Terri Hooley may not be a household name, but to a music fan and punk lover in 1970s Belfast, he is a local treasure. Now, in his biopic ‘Good Vibrations’, named after the record store and label he owned in the city, the story can be told of how he gave punk a voice in a place city at a very troubled time.

Starring Richard Dormer and Jodie Whittaker, ‘Good Vibrations’ charts the journey of Terri (Dormer) from rock-bottom pub DJ to store owner and independent record producer. The Belfast Film Festival website lists the following synopsis, “Terri Hooley is a radical, rebel and music-lover in 1970s Belfast when the bloody conflict known as the Troubles shuts down his city. As all his friends take sides and take up arms, Terri opens a record shop on the most bombed half-mile in Europe and calls it Good Vibrations. Through it he discovers a compelling voice of resistance in the city’s nascent underground punk scene. Galvanising the young musicians into action, he becomes the unlikely leader of a motley band of kids and punks who join him in his mission to create a new community, an alternative Ulster, to bring his city back to life.”

He discovers one band, The Undertones, whose song ‘Teenage Kicks’ has gone on to become a punk anthem and covered by dozens of artists in the 34 years since its release. Yet, for the most part ‘Good Vibrations’ tells the story of a man who never achieves long-lasting success because he is led by sentiment and passion rather than any clear-headed business sense.

As a result, the film shows Terri’s marriage suffering, his finances waning, his drinking increasing and his focus wandering to the point where he is the victim of a brutal physical assault in his own store. Still, Terri’s resolve inevitably returns no matter how many times he gets knocked down, and it is this which drives the film through a somewhat meandering plot and ultimately unconventional conclusion. Terri’s optimism and idealism make him an incredibly endearing figure, due in large part to the sincerity and wholeheartedness with which Dormer brings to the role.

‘Good Vibrations’ launched the 2012 Belfast Film Festival, and it was clear from some audience feedback that it was a refreshing change to see a big-screen representation of Northern Ireland which did not exclusively detail the Troubles. Rather, this film operates on the level of almost any biopic, where the historical and political context remains mainly on the fringe while the personal trumps and failures elevate the narrative beyond any single cultural consciousness. Audience member Eamonn Knocker told Toonari Post, “I liked the fact that it was a part of Belfast history, that it was funny and sad, and that it’s a change [from films about The Troubles]“.

With the festival being bookended by ‘Whole Lotta Sole’, already previewed by Toonari Post, the message is loud and clear that Northern Ireland is acknowledging its past difficulties while still finding ways to move forward and explore new characters and untold stories.

Image Courtesy of  Terri Hooley

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On Friday June 8, the Belfast Film Festival hosted the second of its three Gala Screenings as the locally-produced film ‘Jump’ premiered to a packed crowd at the Dublin Road Movie House. Starring Nichola Burley (‘StreetDance 3D’), Martin McCann (“The Pacific”), Charlene McKenna (“Raw”), Richard Dormer (‘Good Vibrations’) and Lalor Roddy (“Game of Thrones”), ‘Jump’ follows several characters on New Year’s Eve in Derry, Northern Ireland, as they weave in and out of each others lives, all ultimately impacting the film’s main protagonist Greta, played beautifully by Burley. Director Kieron J. Walsh does a great job bringing effective moments of comedy to an otherwise dark, introspective tale, but ‘Jump”s main success is in painting Northern Ireland in a light rarely seen before on screen or at this festival.

Toonari Post previously reviewed ‘Good Vibrations’ and ‘Shadow Dancer’, both of which were entertaining in their own rights but which still situated their narratives in relation to the well-documented social and political conflict of Northern Ireland’s past. ‘Jump’, however, tells personal stories through themes which could translate to any city and any festival. Depression, grief, greed, hope: Walsh brings all of these to life thanks to a moving score and Steve Brookes’ well-balanced screenplay.

The film begins with Greta on the edge of a bridge, contemplating suicide until she is interrupted by Pearse, a young man unceasing in his efforts to find his younger brother who he suspects has been harmed by local gangster Frank Feeney, who just so happens to be Greta’s father. Reluctantly caught in the middle of all of these storylines is Greta’s friend Marie who, along with her other friend Dara, struggle to stay out of danger on a New Year’s Eve night which spirals more and more out of control.

