Rev Kyle Paisley to attend Senate's session on constitutional future of island of Ireland

Reverend Kyle Paisley is attending an Irish Senate event on the constitutional future of the island this weekend. 

     Rev Kyle Paisley with his late father,                             Rev Ian Paisley 

             September 30th, 2022. 

Attending the Seanad event via video link from England at 2pm on Friday, the son of the late Reverend Ian Paisley will meet with Irish politicians and communities throughout the island to hear and discuss their views on the constitutional question.

“He is coming to the first session and we will have other people from the unionist community coming in on subsequent sessions,” said Senator Mark Daly of Fianna Fail, also the Cathaoirleach (Chairperson) of the Seanad.

It is the first meeting of the Seanad’s Public Consultation into the constitutional future of the island of Ireland.

Reverend Kyle Paisley, who is minister at Oulton Broad Free Presbyterian Church in Suffolk said: “As a unionist it is my belief that Northern Ireland and it's people’s best interests are best served as part of the United Kingdom. A reimagined Northern Ireland is a vision that Unionism must embrace.”

Earlier this week, an exhibition highlighting unionist and Protestant voices in Seanad Eireann throughout its 100 years, was launched in Dublin.

Martin McAleese, who assisted loyalist groups to participate in the peace process and is also the Belfast-born husband of former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, attended the launch on Wednesday, along with Ian Marshall, the first Ulster Unionist elected to the Seanad in almost 100 years, and former Supreme Court justice Catherine McGuinness.

The exhibition looks at unionist and Protestant voices in the Seanad after they found themselves in the minority following the foundation of the new state.

Mr Daly said: “The presence of northern voices in the Upper House, both nationalist and unionist, has been critical in ensuring representative and inclusive debate, particularly during the Troubles and since the Good Friday Agreement.

“These contributions have provided insights and understanding that have not always been present in the Dail. As debates around Brexit, and the relationship between Ireland, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the European Union continue to evolve, the role of the Seanad in this area will continue to grow.”

                      #TogetherUK 

Meanwhile, former First Minister Dame Arlene Foster has defended the Alliance Party after they had been accused of being “constitutional cowards” for rejecting an invitation to an Ireland’s Future event taking place on Saturday.

The Alliance Party was criticised by the SDLP’s Justin McNulty for rejecting an invitation to take part in the event in Dublin amid calls for it to “pick a side”.

It will be the only non-unionist party on the island not to attend Ireland's Future's 'Together We Can' gathering due to get underway in the 3Arena.

Mr McNulty dubbed the party “constitutional cowards without the courage of their convictions”, to which Ms Foster tweeted: “I’m not sure calling an entire political party “cowards” is going to make them change their minds. Shared-island anyone?? #TogetherUK.”

Alliance has branded the conference as a "rally to endorse a united Ireland" and said it was "not an appropriate event for us to participate in".

A statement from Alliance said the party "has and continues to engage in discussions around the future of these islands on a non-prejudicial basis, including a recent panel event for Ireland’s Future and through the Seanad Eireann consultation on the constitutional future of the island of Ireland".

With many thanks to the: Belfast Telegraph and Niamh Campbell for the original story. 

Follow these links to find out more on this story: A growing majority in the North of Ireland think Brexit has increased the likelihood of a United Ireland

Mark Bain: Ireland's Future events will appear nothing more than a 'show of strength' until efforts are increased to include dissenting voices

Ireland's Future: Arlene Foster defends Alliance Party after SDLP accused them of being 'constitutional cowards' over rejection of event invite

Rev Kyle Paisley to attend Senate's session on constitutional future of island of Ireland

Loyalist paramilitary gang attack man with hammers and guns in Bangor, Co Down.

Four men broke into a property on Railway Street in Bangor just before 4am on Friday.

                           PSNI/RUC

               September 30th, 2022. 

The intruders trashed the inside and assaulted the male occupant.

Police are appealing for information.

