peace women. The first panel theme was …

‘Human peace wall’ marks Good Friday Agreement’s 25th anniversary

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on April 7, 2023, 11:07 pm

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A “human peace wall” event at a Belfast interface marked the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. About 100 people lined up from the Falls Road to the Shankill Road end on Northumberland Street, forming a line of solidarity across the community. They stood still for 25 seconds, to mark the years since the peace accord was agreed upon. The event was organised by New Life City Church and the Falls Residents’ Association. After some singing and prayers by …

WATCH: Slugger TV – a vision for North Belfast #looknorth23

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 1, 2023, 3:00 pm

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David McCann sitting beside Nuala McAllister, Phillip Brett and Allison Morris during recording of Slugger TV at the Look North festival.

This month’s edition of Slugger TV was filmed in front of a live audience as part of the Look North! The North Belfast Festival last Saturday 25 February. You can catch it here, or sit back, kick your slippers off and enjoy it on the tellybox this evening: NVTV at 8pm (Freeview channel 7; Virgin channel 159). Local politicians Nuala McAllister (Alliance) and Phillip Brett (DUP) explained their vision for their North Belfast constituency. They were joined by journalist Allison …

Slugger TV looks at Ground Hog Day in Politics

David McCann on February 3, 2023, 2:38 pm

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Sarah Creighton talking on Slugger TV from the nvTv studio

February 2 was Groundhog Day. Sarah Creighton joined Alan Meban in the studio to discuss whether there are any signs of change in the political stalemate that’s gripped Northern Ireland for last year, and they looked ahead to how the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement will be marked in April and the upcoming local government elections in May. You can come along to the next Slugger TV recording at the Look North! The North Belfast Festival by booking your space here David …

Media’s role in mediating our ‘different psychic landscapes’

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on October 22, 2022, 11:58 am

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A set of current and former journalists shared their experiences and thoughts on the role of media and social debate across the island of Ireland. Hosted by the Irish Association, the event “Journalism without borders” attracted several dozen, including other journalists and commentators. The discussion explored what we think the public knows about society on both sides of the border, and why or why not that is the case. Indeed, Stephen Douds (president of the Irish Association) explained in his introduction a motivation …

‘Just drawing support’ — Bill Rolston’s latest catch of mural hunting

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on August 15, 2022, 8:56 am

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Bill Rolston published the first volume of Drawing Support in 1992, which contained images of 100 murals from the previous decade. Thirty years later, the fifth volume has just been published, and at a Feile an Phobail event Rolston spoke about his never-ending “mural hunting”, accompanied by recollections of muralist Danny Devenny. Claire Hackett welcomed and informed the audience that in addition to the latest and previous volumes of Drawing Support available for sale here, Rolson, with Robbie McVeigh, are …

‘The South is not ready for unification’: Andy Pollak

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on August 1, 2022, 8:50 am

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The theme for the 35th John Hewitt International Summer School was “Finding the national: redefining home and country for a shared future”, which asked how much “home”, “country”, “identity”, and “nation” matter, or should matter in a shared future, and the experience of those who feel excluded from existing political structures. Speaking at the Market Place Theatre and Arts Centre in Armagh, journalist and civil activist Andy Pollak presented an appropriate talk, “The South is not ready for unification”. He …

#AE22 Photo Gallery

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on May 7, 2022, 8:05 pm

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I’m making the most of my media pass taking photos at the election count at the Titanic Exhibition Centre, for my own endeavours. But sharing them here out of interest. I’ll add more later tonight, but the rumour is that they’ll call time here at 10.00pm. Some fresh images from today’s continuation of the count at the Titanic Exhibition Centre: Final shots: Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster)PhD Researcher @UlsterUni | Managing Editor @SharedFuture | Board Member @FactCheckNI | Photographer 📸 | …

Sinn Féin’s historical revisionism has nowhere to hide

Peter Farrelly on November 28, 2020, 5:21 pm

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Trying to rewrite history is never a good idea. So when Sinn Féin’s official social media account claimed at the weekend that “On this day in 1905 Sinn Féin was founded” and proceeded to say that on that day “we outlined our position”, it naturally raised a few eyebrows within the historian community. The thing is with historians, they are fact-based people, so if you lie about something in history they will ruthlessly expose you for it. The backlash to …

In the absence of real deterrents, you’ll catch more students with honey than with vinegar

Gareth Brown on September 17, 2020, 12:34 pm

| Readers 2519

It would be difficult to look at the scenes from the Holylands of Belfast in the last number of days and not be very concerned. Scores of students partying until the early hours of the morning caused understandable frustration and fury among residents and a media furore. Either the young people in question do not fully understand the risk to themselves and others around them, or, the public awareness campaign is not persuading them sufficiently, or, they both understand and …

Happy Birthday Emmanuel Goldstein

Dan Payne on August 12, 2020, 8:00 am

| Readers 1380

Scapegoating is always so helpful in politics, is it not? It’s so cost-effective, and saves so much trouble. Rather than admit to your audience that there are no easy solutions to the problems facing your people, and that things are a lot more complicated than was previously thought, all you need to do is affect some fake moral outrage and point the finger at [insert identifiable target here]. The practice has been used as long as politics has existed, of …

A passion for social justice: Tribute to Anne MOORE

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on August 8, 2020, 1:28 pm

| Readers 1387

Anne Moore will be remembered for her passion for social justice. I met Anne during my employment as a policy officer for the Alliance Party as I sought out the views of a valued stakeholder, NICVA, where she served as public affairs officer. Anne and I had plenty of enjoyable conversations and discussions on official as well as unofficial business matters—we would frequently diverge to global and philosophical perspectives. I regret that we didn’t continue such conversations as our careers …