Burley has few, if any, light moments to play as the despondent Greta, but she never falters in her portrayal of a woman figuratively and physically driven to the edge of despair. She sparkles in her scenes with McCann, who gets to play some wittier moments as Pearse, a young man with whom Greta forms an instant bond due to their mutual loathing of Frank Feeney, played by Roddy. Roddy is perfectly menacing in the role, while Ciarán McMenamin and Packy Lee provide much of the comic relief as Feeney’s lacklustre henchmen. Charlene McKenna and Valene Kane are terrific as Marie and Dara, the two women who can’t help but to get drawn into everyone else’s problems. Rounding out the cast is Dormer who, as the haunted criminal Johnny, is a world away from Terri Hooley of ‘Good Vibrations’ in this role. Dormer grounds every single scene he is in, especially when he is paired with the ridiculous duo of Ross and Jack (McMenamim and Lee, respectively), and at times rivals Burley as the emotional hook of the film.

More than likely, ‘Jump’ will not receive the global marketing support handed out to less-deserving ensemble offerings like last year’s woeful ‘New Year’s Eve’ or the recent ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’, which is a shame because Walsh and Brookes have created a densely-plotted and fantastically fast-paced film which would entertain almost any cinema-goer. Still, it had the backing of Limelight Media, Northern Ireland Screen, the Irish Film Board and BBC Northern Ireland, among other investors, so there may be hope that a wider audience outside of Northern Ireland will get the chance to enjoy ‘Jump’ and see a refreshing take on life in this creatively-burgeoning country.

Visit the Belfast Film Festival Website  or Just give them a Like on Facebook

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The 12th annual Belfast Film Festival runs from May 31 – June 10, and sees a wide variety of films and events on offer for audiences of all ages and interests.

Last year’s festival, which takes place in the capital city of Northern Ireland, saw the premiere of Terry George’s Oscar-winning short film ‘The Shore’, and this year George is returning to the festival with his new film ‘Whole Lotta Sole’, which had its world premiere recently at the Tribeca Film Festival.

‘Sole’ brings together a diverse range of talent such as Brendan Fraser, Yaya DaCosta, Martin McCann, and Colm Meaney, and was shot at various locations all over Northern Ireland last Spring. The film will close the festival on June 10 at the Waterfront Hall, full details of which can be found here.

Opening the festival is the eagerly-awaited film ‘Good Vibrations’, which so far is set to have two screenings on May 31. The film brings together directors Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn, along with Northern Ireland author Glenn Patterson who co-wrote the screenplay with Colin Carberry. The film stars Jodie Whittaker and Dylan Moran, and the official description is listed as:

“Terri Hooley … a radical, rebel and music-lover in 1970s Belfast when the bloody conflict known as the Troubles shuts down his city. As all his friends take sides and take up arms, Terri opens a record shop on the most bombed half-mile in Europe and calls it Good Vibrations.

Through it he discovers a compelling voice of resistance in the city’s nascent underground punk scene. Galvanising the young musicians into action, he becomes the unlikely leader of a motley band of kids and punks who join him in his mission to create a new community, an alternative Ulster, to bring his city back to life.”

Other highlights of the festival include:

• Gala screenings of ‘Shadow Dancer’, ‘Jump’, and ‘Toothbrush’. ‘Shadow Dancer’ screens on Wednesday June 6, and the director, cast and crew will be in attendance. ‘Jump’ will have a similar turn-out for its screening on June 8, where the screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director (Kieron J. Walsh).
• Talks & Workshops with Terry George, James Marsh, Nick Emerson, and various people involved with ‘Good Vibrations’.
• A special screening of the 2002 film ‘Ghost Ship’ at The Lagan Boat on June 7.
• A ‘Zoolander’ night, bringing together fans of the 2001 film starring Ben Stiller.
• An Evening with James Ellis, the recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

On top of all of these, the festival will feature short film competitions, screenings of documentaries and new cinema, a film quiz, and the 11th Belfast World Pong Championships.

The full festival program can be found here.

