Anthony Neeson began his career in journalism with the Tyrone Times in Dungannon in 1995 before freelancing with Belfast daily and Sunday titles in both news and sport. He joined the Andersonstown News as Sports Editor, before moving across to the News Desk as a reporter, eventually becoming Deputy Editor. Anthony also spent time as Deputy Editor of Daily Ireland and was appointed Editor of the Andersonstown News in 2016. Anthony is also the Ireland correspondent with the Irish Echo in New York.
A NEW interactive exhibition adding to the growing visitor and tourist experience of West Belfast is set to open its doors.
SOMETHING of a legend himself, it should be no surprise that Falls Road man Martin Taylor would pen a book inspired by the epic tales from Irish mythology.
ONE man show is something of a misnomer when it comes to American actor Jay Sefton’s performance in Unreconciled at the Lyric Theatre. He brings to the stage over a dozen characters from his past to retell the true story of his 13-year-old self who was cast as Jesus in a school Passion play directed by the local parish priest who would sexually abuse him during rehearsals. The brutally honest solo performance chronicles the adult Jay’s journey to confront his past and navigate a Catholic Church reparations program. Written by and starring Jay, Unreconciled was co-written with Mark Basquill. It opened at the Stranmillis theatre on Friday night and runs until Sunday as part of the Belfast International Arts Festival. The play is directed by West Belfast actress Geraldine Hughes who met Jay over 30 years ago as part of a theatre group when she first moved to the States. Set in the Catholic suburbs of Philadelphia in the 1980s, it begins as a typical teenage American story. Sport, music, annoying friends; a crush on a girl in school. And it will strike a chord with anybody from a Catholic background who grew up in the same era with the Church playing a major role in the school and neighbourhoods. Easter 1985 and Jay lands the role as Jesus in the school’s Passion play. He’s both petrified and delighted to have been chosen. The annual Passion play is a big deal in the parish. He’ll go on tour around other parishes in Philadelphia, and his parents can’t contain their pride. But most importantly for Jay is that the most beautiful girl in eighth grade is playing Mary and she’ll have to cradle him when he is taken down from the cross at the end of the play. And 1985 promises a host of possibilities for Jay. Everything’s on the up that spring. Philadelphia’s Villanova basketball team are even winning championships. Yet there’s always that inner voice that makes him second guess every decision he makes and celebrates when he quits. Jay’s transformation into Father Tom – the priest who abused him during the Passion play rehearsals – goes beyond imitation. He tries to get into the soul of a man who preyed on young people while befriending parents and teachers, putting them at ease with his collar half opened and his sleeves rolled up.
THE President of Conradh na Gaeilge has welcomed a vote at Stormont in support of Belfast City Council’s dual-language policy. A motion brought by DUP MLA Brian Kingston in the Assembly on Monday opposing the council policy was defeated by 41 votes to 28. Mr Kingston called on Belfast City Council to “urgently review and replace its policy that Irish language street signs can be imposed upon communities with just 15 per cent support”. The North Belfast MLA said: “In the early days of the new policy, councillors adopted a convention of not approving an Irish language street sign where more residents voted against than for. However, since March this year, nationalist councillors, supported by Green Party councillors, have been forcing applications through, ignoring the majority wishes of residents and the objection of unionist and even Alliance councillors. “In my constituency of North Belfast, for Sunningdale Park North, 22 residents voted for an Irish language sign, but 33 voted against it. Some 60 per cent of respondents were against, yet the sign was forced through by nationalist and Green Party councillors.” He said he has been visited by residents who have told him that Irish signage could reduce the value of their property “by reducing potential interest from the unionist community”. Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan said opposition to bilingual street signs was minimal. Yesterday, ahead of the debate Conradh na Gaeilge published the results of a survey that found that nine-out-of-ten people in Belfast supports the Council's new dual language signage policy. “Since this policy was introduced, and the first streets were approved in January 2023, more than 530 streets have been surveyed across Belfast," said the West Belfast MLA. "Opposition has been minute. Only 2·9 per cent of all residents surveyed expressed any opposition – an average of 1·7 per cent per street. In more than three quarters of streets surveyed, not a single resident objected. Even if you exclude the Gaeltacht Quarter, the pattern is the same. Across 244 streets, only 3·9 per cent of residents opposed dual-language signage, while around nine out of 10 people who responded supported it.
