It has been a pretty momentous year, but which events have our prominent citizens found most significant? Jane Hardy reports

Noel Thompson (53) presents BBC Newsline and Hearts and Minds. He says:

“I followed the presidential election all year, then all of a sudden up pops the lovely Sarah (Palin). We know nothing about her, she comes from nowhere, but she seems to have a bit of personality. The interview she did with Katie Couric, CBS anchor, who earns $16m a year, but had been slipping in the ratings, was the political interview of the year. It was real car crash television. Sarah limped from inadequate answer to inadequate answer.

Katie was magnificent, and didn’t do anything to increase Sarah’s embarrassment. She didn’t have to. She said to Palin at one point: ‘I’m going to ask you once more where Senator McCain pressed for deregulation.’ Sarah Palin said: ‘I’ll find somebody and bring them to you.’

I’m not saying she may not be a great candidate in five years’ time, but at this point her selection as vice-presidential candidate exposed the whole farce of the mistake McCain had made.

Then the two of them, McCain and Palin, did an interview, protesting at ‘Gotcha’ journalism, yet Katie Couric asked perfectly sensible questions. You could see the gleam in her eye, but she showed huge professionalism. There were about seven own goals, and during the walking about, when asked which magazines or papers she read for the news, Sarah didn’t mention a single one. There was a complete lack of preparation which gave me butterflies in my stomach.

Locally the resignation of Dr Ian Paisley wasn’t a surprise — he announced it in March, and after all it was a question of an 82-year-old man giving up two of four high pressure jobs, staying as MP and MLA.

Ever since 1998, I’d hoped we could get the leader of the DUP and the leader of Sinn Fein together in the studio. Remember, they wouldn’t stand in the same room together before but had reached an accommodation. We pushed to get them on Hearts and Minds but the DUP never formally agreed or refused.

It would have been the ultimate Hearts and Minds interview. When he stood down, that opportunity had gone.”

Writer Erin Kaye (42) was born in Larne. Her most recently published novel is My Husband’s Lover, Poolbeg, £11.99. She says:

“It’s got to be Obama, hasn’t it. I followed the story from the early days in 2007, and it was a long story, with him already making front page news in March last year. I feel it’s extraordinary and fantastic.

The point was, at that moment, when you looked at the alternative — and Sarah Palin was horrific — it had to be Obama. And yes, he’s a black man which must give hope to black people everywhere, including in our culture.

His election was something momentous. Even though Obama is inexperienced, I feel safe with him. He’ll keep the international community on an even keel whereas McCain, Palin and Bush are gung ho, with a ‘Let’s go in and sort them out’ approach, and look at the mess that’s got us into.

Locally, the big story has been Eoghan Quigg doing so well, from a modest background, in The X-Factor. It’s nice to have a positive story coming out of Northern Ireland — and it’s been positively reported where I live in Scotland, apart from the stuff about wearing a red poppy for that song. Good on him!”

Kenneth Montgomery (65), Belfast-born principal conductor of the Ulster Orchestra. He says:

“I suppose Barack Obama was the big international story. I work a lot in the States, mostly doing opera, and spent four months over there this year. It was extraordinary to see how people were dying for a change. In Santa Fe, a fairly right-wing place, even the Republicans were saying ‘We need new leadership’.

It was still nail-biting as you never know quite how people are going to vote. And there is that tremendous belt of conservatism in the USA that has often impeded progress. If America is the richest country in the world, it ought to be able to have interesting leadership, but it hasn’t been able to show that for eight years.

Locally, what’s been most significant this year is the way Belfast is looking wonderful, and is now such a thriving city. Buildings have been done up well, and the new architecture is good. I love the waterfront, which is a colourful area and will get even better with the new apartments being built. The shopping here is now as good as anywhere in the world.

Of course, I’m particularly looking forward to the re-opening of the Ulster Hall in March. I’ve conducted in a lot of concert halls, and live next to the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, but I’ve never known such a wonderful acoustic. It was built in 1862 and the individuals who got together to build it had such foresight.”

Katie Larmour (25) is a model and TV presenter who will be fronting UTV’s Live at the Limelight in the new year. She says:

“Definitely the biggest thing was Obama winning. I sat up and watched the TV, tense, until it was clear he’d secured it. I didn’t think a black man would make it into the White House in my lifetime.

Locally, and on a less serious note, the opening of Victoria Square this year which has changed shopping in Belfast, was another big story. With a couple of other girls, I was actually involved in launching Agent Provocateur which was very exciting. I’ve done some more promotions for them since, and have had to change outfits every half hour. But that first time I had to pose. It was very tasteful — I wore a black bodice, and fishnet stockings!

