One reason that I, originally from the southern nationalist tribe, became extremely fond of Ulster Protestants, was that mostly that they say what they mean Published: 22 December 2020 Culturally, my tribe is keen on what’s known as creative ambiguity. I’m not, not...
I’m very relieved that Secretary of State Brandon Lewis did not cave into the pressure from politicians at home and abroad by setting up a public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane. Published: 1 December 2020 He has not said there will never be such an inquiry,...
Published: 26 november 2020 Four of Northern Ireland’s political parties (Sinn Fein, the equally nationalist but anti-violence SDLP, the Greens and the liberal Alliance) have sent a letter to Secretary of State Brandon Lewis calling for a public inquiry into the 1989...
Published: 16 November 2020 Is the US-UK relationship imperiled by Joe Biden’s deep affection for Ireland, which is furious with the UK over Brexit? Superficially, at least, Boris Johnson has some reason to be concerned. First, the argument goes, there are those...
I’m not a great fan of Michael D. Higgins, mainly because he sometimes lets his ego and his socialist ideology obtrude grossly on his usually good performance as Irish president — a job which requires him to be above politics. Published: 24 November 2020 For instance,...
Liam Kennedy’s astonishing book Who Was Responsible For the Troubles? begins with his attendance at a play at the West Belfast festival in 1999 with the novelist Lionel Shriver and me. Published: 17 November 2020 I remember the occasion well, for ‘Forced Upon Us’ was...
Trump may be on his way out, which I find hard to regret, but Trumpism, fortunately, is alive and well Published: 10 November 2020 This was the second US election in a row where I didn’t know which candidate I most wanted to lose. With a choice between the incumbent...
In 2019 I was a guest speaker — the warm-up act for Kevin Myers, a great journalist who had been professionally destroyed by a Twitter mob — at a reunion in the Clogher Valley of ex-members of the Ulster Defence Regiment. Published: 3 November 2020 On the face of it,...
The views of so-called contrarians are as valid as anyone, even if they grate with liberals, says Ruth Dudley Edwards Published: 8 December 2019 I wrote this last week on a Facebook post with a link to gript.ie: “I’ve only just found this forum for Irish...
Published: 29 November 2019 Two pieces of good news for beleaguered journalists today. Like anyone fearful about the imminent Corbyn Terror, I listened nervously this morning to Boris Johnson being mauled on LBC by Nick Ferrari and a selection of vexed phoners-in....
