Reconciliation is ‘undisguised unionist veto’ say some Unity campaigners
Rory O’Carroll, Ireland Correspondent, Guardian, June 26th, 2025
In Northern Ireland, it used to be the one goal that everyone could agree on: reconciliation. Whether the region stayed in the UK or united with Ireland, all sides acknowledged the need to heal wounds from the Troubles and to bridge differences between Catholics and Protestants.
Even those who riled the other side invoked reconciliation. How could they not? It was self-evidently a good thing.
Not any more. Increasing numbers of nationalists say the R-word has been hijacked and twisted to block their campaign for a referendum on unification.
“The goal of reconciliation is very worthy but it is being manipulated and bastardised,” said Kevin Rooney, the founder of Irish Border Poll, a group that lobbies for a referendum. “It has become an undisguised unionist veto.”
Rooney and others fear that an elusive, ill-defined rapprochement between Northern Ireland’s two biggest blocs is morphing into a precondition that gives unionists and the Irish and British governments a pretext to dodge a referendum.
For Rooney, such a precondition would entrench the status quo in an entity designed a century ago for unionist dominance – and paradoxically undermine reconciliation. “It creates a perverse incentive for hardline loyalists to resist everything and threaten violence.”
Under this scenario, tensions associated with the traditional summer marching season, or the Irish-language rap trio Kneecap’s outspoken statements on British rule, or any number of controversies, can be harnessed as purported evidence that Northern Ireland is not ready for a vote on its constitutional future.
Catholic birth rates dwindling
Stalled momentum for unification compounds nationalist anxiety: in Northern Ireland, Catholic birthrates are dwindling, the Brexit shock has faded, and Sinn Féin faltered in Ireland’s election last November, paving the way for a renewed Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael coalition government that is in no rush for a referendum.
Simon Harris, the Tánaiste, has said he does not expect a vote this decade and that it is not a priority. The taoiseach, Micheal Mártin, has emphasised not unification but the government’s Shared Island Initiative, which promotes reconciliation and cross-border cooperation and infrastructure.
Dublin, in other words, is not putting pressure on Keir Starmer’s government for a referendum, which under the Good Friday agreement must be called if it appears that most people in Northern Ireland would vote to leave the UK.
The combined vote share for Sinn Féin and the moderate nationalist Social Democratic and Labour party (SDLP) has hovered at about 40% since 1998, a stagnation that has persisted despite the number of Catholics overtaking Protestants, but dwindling support for unionist parties has tilted recent elections to pro-unification candidates.
For nationalists who think the conditions for a referendum will soon be met, the focus on reconciliation has set off alarm bells. Colum Eastwood, an MP and former SDLP leader, criticised what he called a “creeping normalisation” to make it a prerequisite.
“Reconciliation is a moral imperative for our whole society – the southern establishment can’t use it to justify telling citizens in the north that we can’t have a decent economy, jobs and public services,” he tweeted.
Elaborating via email, Eastwood said creating a new, united Ireland could advance reconciliation. “Will there be tension? Yes. Can we confront that in a way that promotes understanding and actually contributes to reconciliation? Absolutely. We shouldn’t run away from that – we should be rushing into that space,” he said.
‘50 plus one’
Leo Varadkar, the former taoiseach, has urged the current Irish government to push for a referendum, saying the Irish state would not have been founded in 1922, nor would there have been a Good Friday agreement, if full reconciliation had been a precondition. A “50 plus one” vote in favour of unification would suffice, he told the Féile an Phobail festival in Belfast last week. “A majority is a majority” but it would be better to have “maximum consent”, he said.
Michelle O’Neill, Sinn Féin’s Northern Ireland first minister, told a republican commemoration last weekend that the party remained “laser focused” on unity and urged the Irish government to put the matter before a citizens’ assembly.
A report by Ireland’s Future, a non-profit that advocates unification, notes that the Good Friday agreement does not insist on reconciliation before a referendum. “Our view is that any such objective will only follow the transition to a new constitutional arrangement on our shared island. Reunification is a reconciliation project,” it says.
However, others – unionists as well as some nationalists – say it would be reckless to call a vote for existential change unless and until Northern Ireland’s sectarian tensions ease.
“Demands for a referendum will only add to communal polarisation and be entirely counter-productive,” said Liam Kennedy, a history professor at Queen’s University Belfast.
He cited the so-called peace walls that divide Catholic and Protestant areas and the region’s “unstable equilibrium” as warnings. “We need a much higher degree of reconciliation to lay the foundations of a united Ireland that would work. It would be madness for the republic to take on the political and financial burdens of unification unless it was clear most people in Northern Ireland were either satisfied with or at least accepting of Irish unity.”
David Adams, who helped to broker the loyalist paramilitary ceasefire in 1994, said segregated housing and education had “corralled” Catholics and Protestants and embedded tribalism. “There is no violence but we remain divided. Without some sign of reconciliation advancing I don’t think the republic would touch this place with a barge pole.”
Peter Shirlow, the director of the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Irish Studies, said reconciliation had in fact progressed – he cited power-sharing at Stormont, integrated workplaces, mixed marriages – but that falling Catholic birthrates and static nationalist support had weakened the referendum push. “There ain’t going to be a border poll,” he said.
Unity debate in ‘edgy place
Trevor Ringland, a former international rugby player and unionist politician who served on the Northern Ireland Policing Board, said some referendum advocates undermined reconciliation by legitimising IRA violence during the Troubles. “They’ve been selling the message to young people that we had to kill our neighbours to achieve constitutional change.”
