Abortion: no voice for the NI Assembly means no choice for the women of Northern Ireland

Posted on by Sophia C McBride

In November 2012, Irish Times Social Affairs Correspondent Kitty Holland broke the story about the death of Savita Halappanavar at Galway University Hospital. Six and a half years later, Ireland wakes up a different country with 66.4% voting to repeal the Eighth Amendment. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the rest of the island. Six and a half years later, Northern Ireland wakes up the same, if not arguably worse.

Coalition of chaos: who represents the nationalist voice now?

Posted on by Sophia C McBride

If you weren’t before, you probably are now pretty familiar with the highly conservative DUP, who even in the polarised environment of Northern Irish politics many would regard as controversial. But there’s another frightening twist to this tale. The delicate power sharing agreement in Northern Ireland, the result of years of painstaking work, was only achieved through the necessary neutrality of Westminster. Now that’s set to change.

Demystifying migration

Posted on by Sophia C McBride

As a journalist, I find strength and security in the reassuring power and influence of the written and spoken word. In the words of Seamus Heaney: “Between my finger and my thumb The squat pen rests: snug as a gun.” But at a time of Muslim bans, Brexit, and governmental failings to tackle the on-going refugee crisis, the pen seems to have distorted from a valiant sword, a weapon to defend, into a dagger in the back.

Brexit Speech: Theresa May Not

Posted on by Sophia C McBride
Theresa May's Brexit Speech

Following the Secretary of State’s announcement yesterday that a Northern Ireland election will take place on 2 March 2017, today it was Prime Minister Theresa May’s turn to take to the stage for her Brexit speech. Watching and listening along with many others to the government’s views on the single market, customs, and migration, I couldn’t help but notice one thing in particular: “A Global Britain”.

Je suis chanceuse: Charlie Hebdo two years on

Posted on by Sophia C McBride

On 7 January 2015 at about midday local time, I sat down to lunch with my colleagues in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. It was then that I learnt how around 30 minutes earlier two brothers, Saïd and Chérif Kouachi, forced their way into the 11th arrondissement offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.