Sceptical Scot

Asking Questions. Seeking Answers.

Brian O'Neill

About Brian O'Neill

Brian O'Neill
"I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in business, marketing and IT. My politics tend towards middle-of-the-road pragmatism, I am not a member of any political party. Oddly for a member of the Slugger team, I am not that interested in daily politics, preferring to write about big ideas in society. When not stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director."

Northern Ireland environmental catastrophe

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As the aul rebel song went, 'Only our rivers run free'. Well, it seems not even our rivers have much freedom these days. A new report from the Rivers Trust shows what a dire situation our waterways are in. Via Niamh Campbell in the Beltel:Not one stretch of river in Northern Ireland has managed to meet ‘good’ overall status, while Lough Neagh is an “ecological disaster”, … [Read more...] about Northern Ireland environmental catastrophe

What’s the Orange Order’s future?

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Today, across Northern Ireland, thousands of Orange Men will be parading for the 12th of July commemorations. But what is the future of the loyal orders?  Like most institutions, their numbers have been declining. From a high point of 90,000 in the 1960s to 34,000 in 2012, I suspect the figure for active members today is more like 20,000. What is the place of the Orange Order … [Read more...] about What’s the Orange Order’s future?