WELCOME TO RUSHLIGHT
"The Thinker and the worker are manhood's only Kings
Roisin and David married at the Kee's Hotel Ballybofey Co. Donegal. 25th June. Video and Photography By Rushlight Magazine.
Check out Rushlight Wedding Photography & Video/DVD Package Deal
Rushlight The Belfast Magazine was founded by myself, Joe Graham, in 1972, it is aligned with no political party, was never a puppet to any one or organisation but steadfastly independently sought to further the republican ideals and principles of the United Irishmen , "To Unite Protestant Catholic and Disssenter under the common name of Irishmen., to break the connection with England."
Rushlight has never sought or would accept any grants or funding from any source whatsoever. Preferring to have the freedom to relate and record the real, the hidden, history of Belfast and these six British occupied counties of Ireland in particular. Back in 1972 when I founded Rushlight it was the only publication available in what is now called "West Belfast" to highlight the atrocities of internment, the indignities of home raids by the R.U.C and British Forces and give a voice for the politcal prisoners and indeed raise money to eleviate the financial hardships of their families, other publications sprang up later.
I through, Rushlight, also set up and ran a series of free local Newsheets like "The Ardoyne Freedom Fighter", "The Vindicator", "Scale" , I worked with the legendary Frank Card in establishing "The Republican News" late 1970. Other publications like the "Andersonstown News" later sprang up out of the anti-internment protest, also the great little paper "The Patriot" ran by local republicans which became the voice of republicanism in the Andersonstown area, sadly that patriotic little paper, like the Ballymurphy "The Tattler" is now gone and forgotten. In the 'mid 1990's huge masses of money became available through grants and funding for projects and were availed of widely but I , like a dinosaur, some mercenary minded folk have said, refused all such like monetary interests.
Rushlight the Belfast Magazine remained independent and without outside influences, a standard I have always been very proud to maintain. Through the years I have recorded the stories of Belfast's colourful characters, like Stormy Weather, Silver McKee , Buck Alex Robinson, The Duke Of Millfield, Pig Minelly, Corky, Tommy Juke the bullets, Jimmy Duffin, Dr. McNab and hundreds more and they can all be found in this website. Also I have covered the old districts of Belfast, Ardoyne, New Lodge , The Market, Carrick Hill, The Shankill, Smithfield etc etc, and in those pages shown on the list on right you will see some of the most unique photographs of old Belfast.
Many changes are taking place in Belfast, and many people will say not all for the good, an army of scribes are busy re-wrting the history of this six county region and it is there where I take exception to them, they are omitting facts of history from which lessons could be taken whereby we could be careful of not repeating them again. It is history by omission, is telling half truths, and what is the difference between a half truth and a lie.?.. I would think there is none.!!
