Category Archives: Republic of Ireland

Theme for an all-island Values Forum: Love is the doctrine of this country?

Posted on Thursday, 20 February, 2025 by andypollak

I am going to return to the theme of my last blog earlier this month: the need for a forum to discuss not the constitutional politics which continue to divide the people of this island, but the values – peace, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cross-border cooperation, General, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Is it time to reconvene the 1994-1996 Forum for Peace and Reconciliation?

Posted on Tuesday, 4 February, 2025 by andypollak

Last week on the same day I was involved in two very interesting conversations about the way forward for this island. I had lunch with a young Belfast-born, Dublin-resident solicitor called Ross Neill. Neill is that rare thing: somebody from … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Irish reunification, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

One reason to vote Sinn Fein in this week’s election, and six reasons not to

Posted on Wednesday, 27 November, 2024 by andypollak
Posted in Republic of Ireland, Sinn Fein | 1 Comment

One reason to vote Sinn Fein in this week’s election, and six reasons not to

Posted on Sunday, 24 November, 2024 by andypollak

We in the South have a general election this week. The campaign has been an uninspiring one, with the three expected topics dominating debate: housing, the cost of living and (to a lesser extent) immigration. If you are under 35 … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Republic of Ireland, Sinn Fein | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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

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