Ringland said songs such as Get Your Brits Out by Kneecap – “Brits out” was an IRA-era slogan – elided the British identity of many people in Northern Ireland. “The kids think they’re being edgy but edgy was being in the police, which meant you could get a bullet through you.”
Northern Ireland needed more reconciliation before voting on constitutional change, Ringland said. “Let’s keep a focus on building relationships and future generations can decide where to take it.”
Unity advocates, in contrast, believe constitutional change – to be achieved by winning elections in Northern Ireland and prodding the Irish government into action – is a task for the current generation.
Rooney said: “The Dublin establishment has been lukewarm about unity for quite a while – some basically want an easy life and don’t want to think about the north at all. It’s our job to win them over.”
A comment by Brian Walker.
According to his recent article Chief Commissioner Declan Morgan believes the ICRIR is charting the available course to reconciliation. If he's right, it requires all sides to take it and for victims and families to derive satisfaction from the result. That's a tall order for them and society as a whole to accept. Reconciliation today probably rests more on day to day living and eroding.sectarian boundaries in the demanding interest of governing for the common good, than the prospect of achieving truth or acceptance about the past. While efforts should continue to achieve truth and justice as an essential element of a well regulated state, it is probably over optimistic to pin too many hopes on wide ranging success. But perhaps this is too pessimistic. Examples of real enthusiasm for telling the truth rather than persisting with over-legalistic blame games and a defensive reluctance to disclose can inspire; and may yet create a whole new climate.
Flags erected for first time in Lisburn park quickly removed
Abdullah Sabri, Belfast Telegraph, June 27th, 2025
FLYING OF UNION AND ULSTER BANNER FLAGS SPLITS OPINION AMONG PARK USERS
Flags erected in a Co Antrim public park for the first time — branded a form of “intimidation” by Sinn Fein — have been swiftly taken down, with a unionist councillor saying he suspected those putting them up had been “a little bit over-enthusiastic”.
Several Union and Ulster Banner flags were erected on lampposts in the centre of Wallace Park, Lisburn, between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
They were subsequently removed by several men before the morning ended, with staff at the park telling the Belfast Telegraph they were unaware of who put them up.
“No idea,” one groundskeeper said. “It wasn't done on our time, we finished work at four o'clock. All we knew is that they were up this morning when they come in and now they're down.”
Several flags remain just outside entrances to the park.
Divided views
Locals using Wallace Park had different views about the flags flying, with several wishing to remain anonymous.
“I don't mind flags so much along the route of the march,” Neil McIntyre (78) said.
“I don't want to see flags in the park. I don't like flags going up in new housing developments, for example, because people are marking out territory.
“Even if they're national flags. It's worse if they're paramilitary flags.”
However, Noel Chapman (64) said the flags act as a reminder of the Battle of the Boyne and denied it was a form of “intimidation”.
Noel said: “I think they have a right to be up. This is a Protestant town and I think they have a right to be up, so I don't have an issue with it.
“It's a celebration of 1690, so it's not an intimidation at all. If you look throughout the town, there's flags everywhere.”
Another parkgoer said: “I didn't actually even notice them. Sometimes I think it depends on the actual flag itself.
“Some of them obviously belong to paramilitary-style things anyway which I don't agree with, to be quite honest with you.
“I don't mind if it's something that belongs to somebody's country or something like that.”
However, one dog walker believed the flags were “over the top” and remarked it was the first time he had seen them in the public park.
“I think they over-provide them maybe to intimidate certain people, which I don't agree with. It's a similar thing with the bonfires. I think it's so over the top, it's unbelievable,” they said.
“I don't disagree with it in total, but I think it should be better controlled by whoever organises it. I don't remember them in Wallace Park.
“Leave them up and they become tatty. It becomes an eyesore. To say that that is your culture, to me, is a bit over the top.”
Another park user agreed, adding: “I don't think there should be any flags in the park because it belongs to everybody.
“It should just be neutral because the park is for everybody.”
Sinn Fein councillor Gary McCleave had called for the flags to “be removed immediately”.
He added: “Flags should never be used to intimidate communities or mark out territory and everyone must be able to use our parks free from intimidation.”
UUP councillor Nicholas Trimble said that he “always looks forward” to seeing the flags arrive in the summer but “I've lived in Lisburn for 40 years and I've never seen flags go up in the middle of Wallace Park”.
The Lisburn North councillor added that he suspects that those putting up the flags were “a little bit over-enthusiastic” which later led to the flags being taken down.
‘IRA’ threat over ‘death dealers’ put up in estate
Connla Young, Crime and Security Correspondent, Irish News, June 27th, 2025
A THREAT against “death dealers” from the ‘IRA’ has appeared in a republican housing estate in Co Armagh.
The message appeared in the Kilwilkie estate in Lurgan earlier this week.
Headed ‘statement on behalf of North Armagh IRA’, the message is directed at “death dealers of the community and those who are involved in anti-social behaviour”.
“The IRA will not be standing back any longer and letting these activities go unnoticed,” the statement said.
“This will be the one and only warning given and action will be taken to the people who continue to destroy the community. Anyone found to be working with the RUC, MI5 passing information over will meet the deadly consequences.”
‘IRA’ threat against ‘death dealers’ posted in Co Armagh housing estate
The threatening message was signed ‘IRA’.
Several senior members of the drug gang known as ‘The Firm’ are from the Lurgan area.
With dozens of members, the gang has emerged as one of the most ruthless crime groups operating in the north over recent years.
The gang is heavily involved in drug dealing across parts of north Armagh and includes members from both nationalist and unionist backgrounds.