PSNI detective sergeant Shivers said: “Shortly before 4am, it was reported that four men, armed with hammers and handguns, gained entry to a property at Railway Street.

“They reportedly trashed the inside of it, and assaulted a male occupant.

“The suspects were said to be wearing dark coloured clothing and masks, and are believed to have made off on foot following the incident.

“Our enquiries into this incident are ongoing, and we are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time and witnessed any suspicious activity, or who may have any information which could assist us, to get in touch.

“Please call 101 and quote reference number 192 of 30/09/22.”

With many thanks to the: Belfast Telegraph and Brett Campbell for the original publication. 

Follow these links to find out more on this story: OPEN YOUR EYES: Are loyalist paramilitaries mainly the UVF to blame for flooding the streets of Belfast with their drugs?

First two loyalists arrested under the Terrorism Act after searches in Larne and Ballyclare

Man attacked by gang armed with hammers and guns in Co Down

First two loyalists arrested under the Terrorism Act after searches in Larne and Ballyclare

Two loyalists have been arrested under terrorism act after searches in Larne and Ballyclare

               South East Antrim UDA 

          

         Tuesday 27th September, 2022. 

Two men in their 40s have been arrested by police investigating the South East Antrim UDA after a number of searches in county Antrim on Tuesday.

        Credit: PSNI - UDA paramilitary-                     associated paraphernalia 

The two men – aged 45 and 40 – were arrested under the Terrorism Act following four joint search operations in Larne and Ballyclare. Detective Inspector Corrigan said: “Officers today have seized two vehicles – a car and a van.  Other items included mobile phones, a quantity of tablets, a luxury watch and paramilitary-associated paraphernalia.

"We also recovered a significant quantity of cash, and documentation with names and numbers.“We’re grateful to our Paramilitary Crime Task Force partners – the National Crime Agency and HM Revenue & Customs – for their support. 

     Credit: PSNI - A quantity of various                                 tablets 

"Together, we are committed to disrupting the activities of organised crime groups. 

    Credit: PSNI - Various mobile phones 

“These groups use any means, including money lending, to control and exploit vulnerable members of the community – people who are struggling financially.“The coercion that comes with illegal money lending means that it’s common for victims to feel that they have no-one to turn to.  

And I’m keen to take this opportunity to ask anyone who is, or has been, a victim to contact police on 101. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

With many thanks to: UTV for the original story. 

Follow these links to find out more on this story: Leading loyalist 'changed his floor after stabbing man and slashing his face to the bone'

Mix up puts judge and lawyers in different courts for Soldier F hearing

Police female violence strategy aimed at 'turning tables on violent men'

Two men arrested under the Terrorism Act after searches in Larne and Ballyclare

POEM OF THE WEEK

CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER 

                    Kwasi Kwarteng

Once upon a recent time

A vain and silly man

Got himself appointed

To rule over all the land.

He knew capable ministers

Can threaten he who rules

So he gathered up a cabinet

Of sycophants and fools.

His courtiers would whisper

Flattering nothings in his ear

For this they knew was all

The silly man would want to hear.

        #DUPLies #NeverTrustTheDUP 

The fools meanwhile would bumble

And stumble daftly on

And make the silly man look clever

By comparison.

But now the vain and silly man

Has been defenestrated

His vanity and silliness

No longer tolerated.

And now the fools have nobody

To tell them what to do

And the sycophants are stranded with

No-one to suck up to.

With many thanks to the: The New European and Mitch Benn for the original publication. 

Follow this link to find out more on this story: Sammy Wilson: DUP MP defiant over mini-Budget praise despite expert's warning 'mortgage time bomb' is looming

Think the budget was bad? Look what Kwasi left out...

© 2022 The New European

Different story now for sectarianism and sport in the North of Ireland

Recent census results mirror the breaking down of religious barriers through sport

Ard Eoin Kickmans GAA murel in Ardoyne 

       Monday September 26th, 2022. 

