Author Archives: andypollak

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About andypollak

Irish Times journalist in Belfast and Dublin, 1981-1999. Founding director of Centre for Cross Border Studies, 1999-2013

As immigration issue becomes toxic, beware the hatred and cruelty of the European far right

Posted on Tuesday, 17 September, 2024 by andypollak

I have just returned from a holiday in Spain. The main news story while I was there was an argument between the central government in Madrid and the regional government in the Canary Islands about who should take responsibility for … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Ireland, Europe and the world, Republic of Ireland, Views from abroad | 2 Comments

‘Oh, ah, up the Ra’: they killed 1,771 people in the North and some gardaí too. Was it all worth it?

Posted on Thursday, 29 August, 2024 by andypollak

Young people chanting ‘Oh, ah, up the Ra’ is becoming commonplace in nationalist – and not-so-nationalist – Ireland. Primary age children were at it during the big homecoming parade for the Olympic team in Dublin earlier this month. And it … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Republic of Ireland, Sinn Fein | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Is Olympic success a sign that Ireland can be made attractive to Northern Protestants?

Posted on Wednesday, 14 August, 2024 by andypollak

In all the wonderful hype about Ireland’s four Olympic gold medallists, there was one aspect that went relatively unreported – at least here in the republic. The fact that two of them – Daniel Wiffen in the 800 metres swimming … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Ireland, Europe and the world, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland | 2 Comments

Cycling through the ‘hidden heartlands’ of this wondrous island

Posted on Wednesday, 31 July, 2024 by andypollak

July is the month I take a break from political commentary and go cycling around Ireland. Two years ago – with my friend David Ward – I cycled from Mizen Head in west Cork to Fair Head in north Antrim. … Continue reading →

Posted in General, The island environment | 4 Comments

We have a kind of peace in the North, but ingrained hatreds live on

Posted on Monday, 15 July, 2024 by andypollak

The results of the British general election in Northern Ireland confirmed what we already know. The DUP is in deep trouble: the loss of three of its heartland seats in Lagan Valley (the constituency of its former leader Sir Jeffrey … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Northern Ireland | 2 Comments

The dreadful state of the Northern Ireland health service: an argument for unity – or convergence?

Posted on Thursday, 27 June, 2024 by andypollak

I was at the big Ireland’s Future rally in Belfast earlier this month. The line-up of speakers was impressively broad and sometimes not obviously nationalist: from former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to former Alliance leader Lord John Alderdice, from the SDLP’s … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Northern Ireland | 1 Comment

Why I am glad to see the Sinn Féin vote cratering in the Republic

Posted on Thursday, 13 June, 2024 by andypollak

Regular readers of this blog will not be surprised when I say that I am glad to see the Sinn Féin vote cratering in the local and (to a lesser extent) European elections in the Republic. 12% in those local … Continue reading →

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

Something is happening in Ireland and it’s not pretty: the rise of an anti-immigration movement

Posted on Wednesday, 22 May, 2024 by andypollak

There is something happening in Ireland (the Republic) and it is not pretty. It is the mobilisation by far-right actors of anti-immigration sentiment in response to a sharp increase (from a low base) in the number of asylum seekers arriving … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Republic of Ireland | 2 Comments

One fan’s view of the farcical shenanigans of the Football Association of Ireland

Posted on Tuesday, 30 April, 2024 by andypollak

This blog is about football: not Gaelic football, but football as it is played by many millions of men and women around the world, the ‘beautiful game’ as it is played by Brazil and France and Argentina, at Real Madrid … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Republic of Ireland | 1 Comment

Two states, one system: a novel idea worth considering

Posted on Wednesday, 17 April, 2024 by andypollak

Regular readers of this blog will know that I like new ideas which go beyond the binary unionist-nationalist straitjacket which has dominated (and constrained) debate about the future of this island for most of the past hundred years. Thus over … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 1 Comment