For the rest of the world, Northern Ireland already has a notorious reputation for religious intolerance and sectarian hatred. This well-worn yarn tells of ancient enmities dividing Irish Catholics and…
Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams was arrested by the Police Service of Northern Ireland for questioning over an abduction and murder committed in Belfast in 1972. He maintains his innocence and after four…
By any standards, the murder of Jean McConville stands out during the troubles. She was a mother of 10 with no connection to the violence. She was killed by the IRA, who did not admit to the killing but…
Northern Ireland’s oldest joke is that a man is asked, “Are you Protestant or Catholic?” to which he replies, “Actually I’m Jewish”. His questioner responds: “Yes but are you a Protestant or a Catholic…
Northern Ireland’s first minister, Peter Robinson, threatened to resign over the issue of secret pardons granted to IRA fugitives, referred to as “on the runs” (OTRs), during the negotiation of the Good…
It’s an all-too familiar scenario: the Northern Ireland Assembly in “crisis”, rocked by the latest high-profile scandal that sends elected representatives into meltdown, scrambling for superlatives to…
One of the more intriguing disclosures brought about by the 30-year release of UK state papers last week was a 1984 proposal to re-partition Northern Ireland. The plan found its way to the desk of then…
It is groundhog day in Northern Ireland. We have just witnessed another extraordinary investment of time and energy in attempting to reach agreement between the opposing factions. But despite the expertise…
Both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are taking steps towards new regulations for the sex work industry, principally aimed at better protecting victims of coercion and trafficking. However…
Northern Ireland’s transition from intractable division to peaceful co-existence has been remarkable. In a conflict that has claimed the lives of 3,529 people, any attempt at building an enduring peace…
Tens of thousands of farmed salmon are dead after a swarm of mauve stinger jellyfish swept through an open-ocean salmon farm in Ireland. Tourists in France and Spain must contend with these summer visitors…
The critical importance of the Irish presidency was underscored by current incumbent in an address to the Global Irish Economic Forum earlier this month. President Mary MacAleese welcomed 270 delegates…