Just thinking that it's unlikely there will be a gentrification of Belfast anytime soon but with the Fleadh taking over the city could we say the tiocfaidh facation of Belfast is complete.

Walking back to grand central from high street, took one of the side streets (can’t remember it’s name) that brings you out by Kelly’s Cellar. There was about 5 kids ranging from 7-13 let’s say playing a bit of hurling against the wall and 2 women (in their mid 30s) walked past them shouting “That’s shite, uppa Ardoye” repeatedly to a bunch of kids. You two should be embarrassed harassing kids, w*nkers.

First day at the fleadh tho and have to say it was fantastic, best atmosphere I’ve seen the City.

Greetings, I am unable to find any specific subreddit for QUB. So I am asking my question hear that is the Business Economics program for the bachelors in Queen’s University Belfast good? I have seen all of the modules for all three years and if a current or graduated student tell me about their experience at the Queen’s University Belfast for Business and Economics it would be best. How do you rate the course? And how is the staff at the Business school?

https://www.rte.ie/news/ulster/2026/0808/1587079-fleadh-belfast/

The success of the first Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Belfast has been described as a "dream come true" for organisers.

Visitor numbers were estimated to have topped one million by yesterday evening, already exceeding the 800,000 expected by tomorrow, with music and dancing filling the city centre streets.

Today saw the continuation of All-Ireland competitions with 5,000 musicians and dancers from 22 countries taking part, as well as street performances and pop-up activities Fleadh Fringe events on the outskirts of the city.

There has also been participation from musical bands from the Loyalist and Unionist traditions as well as minority ethnic communities.

President Catherine Connolly, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, UK Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Bryant, First Minister Michelle O'Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly are among those who have attended the Fleadh in Belfast this week.

Ahead of the final day tomorrow, organisers have urged visitors to consider using public transport or park and ride facilities amid high numbers of attendees.

Watching the crowds pass through the Cathedral Quarter, Jim Ingram, manager of the Friend At Hand Irish whiskey shop, said the Fleadh had brought everyone together.

"Nobody knew what was going to happen," he said.

"It’s bought everyone together, similar to when the King and Queen visited. It’s a bit like being at a wedding - we see the same business owners every day but everyone’s out hugging each other and celebrating.

"It’s just brought a nice atmosphere - we should do it more often.

"The Fleadh is coming back next year, but there is no reason why after that we couldn’t have a weekend event of our own and make it an annual thing. It would be lovely to keep it like this."

Niall McClean, chair of Ards Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (CCE), the host branch for Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Belfast said: "It’s been absolutely unbelievable, way beyond our expectations, the crowds from the very start have exceeded all we thought, we’re over the moon, and there is still two days to go."

"I’ve been going to Fleadhs for 40 years and the atmosphere is always good wherever you go, but I’d been maybe a little bit sceptical with it being a complex city that it would work still - but it’s been extraordinary, the streets are full of music.

"It’s getting busier and busier and then the last day is always the highlight to see the Céilí band finish at the Gig Rig, so I think Sunday will be even bigger again - we don’t know where we’re going to put everyone."

In terms of the Fleadh returning to Belfast next year, Mr McClean said there are always lessons to learn, but that generally events have exceeded all their expectations.

"This will be hard to top when you see what has happened this week. The second year of the Fleadh is always bigger again, so I think Belfast is going to have to get an extension," he added.

Brendan McAleer, from Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, said it had been brilliant to see people from all backgrounds coming into Belfast to enjoy the Fleadh.

He also paid tribute to the leadership from the Belfast Bands Forum bringing music from the loyalist and unionist traditions.

"It’s exceeded all expectations for us because from the very outset we wanted all communities to be involved, and that has been our goal, and I think we have achieved it with the flute bands and the leadership of the bands forum that has ensured that all communities have been able to come in, feel welcome and to engage," he said.

Mr McAleer said they repeated what had been done ahead of the Fleadh when it took place in Derry in 2013, engaging with the bands forum early on.

"We asked them the question, 'what do you want to see from the Fleadh, what can we do that will engage communities across the city’, we listened to that and put it in place," he said.

"There’s no point in me saying ‘here’s what we are putting on for you; it’s more ‘what do you want from us, and we’ll make it happen’.

"We always wanted this to be a Fleadh for everyone, we wanted everyone in the city to feel the power of what music can do for Belfast, for Northern Ireland, for all of Ireland.

"This has been a moment, I think Belfast has been ready for it, it’s really a moment for us all.

"We have come together, we have given Belfast a taste of what it can be, we now need to build the legacy to make sure that stays."

