In praise of ... Belfast revellers

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/17/in-praise-of-belfast-revellers

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With apologies to the Beastie Boys, Belfast's revellers have always fought hard for their right to party. No more so than now, with dissident republicans intent on exploding bombs in its commercial centre. Last Friday the armed group Óglaigh na hÉireann left a small explosive device outside the Potted Hen restaurant in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter, the city's cobblestoned equivalent of Dublin's Temple Bar or London's Covent Garden. Mercifully the device exploded only partially and no one was injured. But it did cause serious disruption, with Christmas partygoers evacuated from pubs, clubs, theatres, cafes. Yet, true to form, within hours of the alert festivities restarted, a Belfast version of the Blitz spirit. The Potted Hen's owners were bombarded with promises to come down and spend in it. Hardline republicans take note: such nihilism cannot defeat the will of the majority to lead normal lives after decades of conflict.

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