Mr Ulster 
What I do
I am a peace journalist, because I believe in transforming conflict-driven narratives. I am editor of Shared Future News, which reports on peacebuilding in Northern Ireland. I am a co-founder and editor of FactCheckNI, Northern Ireland's first fact-checking service, which works improve civic discourse. I also support the conflict resolution work of the Forum for Cities in Transition in Belfast.
My interests include Northern Ireland, peacebuilding, photography, and politics. You can also read my work at Northern Slant and Slugger O'Toole.
Burn/t Out: Crimes against social cohesion
Burn/t Out: Crimes against social cohesion by Allan LEONARD for Shared Future News 10 April 2019 One of the criticisms of the 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement is that it did not satisfactorily scope out mechanisms for dealing with the legacy of the conflict in Northern Ireland; the focus was forging a consensus on exclusively non-violent […]
Developing an esprit de corps to transform health and social care services
Developing an esprit de corps to transform health and social care services by Allan LEONARD 4 April 2019 I delivered the following speech at a presentation on Integrated Care Partnerships, at a conference event, “Transformation: Paving the Way Forward”, organised by the Northern Ireland Healthcare Leadership Form (NIHLF):
Media guidelines potential remedy for damaging past reportage
Media guidelines potential remedy for damaging past reportage by Allan LEONARD for Shared Future News 5 March 2019 The project team of “Victims and Dealing with the Past” at Queen’s University Belfast hosted a launch event of two complementary media guideline publications: one for victims and survivors of the Northern Ireland conflict on how to […]
Book review: Don’t Mention the War (Vicky COSSTICK)
Book review: Don’t Mention the War (Vicky COSSTICK) by Allan LEONARD 5 March 2019 Don’t Mention the War is an e-book by Vicky Cosstick, published by ChangeAware in association with Northern Slant, that aims to explore aspects of legacy of the Troubles in Northern Ireland in a set of five chapters covering the peace process, women’s […]
Stephen NOLAN: Enhancing democratic debate in the era of fake news?
Stephen NOLAN: Enhancing democratic debate in the era of fake news? by Allan LEONARD 26 February 2019 As part of their engagement programme, Queen’s University Belfast hosted a lecture by radio and television personality, Stephen Nolan, who was introduced by Ryan Feeney. Much of Nolan’s lecture was an autobiography of how he has developed his […]
Education: We all have a role to play
Education: We all have a role to play by Allan LEONARD 7 February 2019 The Integrated Education Fund hosted a day conference on some aspects of education in Northern Ireland, with a discussion on what role individuals, local communities, and organisations can play in realising a better vision. Contributors included: Baroness May Blood (Integrated Education […]
Country before party? A UUP book launch discussion
Country before party? A UUP book launch discussion by Allan LEONARD 24 January 2019 At a launch event for the book, The Ulster Unionist Party: Country before Party?, there was a roundtable discussion with three speakers who all have or had involvement with the party — Mike Nesbitt (UUP Leader, 2012-17), Lauren Kerr (UUP Press […]
Decisive moments at Belfast City Hospital
Decisive moments at Belfast City Hospital: A street photography exhibition by Tuck GOH by Allan LEONARD 17 January 2019 At the Tower Gallery in City Hospital, I arrived with some time to spare in advance of the official start of an exhibition of street photography by Tuck Goh. I took a seat and watched passers-by […]
The end of Catholic Ireland?
The end of Catholic Ireland? by Allan LEONARD 6 November 2018 In what Alan Meban described the event as a symposium (“but don’t say it was in a bar” [The Dark Horse Inn]), Dr Gladys Ganiel, a sociologist of religion from Queen’s University Belfast, laid out quantitative and qualitative findings about the apparent secularisation process […]