Last year republican group Óglaigh na hÉireann threatened to target the crime gang, which has been linked to several murders in the past.
A threat claiming to be from ‘North Armagh IRA’ has been posted in Lurgan
The PSNI said it is “making enquiries in relation to a poster in Co Armagh” and “these are at an early stage”.
Family 'vindicated': RUC officers among suspects in NI teen's unsolved murder
Adrian Rutherford, Belfast Telegraph, June 27th, 2025
OMBUDSMAN SLAMS PROBE AND URGES PSNI TO COMMISSION INDEPENDENT REVIEW
The family of a young woman found dead at a quarry more than half a century ago believe an independent review is needed to catch her killer.
Relatives of Marian Beattie were speaking after a scathing report found a series of failings in the original murder probe.
The Police Ombudsman has now urged the PSNI to commission an independent review of the investigation.
The 18-year-old's partially-clothed body was found at the bottom of the quarry near Aughnacloy in March 1973, hours after she had left a dance with an unidentified male.
At the time police said it was a “vicious and cruel murder, with sadistic overtones”.
No one has ever been charged or convicted of Marian's murder.
However, the family said the Ombudsman report reveals there were 13 suspects — three had paramilitary links and two were former police officers.
Marian's cousin, Collette Toman, said: “What is contained in the report has vindicated our position all along — there were significant failings in the RUC-PSNI investigation and that has been corroborated by this report today.”
The PSNI said it is committed to helping the Beattie family get answers to their questions. Ms Toman added: “This independent review needs to take place, and coming out of that independent review, I think that there is a fair chance of Marian's murderer being brought to justice.
“We believe the killer is still alive. We believe we know who it is.
“If the independent review is taken forward in the right manner, there is every possibility we will see justice for Marian.”
Key evidence ‘lost’
The report found police had failed to ensure all lines of enquiry were progressed, that all suspects were interviewed and that all alibis were checked.
Officers also did not ensure discrepancies between some suspects' accounts and other evidence were examined.
Key evidence — including accounts from people at the dance — has also been lost.
Police Ombudsman chief executive Hugh Hume said Marian's family had not received the service that they deserved from the police.
Ms Toman said the family were alarmed by the extent of police failings outlined in the report.
She added: “There are some shocks that we've had, even today. For example, we were unaware that there were up to 13 suspects in this case.
“We were only ever told about two, and then at an Ombudsman meeting in 2022, that increased to five. But never at any point did we think there was up to 13 suspects.
“Alongside that, there was a point at which they were considering closing the investigation in 2014, and the report now documents that at that stage there were 213 items still to be further investigated.”
The Police Ombudsman's investigation came after a referral by the then Chief Constable, George Hamilton, in 2017. On the night of her murder on March 30, 1973, Marian had been at a dance at Hadden's Garage near Aughnacloy, attended by 400-500 people.
She was last seen walking in the direction of Hadden's Quarry with an unidentified male. Her body was found at the bottom of the quarry, beneath a 90 foot drop, the next morning.
A post-mortem examination concluded Marian had died from multiple injuries — some consistent with a fall, but others deemed to have been sustained separately.
Key evidence items missing
Items from the scene, including clothing and forensic samples, were sent for forensic testing, but all are now missing.
These include a shoe which had a palm print, formed in mud, which became a significant focus for police.
Mr Hume said there had been an over-reliance on the palm print.
The report said significant outstanding lines of enquiry in relation to suspects that had not been pursued.
There was no evidence that police conducted any interviews with a number of suspects; checked a number of suspect alibis; or made enquiries about the whereabouts of some suspects on the night.
The Ombudsman probe was also hampered by the loss of police exhibits and documentation.
This includes documentary evidence, statements, records of interviews with witness and suspects, and officers' journals, and completed questionnaires from 419 people at the dance are also missing.
All physical exhibits recovered during the initial police investigation are also missing.
Mr Hume said: “If these exhibits had been available, it may have been possible to have conducted further forensic testing using current forensic capabilities, and it is possible that this may have resulted in the identification of the person responsible for Marian's murder.”
Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said: “We are committed to helping the Beattie family get answers to their questions and ensure the case is properly investigated.
“We will now take time to consider the recommendations of the Police Ombudsman report and we hope the family will engage with the Police Service as part of that process.”
RUC left in ‘little doubt’ that Catholic teenager was killed by loyalist suspect
Connla Young, Crime and Security Correspondent, Irish News, June 27th, 2025
RUC investigators had “little doubt” a man with suspected loyalist paramilitary links and a sexual assault conviction killed Catholic teenager Marian Beattie more than 50 years ago.
Details have emerged after the Police Ombudsman produced a damning report into the RUC and PSNI handling of the case.
The watchdog has now called for an independent review of the teenager’s killing to be carried out after an investigation “identified numerous failings” during the police investigation.
The 18-year-old’s partially clothed body was found at the bottom of a quarry in Aughnacloy in Co Tyrone in March 1973.
The teenager, who was from Portadown, had earlier been seen leaving a dance hall in the company of a man and concerns were later raised when she failed to meet her brother for a lift home.
The case was referred to the Police Ombudsman by the PSNI in 2017.
It has now emerged that one of the main suspects, Person B, was questioned about the murder on two occasions.
After his arrest in February 1974, he said he had been at the dance but denied involvement in the murder.
Unconfirmed alibis
He also provided two alibi witnesses but neither confirmed his account.
In April 1974 he was convicted of indecent assault after being “arrested in relation to sexual offences committed against a female following a dance”.
He was sentenced to one year in jail suspended for two years.
The suspect was detained again in October 1978, and “was also interviewed in relation to suspected terrorism offences”.
