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Conversation, politics and stray insights
Site URL: sluggerotoole.com
Feed URL: sluggerotoole.com/feed
Posts: 20
Followers: 17
Happy Christmas from Bittles Bar…
https://sluggerotoole.com/2024/11/27/110668894/
Published: November 27, 2024 08:50
Depending on your view, John Bittles, the owner of the iconic Bittles Bar in Belfast, is a cantankerous aul sod or a genius at PR, or maybe a bit of both. He regularly hits the headlines for refusing to serve people half pints, refusing to serve soft…
General Election 2023: Housing Dreams and Sinn Féin Realities…
https://sluggerotoole.com/2024/11/27/general-election-2023-housing-dreams-and-sinn-fein-realities/
Published: November 27, 2024 08:31
We in the South have a general election this week. The campaign has been an uninspiring one, with the three expected topics dominating debate: housing, the cost of living and (to a lesser extent) immigration. If you are under 35 and not well-off, it is the…
Local company proposes alternative (and temporary) venue to bring Euro matches to Belfast
Published: November 26, 2024 14:00
When the funding was pulled for Casement Park’s redevelopment, it marked not only the end of the project in its most ambitious form, it also meant the end of any hope that Belfast would host any of matches of the Euro 2028 tournament. Or did it? According…
Is it time for an ‘inclusive’ flag for Northern Ireland? Probably not…
Published: November 26, 2024 08:00
It’s been a while since we last had a flag controversy but the wait is at last over with Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland talking about the inclusivity of the Ulster Banner. As Adam McKendry reports here for ‘The Belfast Telegraph’… “High-ranking…
New Irish Times Poll has Fine Gael down, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin up…
Published: November 25, 2024 08:36
The Irish general election is this Friday. Simon Harris felt pretty confident when he called the election, but he must now be feeling pretty nervous during the last week of the campaign. From Pat Leahy: The Fine Gael share of the vote has fallen by six…
The Department of Infrastructure can’t keep avoiding its commitments to safe cycling…
Published: November 25, 2024 08:03
Following the tragic death of cyclist Gary McMahon in Belfast on Friday, questions are again being asked about the Department of Infrastructures’ woeful lack of provision for cyclists. There are less than 5 miles of cycle lanes in Belfast; a bit of green…
Open Sunday – discuss what you like…
https://sluggerotoole.com/2024/11/24/open-sunday-discuss-what-you-like-139/
Published: November 24, 2024 07:10
The idea for Open Sunday is to let you discuss what you like. Just two rules. Keep it civil and no man/woman playing. Comments will close at 12 pm on Monday.
Open sunday – politics free zone…
https://sluggerotoole.com/2024/11/24/open-sunday-politics-free-zone-109/
Published: November 24, 2024 07:05
In addition to our normal open Sunday, we have a politics-free post to give you all a break. So discuss what you like here, but no politics. Comments will close at 12 pm on Monday.
Bleach, Biodiversity, and Banter: Conversations on the Climate Crisis…
Published: November 24, 2024 07:00
The fourth floor of an office building somewhere in Belfast… ‘Evenin, Delores, how’re y’doin?’ Mavis heaved a sigh and plonked her bucket and mop on the floor. The mop fell over, she ignored it and Delores knew Mavis had something on her mind. ‘As well as…
Book review – “Running from Office” By Eoghan Murphy…
https://sluggerotoole.com/2024/11/23/book-review-running-from-office-by-eoghan-murphy/
Published: November 23, 2024 11:00
This is a quite different political autobiography. Most focus on the achievements of the office holder (often exaggerating their personal involvement and positioning them at the centre of significant political events). This book tells of ambition and…
Silent Suffering: The Harsh Realities of Patient Neglect…
https://sluggerotoole.com/2024/11/23/silent-suffering-the-harsh-realities-of-patient-neglect/
Published: November 23, 2024 10:50
Anyone has been in hospital or received care at home can perhaps identify with Annabel Croft’s experience with nursing staff before her husband died In many cases it’s a fact that the staff member is in the wrong job, they are not caring and they don’t…
Nikita Hand wins civil rape case against Conor McGregor…
https://sluggerotoole.com/2024/11/23/nikita-hand-wins-civil-rape-case-against-conor-mcgregor/
Published: November 23, 2024 10:11
A woman who accused Conor McGregor of raping her has won her claim against him for damages in a civil case. From the BBC: A jury found that the Irish mixed martial arts fighter assaulted Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018. He has been ordered…
Squandered Opportunity: How Givan’s RAISE Programme Prioritises Privilege Over Poverty…
Published: November 22, 2024 07:10
When our Minister for Education, Paul Givan, was gifted £20 million of funding from the Republic’s Shared Investment Programme ‘RAISE’, it should have provided a golden opportunity for addressing one of the principal causes of educational disadvantage –…
Quality working class drama is alive and well and living in East Belfast…
Published: November 22, 2024 07:00
For many years now the bulk of what is passed off as “working class” based drama in Belfast makes my skin crawl. Not to mention “comedy”. It is so often middle-class people writing and performing a caricature of how South Belfast or Ballyhackamore sees…
Flatlining Northern Irish wellbeing is real challenge for Executive
Published: November 21, 2024 19:05
Sarah Davidson is chief executive of Carnegie UK – a foundation that works on wellbeing public policy Did life improve for you over the last year? Maybe you’ve got more money in the bank or a better job. Perhaps your neighbourhood has been cleaned up or…
Showtime or substance: Head to head with Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin’s promises on all island futures look weak
Published: November 21, 2024 14:54
This week in the Irish Times Fintan O’Toole asks why is this election so dull? There are probably several answers to that question, the most obvious being that in calling the shortest possible campaign period the government parties likely wanted that way.…
Grand Central Station Belfast – £340 Million for a Shiny Shed…
https://sluggerotoole.com/2024/11/21/grand-central-station-belfast-340-million-for-a-shiny-shed/
Published: November 21, 2024 10:06
Belfast Grand Central Station opened to much fanfare this September: announced as ‘Ireland’s biggest transport hub’ which is a phrase that really ought to be said by your one ought of Father Ted. DAERA Minister Andrew Muir suggested it could…
Ken Reid passes away
https://sluggerotoole.com/2024/11/20/ken-reid-passes-away/
Published: November 20, 2024 18:31
More sad news tonight as we learn that Ken Reid, a mainstay on our television screens for many years until his retirement, has died. According to UTV on the death of their former colleague… ‘Veteran Northern Ireland journalist Ken Reid has died at the age…
The Mental Health Challenge of the Transfer Test: Part 2…
https://sluggerotoole.com/2024/11/20/the-mental-health-challenge-of-the-transfer-test-part-2/
Published: November 20, 2024 08:36
Helen Armstrong lives in the North West and is a psychotherapist, executive coach and trainer. Here we go again on the Transfer Test merry-go-round as children all over NI have just sat the first test of 2024. I want to continue the conversation from my…
Ukraine launches missiles into Russia…
https://sluggerotoole.com/2024/11/20/ukraine-launches-missiles-into-russia/
Published: November 20, 2024 08:31
A weapons arsenal in Bryansk region hit after Biden administration lifts restrictions on Kyiv’s use of Atacms missiles. From the FT: The depot is 190km north of the frontline in the neighbouring Kursk region, where Russian forces are trying to push out…