ICRIR to be renamed as part of new framework planned for Troubles body
CONNLA YOUNG CRIME AND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT, Irish News, September 19th, 2025
A CONTROVERSIAL Troubles body rejected by many victims and survivors is to be renamed as part of a legacy framework to be revealed today by the British and Irish governments.
The Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) was established under the Conservative Party’s Legacy Act in 2023, which ended all inquests and civil cases, along with introducing conditional immunity.
It’s understood the beleaguered body will be rebranded as The Legacy Commission.
The expected announcement comes as freshly obtained figures reveal that up to 36 former RUC staff and British soldiers are currently employed by the ICRIR.
In June, the Irish News reported the figure was 26 – an increase of ten, or 38.4 per-cent, since then.
The Labour government has previously said that while it intended to repeal and replace the contentious Act, it intended to retain the body.
Many people impacted by the Troubles are opposed to the commission, believing it was designed to protect state participants from accountability.
Last year, The Court of Appeal found that a British government veto over sensitive material that can be disclosed by the commission is not compatible with human rights laws.
It is not yet known if the British government intends to retain its veto when the legacy overhaul is announced today.
The appeal court also ruled that the ICRIR does not provide victims and their next of kin adequate means to participate in its processes.
Secretary of State Hilary Benn is currently appealing against parts of the judgment to the Supreme Court, while other legacy cases have also been referred to the London-based court.
Tánaiste Simon Harris will reveal the new legacy proposals today following months of behind-the-scenes negotiations.
Concerns exist that shelved inquests could be forced into rebranded body
At a British-Irish Association Conference in Oxford earlier this month, Mr Benn said that both governments intended to draw on the 2014 Stormont House Agreement, which was never implemented, and Operation Kenova.
‘New Oversight body’ - Starmer
In his speech Mr Benn spoke of “a new oversight body for the commission, a victims panel as in Kenova, public hearings and representation for families.
He also referenced the “maximum possible disclosure of information, in line with the disclosure process for public inquiries”.
“The potential for a separate information recovery body, as envisaged by Stormont House and the subsequent treaty between the two governments,” he said.
He also spoke of resuming “a number of inquests that were prematurely halted by the legacy act”.
However, it is not clear if this includes all abandoned inquests or just those at an advanced stage when they were halted.
Concerns have been raised that some shelved inquests could be forced into the rebranded legacy body.
The chief commissioner of the ICRIR is former Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan, while former PSNI assistant chief constable and RUC member, Peter Sheridan, is commissioner for investigations.
Mr Sheridan is a former head of the PSNI’s Crime Operations Department, which included the C3 intelligence unit, often referred to Special Branch.
Recent criticism of ICRIR
In July, former Police Ombudsman Baroness Nuala O’Loan said the ICRIR cannot “ensure proper, impartial investigations and accountability”.
She was speaking just days after Alyson Kilpatrick, Chief Commissioner at the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, questioned the role and governance of the controversial body.
Daniel Holder of the Committee on the Administration of Justice raised concerns about ex-RUC involvement.
“The issue of former RUC roles in a legacy body, is not a criticism of any individuals, but rather it relates to the human rights law duties on ‘practical independence’ in legacy investigations,” he said.
Mr Holder said the “shape of such a statutory conflict of interest arrangement in a reformed legacy commission will only become clear when the two governments’ framework document, and ultimately the new legislation, are published”.
It was recently reported that the ICRIR had proposed an amendment to Mr Benn that would guarantee criminal investigations would only be carried out by former police officers who served in Britain and not by ex-RUC personnel.
Mark Thompson of Relatives for Justice said: “The key test for any new legacy process will be the actual legislation that is passed – not more false promises.
“Until such time, the Irish government must retain the interstate case lodged with the European Court.”
Sinn Féin MLA, Gerry Kelly said “any legacy framework must command the confidence of the families of victims and survivors.
“Their voice will be the most important in this process,” he added.
ICRIR response to the joint governmental framework
Published: 19 September 2025
A spokesperson said:
“The ICRIR is led by the law and ready for reform. The governments’ joint framework provides clarity.
“It promises new powers, enhanced independence, and improved capabilities. This is important, timely and welcome.
“At the heart of legacy issues, are the victims, survivors, and families of the Troubles/Conflict.
“Well over 200 people from all sections of society have already come to the Commission leading to over 90 live investigations connected with over 170 deaths.
“Those dedicated investigations continue to grow daily. There will be no pause in this vital work.
“Our doors remain open for all new Requesting Individuals.
“In helping to build confidence in the reformed legacy arrangements, the Commission will maintain its dedicated service to victims, survivors, and families, its efforts to seek the unvarnished truth, and its focus on the promotion of reconciliation.”
ENDS
DUP leader says it is ‘outrageous’ to give Dublin dual control over legacy
JONATHAN McCAMBRIDGE, Irish News and Belfast Telegraph, September 19th, 2025
THE Labour government has behaved “outrageously” by allowing Dublin to have “dual control” of dealing with the legacy of the Troubles, DUP leader Gavin Robinson said yesterday.
Mr Robinson insisted the Irish government should not have an equal say in any new proposals to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.
Dublin and London have previously said they have been close to an agreement on legacy and are expected to publish a framework today.
The Republic’s government had launched an interstate legal case against Britain after the previous Conservative government passed its legacy act in 2023 despite widespread opposition.
The act created a new legacy body, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), to take over all outstanding Troubles cases.
The act also contained an offer of conditional immunity to some suspects, but this was disapplied after legal action by bereaved families.
Mr Robinson said: “I think how it has been handled has been outrageous.
“This Labour government campaigned on a policy and a manifesto of repeal and replace.
“They are not repealing and they are not replacing.
“ I think how it has been handled has been outrageous
“What they are talking about is tinkering and strengthening the ICRIR.”
Allows ‘dual control’ of Legacy policy
He added: “In allowing dual control of our legacy policy to the Irish government, inviting them in to have dual control of our legacy policy is egregious.
“It takes no account whatsoever of their role during the Troubles, of how they supported and protected terrorists who fled to their jurisdiction, it takes no account of the fact they frustrated extradition and criminal justice and the opportunity of answers for victims in Northern Ireland.
“It takes no account of, to this day, their failure to engage properly and open up their books to the Omagh Inquiry in a way which would answer what they could have done to answer questions and potentially avert the atrocity of Omagh.
“It does nothing to remove the outrageous interstate case they have against the United Kingdom.”
Mr Robinson said Secretary of State Hilary Benn had “completely misstepped on legacy”.