“It is documented that Person B was suspected of having been involved with a paramilitary organisation,” the ombudsman said.
During interview he again denied involvement in the teenager’s murder, claiming “he had been at a different dance that night”.
He was later released without charge.
The ombudsman has now confirmed “the original documentation of Person B’s interviews in relation to Marian’s murder is missing from the RUC files”.
Significantly, the ombudsman reveals “investigators at the time of the RUC investigation document that they had ‘little doubt that Person B was Marian Beattie’s killer’”.
They also state that “whether her fall into the quarry was accidental or otherwise ‘it is certain that he was in the quarry bottom and removed her clothing’”.
The ombudsman’s report reveals that relatives of Ms Beattie told investigators that on four separate occasions police made comments that led them to believe “there were potential links between suspects and either police, military/security services or paramilitaries”.
While there are no records of the discussions, the report suggested “available information suggests it is more likely than not that such comments had been made” adding “that three suspects had paramilitary links and two were former police officers”.
Suspects had RUC and paramil connections
“In addition, while clear lines of enquiry were outstanding in relation to the suspects known to have potential paramilitary and police connections, this was not unique to these suspects, and the Police Ombudsman investigation was unable to establish whether or not these connections had any impact upon the police investigation,” the ombudsman said.
Robert Giles, Gerard Beattie, Colette Toman, Fergal Beattie and solicitor Darragh Mackin as members of Marian Beattie’s family speak to the media outside the Police Ombudsman’s office yesterday. Ms Beattie’s relatives had referred the case to the watchdog over concerns about the police investigation
Ms Beattie was found at the bottom of a Co Tyrone quarry over 50 years ago.
Ombudsman investigators have found no evidence that police conducted any interviews with a number of suspects, checked several alibis or made enquiries about the whereabouts of some suspects on the night of the murder.
Police also failed to examine discrepancies between the accounts of some suspects and other evidence or carry out any intelligence work in relation to suspects.
In addition, witnesses were not shown a photograph of Marian or asked if they had seen her leaving the dance hall on the night she died.
It has now emerged that in 2014, the Beattie family were told that there were no active lines on enquiry and that although the case was not closed as it was unsolved, there would be no further investigation unless new lines came to light.
200 ‘incomplete actions’
Police Ombudsman investigators have now established that at this time there were over 200 “incomplete actions noted in the investigation management system used by the police”.
Items recovered from the murder scene included clothing and forensic samples.
After being tested they were returned to police in January 1974.
These items are all now missing and there is no record of what happened to them after they were returned to the RUC.
This includes a palmprint that was formed in mud on the heel of Marian’s right shoe.
While a photograph of the print exists, like other evidence, the shoe itself is missing.
It has also emerged that since Ms Beattie’s murder her family had contact with police on just eight occasions.
Colette Toman, Ms Beattie’s cousin, said the ombudsman report “justifies what we said all along in that there were significant failings in this investigation, and there continued to be those failings within the PSNI when they started to contact us again back to 2012, 2013”.
She added that her family wants to examine the possibility of a new inquest.
“Marian’s initial inquest was an absolute joke,” she said.
Darragh Mackin, of Phoenix Law, who represents the Beattie family, said “the facts of this investigation speak for themselves”.
“The suspects in Marian’s murder were hiding in plain sight.
“Today’s revelations confirm that three suspects had paramilitary links and two were former police officers.
“The family have always believed that such connections have played a direct role in the obfuscation and procrastination adopted, in failing to investigate Marian’s murder.”
Police Ombudsman chief executive Hugh Hume said the investigation “has found significant errors and omissions during the police enquiries into Marian’s murder”.
Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said police “will now take time to consider the recommendations of the Police Ombudsman report and we hope the family will engage with the Police Service as part of that process”.
The case for unity should be based on facts, not tribal thinking
Sam McBride, Belfast Telegraph, June 27th, 2025
BOTH SIDES HAVE A GOOD ARGUMENT FOR THEIR STANCE, BUT RARELY IS IT MADE IN A SENSIBLE WAY
Ireland has many divides. The border might be the most controversial, but there are divisions which predated partition and have the potential to outlast it even if the border was to be removed.
Yet beyond differences of religion, of constitutional preference, of class — and even newer points of difference such as ethnicity and language — lies what is now perhaps the most important division: the split between those who want to win a border poll at all costs, and those whose respect for their neighbours outweighs their desire to get everything they want.
There is a fragility in all things. What we now have — booming prosperity (in both global and historical terms, even if we don't think we're rich), settled peace, and warm relations across the island and with Britain — is not normal.
Even after the turmoil of the post-Brexit years, we exist in an unusually settled period. This is both a blessing and an opportunity.
It is a chance to consider the future of the island calmly and rationally.
There's no ticking clock against which we're racing to make up our minds.
There's no pike or gun pointed in our faces. There's no pressing urgency to overcome religious discrimination or intolerable conditions.
It wasn't always thus. Many of our ancestors lived in periods of terror and squalor.
We don't often think of our situation in this way. Taking a longer view back to the past and ahead to the future gives context to the present.
Last year, I was approached with an idea: The Royal Irish Academy wanted to publish a book which set out the best arguments for a united Ireland, and the best arguments against a united Ireland.
Initially, the idea was that there would be two complementary books — I would write the one on Northern Ireland, and Fintan O'Toole would write the one on the Republic.
Eventually, it was decided to combine both in a single edition on the basis that while someone in Cork might not think they need to consider the same issues as someone in Coleraine, this decision inevitably impacts both.
