A celebration of unionist culture by Allan LEONARD 31 March 2023 A showcase day of unionist culture was held at 2 Royal Avenue, Belfast, with activities of a cultural identity video; a “living library” event; a talk by historian and broadcaster, Dr David Hume; an exhibition of archival footage by NI Screen of cultural events; … Continue reading A celebration of unionist culture
Film review: Photo City by Allan LEONARD 13 April 2018 Photo City is a documentary film by John Murphy and Traolach Ó Murchú, about the story of Rochester, New York, becoming the Silicon Valley of photography, with the clustering of image-based companies such as Xerox, Bausch and Lomb, and Kodak. And how this industry has … Continue reading Film review — Photo City
Rewrite our future! Washington Ireland Program Thanksgiving Ball 2017 by Allan LEONARD 25 November 2017 The Thanksgiving Ball has become an annual tradition of the Washington Ireland Program, held at this time of year in recognition of the generosity of families in America who host visiting participants. Tonight’s event, with several hundred attending at the … Continue reading Rewrite our future! Washington Ireland Program Thanksgiving Ball 2017
Thanks to an article published in British Airways’ in-flight magazine, High Life, I learned of a photo exhibition of the work of Jacques Lowe, who was a personal and professional photographer for John F. Kennedy. On display at the Proud Gallery, King James’s Street (Sloan Square), are a series of prints of JFK and other … Continue reading Review – Jacques Lowe: My Kennedy Years (Proud Gallery)
Jobs and freedom for Northern Ireland: MLK march 50th anniversary by Allan LEONARD for Shared Future News 28 August 2013 Sponsored by the US Consulate Belfast, the Washington-Ireland Programme and Politics Plus, Chris Lyttle MLA hosted a remembrance event at Parliament Buildings for the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, … Continue reading Jobs and freedom for Northern Ireland: MLK march 50th anniversary
The fate of peace: President Obama in Northern Ireland by Allan LEONARD for Shared Future News 17 June 2013 My marriage is a transatlantic union between a Midwesterner and a Belfast-born Northern Irishwoman. Fittingly, my wife and I were delighted to receive tickets to hear another Midwesterner, President Barack Obama, at Belfast's Waterfront Hall. With … Continue reading The fate of peace – President Obama in Northern Ireland
It was a pleasure to be among many guests for an after work reception at Ardnavalley, for former US Consul General, Barbara Stephenson, who is over for a visit from her Deputy Chief of Mission post at the US Embassy in London.Ambassador Stephenson served as US Consul General in Belfast from 2001-2004. Indeed, she arrived … Continue reading Barbara Stephenson’s “old friends” reception
I had the privilege of participating in a study abroad programme while enrolled at Boston University. I attended St Catherine's College, Oxford for the Michaelmus term, 1989. I experienced the peculiarities and uniqueness that is Oxford. No one describes this better than Rosa Ehrenreich in A Garden of Paper Flowers. I immediately identified with her reactions to the arcane customs, traditions … Continue reading Book review – A Garden of Paper Flowers (Rosa EHRENREICH)
There's no denying the fighting spirit of the Scots-Irish, particularly as James Webb describes the defence of the frontier in the Appalachian Mountains. However, Webb goes too far in defining this attribute as somehow ethnically unique. Webb also overplays the Scots-Irish role in the American War of Independence. One giveaway passage is, "Although the trained minds of New England's Puritan culture … Continue reading Book review – Born Fighting (James WEBB)
Did a radio piece for BBC Radio Ulster’s books programme, to review two recent biographies: Bill Clinton’s autobiography, My Life, and Dean Godson’s, Himself Alone: David Trimble and the Ordeal of Unionism. My Life has been dismissed by some as an exercise in some sort of cathartic releasing of guilt, or of exorcising the demons … Continue reading Book review – My Life (Bill CLINTON) vs Himself Alone (Dean GODSON)