More than 30 years ago the late Colm Keane made a haunting radio documentary for RTÉ called A Belfast Game. It told the story of the Ardoyne Kickhams U-16 footballers, winners of the South Antrim championship in 1969, and how The Troubles invaded their lives. The final was played seven days after James Callaghan, the British home secretary, had moved troops into the North to confront the growing unrest, and on their way to Casement Park the team bus passed burnt out cars, the smouldering remains of the previous night’s rioting.

It was a still point in lives that would be dragged in different directions. Two members of that panel of 24 players lost their lives in The Troubles; two of them lost fathers; two of them had brothers who were shot. Ten of them emigrated, only a couple of whom returned. Among their ranks, too, were a couple of Protestant boys, which would have been unusual then, and unimaginable only a short time later.

Taking a snapshot of NI in The Troubles through the lens of sport was a recurring device, across all media. A few years after Colm Keane’s documentary, Fergal Keane of the BBC made The Boys of Summer for television, telling the story of a football team from Holy Cross primary school, in Ardoyne, and set just a year earlier in 1968.

When Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton had the chutzpah to turn The Troubles into a dismal West End musical, The Beautiful Game was reportedly inspired by both of those documentaries, with at least a couple of the characters transported from The Boys of Summer, and fitted with a costume for the stage.

In telling a story from The Troubles, sport offered a universal language. In a divided society, it was an emblem of your tribe, just as visceral as the songs, and the flags, and the faith and the politics. The short hand was simple to decipher.

So, what does it mean now? Does it mean all the same things it once did? Or have the borders softened?

Learn more

When the results of the Northern Ireland census were released on Thursday, one of the outcomes that generated the greatest attention was how people described their nationality. On the census form were eight options, descending from the vanilla responses (British only 31.86 per cent; Irish only 29.13 per cent) to a variety of minority identities (British, Irish and Northern Irish only 1.47 per cent; Irish and Northern Irish only 1.76 per cent).

In an alternative census, how would those numbers have translated into sporting preferences? Would “GAA only” or “Rugby only” or “Soccer only” have dominated the numbers, like they would have done, say, 30 years ago, or would more of the second and third preferences have been cross-cultural?

In 2015 the NI Executive commissioned the University of Ulster to produce a report, Social Exclusion and Sport in Northern Ireland. Some of the outcomes were heartening: 86 per cent of the people surveyed said they believed sport was a good way to break down barriers between Protestants and Catholics, and around the same figure believed that sport was more “open and inclusive” than it had been a decade earlier; two-thirds of respondents said they believed that sports-based peace-building projects were “effective.”

A significant number of Protestants have hinted at an interest in GAA. Photograph: John McVitty/Inpho

In the next breath, 57 per cent of the people surveyed believed there was “nothing wrong” with different sports for Protestants and Catholics. Only 1 per cent of the Protestants surveyed said they had watched “a lot” of Gaelic football in the previous year, but nearly two in five said they would go to a game in Casement Park, if they were given a ticket. Even though the free ticket was a hypothetical offer, it represented a degree of curiosity, and minds that were at least ajar.

Searching for what those numbers might mean in the day-to-day life of the mainstream sports requires some rooting around. Ten years ago, for example, when Ulster reached the final of the Heineken Cup against Leinster, they profiled their support base and established that nearly a quarter of their regulars at Ravenhill were from a nationalist background. It is hard imagine that figure has fallen since.

In recent years, Windsor Park has become a more comfortable environment for Catholics who wish to support NI: there are more green and white flags and fewer union jacks, and the song-list in the stands is not as inflammatory as it once was. Are there more football fans who support both NI and the Republic now? That would be an interesting question for the alternative census.

The GAA are attempting to reach out, too. One terrific initiative is the Cúchulainn Cup, which this year included 14 schools in five towns: five Catholic schools, five Protestant schools, and four schools that cater for children of all religions. In each town a multi-denominational team is picked, mostly with beginners, or kids who used to play but haven’t done so for years. This year’s winners were Limavady, with a team picked from two Protestant schools and one Catholic school.

