Andy Pollak

Andy Pollak, is a journalist, editor, writer and expert on cross-border cooperation in Ireland. He was the founding director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies, with offices in Armagh and Dublin (1999-2013). Before that he was Belfast reporter, religious affairs correspondent, education correspondent and assistant news editor with The Irish Times from 1981 to 1999. He also contributes to the Irish Independent, Belfast Newsletter, The Belfast Telegraph and the Dublin Review of Books.

Pollak was born in Ballymena, County Antrim, and largely brought up in London. His father, a Czech citizen of German-speaking Jewish descent, lost his editor's job and was forced to flee Czechoslovakia after the Communist takeover in 1948. His 1951 book, Strange Land Behind Me, tells the story of his 11 years between being badly wounded fighting for the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War in 1937, through adventures and imprisonment in the Balkans and India, to his escape from Prague. Pollak's mother, Eileen Gaston, from Ballymena, had gone to Prague to teach English after the Second World War.[1] He received a history degree from the University of Sussex in 1969.

Prior to joining the Irish Times Pollak worked as a journalist in Dublin, London and Mexico City. In Belfast he worked for BBC Northern Ireland as a reporter (1978-1980) and as editor of the Belfast cultural and political magazine, Fortnight(1981-1985). In 1986 he co-authored (with Ed Moloney) a biography of DUP leader Rev. Ian Paisley. In 1992-1993 he was coordinator of the Opsahl Commission (chaired by the Norwegian human rights lawyer Torkel Opsahl), an independent 'citizens inquiry' into ways forward for Northern Ireland.

During his time as director of the Centre for Cross Border Studies, he also edited the Journal of Cross Border Studies in Ireland, and was secretary of Universities Ireland (the all-island university presidents' network) and the all-island Standing Conference on Teacher Education North and South (SCoTENS). He is also a board member of the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation.[2] and Places of Sanctuary Ireland.

Pollak is married to radio producer/presenter, voice coach and Eurovision 1981 presenter Doireann Ní Bhriain. The couple have two children, Sorcha Pollak (Irish Times journalist and author of New to the Parish, about recent immigrants to Ireland) and Grainne Pollak (executive and production assistant, Gate Theatre, Dublin). Pollak is also a managing committeee member of the Unitarian Church in Dublin.

A blogger, he publishes 2 Irelands Together, commenting on Northern Irish and cross border issues.[3]

Publications

  • Paisley by Ed Moloney and Andy Pollak, Published by Poolbeg Press Ltd., 1986

References

  1. ↑ Andy Pollak Director of The Centre of Cross Border Studies Irish Times, October 21, 2000.
  2. ↑ Andy Pollak Our Team - Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation , www.glencree.ie
  3. ↑ 2irelands2gether A Blog by Andy Pollak.
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