Dec 20, 2024 · Having won the Six Nations, tied a series with the Springboks in South Africa, and won 3 out of four November internationals, Ireland stands ranked #2 in the world, which is some improvement on our quarterfinal exit at the hands of New Zealand in the World cup in October 2023. That ranking can be deceptive, however. Ireland’s performance against the All Blacks at the World Cup was much ...

4 days ago · Finance Minister raises concern over employers’ National Insurance rise on public sector On Wednesday (22 January), Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald appeared before the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee in Westminster where she raised concern over a number “adverse” decisions in the Autumn Budget in relation …

Nov 23, 2024 · This is a quite different political autobiography. Most focus on the achievements of the office holder (often exaggerating their personal involvement and positioning them at the centre of significant political events). This book tells of ambition and failure culminating in bursting into tears in Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s office. Eoghan Murphy was the controversial Fine Gael housing minister ...

Oct 16, 2024 · From the BBC: The death of General Sir Mike Jackson will not be mourned by the families of those killed on Bloody Sunday, the chair of the Bloody Sunday Trust has said. Gen Jackson, who went on to become head of the Army, was a Parachute Regiment captain in Londonderry on 30 January 1972 when soldiers shot dead 13 civil rights demonstrators. He died aged 80 on Tuesday. The British Army said ...

Dec 20, 2024 · We are approaching the two year anniversary of the announcement of the Windsor Framework. Rishi Sunak at the time trumpeted the ‘Stormont Brake’ as the big concession he wrested from the European Union, though many Unionists (such as Jim Allister) have cast doubt on the efficacy of the mechanism since. Well, that mechanism is about to be put to test. As the BBC is reporting “Unionist ...

Apr 18, 2018 · This morning I came across this classic clip from The Monty Python and the Holy Grail film. Ever after 40 years, it is still a great send-up of our political system. Enjoy. A self-perpetuating autocracy King Arthur: Old woman! Dennis: Man. King Arthur: Man, sorry. What knight lives in that castle over there? Dennis: I’m 37. King Arthur: What? Dennis: I’m 37. I’m not old. King Arthur ...

Jan 10, 2025 · Younger readers won’t remember this but thirty years ago (yes, older readers, doesn’t time fly!) Allied Dunbar ran a TV ad where a middle-aged man finds a pregnancy test in the bathroom and immediately berates his teenage daughter about being careful only to find out it his wife who is pregnant. The ad then breaks into the 1930s Irving Berlin song, ‘There May be Trouble ahead’. If the ...

Jan 2, 2025 · More signs of the end times as a DUP MP defends the Latin Mass. Traditionally, the DUP have been no fans of the Catholic Church, with Ian Paisley famously branding the Pope the Antichrist and some DUP members even questioning if Catholics are even Christians. From the BelTel: A veteran DUP MP and Orangeman is being hailed by right-wing Catholic traditionalists after he pressed the Westminster ...

Jan 15, 2024 · I love this quote from a Brian Feeney column last week: In 1967 Enver Hoxha, the Albanian Stalinist dictator, said in his new year message: “This year will be harder than last year. On the other hand, it will be easier than next year.” Inspirational stuff indeed. A few tweets give a good overview of all that is not well on the good ship …

Jan 4, 2025 · A new article today from Sam McBride in ‘the Belfast Telegraph’ wherein he reveals that there have been ongoing talks regarding the holy grail of Unionist unity since 2022. The article, Secret DUP-UUP talks in 2022 failed –but unionist unity may now be closer than any time since 1971, is behind a paywall but is a very interesting read and if you are a subscriber to the Telegraph, please ...