Targeting children as carriers of change is the mission of Peaceplayers, an international organisation, which has been active in NI since the early 2000s. “It is based on a very simple premise,” said Gareth Harper, managing director of their Belfast office. “Children who play together can learn to live together.”

Their work is primarily conducted in schools that are partnered for the purpose of forming integrated basketball teams, a neutral sport not associated with one tradition or the other. One of their initiatives is the Belfast Inter-Face Games where they work with children near the so-called peace lines - segregation walls between loyalist and republican areas that were erected during The Troubles.

One of their greatest triumphs was in Ardoyne. In the early 2000s, Holy Cross, a Catholic primary school in a Protestant area, was picketed by local parents who claimed that their homes had been attacked by republicans. The protests turned violent and eventually riot police accompanied the Holy Cross pupils and their parents on their daily walk to school.

Peaceplayers worked with Holy Cross and a nearby Protestant school in Wheatfield to build an integrated basketball team and, from that, a bridge. Having had the experience of playing basketball together, they got involved in a Game of Three Halves (a joint Ulster GAA, Ulster Rugby and IFA project) where Protestant kids from Wheatfield and Glenbryn played Gaelic football and Catholic kids from Holy Cross played rugby.

It is the same neighbourhood where Colm Keane and Fergal Keane told their stories. But it is a different story now.

With many thanks to: The Irish Times and Denis Walsh for the original story. 

Follow these links to find out more on this story: UVF mouthpiece Jamie Bryson claims the GAA are not welcome in unionist/loyalist areas

What do you think Linfield FC will do about Jordan Stewart? Same as Larne FC did with John Herron? No, me neither!

Different story now for sectarianism and sport in Northern Ireland

Dungannon councillor who wrongly claimed Gaelic football tournament was linked to IRA hunger striker ‘will not apologise to the GAA’

[ More Catholics than Protestants in Northern Ireland for first time, census finds]

[Northern Ireland census: Another psychological blow for unionism]

Police incease in Public Interest Immunity material linked to LVF murder of Seamas Dillon had not been completed eight-years-ago the coroner Court was told.

The volume of sensitive state material related to the loyalist shooting of a nightclub doorman has increased significantly in the last eight years, a coroner has been told.

     Seamus Dillon was murdered by the                  LVF in Dungannon in 1997 

              26th September, 2022. 

Former republican prisoner Seamus Dillon was murdered gunned down by the LVF outside the Glengannon Hotel in Dungannon in 1997.

The shooting was seen as a revenge attack by loyalists following the murder of LVF leader Billy Wright in the Maze prison hours earlier.

An inquest for the 45-year-old father of three is due to commence next April.

Earlier inquest proceedings into Mr Dillon’s death stalled in 2014 due to financial issues prior to the substantive hearing taking place.

A preliminary hearing today before coroner Richard Greene was told that a state application to withhold certain material from the inquest, on the grounds of Public Interest Immunity (PII), had not be completed eight years ago.

Counsel for the coroner Frank O’Donoghue KQ said in 2014 the state had applied for PII on material contained within 180 pages.

He said a hearing before the then coroner to determine whether the PII application would be upheld had not taken place.

Mr O’Donoghue said the situation eight years on had “changed very significantly” and a new PII exercise ahead of next year’s inquest was set to cover much more material.

He said there was “considerably greater amounts of sensitive material” that had to be reviewed as part of the PII process.

       ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖

STATEMENT FROM SINN FÉIN:

Gerry Kelly: "Family of Seamus Dillon entitled to transparency and answers". 

          Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly who sits                           on the Policing Board 

27 September, 2022 - by Gerry Kelly

Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly has said the family of Seamus Dillon is entitled to transparency and answers as opposed to secrecy and cover-up.

