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South Belfast News February 22, 2012

40 good reasons to have high hopes for the future

Whatever about our messy and contentious past, the future – as represented by the outstanding Belfast 40 under 40 young people honoured in the Great Hall of Queen’s University Belfast on Thursday past – promises us a rosier future.

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South Belfast News February 15, 2012

Stop fighting for scraps and set our sights higher

One wonders what it costs Invest NI to attract 235 jobs to these shores — in both time and money — but it’s fairly clear that it doesn’t come cheap.

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South Belfast News February 8, 2012

Two cheers for City Fathers and Mothers

Last week’s investment package from Belfast City Council, announced in a fanfare of publicity, gets the thumbs-up from this paper today.

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Andersonstown News February 2, 2012

New model required for local businesses

As we move into the second month of a year which is already bringing further dire economic warnings, voices are being raised for a new approach to saving our imperiled ‘high streets’.

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South Belfast News January 25, 2012

Tourism is ready for take off in 2012

There’s a clear sense of expectation surrounding the opening later this year of the £90m Titanic Building in Belfast — not just around the spectacular exhibition space highlighting the sinking of that famous liner in April 1912 but also around the tourism potential of this grand initiative.

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South Belfast News January 18, 2012

Buy Local message as crucial as ever

News this week that the retailers, Peacocks and Past Times are both under threat of closure after being placed into administration will come as no surprise to the small businesses also struggling to survive in these, the toughest economic conditions most of us can remember. 2012 has come in with all the vengeance which ended 2011 and noone can feel quite safe from the continuing economic ravages

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Columnists February 17, 2012

Terms of justice should not be left to victims

Al Hutchinson, who is no longer officially our Ombudsman but is keeping the seat warm until his successor is installed, has stirred the pot of the past in recent days.

Andersonstown News February 16, 2012

A time for great rejoicing?

GENERAL hilarity erupts in West Belfast, firstly at news that Rangers had applied to go into administration; secondly, at news that they had indeed gone into administration; and thirdly, that the inevitable 10-point docking had taken place.

Andersonstown News February 16, 2012

Why snack lovers are getting that old sinking feeling on this 100th anniversary

AWAY from the Occupied Six-Counties fry, another staple food of Noel ’n’ Alan was in the spotlight this week. In the research and development wing of Tandragee Castle, Tayto have…

Andersonstown News February 16, 2012

Chemical fly in the oinkment

A CORRESPONDENT – ‘Pig-Ignorant’ – texts the paper this week complaining about some bacon he bought for his Saturday morning fry-up. He’s unhappy first of all about the fact that the bacon had an irridiscent sheen when he removed it from the packaging

Andersonstown News February 16, 2012

Resilience a recurring theme, from Conamara to Ground Zero

That great hero of Conamara, Seán Ó Coisdealbha, was in the Cultúrlann on Saturday to launch his new poetry anthology Stadhan. A veteran troublemaker – in the best sense of the word – and the dynamo behind some of the best community ventures in the Gaeltacht,

Columnists February 15, 2012

Bitsa ramblings on travel – both time and otherwise

In the mid-90s I briefly took a break from playing Goldeneye on the Nintendo 64 and worrying about who would win the musical face-off between Blur and Oasis to watch children’s television.