Robin has been with the Andersonstown News and subsequently the Belfast Media Group for over 30 years. He began his career in journalism with the company writing cinema and TV reviews as a freelance before becoming a staff reporter and going on to be appointed editor of the Andersonstown News in 1993. He became Group Editor of the Belfast Media Group with responsibility for all titles in 2016. He's the author of The Road, a memoir about growing up in Belfast.
THE fact that BBCNI thinks that its adherence to a British ethos is a matter for debate instead of a simple statement of fact is perhaps the most powerful indicator of BBCNI’s adherence to a British ethos.
THE victory of Gerry Adams in his libel case against BBCNI could be the best thing that could happen to Ormeau Avenue, if they could but bring themselves to acknowledge it.
THE days of journalists being given a week, two weeks, a month, to go off and pursue single stories are virtually at an end. Long-form investigative pieces to all intents and purposes don’t exist any more and as newspapers struggle to come to terms with falling sales and dwindling readerships, the reality of life as a reporter has changed utterly.
TODAY, we exclusively reveal the two vital documents that saw a court this week clear definitely-not-in-the-UVF man Winkie Irvine of being in the UVF. The first is a Sunday newspaper lifestyle piece from 2021 in which Mr Irvine gives details of a typical day in the life of Loyal Ulster's most famous non-UVF peacebuilder. It provides a vivid insight into the mind of the Ballysillan Gandhi and blows out of the water the claim that Mr Irvine is a member of the feared loyalist paramilitary group.
SSE Arena management and its various licensees aren’t known to be lacking when it comes to basic forward planning, otherwise they’d be picking up their P45s this week along with those Rangers fans filmed singing The Billy Boys there on Friday night.
YOU’D have to ask somebody who knows a lot more than I do about military history why VE Day in this little corner of Paradise was marked by duvet-sized union jacks, sword-dancing and loyalist bands.
Tough decision for judges in a year chock-full of outstanding contributions to consistency
JAMES McClean has just enjoyed perhaps the greatest moment of his storied career. His team Wrexham claimed their third promotion in a row and this year’s one was a doozie. He’s now captain of a Championship team about to launch an assault on the Premiership summit – and as if that’s not exciting enough for the Derry player, his team is owned by a couple of Hollywood stars.
I COULDN’T care less if Moygashel wants to pay tribute to one of the UDR men who slaughtered the Miami Showband.
HERE’S a simple statement of fact: Linfield fans sang ‘The Billy Boys’ on Saturday during their win over Glentoran at Windsor Park.
DEPUTY First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly is concerned about the prospect of the new Grand Central Station saying ‘Fáilte’ to its customers. So concerned, indeed, that the DUP Lagan Valley MLA felt it her bounden duty to bring the matter up at the Thursday meeting of the Stormont Executive.
DAVID Trimble didn’t like Catholics.
I HAD the worst hangover I’ve had in twenty years on Sunday. It started out as a dull but manageable frontal lobe ache, but by mid-afternoon it had promoted itself to an all-cranium eye-scruncher oblivious to the ministrations of Messrs Nurofen and Panadol.
ARLENE Foster's had enough of the glorification of terrorism. Speaking recently in the House of Lords after members had risen from their afternoon nap, the former First Minister said Sinn Féin First Minister Michelle O'Neill's appearance at a Magherafelt commemoration in January for three IRA volunteers “should be a matter the Security Minister should delve into.” She went on: “A change in the law is required to deal with those in authority who continue to exalt and deify terrorists who caused so much hurt and pain.”