No rapport with victims
“I don’t think he has built up a rapport with victims in Northern Ireland, we hear continuously that while they have been listened to they have not been heard.
“They feel let down by Hilary Benn, they have expressed that over the last year and three months.
“That is how long they have been taking to tinker around the edges, to invite in the Irish government.
“All of this is a complete aberration on the language of the (2015) Fresh Start agreement.
“The Irish government do not have an equal say in how we, as a sovereign nation, deal with the legacy of our past – they do not.
“They should be consulted where appropriate and that is what the Fresh Start agreement says, but this goes far beyond.”
Secretary of State Hilary Benn (left) and Tánaiste Simon Harris are expected to set out a new framework for dealing with legacy today
Mr Robinson noted that the two governments are to announce their new legacy framework while Parliament is in recess.
“They are doing it at a time that avoids scrutiny, they are doing it at a time whenever there is an active case going through the courts which touches on legacy; totally inappropriate,” he said.
When Labour came to power Mr Benn said there would be a “reset of relations” with the devolved areas and the Irish government.
Mr Robinson said: “It seems to be that if the only way you can have a reset of relationships is to give the Irish what they want, then there is a fundamental problem at the heart of that.
“There were complaints and criticisms as to how the Conservative government operated, how the Conservative government engaged with the Irish.
“At least they stood for principles and ideals that people in this province share. I am not sure what interests Labour are sharing.”
New Troubles process is a ‘sea-change’ – Taoiseach
FREYA McCLEMENTS and HARRY McGEE, Irish Times, September 19th, 2025
A new joint framework to address the legacy of the Troubles due to be unveiled later this morning represents a “sea-change” in the UK government’s approach to Northern Ireland, the Taoiseach has said.
Micheál Martin said Labour prime minister Keir Starmer and Northern Secretary Hilary Benn have addressed the core issues of immunity, the restoration of civil cases and the introduction of a stronger investigative dimension when examining Troubles-era cases.
The details of the framework, which will replace the controversial Legacy Act, are due to be announced by Tánaiste Simon Harris and Mr Benn at a press conference in Belfast later today following meetings to brief victims’ representatives.
The Irish Times understands the proposals are similar to those contained in the Stormont House deal, which was agreed in 2014 but never implemented. It envisages two separate bodies: one for information recovery, and another, a new Legacy Commission, to replace the current Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).
Fact-finding investigations
The commission will be able to carry out fact-finding investigations and criminal investigations with the power to lead to prosecutions.
Its work will be supervised by an independent oversight board, and there will be no offer of immunity for perpetrators who co-operate – which had been one of the most contentious aspects of the Legacy Act until it was found unlawful by a judge.
Investigations that the ICRIR have already begun will continue.
Both governments will commit to reciprocal co-operation with legacy investigations, and legislation will be enacted in each jurisdiction to fulfil the requirements of the framework.
Human rights requirements
Once the legislation is in place and, assuming Dublin is satisfied it is compliant with human rights requirements, the Irish Goverment is expected to revisit the inter-state case it has taken against London over the Legacy Act, potentially paving the way for its withdrawal.
The Taoiseach said the State would make a strong contribution financially, creating capacity within the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána, and will “respond robustly” to legacy issues.
It is understood the State has not changed its position on the murder of Seán Brown (left), the GAA official and father-of-six who was locking the gates at Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAA club in Co Derry when he was abducted and killed by loyalist paramilitaries in 1997.
The Irish Government continues to support the Brown family’s call for a public inquiry, which has been ordered by a court in Northern Ireland – a decision which is being challenged by the UK government in the Supreme Court.
Speaking to reporters about legacy matters at the National Ploughing Championships in Co Offaly, Mr Martin said: “I’ve been involved in Northern Ireland all of my political life. This issue has not been resolved.” Until now, he said, there has not been a “credible pathway” to help families who are grieving.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said she hoped the initiative would be human rights compliant and that both governments needed to move away entirely from the “failed” Legacy Act.
“The ultimate judgment on all of the proposed arrangements will be made by victims, survivors and their families because, in the end, theirs are the needs that need to be served.”
UUP says Republic must probe IRA actions in South
By Philip Bradfield, Belfast News Letter, September 19th, 2025
The Republic must investigate all terrorist activity in their own jurisdiction with the new Legacy Commission - even if this breaches its reported amnesty with terrorist groups, says the UUP Justice Spokesman Doug Beattie.
The party's Justice Spokesman Doug Beattie said he was concerned how a de facto amnesty for IRA murders carried out in the republic - revealed by a former Irish Justice Minister Michael McDowell - would hinder any serious investigations south of the border.
He was speaking ahead of the launch of the new Legacy Commission tomorrow, in which both the Irish and UK governments will take an active role.
The new body will replace the ICRIR (Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information), which was just launched in May last year.
Although Irish government minister Neil Blaney is on record admitting helping the fledgling PIRA get off the ground in the late 1960s, the Republic's track record on legacy has left many victims exasperated.
Omagh and Kingsmill
Instead of cooperating directly with the inquest into the Kingsmills Massacre in south Armagh, it dragged the proceedings on for almost ten years before holding a closed hearing in Dublin. It then offered a confidential report to relatives of what was discussed - but they are legally forbidden from ever making the contents public.
The republic has also refused to hold a parallel inquest into the Omagh Bomb - which was built and delivered from the south - while the Northern Ireland side of the atrocity is examined in ongoing hearings in NI.
During over a decade of lobbying by victims groups, the Irish Department of Justice has also refused any meaningful engagement with Northern Ireland victims, while the Irish police watchdog says it is barred from investigating legacy cases.
Unionists protest that Dublin offers continual criticism of the UK's legacy policy and is currently in the process of taking legal action against the UK for how it is handling legacy matters.
The ICRIR drew strong criticism especially from nationalist Troubles victims, who had particular concerns about its ability to probe collusion allegations and potential immunity for terrorists.
The new legacy body replacing it was effectively signed off at a recent meeting earlier between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Taoiseach Micheal Martin at Chequers.
De Facto Amnesty for IRA
It is understood the framework for the new Legacy Commission will be formally launched tomorrow afternoon at a press conference involving the Secretary of State, Hillary Benn, and also the Tanaiste, Simon Harris.
But UUP Justice Spokesman Doug Beattie said he was concerned whether the de facto amnesty given by the Irish government would block it from investigating terrorism in its own jurisdiction.
"On Information Recovery, who will head it up, what powers will it have, will there be a cross-border element to it?" he asked.
