Monday, July 31, 2006

Not what you might have expected

Far from marching through catholic housing estates while rioting and calling for all nationalists to be interned, the orangemen and women, and the people who turned out to watch them, enjoyed a peaceful and sunny day out in Maguiresbridge.


But then, the Twelfth of July demonstration in Fermanagh generally is a peaceful and relaxed affair.


The sermon preached to the gathered orangemen, women, and other holidaymakers at "the field" challenged popular stereotypes of the Orange Order, however.


The retired Bishop of Repton, Henry Richmond (a Fermanagh man himself), called for more tolerance and understanding between Roman Catholics and Protestants. He hailed post-Vatican-II changes in Catholic practice, and told the gathering that, although dialogue does not necessarily mean agreeing with those one speaks to, it does require an effort to understand. While differences should be faced, rather than swept under the carpet, there is more that unites Protestants and Catholics than divides them, he said.


Not everyone was as sure as the Bishop that Martin Luther would believe in modern Catholic acceptance of the central doctrine of the Reformation, but they heard an impassioned plea for Protestants and Catholics to work together to increase understanding of where each is coming from.


After the service, food, cups of tea, and some serious rest and relaxation, the bands and lodges were assembled for the long march back through the town.



Probably too quiet a day to make the news...

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Silly season

Parliament has risen for the summer, so it's officially the "Silly Season". Of course it's been the Silly Season in Northern Ireland politics for ages - the Assembly has been suspended since 2002, and they are only now talking about restarting it. What do you reckon the chances are of our politicians getting their acts together by the November deadline, and agreeing to form a government? Or will we be condemned to a Silly Season that never ends...?

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Look what just wandered in


and started scrounging...

Monday, July 17, 2006

Which one is Father Ted, and which one is Father Dougal?

I was trying to think what it reminded me of, and then I realised...

Tony Bush and George Blair on the current middle east crisis sound a bit like Father Ted and Father Dougal protesting outside the cinema in the episode The Passion Of St Tibulus...

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Dublin









Wednesday, July 12, 2006

What was everyone doing?


Watching Portugal put England out of the World Cup, on penalties, after extra time.

This being Dublin, Portugal had lots of support.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Tallships

Lots of sailing ships came to Belfast the other weekend, and there were hordes of people looking round the ships (free) and the market stalls (not so free).


Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Useless advice

I was reading the label on some "daily shower cleaner" today. It says "to achieve best results, start with a clean shower".

Inconceivable :-)