THE call has gone out for nominations ahead of next month’s Arts & Culture category in the annual Aisling Awards.
THE niece of a London photographer who was shot dead in Belfast by British soldiers during the Falls Curfew in July 1970 has told an inquiry that for half a century the family had thought that the 21-year-old had been forgotten, only to discover that “others had indeed remembered him and held him in their thoughts”. Marta Riehle-Stern was speaking at an Independent Panel of Inquiry into the Falls Curfew of July 3 to 5, 1970, when four people were shot dead by the British army. 78 people were injured, hundreds of arrests were made and countless homes raided. Marta’s uncle, Zbigniew Uglik, was the fourth person to be shot dead by the British army during a July weekend which is seared into the consciousness of the West Belfast community. On Friday relatives of the four victims – Charles O’Neill, William Burns, Patrick Elliman and Zbigniew Uglik – read out pen portraits of their loved ones in front of an independent panel consisting of chair Michael Mansfield KC, Mariela Kohon, who has extensive experience working with victims of human rights abuses, and barrister Mark Bassett. Solicitor Pádraig Ó Muirigh and the panel then had the opportunity to ask questions of the family members. As proceeding began, Mr Mansfield set out the parameters of the inquiry. He said it was fitting that the inquiry was taking place in St Comgall’s on Divis Street, not far from where the Troubles erupted around a year before the Curfew. He said that there had been no official inquiry into the events of the Falls Curfew but there are people alive today who can still remember what had happened. He said that the Curfew marked the end of the honeymoon period that the British army had enjoyed in nationalist areas after August 1969 and as such was of historic importance. Mr Mansfield added that during the course of the inquiry the panel will hear evidence from those caught up in the military operation as well as from experts in ballistics. Army logs will also be admitted as evidence. The panel will examine the legal basis for the curfew, the circumstances of how those who died were killed and whether the state carried out effective investigations into their deaths. First to deliver her pen portrait was Kathleen Cullen, who was 20 years old in July 1970. Her uncle, Charles O’Neill, was run over by a British army vehicle just before the curfew began.
HUNDREDS of people lined the Falls Road yesterday evening to mark the second anniversary of the Gaza genocide.
A FAMILIAR face on television and film, Belfast actor Patrick O'Kane is back where it all began this month with the Lyric Theatre's production of Denouement.
GAELS are set to take to the city centre this week to show their support for Belfast City Council's new Irish language policy, which will see visibility of the language increase throughout the city.
A PROTEST is set to take place on Wednesday evening stretching the length of the Falls Road to mark the second anniversary of the genocide in Gaza.
The president of one of America’s leading universities has told a Belfast audience that entrepreneurship can serve as a global “engine of peace” and a tool for building bridges across borders.
CAMPAIGNING group Mothers Against Genocide are calling on the community to join them in a protest against the continuing slaughter in Gaza that is set to take over the entire length of the Falls Road.
THREE women, trapped by circumstance in post-war Belfast. Jean, caring for her ageing mother; Elsie, trying to reconnect with a husband who went away to war but returned a different man; and Arabella, a young widow whose husband is lost at sea. Just as their lives couldn’t be any different, the one thing that binds them together is a need to break free from their claustrophobic lives. While Jean (Katie Tumelty) lives on the dark side of her terraced street, Elsie (Joanne Crawford) is trapped in a silent marriage, only rescued by her memories of working as an usher in the Paramount Picture House where she was always in the spotlight. And then there's Arabella (Jayne Wisener), too young to be a widow, rattling around the family pile she has inherited. And while all three are lonely and alone in their own worlds, this is far from a sad play. If anything, it's the opposite. All the humour that we'd expect from a Marie Jones play is on show here. And it’s also beautifully written and crafted in such a way that you believe what the women are saying and feel the frustrations that they are experiencing.
WEST Belfast actors Lola Pettigrew and Anthony Boyle have been shortlisted for prestigious television awards which will be announced in Belfast in November.
Visitors to this week's Belfast International Homecoming are being invited to savour the city at two iconic restaurants led by acclaimed chef Niall McKenna.