Return to the Bonfire, BBC 1, Monday
BONFIRES are not unique to Northern Ireland - I remember an annual Halloween pyre on a field near where I grew up in Limerick – but they certainly carry a greater significance.
On the face of it, Return to the Bonfire was to see how the practice had changed in the 17 years since the first programme set in the Shankill area of Belfast.
But this was less about the building of bonfires, which have grown significantly in size and complexity in recent years, and more about a year in loyalism.
We covered the Northern Ireland centenary, Covid breaches at the Bobby Storey funeral, the celebrations for Rangers' league victory, the burning of the Divis Tower united Ireland banner, protests against the Irish Sea border and the Eleventh Night and the Twelfth.
Our principal guide was Alan, a rapper also known as ‘Belfast Grime Man’.
Alan is a ‘live and let live’ kind of guy who says that Catholics and Protestants are essentially the same.
“Accept each other’s culture and get on with it, and grow,” is his main message.
Other voices either loved Orange culture or, in the case of Eileen, felt that the bonfire experience had been corrupted by alcohol and had moved away from being a family event.
For Lesley, on the other hand, the Eleventh and Twelfth is her Christmas, her favourite time of the year.
“Anything to do with Orangeism at all in our family, we all get together, it’s always been the same… we carried on through the years, keeping the tradition and the culture going,” she says.
“It just means a lot to think that 100 years later, after all the Troubles and what happened, that we’re still standing. We’re still here as Northern Ireland and part of Britain, hopefully forever.”
On the big day she wore her ‘kiss my orange ass’ knickers and promised to “party like it’s 1690”.
The Limerick bonfire is long gone, but it looks like Belfast is going to have to deal with them for many years to come.
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Political Correction, GB News, Sunday
Congratulations to Arlene Foster for a super-smooth performance on GB News.
The former first minister and DUP leader signed up in July to be a contributor to the new right-leaning television news channel, but this time she was asking the questions rather than answering them.
Political Correction, a two-hour discussion programme, is normally presented by Nigel Farage and Conservative MP Dehenna Davison, but the former UKIP leader was on this occasion replaced by Mrs Foster.
Guests included Vince Cable, John Redwood and regular contributor Paul Embery.
They covered the expected rise in National Insurance contributions, racism in football, the removal of statues from universities, the new ABBA album and other topics.
There was nothing extraordinary about the show but it was professional, measured and at times interesting, which isn’t something that can always be said about GB News.
Mrs Foster seemed entirely relaxed and kept the conversation flowing like a broadcasting veteran.
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Sky Sports Main Event, Monday
Ireland has a new sporting hero.
Leona Maguire has been on our radar for many years, but the Solheim Cup performance was her breakthrough moment.
The first Irish woman to represent Europe, she was unbeaten over the three days and the stand-out player from the two teams. No doubt she has won a legion of fans with her quiet efficiency and modesty.
Interviewed after the Europeans won the trophy for only the second time on US soil, the Cavan woman was asked if she had a message from her fans at home.
“You’ll never beat the Irish,” she said with a broad smile.
Perfect.
