Reflecting on Northern Ireland at 100 years

Reflecting on Northern Ireland at 100years Of the 100 years since Northern Ireland was formed, I, as an Ulsterman born in the sound of Lambeg drums, have spent over one third of its existence, in the Republic of Ireland. The rationale of Northern Ireland was an...

Reflection on Northern Ireland at 100 years

Reflection on Northern Ireland at 100 years  How did we get here? The creation of Northern Ireland looks, to me, as cynical and short-sighted as Brexit. But the ensuing problems served only to protect those who could protect themselves. By “offshoring” the question of...

Reflection on Northern Ireland at 100 years

‘Reflection on Northern Ireland at 100 years’ I was born into a Protestant and Unionist family in Ballymoney in 1953. Some family members were in the loyal orders and “B” Specials. Early in life I imbibed a unionist and orange mindset, but was brought up...

Reflection on Northern Ireland at 100 years

Reflection on Northern Ireland at 100 years Identity Matters… “So, what are you, Danielle?” asked my 10-year-old friend, Grainne as we walked up the town to deliver a message for her mum to the nun at the local chapel. We were purposefully taking our time as we felt...

Reflecting on Northern Ireland at 100 years

Commemorating 100 years of Northern Ireland evokes conflicting emotions. For those who lived through the ‘Troubles’, the Good Friday Agreement seems much more recent than 1998.The pallor of suffering and enmity still casts its shadow. The diminution, if not complete...