Whenever I’m in town, I head straight for the House of Fraser, although I didn’t go there to buy Christmas presents. That wasn’t because of the credit crunch — another big story this year — but because in our family, we always give tiny things, stuff we’ve made such as some ornaments I did after a ceramics class last year. They were shaped like crumpled baby socks.”

Peter Weir (40) is DUP MLA for North Down. He says:

“I’m going to turn that question on ‘What were the big stories internationally and locally?’ around, as this was the year when international and local affairs were intermeshed. Locally, the credit crunch and general recession is dominating people’s minds.

I have noticed that more people are concerned about money. There’s always an issue for people at the bottom end of the scale economically. But increasingly it’s hard for people to deal with heating bills and mortgages when the money is not really there. There’s no doubt that this festive season has been a very difficult period for families.

In terms of government action, I am sceptical about the reduction in VAT, a very odd gesture. Also, to some extent I’m concerned that we are paying the penalty of the position we’ve been put in. We are over-dependent on bad debt and although what Gordon Brown is doing may provide some stimulus to the economy, we may pay a very heavy price long-term.

Internationally, the US election was the big story, with two of the highest profile candidates in years. Whatever you thought about the outcome, and I still have some reservations about whether Obama’s presidency can live up to the soaring rhetoric, it was an election that inspired people.”

Sir Reg Empey (61) is leader of the Ulster Unionist party. He says:

“I suppose it’s hard to go past 2008 without considering the crash of the financial system as the big story. To be honest, I didn’t anticipate this — we all understood that house prices in particular couldn’t go on and on and we have, of course, been through this before in the 80s. But this time we have a significant overhang in terms of mortgages. This is a significant, long-term collapse. I’m a frequent visitor to America, and on Wall Street, you would look up at these big names, every one of which is now flat on its back.

I think Brown has missed an opportunity; taking 2 1/2% off VAT was pointless. People won’t spend £400 to save a tenner, when there are price reductions of 20%-50%.

If politicians had been responsible for losing a lot of money, they’d be out, but even after the recent Madoff scam, the bankers remained in their posts. I don’t understand it. If somebody is £5 overdrawn, the bank’s on the phone, but these guys have lost hundreds of millions of pounds, yet they’re still there.

The bank bail out has been necessary but in order to stave off collapse, savage measures may be needed. There’s been a degree of recklessness, and the markets make their judgments on the state of the economy. So they might have to hold the pound up by buying sterling and raising interest rates.

The first half of next year will be very difficult, especially for retailers.

Locally, the big story is the contrast between the international co-operation across governments over the economic crisis and the muddle and stand-off we were in until recently over justice and policing. It was utterly disjointed.”

Alison Fleming (37) is a reporter and presenter on UTV Live. She says:

“Locally, it’s Eoghan Quigg’s incredible X-Factor journey. My husband is from Dungiven and I know what a lovely place it is and what nice people they are up there. I interviewed Eoghan at his big homecoming, and went to London for his press conference just before the final. I waved at him and afterwards, he gave me a big hug and kiss. He’s done so well for a 16-year-old. I think he’ll have a great career, not just because of his talent but also because of the way he handles himself. He’s super — modest, laidback and easygoing. When he comes to Belfast with the X-Factor tour, he’ll get a huge welcome. He has such a fanbase. Last weekend, my kids and I were in Dungiven and we posted Eoghan a Christmas card and chocolate, and put a lolly through his door!

Internationally, Mumbai really affected me, partly because I know people there. There was a real news hunger yet also a feeling of utter disbelief. It was like watching a film. My friend from Bangor wasn’t involved but it still brought it home. I thought how awful it was for the young men who’d become murderers, and how terrible the experience was for the people having dinner in the restaurant.

When you’re reporting on hard stories, you do have empathy. Sometimes the nails have to go into the hand to stop the tears. We do the ‘People’s millions’ story every year, about local projects getting the opportunity to win Lottery millions. You meet people who are so brave and good in such difficult circumstances, while the rest of us complain if we’re stuck in traffic.”

Jamie Delargy (55) business correspondent of UTV. He says:

“It’s all the same now, globally, locally, with the financial crisis. The local angle has been the realisation that house prices couldn’t go up and up. I did say, repeatedly and Cassandra-like, that it couldn’t continue. At the beginning of 2007, I thought prices would continue rising to summer time and would then fall — I even wrote a piece about this for agendaNI magazine.

There weren’t enough people saying it. It looked as if there was a lifetime of free lunches. The papers suggested houses were making money, which was real, until they stopped and it became surreal. It never was plausible, that we’d have more expensive houses than the rest of the UK, with a weaker economy.

I knew the housing market would crash but I thought it was going to bring us on a par with Scotland. I didn’t foresee this collapse, and it hasn’t finished. It’s not implausible to believe prices could fall 50%, peak to trough, as we overshot on the way up.

