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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

 Dublin City, Ireland
2irelands2gether.com
Joined March 2015
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Photo by Andy Pollak (@andyjpollak)Photo by Andy Pollak (@andyjpollak)Photo by Andy Pollak (@andyjpollak)Photo by Andy Pollak (@andyjpollak)Photo by Andy Pollak (@andyjpollak)Photo by Andy Pollak (@andyjpollak)Photo by Andy Pollak (@andyjpollak)Photo by Andy Pollak (@andyjpollak)
Incredulity and despair as the ugly stand-off at Drumcree poisons Northern Ireland once again 2irelands2gether.com/2026/10… via @andyjpollak
Incredulity and despair as the ugly stand-off at Drumcree poisons Northern Ireland once again

Incredulity and despair as the ugly stand-off at Drumcree poisons Northern Ireland once again

Who would ever think of putting the legal adviser to Hamas and the fascistic ultra-Zionist Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir into a room together to negotiate a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian…

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Storm in a teacup over the mad Trump's declaration that Irish unity would be a "fantastic thing" 2irelands2gether.com/2026/09… via @andyjpollak
Storm in a teacup over the mad Trump’s declaration that Irish unity would be a “fantastic thing”

Storm in a teacup over the mad Trump’s declaration that Irish unity would be a “fantastic thing”

What a kerfuffle about the mad Trump saying he would like to see a united Ireland! On the first day of his private, golf-watching visit to Ireland earlier this month he said it would be a “fa…

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The mountains and beaches which are among my favourite places on this beloved island 2irelands2gether.com/2026/08… via @andyjpollak
The mountains and beaches which are among my favourite places on this beloved island

The mountains and beaches which are among my favourite places on this beloved island

For more than 60 years I have cycled and walked all over Ireland. This year I was barred by doctor’s orders from my usual week’s cycling, this time in Kerry (again). So I am going to wr…

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The Truth Recovery Process and its 'conditional amnesty' campaign come to an end 2irelands2gether.com/2026/08… via @andyjpollak
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Could the Jeffrey Donaldson case change the course of Northern Ireland's history? 2irelands2gether.com/2026/07… via @andyjpollak
Could the Jeffrey Donaldson case change the course of Northern Ireland’s history?

Could the Jeffrey Donaldson case change the course of Northern Ireland’s history?

I have been listening to a most interesting Irish Times podcast with the Northern Ireland commentator and former Ulster Unionist press officer, Alex Kane, about the political impact of the court ju…

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Why the anti-immigrant riots in Belfast made me ashamed to be a Northern Protestant 2irelands2gether.com/2026/06… via @andyjpollak
Why the anti-immigrant riots in Belfast made me ashamed to be a Northern Protestant

Why the anti-immigrant riots in Belfast made me ashamed to be a Northern Protestant

I am not a typical Northern Protestant, with a father who was a left-wing Czech refugee. But part of me identifies with my County Antrim Presbyterian mother, her family and community. As a half-Iri…

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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

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

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) profile pictureAndy Pollak@andyjpollakMar 2
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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@clarehannaSDLP @PaulGosling1 @ErvineLinda @Saraita101 @malodoherty @ClaireMitchell2 @cllrjohnkyle @JosephNawaz
Andy Pollak (@andyjpollak) profile pictureAndy Pollak@andyjpollakMar 2
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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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

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

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?

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?

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

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

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
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@heatherhumphreys @mervyngibson @ruthdudleyedwards
Andy Pollak (@andyjpollak) profile pictureAndy Pollak@andyjpollak29 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
The Orange Order is part of Ireland and will be part of a united Ireland – we need to build bridges...

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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