Category Archives: Northern Ireland

Why does economics matter so little in Northern Ireland?

Posted on Friday, 26 June, 2015 by andypollak

Why does economics seem to matter so little in Northern Ireland?  The biggest political debate in the UK’s contemporary history – whether or not to pull out of the European Union – is now taking centre stage in British politics … Continue reading →

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

Will the future be British and/or Irish federalism?

Posted on Tuesday, 26 May, 2015 by andypollak

The big story about the British general election – alongside the surprise overall majority for the Tories – was the extraordinary spectacle of all but three seats in Scotland being won by the Scottish National Party. If anybody thought after … Continue reading →

Posted in British-Irish relations, General, Northern Ireland | 1 Comment

A constructive Sinn Fein proposal to begin healing and reconciliation?

Posted on Monday, 27 April, 2015 by andypollak

I have been reading Uncomfortable Conversations, an interesting little book on reconciliation published by Sinn Fein earlier this month. It contains one rather good idea, but is also notable for what it leaves out. The booklet is largely based on a … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein | 1 Comment

Why Northern loyalists are running scared of a shared future

Posted on Thursday, 26 March, 2015 by andypollak

Returning to the fearfulness and narrowness of loyalist Belfast after a trip through the magnificent landscapes and massive social contradictions of South America is to come back to earth with a bump. But I had promised myself back in January … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Northern Ireland, Protestantism, unionism and loyalism | 1 Comment

To the Christmas miracle workers of the Stormont House Agreement – thank you

Posted on Friday, 26 December, 2014 by andypollak

Those of us who still believe that the Northern Ireland peace process, for all its faults and frustrations, is an extraordinary work in progress, received a surprise present two days before Christmas: another last minute, crisis-defusing, expert-defying, all-night final session … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Northern Ireland | 4 Comments

Is this the least known historic village in Ireland?

Posted on Sunday, 31 August, 2014 by andypollak

I come from Kells – not Kells in County Meath, nor Kells in County Kerry, but the twin villages of Kells and Connor in County Antrim. The fact that my father was Czech, that I grew up mainly in London … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Northern Ireland | 8 Comments

What happened to the North’s Progressive Presbyterians?

Posted on Friday, 1 August, 2014 by andypollak

My summer reading in recent weeks has been a fascinating book called Dissenting Voices: Recovering the Irish Progressive Presbyterian Tradition1, by the former head of the Simon Community in Northern Ireland, Roger Courtney. It features short biographies of 300 ‘progressive … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Northern Ireland, Protestantism, unionism and loyalism | Leave a comment

Are the Catholics taking over Northern Ireland (1)?

Posted on Friday, 24 January, 2014 by andypollak

Maybe the loyalist flag riots in Belfast 12 months ago weren’t so strange and unexpected after all. If you were a not very well-educated working class loyalist watching what was happening in Northern Ireland over the past decade or so … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Northern Ireland | 3 Comments

Seamus Heaney and the Unionists

Posted on Wednesday, 25 September, 2013 by andypollak

What more can be said about the wonderful human being and literary genius that was Seamus Heaney, the greatest Irish poet since W.B.Yeats and one of the finest people ever to come out of Northern Ireland? One thing I have … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Northern Ireland | 2 Comments