Troubles and Brexit are matters of common concern
The Troubles — and more recently Brexit — demonstrated how major developments on one side of the border inevitably affect the other jurisdiction. What attracted me to the idea was that it was resolutely nonpartisan. This isn't an attempt to tell readers what to think about a united Ireland. Rather, it is an attempt to get them to think about it in a different way.
Fintan and I each set out with equal clarity the cases for and against unity. Neither section was difficult to write because there are many strong and reasonable arguments for both sides. Yet many of them are rarely made.
For an issue which defines Northern Ireland's politics, it is remarkable that unionist and nationalist parties spend so little time espousing the practical benefits of their ideological preference.
I've never had any interest in journalism which proselytises for one or other side. Readers deserve the best possible version of the truth we can establish, not the inevitable suppression of some awkward discovery because it doesn't suit a particular cause.
At various points in my career I've been shunned by the DUP, Sinn Féin, and Government ministers for asking questions or reporting truths they'd rather were concealed. Not once has this caused me the slightest concern.
If the price of access to power is silence on important issues, then that access is pointless.
I accepted the invitation to write this book in the knowledge that I'd inevitably be accused of bias and that inevitably those claims would, absurdly, come from both sides.
Seeking to assuage the prejudices of such zealots is impossible, but there are a great many fair-minded people who want to be better informed about this decision, and it is those people for whom this book has been written.
It's also for my children who are smarter than me and of whom I am immensely proud. I rarely write about them because they have the right to privacy and to be judged for who they are, rather than on my behalf.
But yesterday my daughter had her final assembly in primary school where she and her classmates were exhorted to embrace the boundless possibility before them.
Her generation, and that of her brother, will be able to judge this question freed from some of the shackles of history. But they also need to know some of the pitfalls into which past generations fell so that they can avoid repeating our mistakes and those of our ancestors.
Fact checked and peer reviewed
For and Against a United Ireland is published by an academic publisher, meaning it has gone through fact-checking and peer review. But it's not an academic book. We are journalists writing in plain language for normal people.
The book is part of the Arins project — Analysing and Researching Ireland, North and South, a joint initiative between the Royal Irish Academy and the University of Notre Dame. However, this is far too important a debate to stay within the academy. The way in which this question is decided will impact our lives and the futures of generations still unborn.
It's not a decision to be taken flippantly or arrogantly or based on sectarian tribalism. We've had enough of that, and we know where it got us.
This is not an equation where the facts can be entered into a computer which can tell us how to vote. Voters will prioritise different factors and have differing tolerance of risk.
For many people, their sense of belonging is more important than simply which outcome would make them richer.
Those whose core identity is Irish or British are not inherently tribal or sectarian. National identity is wholly legitimate, and often healthy.
But what this book allows the reader to do is to not only have their own preference reinforced, but to understand and appreciate the counter-argument.
It's not stupid to desire Irish unity or the Union's continuation. The UK and the Republic are among the most advanced countries in the history of humanity — places where we can live comfortable lives, where there's good medical care, and where difference is respected. The poet John Hewitt once wrote of “this mad island crammed with bloody ghosts/And moaning memories of forgotten coasts/Our fathers steered from”. But in the lines which precede those words, he wrote: “I derive/ Sufficient joy from being here alive…”
His satisfaction at living in Northern Ireland was in an age when life was much harder and more dangerous, when sectarianism was rawer, and when for many people the world of today was unimaginable.
Some old certainties relied upon by our ancestors are now outdated. If we are to take a decision which could reshape this island for centuries to come, we need to base that decision on robust analysis of facts, not flabby tribal thinking.
In an era of disinformation, of manipulative artificial intelligence, and deceitful algorithms, a border poll is laden with peril if it is bungled.
There will be efforts to distort and deceive, and there will be those seeking to stir up murderous wrath.
Whatever our view on how this question should be answered, and whatever our view on when this question should ever be put to voters, now is the time to calmly consider the future we want for ourselves, and for our offspring.
For and Against a United Ireland is available to pre-order from the Royal Irish Academy website. The first 500 copies will be signed by the authors
Rioter who did it because he ‘was bored’ given 20 months
Ashleigh McDonald, Irish News, June 27th, 2026
A MAN who took part in a racially motivated riot in Belfast last summer “out of boredom” was jailed for 20 months yesterday.
Matthew Brogan (29), from Drumbeg South in Craigavon, will spend an additional 20 months on licence when he is released.
As well as throwing masonry at police officers, Brogan also assisted in the movement of a car which was set on fire during the disorder in the south of the city.
Belfast Crown Court heard that last summer some areas of the UK experienced public disorder with racial undertones.
Judge Patrick Lynch KC said: “There were a number of days in August that Belfast bore the brunt and experienced mass civil unrest.
“Police were attacked and injured and businesses were burned.”
On Saturday August 3 last year, an anti-immigrant rally was held in the centre of Belfast and, following this, a crowd began making its way to the Islamic Centre on University Road.
A short time later, public disorder broke out in the Donegall Road/Sandy Row area which saw police come under attack and several businesses targeted.
During the disorder, Brogan was present for several hours and was observed throwing masonry at police.
He was also seen engaging with masked men and at around 9.37pm he was present at Wellwood Street when a vehicle was moved and set alight.
Regarding the incident with the black Astra, prosecutor Simon Jenkins said it would appear Brogan assisted in opening a gate to allow the car to be moved and that he also shook the vehicle as it passed through the gate.
Serious rioting erupted in the Donegall Road/Sandy Row area of south Belfast on August 3 last year after a large demonstration had taken place earlier in the day in the city centre
In the aftermath of the riot, the PSNI issued images of people believed to be involved and Brogan was identified by a member of the public on August 8 2024.