I didn’t take precautionary measures, although my wife and I talked about putting money somewhere, but thought it was insane to put it into property. Prices need to fall now to a point where buyers feel confident, then the market will resume. 2009 will be a ghastly year, but things will improve at some time in 2010. Watch out for the stock market improving, that anticipates the recovery.”

Anna Lo is the Alliance MLA for South Belfast. She says:

“There are two big stories in my view — Obama, obviously, and the credit crunch which goes on and on. But Zimbabwe is a very sad story to me. This country is going down the tubes, and the suffering of people there is immense. They’re starving, sick with cholera, children and their families and everybody. Really, the country is at the brink of collapse if it hasn’t already collapsed.

I think the international community should put more pressure on Mugabe to leave. Then the people could have some democracy and choose. Anybody is better than Mugabe, for God’s sake.

But he’s running a terror campaign, there are ‘the disappeared’, people are being beaten to death and they’re frightened to speak out. We seem to be sitting on our hands doing nothing.

Locally, there have been a few blunders. With the victims’ commissioner issue, it really reinforced my thought that we institutionalise sectarianism all the time.”

Carmel Hanna (60) SDLP MLA for Belfast South. She says:

“The big story is probably the world being turned upside down economically. It has highlighted the gross inequality of consumption. The one good thing is that it has pointed this up.

Out of this situation has come a move towards eco-friendly, more sustainable and energy efficient homes. It’s a chance to create a whole new industry.

But the top management, the people who have been reckless with other people’s money, and I mean big business and the bankers, are still there. They should be thrown out. It’s such an obvious crime, and they knew they were being reckless. I am also worried about propping up the banks too much when they caused the problem. More pressure should be put on them.

This isn’t local, but my most interesting experience this year was going to Namibia with VSO on an HIV-Aids project.

I’m very interested in international development, and for me it was a humbling experience, yet Africa is also very uplifting and colourful. It made me realise the world’s a small place, all interrelated. One thing Northern Ireland has in common with Africa, for example, is the high rate of unemployment of young men who aren’t well trained, which leads to social problems.”

John Linehan (57), aka May McFettridge, is currently playing Mother Goose in the pantomime of the same name at Belfast’s Grand Opera House. He says:

“Internationally, it’s the fact a black guy got into the White House. I was delighted — dear heavens, look at his predecessor. But I used to love watching George W Bush walk the 60 yards to the microphone. Lee van Cleef and Clint Eastwood to the life, he just needed a blanket over his shoulder. And I loved his arms, looking as if he had two six guns — they were out, ready for the draw. He normally did pull the trigger, unfortunately. Then there was all that hassle over the Olympics in Beijing.

The Dalai Lama is a personal friend of mine. I got to meet him through Richard Moore, the guy who was blinded by a rubber bullet and does work in Ethiopia and Tanzania.

In July, His Holiness came over to the Millennium Forum in Derry to do a show with Christy Hennessy, another friend, who has since died. I’m very sorry I didn’t attend but we had a family holiday booked, and I don’t think even the Dalai Lama would have got me my money back!

The biggest local story is that the boys went up the hill and got back to work. I’ve lived through the Troubles, was 16 when they started, have been shot at, blown up, was with my wife Brenda upstairs in the Hole in the Wall in 1973 and ended up on the ground floor. Nobody had any favourites, everybody hated everybody.

But after the summer recess, I though ‘It’s going belly up’. I’ve probably met most of the MLAs, individually they’re fine. Anyhow, I am delighted (the Assembly) is up and running.”

Alex Maskey (57), Sinn Fein MLA for South Belfast. He says:

“Internationally, the biggest ground-breaking story was the election of Barack Obama. I was delighted because as a symbol it was vitally important, showing the possibility of change.

The other story, which was very worrying, was the outbreak of war in Chechnya. I have a keen interest in Iraq, too, and have been over there and in Israel. But Chechnya was a bit Cold War and very worrying. There may yet be ramifications, I think.

Where I come from, the local story was about the resumption of work at the Assembly. People see these things (the suspension of work) as party political but the fundamentals are so important. We were close to all those achievements collapsing. If that had happened, it would have been a long time before they were reinstated.

The stakes were high. We had to take a calculated chance. The whole peace process wasn’t about party squabbles but about substantial issues. It’s been a long 10 years. The potential of the Good Friday Agreement, if it had been delivered as it should have been to bring in radical change within a two year time frame, was immense.

Who knows where we would have been in two years, never mind five or 10? So people’s hopes haven’t been dashed, but they are wary.

Now we are getting that particular show back on the road, and I think we’re in a major phase of transition.”