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Noel Doran

Noel Doran

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Policing debate remains at heart of search for political progress

previous day 10

The Irish News

Noel Doran

The road to the Irish presidency is not an easy one for northerners

31.03.2025 8

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Remembering the quiet heroes of the GAA who worked to make Ireland a better place

24.03.2025 10

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Prince of Darkness, or just a political chameleon? You never quite know what’s coming next with Peter Mandelson

17.03.2025 9

The Irish News

Noel Doran

If the DUP can engage with the Irish language, why not with the GAA?

10.03.2025 9

The Irish News

Noel Doran

JD Vance, Lilian Seenoi-Barr and the real consequences of unrestricted freedom of speech

04.03.2025 9

The Irish News

Noel Doran

How a Stormont leak led to the emergence of John Hume and the long-running campaign for a university in Derry

25.02.2025 10

The Irish News

Noel Doran

The night Freddie Scappaticci gatecrashed a party in west Belfast

17.02.2025 10

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Mindful Martin may yet have decisive say in unity debate

10.02.2025 10

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Gordon Lyons scoring an own goal over GAA stance

04.02.2025 10

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Noel Doran: I was wrong about Farage before – could he really be the next prime minister?

27.01.2025 10

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Who should DUP turn to in its hour of need?

20.01.2025 10

The Irish News

Noel Doran

It wasn’t just stars like Rory Gallagher and AC/DC that kept us entertained during the Troubles - our local musicians were the real unsung heroes

14.01.2025 30

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Memories of AC/DC and my own stairway to hell at the Ulster Hall

It was entirely appropriate that a statue of the legendary guitarist Rory Gallagher was unveiled at the weekend outside the Ulster Hall in Belfast,...

07.01.2025 7

The Irish News

Noel Doran

The eclectic and enduring appeal of the letters page

The newspaper industry remains stubbornly resilient, even during a period of huge upheaval when its demise is frequently predicted, with readers...

31.12.2024 2

The Irish News

Noel Doran

I will not easily forget my telephone calls with Dolours Price

The voice at the other end of the telephone line was frail and emotional but also coherent and focused. It was the late Dolours Price, and our...

23.12.2024 20

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Jigs and reels 10,000 miles away under Australian sunshine shows Ireland might be small but we are still a cultural superpower

Apollo Bay is a small coastal resort on the marvellous Great Ocean Road in Australia, and is about as far as it gets from Ireland, with Google...

17.12.2024 3

The Irish News

Noel Doran

I spent a month in Australia and can understand why so many young Irish people head there

Many theories have been put forward to explain the relatively poor turnout during Irish elections over recent years, with regular suggestions that...

09.12.2024 10

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Brexit and unionist attitudes both provide big boost to unity campaign

It is always possible to draw different conclusions from separate opinion surveys, allowing for the usual margins of error, so, when questions...

28.10.2024 3

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Lessons in leadership from Seamus Mallon and David Trimble

The public relationship between Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly may have been under some pressure in recent days, but it still contrasted...

22.10.2024 2

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Loughinisland and the long shadow of collusion

I know exactly where I was on June 18 1994 because, like many others, I went to a bar to watch a football match on television that night. Ireland...

14.10.2024 8

The Irish News

Noel Doran

It’s game on as new generation joins Irish unity debate

We do not know when an Irish unity referendum will be called, and we cannot say what the outcome may be, but what should be abundantly clear is...

07.10.2024 3

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Elon Musk and social media disinformation would have blocked Good Friday Agreement

It is likely that Elon Musk, reputedly the world’s richest person and the deeply contentious owner of the X global corporation, formerly known as...

30.09.2024 2

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Ghosts of Belfast’s past can help us understand Ireland’s present

The last few weeks have not exactly provided firm evidence that our political structures are delivering significant and clearly demonstrable...

23.09.2024 3

The Irish News

Noel Doran

The Van Morrison fan dilemma and the powerful pull Into The Mystic

It is always a dilemma when you consider ending a relationship with a person you have revered for decades, even when the other party is entirely...

16.09.2024 9

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Remembering Nelson Mandela and an unlikely Irish friendship

This is a period of significant anniversaries linked to Nelson Mandela, as it is 60 years since he was sentenced to life imprisonment in South...

09.09.2024 2

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Throwing bricks through Muslims’ windows won’t solve our socio-economic issues

What should be the single most disturbing aspect of the letter sent to the Stormont education minister Paul Givan last week by a group of mothers...

03.09.2024 5

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Unionist pessimism and the dawning realisation that the union could be lost

While uncertainty about the future direction of unionism is nothing new, the pessimistic tone of the messages sent out by Doug Beattie and Edwin...

26.08.2024 3

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Getting older isn’t what it used to be

When I was growing up in rural south Down, the fact that a well-regarded lady in our district was able to celebrate her 100th birthday was a major...

19.08.2024 2

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Public apology to priest a landmark moment for Irish Church

The public apology offered earlier this month to Fr Paddy McCafferty by Bishop Alan McGuckian, of the Diocese of Down and Connor, was among the...

12.08.2024 2

The Irish News

Noel Doran

The GAA is not beyond criticism – but it is an enormous force for good

The outpouring of sheer unrestrained joy which followed both Armagh’s All-Ireland triumph and all the outstanding Olympic successes over the last...

05.08.2024 8

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Remembering the one and only Mo Mowlam

Similarities can be drawn between Hilary Benn and Mo Mowlam as both were appointed as our secretary of state by incoming Labour prime ministers who...

16.07.2024 2

The Irish News

Noel Doran

Hope and defiance in a town used to tough times

While ugly outbreaks of sectarianism are sadly not unknown during our summer months, there was something particularly disturbing about the recent...

09.07.2024 1

The Irish News

Noel Doran