Politics – Slugger O'Toole

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

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on April 7, 2023, 11:07 pm | Readers 1095

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 | Readers 635

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 | Readers 2880

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 | Readers 945

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 | Readers 2778

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 | Readers 7689

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 | Readers 1139

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)Peacebuilding a shared Northern Irish society ✌️ Editor 🔍 Writer ✏️ Photographer 📸 https://mrulster.com mrulster.com

Sinn Féin’s historical revisionism has nowhere to hide

Peter Farrelly on November 28, 2020, 5:21 pm | Readers 6118

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 2513

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 1210

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 1328

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 …

The new normal is an opportunity for Northern Ireland’s centre ground

Gareth Brown on June 9, 2020, 2:07 pm | Readers 1519

The centre ground in Northern Ireland has been a tough road for the last fifteen years. Rightly or wrongly, the truth is that our own version of it has been a somewhat half-hearted attempt to be brave enough to say that elections, as opposed to a border poll if and when there is one, need not necessarily be about securing the most nationalist or unionist votes. Recently, Irish economist David McWilliams when describing how Churchill had won the war but …

Asking the right questions for a better-informed public

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on February 4, 2020, 2:03 pm | Readers 970

Asking the right questions for a better-informed public by Allan LEONARD 28 January 2020 Representing FactCheckNI and as part of a four-person panel, I was invited to give evidence to the UK House of Lords Select Committee on Democracy and Digital Technologies. Fellow witnesses were Ed Humpherson (Director General for Regulation, Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR)), Will Moy (Chief Executive, Full Fact), and Jenni Sargent (Managing Director, First Draft). This was an extension of the committee’s previous call for written …

Lies and democracy: Who are the truth tellers?

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on December 9, 2019, 10:17 am | Readers 1095

Lies and democracy: Who are the truth tellers? by Allan LEONARD 6 December 2019 As part of the annual general meeting of NICVA, the umbrella body of the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland, there was a panel discussion on the topics of truth, trust, and how everyone engages with a bombardment of information. Entitled, “Lies and Democracy: The Fight for the Truth”, BBC Radio Ulster presenter, Seamus McKee, moderated the discussion with panellists Amanda Ferguson, John Barry, and …

The polite rebel: Sheelagh Murnaghan

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on October 6, 2019, 2:38 pm | Readers 2034

The polite rebel: Sheelagh Murnaghan by Allan LEONARD 3 October 2019 Sheelagh Murnaghan was the only Liberal Party MP (1961-69) in the Northern Ireland Parliament, representing the constituency of Queen’s University Belfast, which was the venue for a launch event of a new biography about her remarkable life. There were many Murnaghan family members in the audience of a few dozen attending. The book, Sheelagh Murnaghan, was commissioned by the Albert McElroy Memorial Fund, which was established to commemorate the …

For Northern Ireland: Parity of esteem and reconciliation

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on August 4, 2019, 4:03 pm | Readers 5895

For Northern Ireland: Parity of esteem and reconciliation by Allan LEONARD 1 August 2019 As part of the 31st annual Féile festival, Jim Gibney (a member of the Féile Debates and Discussions Committee) welcomed the audience of a couple dozen attendees of a panel discussion on what parity of esteem, reconciliation, and mutual respect means from those who are pro-Union. The panellists were Professor Peter Shirlow (Institute of Irish Studies, University of Liverpool), Dr James Wilson (Initiative for Civic Space), …

Country before Party? A UUP book launch discussion

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on January 26, 2019, 5:55 pm | Readers 2228

Image source: (c) Allan LEONARD @MrUlster

At the launch event for “The Ulster Unionist Party: Country before Party?” there was a roundtable discussion former-leader Mike Nesbitt, press officer Lauren Kerr and Alex Kane (its former director of communications). They discussed the party‘s performance, policies and appeal as well as its future role in Northern Ireland politics. Read about what was said and watch back the conversation.

Is it possible to be friends with someone who has opposing political views?

David McCann on November 22, 2018, 3:39 pm | Readers 2116

I have watched John McDonnell’s interview on Newsnight and the question of being friends with a member of the Conservative Party. Now it’s important to point out this exists across politics and not just here. Surveys in the United States have shown some people who are Republicans wouldn’t marry a Democrat and vice versa. In the age of politics becoming more polarised between differing factions it’s disheartening to see such tribalism. Why, I hear you ask? Because in the same …

Why do we need a government anyway?

Brian O'Neill on August 21, 2018, 11:26 am | Readers 3235

In 7 days we will overtake Belguim for the record of longest time without a government. Now putting aside the whole debate of do we have a government or regional assembly the big issue is no one seems to care. People are not exactly taking to the streets demanding the restoration of Stormont, so it is fair to conclude the general population could not give a monkies if it ever comes back. There is the wedeservebetter campaign but really what is …

“To change the riverflow of history”: Constitutional pasts and futures @UCDdublin #GFA20

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster) on May 10, 2018, 2:54 pm | Readers 806

“To change the riverflow of history”: Constitutional pasts and futures @UCDdublin #GFA20
by Allan LEONARD for Shared Future News
8 May 2018

Political and legal scholars, peacemakers and peacebuilders convened at the Royal Irish Academy to review and discuss potential constitutional relationships between Ireland and the United Kingdom, especially vis-a-vis Northern Ireland and the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and the import of Brexit.

Allan LEONARD (Mr Ulster)

Peacebuilding a shared Northern Irish society ✌️ Editor 🔍 Writer ✏️ Photographer 📸 https://mrulster.com