Category Archives: Northern Ireland

Steven Agnew cleans Arlene Foster’s clock on gay marriage…

Well done to Green Party MLA Steven Agnew for setting DUP Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster straight that civil partnerships are NOT equal to marriage and that all religious symbolism or language in civil partnership ceremonies in the UK is banned … Continue reading

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Home Rule, Rome Rule and Gay Marriage

Crossposted at Slugger O’Toole… Last September, Unionists paraded in their tens of thousands through Belfast to celebrate the centenary of the Ulster Covenant. From the days of Lilibullero in the 17th Century, Ulster Protestantism has always had a particular genius … Continue reading

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A Return to Force Majeure as a Criterion on Parading?

Cross-posted at Slugger O’Toole… The current parades-related legislation is cumbersome and deeply irritating to many in Northern Ireland. Every procession with the sole exception of the Salvation Army must go through the process of filling out an 11/1 form and … Continue reading

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Leadership That’s Working?

Crossposted at Slugger O’Toole… 48, 48, and 48 – those are the nightmare numbers for Unionism. Not necessarily for the Union, but for Unionism the political ideology as we have understood it for the past century or so. In the … Continue reading

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Time for an End to the Convenient Lies of the Peace Process

Crossposted at Slugger O’Toole… People in Belfast like to be blasé about riots, as if they aren’t a big deal. Our gallows humour spawns #flegmovies memes on Twitter. But it’s OK to be frightened by riots. People in London are … Continue reading

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The youth vote: Cynicism of the first post-Troubles generation of voters

This article appeared in the Belfast Telegraph of 16 June 2012 Northern Ireland’s youngest adults have no memories of the worst of The Troubles. From September, new voters coming onto the electoral register will be people who were not even … Continue reading

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