Gerry Kelly said:

“The family of Seamus Dillon is entitled to transparency and answers as opposed to secrecy and cover-up.

“Public Interest Immunity certificates (PII) are used to conceal information. They were and are extensively used to hold back information in conflict legacy cases from families of victims.

“Earlier inquest proceedings into Seamus Dillon’s killing stalled in 2014 and a preliminary hearing yesterday was told that eight years later there is further information that needs to be reviewed.

“All relevant material into the death of Seamus Dillon who was gunned down by the LVF outside the Glengannon Hotel in Dungannon in 1997 must be considered.

“An inquest into Seamus Dillon’s death is set for next April, there should be no further stalling, his family deserve truth and justice.”

Sinn Féin

       ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖

Joanne Hannigan KC, representing the PSNI and MoD, confirmed that was the case.

“Yes, that is the position,” she told the hearing.

“We advised the legacy unit on September 24 that there are 11 folders of sensitive material which are ready to be reviewed on behalf of the coroner.

“And that is, in essence, the information that was provided in 2014 and there’s also then further information.

   #SayNoToPII #JusticeForNoahDonohoe 

“Ultimately, now we’re looking at 11 folders that require to be reviewed as to relevance.

“And it is likely that a new PII certificate will be required for all the material that is being put forward and that needs to be reviewed for relevance.

“So, it is a substantial enough amount of material.”

The next preliminary hearing in the case was listed for November 8.

With many thanks to the: Irish News and David Young, PA for the original publication. 

Follow these links to find out more on this story: 

'They'll always be the RUC to me'! pictures believed to have been taken of a suicide victim by PSNI/RUC officers, which were later shared contained graphic and sectarian content

Coroner told of incease in sensitive state material linked to LVF murder of Seamas Dillon in Dungannon

Former Thatcher cabinet minister Norman Tibbit predicts Irish Unity

NORMAN Tebbit, the former Tory cabinet minister whose wife was seriously injured in the IRA's Brighton bomb, has predicted a united Ireland.

   Lord Tebbit outside the Grand Hotel in          Brighton in 2009. Picture by Chris                               Ison/PA Wire

                 27th September, 2022. 

The Conservative life peer, who famously urged jobseekers to "get on your bike", said that “it looks more likely than not that in the not too distant future” there will be a united Ireland.

The 91-year-old former minister, whose late wife Margaret was paralysed from the chest down in the 1984 bombing of the Grand Hotel, aired his thoughts in the Daily Telegraph earlier this week.

He identified trends in the latest census that increased the growing likelihood of a united Ireland.

   #UnitedIreland #BorderPoll #IrishUnity 

"All in all, it looks more likely than not that in the not too distant future, the province will become part of the Republic,” he wrote.

“Will that have any effect on Scottish or Welsh nationalism? Will King Charles III end up as just the King of England? And will my great grandchildren grow up in an unstable England and look for safety within a European state?

“I am glad to be in my nineties rather than my fifties.”

In 1999, Lord Tebbit spoke out against the plans to disband the RUC, saying he was against throwing the force's name and badge "into the modernisation trash can".

He said the RUC had been "the thin green line standing between bloody anarchy and the rule of law".

With many thanks to the: Irish News for the original publication. 

Follow these links to find out more on this story: Border poll 'yes' vote would require British parliament consent

Prospect of Sinn Féin leading government North and South now very real, says McDonald

A growing majority in the North of Ireland think Brexit has increased the likelihood of a United Ireland

Norman Tibbit predicts Irish Unity

OPEN YOUR EYES: Are loyalist paramilitaries mainly the UVF to blame for flooding the streets of Belfast with their drugs?

Chief executive of Belfast City Council John Walsh on the decisions ahead for this ‘unique’ place

       IS THIS WHAT HAS BECOME OF                                BELFAST? 

    Police officers deal with drug misuse        on a Belfast street - Are loyalist UVF          too blame for flooding Belfast streets                         with their drugs 

             September 26th, 2022. 

