Apologies for editorialising the headline. The original headline was quite bad for context, lol

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/24794805

On the Margins: Comics, Gender, Identity & Subversion is an upcoming two-day conference about comics at Ulster University in Northern Ireland in May, “Exploring Why Comics Matter”. BEANO artist Nigel Parkinson is among the speakers, addressing the success of DC Thomson’s surviving humour weekly.

Other comic creators taking part include artist and writer John Farrelly, writer Mark McCann, and Andrew Pope, editor of Local Colour Comics,

This two-day event will focus on exploring the intersections of comics, gender, identity, and subversion, bringing together academics, artists, writers, and industry professionals to discuss how comics shape and reflect cultural narratives.

...

On the Margins: Comics, Gender, Identity & Subversion Friday 2nd – Saturday 3rd May 2025, Ulster University Cromore Road Coleraine BT52 1SA | [Full Programme Here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s10jOgsHzjIBuf4BmKr1zBMTE0n_DZd

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/24566473

Ancient human remains discovered in an Irish bog in October 2023 don't belong to a teenage boy as originally assumed but rather a young woman, making them an exceptionally rare find.

Over the past year, several museums and universities have collaborated to reveal new information about the individual, now known as the Ballymacombs More Woman, including her sex, age, height and manner of death.

"As is the case for so many Iron Age bog bodies, the young woman suffered a highly violent death which involved the flow of blood from her throat followed by decapitation," Eileen Murphy, an archaeologist at Queen's University Belfast who studied the body, said in a statement on Thursday (Feb. 20).

The body first came to light when police were alerted to human remains on the surface of a peat bog in the village of Bellaghy in Northern Ireland. Initial examination of the body showed that it was at least 2,000 years old,

Irish-language rap trio Kneecap have won their case against new Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch after she blocked an arts grant to the band citing anti-British politics.

They took Badenoch, then business secretary, to court in the summer and at a hearing in Belfast’s high court, the new government said the refusal of £14,250 in funding was “unlawful”, agreeing to release the money and pay Kneecap’s costs.

Lead band member DJ Próvaí, whose real name is JJ Ó Dochartaigh, turned up at court wearing his trademark tricolour balaclava and arriving in a mock police Land Rover bearing a Palestinian and Irish flag.

To the mirth of onlookers in court, Mr Justice Scoffield said he was happy to hear there had been a settlement, wishing all sides well with a cheerful Go Raibh Maith Agat, Irish language for thank you.

DJ Próvaí told reporters outside that the case was “never about money” but about equality of expression for all sides in Northern Ireland, as guaranteed in the Go

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/19849055

A banner accusing Sinn Féin of being "traitors" has been put up at the office of the party's deputy leader Michelle O'Neill.

The banner was stuck to the office shutters after O'Neill laid a laurel wreath at the Cenotaph at Belfast City Hall on Sunday, becoming the first senior Sinn Féin figure to take part in an official Remembrance ceremony.

The banner - which was put up at the office O'Neill shares with Mid Ulster MP Cathal Mallaghan in Cookstown in County Tyrone - featured the word "traitors" alongside bloody handprints and a poppy.

The sign is being treated as a "hate-motivated incident", police have said.

Asked about the sign, O'Neill said it was "difficult" to hear criticism about her decision to attend the commemoration but she had a role to play.

"I've committed to being a first minister for all and I will live up to that at every turn," she said.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/18155281

Fans of mockumentary horror such as Ghostwatch or the more recent Late Night With the Devil prepare to add another to your nightmarish collection with Haunted Ulster Live, which takes viewers back to Halloween night, 1998, where a live broadcast from a haunted house in Belfast goes hauntingly wrong. The footage is so disturbing that it hasn’t been seen in 25 years.

Bloody Disgusting is excited to share the trailer for Halloween-themed horror that will release across all platforms, including our SCREAMBOX streaming service, on October 8th.

Haunted Ulster Live takes place on Halloween night. Gerry Burns (Mark Claney) teams up with popular children’s presenter Michelle Kelly (Aimee Richardson) to investigate poltergeist activity in a haunted house in Belfast. Dead Northern writes: “Ghostwatch finally meets its match with Haunted Ulster Live!”

Written and Directed by Dominic O’Neill (“Belfast 1912”), the film al

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/17417258

The chances of Northern Ireland hosting matches at the Euro 2028 football tournament appear to have gone.

The UK government announced on Friday night that the estimated cost of rebuilding Casement Park stadium in Belfast has "risen dramatically" to more than £400m.

The government said it will not be providing funding to redevelop the stadium in time for the tournament.

It said there was a "significant risk" that the stadium would not be built in time.
[…]
In order to be ready for the 2028 tournament, Casement Park needs to be rebuilt by the summer of 2027.

Northern Ireland could have a role as a training base or host warm-up matches at the existing Windsor Park stadium, but hosting tournament fixtures appears to be over.

Plans have been in place to build a new stadium at Casement Park since 2011.

The initial estimated cost of rebuilding Casement was £77.5m, wit

Staff at a Belfast hospital were disciplined after a plaque marking its formal opening by the Duke of York went missing, according to emails seen by the BBC.

The plaque sparked an investigation by health officials after it was removed without permission from Belfast City Hospital in January 2022.

It came after Prince Andrew faced civil action in the US over sexual assault allegations - claims he has denied.

The Belfast Trust said the plaque has since been recovered, staff "behaviours" were addressed "in accordance with trust disciplinary procedures," and no decision has been made on reinstating the plaque.

...

The incident was investigated by independent consultants appointed by officials, according to an email from a senior staff member in December 2023.

That staff member said it led to "action taken to address staff behaviours in accordance with trust disciplinary procedures".

