Author Archives: andypollak

Talking to a broad-minded sporting unionist who defies all the Southern stereotypes

Posted on Thursday, 9 March, 2023 by andypollak

Brian Dougherty is a unionist. This Derry community worker says he is more determined in his unionism than he has ever been. Yet in every other way he goes against the narrow stereotype that most people in the South have … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Northern Ireland, Protestantism, unionism and loyalism | 2 Comments

The new GAA president is that rare thing: an anti-sectarian Ulsterman

Posted on Tuesday, 21 February, 2023 by andypollak

I am going to stray into the unfamiliar territory of the Gaelic Athletic Association for this blog. As a sports-mad half-Irish boy growing up in London, my games were football (soccer in Ireland) and rugby (although I was occasionally seen … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Northern Ireland | 1 Comment

In this still deeply divided country, should we be talking about confederation?

Posted on Friday, 10 February, 2023 by andypollak

The former Tánaiste and Progressive Democrat leader, Michael McDowell, has been writing recently about confederation.1 I may not often agree with his views on social and economic issues, but I have always found his political analysis of the North to … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Irish reunification, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland | 3 Comments

A united Ireland will have to include unionists – so let’s get on with the difficult task of including them

Posted on Monday, 16 January, 2023 by andypollak

I will be surprised if I see a united Ireland in my lifetime (I am in my early seventies). But the direction of travel is unmistakable. The history-changing reasons have been well rehearsed: the growth of the Catholic population – … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Irish reunification, Northern Ireland, Protestantism, unionism and loyalism | 8 Comments

Now for something completely different: an optimistic story about climate change

Posted on Tuesday, 3 January, 2023 by andypollak

In the first week of January 2023 it is not easy to be optimistic. There is no obvious end to the cruel, grinding Russian war against Ukraine. Economic recession looms for the West. Climate change targets are being missed all … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Ireland, Europe and the world, The island environment, Views from abroad | Leave a comment

Why Micheál Martin’s speech was inspirational and why the Shared Island initiative matters

Posted on Tuesday, 20 December, 2022 by andypollak

Nobody would ever accuse the former Taoiseach, Micheál Martin (now Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs), of being an inspirational public speaker. But listening to his speech at the big Shared Island event in Dublin Castle earlier this month, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Cross-border cooperation, General, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland | 6 Comments

Ulster loyalism feeling abandoned, betrayed and in perpetual crisis

Posted on Thursday, 8 December, 2022 by andypollak

Ulster loyalism is in crisis – but then when in recent years has it not been in crisis? Opinion in working class and rural areas has hardened against the Northern Ireland Protocol, which has given DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Northern Ireland, Protestantism, unionism and loyalism | 3 Comments

A brilliant, hard-nosed look at moves towards Irish unity. Unionists beware!

Posted on Tuesday, 15 November, 2022 by andypollak

I have been reading Making Sense of a United Ireland by the University of Pennsylvania-based Irish political scientist Brendan O’Leary. This is an important book, rich in detail, truth-telling but also hard-nosed. It is the first deeply considered exploration of … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Irish reunification, Northern Ireland | 4 Comments

Is this columnist’s frightening republican vision shared by young Irish people?

Posted on Friday, 28 October, 2022 by andypollak

Una Mullally is a high profile Irish Times columnist: a gay left-wing feminist (although I have never seen or heard her describe herself as a socialist) who is particularly popular among the young. This is not surprising given that one … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Sinn Fein | 5 Comments

Is Ireland’s Future effectively a front for Sinn Fein? Or is that the wrong question?

Posted on Monday, 10 October, 2022 by andypollak

I was at the big Ireland’s Future ‘Preparing for a United Ireland:Together we can’ event at Dublin’s 3 Arena earlier this month. There was very little ‘preparing’ in the proceedings – it was more like a ‘Forward to the Promised … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Irish reunification, Sinn Fein | 7 Comments