Safe injecting rooms to tackle Belfast’s drug problem, ‘zero emissions zones’ to cut down on vehicle pollution and old, derelict buildings given a new lease of life — these are some of the ideas for the future of our capital city.

That is according to the chief executive of Belfast City Council, John Walsh, who spoke to this newspaper for the first time since taking office.

In recent months, the state of Belfast city centre has made headlines for all the wrong reasons.

From open drug use and dirty streets to crime, deaths on the streets and shuttered businesses.

      Belfast City Council chief executive                                John Walsh

Mr Walsh has faced a bulging in-tray since he took the reins at BCC from his predecessor Suzanne Wylie in March.

He previously worked as the City Solicitor and was a frequent fixture in council meetings offering legal advice.

Asked what makes Belfast a good place to live, he said it is down to the people, the built heritage, and says what the city has to offer is “spectacular”.

    Masked members of the loyalist East          Belfast UVF conducting a show-of-             strength in full presence of armed              PSNI officers - not one of them was                 charged with belonging to a                           proscribed organisation. 

“For me, the future of Belfast will rely heavily on our ability to retain talent, and also promote ourselves to new talent. Because of the Troubles, the city received very little investment for years,” he added.

“But what that did give us was more of a blank canvas, one that other European cities don’t have, on which we can build a truly unique city.

  The former Bank of Ireland building will       be restored as part of the £100 million           Belfast Stories visitor attraction 

“We have to work on accessibility as well. The Belfast Hills, for instance — we’re currently working on opening up the hills and making them accessible for all.”

Regarding the cleanliness of the city, Mr Walsh pointed to the cleansing taskforce that has been set up, adding that a review of cleansing operations is under way. He said a dedicated in-house street washing team has been created, while specialist cleansing has been taking place in recent weeks.

   Who's in charge the PSNI or the UVF? 

To give derelict buildings a new lease of life, a two-year pilot programme has opened called ‘Vacant to Vibrant’, which offers grants of between £2,500 and £25,000 to support the occupation of vacant premises.

Mr Walsh said the planning system does not help matters.

“I would much rather not be having to deal with the planning system as it is, I would have to say it is not fit for purpose. The investment community can be quite fickle, and if they have money to spend they will go to places where it is easier to do so,” he said.

“For me, a priority needs to be reviewing the planning system and making it fit for purpose, but we have been quite successful in making sure some of the larger scale applications are progressed quickly.”

Following a spate of deaths among the homeless community, and those with addiction issues, the chief executive said hard decisions will have to be made. “I actually spent a night on the streets and speaking to these people. They all have different stories to tell. Some have addiction issues and some don’t,” he added.

“We would act as a convenor for these city issues and have spoken to all stakeholders and will be rolling out a programme called ‘complex lives’, which was first rolled out in Doncaster.

“That is very much about looking at the individual, assessing their needs and putting together a programme that we can wrap around the individual and get them to a better place.

“For instance, there was one man I spoke to on the streets who had been given the keys to a house, but he couldn’t cope. And we do have to look at the places, the hotspots, where this is going on.

“Dublin is experiencing the same issue, and we’re speaking with our counterparts there on ways to address these problems.

“But we do have hard conversations and I’ve raised this with the Chief Constable and others.

“They’ve had difficulty with this in Dublin, in terms of finding a location, but I do think we have to look at potentially having a safe place for these people, a safe injecting room.”

The council has a climate resilience strategy in place, aimed at making the city greener and more environmentally-friendly.

Mr Walsh pointed to other European cities that have implemented ‘zero emissions zones’, where only fully-electric vehicles are allowed. He said that, while not everyone would be happy with introducing such a scheme in Belfast, it could be an option going forward.

“In terms of connectivity, we try to influence the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) as much as possible to improve that. That’s a big part of Bolder Vision [a blueprint on improving the city], and I think we’re close to signing an MoU [memorandum of understanding] with DfI and DfC [Department for Communities] to bring forward many of these initiatives,” he said.

