Brian O'Neill

I have been quiet lately as I find the current atmosphere even more depressing than usual. Drumcree was a particularly bleak time in our history and I, like most of us, had assumed the issue was put in a concrete box and dropped somewhere in the middle of Lough Neagh. That unionism is keen to bring back this utterly toxic issue is another example of how useless they are at any strategic thinking. As the old saying goes, “Unionism never …

Pour aul Robbie Butler. Well respected as one of the nicest men in politics there were concerns that he would be completely out of his depth as Health Minister and so it has come to pass. Less than a month into the job, he has pulled a Father Ted and announced yet another review into health services. You might recall me writing about this when Peter Weir was Education Minister. Baron Weir of Ballyholme decided rather than take any useful …

I like this: Best comment on the FT I’ve seen for a while. Explains a lot of the last 14 years. I would probably edit to “ if reasonable people don’t address reasonable voters reasonable concerns then unreasonable people will , and unreasonably ” pic.twitter/yFJaWO7vEM — Tom Goodwin (@tomfgoodwin) September 8, 2026 You could also quote the Yeats poem, “The Second Coming.”: The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. The left, simply put, have …

In addition to our normal open Sunday, we have a politics-free post to give you all a break. So discuss what you like here, but no politics. Comments will close at 12 pm on Monday. Brian O'Neill Managing Editor of Slugger O’Toole. I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in business, marketing and IT. My politics tend towards middle-of-the-road pragmatism; I am not a member of …

The Great Orange One arrives in Ireland tomorrow, causing a diplomatic headache for the Irish government. DFA are as smooth as the yard of silk but this visit will stretch even their legendary powers of diplomacy. President Catherine Connolly is no fan of Trump so she will be doing her best to bite her tongue and get through the meet and greet without incident. There are reports that the security operation is costing the Irish government 20 million, all just …

For those not familiar with the situation, Gaelic games are split into three organisations: The main GAA The Ladies Gaelic Football Association Camogie (the female version of hurling) For years they have been trying to merge the three organisations into the main GAA and they put the formidable ex-president Mary McAleese in charge of the campaign. But after four years she has thrown her hands up and walked out, blaming the GAA’s management for the situation. From the Irish Times: …

One of President Donald Trump's closest aides, Natalie Harp, worked in the White House for more than a year without completing the normal security clearance process, according to a recent MS Now report.

Twenty-five years after 9/11, the lessons of one catastrophe should not define how we see the next.

The rest of the leaders of the UK regions are ganging up on poor aul Blighty. They meet in Cardiff today to discuss their plans. From the BBC: The first ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have begun meeting in Cardiff to discuss “working more closely” including on constitutional issues. It is the first face-to-face meeting among the nationalist leaders since Plaid Cymru’s Rhun ap Iorwerth was elected in May, with all three wanting their countries to leave the …

It was sad to read about the death of Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s father, from the BBC: Prime Minister Andy Burnham has cancelled official engagements on Monday and Tuesday following the death of his father Roy, who had Alzheimer’s. He had been due to host a meeting of business leaders in Downing Street on Monday, and was expected to speak at the annual trade union TUC Congress in Brighton on Tuesday. In July, Burnham spoke about his father’s condition and …