Heaney’s poetry is full of surprises. It would appear that he knew everything about the flail, but he seemed to refuse to give it a poetic voice. Continue reading
Filed under Northern Ireland …
Ireland steps into EU spotlight as six-month presidency launches with Zelenskyy in attendance
Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the ceremony that Ireland’s accession to the EU ranks among the most transformative moments in the nation’s history, having “helped us grow our economy, invest in our communities and supported social changes.” He added, “Holding the presidency is an honor and a responsibility Continue reading
It’s Here! Census of The Irish Free State 1926: Mór-Áireamh Shaorstáit Éireann
His wife is reported in 1926 as being a ‘Delph shop-keeper’ on her ‘own account.’ This matches my mother’s story of the family having a shop. Continue reading
New Irish Australian Research: Irish Women in the Antipodes
What struck me particularly about these stories was the spirit and fight of women in the face of discrimination and adversity. Continue reading
A Really Embarrassing Moment at St. Pat’s
My students were full of energy, fun-loving and were certainly not vindictive or in any way mean, but they loved playing pranks… Continue reading
The Windsor framework: oven-ready fudge
The Windsor Framework replaces the Boris Johnson Protocol. What does it involve? Continue reading
Patrick Morrisey’s 50 Days in Ireland
Each visit to Ireland runs deeper than the last. Back in the 1980s, I met distant relatives before hitching around The Republic. When I felt the Atlantic’s chill, I retreated south towards the equator and finally home to The Great South Land. From August to early October 2022, I crisscrossed Ireland, listening to RTÉ and … Continue reading
Who Won the Elections for Northern Ireland Assembly?
Analysing the Results by Jeff Kildea Most of the reporting on the outcome of the elections in May for the 90-member Northern Ireland Assembly (NIA) has concentrated on Sinn Féin’s winning the highest number of seats and the highest proportion of first preference votes (FPVs). Some have called it ‘historical’ and have referred to a … Continue reading
A Cycle of Crisis and Collapse
Ironically, the Northern Ireland Assembly elections will resolve nothing, but they will set the parameters for what will happen next in this troubled land. Continue reading
Bloody Sunday: 50 years on
It was a sunny afternoon when 10,000 – 15,000 people joined together to take part in the march. The march began in the housing estate of Creggan and then made its way down the Bogside, which is the largely Catholic area just outside of Derry’s Old City walls. Continue reading