Latest news with #Irish-British
Spectator
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Spectator
Spare us from ‘experimental' novels
Some sorts of books and dramas have very strict rules. We like a lot of things to be absolutely predictable. In romantic comedies, a girl chooses between a charmer who turns out to be a rotter and another man she hates at first but then falls for. In the BBC's long-running Casualty, if a worried patient turns up with his put-upon wife who coughs twice, it's the wife who's got an undiagnosed fatal disease. Bertie Wooster falls for a girl that Jeeves doesn't care for and the valet goes to some lengths to detach his employer. We like these things because they're safe and a little bit cosy and we all know what the rules are. One of the most rigid genres at the moment is slightly different. Even though it's got a set of incredibly strict rules, it's regarded by its adherents, not as an exercise within conventional boundaries, like an episode of Midsomer Murders, but as a radical demonstration of rule-breaking. I'm talking about the experimental novel. After a while, the sceptical reader has to ask: if the same rule is being broken in exactly the same way, novel after novel, at what point does that turn into a new and very strict rule? Earlier this year, the Irish-British novelist Eimear McBride published a new novel, The City Changes Its Face. I single her out but, to be honest, there is no shortage of other exemplars. It was greeted with rapture by book reviewers. The Guardian observed with awe that 'she uses verbs as nouns, nouns as adjectives'. This magazine's reviewer wrote: 'To say that it is 'experimental' doesn't do justice to its flexibility and force.
Irish Independent
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
The Sunday Independent's view: Ten years on, what unites us as the marriage equality referendum did?
Thousands gathered under blue skies at Dublin Castle that day to celebrate the victory as Ireland became the first country in the world to back by popular vote the right of LGBTQ+ people to marry. May 2015 was an extraordinary time in other ways too. The referendum came just days before Prince Charles, as he then was, visited Mullaghmore in Co Sligo where his great-uncle Lord Mountbatten was killed by the IRA in 1979. He spoke warmly of his reception. Following on from the historic state visit of the late queen in 2011, also in May, it seemed that Irish-British relations were headed towards a new golden era. Then came Brexit. The reasons behind the UK's decision to leave the EU the following year were multi-layered, and there is little benefit in raking over the coals again. Everyone knows what happened next. It was, however, undoubtedly a sign of things to come. Within months, a certain Donald J Trump would be elected US president for the first time. Nothing has felt quite the same since. It would be easy to blame Brexit and Trump for the fact people have never been more divided, but they are better understood as symptoms of an underlying malaise rather than the cause. When Irish voters got the chance to go to the ballot box in 2016, they also delivered a stinging blow to the ruling Fine Gael-Labour coalition, just five years after the parties won a historic landslide in the aftermath of the financial crash. It was a warning Ireland was not immune from rising discontent. Since then, the fracturing of Irish politics has gathered pace. The post-Civil War disposition has broken down and there is still no obvious indication what will replace it. Tensions around mass migration have only added to those divisions. The culture wars have reached Irish shores and it is difficult now to think of an issue that would bring Irish people together in the same way as same-sex marriage. ADVERTISEMENT Last year's referendum on emending contentious clauses in the Constitution referring to women in the home became a battleground on which these new grievances were fought out. Across Europe, meanwhile, populist anti-establishment leaders continue to make sweeping gains, while a majority of voters in England now describe themselves as 'angry' or 'fearful'. Irish voters are not there yet, but it is by no means certain that what has happened in other countries will not come about here too. Turnout in November's election was pitifully low in working-class areas where disaffection runs highest. Things can still be turned around. People simply need to believe that working hard will pay off for their families. Fixing the housing crisis is key. A decade on from that happy day when the vote for same-sex marriage was passed, it might be naive to yearn for a rekindling of such an optimistic, forward-looking mood. The world today is an angrier, nastier place. We have gone from 'Yes We Can' to 'what's the point?' The horizon is also dark with war — the ultimate expression of our growing estrangement from one another. It remains a worthy desire all the same. Emily Bronte called May 'the month of expectation, the month of wishes, the month of hope'. That spirit has never been more needed than in May 2025.
The Independent
27-01-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Martin wants ‘defining year' for relations with UK after first call with Starmer
Irish premier Micheal Martin said he and Sir Keir Starmer wanted to make 2025 a 'defining year' for relations between their countries after their first call since he was elected Taoiseach. The two leaders discussed the ongoing recovery efforts from Storm Eowyn when they spoke on Monday morning. They also spoke about the series of Ireland-UK annual summits, with Britain due to host the first in March. 'We are both committed to making 2025 an important and defining year for Irish-British relations as we initiate a series of annual summits to drive a programme of strategic co-operation between our two countries,' Mr Martin said after the call. 'We spoke about Northern Ireland and our shared vision as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement to furthering prosperity and reconciliation to the benefit of all.' Mr Martin welcomed the assistance provided by UK crews in the efforts to tackle the storm's impact, and Sir Keir said the UK was standing by to offer further support as required. Downing Street said: 'The leaders agreed that the UK–Ireland relationship was going from strength to strength, and it was vital to continue that in such a volatile geopolitical context. 'Discussing devastating Storm Eowyn at the weekend, the leaders paid tribute to the work of first responders and engineers to restore electricity to thousands of homes. 'The Prime Minister said that he had also spoken to the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland and that the UK stood by to offer further support, as required. 'The Prime Minister also updated on his EU reset, and the leaders underscored the importance of a close and constructive relationship with the EU to boost prosperity and security.' They also discussed Ukraine and the Middle East, and Mr Martin called for a 'surge' in humanitarian aid to Gaza. We discussed the importance of remaining committed today to combating antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, intolerance and racism Taoiseach Micheal Martin Both leaders are due to attend Holocaust Memorial Day events to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. 'We discussed the importance of remaining committed today to combating antisemitism and all forms of discrimination, intolerance and racism,' Mr Martin said. Irish deputy premier and foreign affairs minister Simon Harris also spoke to Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Monday. Mr Harris said he welcomed the 'renewed warmth' in the relationship with the UK and that the call was an opportunity to welcome 'renewed positive engagement' from the UK on relations with the EU.
