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Irish Times
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Gráinne O'Hare on Belfast's literary boom: ‘It's a city of great storytellers'
Tell us about your first novel, Thirst Trap. Thirst Trap is set in my home city of Belfast . It's about three best friends who live in a crumbling house-share together, still grieving the death of the fourth member of their group a year after her passing. The three women are struggling to move on from the home and the life they all shared together in their 20s. Nights spent partying have become a sort of desperate distraction from their losses and their fears about the future. How did the story evolve as you wrote it? Did it surprise you? The novel sort of grew up alongside me. It started as a patchwork of scenes about Belfast women just going out and about their lives in their mid-20s. The characters got older with each fresh draft of the novel, and as they – and I – approached 30, I finally worked out the story I wanted to tell. The novel isn't anywhere near the same one it would have been if I'd finished it when I was 25, and I'm glad. What or who made you want to be a writer? I grew up loving funny writers – Jane Austen and PG Wodehouse , Victoria Wood and French and Saunders. I started writing because I wanted to capture that kind of humour in my own words. Are you conscious of being part of a new wave of Belfast writers such as Michael Magee, Susannah Dickey, Rachel Connolly, Róisín Lanigan, Aimee Walsh, Wendy Erskine, Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin? Aimee Walsh and I actually met doing an MA at Queen's [University] ; we've been great friends for over a decade and it's such a joy to see our names together as part of a Belfast literary boom. Belfast is a city of great storytellers and it's heartening to see not just a proliferation of Belfast novelists, but the variety and multitudes within everyone's work. READ MORE You've been shortlisted for the Francis MacManus Short Story Competition and the Bridport Prize, and twice came in the top three of the Benedict Kiely Short Story Competition. Duchess is great! Can you see common themes emerging? Looking back on all my short stories, a lot of them have themes of female friendship similar to those in my novel. I also find I write a lot more about fertility, pregnancy , and motherhood in short fiction ( Duchess being one example). Tell us about your PhD on 18th-century women's life-writing at Newcastle University. My research is about the ways in which misogynistic tropes were used in British print media to undermine the Methodist church in the 18th century, and the ways in which Methodist women preachers used memoirs, journals and letters as a platform to argue for the legitimacy of their leadership. I'm not a Methodist but these women were so alive on the page that I wanted to dedicate my research to highlighting their lives and voices. I passed my PhD examination in May, which I'm really proud of. I got to fill in 'Dr Gráinne O'Hare' when I was connecting to free wifi in a pub last week. Delighted. You are media editor of Criticks reviews for the British Society of Eighteenth-Century Studies. Any recommendations? The Great is my favourite 18th century-based series, it's so funny and original. Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) would be my top film recommendations. Which projects are you working on? Right now, I am working on my second novel. Have you ever made a literary pilgrimage? I did recently fulfil a long-term dream of going to Chatsworth House, which was home to Georgiana Cavendish in the 18th century and Debo Mitford in the 20th, as well as being a possible inspiration for Austen's Pemberley. What is the best writing advice you have heard? I always come back to this advice from Stephen King , when he said, 'sometimes you're doing good work when it feels like all you're managing is to shovel shit from a sitting position'. You are supreme ruler for a day. Which law do you pass or abolish? That's a no-brainer. I would legislate for a free Palestine . Which current book, film and podcast would you recommend? Naomi Booth's latest novel Raw Content is one of the best books I've read this year. A recent film I remember really enjoying was The Outrun – Saoirse Ronan can do no wrong. At the moment I'm enjoying a weekly pop-culture podcast called Everything Is Content. The most remarkable place you have visited? The Greggs Champagne Bar. It opens in Newcastle city centre over the Christmas period, you sit and eat a sausage roll with a knife and fork, and there is a £425 bottle of Cristal on the wine list. I would love to know who is pairing that with their steak bake. Which writers, living or dead, would you invite to your dream dinner party? Aimee Walsh and James Conor Patterson – great writers, great craic. Also Nancy Mitford, Carrie Fisher, Evelyn Waugh and Donna Tartt. The best and worst things about where you live? See above: the Greggs Champagne Bar. No, in all seriousness – Newcastle is a beautiful city and the people are great craic. The worst thing is that the crisps are not as nice as they are in Ireland. The English cannot be trusted with potatoes. A book to make me laugh? Reasons to be Cheerful by Nina Stibbe . A book that might move me to tears? I cried at I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue last year. It's a really funny book but I also found it very touching. Thirst Trap is published by Picador
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Autism centre gets free glow up after social media SOS
