The political A to Z of Northern Ireland in 2023

With no power-sharing government in Northern Ireland in the entirety of 2023, you'd be forgiven for thinking there wasn't much to say about the year in politics.

But between a council election, the Windsor Framework and a winter of escalating back-and-forths between the local parties and Westminster, this year has seen plenty of moments to remember.

From talks to tricolours, tribulations and tremors - here's my alphabetic run-down of the past 12 months in Northern Ireland politics.

A is for Alderdice

It's not uncommon for nationalists to call for joint authority of Northern Ireland between the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

But a former leader of the Alliance Party? Not so much.

Lord John Alderdice was leader of Alliance until 1998 when he resigned to become Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly

So there was much comment when in a blog entitled "All Over Bar the Shoutin'", Lord Alderdice wrote that was where the "inevitable trajectory" was leading.

B is for Black and Tans

One was an auxiliary force whose behaviour during the Irish War of Independence remains notorious. The other is one of the most successful sports teams in history.

Not easy then to get the Black and Tans and the New Zealand All Blacks mixed up. You'd think.

But US President Joe Biden managed to do it while visiting his ancestral home in County Louth.

US President Joe Biden undertook a four-day trip to Ireland in April

Thanking Rob Kearney, a distant cousin who played in an Irish team that beat New Zealand, for presenting them with a tie, he said: "This was given to me by one of these guys, right here. He was a hell of a rugby player. He beat the hell out of the Black and Tans."

C is for Casement

In many places, plans to development a derelict stadium associated with one sport into a modern 34,000 capacity arena which could be used as a venue for a major tournament associated with another sport would be very welcome.

But this is Northern Ireland, where politics and sport often don't mix.

An artist's impression of the new proposed Casement Park stadium, which would have a capacity of 34,500

Some big questions remain.

One, will Casement Park be built in time for the 2028 Euros? Two, who will pay for it? And three, would the majority of Northern Ireland fans watch their team play there? Assuming, that is, they qualify.

• Casement Park and the long road to Euro 2028

D is for Deal (or no Deal)

Nowhere does party season quite like Northern Ireland - political parties, that is.

You barely see them during the year, then come December they're traipsing into some distinctly unseasonal grotto or other to talk to the big man (or in this case NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris) about what they really want for Christmas.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson

This year Rishi Sunak thought he had the perfect gift for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), but they turned up their noses at the Windsor Framework.

Then he came back for more - and they said no again.

So no happy ending over the assembly and executive. Instead, just wrangling between the DUP and Northern Ireland Office (NIO) over when the word over really means over.

So we're left hanging - as is a big pot of money from the government worth £3.3bn.

To be resumed: January 2024.

E is for Exclusion

She's the hot favourite to lead the next government in the Republic.

But when Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald showed up for a meeting between the main Stormont parties and the then-Foreign Secretary James Cleverly she was told she could not attend.

She called it "bizarre" and "unacceptable", and her party said if she couldn't come, neither would they.

The government said it was against protocol for the foreign secretary to meet Ms McDonald before his Irish counterparts

Later, Mr Cleverly said he wanted to talk to the parties in Northern Ireland and would meet Irish politicians at another date.

Not usually the way it works when the leader of the All-Ireland party heads north.

F is for Finucane

Sinn Féin MP John Finucane, whose father was murdered by loyalists, was accused of "glorifying terrorism" by being the main speaker at an IRA commemoration event in South Armagh.

John Finucane has been the MP for North Belfast since the 2019 UK general election

Former First Minister Arlene Foster shared an image of a poster advertising the event entitled "South Armagh Volunteers commemoration", claiming it made it sound like a family fun day.

Mr Finucane said commemoration was "a right to which everyone is entitled".

G is for Greens

It's been a difficult couple of years for the Green Party in Northern Ireland.

Having lost both seats in the last assembly election, including that of former leader Clare Bailey, her replacement Mal O'Hara then lost his seat on Belfast City Council in May.