"This raises the question of what will the Irish Government be doing on legacy apart from standing with their hands in their pockets marking the homework of the UK Government.
"It is imperative that the Irish Government begin the process of ensuring they tackle legacy and begin by ensuring they conduct Article 2 investigations of those who were murdered in their jurisdiction then investigate how their jurisdiction was used as a safe haven to murder UK citizens."
The MLA said he was reminded about what former Irish Justice Minister Michael McDowell said in 2021 about Dublin having put in place an amnesty against investigating IRA murders – which the MLA said the UK has yet to challenge.
Mr McDowell, Irish Justice Minister from 2002-07, said that in 2021 the Seanad condemned UK proposals for a Troubles amnesty, but he noted that from 1998 to 2006 Sinn Féin had “incessantly demanded” immunity from criminal prosecution for IRA members.
He added: “Therefore, the Irish government of which I was a member took the decision that further investigation and prosecution by An Garda Síochána of such historic offences was no longer warranted or justified by reason of the greater interest”.
Mr Beattie asked if the new commission will be geographically restricted to Northern Ireland "or will those who were kidnapped, taken across the border into the Irish Republic and murdered receive and article 2 investigations?"
CONCERNS ABOUT NEW LEGACY COMMISSION FROM SEFF:
Director of victims group SEFF, Kenny Donaldson, said they would be seeking clarification of the new joint Legacy Framework for the new commission.
He said the critical issues for victims are as follows;-
1. The role of the Irish Government - Will that State be bound into a process underpinned by robust legislation? And will they be subject to comparable levels of independence oversight as the UK Government must also be? Voluntary Cooperation must finally be replaced with full compellability powers which are actively used.
2. No political horse trading - We will be seeking assurances that there will not be an appeasement of certain cases in a form of wider political bargaining. (whether Inquests, efforts for Public Inquiries or otherwise) There must finally be honour established in how these issues are advanced.
3. Enablement by States - The days of superficial and symbolic justice/accountability must be replaced with an approach which delivers tangible outcomes, where there is maximum accountability of and from perpetrators.
4. Any new approach must be crime driven - There cannot be any two tier system: Beyond reasonable doubt vs Balance of probabilities. On this, the same rules must apply across the board for members of the security forces and for terrorists.
5. Victim and Survivor centred - To achieve this There must be confidence that this process is about delivering for victims/survivors and is not motivated by the protection of particular interest groups.
6. Persecution of those previously exonerated through various investigations - There must be no further State complicity with the retrospective criminalisation of those who acted to thwart terrorism, and ultimately to save lives.
And crucially,
7. Does what's on offer represent a better prospect for victims/survivors to obtain better outcomes? Are there clear pathways for victims of terrorism to further their needs for justice, truth and accountability?
"In falling short on any of these issues will further fail victims/survivors and that must not happen,” he said. “We will closely consider what is on the table so that our words and position is from an informed standpoint.”
Church Leaders’ statement on Legacy Frameworks
At its regular meeting today, Friday 19 September, the Church Leaders' Group (Ireland) had an initial discussion on the new Legacy Framework proposals. Recognising that these are detailed and complex proposals, the Group stated:
"We welcome the fact that substantial proposals on how to deal with the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland have been issued today. We urge that the Framework documents be closely considered by all who have an interest in how justice and truth can best be served. Above all, we owe it to the victims and survivors to ensure that their needs are met with compassion and thoroughness. It is noteworthy that the Legacy Framework is the result of cooperation between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of Ireland and will require legislation in both jurisdictions for it to be put into effect. Just as importantly, it will need the continued cooperation and good will of both Governments, and of all of us, to carry it forward.
"Like other groups in wider society, we will examine and consider the Framework in greater detail over the weeks ahead, together, and in our individual denominations. In doing so we will continue to support and pray for all victims and survivors who have waited for decades with great dignity and patience for helpful structures to be put in place.
"Addressing the legacy of the past remains a complex, yet vital, responsibility for all of us on these islands. While no framework or legislation will by itself achieve reconciliation, it can open the path to ongoing restoration of relationships and building of trust."
ENDS
The Church Leaders' Group comprises:
- Most Revd Eamon Martin, Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland
- Most Revd John McDowell, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland
- Rt Revd Dr Trevor Gribben, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
- Revd Alan Wardlow, President of the Methodist Church in Ireland
- Rt Revd Sarah Groves, President of the Irish Council of Churches
Troubles victims will wait to see if new legacy deal is ‘sea-change’ promised
Freya McClements, Northern Editor, Irish Times, September 19th, 2025
New joint framework is certainly different from the controversial Legacy Act
Victims’ groups will listen with sceptical ears when briefed this morning on a new joint framework agreed by the Irish and British governments aimed at resolving legacy issues in the North.
Bitter experience has taught them the devil is in the detail; which is why, for all the fanfare accompanying its unveiling, they will want to wait and see if it does indeed represent the “sea-change” promised by the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, yesterday.
But it is certainly a change from what has gone before. The controversial Legacy Act was born out of a unilateral decision by the then Conservative government in the UK. Today’s agreement is the result of intensive discussions between the two governments and is the strongest demonstration yet of the “reset” of Irish-British relations following the election of the current prime minister, Labour’s Keir Starmer.
Here, there has certainly been a sea-change, and one that bodes well for the future in terms of cross-Border co-operation and the likelihood of cross-community support. These will be vital if the two governments are to deliver, finally, on legacy for Northern Ireland and its people.
It is expected that it will envisage two separate bodies: one for information recovery similar to a deal proposed at Stormont House in 2014, and a separate, reformed Legacy Commission to replace the current Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).
The Commission will be able to carry out fact-finding investigations to provide families with the truth about the deaths of their loved ones during the Troubles. It will also have the power to conduct criminal investigations that can lead to prosecutions.
Its work will be supervised by an independent oversight board, and there will be no offer of immunity for perpetrators who co-operate. This aspect had been one of the most contentious aspects of the Legacy Act until it was found unlawful by a judge.
Investigations the ICRIR has already begun will continue and could potentially transition to the new body. Legacy inquests that started and were stopped will resume. Those ordered but not yet opened will also transfer to the Commission, which will have new inquisitorial powers.
Both governments will commit to reciprocal co-operation with legacy investigations, assuming, from the Irish point of view, that these have been sufficiently reformed to be compliant with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
ECHR compliance and the support of victims and families for any changes have been of important to Dublin throughout the negotiations. It is understood the Irish Government believes the framework addresses its concerns and will allow families to finally receive truth and accountability about what happened to their loved ones.
