The late Frank Curran

News came through here in the office this morning of the death of Frank Curran. He sat where I sit now - in the editor's chair in the Derry  Journal. Although the paper's been going since 1772, it has had relatively few editors - just eight since 1882.
Frank joined the Derry Journal in 1942 at the age of 19. His interest in politics in this part of Ireland must have developed at an early age, as he produced an influential booklet called 'Ireland's Fascist City' in 1946, a 49 page publication from the Derry  Journal which carried a foreword by then-Nationalist MP and later Nationalist Party leader, Eddie McAteer. (I see a copy went up for sale at an auction in Dublin last year - would be a nice one to have).
According to the Journal's 230th anniversary supplement of 31st May, 2002, Frank took over as editor on the retirement of Tom Cassidy in 1977, and remained in the job until Pat McArt succeeded him in 1982. He was in charge when I joined the paper in 1980, although I was working in the Letterkenny office and mostly had contact with him by phone.
Reading his articles on politics in the North was an education, particularly for a Donegal man. He was still a presence in the Journal office on Buncrana Road when I went to work there later in the 1980s. I always thought he was a tremendous sports writer, with a rare talent for bringing the reader to the thick of the action, even if it was a sporting occasion from decades past.
When his responsibilities meant that he wasn't getting out to sports fixtures as much, he kept reporters on their toes on the big occasions by doing his own assessment, 'As I saw it on tv', which always threatened to be more atmospheric than the account from pitch or ring side.
A great series which I've remembered down the years was 'Golden Moments of NW Sport'. Perhaps we'll retrieve some of those from the archives in the memory of a great journalist. political commentator and sportswriter. RIP

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11452533

Back with a vengence

Okay, it's been a while. Life has been fast-paced. So much happening in the UK City of Culture, the land of the brave. Lots of positive developments to report, and hopefully not so much of the other stuff.
So what stimulated this return to action?? Hot off the email, the very latest -

VANI-T OFFICIAL ‘TAN OF CHOICE’ FOR MISS IRELAND 2010


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Remember - 'You read it first at . . .' etc etc

Of course last year's Miss Ireland was Laura Patterson from Derry.

Prompted off my seat . . .

by this exciting email today -

One sofa – endless variations

The Government

Want contemporary, classic style and functionality?

Why not try a Conservative - Liberal Democrat Coalition??!!

Indivi 2 from BoConcept is the most popular sofa from BoConcept. And for good reason. It's the ultimate modular sofa system and has a unique connection system for unlimited options. Try Nick Clegg for Deputy Prime Minister, or even Kenneth Clarke for justice Minister. Choose between a variety of seating units, leg designs and armrests. In the immortal words of Boris Johnston, you can even have "a kind of cross between a bulldog and a chihuahua" (but you must know how to spell 'chihuahua' to ensure correct delivery}And like this isn't enough, the solid wood frame and foam-core seat cushions ensure stable, comfortable seating and excellent durability. Yes, we can guarantee at least a full year of stable government.

The quality of real relaxation is given the pride of place. ['Brilliant' - Mr G. Brown] This is now possible with the new mega resting unit that gives Indivi 2 an even more modern and trendy expression. (yes, obviously words like 'modern' and especially 'trendy' are old hat, but we've already used 'contemporary' - see above)

Another way to renew the Indivi 2 collection is the new way to place legs. By opening up the possibility of fitting the legs under the seat units, an even lighter, floating sofa design is created. You can change the overall look of the sofa using different leg-positioning options. Specially designed for the Clinton adminstration, this is a 'must have' in government circles internationally.

[That's enough about sofas - Ed]

Bloody Sunday report - quelle surprise

There can be little surprise about the news that the publication of the Bloody Sunday report has been postponed until after the general election. As the BBC regional political correspondent Paul Rowley reminded us again on Radio Foyle this morning, he's been predicting 6th May as the date for the past year. This date has been long pencilled in on the government's timeline of events, and the little drama of 'It will, it won't' in relation to the Saville Report has been played out just according to the script.

That's all very well for the politicians, who always prefer to toss a hot potato in the laps of their successors in power, but it's cynical in how it deals with the families of those murdered and injured on Bloody Sunday. Once again their hopes have been raised and dashed, adding further to the anguish and strain they've suffered over many years.

Yes, it's been months . . .

.  . . and since I blocked those emails from the bathroomware company there doesn't seem to be much to report - other than real news, of course.

Belfast Telegraph were in touch today looking for some crystal-ball gazing in terms of the Foyle constituency. After considerable thought and research, one could only reach the conclusion that anything other than a win for Mark Durkan or Martina Anderson will be the shock of the election. Still, it would be some coup for Journal columnist Eamonn McCann to lift the Foyle seat at this stage of his political career.

Lots happening over in BBC Radio Foyle and a good bit of chat about the departures of The Voice of Derry, Paul McFadden, and another highly-experienced journo Eimear O'Callaghan. At the same time there's an advert in today's paper for 'Editor, BBC Radio Foyle'. Looks like the station manager's job, occupied so many luminaries over the years, Joe Mahon, Mickey McGowan, Poilin Ni Chiarain, Anna Leddy and others, most recently Paul McCauley, is no more.
Bit of a cold wind blowing along Northland Road at the moment . . .

Easter on the way, and with it lots of cappucinos, crisps and meat, sadly missed over the past six weeks (apart from that wee trip to Brussels - Lent doesn't apply on mainland Europe, done away with by the Reformation apparently). Might try to get to the Paul Brady concert on Saturday. Met Robert Peoples at lunchtime and he was telling me that Balkan Alien Sound are playing in Rodden's on Saturday night, so that could be an option for after. Great Sound it is, and further proof that Derry's getting more cosmopolitan by the minute.

Re-reading 'Four Iron in the Soul' (well, didn't realise I was re-reading it until after the first forty pages or so) by our own Laurence Donegan, the Guardian's golf correspondent whose career went so sadly downhill after he left the Tirconnail Tribune. Only play golf on Journal golf outings - which seem to be a thing of the past, is everyone that old? - but the book's still good fun.

What else is new? Well, our reporter Claire Allan was on BBC Radio Foyle (sort of theme developing here) this morning talking about how much she'd like to see a woman editor at the Journal. At which point a loud voice was heard over the station tannoy - 'Taxi for Allan'. Former Journal reporter Chris McCann, who initially sounded a bit nervous as the only man in a studio of woman discussing 'Women in Journalism', soon found his feet and counter-attacked along the flanks (or maybe that was the Arsenal v Barcelona game last night - 'What a first half display by Barca!', I heard a female voice intone while, as Chris mentioned on radio, simultaneously feeding the wain, vacuuming the living room, telephoning an old school-friend and re-reading 'A Room of One's Own'. If there's one thing men can't manage it's multi-tasking. . .)

Please hold there for a sec while I concentrate on this cup of tea.

Lovely. Anyway, there you have it, all the news that's fit to print. And in this multi-media world, here's a pic, yes, any pic . .

The winning shot in the Derry and North-West Frisbee competiton at the weekend, from Hugh F. Ough (silent 'g') of outer Moville.

That Parades Working Group discussion in full

- Gone, givis a seat
- No
- Just one or two for us, and one for Alliance and the Ulster Unionists
- Listen, you know the story - there's six seats, and we're taking them all
- But it's not fair!
-
- Hello?
-
- It's not . . . Hello?