H is for Horizon

Speaking before his party conference in October, the Labour leader Keir Starmer said an Irish unity poll in the near future is "hypothetical"

Whether or not there is a border poll is a decision for the Northern Ireland secretary.

Hence the interest when the man who is favourite to head up the next Westminster government, Sir Keir Starmer, told BBC News NI that one wasn't "even on the horizon".

I is for Ice Age

Stormont has been called "a cold house for unionists".

Never one to be outdone, the DUP MP Ian Paisley claimed the return of devolution could be "an ice age away".

He might yet be right.

J is for Justin

Justin McNulty is the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) assembly member for Newry and Armagh. He's also now the manager of the Laois senior GAA football team.

But how long he can do both remains to be seen.

Justin McNulty previous managed Laois during the 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons

His party says his assembly job is a full-time role - especially if Stormont was sitting. But Mr McNulty is for going nowhere.

This one might need extra time.

K is for Kiss

They're each known for right-wing views and neither can resist a platform. Especially as, in the case for one of them, it's usually accompanied by a six-inch heel.

So in one way, it was perfectly normal when Gene Simmons, of the rock band Kiss, turned up in the Houses of Parliament as guest of the DUP's Ian Paisley.

It was a Crazy Crazy Night when Gene Simmons attended Parliament with DUP MP Ian Paisley

The face-painted bass player famous for hits like Crazy Crazy Nights may yet pay a price for the liaison, as the North Antrim MP has invited him to Stormont.

L is for Legacy

Things which unite all of Northern Ireland's political parties are rare, and usually widely welcomed when they come along.

Not the government's controversial Legacy Bill however, which finally passed into law despite widespread opposition.

More than 3,500 people died during the 30-year conflict known as the Troubles

But while the political fight may be over, the legal one is just beginning with several victims already taking cases and even the Irish government taking legal action.

M is for Mustard

Elected DUP representatives were privately warned against rushing out their views on the Windsor Framework.

Step forward Ian Paisley to say, colourfully as usual: "My gut instinct is this isn't going to cut the mustard."

N is for Neagh

Blue-green algae, bathing bans, pondweed and silt causing problems for boats - the UK's largest freshwater lake Lough Neagh may not be dying, but it's in trouble.

Blue-green algae problems have plagued Lough Neagh since June

The problem is no single body is responsible for it so there have been calls for the lake to be brought into public ownership and for a government department to be set up.

But this requires a functioning Northern Ireland Executive.

Now, where have we heard that before?

O is for One Hundred Per Centers

Right up to the end there was doubt over whether ill health would scupper former US senator George Mitchell's appearance at a major conference marking 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement.

Not only did he make it, but he delivered a speech hailed by some as the best they've ever heard.

Former US senator George Mitchell chaired peace talks in the lead up to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement

In it, he urged what he called the "100 per centers" in Northern Ireland's political parties to consider compromise.

"Each of your parties have the 100 per centers. They want it their way all the time. Compromise is seen as a sign of weakness," he said.

Who could he possibly have meant?

P is for Plan B

If plan A is the return of power sharing at Stormont, then what is plan B?

Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar was less than clear when he stood on the pitch at Linfield's Windsor Park stadium and said it would have to be considered if plan A continued to prove elusive.

Leo Varadkar said a closer partnership between the UK and Irish governments was crucial to restoring power sharing

The Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris called the comment "unhelpful".

Q is for Queen's

Some you win, some you lose.

Queen's University Belfast lost out to Ulster University for who would host President Biden.

But the situation was rescued when they bagged President Clinton and his wife Hillary, not to mention Tony Blair, George Mitchell, Bertie Ahern, Rishi Sunak and Ursula von der Leyen for a three-day conference marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

R is for Reform

The big political question of the year was would Stormont return.

The second big political question of the year is how long would it last if it did.

It's been almost two years since business as usual was under way at Stormont

That's why the Alliance Party want the rules reformed so one party cannot bring the institutions down again on its own.