Key caveat
There is a key caveat, though. The commitments made in the framework must be followed through on in terms of implementation and delivery.
This will require legislation in the UK (fulfilling the Labour government’s pledge to “repeal and replace” the Legacy Act) and then in Ireland to facilitate the State’s co-operation with the new legacy bodies.
This is expected to include the creation of a formal structure for engagement between the Commission and An Garda Síochána, which will require individuals to co-operate with the new body.
All this will take some time but, assuming all goes to plan, this should pave the way for the withdrawal of Ireland’s inter-state case against Britain over the Legacy Act.
One exception to look out for – and an issue that could cause friction between Dublin and London – is the murder of Sean Brown. The GAA official and father-of-six was locking the gates at Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAA club in Co Derry when he was abducted and killed by loyalist paramilitaries in 1997.
The Irish Government supports the Brown family’s call for a public inquiry, which has been ordered by a court in Northern Ireland. The British government disagrees and is challenging this decision in the Supreme Court.
Broadly speaking, the framework is similar to the Stormont House deal agreed between the two governments in 2014 that was never implemented, but which many – not least the Irish Government – have advocated a return to.
If it is indeed “Stormont House Lite”, as one prominent solicitor described it yesterday, then it begs the question: what might have been achieved in the intervening 11 years?
It is now 2025, not 2014. With both governments apparently back, for the most part, on the same page, this might be the last, best chance to achieve some measure of truth and justice for those who have so long been denied it.
Tánaiste Simon Harris on The Legacy of the Troubles: A Joint Framework between the Government of the UK and Ireland
Published on: 19 September 19th, 2025,
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Harris TD, and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, have published The Legacy of the Troubles: A Joint Framework, today in Hillsborough Castle.
The Joint Framework is the conclusion of months of intensive engagement between the Tánaiste and the Secretary of State.
Speaking following publication of the Joint Framework, the Tánaiste said: “The Joint Framework provides for sweeping reforms of the mechanisms designed to address the legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and across this island.
“Agreement on the framework represents a welcome return to a partnership approach on Northern Ireland by the two governments. As co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, that partnership is essential to progress peace and reconciliation on this island.
“The 2023 UK Legacy Act was unilaterally conceived, unilaterally drafted, and unilaterally implemented. Today is a step-change from that.
“The Joint Framework will bring about root and branch reform of the UK Legacy Act and the commission it established.
“Among other elements, it will:
- Lift the prohibition on civil cases
- Restore inquests halted by the Legacy Act
- Completely overhaul the independence and governance of ICRIR, renaming it the Legacy Commission and putting in place a statutory Independent Oversight Board, robust conflict of interest provisions, a Victims and Survivors Advisory Group and an independent appointments panel advising on senior appointments
- Ensure the Legacy Commission can carry out investigations, to UK-wide standards, capable of leading to prosecution
- Establish a new, judge-led inquisitorial mechanism, with public hearings and effective next-of-kin participation
- Reforms provisions on disclosure of sensitive information, removing the power of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to give guidance to the Legacy Commission about the identification of sensitive information
“In summary, the Joint Framework provides routes to truth and accountability for those most affected by the violence of the Troubles.
“The Irish Government made clear from the outset that any agreed joint approach to legacy by the two governments would need to meet two tests; compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights, and capable of securing the support of those most affected, especially the families of those killed.
“I believe that this framework, faithfully implemented, can deliver on those two goals.
“I am fully aware that winning the confidence of families will take time.
“Since the beginning of the year, I have listened to victims’ families and those working to support and represent them. For them, delivery is the real, and only, test.
“I believe that what we have agreed can deliver for families.
“The Joint Framework also places responsibilities on the Irish Government, in line with our commitments in the Programme for Government.
“We commit to facilitating the fullest possible cooperation with the reformed Legacy Commission. This includes the creation of a new dedicated Legacy Unit within An Garda Síochána. In the same spirit, and with the aim of ensuring the voices of victims and families remain central to legacy processes, we will make ring-fenced funding of €25 million available to support their participation and representation.
“Reciprocity is at the heart of this framework: the Irish Government will cooperate with the reformed Legacy Commission and we will receive similar cooperation from the British government on troubles-related inquiries, inquests and investigations in this jurisdiction.
“The next step is implementation and delivery for families. Too many families have waited for too long for truth and accountability.”
The full text of the Joint Framework is available here.
Only genuine basis for reconciliation is to accept that murders were unjustified
Trevor Ringland, Irish News, LETTERS
WHEN you murder your neighbour during a terrorist campaign, you often end up living beside your neighbour’s family when the violence recedes. This is the reality of what happened in Northern Ireland during the period we too casually call the ‘Troubles’. It is made worse when the murders or the murderers are celebrated, as we see constantly with paramilitary commemorations and the republican movement’s attempts to gain retrospective support for its violence.
If there is one issue that exposes the moral compromises that were asked of people in Northern Ireland, and particularly the innocent victims of the crimes committed, it is the definition of ‘victim’ imposed by the two governments. The common-sense definition would be limited to someone who has suffered harm or loss as a result of a criminal act.
Instead, in Northern Ireland, a victim is defined as someone who has suffered harm or loss as a result of a conflict-related incident. This often equates the genuine victim with the perpetrator. To take a particularly grotesque example, the people who were bombed on the Shankill Road are equated with the bombers.
“If there is one issue that exposes the moral compromises asked of people in Northern Ireland, it is the definition of ‘victim’
The definition is insulting and bizarre. One outworking is it is used by some to attempt to give credence to the argument that IRA terrorists had ‘no alternative to violence’ and allow the republican movement to claim the respect for its unnecessary campaign that it so craves.
Most loyalists I talked to over the years were more brutally honest and accepted that, rather than being victims, they made them. Unfortunately, the republican example has encouraged some to go down the victimhood path, on the basis of an argument little deeper than “they killed us, so we killed them”.
The definition has political consequences too. It encouraged the idea that we should be grateful to the ideologues who previously supported violence for giving us peace. In reality, there was always a strong majority across our society who refused to take the violent route and built and maintained relationships.
Rather than arguing that there was no alternative to violence, we should look to the words of the late Maurice Hayes, combined with those of the late Queen Elizabeth. We could paraphrase these as the basis for relations on this island, and east-west. Namely: “In our history there were things that we wish we had done differently or not at all. But we agree that nothing was achieved by violence that could not have been achieved by peaceful means.”
