Andrée Murphy hails from Dublin but has lived in Belfast since 1994.
She is the Deputy Director of Relatives for Justice, a national victim support NGO which provides advocacy and therapeutic support for the bereaved and injured of the conflict. Holding a Masters Degree in international human rights law, Andrée's particular expertise and research on women affected by conflict trauma has seen her provide evidence to the United Nations in Geneva and to Congressional hearings in the US.
Andrée is a columnist for Belfast Media Group and is a regular contributor to broadcast media, providing political analysis and commentary.
IRISH Department of Foreign Affairs officials are in the middle of an extensive consultation on their new Action Plan on Women Peace and Security. Don’t jump forward yet – I promise this gets interesting.
IN 2003, Sinn Féin overtook the SDLP as the largest nationalist party in the North of Ireland. Since then the party’s electoral trajectory both north and south has been, for the most part, pointed skyward. Even when there have been bad days for the party, its position as a formidable force in contemporary Irish politics has been safe.
HERE comes 2025 – slap bang in the middle of the Decade of Possibilities. There are signs that this may become a seminal year in the development of a new nation. A new Irish government with a new opposition enters into the 34th Dáil (note to readers: my old-school republican eyes twitch typing that – if you know, you know). The matter of Irish unity is on the political agenda at a significant level.
SINCE 1994 Santa has been a visitor to my house. He has come for our five kids for 30 years, and he has come for our granddaughter too. This year it is looking like it is his last year for a little while until, please God, we are gifted with more grandchildren.
SIR George Ernest Craythorne Hamilton was PSNI Chief Constable from 2014 until 2018. In 2015 he was invited to speak at Féile An Phobail and was interviewed by journalist Brian Rowan. Sir George was presented as a good guy, despite the scepticism of many since Sinn Féin signed up to policing in 2007.
THIS week is International Human Rights Week. It was designated such by the United Nations to honour the signing of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights on December 10 1948. At the heart of the document is a commitment to the dignity of every human being, irrespective of their place of birth or their status. Whether born in a manger or born in a palace, every human being must carry the same worth. Or so, after the Second World War of mass genocide and murderous intent, the global community decided.
THE results of the general election in the South give us all much to think about. Less so on a practical level – unless Fine Gael decide that they want some time out, which is not impossible, it will be more of the same old same old in Leinster House.
IN a lovely pub in the Bronx in New York this week I was lucky enough to be part of an event to celebrate ordinary Irish Americans who have contributed to their own communities and to building peace and justice in Ireland.
ALL of those who have suffered state and non-state violations on this island since partition can point to a lack of accurate memory of that experience. Some of this is incredibly personal. For some families the experience of violation was quite simply unspeakable and was not spoken.
IN the dying hours of the 33rd Dáil, the Joint Oireachtas Committee for the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement published an extraordinary report with recommendations regarding women and the constitutional debate. It was extraordinary because it took the wider debate on the potential for constitutional change and focused on the necessary, practical steps to ensure women’s participation. That included recognition of the disproportionate impact of our conflict on women.
I TOOK my first trip out of the new Grand Central this week. It is beautifully designed, clean, fresh and modern. And so easy to hop on the new hourly trains to Dublin. What a difference this connection will make, and it will clearly become an integrated part of our infrastructure very quickly.
THE funniest thing that happened on last week’s Graham Norton’s show was when the 'comedy' was interrupted. Norton always gets stellar guests on his show and last week was particularly sparkling. New York’s Denzel Washington and Maynooth’s Paul Mescal were on talking about the new Gladiator. Eddie Redmayne joined them and in the middle was New York-born but Dublin raised Saoirse Ronan. A sofa filled with next year’s Academy Award nominees.
THERE are few better feelings than those evoked by an autumn day. Patrick Kavanagh knew that when he strolled down Raglan Road. But the reason we love his poem so much is because we relate to it.
In all of the headlines that have grabbed our attention during the past six weeks the headlines of violence against women have lacked the attention they deserve.
THE term genocide is becoming devoid of meaning.