The BCC boss also stressed the value of the Belfast Stories project, a £100m development where North Street meets Royal Avenue.

It will tell the story of Belfast through a variety of media and immersive experiences. Mr Walsh said it will be “brilliant” for the city and something which he is particularly excited about. It is expected to open in 2028.

Finally, while the chief executive has to remain apolitical, he did admit when asked about the current political crisis: “It’s always a better place to be when we have a functioning Assembly.”

With many thanks to the: Belfast Telegraph and Andrew Madden for the original publication. 

Follow these links to find out more on this story: Son of leading UVF Chief has all charges against him dismissed in paramilitary show-of-strength at Pitt Park.

The real face of the UVF: Sinister mob gathers to try to drive family out over row between teenage girls

UVF Commander Winston 'Winkie' Irvine waiting on DNA reports to see if he will face any charges for having half a UVF arms dump discovered in his car

Belfast In Focus: Safe injecting rooms, zero-emissions zones, resurrecting derelict buildings… is this the future for our city?

UVF mural transformed into loyalist culture memorial in South Belfast

The Donegall Avenue mural was created as part of a project with members of the community and the police

    Martin Snoddon speaking at the new       Donegall Avenue mural (Image: Justin                              Kernoghan) 

                24th September, 2022. 

A UVF mural in South Belfast has been transformed into a positive historical memorial as part of a project between the community and police.

The paramilitary mural on Donegall Avenue had been in place for a number of years and was recently replaced with a new one showing the history of the founding of NI as part of a project called Moving Forward.

               Donegall Avenue mural 

The aim of the scheme was to rebuild relationships with some members of the Village area and the PSNI, which had become fractured over the years.

The project was led by consultant and historian Martin Snoddon and Eddie Kelly from the Greater Village Regeneration Trust.

    Martin Snoddon speaking at the new                   Donegall Avenue mural 

Martin Snoddon said at the unveiling of the mural on Friday, September 23: "This project was all about building relationships between the community here in the Village and the police by finding common ground in our interest of the history of Northern Ireland.

"Over the course of a few months we came together for a number of workshops and historical trips to Belfast City Hall, The Union Theological College and Cenotaph, where we learned about the history of the foundation of Northern Ireland and the impact it had in South Belfast.

    Martin Snoddon speaking at the new                   Donegall Avenue mural 

"While there is still work to do in building respect between the two parties, the project was very successful in helping them understand one another and engaging in a healthy dialog.

"This new mural that has been created is also a way of promoting the positive aspects of the community by showing some of the key events that have helped shape it into what it is today."

    Martin Snoddon at the new Donegall                         Avenue mural 

Eddie Kelly thanked those who took part in the scheme, which was funded by the Belfast City Council Policing and Community Safety Partnership grant, and hoped more work can be done in the future.

He said: "For years there had been a prominent UVF mural on Donegall Avenue and we wanted to do something to highlight the more positive aspects within the community here.

               Donegall Avenue mural 

"While some were apprehensive at first, I am thankful to all of those who took part and worked with our neighbourhood policing teams so that we can begin to build relationships here in the Village and help the area grow."

MLA Edwin Poots said it was "great to see the formation of Northern Ireland delved into and discussed so deeply with participants".

             Donegall Avenue mural 

He added: "It was very evident GVRT had worked hard to develop relationships with both the community and police. I am confident this relationship will be built upon and developed going forward. Well done to all who contributed."

       Martin Snoddon speaking at the                         Donegall Avenue mural 

With many thanks to: Belfast Live and Connor Lynch for the original story. 