The only genuine basis for reconciliation is accepting that murdering your neighbour was wrong and unjustified. Until now, we were asked to forgo truth and justice, in the hope that it would result in political stability. Unfortunately, in many instances, this process did not result in a shred of contrition from the chief perpetrators of murder or their apologists.
The ICRIR, as it was originally conceived, at least has the potential to deliver an honest appraisal of the chances for truth and/or justice in most cases. The involvement of former RUC officers promises only to add effectiveness to the investigation process.
As we perhaps start dealing with legacy murders and the crimes of the past in a proper and balanced way, we should continue to work pragmatically with those who felt such actions were necessary.
That degree of practical reconciliation does not mean we need to be their best friends, nor to stop challenging a narrative that attempts to justify that there was no alternative to the use of violence, but enables cooperation to continue if they are now prepared to work for the betterment of all the people here, on this island and these islands
TREVOR RINGLAND Bangor, Co Down
Soldier F defence lawyer tells court of ‘cloud of uncertainty’ around ‘decisive evidence’
Also on day three of the trial, the judge expresses concerns over a social media post by Jamie Bryson
REBECCA BLACK, Irish News, September 19th, 2025
THERE is a “cloud of uncertainty” around “decisive evidence” in the trial of a former paratrooper charged with the murder of two men in Derry more than 50 years ago.
While the prosecution made a hearsay application to admit a number of statements made by other soldiers on the ground during Bloody Sunday, Soldier F’s defence said they were a “series of unreliable, fundamentally flawed, inconsistent allegations”.
The statements made by two other soldiers claim their colleague fired shots at Glen-fada Park North on January 30 1972, the day when members of the Parachute Regiment shot dead 13 civilians in Derry following a civil rights march.
Soldier F, who cannot be identified, is accused of murdering James Wray and William McKinney.
He is also charged with five attempted murders during the incident in Derry’s Bogside area, namely of Joseph Friel, Michael Quinn, Joe Mahon, Patrick O’Donnell and a person unknown.
He has pleaded not guilty to the seven counts.
The trial opened at Belfast Crown Court on Monday and heard the prosecution’s opening statement as well the statements of a number of people present at the shootings.
Soldier F is sitting behind a curtain during the non-jury trial, while relatives of the Wray and McKinney families and supporters watch on from the public gallery.
Veterans Commissioner for Northern Ireland David Johnstone has been observing the case.
Outside the court, a number of supporters of Soldier F and the wider veterans’ community have gathered on each day of the trial so far.
On Wednesday, prosecution barrister Louis Mably KC argued that statements given by Soldiers G and H to the Royal Military Police (RMP) on the night of the shootings, and to the Widgery Tribunal in 1972, taken together were decisive evidence around the question of whether or not Soldier F opened fire.
He told the court it was the only evidence “capable of proving” Soldier F fired his rifle at civilians in Glenfada Park North.
‘Cloud of uncertainty’ over dead soldiers statements
Responding for the defence yesterday, Mark Mulholland KC said there was a “complete cloud of uncertainty” around the process of how the statements to the RMP were taken.
Questioning whether G and H had colluded, he said the RMP statements were a “series of unreliable, fundamentally flawed, inconsistent allegations” from 50 years ago, and claimed they may have been “seeking to justify” their own use of force.
In terms of the statements and oral evidence given to the Widgery Tribunal, Mr Mulholland said witnesses had been questioned, not cross-examined on that evidence, pointing out that it was an inquisitorial, not an adversarial process.
Judge Patrick Lynch indicated that he planned to deliver his ruling on the hearsay applications next Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Judge Lynch raised concerns around a social media post by loyalist blogger Jamie Bryson at the start of the third day of the trial.
Bryson receives warning
Judge Lynch said it was “fortunate for Mr Bryson that this is a case without a jury”, because if this had been a jury trial there may have been an application to discharge the jury.
But he said, given that he was the judge of the facts, the views expressed by Mr Bryson about the case in the post would not present a risk of serious prejudice, adding that Mr Bryson’s views were of “total indifference as far as this court is concerned”.
Neither the prosecution nor defence made a commentary when given the opportunity to.
The judge confirmed that he would continue with the trial, and would not refer the matter to Northern Ireland’s Attorney General Brenda King under the Contempt of Court Act.
But he said: “Whether the Attorney General takes a different view is a matter for her.”
The trial continues.
Heather Humphreys treated with ‘contempt’ over Orange background, says DUP leader
Gavin Robinson also criticised President Higgins and said discussions around a unity poll cause instability
Irish Times, September 18th, 2025
Commentary around presidential candidate Heather Humphreys’s Orange Order heritage shows unionists would not be welcomed in a united Ireland, DUP leader Gavin Robinson has said.
Mr Robinson also predicted there would be no constitutional change to Northern Ireland’s status in his lifetime and said continuing discussion about a unity poll creates instability.
As she launched her campaign last weekend to become president, Fine Gael candidate Ms Humphreys spoke about her Protestant heritage and attending Orange Order parades as a child.
She also told the event in Monaghan that her husband was not a member of the Orange Order and said her grandfather signed the Ulster Covenant in 1912.
Mr Robinson said Ms Humphreys has been “criticised and challenged” during the campaign because of her family’s Orange Order background.
He added: “You tell me that is welcoming? You tell me unionists would be accepted when they can’t even accept a former Irish government minister who has Orange heritage.
“I think they need to be very careful about some of the conversations they are having."
Mr Robinson also accused Irish President Michael D Higgins of engaging in an “egregious encroachment” into Northern Ireland’s constitutional affairs.
He said: “His inability to share, his inability to even turn up at church and recognise that Northern Ireland has been in existence for over 100 years . . . That hasn’t played out well within the hearts and minds of unionists in Northern Ireland.”
He said Ms Humphreys is being treated with “contempt” because of her background.
“They don’t highlight the fact that her grandfather signed the Ulster Covenant in a positive way. These things aren’t being raised in a positive way, they are not being talked about in a positive glow.
“They are not saying, ‘what a wonderful lady because she has Orange heritage’. They are saying, ‘she is a bit odd – she is one of those nordies; she has a heritage which doesn’t really chime with our happy-go-lucky green credentials’.” – PA
Owners miss deadline to clear deadly asbestos from the site of contentious Belfast bonfire
ANDREW MADDEN, Belfast Telegraph, September 19th, 2025
The landowners of a site in Belfast where asbestos was found ahead of a controversial loyalist bonfire have missed a deadline for clearing the hazardous material completely.
Correspondence from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) seen by the Belfast Telegraph instructed Boron Developments to ensure the site in the Village area was “fully remediated” by September 1.
