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Original poster

Cancellation of WRN NI event at Féile festival.

321 replies

SexRealistic · 21/07/2026 21:15

Did anyone catch up with the cancellation of WRN NIs event at Féile and Phobail festivak today?

Apparently it’s ‘anti trans’ except the event was about women’s voices being heard.

JKR offered to fund….

Cancellation of WRN NI event at Féile festival.
Cancellation of WRN NI event at Féile festival.
OP posts:
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52
GargoylesofBeelzebub · 29/07/2026 14:04

So what exactly has happened here?

it seems that Feile and WRNI met in advance of the court action and made an agreement upon which WRNI withdrew the legal action? Yet Feile are spinning this as a court win for them?!?!

what is the actual story here.

Savvysix1984 · 29/07/2026 14:21

I hope they book the waterfront or a larger venue and get lots of support. I will go if I can get a ticket.

mardirousse · 29/07/2026 16:17

Féile's solicitor's statement gives more detail than Féile's. The taxpayer is funding Féile, I believe https://x.com/OMuirighSols/status/2082453362776183005

Ó Muirigh Solicitors (@OMuirighSols) on X

📢 Statement re: WRN_NI v Féile an Phobail

https://x.com/OMuirighSols/status/2082453362776183005

WrongKindOfFeminist · 29/07/2026 16:19

In which case, all should be FOIable?

UtopiaPlanitia · 29/07/2026 16:25

WrongKindOfFeminist · 29/07/2026 11:34

I just googled to look for news.

This festival looks a bit dodge, tbh.

https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/feile-phobail-calls-review-public-24758800

I've considered Féile to be woke-washing for militant Republicanism/Sinn Féin for decades now and they never do anything to dissuade me of that idea.

The statements from Féile and their solicitors both have a distinct air of righteous victory over disobliging women about them. WRN's statement is very conciliatory.

I can imagine why the members of WRN decided to withdraw and hold their event elsewhere - N Ireland is a very small place and it's not a good idea to draw the wrong kind of attention from violent men.

I just wish that achieving freedom for women from male oppression & violence in this bloody province wasn't such a fucking depressing slog.

TooBigForMyBoots · 29/07/2026 16:46

MarieDeGournay · 29/07/2026 14:03

I see Féile an Phobail are linking WRN to attacks on An Fhéile, but also on 'the West Belfast Community' - actually expanding the range of their misinformation/slurs against WRN.

I hope at least some of the women of West Belfast can see this for what it is - supporting women, but only the kind who are acceptable to An Fhéile, not the sex-realist kind who are somehow a threat to 'the West Belfast Community' .
Maybe some of them will even turn out to support the alt.event.

It looks like this is an attempt to portray terfy women as rightwing, anti-Nationalist, and xenophobic as well as anti-trans - like women in the US are force-teamed with the extreme right and Trump - therefore every right-minded person must condemn evil WRN ['supported by JK Rowling' as I saw in one report🙄] and applaud wonderful An Fhéile for standing up for the marginalised and oppressed..

I hope WRN notes that suggestion that they are somehow against 'the West Belfast Community' and gets ahead of it, because it is quite potent.

Well this West Belfast woman can see what it is. And so can my West Belfast ma.😡

PrettyDamnCosmic · 29/07/2026 16:56

mardirousse · 29/07/2026 16:17

Féile's solicitor's statement gives more detail than Féile's. The taxpayer is funding Féile, I believe https://x.com/OMuirighSols/status/2082453362776183005

WRN has apparently given an undertaking not to go back to court even though they were discriminated against.

GargoylesofBeelzebub · 29/07/2026 17:02

mardirousse · 29/07/2026 16:17

Féile's solicitor's statement gives more detail than Féile's. The taxpayer is funding Féile, I believe https://x.com/OMuirighSols/status/2082453362776183005

Still not overly clear what has occurred. Did Feile pay WRN a settlement?

Savvysix1984 · 29/07/2026 17:09

TooBigForMyBoots · 29/07/2026 16:46

Well this West Belfast woman can see what it is. And so can my West Belfast ma.😡

Show quote history

Me too, and my sisters, mummy, BIL and my dh (though he’s not a Westie). My sisters had initially taken Feile at ‘face value’ and agreed with them until I broke it down to what it meant then they agreed with me and WRN. I think a lot of people go along with it without actually giving it much thought other than ‘live and let live’.

WrongKindOfFeminist · 29/07/2026 17:35

PrettyDamnCosmic · 29/07/2026 16:56

WRN has apparently given an undertaking not to go back to court even though they were discriminated against.