Image Courtesy of    Belfast Film Festival

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Like most cities, Belfast has had its fair share of troubling statistics and unfortunate public embarrassments when it comes to substance abuse among young adults. Just last week, major universities in the city had circulated emails to their entire student bodies in the run-up to St. Patrick’s Day, with the Student Union President at Queen’s University Belfast writing:

If you happen to be in the University area over the weekend please remember your responsibilities as a member of the South Belfast Community and be aware that as a student of Queen’s you fall under the auspices of the University’s Conduct Regulations.

This type of advisory email followed several years of well-publicised displays of disorderly conduct among a select group of young adults in student housing areas of the city. Years past have seen excessive and unmoderated drinking lead to physical altercations, verbal abuse, graffiti and property damage, police involvement, and consequently the expulsion of several students from their respective university institutions.

As a result, this year students at Queen’s were given a 4-day weekend over St. Patrick’s Day, in the hope that a longer break would encourage some to travel outside the city or to return home, away from the influence of those who were most likely to cause public disturbances. This measure seems to have been relatively effective, with The Irish Times reporting:

A substantial police presence, together with a zero-tolerance approach to on-street drinking, appeared to keep the situation under control.

On Friday, eight people were arrested in the area for a range of anti-social behaviour. But by 9.30pm yesterday, the streets of the Holyland, although littered with broken glass, were quiet and virtually empty, with just a few house parties going on behind closed doors.

Unfortunately, 2012 has already seen alcohol-related tragedy among the youth community. In February, 20-year old Joby Murphy accidentally fell into the River Lagan due to poor safety measures at the Lagan Weir bridge.

Murphy had attended a Snow Patrol concert that same night, and then drank £1 vodka shots prior to his fall, leading to his father getting involved with a campaign to ban certain drinks promotions around the city, namely ones that offer ‘All You Can Drink’ deals at significantly reduced prices. Such deals are common in Belfast bars and clubs frequented by students, and it is thought that banning them would go some way to discouraging young adults from binge drinking.

However, some have criticised such a proposition for being an ineffective way to teach young adults about the dangers of alcohol. The general mentality is, if someone wants to find alcohol at a cheap price then they will not have to look very far to find some.

Facebook even offers ‘Dial A Drink’ services, where businesses will deliver alcohol straight to your doorstep without ensuring that no minors in the house will be drinking, so it is clear that Belfast, like so many other UK cities, has not yet figured out how to measurably regulate alcohol consumption among younger people.

Murphy’s father is still pushing ahead with hopes of making the Lagan Weir bridge more secure and better equipped to deal with accidental falls, but at the moment he seems to be one active voice facing a larger community deaf to the seriousness of this drinking subculture.

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Belfast’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade drew thousands to City Hall, as organisers incorporated the upcoming Titanic centennial and the success of local golfer Rory McIlroy into the festivities.

This year’s parade kicked off at 12pm and lasted a full half hour, during which the thousands of spectators were treated to sights including: aerial acrobatics from two machine-operated figures; a float bearing the likeness of current World Number One golfer Rory McIlroy, who hails from Northern Ireland; a special Titanic display to commemorate the upcoming centennial anniversary of the ship’s infamous sinking, as well as to publicise the launch of the new Titanic quarter opening in Belfast; and a 20-ft high float depicting an Olympic athlete carrying the Olympic torch, in honour of this summer’s Games which will take place in London and hopefully by extension attract tourists to Northern Ireland.

The parade was, and has always been, a family-friendly event, with attendees ranging in age from 6 to 60, and almost everybody wearing some sort of themed-clothing. The most popular piece of apparel was undoubtedly the shamrock, which could be seen on lapels, hats, t-shirts and even sunglasses. By the time that the parade had ended, shamrock flags littered Donegall Square.

In other parts of the city, people were treated to a free open-air concert at Custom House Square headlined by Scottish bagpiping act ‘Red Hot Chili Pipers’ and 2011 X Factor contestant Sophia Habibis. Habibis made it to the live finals of the popular British talent show, but was controversially eliminated in the fourth week of the competition. Also at the concert, which maintained the family-friendly feel by being an all-ages affair, were folk band Ashelin and The Royal Tara School of Irish Dance.

It was a day of full-on promotional moves by the city’s most popular bars, with Black Box in particular offering free entry and pints of Guinness for just £2.50, in the hopes of attracting some of the tourists who travel to Belfast and Dublin every year to soak up the ‘Irishnesss’ of the day.