However, the order has not been carried out.
The bonfire went ahead on July 11 despite concerns over the asbestos, and the pyre's proximity to an electricity substation serving Belfast City and Royal Victoria Hospitals.
Belfast City Council had agreed to have the structure dismantled, but this did not happen as the PSNI refused to assist in the task.
NIEA removed around 20kg of asbestos the day after the bonfire was lit, however some of the hazardous material remained.
It then emerged NIEA had opened a criminal investigation regarding the asbestos on May 19, although Boron Developments told the BBC in August it was “not aware” of this.
The firm had insisted at the time it was in “weekly contact” with the relevant authorities.
It added that the removal of gates at an entrance to the site had been reported to police, and this meant the area could not be secured.
It said contractors tasked with removing the hazardous material would take “full control” of the site, with the process of asbestos material due to be completed by September.
However, Environment Minister Andrew Muir said in a letter: “Whilst the landowner has begun remediation, and a significant amount of work has taken place on site, they have not been able to meet the deadline of 1 September 2025.
“NIEA is in communication with the landowners to obtain an updated timeframe.”
NIEA told the Belfast Telegraph this week: “We will continue to liaise with the landowner in relation to final remediation.”
The agency first became aware of the presence of asbestos at the site in 2011 and carried out an investigation that led to two directors of separate companies receiving suspended sentences for illegally dumping tonnes of the deadly material.
Boron Developments was told about the asbestos when it purchased the land in 2017.
The following year, NIEA was informed steps were being taken to secure the area and prevent public access.
The problem arose again in May this year when the bonfire began to be built, and it was determined there was no time to completely remove the material before July 11.
Mitigation work was carried out to cover an asbestos pile with a tarpaulin, quarry dust and fire blankets. Fences and warning signage was also erected, with police and NIEA contractors undertaking daily inspections.
Boron Developments has been contacted for comment.
Man on assault charges over racist incidents granted bail to take up work on oil rigs
ALAN ERWIN, Irish News, September 19th, 2025
AN ALLEGED racist accused of assaulting a food delivery driver and a man sleeping on the streets of Belfast is set to be granted bail to work on oil rigs, a High Court judge ruled yesterday.
Neil Pinkerton, (37), faces prosecution over two separate incidents where footage of the victims being targeted was said to have been posted on TikTok.
Mr Justice Fowler decided he can be released from custody once training courses for the newly offered employment are confirmed.
Pinkerton, of Clandeboye Street in east Belfast, is charged with common assault, attempted criminal damage, harassment, incitement to hatred and disorderly behaviour at Connswater Retail Park on September 6.
Adrian Higgins, prosecuting, claimed he threatened and racially abused a delivery driver outside a McDonald’s restaurant by demanding to know his reasons for being there.
When the victim realised he was being recorded on a mobile phone and asked for the filming to stop a second unknown man joined in the abuse, the court heard.
Fearing an imminent assault, he got into his car and locked the door for his own safety as Pinkerton allegedly continued to shout, swear and punch the bonnet.
Videos posted on TikTok
Later that day he discovered videos of the incident had been posted on TikTok.
Pinkerton is further accused of confronting two door staff at the restaurant after they initially stopped teenage girls from entering the premises due to an anti-social behaviour policy.
“He became aggressive, shouting at them, pointing in their faces and implying they are not allowed to speak to people from Northern Ireland,” Mr Higgins contended.
During police interviews he described the allegations against him as “nonsense”, claiming he had walked away from the scene following a heated argument.
Pinkerton also denied telling one of the complainants to “get out of our f****** country you c***”, the court was told.
Other charges
He faces separate charges of common assault and theft in connection with an incident earlier this year linked to a wider investigation into suspected vigilante activity in Belfast.
Police were contacted after a man went to the city’s Islamic Centre, claiming he had been attacked in the early hours of July 22.
“He had been lying in a sleeping bag on Oxford Street when two males punched and kicked him to the face and body,” Mr Higgins submitted.
Pinkerton was identified as one of the alleged perpetrators after another recording appeared on TikTok, according to the prosecutor.
He added that the footage showed the victim’s sleeping bag being taken and thrown into the River Lagan.
Opposing Pinkerton’s application for bail, counsel argued: “Police believe this is a racist individual and there is a high risk of re-offending.”
‘Free Pinky’ protests threat
Mr Justice Fowler was also told of plans for a possible protest related to his detention under the banner “Free Pinky”.
Turlough Madden, defending, confirmed Pinkerton disputes the alleged identification of him in the sleeping bag incident.
The barrister also stressed his client faces no allegations of any physical violence over the encounters at McDonald’s.
“This is a man who has never been in a custodial setting… he’s quite terrified,” Mr Madden submitted.
During the hearing Pinkerton’s stepfather told the court he holds a senior position in an oil rig company and gave assurances about a potential job offer on completion of the necessary training.
Granting bail to those terms, the judge said: “I will release him once I see dates for all those courses and not before.”
He imposed a ban on Pinkerton using any social media or taking part in public demonstrations.
Migrant to be deported after losing ‘one in, one out’ removal challenge
CALLUM PARKE, JESS GLASS and NINA MASSEY, Irish News, September 19th, 2025
AN Eritrean man is set to be deported to France today after losing a High Court bid to have his removal under the UK government’s “one in, one out” scheme temporarily blocked.
The migrant, who cannot be named, arrived in the UK on a small boat last month and brought a claim against the Home Office yesterday ahead of his scheduled removal from the UK at 6.15am this morning.
At a hearing in London, his barristers asked for “interim relief” ahead of a full legal challenge against the decision to deport him.
They said that the decision was “procedurally unfair” as he had not been given sufficient opportunity to put forward evidence supporting his claim that he was an “alleged trafficking victim”.
The Home Office opposed the bid to temporarily block the removal, telling the court that there was “no serious issue to be tried”.
In a ruling, Mr Justice Sheldon said: “In my judgment, the application for interim relief is refused.
“The test for injunctive relief is not made out. I consider there is no serious issue to be tried.”
Mr Justice Sheldon, who granted the man anonymity, continued that there was “significant public interest in favour of the claimant’s removal”.
He also said the man gave differing accounts of his allegations of trafficking, describing a second account as “so different from the initial account provided”.
Credibility of applicant
The judge said: “It was open to (the Home Office) to conclude that his credibility was severely damaged and his account of trafficking could not reasonably be believed.”
He continued that the Home Office had “sufficient information” to make its decision to deport the man, and it was “reasonable” to conclude that “further information would not make any material difference”.
