Tag Archives: Northern Ireland

A wise and balanced examination of unity by two of Ireland’s finest journalists

Posted on Wednesday, 12 November, 2025 by andypollak

Fintan O’Toole is the nearest thing Ireland gets to a public intellectual: a writer of erudition and intellect who tackles the political and cultural issues of the day and of the nation through a widely read column in a prestigious … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Irish reunification, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Heather Humphreys’ big missed opportunity: to be the candidate of the whole Irish people

Posted on Thursday, 23 October, 2025 by andypollak

If the opinion polls are right, it looks as though Catherine Connolly will win tomorrow’s Irish presidential election by a distance. I believe Heather Humphreys missed a big opportunity: to take on some of John Hume’s mantle and put herself … Continue reading →

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

Belfast is not Gaza: we should be grateful for our extraordinary and hard-won peace

Posted on Monday, 13 October, 2025 by andypollak

As I write, we are waiting for Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners to be released as part of the first phase of the miraculous peace agreement in Gaza brokered triumphantly by President Donald Trump. And I am reading a New … Continue reading →

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The Orange Order is part of Ireland and will be part of a united Ireland – we need to build bridges to it, not demonise it

Posted on Monday, 29 September, 2025 by andypollak

The Mail on Sunday (Irish edition) is not everybody’s idea of a truth-telling newspaper (that’s an understatement). They had a front-page ‘exclusive’ earlier this month entitled ‘Humphreys Husband’s Secret Orange Order Past’ about the Fine Gael presidential candidate Heather Humphreys’ … Continue reading →

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

Why did 20th century Irish governments make so many mistakes when dealing with the North and unity?

Posted on Wednesday, 27 August, 2025 by andypollak

Much of my summer reading this year has been 20th century Irish history, and the work of superb historians like Alvin Jackson, Paul Bew, Diarmaid Ferriter, Oliver MacDonagh and others. One thing that has struck me forcibly is how many … Continue reading →

Posted in British-Irish relations, General, Irish reunification, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

Is it fanciful to imagine that Donegal might serve as a model for a harmonious united Ireland?

Posted on Thursday, 24 July, 2025 by andypollak

Is it totally fanciful to imagine that Donegal might serve as a model for a harmonious united Ireland? I have just returned after a week’s cycling in that beautiful northernmost county, where this unlikely notion was among my passing thoughts … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Irish reunification, Protestantism, unionism and loyalism, Republic of Ireland, The island environment | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

We need to take a hard look at the Irish ‘Revolution’ and its relevance today if we’re contemplating unity

Posted on Tuesday, 8 July, 2025 by andypollak

One of the recurring themes of this blog is that the people and politicians of the Republic are utterly unprepared for the arrival of around 800,000 Northern Protestants and unionists into a united Ireland, and must do some hard thinking … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Irish reunification, Republic of Ireland | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

My home town of Ballymena is a citadel of racism and bigotry

Posted on Friday, 13 June, 2025 by andypollak

Ballymena is my home town. I left it as a small child when my parents took me to London, and I have lived for most of the past 50 years in Dublin. But, for better or worse, it still has … Continue reading →

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

I believe that Gerry Adams is one of the world’s great liars

Posted on Monday, 2 June, 2025 by andypollak

The cynic would say that politicians always lie. But, led by the example of the current President of the United States, we are in an era of political leaders speaking astonishing untruths to a degree that I have never witnessed … Continue reading →

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