My Bellaghy adventure is almost over. Oh that I could transport the Seamus Heaney HomePlace to within 20 miles of home! My only creative work in 4 months was a poem written on a cold January night. To the Christophers in both our lives! #seamusheaney #midtermbreak

No one has anything to fear from Irish!
I'm often asked how I learned Irish. And why I did so as a Unionist. This little video, in Irish with English subtitles, gives an insight into my views on a beautiful language we all - often unknowingly - share and use every day.

‘Project Children’ is a play about the scheme that brought 1000s of children from NI to USA from Brassneck Theatre Company. It’s on at the Lyric Theatre Belfast from wed 24th April to Sunday 5th May. Looks like a great show - get tickets here - lyrictheatre.co.uk/whats-on/proje…

My Bellaghy adventure is almost over. Oh that I could transport the Seamus Heaney HomePlace to within 20 miles of home! My only creative work in 4 months was a poem written on a cold January night. To the Christophers in both our lives! #seamusheaney #midtermbreak

A great excuse for a Project Children reunion. I worked on the program for the DC Chapter in 1999 as part of what is now Washington Ireland Program. My novel, A Belfast Tale, was informed by the experience. I haven't seen the production yet, but congrats to Finn Kennedy on the project!

A  WORD FROM THE EDITOR... Rosemary Jenkinson YHP opening for submissions 1st May close 1st July. New Isles Press: Border Teorainn Mairch, Issue 3. In partnership with EastSide Arts 2024 PAGE & STAGE NI No Alibis Bookstore Belfast Books Chapters Bookstore Dublin English at Ulster yellowhousepublishing.com/blog/eastside-…

Professor Siobhán O'Neill has said the continuation of transfer tests in the North is having a harmful effect on the mental health of individual children and is perpetuating economic inequality. derryjournal.com/health/prof-si…

The transfer test is perpetuating elitism in the education system. My child is 4 and I have lost count of the number of people who have asked me which secondary school she will be going to. We have lost the run of ourselves!

Fantastic to see one of our brilliant alumnae Shannon Guiney sharing her experience and views on how to build a better way forward for education in Northerin Ireland

A we tour this morning for Reclaim the Enlightenment, Mary Ann Radical 18th Century tour. Lovely day out.

Dr James Ward has organised the following event, Education for Enlightenment, for Saturday 6th of April. Everyone welcome and spaces are available.

Come along to this really important event on April 6th. Details for free enrolment below.

Blue Lights! On s.1 ep.1 after an American friend recommended it. (It’s not that I’ve been sleeping under a stone, it’s that I’ve made myself believe that I don’t like crime or police stuff) Anyhoo, sooo fab! Love it! The wee face of the new recruit on the fast track - epic!

Delighted that the Governors have voted to give parents a voice in the future of the school. Integrated status will have parents greater involvement in the school and increased representation on the Board of Governors. Parental ballot will take place mid-May.

'What we want to see from the Minister is a plan. What we haven't seen yet is what he intends to do' to tackle waiting lists.

Danny Donnelly MLA is vice chair of Stormont's Health Committee.

#SundayPolitics Mark Carruthers

A Saturday at home watching the Community Arts Partnership Poetry in Motion Competiton 2024. I facilitated poetry workshops with Dunclug College in Ballymena, so imagine my joy to see that they won The Seamus Heaney Award for Achievement! Well deserved! What talented poets!

A Saturday at home watching the Community Arts Partnership Poetry in Motion Competiton 2024. I facilitated poetry workshops with Dunclug College in Ballymena, so imagine my joy to see that they won The Seamus Heaney Award for Achievement! Well deserved! What talented poets!

Thank you to everyone for the lovely messages.

A truly awe-inspiring film! Absolutely superb!

Would love to see this! My second novel, A Belfast Tale, was about Project Children. Although fictional, it was inspired by my real-life experiences of working in the Project Children office in DC in 1999 when I was an intern on the Washington Ireland Programme.