He added: “This case has to take into account the situation in France, where, on the evidence before me, it is clear that the claimant will have an opportunity to put forward his case with respect to trafficking if he so wishes.”
He also said the agreement between the UK and France was to “disrupt the business model” of those who organise small boat crossings and “provide a deterrent”, adding that unsafe journeys posed “a serious risk to life and limb”.
The judge said that the man claimed he was “forced to flee Eritrea in 2019 because of forced conscription” and spent time in Ethiopia, South Sudan and Libya.
He travelled to France, where he stayed in Paris for around a week, and the man claimed that he was “homeless and destitute, and constantly feared for his life”.
He then went to Dunkirk, where he stayed in an encampment known as “the jungle” for around three weeks and described as having a “complete lack of humanity”.
The man did not claim asylum in France and arrived in the UK via a small boat. He was detained by the UK Border Force on August 6 and was told that his asylum claim in the UK was inadmissible on August 9, Mr Justice Sheldon said.
The decision comes after another Eritrean man successfully asked the court on Tuesday to temporarily block his deportation after the same judge found there was a “serious issue to be tried” over whether his removal was lawful amid claims he had been trafficked.
In that case, the court heard that the national referral mechanism (NRM) – which identifies and assesses victims of slavery and human trafficking – found that the man had likely not been trafficked, but offered him time to make further representations.
Mr Justice Sheldon said there was “still room for further investigation into the trafficking claim”.
Following Tuesday’s hearing, the Home Office revised its policy on reconsidering modern slavery decisions, so that anyone being removed to a safe country who wants to appeal against an NRM decision will be unable to do so.
Instead, they can launch a le-gal challenge from another country, such as France.
Sonali Naik KC, appearing for the man yesterday, said: “The serious issue to be tried is whether this is the appropriate way for the Secretary of State to conduct litigation with vulnerable individuals.”
Rebel Notes strikes chord as Kneecap helps normalise Irishness in post-punk era
Allison Morris, Belfast Telegraph, September 19th, 2025
When Steve Coogan's masterfully crafted character Martin Brennan launched into a rendition of Come Out, Ye Black and Tans during an episode of This Time with Alan Partridge, it could have backfired spectacularly on the comedian.
Instead the episode, screened on BBC 1 on St Patrick's Day in 2019, became an instant cult classic and has been viewed millions of times online.
The song by Dominic Behan, brother of poet and playwright Brendan Behan, was written in the early 1960s.
Following the Coogan rendition the song was introduced to a new audience, putting the ageing and always controversial Wolfe Tones back in the charts with their version.
It is this chapter of musical heritage that forms the opening of Rebel Notes, a book by Stan Erraught, a Dublin-born lecturer in music at the University of Leeds and keen historian on the role songwriting has played in Irish history.
The book covers everything from the Clancy Brothers, U2, the Cranberries and Van Morrison, right up to the modern Irish music scene with the rap group Kneecap.
It is a journey through the soundtrack of a partitioned Ireland, with rebel bands that played songs of martyrdom to the post peace process generation and their irreverence to authority.
Behan also wrote The Patriot Game, a song about IRA man Feargal O'Hanlon, killed during an attack on Bessbrook RUC station during the 1950s border campaign.
Behan furious
The song was heard by Bob Dylan who famously borrowed the tune for With God on Our Side, without any financial remuneration for Behan who remained furious at this wrong until his death in 1989. Erraught is an academic and his book has that feel to it — it's an analysis of the origins and history of folk music, and its many manifestations.
It notes that two weeks after the Parachute Regiment opened fire on civilians in the Bogside area of Derry in 1972, Paul McCartney announced his new band Wings would debut with the single Give Ireland Back to the Irish.
The press at the time treated it as a cynical attempt to catch up with former Beatles bandmate John Lennon who was using his platform to protest on issues such as the Vietnam war.
The song made number one in the Irish charts but was not played by the BBC.
The explosion of the punk scene in the mid 1970s changed the musical landscape forever.
Punk was all about irreverence to the state. The author notes it was on the usually tame London Weekend Television's Bill Grundy show where the Sex Pistols made their debut in 1976.
The band's first single, Anarchy in the UK, got them dropped by their record label with municipals across England banning them from their venues, in scenes not dissimilar to the controversy around Kneecap, who were dropped by several venues during their tour.
The author notes that the punk revolution came to a more conservative Ireland, both north and south, much slower but was assisted by the formation of Dublin-based Hot Press, the monthly music and politics magazine launched in June 1977.
The magazine ignored the showband scene that had dominated Irish music for decades, instead looking at the more alternative offerings. Step forward Bob Geldof's Boomtown Rats, who the author describes as a “corporate punk parody act”.
Praise is saved for Northern Ireland punk legend Terri Hooley, whose Good Vibrations record shop and label centred around musicians and created a community that thrived despite the deteriorating security situation they operated in.
“Record shops in Belfast were much better than those in Dublin and punk and post punk records much more easily available”, Erraught notes.
With Stiff Little Fingers and the Undertones now dominating the scene, punk had finally arrived locally.
“SLF came in for a lot of criticism from their peers for what was seen as an exploitative and sensationalist use of the Troubles in their lyrics and famously in the packaging of their demo tape — as a letter bomb.” Erraught notes. “But they were also at the time probably one of the best live bands anywhere. Whatever qualms I had about their lyrical content or authenticity were blown away by their power and stagecraft”.
The Undertones, who started off playing to small crowds in the Harp Bar in Belfast, would go on to be regulars on Top of the Pops.
Their lyrics, the author notes, remain “stubbornly apolitical” not because they had no politics but because “they were only too aware of the dangers of reducing a complicated set of cultural and political circumstances and events into easily misunderstood slogans”.
Journalist Stuart Ballie and the late Henry McDonald, both punk fans, get a mention as does the use of songs in sport and the more recent controversies, including the €20,000 fine paid by the FAI after Ireland's women's soccer team were filmed in a now viral clip singing the Celtic Symphony after qualifying for the World Cup.
“The tenor of the media commentary on the Celtic Symphony controversy was predictable,” notes the author.
The Zombie alternative
“What was perhaps less expected was the attempt to develop a counter narrative to this insurgent return of the repressed by promoting The Cranberries' 1993 hit Zombie as an alternative”.
The song was written about the IRA bombing of Warrington in 1993 which killed two children and injured 50 others. It is now played and sung by fans at Irish rugby games - the video viewed more than a billion times on You Tube.