Arrested at Belfast hostel
He was arrested at a hostel in Belfast and a yellow top matching the one he wore during the riot was seized.
Brogan was interviewed the following day and, when shown footage, he confirmed the male in the yellow top was him.
He told police he had been in the area for around three hours and initially denied involvement, claiming he was only there to watch it.
When he was asked about the incident with the car and the gate, Brogan said he was just making sure the vehicle didn’t hit the gate and damage it.
Despite these claims, he subsequently admitted that on August 3, 2024 he ‘riotously assembled together with others’.
Defence barrister Cameron Faulkner said that whilst his client accepted he was present and threw masonry at police, he was not an organiser or planner but joined in “out of boredom”.
The barrister said the disorder had already started when Brogan became involved “in the movement of the crowd” and that thankfully no-one was injured.
Criminal record
Mr Faulkner also told Judge Lynch that Brogan had admitted his involvement and has a clear criminal record.
The judge said he had read and considered further defence submissions which set out Brogan’s addiction issues and the steps he is now taking to address these.
Regarding the disorder, Judge Lynch said that whilst there was no evidence to suggest he was an organiser or planner, Brogan was nonetheless “a fulsome member of the rioting crowd”.
The judge said the unrest on August 3 was aggravated by “racial hostility” and directed against immigrants, “most of whom actually provide a working and valuable contribution to our society”.
As he imposed the 40-month sentence, Judge Lynch said Brogan “was involved in the riotous situation for several hours, he was involved in throwing items at police and he was involved in assisting others to commit an act or arson.
“The defendant knew he was involving himself in a racist protest/riot – there is no doubt about that – and still participated for a lengthy period of time,” added Judge Lynch.
Fourteen sentenced so far, including three juveniles and 23 more people have been charged so far
John, Breslin, Irish News, June 27th, 2025
Matthew Brogan is the first adult to be sentenced for rioting in connection with the violence on the streets of Belfast last summer, police said.
Brogan (29), from Drumbeg South in Craigavon, was jailed for 20 months, with a further 20 on licence after being guilty of rioting in the Sandy Row/Donegall Road area of the city.
The rioting happened as part of UK-wide raciallymotivated disorder following the stabbing deaths of three schoolgirls in Southport.
Multiple hundreds of defendants were sentenced in Britain, many for the offence of riot, in the weeks and months following the violent events of last August, according to Ministry of Justice statistics.
Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck said: “Brogan is the first adult to be sentenced for the offence of riot in respect of last year’s violence.”
Fourteen people have been sentenced for offences linked to the riots, including three juveniles.
Twenty-three cases are still going through our courts, with police saying the wider investigation continues.
ACC Beck, describing how Brogan was identified, said that “police evidence-gathering teams observed a man in a light blue hooded top in the Sandy Row area” at around 8pm on the Saturday night of the early August disturbances.
“He was filmed engaging with masked individuals, and throwing both masonry and bottles at police,” the senior officer said.
“At around 9.40pm, the same man, now wearing a yellow T-shirt, was seen in our footage opening a gate for a group of people who had broken into a car near to a community centre. The car was moved and set alight in Wellwood Street.
“We released a number of still images from our recorded footage to the public, appealing for their help in identifying those suspected to be involved in the disorder.
“Community information led to Matthew Brogan being identified as the man in the distinctive yellow T-shirt.”
Belfast Orangefest launches for upcoming Twelfth of July celebrations in the city
Abdullah Sabri, Belfast Telegraph, June 27th, 2025
Belfast Orangefest officially launched yesterday (Thursday) promising a range of activities for people in the city over the course of the Twelfth of July festivities.
First established by the County Grand Lodge of Belfast in 2007, Orangefest was designed to modernise the celebrations to make them more accessible, relevant and inclusive.
The Department of Communities has pledged to over £40,000 in funds for Orangefest this year to help support infrastructure and operations costs.
The launch featured a several senior Orange Order members and politicians, including DUP leader Gavin Robinson, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons and newly elected Lord Mayor of Belfast Tracy Kelly.
As part of Orangefest, Belfast City Hall will host a food festival as well as entertainment for children as the parade passes in front of the landmark site.
Chairman of Belfast Orangefest, Mervyn Gibson, said the celebrations continue “getting bigger every year”.
“The main event of course is to come and see the parade and enjoy the parade in all its splendour,” Mr Gibson said.
“But after the parade and maybe just before it, there'll be a food festival here in the grounds of City Hall for us. Vendors will be there to share their products.
“The City Hall will also be open for tours and then when the parade passes through, there'll be street entertainment in the city of Belfast for those coming in to shop.”
Making it more inclusive
Meanwhile, County Grand Master of Belfast Spencer Beattie explained the importance of continuing to upkeep the tradition of the Twelfth celebrations.
“We think the 12th of July in itself is self-explanatory. It's a major cultural celebration and commemoration that we hold very dear and cherish to ourselves. So it's important to the community for that to happen.
“And the funding then helps us make that much more inclusive that we can bring more people into it.”
The new funding is part of a new three year plan by Orangefest to facilitate a continuous cultural engagement programme.
Minister Lyons said: “I am pleased to confirm funding of more than £40,000 from my department for the 2025 Orangefest.
“Orange celebrations are one of the largest, long-standing events of their kind in Belfast, attracting tens of thousands of visitors from across the world.
“This support will enable Orangefest to engage with other bodies to make this year's Twelfth of July celebrations an even more inclusive and family friendly event.”