But without question, the place to be was in Fibber Magees Pub in the heart of the city. From 2pm to 2am, local musicians performed Irish music and entertained the packed house, with the establishment’s proximity to Belfast’s popular Europa Hotel making it the number one stop for any and all tourists making their way into Belfast for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

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In celebration of this year’s Academy Awards, the Queen’s Film Theatre (QFT) in Belfast hosted a special screening of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 hit film ‘The Godfather‘. The screening was in partnership with Jameson Irish Whiskey, and offered audiences the opportunity to relive, or experience for the first time, this Oscar-winning film on the big screen.

The Godfather, featuring an all-star cast headlined by Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, was a low-budget production which upon its initial release went on to take in close to $300,000,000 at the box office worldwide, as well as to win Academy Awards for Best Actor (Brando), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Drama.

Therefore, it was no surprise that the film was included in the QFT’s “series of special themed film experience events celebrating cult classics from a range of different genres“, or that Domino’s Pizza joined forces with the organisers to make this event more than just a typical trip to the cinema.

For this event, the QFT was transformed with a projected image of Brando in character hanging in the middle of the foyer. Audience members were treated to a special pre-show warm-up, during which they could pose with plastic top hats and novelty moustaches, but it wasn’t long before the film theatre was packed with eager fans waiting for the curtain to go up.

Only one woman admitted to being a first-time viewer of ‘The Godfather’, however, her admission garnered her nothing but envy from the speaker who introduced the film, while a prize raffle brought some extra entertainment value to the screening as various audience members won prizes ranging from tickets to future QFT/Jameson events, to a bottle of Jameson whiskey, and to a limited-edition artwork print of The Godfather, which was clearly the most sought-after item judging from the crowd’s disappointed groans when the winner was announced.

As for the film itself, there were no signs of fatigue or boredom from the dozens of people who had already seen the film countless times. In fact, iconic moments such as Hollywood producer Jack Woltz finding his horse’s decapitated head in bed with him received exactly the kind of mixed horror and amusement that one would have expected to hear from an audience during the film’s original theatrical run thirty-eight years ago.

It is a testament to the timelessness of this film that the audience was still engaged and responsive by the time the last scene faded to black well after 1a.m. The sold-out screening reflected the public’s eagerness to support the QFT and Belfast’s local film community, with the film’s introductory speaker noting that the QFT was the only film theatre in the city to offer screenings of ‘The Artist’ – a film widely tipped to win Best Picture at this weekend’s Academy Awards – and other critically-acclaimed films which often elude mainstream attention.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the night was that it managed to be such a success, especially at the price of £10 per ticket for a film which many can watch on DVD in the comfort of their own homes. Attendee Danielle Lavery put things into perspective by explaining that while she knew the film “inside-out”, there was something unique about viewing the film on the big-screen, the way it was originally intended and the way that The Godfather first made its indelible cultural mark on audiences around the world.

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Snow Patrol made a triumphant return to Belfast on the first of the band’s three-night, sold-out engagement at the city’s Odyssey Arena. After two dates in Dublin, the British rock band brought their Fallen Empires tour to Belfast’s Odyssey Arena on Monday January 23rd for the first of three consecutive dates to be played at the venue.

These dates mark Snow Patrol’s first appearance in Belfast since the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards which were held last November, and it was clear from the words of frontman Gary Lightbody that this homecoming was an important one as the band’s promotion of their sixth studio album, Fallen Empires, gets underway.

Supporting Snow Patrol on this night was Everything Everything, a British indie band whose embryonic sound set the stage aptly for the headlining act’s stadium-friendly setlist.

While this tour is primarily in support of Fallen Empires, the band made sure to play plenty of fan favourites, ranging from the soft rock tones of “Run” to their classic hit “Chasing Cars.” In between, Lightbody proved himself to be quite the personable star as he entertained the audience at one point with anecdotes of failing to meet Justin Bieber before segueing seamlessly into a more poignant moment during which he paid tribute to his 72-year old father.

In spite of Lightbody’s vibrant engagement with the crowd, the band as a whole had plenty of moments to come together as a collective unit and deliver the type of uplifting anthems for which they are most commonly known. They were at their strongest during a performance of new single “This Isn’t Everything You Are”, a track which allows Lightbody to harmonise with his fellow band members during the rousing chorus section.