"I need your help!" When Gerard Donaghy, from Millisle, County Down, shared those words on his Facebook page, he had no idea how people would respond. He had a vision of bringing together painters and decorators from across Northern Ireland to give a building that serves the community a much-needed glow up. On Saturday, a resource centre for families living with autism will be given a free makeover - thanks to more than 50 volunteers. "You don't have to look far to find bad news these days - it can weigh you down - but something like this reminds you that there's still plenty of good out there," the father of two told BBC News NI. As well as looking for volunteers, Gerard, who runs Paintworks NI with his wife Danielle, asked for nominations for a building needing a transformation. The successful nominee was Helping Hands Autism Resource Centre in Dundonald, on the outskirts of Belfast. "As a dad of a daughter with additional needs, this one's personal," Gerard said. "I walked into their space and saw what they were trying to do and I just knew we could help make it better. "A coat of paint might not seem like much to some, but when it's done with care and pride, it changes how a place feels - and that's what these families deserve." Caroline Birch, chairperson of Helping Hands, said the organisation is "incredibly grateful for this act of kindness". "It means the world to our family members and the local community as well," she said. "We are absolutely delighted that Gerard and all the other guys have generously volunteered their time, equipment and expertise to support our charity by redecorating our premises." "The makeover will create a brighter, more welcoming space for the children and families that Helping Hands supports every day," she added. Rising costs and funding difficulties can be stressful for charities. But Caroline says the transformation has lifted the atmosphere and will allow them to "truly reflect the care and inclusion we strive to provide". "The Paint It Forward initiative stands as an excellent example of local businesses giving back and making a meaningful difference - we cannot thank them all enough," she said. "Here's to a colourful brighter future for our charity." Paint It Forward was something Gerard said he had been thinking about for years. "What if we could get a crowd of decorators together, just for one day, to completely transform a place that really needs it? No hoops to jump through, no funding, just people showing up and using their skills to do good." Last year, he met the chairman of the Painting Contractors Association in the US, Nick Slavic, who told him: "It starts with one." "That conversation was the fuel that lit the fire," he said. "From the minute we mentioned it, people jumped on it. "I had painters messaging saying 'Count me in', without even knowing the full details. "Suppliers stepped up with no hesitation... They just said yes - along with loads of local businesses who are chipping in too. "At the heart of it, it's just people wanting to be part of something positive." "I'd love to see this spark something across the board," Gerard said. "Whether you're a roofer, a joiner, a landscaper, a plumber, we all have skills. "If every trade gave one day a year to a cause in their community, imagine what we could do?"
BBC News
6 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Autism centre in Northern Ireland gets glow up after Facebook SOS
"I need your help!"When Gerard Donaghy, from Millisle, County Down, shared those words on his Facebook page, he had no idea how people would had a vision of bringing together painters and decorators from across Northern Ireland to give a building that serves the community a much-needed glow Saturday, a resource centre for families living with autism will be given a free makeover - thanks to more than 50 volunteers."You don't have to look far to find bad news these days - it can weigh you down - but something like this reminds you that there's still plenty of good out there," the father of two told BBC News NI. As well as looking for volunteers, Gerard, who runs Paintworks NI with his wife Danielle, asked for nominations for a building needing a successful nominee was Helping Hands Autism Resource Centre in Dundonald, on the outskirts of Belfast."As a dad of a daughter with additional needs, this one's personal," Gerard said."I walked into their space and saw what they were trying to do and I just knew we could help make it better."A coat of paint might not seem like much to some, but when it's done with care and pride, it changes how a place feels - and that's what these families deserve." 'Act of kindness' Caroline Birch, chairperson of Helping Hands, said the organisation is "incredibly grateful for this act of kindness"."It means the world to our family members and the local community as well," she said."We are absolutely delighted that Gerard and all the other guys have generously volunteered their time, equipment and expertise to support our charity by redecorating our premises." "The makeover will create a brighter, more welcoming space for the children and families that Helping Hands supports every day," she added. Rising costs and funding difficulties can be stressful for Caroline says the transformation has lifted the atmosphere and will allow them to "truly reflect the care and inclusion we strive to provide". "The Paint It Forward initiative stands as an excellent example of local businesses giving back and making a meaningful difference - we cannot thank them all enough," she said."Here's to a colourful brighter future for our charity." Paint It Forward was something Gerard said he had been thinking about for years."What if we could get a crowd of decorators together, just for one day, to completely transform a place that really needs it? No hoops to jump through, no funding, just people showing up and using their skills to do good."Last year, he met the chairman of the Painting Contractors Association in the US, Nick Slavic, who told him: "It starts with one.""That conversation was the fuel that lit the fire," he said."From the minute we mentioned it, people jumped on it. 'We all have skills' "I had painters messaging saying 'Count me in', without even knowing the full details."Suppliers stepped up with no hesitation... They just said yes - along with loads of local businesses who are chipping in too."At the heart of it, it's just people wanting to be part of something positive.""I'd love to see this spark something across the board," Gerard said."Whether you're a roofer, a joiner, a landscaper, a plumber, we all have skills."If every trade gave one day a year to a cause in their community, imagine what we could do?"
