Columnists

One for sorrow, two for joy, but not when a cat’s about

Dúlra is forced to make a decision this week: what's worse – magpies or cats?  Both are sworn enemies to anyone interested in attracting birds into their garden.  Magpies torture smaller birds, robbing their nests, tearing their young apart and – increasingly – attacking and killing adult birds.  Cats are, well, we all know about cats. They are a bird's nemesis. They stalk them until they see a weakness, then they pounce and kill. And they don't even eat their...

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Armed Forces Day truth

It seems recruitment is causing problems for the London army in Ireland.  This is not new. State armies have always relied on a pool of poor people who will be so desperate for work and a living that they will go even to a recruiting office for them. We shudder in horror at poor people in very poor countries selling their body parts in their poverty, and yet we seem to accept people selling their lives and freedom for the...

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The Union a two-way process on both sides of the Irish Sea

There was a time when the Ulster Unionist Party was written off as a political force – but that notion was laid to rest in June’s European election, when Jim Nicholson stormed home with the first unionist seat. We asked people to vote for change, and they did. Rejuvenated and determined to challenge Northern Ireland’s tribal carve-up of power, the Ulster Unionist Party – in partnership with the Conservatives – is now characterized by high hopes for the future and...

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Now we know how liberal we are

The decision of the new Minister for culture not to visit any GAA places named after republicans has done us a favour. It has shown how liberal republicans, nationalists and other democrats are – after all, when was the last time your auntie decided to swim across the Lagan rather than set foot on the Albert Bridge because the bridge was named for a royalist? It is fortunate the new Minister did not decide to avoid all places with Irish...

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