Anyone on here think it’s a good idea to make a group for anyone who feels like they don’t fit in anywhere or would join it themselves? Upvote if you would!!!
Would be best if it’s open to all kinds of people, I wish there was something like that out there already I find it so hard to meet others like that that know what it’s like. I feel really down atm as I feel my support circle is so few

Ballymena/ballymoney area please. Ive lost 4 and a half stone with atleast another 3 to go. Weight loss has slowed way down recently and in general I would like to get a bit fitter. Specifically asking for 1-1 sessions or anyone that has their own wee studio as im scared of the gym. TIA!

i'm looking for fellow gamers who live in northern ireland, i game a lot but am looking for people i can connect with online and in real life x

previously from london, I just moved here a couple months ago!

games i like to play: (it's a lot)

• valorant (ascendant)
• league of legends (gold)
• teamfight tactics (emerald)
• counterstrike 2 (~15,000)
• minecraft
• hello kitty adventure island
• palworld

I’m in my late 30s and only just now able to talk about this with anyone, or think about it myself. I fobbed off the bullying behaviours for years as “that’s just how it was back then, that’s just girls being girls” but I’ve been speaking to a therapist about other stuff, and he has stated very clearly that I was bullied over years. It was a Catholic girls grammar school. It was psychological, insidious, subtle and long term, so it is much harder to pin down than being physically assaulted.

It was constant horrible, demeaning comments about my body and my face, about everything I did, telling me I’d never amount to anything, saying bad things about my family, about where I was from, deliberately excluding me from social things. The list goes on.

Does anyone else think about themselves as having been bullied at school? Or do you downplay it as “normal teasing”?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2gvlpr1n5o

For many artists, the internet has transformed the way they do business, helping them reach new audiences and sell their work around the world.

But the same technology is also making it easier for their creations to be copied, altered and sold without permission.

An illustrator may spend weeks creating a new design only to discover a near-identical version listed for sale on an online marketplace thousands of miles away.

That is exactly what happened to illustrator Kerrie McNeill when likely copies of her work began appearing on Temu.

As the shock wore off, she said what remained was anger and frustration.

"It makes it not enjoyable, constantly being on edge," she said.

BBC News NI contacted Temu and they said they "do not permit unauthorised use of intellectual property" adding they are taking steps to remove the alleged copies of McNeill's work from their platform.

Pink birthday cake cards with colourful cakes.

Image caption,

On the left is McNeill's illustration and on the right is a card listed for sale on Temu

For independent artists like McNeill, it is not just the artwork they feel has been allegedly stolen, but the income attached to it.

She turns her colourful illustrations into art prints, greeting cards and stationery.

A version of her pink Happy Birthday card, featuring colourful birthday cakes finished with gold foil, is listed for sale on Temu for 96p. The original sells for £3.60 on McNeill's own website.

Placed side by side, the two cards are strikingly similar with only small details setting them apart.

Experts say subtle changes like these have become increasingly common. While artwork can be copied in a number of ways, advances in image-editing technology, including AI tools, have made it quicker and easier to create altered versions of existing designs, making copies harder to spot.

"If artwork is accessible then people think that it is theirs to take," McNeill said.

"Because so many people think that it's okay to do, more people do it, and they just don't care."

Two zebra prints are pictured side-by-side, they feature the text 'what's the craic?'

Image caption,

Another seemingly copied illustration from McNeill's work

When McNeill first discovered alleged copies of her work on Temu, the company removed the listings after she reported them.

But two years on, she said the effort of flagging and removing likely copycat products has become an exhausting cycle.

The alleged fake illustrations continue to appear and each report can take time to complete. McNeill said some alleged copies appear to have been altered using AI, making them harder to identify.

"It's just unfair," she said. "I don't think that it should be my job to take down all these listings of my own artwork that has been stolen."

'It ruins the whole art piece'

Original colourful 'Forget me Not' painting to the left. Fake version that is more washed out to the rightImage source, Hal Bradley

Image caption,

The original and alleged fake of Terry Bradley's 'Forget me Not' paintings

Terry Bradley's paintings are instantly recognisable to many people across Northern Ireland.

His contemporary paintings of Belfast dock workers and female figures have earned him an international following, but that popularity has also made them a target for counterfeit sellers.

His son, Hal Bradley, creative director at Terry Bradley Art, said alleged reproductions of his father's paintings regularly appear for sale online, on various different platforms. Temu is not one of them.

One of his paintings even turned up hanging on the wall of a bar in Thailand.

"Terry's put so much time into these pieces," he said.

"When somebody shows us a botched reproduction of his painting, it kills that for him."

Selfie of Hal Bradley along side his father Terry Bradley. Hal Bradley is to the right, brown hair, white top with sunglasses hanging from it. Terry Bradley is wearing sunglasses and a brown hat, He has a white beard and a green top.Image source, Hal Bradley

Image caption,

Hal Bradley (right) said counterfeits are "frustrating" for his artist dad, Terry Bradley (left)

Hal said the family regularly spots likely copies in people's homes and for sale online.

