Below is a selection of my images that appear in the book, What Northern Ireland Means to Me, published by Shared Future News.
Portfolio — What Northern Ireland Means to Me
Reporting the Troubles 2: An important storytelling contribution
Reporting the Troubles 2: An important storytelling contributionby Kellie BANCALARI and Allan LEONARD19 April 2022 Imagine getting a call in the middle of the night. It’s a source and they have a statement; they are going to execute two of your colleagues every week because they don’t agree with your workplace’s political leanings. Your name,... Continue Reading →
Getting under the skin of What Northern Ireland Means to Me
Getting under the skin of What Northern Ireland Means to Me by Shared Future News 21 March 2022 As part of the Imagine Festival of Politics and Ideas, Shared Future News hosted an online event that got under the skin of its What Northern Ireland Means to Me podcast, with playback from a selection of... Continue Reading →
Hidden barriers: A tour of Belfast’s secret peace lines
Hidden barriers: A tour of Belfast’s secret peace lines by Allan LEONARD 23 March 2022 As part of the Imagine Festival, a tour of a selection of hidden interfaces of Belfast was offered. David Coyles, a researcher at Ulster University, hosted a bus tour that took several dozen participants to three case study locations. As... Continue Reading →
Life on the borderlands: Exploring our ‘magical imaginations’
Life on the borderlands: Exploring our ‘magical imaginations’by Allan LEONARD 15 March 2022 As part of its Borderlands exhibition, the Holywell Trust held a full-day event, attended by about a dozen participants, that combined site visits, exhibition display, and on-site discussions. The exhibition was described by Gerard Deane, the trust’s director, as “capturing the reflections... Continue Reading →
Center for Global Peace Journalism 10th anniversary symposium
Center for Global Peace Journalism 10th anniversary symposium by Allan LEONARD 14 March 2022 The Center for Global Peace Journalism at Park University recently held an online symposium to mark its 10th anniversary. The agenda was to look back on the Center’s accomplishments and forward to the future of peace journalism. Leading experts from around... Continue Reading →
Assessing, reflecting, adapting — an evaluation of R-City’s Leadership Programme
Assessing, reflecting, adapting — an evaluation of R-City’s Leadership Programme by Allan LEONARD 25 February 2022 R-City, a Belfast-based organisation for young people, hosted a launch of an evaluation report by Trinity College Dublin (TCD), of its R-City Leadership Programme. A couple dozen people attended the in-person event, in contrast to when the research was... Continue Reading →
WNIMTM — John KYLE
In this episode of What Northern Ireland Means to Me, we meet John Kyle from east Belfast, who is a GP and an elected representative of Belfast City Council. TRANSCRIPT To me Northern Ireland is home. I was born here, grew up here, went to school here, went to university here. I've lived here... Continue Reading →
WNIMTM — Charmain JONES
In this episode of What Northern Ireland Means to Me, we meet Charmain Jones, who is a community relations professional, focussing on the development of rural communities. TRANSCRIPT I was born and reared in Portadown and I have lived in an interface community for 38 years. But in the next few months I am... Continue Reading →
WNIMTM — Martin MAGILL
In this episode of What Northern Ireland Means to Me, we meet Martin Magill, who is a priest at St John Parish on the Falls Road in Belfast and co-founder of the 4 Corners Festival. TRANSCRIPT My family have been here for a number of generations. We're still in the family home out in... Continue Reading →
WNIMTM — Denis STEWART
In this episode of What Northern Ireland Means to Me, we meet Denis Stewart, who was a research scientist and educator, and is an enthusiast for conversation in civic spaces. TRANSCRIPT Northern Ireland is my homeplace. I was born in north Belfast, reared in a small hill farm just to the north of the... Continue Reading →
WNIMTM — Rob FAIRMICHAEL
In this episode of What Northern Ireland Means to Me, we meet Rob Fairmichael, who is a long-time peace activist and coordinator of INNATE, a non-violence network in Ireland. TRANSCRIPT I have a great grandfather buried in the (Belfast) City Cemetery, Leonard McCaughey. He was originally from Armoy and opened a vegetarian restaurant in... Continue Reading →