Probably the only “Jolene” you know is the one in the Dolly Parton song. A friend of mine does a very good karaoke version.

There is also Councillor Jolene Bunting, an Independent Unionist councillor on Belfast City Council. She is only in her 20s but has not exactly on the progressive side of Politics.

She is in the news again. She is a supporter of “Britain First” and its Deputy Leader, Jayden Fransen, who is a regular visitor to Norn Iron…and its courts. It must be easier to get arrested in Belfast.

A few months ago, Ms Fransen who is a total no-mark found herself and her controversial videos re-tweeted by  President Donald Trump.

A visit by Ms Fransen to Belfast saw her being filmed sitting on the “Lord” Mayor’s big chair in the Council Chamber and she is wearing the robes of a City Councillor. Seemingly a guest of Councillor Ms Bunting.

The combination of Barry McElduff and Jolene Bunting is probably a better reflection on the under-belly of Norn Iron than any lesgetalongerist Tourism promotion.

Don’t take too much heart in Barry and Jolene being lone voices from our troubled Past. They are both part of the Present…and depressingly part of the Future.

I note there are over 1,400 comments on various Slugger O;Toole threads about Barry McElduff. No doubt this is a reflection of the relative importance of a Westminster MP who is a member of a major Party , compared to an independent unionist in a council chamber.

Perhaps it is also a reflection of the agenda of the main players on Slugger O’Toole.

But no doubt in their fair and impartial way, one of the movers and shakers on Slugger would like to start a thread on Jolene. Just for the “Record”.