DUP leader Gavin Robinson said: “It's a way in which the Orange Order have, over the last number of years tried to positively enhance the experience of the 12th of July to make it a much more welcoming occasion, a family-friendly occasion, an occasion when people can come into the city centre and across the route and enjoy themselves.”
£70,000 to clean up bonfire sites on public highways
Conor Coyle, Irish News, June 27th, 2025
THE Department for Infrastructure has spent more than £70,000 in the last five years cleaning and retarring public roads in the aftermath of bonfires.
Preparations are in the final stages for the Eleventh Night bonfires which take place across the north, the night before the annual Twelfth of July parades.
While many bonfires are erected on lands owned by local councils or the Housing Executive, some are also built on public roads, in which case the responsibility for clean-up costs falls to DfI Roads.
In some cases, clean up operations following last year’s bonfire celebrations did not take place until the spring of this year.
A Freedom of Information request from The Irish News has revealed that the total bill to the Stormont department for the roads clean-up is £71,397.
In the last three years, the majority of the clean up costs have come from the Greater Belfast area and one other bonfire based at Prince Andrew Way in Carrickfergus.
In 2024, £6,061 was spent on cleaning and re-tarring roads due to bonfires in the Greater Belfast area, while £4,269 was spent at the site of the Prince Andrew Way bonfire.
In the previous year, £4,819 was spent in Belfast and £5,164 at Prince Andrew Way.
As part of the department’s FOI response, it said it could not allow expenditure to be identified for individual sites within Belfast due to “contractual arrangements”.
Costs associated with the DfI clean-up of bonfires on roads have decreased since a total of £28,377 was spent on a single year in 2021, more than £15,000 of that in Belfast alone and more than £8,000 on the Prince Andrew Way bonfire.
Anger after device found in grounds of primary school
Irish News, June 27th, 2025
A PRIMARY school in Derry was evacuated after the discovery of a suspicious device yesterday morning, believed to be in the grounds.
Pupils from Sacred Heart Primary on Trench Road in the Waterside area of the city had to leave their school after the alarm was raised at 11.20am.
The “suspect device has been found on the grounds”, of the school, Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan said in a social media post.
“The school is being evacuated, parents have been contacted and children are to be collected at the Chapel car park entrance. I understand that police are in the process of informing residents now.”
A cordon was thrown up in the Knockwellan Park area as people were asked to leave their homes during the public safety operation. A bomb disposal was dispatched to the scene.
“We understand the disruption and inconvenience this is causing, in particular for the school community and all parents and residents affected,” a PSNI spokesperson said yesterday.
“We want to reassure everyone we are working our way through this situation as quickly as possible and appreciate the co-operation and patience from the school community and the public as we do so.
“We will keep you updated.”
The alert happened on the second last day of the school year.
Meanwhile, evacuated residents of homes in Newtownards were allowed to return to their properties shortly after midnight yesterday morning following the discovery of viable explosive device.
Homes were evacuated in Linden Place in Newtownards around 5.30pm on Wednesday. The device was located inside a house in the area.
Belfast rappers Kneecap release short film calling for arms embargo against Israel
Kurtis Reid, Belfast Telegraph, June 27th, 2025
Kneecap have released a short film calling for an arms embargo against Israel ahead of their appearance at Glastonbury.
The film, which was released on the Irish rappers' social media channels yesterday, is entitled Stop the Genocide and features testimony from a plastic surgeon, an emergency physician, a Palestinian activist and an artist.
The video leads with the voice of Mo Chara who says: “Genocide is a crime against humanity.
“It is the intention to destroy, in whole or in part, a group of people simply because of who they are. To act to cause them serious bodily and mental harm, by deliberately inflicting conditions calculated to bring about their physical destruction by killing them en masse.”
The video also calls for an arms embargo and for viewers to get involved in the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement.
The final frame shows a QR code to the stopthegenocide.info site which includes information on contributors and how to support the Palestinian cause.
The film's release comes just before Kneecap are set to take to the stage at Glastonbury on Saturday.
The group have faced mounting controversy in recent weeks following a charge brought against one of their members under the Terrorism Act.
Mo Chara, whose real name is Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court earlier this month charged with supporting a proscribed organisation.
The charge relates to an incident at a London concert in November 2024, where the rapper was alleged to have held up a Hezbollah flag and encouraged support for both Hezbollah and Hamas.
He denies the allegations and has been released on unconditional bail ahead of a further court hearing scheduled for August.
The charge has sparked widespread political and public debate, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer stating it would be “inappropriate” for the group to perform at Glastonbury.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch went further, calling for the BBC to refrain from broadcasting Kneecap's set.
Varadkar critises Starmer
Leo Varadkar yesterday criticised Keir Starmer's comments on the band, saying the Prime Minister should not “try to censor” the Irish language rap group.
Earlier, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the trio, who released a critically acclaimed biopic film last year, “thrive on the oxygen of publicity”.
She added she agreed with the Prime Minister's comments around Kneecap's Glastonbury set.
But Glastonbury founder Sir Michael Eavis (89) said people who do not agree with the politics of the event “can go somewhere else”.
Asked if the event still stands for something, Sir Michael told Glastonbury Free Press, the festival's resident newspaper: “Oh heaven's above, yes, of course it does.
“And I think the people that come here are into all those things.
“People that don't agree with the politics of the event can go somewhere else.”
Sir Michael, who has used a wheelchair to get around the festival in recent years, said he still gets “really excited” for the five-day celebration of performing arts and music, though he can “no longer run around like I used to”.