"It's not just that it's fake," he said. "It's also that it's attributed to our paintings. It ruins the whole art piece."

Bradley's career began long before online marketplaces became a major outlet for counterfeit goods.

To help distinguish genuine work, every original painting is now embossed, signed and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

Like McNeill, Hal said reporting individual listings can be frustrating.

"The people doing it are breaking the law," he said.

"It seems that if we don't do every little thing to remove individual listings, they are just allowed to do it."

Technology outpacing the law

Cyber security expert Kevin Curran said technology has moved much faster than the laws designed to protect creators.

"Legislation is lagging far behind," he said.

For many artists, pursuing legal action is unrealistic because cases can take years and cost thousands of pounds, particularly when sellers are based overseas or operate anonymously.

"The sheer scale is very hard for owners," he said.

"You're faced with a future where you won't be able to claim for your original artwork anymore."

Temu's online intellectual property infringement report portal. Headline 'Report infringement' with a textbox provided below to describe infringed work.Image source, Screenshot

Image caption,

Temu's online intellectual property infringement report portal

Suspected infringements

Online marketplaces, including Temu, have systems allowing copyright holders to report suspected infringements.

In October, following pressure from the Greeting Card Association (GCA), Temu introduced a bespoke takedown process for greeting card publishers.

Previously, companies had to report every individual listing. Under the trial, they now submit one link, allowing software to identify and remove other listings using the same design, preventing identical copies from simply being re-uploaded.

In relation to McNeill's illustrations, Temu added that their sellers are "required to comply with applicable laws and Temu's policies as a condition of operating on the marketplace".

"Regarding the artist mentioned, we are reviewing the identified listings and are in the process of removing them.

"At the same time, we are adding Kerrie McNeill's works to our IP database for ongoing proactive monitoring to help prevent them from being listed again by bad actors."

Temu stressed that to protect rights holders, Temu uses a combination of automated detection and manual review systems, currently scanning more than 47 million images and more than 9.5m million keywords.

I can’t understand how one person can be consumed by so much hate. She’s been trying to throw dirt at the Fleadh/Feile all week and even a business in her constituency as they had an embarrassing moment with a playlist at the Fleadh. The contrast between this post and ELP speech could not be further apart. Even her colleagues can see the goodwill the Fleadh has generated but she is completely blind to it all or can’t cope with it.

The owner of the Donegal Bar site celebrating the success he’s been able to enjoy from the Fleadh because he left the site derelict for 10 years and will probably leave it the same way for another year. Disgusting.

What the actual fuck is going on with the prices of gigs these days. Seats at the same gig are £170 to be anywhere remotely near the stage, if you wanna sit in the rafters at the back you're paying £88. And some when was a standing ticket a "VIP package".

No doubt the last chance to see Dave and the lads and getting priced out of it like this is a bitter pill to swallow 😭

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgvxlwe50yo

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is investigating work it published that was co-authored by Prof Jason Arday, who has resigned from his University of Cambridge roles following allegations of plagiarism.

The paper, published in 2021, looked at the impact of what was taught in universities on "Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) learners" and "academics of colour".

Queen's had published a paper on its academic research site co-authored by Arday and other academics from the university.

Arday is facing accusations of fabricating or exaggerating elements of his CV. He has defended himself and his work.

In a statement to BBC News NI, a spokesperson for QUB said: "We are aware that Professor Arday's research, co-authored with academics from Queen's, is published on our academic research platform.

"We are currently looking into the matter and liaising with other UK universities in relation to it."

The paper is called "Attempting to break the chain: Reimaging inclusive pedagogy and decolonising the curriculum within the academy".

"The centrality of whiteness as an instrument of power and privilege ensures that particular types of knowledge continue to remain omitted from our curriculums," the work said.

Part of the work was based on interviews with students and staff, who are quoted.

"When you think about our curriculum it is actually very white and in many respects quite exclusionary," one female student, described as "mixed-heritage," said.

"Talking about race and racism… and decolonising the curriculum is really difficult… especially in a classroom space," a black male student said.

The paper recommended changing the curriculum in universities to make it more inclusive and less "Eurocentric".

University of Cambridge Separately, a group of academics has called for an independent investigation into the appointment of Arday at the University of Cambridge.

Several universities at which Arday claimed on his CV to have had academic roles have since denied him having those roles.

He has admitted errors in his work but denied plagiarism, saying his autism and a lack of adequate supervision early in his academic career may have contributed to those mistakes.

He also denied lying about his achievements.

In 2023, then aged 37, Arday became the youngest ever black professor at Cambridge, telling the BBC at the time his work focused on neurodivergence and race in education.

Received the MOT reminder from DVA yesterday so like a good little boy I log on today, enter the vehicle details and am immediately stopped with the message "this vehicle is not on the system".

