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Wild Woods Of Tyrone
Kilsally`s thoughts on Life, Culture and Northern Ireland
June 24, 2010
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Kilsally
Ulster-Scots enthusiast, born again Christain, Orangeman, Ulsterman, Loyalist, Unionist, Carer, Technician.
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Slugger- “the UK does not want to see border posts for any purpose…” August 16, 2017Quickly, here’s a resume of Theresa May’s piece in the Irish News today: On the citizenship rights guaranteed by the Belfast Agreement, our position is clear. Northern Ireland remains an integral part of the United Kingdom, but it is also the permanent birthright of the people of Northern Ireland to hold both British and Irish more...Mick Fealty
- Some bold solutions, several welcome “principles” on dealing with the Irish border. The British paper in full is a serious document August 16, 2017The British paper on the border is at last the meaty document long called for. It makes a several bold and practical suggestions for a seamless border but leaves much up in the air, laying down “ principles” for future negotiations. Many of these go far beyond the Irish border issues to the heart of more...Brian Walker
- What role do consultants play in health service waiting lists? August 16, 2017Seanin Graham’s exclusive in the Irish News “Desperate Patients Pay for Eastern Europe Ops” highlights a persistent problem in our Health Service; lengthening waiting lists. She focuses on the use by local patients of surgical services in other European states and identifies the lengths some will go to improve their situation. She has identified the more. […]Terry Maguire
- Tackling Educational Underachievement: Poverty, Selection & Comparative Levels of Attainment for Poorest Boys August 16, 2017Last month, I wrote about the welcome improvement in the number of poorer Protestant boys (Free School Meal Entitled) who have secured 5 ‘good’ GCSEs when compared with the figures from previous years. This formed part of a broader article in which I outlined the need to recognize the existence of two underlining themes if more...Chris Donnelly
- If there is to be a hard border, it will be the EU that imposes it, say the British August 16, 2017No surprise then that little new has emerged in the British paper on the border. It’s right that as we shape the unprecedented model, we have some very clear principles. Top of our list is to agree upfront no physical border infrastructure – that would mean a return to the border posts of the past more...Brian Walker
- The 70th anniversary of the 1947 Education Act has lessons for the DUP August 15, 2017On a different tack the Bel Tel recently published a second article showing unionists in government in a more favourable light. This time it’s an article by Prof Graham Walker of QUB on the 70th anniversary of the the passage of the 1947 Education Act. Would that today’s Stormont could agree on effective measures to more...Brian Walker
- More than a hint of things to come on the Irish border August 15, 2017Once this period expires, the UK will look to agree either a “highly streamlined” border with the EU, or a new “partnership” with no customs border at all. This is the most optimistic reading of London’s proposal for “a temporary customs union.” introduced by David. It gives a pretty broad clue of what they’ll propose more...Brian Walker
- UK Government publishes its Customs Union proposals August 15, 2017The UK Government has begun producing a serious of papers outlining its post-Brexit vision for relations between the UK and the European Union. The 14 page document outlines how the UK will seek a transitional period before attempting to set up a system that gives it basically the same access that it has now. There more...David McCann
- “in just the same way that nationalists in Northern Ireland can’t permanently settle for their Irish/nationalist identity being simply recognised and accommodated in part of the United Kingdom…” August 15, 2017In yesterday’s News Letter, Alex Kane, in effect, calls ‘bullshit’ on Sinn Féin’s latest pronoucements on a new united Ireland… and, perhaps, the political psychosis that unlies their thinking. That’s without addressing the question of the authority to offer any such constitutional guarantees and/or the willingness, or ability, to deliver them. [It’s ‘Blu […]Pete Baker
- No Irish unity to be got from leaning on the idle end of a long handled shovel August 15, 2017Fintan O’Toole in the Irish Times has something useful to say on the matter of Sinn Fein’s latest push for a United Ireland. (Remember how we were told last June’s general election was to be a poll on whether to have a border poll?) In particular, this: In the context of Ireland’s future, 50 per more...Mick Fealty
- Scenario Four: Doing Less, More Efficiently: Overview. August 15, 2017Scenario Four presents a radical new modus operandi for the European Union. From this avenue, we would see the EU focus its time and resources on delivering more (and faster) in targeted policy areas, while doing less in areas which have traditionally proved to be difficult in forming consensus. In this scenario, the EU27 recognize more...Neale Richmond
- People waiting less than a year in England for surgery compared to five years in Northern Ireland… August 14, 2017Great article by Seanín Graham in today’s Irish News about the ever expanding waiting list for medical operations in Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland patients are waiting on average five years for routine operations. This compares to less than a year in England. From the article: It emerged that one million patients are now waiting more...Brian O'Neill
- More than a wider vision of unionism is needed to take us through Brexit August 14, 2017This article in the Belfast Telegraph by John Wilson Foster is an honourable fret about unionist identity in the light of Brexit. Foster’s answer to the problems of Brexit appears to lie in the creation of a wider unionism closer to British norms. So far so good, but only so far. In his own terms more...Brian Walker
- Expert forum to advise on the misuse of Dáil privilege… August 14, 2017This was launched whilst I was away, but it’s long overdue. I’m pretty certain Dail privilege is cast iron guaranteed via Article 15.10 of the Irish Constitution, but that guarantee has been used to launch attacks on individuals outside parliament. So Ceann Comhairle Sean O’Fearghaíl (the Dail’s first freely elected ‘speaker’) has announced the establishment […]Mick Fealty
- The UK proposals on the border likely to underwhelm, as the Ref 2 debate hots up August 13, 2017Theresa May has had the temporary excuse of being on holiday to explain away the continuing churn over Brexit inside and outside the government. No more. She returns from holiday this week. Little to comfort her awaits. Rather than a produce a rallying cry the promised publication of several major Brexit policy documents by midweek more...Brian Walker
- The modern management obsession with targets is missing the point… August 12, 2017Being told to grasp the bull by the horns is usually a management metaphor for getting on with the job. In my line of work as a country vet, it’s just as likely to be a reality. A significant part of my time is spent Tuberculosis testing cattle as a subcontractor to the department of more...Soapbox
- Major survey shows deep confusion in UK opinion over Brexit August 12, 2017Extracts from the BuzzFeed report Many Remain voters now largely agree that Brexit should mean the UK taking full control over its borders, leaving the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, and paying only a small “divorce bill” to the EU, according to major new academic research. A groundbreaking project by the London School more...Brian Walker
- Are we seeing spin to reduce the scale of the RHI scandal? August 11, 2017It seems moves are afoot to massage down the estimate of the RHI overspend and thus presumably the damage to Arlene Foster and her official and party advisers. The “ new” information reported by Jonny Bell in the Bel Tel dates from January and is therefore not new but newly exposed, we’re told. (Stand by more...Brian Walker
- Soapbox – LGBT Interfaith Dialogue – finding welcome within faith? August 11, 2017SOAPBOX – What place can LGBT people find in religious life in NI. Jonathan McMurray went along to an interfaith dialogue during Belfast Pride and to his surprise found a welcome awaiting the spiritually or religiously inclined.Soapbox
- Michelle & Arlene – a fine foemance on a satirical trip away (24-26 August) August 11, 2017NEW DRAMA by Rosemary Jenkinson taking a satirical look at the state of local politics. Pantomime, pantyhose, and politics in this fictional imagining of two leaders who keep bumping into each other on Ibiza. “In spite of their initial hostility, it’s almost as if they are fated to be closer than they ever thought possible!” more...Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast)
- “the UK does not want to see border posts for any purpose…” August 16, 2017