Given Snow Patrol’s habit of allowing their music to be used in film and television soundtracks, it was unsurprising to see their back catalogue consisting of so many well-known, yet probably forgotten hits; this, however, is what makes the band all that bit more accessible to the casual listener and why they remain one of the few British bands from the last decade to achieve success in the North American music market, with Fallen Empires in fact continuing the band’s trend of increasingly-higher debuts on the US Billboard Album Chart.

Their gratitude and lack of ego were consistently evident throughout the concert and explain why the band will enjoy two further sold-out dates at this venue over the coming days. Without question, the best-received tracks of the night were “Chasing Cars”, “Open Your Eyes”, “Run” and “Just Say Yes” – the latter of which served as the final performance of the evening.

Lightbody encouraged the crowd into participating in a sing-along during “Run”, a song which has enjoyed a second life since being covered by Leona Lewis in 2008. Bringing the concert to a close with “Just Say Yes” was an appropriate choice given the song’s infectious positivity and simple message about taking a leap of faith and not being paralysed by fear.

Snow Patrol certainly demonstrated through the cohesion of their sound the charisma of their frontman that they have no fear once they step onto the stage and do what they do best.

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The past two weeks have seen a dozen reported incidents of carjackings in Belfast, and police now say that they believe “criminal gangs” are to blame. Since January 6th, there has been an increasing number of reported carjackings in and around Belfast and the majority of these have seen women being targeted by the as-yet-unnamed culprits.

One of the first victims, Andrea McVeigh, noted how unusual it was to see this type of crime committed in the city, especially as her carjacking took place on “one of the busiest streets in the city centre.” But within one week of this first incident, a further three carjackings had occurred and that statistic has now risen even further, leading to Chief Superintendent Alan McCrum insisting:

“They’re not going to get away with it, because we are going to hunt them down, let me be very clear about that … We have brought additional resources into the city, we’re bringing the highest level of investigative rigour to bear in all of this.”

At first, the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) were hesitant to confirm that these incidents were related to each other, with Superintendent Alan Todd initially assuring the city’s inhabitants that, “your chances of being a victim of this type of crime are very low in Northern Ireland.” Yet, a call for more succinct actions appears to have been necessitated in light of two more carjackings on Monday night (January 16th).

As of yet, there has been no suggested motive from either the victims or the police as to why single women have been the most common targets, but it has been contended that a mix of criminal gangs and “copy-cat” artists have sought to capitalize on the city’s seeming unability to tackle the situation effectively.

Deputy Chief Constable Judith Gillespie reported on her blog that “the majority of these recent incidents have been ‘opportunist’ in nature”; however, it has yet to be determined what is motivating this behavior in the first place or what the correlations and distinctions might be between these gangs and “copy-cats”. The first victim, McVeigh, described the men as being in his:

“late teens, one with blond hair, wearing a navy or grey tracksuit whilst the second was about five ft ten inches tall with dark hair, wearing dark clothes and a baseball cap.”

Meanwhile, one of the more recent victims – unnamed by the Belfast Telegraph – encountered just one man and described him as being:

“in his early 20s and was wearing a dark-coloured hooded top with a light-coloured scarf over his face. He was also wearing jeans and white trainers.”

Despite the relative unconnectedness of these attacks with regards to their geographical locations, anyone with information is advised to telephone Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111.

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An 18-year old film extra has been the victim of a brutal attack as he left the set of a film currently shooting in Belfast. The victim, James Turley, had just finished taking part in the filming of Phil Harrison’s ‘The Good Man’ on Friday 9 January when he was assaulted by a number of attackers in the Donegall Road area of the south of the city.

During his first interview with the press, Turley recounted the event by explaining that he and a number of friends were in their car when the attackers suddenly appeared and began vandalizing the vehicle. He and his friends attempted to flee, however, Turley was pursued onto a residential property by his attackers and it was there that they began their assault on him.

“They all just came in and started beating me. They stamped on my head and everywhere.”

Turley, a trainee chef, said that his attackers were only briefly intercepted when the owner of the property told them to “get him out of [her] garden”, leading them to trail Turley out into an alley where they continued the beating:

“They just started beating me again. They put me in a bin and were pushing me somewhere. I didn’t know where I was going, when I got put in the bin I thought that was it.”

