Tag Archives: news

The people of the Republic need to talk about the changes they have to make before unity

Posted on Monday, 2 February, 2026 by andypollak

On the eve of Ireland’s presidential election in October Kevin Rafter, professor of political communication at Dublin City University, came up with a good idea. He urged the new president to “convene a forum to examine the positives and negatives … Continue reading →

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

A distinguished academic’s proposals for moving very carefully towards Irish unity

Posted on Wednesday, 17 September, 2025 by andypollak

Jennifer Todd is a distinguished academic. She is a former professor in UCD’s School of Politics and International Relations; former director of UCD’s Institute for British-Irish Studies, and currently a fellow at that university’s Geary Institute for Public Policy. She … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Irish reunification | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

‘The hate is starting to feel like a storm’ – when they start beating Indian immigrants, I am ashamed to be Irish

Posted on Wednesday, 6 August, 2025 by andypollak

For the past fortnight I have been ashamed to be Irish. The savage beating and humiliation of an Indian IT worker – only three weeks in this country – by a teenage gang in Tallaght provoked a series of messages … Continue reading →

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