In another email, he said it had been claimed the plaque had been removed "out of s

Still wearing the Icthys as well 😬

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/16661917

“When I went to comic book stores, I would've been the only girl there."

Comic books have been a huge part of Marianna Mooney's life growing up and in recent years she believes stereotypes have changed.

Originally from Kildare, Marianna moved to Belfast in 2021 and she is among a number of local artists to feature in the debut print issue of Low Intensity, a comics anthology.

...

Low Intensity's founder, Andrew Pope, said the publication's aim is to showcase comics and sequential art from this part of the world.

“Having it in print really felt important,” he said. “Now, market forces are against us, and it's totally understandable why print media has gone the way it has.

“But having comics in print; I like it, I really do like it”.

Andrew’s hope for Low Intensity is to eventually print older archived material to include in the anthology.

“I would love to get some stuff fro

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/16522788

A man has appeared in court accused of stealing a packet of crisps worth £1.25.

Patrick McDonagh (37) of Erne Park, Kesh, appeared at Enniskillen Magistrate's Court on Thursday.

He is facing a single charge of theft, whereby he is accused of stealing crisps to the value of £1.25 from Lakeside Service Station on April 30 of this year.

Translation: "crisps" are what Americans call "chips".

The PSNI has said there is "no doubt" there is a loyalist paramilitary link to violence in Belfast in recent days.

Trouble erupted in the Sandy Row area of south Belfast last night for the second time in 72 hours.

The area, close to the city centre, is one where the Ulster Defence Association has a strong presence and influence.

More than 300 police officers in riot gear and a large number of armoured Land Rovers were deployed in the area last night.

A small crowd of rioters - most of them teenagers - attacked police with petrol bombs, chunks of masonry and other items.

They also again attacked a shop owned by a Syrian family that was virtually destroyed when set on fire on Saturday night following an anti immigration rally in the city centre.

...

The senior officer also said there was a degree of orchestration and organisation of last night's violence.

"I have no doubt there is a paramilitary element to this, but I am not in a position to say that it is th

The PSNI has banned members of its riot squad from wearing emblems on uniforms after an officer was pictured with a patch similar to insignia used by a far-right militia group in the US.

The officer, who is s a member of the Tactical Support Group (TSG), was pictured wearing the distinctive patch while policing an anti-racism protest outside Belfast city hall on Saturday.

Just yards away far-right protesters holding both tricolours and union flag held a separate anti-immigration rally.

The controversial uniform patch appears to show a gladiator-style helmet and includes the Roman numeral for the number three.

In the past a similar symbol has been linked to the US and Canada based far right militia, the Three Percenters.

The group advocates gun ownership and resistance to the US government.

It has previously been reported that it is among the ‘most dangerous’ in north America.

...

Chief Superintendent Amanda Ford said the wearing of emblems has now been hal

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/13301154

The source of a mystery humming sound which has plagued people living in Omagh may now have been identified – but is not being made public.

People in the County Tyrone town first started to report a persistent humming that was keeping them them awake in the second half of last year.

A Fermanagh and Omagh District Council investigation has now ended.

John Boyle, the council’s director of community and wellbeing, said it had been “complex” but had been able to “hone in on a specific spot”.

Mr Boyle said the noise “wasn’t audible every night", and was linked to atmospheric conditions, making the investigation very difficult.

“We were able to hone in on a specific spot, and undertook a targeted screening exercise with a number of industrial businesses using equipment on a 24-hour basis," he said.

“However, a particular premises became the focus, and environmental health officers engaged

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/12553938

The “gunfluencer” turned Texas Republican congressional candidate Brandon Herrera posted to YouTube a video in which he wears a balaclava, fires an Armalite rifle, uses Irish stereotypes while joking about the IRA, and says he “fucking hate[s] the British.”

“I’m not doing it because I like or support the IRA,” says Herrera, now 28 and a candidate for the Republican nomination in Texas’ 23rd U.S. House district, in the video posted on March 17, 2023—St Patrick’s Day—and titled “The AR-180: The IRA’s Lucky Charm.”

“They were pretty heavily socialist. Of course they really hurt a lot of innocent people sometimes. I’m not doing this video because I like the IRA or I support them. I’m doing this video because I fucking hate the British.

“Guys, I’m kidding, I’m kidding. Mostly.”

...

Speaking to The Daily Beast, Aidan McQuade, from Northern Ireland and a former director of Anti-Slavery Internation

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/11812280

The High Court in Belfast on Monday morning ordered the "disapplication" of sections of the act as they undermine human rights protections guaranteed in the region under post-Brexit arrangements.

The Illegal Migration Act provides new powers for the government to detain and remove asylum seekers it deems to have arrived illegally in the UK. Central to the new laws is the scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Mr Justice Humphreys said aspects of the Illegal Migration Act were also incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

Following Brexit, the UK and the EU agreed the Windsor Framework, which stipulates there can be no diminution of the rights provisions contained within the Good Friday peace agreement of 1998, even if they differ from the rest of the UK.

The judge found several elements of the Illegal Immigration Act cause a "significant" diminution of the rights enjoyed

cross-posted from: https://fedinews.net/m/ImproveTheNews/t/6697

• Jeffrey Donaldson appeared in court on Wednesday, for the first time since his arrest in March over accusations of rape and sexual assault. Bloomberg
• According to prosecutors, the former leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is facing 11 sex offense charges, including one count of rape. MSN
• The allegations span from 1985 to 2006 and involve two alleged victims. Donaldson appeared in court with his wife Eleanor Donaldson, who has been charged with aiding and abetting rape and indecent assault, and two counts of cruelty to a person under the age of 16. IrishCentral.com