Show quote history

Did WRN get money as settlement then?

This is all a bit opaque.

TheKeatingFive · 29/07/2026 17:45

This is all very odd

moto748e · 29/07/2026 18:23

TheKeatingFive · 29/07/2026 17:45

This is all very odd

It is. Not the end of the story, I guess.

TheywontletmehavethenameIwant · 29/07/2026 18:26

WrongKindOfFeminist · 29/07/2026 17:45

The lads all seem very pleased with themselves.

https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/belfast-feile-claims-victory-after-womens-rights-group-withdraws-legal-case-as-part-of-settlement-HRF6POIZ3FFQNJ6Z3D5KPIIQNY/

They look more like heavy's who are accustomed to disappearing any one who steps out of line, a line decided by them of course. 😤

UtopiaPlanitia · 29/07/2026 18:31

Men who are 'community leaders' in Northern Ireland are used to getting their own way in their own patch.

TooBigForMyBoots · 29/07/2026 18:37

Savvysix1984 · 29/07/2026 17:09

Me too, and my sisters, mummy, BIL and my dh (though he’s not a Westie). My sisters had initially taken Feile at ‘face value’ and agreed with them until I broke it down to what it meant then they agreed with me and WRN. I think a lot of people go along with it without actually giving it much thought other than ‘live and let live’.

Show quote history

Once I'd given her the lowdown, my ma got it straight away. She used to run women's groups back in the 90s and 00s. I won't give you all the details of her response, but it ended with Fuck that!.

WomanInnaWoods · 29/07/2026 19:14

Feile's solicitors apparently posted this
(Image attached, hopefully legible)

Cancellation of WRN NI event at Féile festival.
MarieDeGournay · 29/07/2026 19:20

TooBigForMyBoots · 29/07/2026 18:37

Once I'd given her the lowdown, my ma got it straight away. She used to run women's groups back in the 90s and 00s. I won't give you all the details of her response, but it ended with Fuck that!.

Show quote history

This is music to my ears, well done youse!Smile

Ereshkigalangcleg · 29/07/2026 22:20

WrongKindOfFeminist · 29/07/2026 13:00

'Today's outcome at the High Court' - implying it was a court decision, when in fact it seems that wasn't the case.

Low-down sneaky behaviour, that is.

GLP level spin.

UtopiaPlanitia · 30/07/2026 00:02

WomanInnaWoods · 29/07/2026 19:14

Feile's solicitors apparently posted this
(Image attached, hopefully legible)

From what I can tell from reading two very differen statements about the same thing: it seems WRN were reluctant to let this actually go to law and accepted instead that Féile would be openminded about including them in a future programme. But, from the Féile statements about this matter, that hope on WRN's part seems ill-founded because Féile are not likely to change their characterisation of WRN as bigots. And Féile are touting themselves as victors over WRN in their public statements.

I think WRN may have been too reasonable and that will set things back in NI for women who want to speak on the issues involved - their detractors will point to the statement from Féile and use it to tarnish GC speakers in the same way Allison Morris did.

TooBigForMyBoots · 30/07/2026 01:10

I dont get why WRN backed down.SadConfused

UtopiaPlanitia · 30/07/2026 02:59

TooBigForMyBoots · 30/07/2026 01:10

I dont get why WRN backed down.SadConfused

I know what you mean. They’d seemed so ready to pursue this.

I suppose it could be the fact that they’re a grassroots organisation, that comprises ordinary women fitting all this in around the usual million things women have on their plates, and that could have made litigation feel like it was too much for them to take on.

Although, monetary help from the JKR fund would have allowed them to turn things over to solicitors to handle on their behalf. And there would have been groups in GB who could have offered support/advice.

I dunno….it feels like a strange decision 🤷‍♀️

MashaPav · 30/07/2026 08:16

It’s about time the UK implements Anti-SLAPP laws to prevent rich bigots from threatening lawsuits when something happens which they don’t agree with.

GargoylesofBeelzebub · 30/07/2026 09:26

MashaPav · 30/07/2026 08:16

It’s about time the UK implements Anti-SLAPP laws to prevent rich bigots from threatening lawsuits when something happens which they don’t agree with.

I don’t think you know what Anti-SLAPP laws mean. They are not relevant in this situation. This is discrimination.

WrongKindOfFeminist · 30/07/2026 09:30

MashaPav · 30/07/2026 08:16

It’s about time the UK implements Anti-SLAPP laws to prevent rich bigots from threatening lawsuits when something happens which they don’t agree with.

So under informed. Much vapid.

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