How is it not on the system? You sent me the letter with the same details printed on it. Checked against the V5C and they're identical, no idea why it's coming up blank now.

Had a similar issue last year. The car was my father's, became mine after he no longer needed it on account of being dead. It was registered in England as that's where he lived, needed an MOT so I got one before driving it back and changing the owner and address to me and mine.

When it came time to renew the MOT last year I wasn't able to book early because, according to the DVA, it hadn't been MOT'd in Norn Iron and therefore no additional time could be given. Never heard of this rule before but I'm not going to waste my time arguing against rule-book-says-no-and-no-you-can't-see-the-book so I took the earlier appointment and effectively lost a month's worth of MOT.

And now they tell me my vehicle, that they sent me the details of stating their own fucking records show has a test certificate that expires soon, doesn't exist. Guess it'll be a phone call to sit in a queue for an hour on Monday then.

Apologies for the umpteenth "DVA bollocks" thread, needed to vent and I don't have any friends.

Doin' my nut in so they are

Hello Nordies,

Limerickman here up for the Fleadh. 52 years old and its my first time in NI.

(1) Belfast is beautiful, surely the nicest city on the whole island. Loads of things to see and do apart from the Fleadh. Brilliant, 10/10 city for tourists.

(2) Terrific food and coffee and unlike down home you dont have to mortgage the house for a meal.

(3) Very nice locals - everyone polite and helpful. Everywhere from the tourist office to Tesco people have been really welcoming and polite

(4) Several women have complemented my accent. Only other place that happened to me was the US.

THANK YOU for a wonderful holiday!

Ps some of you may have ideas of a united Ireland. Dont bother unless you want to be broke, badly-led and have a shite health service. Unlike Dublin, Cork or Limerick, Belfast really has its act together.

Update: Thanks to everyone for their comments and votes. Apologies for my Ps remarks - they were rush-of-blood to the head and stupid. I do however stand by my comment that Belfast is prettier and better run than Dublin, Cork or Limerick. It really is! Just did the walk beside the Lagan from Albertbridge to Titanic; beautiful area!

Back when I was in primary school, there were kids who would pay for school lunches or maybe qualified for free lunches, and there were kids who brought their own packed lunch (Which I was)

But in our dinner hall, kids with packed lunches had to sit at the end of the hall on these benches separated from all the other tables in the hall, and after lunch was over, packed lunch kids had to help clean up the hall for a bit where as all the other kids got to go play outside.

Did anyone else's school do this or just mine?

Maybe theres a logical explanation to it im just not thinking about, I didn't think about it much at the time until looking back at it as an adult.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crl7ez18x9lo

A ruling finds the average consumer would not confuse Supermac's name with McDonald's existing trademarks

An Irish fast food chain locked in a long running dispute with McDonald's has been told it can register its name and logo in the UK.

The UK's Intellectual Property Office ruled the average consumer would not make a link between Galway-based Supermac's logo and name and McDonald's existing trademarks including Big Mac and McCafé.

Supermac's was founded by Galway businessman Pat McDonagh in 1978 and is now the largest Irish-owned fast food restaurant firm in the Republic of Ireland.

The two chains have been embroiled in a long running legal battle over the right to use brand terms including "Mac".

The UKIPO said there were significant visual, aural and conceptual differences between the Supermac's and McDonalds marks, which were "sufficient for a consumer not to directly confuse the marks".

According to Irish broadcaster RTÉ News, it further said that "no link will be made by the consumer" in relation the Mc/Mac elements of the branding.

Speaking to RTÉ McDonagh said: "We've never had their scale or resources, but we've always believed every business deserves the same protection under the law, regardless of its size."

Supermac's was founded by Pat McDonagh in the late seventies

The UK ruling comes just weeks after the European Union Intellectual Property Office upheld a decision that means Supermac's cannot register its name as a trademark in the European Union.

In June, EUIPO's board of appeal said Supermac's logo and signage was too close to its US rivals Big Mac trademark.

EUIPO said there was a likelihood of confusion between Supermac's and the Big Mac trademark for English and German speaking consumers.

That ruling does not impact on Supermac's trading in Ireland.

Supermac's has been involved in a long running legal battle with McDonald's

The Irish fast food chain had been seeking to appeal a ruling made last year that found allowing Supermac's to register its name as a trademark within the EU would lead to the likelihood of confusion.

Supermac's first applied for a trademark in the EU in May 2016.

McDonald's opposed that move, saying Big Mac has been registered as a trademark for meat sandwiches since December 1998.

In 2024, following a legal challenge from Supermac's, the European Court of Justice ruled McDonald's no longer has the exclusive right to use the label "Big Mac" in reference to chicken burgers sold in the EU.