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Families of Chinook crash victims press on with legal action against MoD
The families of those killed in the 1994 Chinook helicopter crash have said they will press on with seeking a judicial review after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) dismissed their demands for a judge-led public inquiry. RAF Chinook ZD576 was carrying 25 British intelligence personnel from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to a conference at Fort George near Inverness when it crashed in foggy weather on June 2 1994 on the Mull of Kintyre. All 25 passengers – made up of personnel from MI5, the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the British Army – were killed, along with the helicopter's four crew members. The families launched legal action in a 'letter before action' to the UK Government sent earlier this month on the 31st anniversary of the crash. They said they will now pursue a judicial review after the MoD responded and rejected their demands for a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the crash, and for access to files which have been sealed for 100 years. Nicola Rawcliffe, whose brother Major Christopher Dockerty was killed in the crash aged 33, said: 'I am furious and disgusted with the MoD's decision to summarily dismiss our claim. 'The MoD is continuing to deceive our families and disrespect our loved ones' memories by claiming that the many previous inquiries investigated all the facts, but we now know the aircraft was not airworthy. They didn't know half of what we know now. 'The Government may have sealed the files for 100 years, but we, the families of those who died, are firmly united, strong and defiant, and we will get to the truth, no matter what it takes.' Following the crash, the Chinook's pilots, Flight Lieutenants Richard Cook and Jonathan Tapper, were accused of gross negligence, but this verdict was overturned by the UK government 17 years later following a campaign by the families. A subsequent review by Lord Philip set out 'numerous concerns' raised by those who worked on the Chinooks, with the MoD's testing centre at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire declaring the Chinook Mk2 helicopters 'unairworthy' prior to the crash. The MoD said the crash was a 'tragic accident' and while its sympathies remain with the families and friends of the victims, there have been several investigations and inquiries and it believes it is unlikely another would reach any new conclusions. Andy Tobias, who was eight when his father Lieutenant Colonel John Tobias, 41, was killed, said: 'My childhood was stolen from me because someone decided my dad and his colleagues should be put on a helicopter that was not fit for purpose. 'My mum, my brother, I and all the families deserve the truth and the MoD must repay the honour and integrity that those on board had shown in their years of service to their country. That's why we formed the Chinook Justice Campaign and we will not rest until we get the truth. If that takes a judge to rule in court, then so be it.' The families, who have coalesced into the Chinook Justice Campaign, said failing to order a public inquiry is a breach of the UK Government's human rights obligations. Solicitor Mark Stephens, from law firm Howard Kennedy, said: 'This decision by the MoD to dismiss our claim is an unforgivable betrayal of service people who gave their lives for their country and an undisguised slap in the face for their long-suffering and bereaved families. 'So much for the Government's so-called commitment to duty of candour. 'We will now seek a judicial review into the Ministry of Defence's decision to deny the families truth, transparency and justice.' An MoD spokesperson said: 'The Mull of Kintyre crash was a tragic accident, and our thoughts and sympathies remain with the families, friends and colleagues of all those who died. 'We understand that the lack of certainty about the cause of the crash has added to the distress of the families. 'We provided a detailed and considered response to the pre-action protocol letter stating the reasons why we cannot accept the demand for establishing a new public inquiry. 'It's unlikely that a public inquiry would identify any new evidence or reach new conclusions on the basis of existing evidence. 'The accident has already been the subject of six inquiries and investigations, including an independent judge-led review.' It is understood the sealed documents contain personal information relating to third party individuals and the early release of this information would breach those individuals' data protection rights.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
