One overlooked aspect of the Eames Bradley report on the past was the charge that the churches have a responsibility for sectarianism. [You'll note that there is a new player format here now. It's a bit brash, I know, but I'll find something more suited to the genteel people who visit this site.] Rev Lesley [...]
Archive for the ‘Politics, Northern Ireland’ Category
The Churches and the Troubles
Posted in Politics, Northern Ireland, Religion on November 16, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Digging
Posted in Culture and Society, Politics, Northern Ireland on November 13, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
There can be few more grim and ghoulish jobs than sifting a wet and mucky bog for a body. Those who consigned Gerry Evans and others into the dark grime in remote country areas intended that those bodies would never be found. And the most benign interpretation of their failure now to give precise location [...]
Checkpoint
Posted in Politics, Northern Ireland on August 26, 2009 | 1 Comment »
One thing can be said with confidence about the decision of dissident republicans to mount a checkpoint in South Armagh on Friday: they had made the judgement that it would be safe for them to block the road and to display weapons in the open air. That judgement was vindicated. They were right. A PSNI [...]
Libyan Days
Posted in Culture and Society, Politics, Northern Ireland on April 29, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Northern Irish politicians are campaigning for compensation from the Libyan government for their having armed the IRA. I wish them every success. But if they encounter a certain Colonel Juma, I’d love them to ask him if he remembers me. In the early 1980s I taught English to conscripts of the Libyan Air Defence Forces. [...]
Plain speaking?
Posted in Politics, Northern Ireland on March 15, 2009 | 5 Comments »
The problem is that Sinn Fein is still bound by myths, must pay homage to its own fallen heroes and must try to persuade the base that it is still republican, though it is no more republican now than British Labour is socialist.
How do you solve a problem like Maria?
Posted in Politics, Northern Ireland on December 3, 2008 | 3 Comments »
The risk of Maria Gatland (as she is now known) being shot is low – about as low as the risk to Mark Gartland and Sean O’Callaghan. I don’t see them relaxing their security.
Empty churches
Posted in Politics, Northern Ireland, Religion, tagged Ireland, Religion on October 23, 2008 | 4 Comments »
BBC discussion on religion The BBC has been running a series of items on the decline of religion in Ireland. They invited me onto a podcast panel and this is the end result. I thought they had pulled me in because they had read my new book, but no; just a coincidence.
Hunger
Posted in Politics, Northern Ireland, Religion, tagged Politics, terrorism on October 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Vox Pop I was at the premier of the Steve McQueen film Hunger last night in Belfast and recorded this vox pop with people coming out. I think their fresh responses to the film give a sense of the power of it and the readiness of audiences to believe in its integrity. Many questions have [...]
Old enemies making up?
Posted in Politics, Northern Ireland, Religion, Uncategorized, tagged Politics, religon, sectarianism on September 7, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
The Catholic Church and the Orange Order They haven’t exactly settled their differences but they are trying to be friends. When Cardinal Brady thanked the Orangement for their efforts at conciliation, the Orangemen – some of them – were positively chuffed.
Lord Bew on Burntollet
Posted in Politics, Northern Ireland on August 8, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Paul Bew said at the John Hewitt Summer School last week that the Burntollet March may have been ‘the spark that lit the prairie fire’ i.e. the clash that started the Northern Ireland Troubles. He has come under flak for this on blogs. I interviewed him for the Sunday Sequence programme and – as we [...]
Welcome
This is the blog of my journalism and recordings, with some extracts from my books too. I tend to sound off on Northern Ireland Politics and Culture. Some of the work here will be recent journalism, articles that have appeared in the Belfast Telegraph or elsewhere, but there is a lot of material going back a couple of years now, so please hang around and browse. Malachi
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