Peacebuilding a shared Northern Irish society
‘A long-term devotion to complexities’: women, art and activism by Allan LEONARD 3 June 2023 As part of the Belfast Photo Festival and hosted by the Ulster Museum, several panels of women spoke about how the realms of artistic practice and activism have evolved over recent decades, with consideration of future change. National Museums NI... Continue Reading →
‘Rights and Justice have to be fought for…’ by Steven McGOOKIN (States of Play) 16 April 2023 Allan Leonard grew up in northwest Ohio. A year at the US Naval Academy Prep School in Newport, Rhode Island, introduced him to New England and began a lifelong love affair with the Red Sox. He moved to... Continue Reading →
‘Human peace wall’ marks Good Friday Agreement's 25th anniversary by Allan LEONARD 7 April 2023 A “human peace wall” event at a Belfast interface marked the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. About 100 people lined up from the Falls Road to the Shankill Road end on Northumberland Street, forming a line of solidarity... Continue Reading →
Book review — Refugees and Forced Displacement in Northern Ireland’s Troubles (Niall GILMARTIN and Brendan Ciarán BROWNE) by Allan LEONARD 17 February 2023 Among the imagery associated with the Troubles, occasionally you see one of a van or car overladen with house furniture and hastily assembled parcels of clothing and personal possessions. These people were... Continue Reading →
Good Friday Agreement ‘best thing that’s happened on this island in the last 100 years’: Coveney by Allan LEONARD 19 October 2022 Minister Simon Coveney TD, Ireland Minister for Foreign Affairs, resumed his speech that was interrupted by a bomb scare earlier this year in north Belfast. He was the keynote speaker guest as part... Continue Reading →
Media’s role in mediating our 'different psychic landscapes' by Allan LEONARD 18 October 2022 A set of current and former journalists shared their experiences and thoughts on the role of media and social debate across the island of Ireland. Hosted by the Irish Association, the event “Journalism without borders” attracted several dozen, including other journalists... Continue Reading →
‘Just drawing support’ — Bill Rolston’s latest catch of mural hunting by Allan LEONARD 11 August 2022 Bill Rolston published the first volume of Drawing Support in 1992, which contained images of 100 murals from the previous decade. Thirty years later, the fifth volume has just been published, and at a Feile an Phobail event... Continue Reading →
‘The South is not ready for unification’: Andy Pollak by Allan LEONARD 26 July 2022 The theme for the 35th John Hewitt International Summer School was “Finding the national: redefining home and country for a shared future”, which asked how much “home”, “country”, “identity”, and “nation” matter, or should matter in a shared future, and... Continue Reading →
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 →
In this episode of What Northern Ireland Means to Me, we meet Ian MARSHALL, current member of the Ulster Unionist Party and former Senator in Seanad Éireann. TRANSCRIPT I suppose when I think of Northern Ireland, I think of home. And why you wouldn't I? It is my home and it has been my... Continue Reading →
In this episode of What Northern Ireland Means to Me, we meet Claire Hanna from the SDLP, who is MP for South Belfast. TRANSCRIPT Yeah, this is way more complicated a question that it should be when you start to think about it. I suppose everybody's relationship with Northern Ireland is probably complex, because... Continue Reading →
Book review: A Pocket History of Northern Ireland (Richard Killeen) by Allan LEONARD 29 December 2020 Occasionally I am approached for an image to be used in a book publication. Recently, this was for one that I made of a mural celebrating the television series, Derry Girls. Disclosure: I granted permission, with payment, for the... Continue Reading →