I am just back from a short break in sunny Fermanagh. As my main photo shows, when the sun is shining there are few places more beautiful. Fermanagh has massive potential to increase tourism, it could be a real growth industry for an area that has had its economic issues in the past. I had some thoughts I wanted to share about the main town Enniskillen. These are only my impressions as a visitor; I would appreciate input from locals. …
Waiting for Godot on the border, billboards and cross-border chess: the 6th Happy Days International Beckett Festival takes stock ahead of Brexit. The first line of Samuel Beckett’s famous play reads: ”Nothing to be done“. The characters go round in circles, both verbally and physically, are disorientated, are forever waiting for something to happen but it never does. They want to move forward but instead remain fixed in the same spot. Sound familiar?
Education Minister John O’Dowd’s unilateral decision to close Enniskillen Collegiate and Portora Royal School, both state Grammar schools, has left the people of Enniskillen questioning the motivations of all involved. This follows closely the decision to close Lisnaskea High, where again people were left scratching their heads at the decision. Both the Collegiate and Portora are popular with parents and pupils, academically successful and operating well within their means. In addition to the excellent academic reputation of the Collegiate it …
Growing up during the 90s the Troubles more something I read about, rather than experienced. I have researched cabinet files, watched documentaries and talked with participants from all sides in the Troubles. But one man whom I never got the opportunity to speak with and who for me stands out as the single greatest hero of the Troubles was Gordon Wilson. Gordon was man whom was subjected to something that no person should ever have to experience was holding his …
Around a hundred 16-25 year olds from across Ireland converged on the G8 summit site a month early to put together a shared vision of the top four issues they wanted the G8 leaders to address. Before they left, the young people attending the G8 Youth Summit presented their ideas to the British Secretary of State, US Consul General, as well as representatives of the NI Assembly, Irish government, the EU and other civic and church leaders. While the G8 …
The Happy Days Enniskillen International Beckett Festival makes the pages of the New York Times. From the New York Times article The Happy Days festival has a budget of £300,000 (about $474,400), of which the greatest part comes from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, with smaller contributions from London 2012 and the local Enniskillen council. “On the one hand, it’s a very tight budget for the diversity and scale of the program,” Mr. …
As the Irish Times notes, the inaugural five-day Happy Days Enniskillen International Beckett Festival is under way. Launched yesterday by the Northern Ireland Tourism Minister, the DUP’s Arlene Foster, as part of the NI2012 “Our time, our place” programme. Funded by the NI Tourist Board, Arts Council of NI National Lottery funds, the London 2012 Olympic Festival, and Fermanagh District Council, it’s promising to be “the world’s first annual festival to celebrate the work and influence of Nobel Prize-winning writer Samuel …
Via Newshound. As Liam Clarke notes on the political reaction to his report on the Historical Enquiries Team’s findings on Loughgall The past is often treated like a political football. Politicians take sides and blame the referee if he does not agree with them. The Historical Enquiries Team is a case in point. Up to now it has been mainly loyalists who have cursed this ref, accusing him of picking on them and turning a blind eye to republican foul …
As a result of Pete’s blog on the Clinton Centre, it seems Slugger may have accidentally discovered an EU project that has previously breached its funding criteria: We have taken advice in relation to the funding conditions and as a result are not in a position to host activity by any political party [added emphasis] The centre has hosted at least two events for the SDLP. So were they wrong in their rejection of the SF event or admitting they’ve …
