Want to find out more about the Northern Slant team? Every week we put 10 questions to our community of contributors – about them, their interests and hopes for Northern Ireland’s future. This week’s interviewee is our Editor, Connor Daly. You can follow Connor on Twitter @cdaly29.

 

1. Tell us about yourself, and why you got involved with Northern Slant.

A friend recently described me as “a man of many interests” – I’m probably just nosey! I always want to make sense of what’s going on, find out and challenge why people think the way they do. I’m from Armagh, I moved to Belfast to study Politics and Human Rights at Queen’s University and edited the Gown newspaper there. After a two-year stint as Vice President of the Students’ Union, I went on to work in financial services then public affairs. I now live in London and work in the aviation industry.

I founded Northern Slant with the help of good people, to unearth a different and more diverse Northern Ireland; one which I don’t think is picked up by the mainstream media which I think in many ways reflects the divisions in our society. Providing a shared platform for anyone who wants to contribute positively to our political discourse, we’re bringing together a community thirsty for change.

 

2. Describe Northern Ireland in 5 words.

Currently lacking confidence. Always home.

 

3. What makes you proud to be here?

I’m proud that everyone everywhere loves the Irish, and despite all the politics of this place we’ve always rallied behind our own. I mean, no one asks if George Best was Catholic or Protestant. Our shared sense of humour seems to get us through anything – Father Ted and Give My Head Peace always have me laughing!

It’s not nice telling friends from outside of Northern Ireland the narrative of the Troubles, I’m glad we finally overcame conflict with politics. It mightn’t be perfect, but I’m proud that the Good Friday Agreement is held up as an example for governance in divided societies.

4. Are you hopeful for the future?

For mainstream Northern Irish politics right now, no. What faith could anyone have that any deal between the DUP and Sinn Féin to restore Stormont would hold? The current stalemate, gridlock, whatever you want to call it, is timely. 20 years after the peace was won, beyond certain high-profile gestures neither nationalist or unionist ‘bloc’ has really sought to endear itself to the other.

Looking at the wider picture, I’m much more positive. I’m excited! I’m hopeful that the coming generation won’t give politicians the pass that our current crop have benefited from. Nothing stays the same, but change won’t come about without action.

 

5. If you could change one thing about Northern Ireland, what would it be? 

We look to local politicians too much – this whole ‘will they, won’t they do a Stormont deal?’ nonsense… the Assembly’s been down over a year and we’ve got on fine. If I could change one thing, it’d be that so-called ‘normal’ people would be more encouraged to step out of the shadows and mix things up. How hard could it be?

 

6. Favourite NI celebrity? 

(Our) Sir Eamonn Holmes.

7. Politician you most admire, from outside Northern Ireland? 

In Jamie Pow’s ‘Two minutes’ interview he said German chancellor Angela Merkel, so I can’t say that… Right now, I’m really fascinated by the rise of French president Emmanuel Macron’s La République En Marche! political party and how within 18 months the status quo of French politics imploded.

Amongst the same old faces saying the same old things, Macron saw an opportunity. Rather than enter into a competition of how badly politicians could treat migrants or minority groups, he wrapped himself in the European Union flag and gave French people a feeling of hope they lacked for decades. Can something similar happen in Northern Ireland? I think it’s within our gift to write and set the tone of our next chapter.

 

8. Favourite place to bring a visitor?

I’ll normally bring a friend to experience the gigantic queue for a burrito at Boojum in Belfast and try NI’s famous fifteen traybakes at Clements coffee shop. Aside from that, and a walk around Armagh City and Navan Fort, I’d recommend a trip to Queen’s University. It’s where so many opportunities came my way, and where I made so many friends for life who remain at the core of this project.

 

9. Potato bread or soda bread?

Soda bread, please!

 

10. Snow Patrol or Van Morrison?

What’s more relaxing than Van Morrison and soda bread? And a cup of coffee – I prefer it to tea.


Also published on Medium.