Blog

Last week I wrote about the Renew Europe think-in of 100 MEPs in Paris. Later that week, I went straight to Cavan for a couple of days of...

Although my mother was given a due date of 24th April 1967, I did not arrive into the world until almost a full month later on the 16th...

This column is supposed to be about Ireland and the EU so I may be taking a liberty in writing about the Euro 2020 soccer tournament...

As so often in public policy, the European Council is in danger of fighting the last war. The easy dismissal of mutualised debt post 2010...

Summary note by Billy Kelleher MEP and Barry Andrews MEP 6th May 2020 As an open trading nation, Ireland needs a well-functioning and...

Weird yuletide traditions Most Irish people like to be at home for Christmas. So, they know relatively little about Christmas traditions...

EU leaders were stunned to learn that 17 African countries abstained on the UN vote to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, a...

The leadership of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is being fought between Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and Edwin Poots. The latter is a...

Four related things happened last week. If not already obvious, I will explain the connection at the end. But in summary, for those of us...

It’s a big deal to be given a legislative file in the European Parliament. At the start of September I was appointed by my group to be...

Anti-lockdown campaigns are spreading across Europe. Governments need to be strong in the face of these protests and be clear and honest...

A surprising sub-plot of the Afghan crisis was the effort to evacuate an animal sanctuary. The British owner of the Kabul pet sanctuary...

The world of disinformation came to my desk last week with extraordinary force. According to some of the 5000 emails I received, what I...

There is a book called ‘Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms’ by Gerard Russell that describes all the religions that are in decline in the Middle...

When I worked in GOAL we had a thing called ‘kidnap and ransom’ insurance. K&R operated like any other insurance product although nobody...

The Government has already adopted a curious position on the Conference on the Future of Europe before it has started. Effectively,...

Below is an article I wrote in 2015 about Brian Lenihan and I thought it would be appropriate to republish it here on the 10th...

In the UK, the stigma against breaking international law, domestic law and constitutional norms has been significantly eroded since Boris...

Last week, Michel Barnier was awarded European of the Year in a virtual ceremony organised by the European Movement in Ireland. In...

Junior Chamber Ireland organise sessions called ‘Ask me anything’ with local MEPs. It was my turn last Thursday with pupils from St Louis...

I entered the EP in unusual circumstances Brexit brought me in in two senses. I ran for election because I felt that there would be a...

It was lucky that I still hadn’t rented an apartment in Brussels by the time Covid hit. I had been looking at a few places and, in the...

There are two categories of visas being granted by the Irish Government in response to the Afghan crisis. The majority are for family...

Aid agencies do some of the most dangerous work in the world for some of the most vulnerable people in the world. When the last of the...