Ireland
The wine of the Wild Geese
The Irish rarely understate their achievements. Yet there is one exception. Over the centuries, the links between Catholic Ireland and…
Unhurried and accomplished whodunit: ITV's Holding reviewed
A couple of years ago, I happened to read Graham Norton’s third novel Home Stretch. Rather patronisingly, perhaps, I was…
We could learn a thing or two from Swiss democracy
There was another referendum in Switzerland over the weekend. This one was about protecting the young from the evils of…
The dog catcher, the terrorist and the dark history of Sinn Fein
The dead in the ground and those who put them there in the name of ideology do not rest easily…
A cursed place: Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan, reviewed
Claire Keegan’s tiny, cataclysmic novel takes us into the heart of small-town Ireland a few decades ago, creating a world…
How Shane MacGowan became Ireland’s prodigal son
I once stood on a Dublin street with Shane MacGowan and watched little old ladies who can’t ever have been…
Could the rise of Sinn Fein lead to a united Ireland?
The possibility of a political wing of a terrorist organisation becoming a party of government in an EU member state would…
David Frost's protocol diplomacy
As a general rule in post-Brexit politics, when David Frost makes a public intervention on the Northern Ireland protocol, it…
When will the DUP realise the truth about the Tory Brexit strategy?
Are the Tories serious about getting rid of the troublesome Northern Ireland Protocol? The latest extension to the so-called grace period –…
Margaret Thatcher vs everyone else: the making of the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement
Diplomatic negotiations are rarely fully described by their participants in books, for two reasons. They are usually secret until much…
Has Boris Johnson forgotten what he once said about IRA terrorists?
Boris Johnson’s approach to dealing with historical prosecutions in Northern Ireland has achieved that unique political feat in the Province: uniting both…
Troubles' veterans on both sides deserve immunity from prosecution
The recent decision by Boris Johnson’s government to put a five-year time-bar, save in exceptional circumstances, on the prosecution of British…
Joe Biden doesn't understand Northern Ireland
Even a pessimist could be forgiven for being surprised by Joe ‘I’m Irish’ Biden’s ham-fisted intervention in the ongoing row…
Give the people what they think they want
I have a mean streak. Perhaps my cruellest urge is to give people what they claim to want. When political…
Is Ireland cosying up to China?
In 2019, the then-deputy prime minister of Ireland Simon Coveney spoke at the UN Human Rights Council, where he underlined Ireland’s…
Letters: The unfairness of ‘free care for all’
Taking care Sir: I agree completely with Leo McKinstry that care for parents should be paid out of their estate…
Biden's tax plan spells bad news for Ireland
Biden’s America, of course, is all about re-engaging with the world after four years of isolationism. But if you are…
The two halves of Ireland can’t be forced together
Last week, Edwin Poots was elected leader of the DUP. You will have read all about him. I have. You…
A funny time to be Irish: The Rules of Revelation, by Lisa McInerney, reviewed
Lisa McInerney likes the rule of three. Three novels set in Cork structured around sex, drugs and rock’n’roll and, within…
Sinn Fein's hollow 'apology' for Mountbatten's murder
Prince Philip’s death presented Sinn Fein with a particular challenge, given that the IRA murdered his beloved uncle. ‘I am…
Northern Ireland's sink estates are fertile ground for fundamentalists
Northern Ireland is routinely voted one of the happiest places to live in the UK. A few weeks ago, a…
The secret of Ireland’s racing success
How Father Sean Breen would have loved this year’s Cheltenham Festival. The late parish priest at Ballymore Eustace, who owned…
Is Biden turning on Brussels?
The Joe Biden administration, headed up by a proud son of Ireland, has spent St Patrick’s Day briefing reporters in Washington…
Ireland’s love affair with horse racing
With the Cheltenham Festival close, the quest for serious punting money intensifies. I had one potential contributor identified at Kempton…
Are loyalists plotting a return to violence?
What are we to make of Loyalist paramilitary groups withdrawing support for the Good Friday Agreement over the invidious trade…
