Ceasefires Now

Should we have been surprised by the decision of the US President Donald Trump to attack Iran? No. Shocked maybe but not surprised. The weapons of mass destruction spin, that was used to justify the invasion of Iraq two decades ago, was already in wide usage by some western governments and sections of the media before B 2’s dropped so-called ‘bunker buster’ bombs on Iran. And we all remember what a disaster the Iraq war was for the people of that nation and for world politics. An estimated million Iraqi citizens died.

The attack on Iran was an act of aggression against a state that had not attacked the USA. It was in clear breach of international law and it almost certainly broke US domestic and constitutional law. Moreover, two nuclear powers – Israel and the USA – have attacked a nation that does not have nuclear weapons. And applauding in the wings are Britain, France and Germany and others who are colluding in the genocide of the Palestinian people.

Mol an Óige

The boys and girls of Rang A Seacht graduated from Bunscoil an tSléibhe Dhuibh last Friday. I was there in my capacity as a Daideo to one of the scholars. Our oldest lad’s oldest lad. It was a wonderful event. The Assembly Hall was filled with parents and grandparents, brothers and sisters, teachers and classroom assistants. Pilib said a few words as a céad míle fáilte.

He reminded us all that we are Gaels. Part of Gaelic society in Belfast. Part of the Irish language community here and across Ireland. Living our lives through Irish. Bringing our language with us wherever we go.

Family Album

When Frankie Quinn was sixteen his father gave him a  camera and sent him along to the newly formed Camera Club in the McAirt Community Centre. The club was focussed on recording life locally in the Short Strand/Ballymacarrett district which was being redeveloped.

It was 1982. Large parts of the area had already been demolished when Frankie set to work. All of us who are interested in our local history have benefitted from this initiative by his father and from Frankie’s work. Over the decades he has produced photographic treasures for us to contemplate and remember how things once were particularly in working class Belfast communities two generations ago.

Frankie has won many awards and produced fine exhibitions of his work along with a number of publications. Family Album is the latest of these. It is about his home place. The tiny nationalist district of Short Strand and Ballymacarrett in East Belfas