Category: Northern Ireland life

Belfast, Law, news, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland life, Police, PSNILeave a comment

Paramilitary style shooting in Ardoyne: help the police find those responsible

Michael McFarland Campbell

Man shot in legs in north Belfast The news that a man has been shot in the legs in Ardoyne, in north Belfast in what police say is a ‘paramilitary style’ shooting is shocking. The man said to be in his late 20s has been treated for gunshot wounds in hospital. I totally condemn the actions of the three masked men who entered the house in Brompton Park and shot him. The whole of our society needs to stand up to the thugs and scum who continue these attacks. Anyone with any information that will lead to the arrest and … Continue reading Paramilitary style shooting in Ardoyne: help the police find those responsible

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Northern Ireland life, United KingdomLeave a comment

We will remember them.

Michael McFarland Campbell

This year I am not really well enough at the moment to be at church on Remembrance Day. This feels very odd. But, there are many war memorials in and around the city of Belfast at which I tend to stop and think to myself, We will remember them. throughout the year. And when I say ‘them’ I mean all that have fallen and all that served, and all that are serving currently, particularly thinking at this time of friends and family in Afghanistan. Three of the war memorials I see regularly are pictured below For The Fallen They went … Continue reading We will remember them.

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iLink, Metro, NIRailways, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland life, ticketing, Translink, Transport, UlsterbusLeave a comment

Buy your Smartcard online – and a new one next month… Translink fails NI

Michael McFarland Campbell

Translink, Northern Ireland’s publicly owned transport company has been quite good at introducing new tickets which are in the form of ‘Smartcards’ for some years now. Unfortunately, unlike in London, it is not possible to top them up online. It is possible to go online and buy a ‘whole new card’. Recently I asked Translink for an update on this issue, the response is posted below. We have carefully considered how we might introduce on-line top-ups for our Smartlink products. This will require time and investment in order to significantly develop current ticketing technology. In the meantime, we have been … Continue reading Buy your Smartcard online – and a new one next month… Translink fails NI

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Belfast, Blogging, news, NIRailways, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland life, Regional Development, TranslinkLeave a comment

blogged elsewhere… No budget, but money to waste on misleading signs

Michael McFarland Campbell

At a time when Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK not to have a budget in place, it is clear that spending will have to be curtailed as the money coming into the Province from Westminster is being reduced. Perhaps we will be able to bring more money in from tourists. read full story at Michael Carchrie Campbell Continue reading blogged elsewhere… No budget, but money to waste on misleading signs

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Bellringing, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland lifeLeave a comment

A time to remember

Michael McFarland Campbell

It is that time of the year when we as a nation remember. I suspect that by the time you read this blog, it will nearly be time for the two minutes’ silence at 11 a.m. GMT, that is the eleventh hour of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, remembering the time when the guns fell silent at the end of the Great War. I hope to be at the Cenotaph next to Belfast City Hall, where last Sunday PA MagLochalainn and others from the Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association laid a wreath in the shape of the pink … Continue reading A time to remember

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Blogging, news, Newspapers, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland life, Pink Paper1 Comment

Pink Paper Readers’ Awards now include Northern Ireland

Michael McFarland Campbell

Following my complaint yesterday to Tris Reid-Smith, Editor of the Pink Paper, and following his response, I am pleased to say that as of today, the Pink Paper’s Readers’ Awards now include the option of saying you are from Northern Ireland. The email I received from Tris this morning says: There’s a further update. Having looked into it further, we have now been able to include Northern Ireland as an option in the Readers’ Awards! Obviously anything you can do to get the word out to people and to get them to take part would be great! Therefore, anyone reading … Continue reading Pink Paper Readers’ Awards now include Northern Ireland

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LGBT, Media, Newspapers, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland life, Pink Paper2 Comments

Exclusive: Pink Paper responds to NI exclusion post

Michael McFarland Campbell

Following my blog post earlier this afternoon about the Pink Paper Awards, Tris Reid-Smith, Editor-In-Chief, GT (Gay Times) and Pink Paper, got back to me by telephone and then sent this formal response which I reproduce here as was promised. Historically Pink Paper, when it was in print, didn’t distribute to Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland. That was something I was hoping to change before the economic conditions here worsened and we were forced to cease printing the newspaper and go online only. Our awards categories – and, to some extent the scope of our coverage – date … Continue reading Exclusive: Pink Paper responds to NI exclusion post

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LGBT, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland life, Pink Paper, Police, PSNI4 Comments

Pink Paper fails its Northern Ireland readership

Michael McFarland Campbell

I want to reassure my friend Stephen that he is most certainly ‘not the only gay in the Province’. Although I suspect that the TUV and others would almost certainly wish that he were. Indeed, I am only now getting to see his post as this morning I was with other representatives of the Northern Ireland LGBT Sector including from The Rainbow Project, NIGRA, and Cara-Friend at a meeting with Will Kerr, Asssistant Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, regarding the forward working of the LGBT Independent Advisory Group to the PSNI. It was certainly clear there … Continue reading Pink Paper fails its Northern Ireland readership

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Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland life, Royal Family, United KingdomLeave a comment

Remember, Remember, the fifth of November… amazingly not in Northern Ireland

Michael McFarland Campbell

Growing up in Northern Ireland with an English mother (I know, we all have crosses to bear) and an Ulsterman as a father leads to some interesting debates about what we celebrate in the house. Around our family home in Ballymena there was a great sense of community when my brothers and I were under ten and most of the local families had children under 18. We used to have a community bonfire around this time of year. You know the sort of thing, one family brings toffee apples, someone else actual toffee, others fudge, others sandwiches, others cups of … Continue reading Remember, Remember, the fifth of November… amazingly not in Northern Ireland

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Justice, news, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland life, Police, PSNILeave a comment

“known to police”: the whole truth?

Michael McFarland Campbell

In East Tyrone Magistrates Court yesterday a phrase was used by a detective constable in a bail hearing that has my brain considering whether this is correct or not. The defendant was arrested at the scene of the finding of some ammunition and a holdall containing a revolver in a car in which he claims he was being taken to be a victim of a “so-called punishment shooting”*, lying face down on the back seat with a blanket over his head. His solicitor said, bail should be permitted as his client had no previous record. Yet the detective constable replied: … Continue reading “known to police”: the whole truth?

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