cúisle mo chroí

I believe I may be the only person interested in live-tweeting the New York New Belfast Conference which begins today, but so be it! As someone who is interested in the post-conflict regeneration of the North of Ireland, absolutely loves Belfast (and New York!), I’m really looking forward to this conference. I’m also [...]

This afternoon I am off to New York, where aside from visiting long lost friends, I will be attending tomorrow’s Index 30 luncheon on Wall St, hosted by The Irish Echo. Mary Louise Mallick, Deputy Comptroller of NY State, whom I had the good fortune to meet in Belfast last May, will receive the [...]

It was interesting to see the story on the BBC yesterday about the increase in vigilante justice in the north of Ireland. Now, I’m not surprised to hear that paramilitary-style attacks are on the rise, given the recent activities of dissident republican groups, but I am particularly interested in these types of reports because [...]

I ran into artist Danny Devenny (read this recent article about Devenny in the Financial Times) by the International Wall on the Falls Road in West Belfast today.  Danny and his friend Leah (a professor at UMass-Amherst) were updating some of the murals to reflect the ongoing attacks of Israel on the people of Gaza.  [...]

The following is an article from Thursday’s Andersonstown News (Belfast), about our sponsorship.  It’s great to get local coverage of this, though as it turns out it looks like I will not be able to afford to go.  Nuts.  Though I bought a plane ticket…housing costs are unreasonable, to say the least.  Read on, anyway, [...]

The Boston Public Library at Copley Square is host to Relatives for Justice’s Remembering Quilt during the month of July.  I’ve seen sections of the quilt at their office in West Belfast, but have not yet had the opportunity to see the whole thing. I’m sure it is incredibly powerful.
For the quilt, relatives of victims [...]

It’s in!  The following is a statement from Congressman Richie Neal (D, MA), Chairman of the Friends of Ireland group in the House, in support of tomorrow’s Cultural Economy Conference in West Belfast:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 7, 2008
CONTACT: William Tranghese (202) 225-5601
 
STATEMENT OF CONGRESSMAN RICHARD E. NEAL
CHAIRMAN OF THE FRIENDS OF IRELAND
ON THE CULTURAL ECONOMIC [...]

I just finished reading The Basque History of the World  by Mark Kurlansky, the same author who wrote Salt: A World History (which I’ve heard a lot about but have not read).  It’s the first book I’ve read about Basque history, or Basque anything really.  I’d say it the book makes for a good introduction/overview–a [...]

From the Ulster Herald: No misty eyes about ‘Banner’
Few tears will be shed for Operation Banner, the British army’s 38-year involvement in the conflict here. Despite nostalgic footage of housewives treating squaddies to cups of tea, this military adventure should be remembered for some of the most destructive events of the Troubles. British military policy [...]