Follow these links to find out more on this story: Roads officials seek PSNI/RUC advice hundreds of times over flags flown without permission

Cleric rejects Dee Stitt’s suggestion that UDA/UFF part of ‘Protestant culture’ as Jamie Bryson announces north Down loyalist is ‘a client’

UVF mural transformed into positive memorial in South Belfast

Dungannon councillor who wrongly claimed Gaelic football tournament was linked to IRA hunger striker ‘will not apologise to the GAA’

Clement Cuthbertson was speaking at a meeting at Mid-Ulster District Council, and was subsequently cut off by the council’s chair, Sinn Fein councillor Cora Corry.

            DUP's Clement Cuthbertson 

            September 24th, 2022. 

At the council’s monthly meeting this week, Mr Cuthbertson was invited to apologise for remarks he made on social media in August claiming “the GAA still idolises convicted terrorists”.

His comments were made in relation to the Francie Hughes Memorial Tournament for young children. The tournament is named after the highly-regarded former chairman of Coalisland Na Fianna who shares his name with a 1981 IRA (Irish Republican Army) hunger striker.

Speaking at the meeting, Torrent councillors Dan Kerr and Malachy Quinn conveyed what they said was the hurt and anger the comments had caused in Coalisland and called on the DUP councillor to apologise.

UUP councillor Mark Glasgow also issued a statement criticising the tournament but has already withdrawn his remarks and apologised.

Mr Kerr said: “On August 9, two unionist councillors made outlandish and embarrassing remarks about my local GAA club.

“It seems that Councillor Cuthbertson’s obsession with attacking anything remotely Irish has led to him making a fool of himself while another unionist councillor, without fact checking, released statements to try to be seen outdoing him. Cllr Cuthbertson obviously spends his days scrolling social media looking for something to be angry about.

“This obsession with demonising our culture has led to Cllr Cuthbertson attacking Coalisland a few times now and I call upon him to to explain how this embarrassing episode was allowed to happen and ask him to apologise to Coalisland Na Fianna and the Hughes family and stop attacking my culture.”

SDLP group leader Malachy Quinn said the comments and lack of an apology had caused a lot of anger in Coalisland and said the remarks “brought the council into disrepute”.

“There was a lot of anger in relation to these comments and more for the fact he has yet to apologise for them,” Mr Quinn said.

“He attacked people that were attending the event and the teams that were taking part, it was not just one isolated event and I received a lot of calls expressing anger that day.

“In my view, it brought the council into disrepute as this is a councillor attacking a local GAA event. Simple research would have shown it was not what he was claiming and I think it would be appropriate for the councillor to apologise for those remarks.”

But Mr Cuthbertson said he would not be apologising and referenced footage from two years ago, shared on social media, which appeared to show people in Dungannon Thomas Clarkes GAA tops flouting social distancing guidelines in place at the time and allegedly using sectarian language.

“I will not be apologising to the GAA. The GAA continually idolise terrorists, should that be in recent years, or 100 years ago,” said Mr Cuthbertson.

“Just when we are talking about social media, my feed came up with a memory from two years ago today where Thomas Clarkes fans, and members of the public wearing Thomas Clarkes shirts, were on video singing a sectarian, misogynistic song. There has still be no apology for this.”

At this point Ms Corry told Mr Cuthbertson that “we are not here to bash organisations” and asked him to address the matter at hand.

He told her he was responding as requested and went on to say the GAA has “many tournaments named after the IRA” telling the chamber “the list is continual”.

The chair then told Mr Cuthbertson these issues had been raised previously so she would be turning off his microphone to which he asked if the chamber doesn’t “want to hear about the past and how the GAA idolises terrorists”.

Council chief executive Adrian McCreesh interjected at this point, reminding members “the ruling of the chair is final”.

Bringing the discussion to a swift end, Ms Corry told Mr Cuthbertson he had been invited to address the issue at hand. “You are clearly not going to do so, so I am going to move on,” she added.

With many thanks to the: Belfast Telegraph and Adam Morton Local Democracy reporter for the original publication. 

Follow these links to find out more on this story: UVF mouthpiece Jamie Bryson claims the GAA are not welcome in unionist/loyalist areas

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