The victim said that he lost consciousness some time after this, and that his last recollection of his attackers is hearing them remark, “That’s enough. I think he’s dead.”

Turley was only able to receive hospital treatment after he caught the attention of a driver who proceeded to take him to the Royal Victoria Hospital in South Belfast. While the exact extent of Turley’s injuries went unreported in the initial account, it is believed that he is currently on the road to recovery.

For his family, however, this attack is just the latest tragedy to touch them. His mother said that the whole experience was a case of “deja vu” for her, referring to the 1998 murder of her husband Frank.

Meanwhile, Turley’s friend Sammy McDaid has offered a further account of the initial confrontation which preceded all of this:

“As I tried to close the car door, they wouldn’t let me, they were holding the door and they were kicking us in through the door … They were kicking and throwing punches through the window. As I tried to close the car door, one of them slammed it onto my leg, back and forth … It was hard to believe that what was happening was actually happening. It was a scary experience.”

As for those involved with ‘The Good Man’, Northern Ireland Screen Chairman Rick Hill and CEO Richard Williams released a statement in which they lamented this “unprovoked attack on a group of young men who were part of the growing positive story of Northern Ireland’s burgeoning creative industries.”

It is not yet known if this attack will have any effect on the production of ‘The Good Man’, a film by Phil Harrison which tells the story of a man whose life is turned upside down when he becomes responsible for the death of a stranger in an unfortunate accident.

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Over the last days riots broke out in Northern Ireland in occasion of the Orange parades held by Protestants.

Numerous clashes in the nationalist areas of the capital Belfast have brought to light the historical conflicts between nationalists and loyalists once again. Groups of nationalist youths attacked the police throwing bottles, stones, petrol bombs, bricks and fireworks.

The police fired plastic bullets and used water cannon to try to push back the rioters. During these escalations of violence a number of police officers were injured and also a photographer, who was hit by a plastic bullet fired by the police. Some of the demonstrators were slightly wounded.

The night before the 12^th of July the trouble broke out after an Orange parade marched closed to a Catholic area and the police took up position ahead of it while passing the Ardoyne shops. On that day, the members of the Protestant Orange Order walk the streets to commemorate the victory of the Protestant Prince William of Orange over the Catholic King James II in the Battle of Boyne in 1690.

This celebration is of a strong symbolic value regarding the historical ethno-religious and political conflict between Catholic nationalists and Protestant loyalists in Northern Ireland. Also in the past the Orange celebrations have led to violent and serious riots and clashes.

The nationalist area of Ardoyne in north Belfast is a traditional flashpoint. In 2010 there have been several troubles during the Orange march season. The people in Ardoyne area oppose the Orange parade, and the decision of the Parade Commission to allow it passing through it caused the locals’ reaction.

“The difficulty was that there was an Orange parade,” said Gerry Kelly, a member of the left-wing republican party Sinn Féin. “People have made great efforts, but a parade coming through a catholic area is a problem,” he added.

Witnesses told that the violence was organized by nationalist youths, who gathered with the only intention of creating trouble and attacking the police.

Robert McClenaghan, a community worker from the Falls Residents Association said: “There was no provocation. There was nothing from the Protestant, loyalist, unionist community. Broadway interface was quiet”.

“What you had was 100 or 150 of these young people all tooled up and masks around their faces. They were armed with petrol bombs, they were armed with sticks and stones. They had wheelie bins with extra ammunition that they were pulling behind them.”

Nigel Dodds, the North Belfast Democratic Unionist MP stated: “These people have been intent on attacking the police and wreaking havoc in their own community. Such violence is senseless and has clearly nothing to do with protesting against a parade but is just futile rioting”.

“The people engaged in the violence didn’t even see the parade go past,” Dodds said. “This violence was intended, created and brought into existence by a small group of militant extreme republicans who were determined to have it, come what may.”

Riots broke out also in other locations around Belfast, and minor disorders also happened in other towns of the country. The police arrested some rioters and others are still to be indentified with the help of closed-circuit TV’s footages.

“As far as the outside world is concerned, it does not matter which side is rioting. What counts is the perception that Northern Ireland is unstable and unsafe,” said Peter Bunting, the assistant general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.

Quotes Courtesy of www.bbc.com and www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk

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