ROBERT HARDMAN: The staggering naivety of armchair warrior judge, as reconstruction exposes flaws in controversial SAS legal ruling
Standing on the very spot where it all happened, I am trying to envisage being part of that SAS unit who were lying just behind a low hedge here in February 1992. Three cars and a lorry full of gun-toting IRA terrorists have just screeched to a halt in front of you, the gun barrel of their Russian-built 'Dushka' heavy machine gun still hot from perforating a police station. At which point, according to a senior British judge, there was only one correct and legal course of action. The SAS commanding officer should have stood up and declared: 'Hands up! Put down your weapons. You are all under arrest.' Is it any wonder that British Special Forces veterans now warn that soldiers are more at risk from 'lawfare' than warfare? As I retrace the events of that night in slow motion, in the company of someone who knows that operation as well as anyone, I begin to despair of the creeping judicial over-reach that has now replaced common sense with legalistic wishful thinking. Short of issuing instructions that the correct way to handle a charging elephant is with a pea shooter or that the appropriate response to a great white shark is to poke it in the eye, I cannot think of a more naive idea than the solution by Mr Justice Humphreys, presiding coroner for Northern Ireland, for disarming nine men pointing a heavy machine gun at your face. Yet it is no joke. As a result, the judge has handed down a ruling at Northern Ireland's Coroner's Court which now casts serious doubt on the way in which the British state defends itself from future enemies. All is tranquil at Clonoe chapel these days, the scene little changed except that the original hedge has vanished beneath an extension to the car park. The SAS did indeed come here that night with the aim of capturing the East Tyrone Brigade of the IRA red-handed in the act of preparing an attack, though they were ready for every eventuality. And events did not go to plan. The terrorists suddenly drove in already fully armed, their headlights exposing the soldiers lying on the ground. In that split second, the commanding officer had no idea if they had been spotted. Should he gamble his men's lives by waiting to find out? Moments later, four IRA men lay dead with one injured and four more escaping. The IRA, Sinn Fein and the families of the dead now want this treated as a crime against humanity. So, 33 years on, and with £1.3million of taxpayers' money already spent on a 'legacy inquest', those SAS soldiers must wait to see if they are to be prosecuted for murder. That is because Sir Michael Humphreys (to give him his full title) has sent a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions having ruled that the SAS were in breach of the Human Rights Act – which did not even exist at the time. Both the Ministry of Defence and the veterans have now demanded a judicial review of the judge's decision. Sinn Fein has described any quibbling with Sir Michael's wisdom as 'disgraceful' and 'a cynical attempt to deny families truth and justice'. You do not have to probe very far to realise it would, in fact, be 'disgraceful' to let his verdict stand. For, as we reveal today, it contains multiple flaws, starting with Sir Michael's assertion that the troops had staged an 'ambush' with no serious intention of making arrests. He bases this on the fact that 'the terminology of "ambush" appears frequently in both RUC and MOD documents'. However, as both soldiers and police from that era tell me, there is a world of difference between military jargon and a legalistic dictionary definition. 'If this had been a proper ambush then it should be in every military textbook under the heading: "How not to stage an ambush",' says one senior veteran of covert operations in Northern Ireland. 'If this really had been an ambush, you would have had at least three machine guns covering what would be called "the killing zone". 'This operation had one machine gun and no "killing zone". If it really had been an SAS ambush, there is no way half of them would get away. They'd all be dead.' Moreover, 'ambush' was a general term for catching all forms of criminality. 'We used to go on border patrols to catch people smuggling cattle and butter,' says a former RUC officer of the period. 'We'd talk about a "butter ambush" or a "cattle ambush". It didn't mean we shot the cattle or opened fire on the butter.' What irks the veterans even more is the judge's flat insistence that the terrorists never fired a single shot at the SAS. The ruling makes much of the fact that the dead IRA men were found with both the 'Dushka' machine gun and their AKM (Kalashnikov) rifles switched to 'safe' mode. 