While it would be wrong to suggest that the Irish are big fans of Thatcher, the majority want to see her off with respect. And a great many Irish have done so. Including the current Taoiseach Enda Kenny and current President Michael D Higgins.

Ever since the Good Friday peace agreement of 1998, parties on both side of the divide have, albeit slowly, attempted to move things forward. And forward things have moved, as I explained at the start. However, a critical demographic have been left behind: the working class and the radicals within.

Sinn Fein now want a border poll. Instead of focusing on growing the economy, creating jobs, establishing economic stability and rebuilding Ireland's credibility abroad - which everyone wants - they're now focusing on re-opening the old debate and picking an old wound - which very few want.

A single economy for the island of Ireland would be good for prosperity, jobs and investment, Sinn Fein has claimed. Party president Gerry Adams ca...

The flag riots are just plain bad for Northern Ireland. Bad for business, bad for foreign investment, bad for community relations, bad for the image of Northern Ireland abroad and bad for the collective future of its people. But I genuinely feel bad for the loyalist rioters.

So little has been achieved and so much of the old has continued since 1998 - a year when Northern Ireland was supposed to have entered a new dawn - that we cant even share our greatest living son.

Martin McGuinness has resigned as Mid-Ulster MP. He said this was in line with Sinn Fein's commitment to end double jobbing and planned to concentr...

The ugly scenes of rioting that have returned to Belfast's streets 14 years after the signing of the peace agreement are a sorry sight. But they tell a story of poor political leadership and of a demographic section of society left behind.

This weekend Northern Ireland's unionists are celebrating the life of Sir Edward Carson and the centenary of the signing of the Ulster Solemn League and Covenant.

Look back only 15 to 20 years and you would see a British Isles stalked by social unrest and political uncertainty. Northern Ireland was at the heart of the disquiet.

Northern Ireland is in making the headlines again. So you know what that means: bad news.

With this motion, a clear call is made on the Minister of Finance and Personnel to introduce legislation to guarantee that couples of any sex or gender identity receive equal benefit from marriage.

Northern Ireland's political leaders have pledged to tackle tensions over controversial parades that sparked rioting for the last three nights in Belf...

In a cabinet reshuffle billed as the answer to Britain's economic ills, Prime Minister David Cameron went with the economic status quo: holding tight to the fiscally prudent and the ever-derided George Osborne.

The parliamentary career of Corby MP Louise Mensch officially came to an end on Wednesday, culminating in the bizarre tradition of her assuming a defu...

It is now up to the people of Northern Ireland to ask our assembly members to take bold steps for equality. Perhaps one day, in the near future, we will defeat prejudice and intolerance against the LGBT community for good and Homophobia won't ever be an acceptable replacement for sectarian hatred.

First the Queen visits the Republic of Ireland, speaks Irish and then she surprises us once again and goes a step farther by going to Northern Ireland and shaking hands with Martin McGuinness.