Equality body seeks guidance on Sexual Identity
By David Thompson, Belfast News Letter,June 27th, 2025
Northern Ireland will not automatically follow a ruling by the Supreme Court that sex is determined by biology the Equality Commission has said – citing uncertainty caused by the Windsor Framework.
The Commission (ECNI) has dodged giving clear guidance on the implications of the ruling – and created further uncertainty by raising questions about what terms like ‘man’ and ‘woman’ mean – questioning whether ‘sex’ means the same in Northern Ireland as it does in the rest of the UK.
It now wants the High Court in Belfast to rule on how Article 2 of the Windsor Framework affects the legal situation in Northern Ireland.
Chief commissioner Geraldine McGahey says that if it were not for the post-Brexit deal - the Supreme Court ruling would apply here.
The commission has also introduced uncertainty as to the legal definition of male and female in Northern Ireland. Pointing to local equality laws from the 1970s, the Chief Commissioner said: “Each of these pieces of legislation use terms like 'sex', 'men' and 'women' without providing comprehensive definitions”.
However, the Supreme Court judgement referenced 1970s employment legislation in its judgement – and said “there can be no doubt” that in 1975, Parliament intended that these words “would refer to biological sex”.
Northern Ireland’s equivalent law was passed a year later, by the Westminster parliament.
She also said the situation “is much more nuanced and complicated” in the province – and that ECNI “considers that there is significant legal uncertainty in Northern Ireland due to the unique legal landscape here”.
Sex may not have same meaning in NI as Britain
Ms McGahey added: “In short, it may be that the meaning of ‘sex’, and related terms, should be interpreted differently in Northern Ireland and whether this is so requires clarification”.
Asked by the News Letter which specific part of Article 2 of the Framework was causing an issue around the implementation of the Supreme Court judgement, the ECNI chief said it is the “entirety” of the law. “Article 2 is about ensuring there is no diminution of rights that are protected or safeguarded within the Good Friday Agreement. There is debate as to which right that actually might be, and it’s for the courts should adjudicate on that – whether it’s a civil right, or whether it’s on gender discrimination”.
ECNI’s long awaited verdict was published this morning – but does not give the clarity that was expected.
For months, ministers and public bodies have decided to take no action on income ring the judgement by the UK’s highest court, stating that they were waiting for the equality watchdog’s guidance.
The news means that uncertainty will continue, with possibly a year before a final resolution.
The Commission has now set out a "road map of actions" it will take to "achieve legal certainty".
Geraldine McGahey said: “After much consideration and analysis, the Commission has concluded that the situation in Northern Ireland, in respect of this matter, is much more nuanced and complicated, and there is significant uncertainty due to our unique legal landscape.
“We have no interest in merely speculating as to how a court might determine these issues in the future. We will not answer these legal uncertainties by weighing the arguments “for” and “against”. It is important that the Commission shows leadership as people and their lives are at the heart of this issue.
“To achieve greater long-term certainty and clarity for all involved, the Commission will be seeking a Declaration from the courts to address several questions regarding the significant legal uncertainties.
“Our equality laws do not sit in isolation; they interact with other laws and regulations for which the Commission does not have a remit. We believe other bodies and organisations will also require clarification on the legal position in relation to their own areas of work and may join the Commission in its legal proceedings.
“The Commission will issue Pre-Action Protocol letters to government departments and other public bodies with legal responsibilities potentially affected by the judgment and to other interested parties.
“The Commission will also commence a wider consultation process for all interested stakeholders. We want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to respond to questions raised and we welcome input from all our stakeholders.
“We fully recognise the challenges faced by employers and service providers as they try to navigate these uncertainties. As this is an evolving area of law, we will keep our interim information for employers and service providers under review and offer advice on a case-by-case basis where the law is clear.
“Ultimately, maximising legal certainty and transparency is at the heart of our strategy. We aim to create a robust framework for offering guidance, rather than being subject to numerous legal uncertainties that may be contested in the courts over the coming years at potentially great cost to the public purse.
“By adopting this approach, we hope to avoid the toxicity which has sometimes characterised the debate around how to balance the rights of biological women and transgender women by creating a space for debate and adjudication by the courts.
“We believe our approach will be in the best interests of everyone in Northern Ireland”, concluded Ms McGahey.
Belfast Islamic Centre thanks the community for support following attack
Conor McParland, Belfast Media, June 27th, 2025
BELFAST Islamic Centre has thanked the public for their support following last week's attack on their building.
A viable explosive device was thrown through a window of the building on University Road at around 10.10pm last Friday night.
On Monday, a 34 year-old man appeared in court charged with the attack.
In a statement on social media Belfast Islamic Centre said: "In the wake of the deeply troubling and cowardly act of terrorism at the Belfast Islamic Centre aimed at spreading fear, we want to reassure our community that our Centre remains a safe, welcoming space for worship, reflection, and togetherness.
"We have reviewed and strengthened our security measures and are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure the safety of all who visit.
"We are immensely grateful to the security services, local community members, and political leaders who have stood with us in unequivocally condemning racism, hatred, and violence in all its forms. Your solidarity is a powerful reminder of the shared values that bind us together.
"We are proud to be Muslims, and equally proud to call Northern Ireland our home. Guided by our core values of peace, compassion, and freedom, we remain committed to building a more inclusive, diverse, and united society.
"Acts of hatred will never divide us. Instead, they strengthen our resolve to create a better future for our children and generations to come.
"We are also guided by our strong belief of shared origin of all humanity and that diversity in cultures and communities is meant to foster understanding and connection rather than creating divisions.
"Thank you for standing together in unity, solidarity and hope.
