Brian Pelan

The Heart of the City event was held at the Ulster Hall, on Saturday, August 1, on the eve of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2026 starting in Belfast. A host of musicians and singers performed, including harpist Séana Davey, Cave Hill Community Choir, Hothouse Flowers lead vocalist Liam Ó Maonlaí (above), and the Chieftains’ Matt […]

By VIEWdigital editor Brian Pelan The Summer Book, directed by Charlie McDowell, is a film of quiet intentions, built around silence, memory, and the rhythms of nature. Adapted from Tove Jansson’s celebrated novel, it unfolds on a tiny, idyllic island in the Gulf of Finland where a young girl, her father, and her elderly grandmother […]

The Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime in Northern Ireland, Geraldine Hanna, has called on the Secretary of State to commission a single review into the actions of former MP and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Donaldson. Ms Hanna said: “Last month I wrote to the Secretary of State stressing the urgency of this matter and […]

The MS Society Northern Ireland is calling for reassurance that the urgent investment and action needed to implement the Regional Review of Neurology Services will remain a priority following the resignation of Health Minister Mike Nesbitt. People with MS and other neurological conditions have waited over a decade for meaningful reform of neurology services. With […]

By VIEWdigital editor Brian Pelan Left to Rot: How Governments Have Betrayed Us and How We Fix It by Daniel Hewitt “I saw what the repairmen had seen: the leaks, the buckets, the baby bath, the blackened mould-stained walls. I heard the squelch the repair men would have heard as my shoes moved across the […]

By VIEWdigital editor Brian Pelan Fans of Pedro Almodóvar’s work will have much to admire in his latest film, the tragicomedy Bitter Christmas. Two stories run somewhat in parallel. Elsa (Bárbara Lennie) is a struggling film-maker now reduced to shooting TV adverts; her younger boyfriend, Bonifacio (Patrick Criado), is a firefighter and part-time lap dancer […]

Dervilia Kernaghan, who has spent most of her career in the community and voluntary sector in Northern Ireland, believes it is vitally urgent that the health inequalities facing women are urgently addressed In recent months, it has been encouraging to read positive headlines in relation to endometriosis, with the widespread coverage of non-invasive tests which […]

A children’s charity has called on political parties to do more for children, young people and families as it launched its manifesto at Stormont ahead of May’s Assembly election. Barnardo’s Northern Ireland has set out three priorities it says will deliver lasting change – ending child poverty, transforming how government works for children and families, […]

Community Arts Partnership and Lamb Films have announced a new filmmaking opportunity for young people aged 18–25 living in Belfast, with a paid bursary available to participants. The “Here to Stay” project is aimed at young people with an interest in filmmaking and will offer participants the opportunity to gain practical experience, a film credit […]

The Life and Times of Paddy Armstrong, Lyric Theatre, Belfast By VIEWdigital editor Brian Pelan Dylan Thomas’s line, “Rage, rage against the dying of the light,” came to mind as I watched actor Don Wycherley twisting and moving across the Lyric’s stage last night, conjuring up the tale of a man trying to survive. Writer-director […]