Irish, EU & international politics & economics
By Cian McMahon. After December’s Westminster general election, which returned a majority of nationalist MPs in the North for the first time ever, it’s clear that the entire Brexit debacle has dealt a potentially fatal blow to political unionism. As DUP MLA Edwin Poots commented, reflecting on the historic and […]
By Sean Byers. The results of the recent elections in Ireland correspond to the fragmented and radically uncertain times we now inhabit. They reveal continuities in terms of the resilience of the dominant parties as well as changes in the overall composition and balance of political forces in both jurisdictions. […]
By Ruairí Creaney. Irish unity is on the agenda. Across Ireland, it is being discussed in the media, at dinner tables and workplaces on a daily basis. While the endless calamity of a Brexit led by hard-right Tories, and the possibility of a hard border being imposed on our country […]
By Séanna Walsh. We are delighted to introduce and welcome Áras Uí Chonghaile to west Belfast. James Connolly, that giant of Irish political and socialist thinking, is coming home to the Falls Road. The visitor centre is testament to what can be delivered when ambition and vision collide with determination […]
By Adam Murray. I had the pleasure recently of attending the People’s Dáil conference held on 26 January in Liberty Hall, Dublin, organised by the Peadar O’Donnell Socialist Republican Forum. The event, bringing together socialists, republicans, and contributors from a broad range of parties and backgrounds, was a commemoration of […]
By Jonathan Arlow. The Antifa can be understood as the popular term for all those radical left anti-fascists that are willing to use violence as a tactic to oppose the extreme right. As a movement it is generally viewed as a left-wing reaction to the threat posed by extreme right […]
By Alex Homits. It strikes me that Ireland has many movements which commemorate, glorify and fetishise armed struggle without truly grasping the conditions or consequences that accompany it. It is significant to note that there exists in the western world a large amount of leftists who parade their interest for […]
By Rachel Coyle. While the political establishment in Ireland is determined to downplay the need for an Irish unity referendum, it is plainly obvious that the appetite for such a poll is growing by the day. Besides the obvious major constitutional shift that Brexit will cause, the demand for a […]
By Andrée Murphy. As the debate on a united Ireland gains pace, while simultaneously the debate on Brexit grows ever more toxic, there are lessons for us all. With Brexit we see the results of holding a referendum where there is no clear plan for what happens afterwards. In Scotland […]
By Seán MacBrádaigh. As we approach the centenary of Britain’s partition of Ireland it is important to reflect on how the events of that period continue to influence the reality of Ireland today; how the legacy of political conservatism can be overcome; and why socialists should lead the building of […]