'There is no evidence of any AKM weapon being fired in an exchange of gunfire,' the judge declares. 'I find, as a matter of fact, that no member of the Provisional IRA unit opened fire at the Clonoe chapel car park.' To which the response of many veterans is simply unprintable. First, even if all the guns really were in 'safe' mode, there is no way the soldiers could have known that was the case. Just minutes earlier they heard the whole lot blasting away, both at the local police station and again, en route to the car park, while firing a salute over the house of a dead IRA man. Second, the veterans argue that the weapons could easily have been switched to 'safe' as a matter of routine by the hordes of police, fireman, regular soldiers and other first responders crawling over the site. Sir Michael states: 'I have no doubt that this would have been recorded.' Not so, say the soldiers. In particular, one familiar with the 'Dushka' points out that it is a very complicated process to make it safe, requiring at least five separate movements which would be extremely difficult while clinging on to the back of a lorry careering round sharp corners. Of much greater concern is the miraculous wound suffered by the one SAS casualty that night. As 'Soldier H' jumped up from behind the hedge, he was shot in the face by a bullet which went in cleanly above his upper lip and out through his cheek. In his verdict, Sir Michael states: 'He was struck by a ricocheted bullet fired by one of his colleagues.' Again, SAS veterans shake their heads. 'You only need to see the photo of the wound to realise that this was not a ricochet,' says George Simm, SAS Regimental Sergeant-Major at the time. 'If it was, it must be the first case of a ricochet coming back at 180 degrees but with a nice neat hole.' A bullet rebounding off a hard object he says is usually an irregular shape, 'makes a hell of a mess' and very often does not exit at all. 'Besides, we were using armour-piercing rounds. What would they have been ricocheting from?' Then there is the unanswered question of the guns that got away in the two IRA cars which escaped. One car was abandoned a mile away next to the local Gaelic football stadium. The gang set it ablaze before fleeing. When the fire brigade arrived, they were pushed back by a mob who had suddenly appeared in order to ensure that any evidence was burned to a crisp. However, the report acknowledges two findings. First, all the car seats were folded down except the driver's, as would happen if a machine gunner was operating in the back. Second, a clip from a belt of machine gun ammunition was still in the car. Might this explain why four soldiers reported seeing distinct 'muzzle flashes' from the IRA? The verdict also makes repeated mention of IRA men being shot when they 'posed no threat to anyone'. Once again, the veterans suggest that this is pure guesswork by a judge-turned-tactical commander sitting at a desk three decades after the event. 'You shoot until you perceive there is no further threat and that is when you stop,' says Mr Simm, citing the occasion where he had his gun pointing at a gang who had just shot his commanding officer. As they raised their hands in the air, he did not open fire. 'Just remember this,' he says. 'The SAS arrested more IRA terrorists than they killed in Northern Ireland.' These are just few of the reasons why the SAS veterans feel that the Clonoe inquest is a turning point. Of much greater concern is the judge's overall verdict that the soldiers did not have 'an honest belief' that they needed to shoot. Perhaps more alarming still was his pronouncement that 'the operation was not planned and controlled in such a way as to minimise to the greatest extent possible the need for recourse to lethal force'. If that is now the official benchmark by which Britain's Special Forces are to operate, say the veterans, then we must take the judge at his word. Commanding officers must now make it very clear to new recruits that the most effective way to 'minimise' the possibility of killing our enemies 'to the greatest extent possible', is to avoid going anywhere near them in the first place. And whatever you do, please don't shoot. In short, the SAS set out that night to apprehend a gang assembling a gun. The judge disputes this and also says their lives were not at risk. So let us leave the final word to the IRA. In their official statement the following day, the East Tyrone Brigade 'acknowledged with pride' that four of their men had 'died gallantly in action' during 'an IRA operation'. For the avoidance of doubt, walk a few yards round the corner from the Clonoe chapel car park to the IRA plaque on the wall honouring the dead men. There is no mention of an ambush, of foul play or subterfuge. It states clearly: 'Killed On Active Service.'
