Wednesday 19 June 2013
MARRIAGES are entered into for a wide variety of reasons – love, sex, procreation, economic support. It is a civil social contract between two people and between those two people and the society in which they live.
Looks like the lunacy of wind farms is working. These environmental eyesores are not cost-effective. Result: dearer electricity.
I AM responding to your correspondent's query (Write Back, May 20) about the disparity of prices between P&O Ferries' Larne-Cairnryan route and our Dover-Calais route. There are three main reasons.
RONAN O'Gara retires with 128 caps for Ireland, 1,083 international test points and three Lions tours.
A LOT of publicity has (rightly) been given to the 'bedroom tax', but this already exists for private tenants through the Local Housing Allowance.
THE Labour Party has historically boycotted elections in Northern Ireland and undemocratically suppressed non-sectarian Labour Party electoral politics.
FIFTEEN years ago today, the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement was overwhelmingly approved by a referendum of the people.
So here it is again – the annual Orangefest, the so-called 'cultural' festival in which bitter politics and religious fundamentalism corrupt and disfigure any cultural beauty that ever was part of this festival. The sound of the pipe, the thud of the lambeg, the sight of Highland dancers all rendered a sideshow to what is ultimately a historical hate-fest. Ulster-Scots culture must divorce itself from Orangeism, which has fed off it to churn out its bitter sectarian message for years.
Fifteen years ago today, the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement was overwhelmingly approved by a referendum of the people.
YOUR letters against continuing membership of the EU have three characteristics in common: Fear – assumption that leaving will do us harm; Nonsense – the EU 'kept the peace' (Nato did that); and Abuse of Opponents – they are 'xenophobes'. Such 'arguments' are no substitute for a democratic vote.
BRIAN O'Driscoll's decision to sign on for another year for Ireland is a testimony to this unique sporting hero.
IT would appear that, for the higher echelons in the Catholic Church, like Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the wages of sin have been changed to spending a vacation somewhere hot, but not too hot.
AS Amazon and other large multinationals continue to push the tax rulebook to the limit, are they not aware of the impact their actions could have on small businesses?
BRENDAN O'Brien writes, "May God bless Professor Hawking for supporting the academic boycott of Israel" (Write Back, May 15).
SOME letters have appeared in your paper regarding a new train station for Derry/Londonderry. But they are not accurate.
THE PSNI is to buy nine drones for the huge security operation at the G8 summit in Fermanagh in June and, afterwards, to combat terrorism and crime.
I AM travelling alone by car to France on July 17. I priced the P&O Larne-Cairnryan route (£321 return), then I priced P&O's Dover-Calais route (£84 return).
I do not have a crystal ball to claim the foreign trips by Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness are a waste of taxpayers' money. Hopefully, they will encourage foreign investment here. I definitely don't need a crystal ball to see the millions of pounds of taxpayers' money spent each year on sectarian marches, parading and protests. That is money we badly need down the drain.
I WRITE out of concern for our mother and for all elderly and vulnerable residents of trust residential homes; also, very importantly, for the morale of the dedicated and experienced staff.
I can pay a premium for Fairtrade goods, giving workers a degree of improved welfare. But when I buy locally grown produce, it's deemed that I'll accept produce picked by migrant workers on below living wage. Is it time for Fairtrade logos on local produce?
Gerry forces Sammy into Mexican wave
Rapturous reception for Andrea
We want you to get snapping!
Pubs, clubs and parties
Thousands turn out in the rain
Trinity College may have reminded them of Hogwarts, but the Obama children looked like they would have preferred to be at a Harry Potter theme park than poring over dusty documents showing their distant Irish heritage.
Northern Ireland is set to bask in the baking heat today as the sun makes another rare appearance in the region.
Reckless bank bosses should be jailed and pay rules overhauled to end rewards for failure, according to a report by MPs and peers.
British and Irish Lions wing George North has been passed fit to face Australia in Saturday's opening Test at Suncorp Stadium.
Barclays Premier League champions Manchester United will start the 2013-14 season at League Cup winners Swansea.
Derek Llambias has resigned from his post as managing director at Newcastle, the club have announced.
Miley Cyrus won’t admit to whether or not she smokes marijuana regularly, but she does contend that cannabis is far less harmful than alcohol.
Charlie Sheen has threatened to leave sitcom Anger Management if co-star Selma Blair doesn’t go.
Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z reportedly proved to be “each other’s biggest supporters” at the tenth anniversary bash thrown for the rapper’s 40/40 Club in New York City.
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