Flags and statues. Both of them are pretty much guaranteed to kick off a bit of a row around these parts. And a statue holding a flag, particularly a green, white and gold one….that’s a surefire racing certainty to make some people’s blood boil over.
Blend in the inconvenient fact that no one thought of applying for planning permission for said statue and it all gets a bit spicier. Added to the fact, of course, that the statue itself celebrates the life of one Bobby Sands, who (in case anyone had forgotten) died in the 1981 IRA hunger strike in the Maze prison.
Yep, this one has all the ingredients of a classic Northern Ireland tale. Perfect for the Nolan Show in every respect, and one that the shouty people on both sides can get their teeth into. And so it has proven.
But is it exercising the minds of the vast majority of us? Erm, no. Not really. It’s a story which will burn brightly for a day or two on the radio airwaves on the pages of the newspapers and then quietly drift away. And the statue itself will be quietly forgotten by most, apart from the good folk of Twinbrook who’ll have to look at it in perpetuity unless Belfast City Council rules that it has to be torn down. And, let’s face it, that’s unlikely.
Planning permissions apart, this kind of thing has always and will always rub some people up the wrong way. DUP politicians at a band parade where sectarian music is played….Shinners at the unveiling of a Bobby Sands statue…..the list could go on and on. And through the year, it has.
But do we take offence these days as easily as we once would have done? It seems to us that the number of offence takers is growing smaller with each passing year….and that has to be good news for all of us.
Now, what’s next? What else can we get annoyed about?
Landmark Lunacy
The Belfast Telegraph did well to highlight a feature section in the New York Times recently spotlighting Northern Ireland and its economic potential.
The 10-pager looked at our economy in some detail and included contributions from the likes of Suzanne Wylie of the NI Chamber of Commerce, Kieran Donoghue of Invest NI, even former US Special Envoy, Joe Kennedy. Remember those days…..?
“Over the past three decades, Northern Ireland has transformed its economic identity, emerging as a dynamic hub for innovation,” the advertorial reads.
“The region’s metamorphosis shifted the economy from being historically reliant on heavy industry, including building the famous RMS Titanic, to one driven by technology.”
Pity, then, that the front page of the piece had to be illustrated by a spectacular image of the Belfast waterfront, and a tour boat meandering upstream with Titanic Belfast in the background, the jewel – of course – in the city’s tourism crown.
Except that, nowadays, the little boat would be chugging past an ugly half-finished apartment block with Titanic Belfast completely hidden behind it.
Earlier yesterday, we watched the huge Norwegian Prima cruise ship glide up Belfast Lough with its 3,000-odd passengers breakfasting on board and preparing for a day ashore in sunny Belfast when a good proportion of them will have found their way to Titanic Belfast. But they’ll not have seen it from the cityside of the riverfront.
It’s a crying shame.
Flying High
Fresh from helping to unveil the Bobby Sands statue in West Belfast on Sunday, the First Minister hot footed it up the road to Aldergrove on Tuesday morning.
The sight of her and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly officially opening the £100 million extension up at Belfast International Airport has to be good news for all of us. Not just some of us.
The airport is a whole lot better now than it used to be, particulary the large, airy and – best of all – quick and efficient security hall. As a few people have pointed out in the media, though, the place really had been crying out for a spot of investment.
And, once you’re whisked through security, you have loads more space in which to buy bottles of perfume, big Toblerones and oversized bags of M&Ms to take away with you.
But credit where credit is due. The airport’s owners, French-based VINCI Airports, has stepped up to the plate with plenty of euros to spend. And they’re not done yet.
All it needs now is a branch of Weatherspoons that opens at, say, 4.00 am so that boozy Belfast travellers can get the load on before their early morning departures to get an even bigger load on in Benidorm or Magaluf.
One Of The Best
Congratulations, again, to Feargal McCormack who was presented with the Outstanding Contribution To Accountancy Award at the 2025 Irish Accountancy Awards held in Dublin last week.
It’s just the latest honour for the man who set up FPM Chartered Accountants in Newry back in 1991, later opening offices across the border in Dundalk and then in Belfast and beyond. The firm merged with AAB in 2022 and Feargal remains there as Senior Partner and Head of Family Business. He’s also a former President of Chartered Accountants Ireland.
But those are simply the CV facts and figures. Behind the business achievements, Feargal is one of the nicest and most genuine men we’ve met in our years of reporting on business and the economy in Northern Ireland.
The legions of business success, awards, directorships and the rest haven’t changed the big man from Warrenpoint. He remains one of the gentlemen of the local business world.
Behind Bars
McConnell’s Distillery is celebrating a year since opening its doors up at the iconic Crumlin Road Gaol. And, in that time, it’s welcomed more than 20,000 visitors through its gates.
That’s not just a milestone for the distillery, but a milestone for the Belfast tourist product as well.
That said, while the visitors flock to what’s presumably the world’s only landmark prison turned into a distillery, the place has distilled enough spirit to produce 1.6 million bottles of McConnell’s Irish Whisky, a product which is shipped to over 45 markets worldwide.
The gaol turned distillery is even preparing to host its first wedding!
Weddings? Ah, how times have changed. There are still many around Belfast, around politics even, who remember being residents there.
Molly’s Melons Are Back
More news from Dublin, where the streets are broad and narrow, on Molly Malone’s assets.
Apparently stewards are now being paid to keep an eye on the statue of Ms. Malone to try to discourage locals and visitors alike from fondling it….as they’re apparently prone to do. Largely for photographic purposes, one hastens to add.
It’s such a problem that Molly’s melons have become polished and discoloured over the years. Quite how well the new stewards will do at persuading people to leave Molly’s melons alone remains to be seen.
The whole story has produced plenty of jokes, but Dublin’s city fathers (and mothers) are trying to keep a straight face.
Lest you’d forgotten, Molly allegedly sold cockels and mussels from her wheelbarrow…..before dying of a fever. But some say that she had another, less salubrious, occupation. Hence some Dubs’ description of the statue as “the tart with the cart”.
Not A Drop To Drink
It was bound to happen, wasn’t it? Hose pipe bans have already been introduced in part of the Republic, including Donegal. We may not be far behind if the current sunny weather continues.
Yep, despite the fact that it has p***ed down relentlessly all winter, and most of last summer, we’re already running short of water. You couldn’t make it up. Northern Ireland Water will be getting those press releases ready.
So, if you’re worried about your plants, here are a couple of tips. If you live in prosperous parts of South Belfast or North Down, nip into Sainsbury’s and buy a couple of cases of San Pellegrino. Your dahlias will thank you for it.
Alternatively, Lidl does a decent German lager (brewed in France). But don’t pour it over your plants. Heavens above, no. Drink it yourself and, once it’s dark, spray it over the plants using your own devices, so to speak.
See….we’re nothing if not resourceful. And you’re welcome, by the way.