Don't hold your breath.

S is for Squirrel

Tufty was a much-loved cuddly red squirrel who helped helped millions of children learn about road safety. It's no coincidence he wasn't grey.

Grey squirrels are generally seen as less cuddly, and their very existence apparently spells death for their redder cousins.

But do they really warrant the description given to them by DUP MP Jim Shannon, who told members of a bemused House of Commons committee that "grey squirrels are the Hamas of the squirrel world"?

Grey squirrels were described as "the Hamas of the squirrel world"

The Campaign Against Anti-Semitism said the comment risked trivialising the atrocities that Hamas has committed.

Jim Shannon's other great moment of the year was submitting a motion in the House of Commons lauding his wife's favourite song - Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You.

T is for Tricolour

We've had Partygate, now we've got Flaggate.

Not content with flaunting the rules over Covid, Downing Street decided to temporarily declare Irish unity - or so it seemed.

The Irish tricolour emoji was deleted from the caption of a Downing Street Instagram post

Unionists weren't impressed by an Instagram post in which Number 10 marked a reception for Northern Ireland businesses with the Irish tricolour.

The post was quickly removed.

U is for Umbrella

A councillor in Mid Ulster was criticised for his request for a new umbrella

It never rains, but it pours if you're a local councillor.

Sinn Féin's Sean McPeake was met with derision when, at a meeting of Mid Ulster Council's policy and resources committee, he asked if officers could find the money to supply councillors with umbrellas ahead of the winter months as his current council-supplied brolly has "a broken strut".

V is for Varadkar

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says he doesn't think he's unionism's favourite bogeyman.

But he doubled down talking about Plan B, saying he thought he'll see a united Ireland in his lifetime.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris called the remarks "unhelpful" (again).

It is unclear if Mr Varadkar has so far followed through on his promise to wear a specially presented Linfield shirt with his name on the back to the gym.

The taoiseach was presented with the shirt during a visit to Windsor Park in the summer

W is for Wit

Former DUP leader Peter Robinson is a man who - ahem - does not suffer fools gladly.

So when he suddenly published a self-help book entitled Witty Putdowns and Clever Insults, there was some surprise.

Was the title Caustic Putdowns and Wounding Barbs already taken?

Maybe he has mellowed.

The book had mixed reviews but, if nothing else, it allowed him to do some rare media interviews in which he delivered what was seen as timely advice to unionists and DUP members in particular.

X is for X-rated

Think of a word so bad you cannot hear it on the BBC, even if it may not really be that bad.

Clue: It begins with B and rhymes with frolics.

A source close to Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said he had "directly rebutted factually-incorrect points" made by Séamas de Faoite

Well, the Northern Ireland Secretary Heaton-Harris used it three times when confronted by SDLP councillor Séamas de Faoite at a Stormont reception.

The councillor took issue with his tone, as did we all of course.

Y is for Young

Lagan Valley assembly member Robbie Butler is deputy leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, and probably favourite to succeed the present leader Doug Beattie.

So there was surprise when the BBC revealed he had applied for the post of Northern Ireland's Commissioner for Children and Young People.

He was even shortlisted, but ultimately unsuccessful.

However, he denied his application was a sign he was disillusioned, either with the party in particular or politics more generally.

Z is for Zombie

Sport and politics don't always mix (see C for Casement).

But when Irish rugby fans at the World Cup adopted The Cranberries song Zombie as the unofficial team anthem, there didn't seem to be an obvious problem.

How many of the fans knew it is widely regarded as being an anti-war song written in the wake of the IRA's Warrington bombing is a moot point.

Ireland fell short of the Rugby World Cup semi-final by four points

But the comedian Tadgh Hickey took to X, formerly Twitter, calling it "the perfect partitionist anthem".

He claimed: "It encapsulates the complete lack of understanding or even basic compassion in the south for the lived experience of Northern nationalists."

Cue online fury in both directions.

One thing didn't change- Ireland still got knocked out in the quarter-finals.