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Andy Pollak @andyjpollak

Husband, father, Ireland lover, journalist, cross-border cooperator, still a social democrat, hill walker, believer in keeping fossil fuels in the ground

Joined March 2015
  • Tweets 916
  • Following 385
  • Followers 1,190
52 Photos and videos
Why Shared Island, not 'Brits out', is the way forward for Ireland 2irelands2gether.com/2026/06… via @andyjpollak

Why Shared Island, not ‘Brits out’, is the way forward for Ireland

I have just come out from two and a half weeks in hospital, which means I haven’t closely followed the anti-immigration riots in Belfast, except to feel – as someone from a Northern Pro…

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What is happening in the complex world of integrated and shared schools in Northern Ireland (and Ireland)? 2irelands2gether.com/2026/05… via @andyjpollak

Why aren’t more of our children being educated together in Northern Ireland (and Ireland)?

When foreign, and especially American, visitors come to Northern Ireland, they are amazed that one of the outcomes of our much-lauded peace process isn’t far more Catholic and Protestant chil…

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The British identity of Northern unionists must be respected and protected in a new Ireland

I’m going to return this month to the theme of my last blog on Northern Ireland’s continued existence in a new or united Ireland, as outlined by SDLP leader Clare Hanna in her essay in …

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@clarehannamp
Andy Pollak@andyjpollak
Mar 2
Northern Ireland will continue to exist in a new Ireland - SDLP leader 2irelands2gether.com/2026/03… via @andyjpollak
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@clarehannaSDLP @PaulGosling1 @ErvineLinda @Saraita101 @malodoherty @ClaireMitchell2 @cllrjohnkyle @JosephNawaz
Andy Pollak@andyjpollak
Mar 2
Northern Ireland will continue to exist in a new Ireland - SDLP leader 2irelands2gether.com/2026/03… via @andyjpollak
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Northern Ireland will continue to exist in a new Ireland - SDLP leader 2irelands2gether.com/2026/03… via @andyjpollak

Northern Ireland will continue to exist in a new Ireland – SDLP leader

A fortnight ago in Belfast’s Shankill Road I met four impressive young people who were deeply involved in their working-class, loyalist community: Stacey Graham, Adam Watters, Ryan McFarlane …

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The people of the Republic need to talk about the changes they have to make before unity 2irelands2gether.com/2026/02… via @andyjpollak

The people of the Republic need to talk about the changes they have to make before unity

On the eve of Ireland’s presidential election in October Kevin Rafter, professor of political communication at Dublin City University, came up with a good idea. He urged the new president to …

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China, Venezuela, Minneapolis and the familiar small divisions of Northern Ireland 2irelands2gether.com/2026/01… via @andyjpollak

China, Venezuela, Minneapolis and the familiar small divisions of Northern Ireland

I never thought I’d be quoting the state-run China Daily for an accurate picture of the sorry state of the world following the US government’s kidnap of autocratic Venezuelan president …

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How will Ireland contribute to Europe's defence if Ukraine falls and Russia attacks? 2irelands2gether.com/2025/12… via @andyjpollak

How will Ireland contribute to Europe’s defence if Ukraine falls back and Russia attacks?

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is my international political leader of 2025. I am amazed and humbled by how this small, slightly-built former actor and comedian has, with immense calm, courage and indefatigab…

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When does Ireland's passionate support for Palestine spill over into anti-semitism? 2irelands2gether.com/2025/12… via @andyjpollak

When does Ireland’s passionate support for Palestine spill over into anti-semitism?

I should begin this blog with a declaration of interest. My father was a Czech Jew, a political refugee who arrived in Ireland in 1948, and my mother was an Ulster Presbyterian. So I am not a typic…

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A wise and balanced examination of Irish unity by two of Ireland's finest journalists 2irelands2gether.com/2025/11… via @andyjpollak

A wise and balanced examination of unity by two of Ireland’s finest journalists

Fintan O’Toole is the nearest thing Ireland gets to a public intellectual: a writer of erudition and intellect who tackles the political and cultural issues of the day and of the nation throu…

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Heather Humphreys' big missed opportunity: to be the candidate of the whole Irish people 2irelands2gether.com/2025/10… via @andyjpollak

Heather Humphreys’ big missed opportunity: to be the candidate of the whole Irish people

If the opinion polls are right, it looks as though Catherine Connolly will win tomorrow’s Irish presidential election by a distance. I believe Heather Humphreys missed a big opportunity: to t…

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Belfast is not Gaza: we should be grateful for our extraordinary and hard-won peace 2irelands2gether.com/2025/10… via @andyjpollak

Belfast is not Gaza: we should be grateful for our extraordinary and hard-won peace

As I write, we are waiting for Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners to be released as part of the first phase of the miraculous peace agreement in Gaza brokered triumphantly by President Dona…

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@heatherhumphreys @mervyngibson @ruthdudleyedwards
Andy Pollak@andyjpollak
29 Sep 2025
The Orange Order is part of Ireland and will be part of a united Ireland - we need to build bridges to it, not demonise it 2irelands2gether.com/2025/09… via @andyjpollak
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The Orange Order is part of Ireland and will be part of a united Ireland - we need to build bridges to it, not demonise it 2irelands2gether.com/2025/09… via @andyjpollak

The Orange Order is part of Ireland and will be part of a united Ireland – we need to build bridges...

The Mail on Sunday (Irish edition) is not everybody’s idea of a truth-telling newspaper (that’s an understatement). They had a front-page ‘exclusive’ earlier this month enti…

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A distinguished academic's proposals for moving very carefully towards Irish unity 2irelands2gether.com/2025/09… via @andyjpollak

A distinguished academic’s proposals for moving very carefully towards Irish unity

Jennifer Todd is a distinguished academic. She is a former professor in UCD’s School of Politics and International Relations; former director of UCD’s Institute for British-Irish Studie…

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@diarmaidferriter
Andy Pollak@andyjpollak
27 Aug 2025
Why did 20th century Irish governments make so many mistakes when dealing with the North and unity? 2irelands2gether.com/2025/08… via @andyjpollak
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Why did 20th century Irish governments make so many mistakes when dealing with the North and unity? 2irelands2gether.com/2025/08… via @andyjpollak

Why did 20th century Irish governments make so many mistakes when dealing with the North and unity?

Much of my summer reading this year has been 20th century Irish history, and the work of superb historians like Alvin Jackson, Paul Bew, Diarmaid Ferriter, Oliver MacDonagh and others. One thing th…

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‘The hate is starting to feel like a storm’ – when they start beating Indian immigrants, I am...

For the past fortnight I have been ashamed to be Irish. The savage beating and humiliation of an Indian IT worker – only three weeks in this country – by a teenage gang in Tallaght prov…

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Is it fanciful to imagine that Donegal might serve as a model for a harmonious united Ireland? 2irelands2gether.com/2025/07… via @andyjpollak

Is it fanciful to imagine that Donegal might serve as a model for a harmonious united Ireland?

Is it totally fanciful to imagine that Donegal might serve as a model for a harmonious united Ireland? I have just returned after a week’s cycling in that beautiful northernmost county, where…

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