Displaying items by tag: Northern Ireland

On 11 September a 33-year-old man was detained in the Strabane area for a mortar bomb found pointed at the police station. The improvised explosive device was positioned close to a family home, and the incident has been blamed on a dissident republican group, the New IRA. Within 48 hours of the bomb being discovered officers moved into the Creggan estate en masse, quickly locating a command-wire activated device built to kill a passing police patrol. Senior officers clearly knew what they were looking for and where it was placed - precise information that must have come from what they describe as a Covert Human Intelligence Source (CHIS). Many believe the New IRA, like all paramilitary gangs past and present, is filled to the brim with such informers.

Northern Ireland’s cold war is smouldering. Everything is political - your name, where you live, the pub you use, your accent, the football team you support, or the passport you hold. Politics are rigid and archaic, deeply rooted in the past, yet continuing to dominate the present; running deep, rooted in divisions prevalent long before the signing of the peace agreement. Brexit and a political vacuum have added a dynamic across the region that is far from peaceful. Although Northern Ireland is no longer be at war, peace cannot be defined by the reduction of armed conflict. Much more is needed for peace to take hold fully. For years, in communities across the land, people have used a gentle, intricate negotiation of difference on a daily basis, using language, humour, silence - or whatever is needed to navigate challenging situations. See

There have been calls for protection for churches in Northern Ireland after 445 incidences of criminal damage to religious buildings, churchyards, or cemeteries in the last three years. Belfast’s synagogue and Islamic centre have also been damaged in the last ten years. The leaders of all the political parties have been urged to make more support available to religious buildings and to commit to setting up an initiative like the ‘Place Of Worship Fund’, which helps to protect religious buildings in England and Wales. Ulster Unionist MLA Robbie Butler said, ‘Places of worship, no matter what faith or denomination, should be a cherished place of peace and sanctuary. Attacking a church is an attack against its entire congregation.’

Kevin Meagher, a former special advisor to Northern Ireland’s Labour party, has said that Boris Johnson is trying to ‘look down the barrel of the European Commission to see if there is any wiggle room for him’ as he tries to negotiate a backstop which only applies to Northern Ireland and avoids a hard border between the UK and EU. Let us pray for an answer that only God can bring about. May there be a frictionless open border agreed upon by every British, Irish and European politician.

Gambling rules in Northern Ireland could be brought into line with tighter standards in the rest of the UK following an intervention by the Bishop of St Albans, Alan Smith, and the Bishop of Newcastle, Christine Hardman. Pray that their amendment will be accepted by the Government. The amendment adds gambling legislation to a number of areas on which the Government would be required to produce a report by September as part of moves to restore the devolved executive in Northern Ireland. Bishop Hardman told peers that the current inconsistency meant that reforms introduced in mainland Britain - such as the cap on the maximum stake on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals - do not apply in Northern Ireland. ‘The anomalies and confusions abound,’ she said. ‘Gambling operates inconsistently within the UK, and this affects lives.’ Bishop Alan said, ‘Currently people from Northern Ireland are three times more likely to have a gambling-related problem than in the rest of the country’.

Parliament has backed an amendment that could force abortion on Northern Ireland (NI) after Labour's Stella Creasy put forward the amendment as part of a Commons debate aimed at keeping NI running in spite of a devolved government. NI's abortion law has saved 100,000 lives and many believe it is entirely inappropriate for Westminster to force abortion liberalisation on NI in the absence of Stormont. (MPs have been known to put forward amendments to further their own campaigns in the process). Putting forward an amendment does not mean it will change NI’s abortion law. However, if devolution is not restored by the 21 October the amendment could be passed to the Speaker, John Bercow, to choose if it goes forward; and then it would be down to Commons votes. The DUP reacted angrily to the decision.

The New IRA claimed responsibility for a sophisticated high-powered bomb under the car of a police officer, who was lucky to escape with his life. The attempted attack, at a Belfast golf course, was the first carried out by the New IRA since journalist Lyra McKee was shot dead in April. The bomb contained a mercury tilt switch; any sudden movement triggers an explosion. The device would have exploded if it was not for the level terrain the car had travelled on. An IRA statement read, ‘We were unlucky this time but we only have to be lucky once’. Two cars linked to the bomb attack were set on fire in Belfast the following day. One of the vehicles had Dublin number plates. The conflict in Northern Ireland, which has killed thousands, has political and religious roots that are centuries old. Pray for God to remove ancient spiritual stubble and roots that are still producing hatred in the land (Malachi 4:1).

Christians across Northern Ireland have the opportunity to bring relatives, friends, neighbours and colleagues to hear the good news of Jesus Christ proclaimed by evangelist J John in CS Lewis Square, Belfast. The square features seven bronze sculptures from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, including the great lion, Aslan. As J John preaches the gospel in this unique setting, organisers and supporting churches will be praying that many come to know the true and living Christ. The last evangelistic event in Belfast was in 1923. At that time 2,000 dock workers marched straight from work, still wearing their dungarees, to go and hear evangelist WP Nicholson preach. Such was the power of his preaching that a shed named the ‘Nicholson shed’ was erected in the shipyard, to house the stolen tools that newly-converted workers returned.

A new survey by the pro-EU group European Movement Ireland and polling company Red C shows that public support for Ireland’s membership of the EU has increased to 93%. The survey of 1,000 people aged 18 and over across the country shows support for the EU at the highest level since the poll began in 2013. 50% of people surveyed now believe that a united Ireland as a member of the EU is more likely in the wake of the UK’s decision to leave the union, while 41% do not think that this is likely. The highest backing for continued EU membership was among the 18- to 24-year-old and 65-plus age groups. The survey was conducted between 21 and 27 March 2019, when there was uncertainty around whether the UK would depart from the EU without an agreement as originally planned on 29 March.

Young people in Northern Ireland have grown up with a unique ability to identity as British, Irish, or both, thanks to the peace agreement that ended decades of conflict. But after Brexit, some people think the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland could again become a scene of violence, and there is uncertainty about what rights Irish and British passport holders will have. Pray for the questions around people’s identities and citizenships to be resolved. Pray for peace to cover all areas threatened with fear and violence. To watch a short documentary about the north/south divide issues discussed by young people, click the ‘More’ button.