In the final few chapters the more recent headline grabbing of Irish language rap band Kneecap is analysed. “The ways in which the music Kneecap makes is conceived and distributed is illegible to those whose understanding of meaning within popular music is tied to formats that pre-date the now almost universal access to music via streaming and video platforms. It was seven years into their career before Kneecap released a record in the traditional sense”, the author states.
“Kneecap are half a century younger than the Wolfe Tones, nevertheless, from what I can gather, there is not insignificant crossover between their audiences at both Feile and Electric Picnic”.
Erraught's final chapter looks at the post Troubles “official model” of reconciliation and the use of Van Morrison's Days Like This by the Northern Ireland Office in adverts that ran before the Good Friday Agreement referendum. Van also played at the front of City Hall during the visit to Belfast by then US president Bill Clinton.
He also looks at the island's changing demographic and the increase in black Irish rappers now increasingly visible on the scene, with incidents of racism also on the increase.
“Music cannot solve the problem of racism any more than they could solve sectarianism,” however, he adds their presence does “begin to normalise the idea of Irishness being an attribute independent of specific cultural indices and of whiteness”.
Rebel Notes — Popular music and conflict in Ireland, is published by Beyond the Pale books.
Sinn Fein chief says preferred presidential candidate has 'a lot' of Irish
CILLIAN SHERLOCK, Belfast Telegraph, September 19th, 2025
Speculation on who Sinn Fein will back in the presidential race has narrowed after leader Mary Lou McDonald said the preferred candidate has “a lot” of Irish.
Senior party figures have refused to reveal what their intentions are ahead of a formal announcement due tomorrow.
However, independent candidate and gaeilgeoir Catherine Connolly — who already claims the backing of the Social Democrats, large parts of the Irish Labour Party and People Before Profit — has said she would welcome the support of Sinn Fein.
Sinn Fein has left that option open but theories and guesswork around whether the party will run its own candidate has centred around Ms McDonald herself, the party's leader in the Northern Ireland Executive Michelle O'Neill, and deputy leader in the Dail, Pearse Doherty.
Ms McDonald ruled herself out of contention earlier this month, adding that it was her priority to “lead from the front” holding the current Fianna Fail-Fine Gael coalition to account in the Dail and offer an alternative government.
Speaking to reporters at the National Ploughing Championships yesterday, the Sinn Fein leader gave further clues to the party's approach.
Asked if the preferred candidate had Gaeilge, Ms McDonald replied in Irish: “Yes, a lot.”
That would appear to rule out Ms O'Neill who is understood not to have a high level of proficiency in Irish — while Mr Doherty and Ms Connolly are fluent. However, she said both the Sinn Fein representatives would be present when the decision is announced on Saturday.
At that press conference, she said they would set out “the logic and the intent” of their decision.
‘Game on’?
Ms McDonald defended her party's decision not to announce its intentions until September 20 and said: “Sinn Fein's participation will be a game changer in this election — it'll be very much game on.”
She said the campaign did not start until nominations close on September 24.
Asked what she meant by a “game changer”, Ms McDonald said: “Match of the Day, up for the match.”
Pressed on whether that meant adding an additional player into the game, she replied: “We're a national party, and a national organisation, I think we'll be very influential in this contest.”
Ms McDonald said Sinn Fein had to balance two objectives, to get Fianna Fail and Fine Gael out of government and out of the Aras. “That's what our campaign will aim to do,” she added.
Asked if this meant she would not consider reducing the number of Sinn Fein representatives in the Dail by selecting a TD as a candidate, Ms McDonald said she had “addressed the issue” in her remarks when she ruled herself out of contention.
She added: “I am keenly conscious that we have made commitments to the Irish people, to sections of society that desperately need effective representation, and to those who believe that we can have government beyond Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, and who see the merit in that and we have to continue that work. That is my absolute priority.
“I don't quit on things and I believe the next couple of years are going to be really, really crucial in building confidence across Irish society that a better, stronger, more effective alternative government can be available to people.”
Paisley and Gildernew to go head to head in new BBC podcast
ANDREW MADDEN, Belfast Telegraph, September 19th, 2025
For years they have been on opposite sides of the political debate — but now two of Northern Ireland's best known former MPs are teaming up for a new podcast.
Ian Paisley and Michelle Gildernew will be part of a series examining one of our most contentious and significant issues — the constitutional question.
'Borderland — UK or United Ireland?' will look at the future of the Union, the potential shape and timing of any potential unity referendum, and what that could mean for society across these islands.
Chris Buckler will be the lead presenter in the series, developed by BBC NI and BBC Sounds, joined by Mr Paisley and Ms Gildernew.
Mr Paisley, a somewhat controversial figure who was never far from the headlines during his time as DUP MP, lost his North Antrim seat on the green benches to TUV leader Jim Allister in a shock result in the 2024 general election.
He will be firmly advocating for the Union.
Ms Gildernew was a Sinn Fein stalwart for 30 years, serving stints as both MP and MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone.
She stood down as an MP at last year's general election to focus on a campaign for a seat in the Republic's Midlands-North-West constituency in the European Parliament.
Ms Gildernew was not successful in her bid to become an MEP and was one of five paid Sinn Fein employees to lose their jobs in May this year following a significant party restructuring.
The staunch republican will be arguing the case for a united Ireland.
Commenting on the new podcast, Chris Buckler said: “We have started recording with Michelle and Ian, and it's fair to say that they are a lively duo.
“It's been fascinating to hear from people with different views — something that will be a big part of this podcast.
“We are keen to reflect all sides of the conversation about Northern Ireland's constitutional future and that includes those people who don't see themselves as either unionist or nationalist.
“The debates around a border poll, including whether, when or how one should take place, have relevance for everyone.”
The eight-part series is due to air this autumn.
While the transmission date is still to be confirmed, the BBC is understood to be looking at an October launch.
Ms Gildernew and Mr Paisley may seem an unlikely duo, but they will not be the first one-time rivals to join up when it comes to political podcasts.
Former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell and ex-Tory minister Rory Stewart have found great success with The Rest is Politics.
Their sister podcast, The Rest is Politics US, features diehard republican Anthony Scaramucci and left-leaning journalist and broadcaster Katty Kay.
One-time Labour shadow chancellor Ed Balls and former Conservative chancellor George Osborne have also teamed up for their podcast, Political Currency.
'Borderland — UK or United Ireland?' will not be BBC NI's first political podcast, with Red Lines, presented by Mark Carruthers, going out each week.
Other Northern Ireland politics podcasts include commentator David McCann and former DUP special adviser Tim Cairns' Stormont Sources.
