Posts Tagged ‘Northern Ireland’

Northern Ireland gets its first Catholic leader

Thursday, February 8th, 2024
Michelle O’Neill

Northern Ireland, known for its entrenched Protestant majority, saw a monumental shift as Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill secured the necessary cross-community votes to become the region’s first Catholic leader. This marked a significant departure from the past, where leaders openly identified with Protestantism. In a poignant moment at Stormont Parliament Building, O’Neill, representing the Irish Read more

‘You wouldn’t ask if they’re Catholic or Protestant’: the music festival bringing Belfast together

Thursday, August 3rd, 2023
Catholic and Protestant

Belfast is in many ways still a deeply divided city, but last week young people from Catholic and Protestant communities – who live apart and go to religiously segregated schools – played music together at Belfast Summer School of Traditional Music, as part of the week long Belfast TradFest. From the sound of bagpipes echoing Read more

Irish Catholic and Protestant leaders recreate Queen’s ‘walk of hope’

Monday, September 19th, 2022
walk of hope

The late Queen’s Diamond Jubilee ‘walk of hope’ between the Anglican and Catholic churches in the Northern Irish town of Enniskillen gave church leaders cause to reflect. The walk of hope was a simple street crossing: from the Protestant St Macartin’s Cathedral to the Catholic St Michael’s Church. It was an uncomplicated act with powerful Read more

Youth hurl bricks, fireworks gasoline bombs in Northern Ireland

Monday, April 12th, 2021
violence Northern Ireland

Catholic and Protestant religious leaders have put on a demonstration of unity to urge an end to the recent violence. After a week of disorder across the region which has left 74 police officers injured, a Catholic and a Church of Ireland bishop were among those who came together for an ecumenical service before walking Read more

Northern Ireland’s church leaders admit not trying enough to heal divisions

Monday, March 22nd, 2021

In a joint St Patrick’s Day statement, Northern Ireland’s church leaders said they have not done enough in the past to heal divisions. Reflecting on the century since Northern Ireland’s partition, they say they hope this centenary year will provide opportunities to create a better level of mutual understanding. The Protestant and Catholic leaders went Read more

Brexit Bill could undermine peace in Northern Ireland

Thursday, October 22nd, 2020
brexit

Leaders of Anglican Churches have warned the UK government a new Brexit bill could set a “disastrous precedent”. The Internal Market Bill could damage the relationship between the UK’s four nations. So say the archbishops of York and Canterbury and the heads of the Church in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The bill sets out rules Read more

Church leaders praise John Hume for dedication to cause of peace in N. Ireland

Thursday, August 6th, 2020

John Hume was “a person of vision, who lifts us up to see and think beyond the confines of our own, much narrower, perspectives,” according to the Primate of All Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh. Hume, who died Aug. 3 at the age of 83, was principal architect of Northern Ireland’s 1998 Good Friday Read more

Brexit begets atmosphere of uncertainty in Northern Ireland

Thursday, August 15th, 2019

Recent Brexit discussions have resulted in an atmosphere of uncertainty in Northern Ireland, says the Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown. “Even the Unionists, that is those (in Northern Ireland) who feel they are rather more English, are of the opinion that from the economic point of view it would be better to remain part of Read more

British PM aims to restore Protestant-Catholic power-sharing

Thursday, August 1st, 2019

New British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday finished his rocky debut tour of the UK in Northern Ireland, where he faces a doubly difficult challenge: Restoring the collapsed Belfast government and finding a solution for the Irish border after Brexit. Since he took office a week ago, Johnson has been touring England, Scotland, Wales Read more

Showing horror movies in an abandoned church a cheap stunt

Monday, July 31st, 2017

Using an abandoned church in Northern Ireland as a film festival venue to show horror movies like The Exorcist and The Omen is a “cheap stunt” as well as “cynical and crass”, says Belfast-based priest Fr. Patrick McCafferty. The former Holy Rosary Church which will host the movies has been closed since 1980 and is Read more