SAOIRSE32

BBC

Scenes from the Tour of the North parade

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BBC

Petrol bombs follow march trouble

Petrol bombs have been thrown and at least one police officer injured during trouble at an Orange Order parade in north Belfast, police have said.

Stones were thrown at marchers by nationalists on the return leg of the Tour of the North parade as they passed a flashpoint area at Ardoyne.

Two water cannon were deployed, but a number of marchers have been hurt.

Earlier, police said they had put in place a significant security operation, but hoped the march would be peaceful.

However, trouble flared at about 2100 BST as three lodges, followed by supporters, went past Ardoyne shops where nationalists had gathered to protest the march.

Marchers had been separated from the protesters by a corridor of about 60 Land Rovers and police in riot gear, but were still pelted with missiles, including bottles, bricks and golf balls.

There were further clashes between police and protesters and the water cannon were deployed. A number of petrol bombs were then thrown.

Police have now pulled out towards the junction of the Crumlin Road and debris has been left scattered on the street.

“Police will study CCTV footage gathered at the scene and those breaking the law will be reported for prosecution,” a police spokesman said.

The march was the first to be affected by an extension of the law governing the behaviour of parade supporters.

It gave police wider powers to control the movement and behaviour of parade followers at flashpoint areas.

The Tour of the North is among the first of a series of parades by Protestant Orangemen which culminates in the biggest demonstrations on 12 July.

A ruling by the Parades Commission restricted nationalist protesters to the footpath outside the Ardoyne shops and loyalists supporters also face restrictions, following conflict at a parade last July.

Unison.ie / Irish Independent

Dad flies to be with children after siege nightmare

THE father of two Irish children dramatically rescued from a school siege in Cambodia last night thanked those who risked their lives to save his son and daughter.

Aid worker David McMahon was on his way from Georgia to Siem Reap in northwest Cambodia to be with his wife and children.

The four-year-old boy and three-year-old girl were held hostage with 29 other nursery children by masked gunmen who threatened to shoot them one by one.

One three-year-old Canadian boy was killed by the rebels during the six-hour siege and three of the hostage-takers were also shot dead after police stormed the building where the children and their teacher were being held at gunpoint.

Irish-born Daragh McMahon (4) and Monica (3) were among those held hostage at Siem Reap International School while their mother, Cambodian-born Bunly, kept a terrified vigil outside the school.

When contacted in Georgia last night, Mr McMahon said his children had been holidaying in their mother’s native country where he had worked previously for eight years with Concern and the HALO Trust, a British charity specialising in land mine clearance and bomb disposal.

The family had been preparing to join their father in Georgia where he had recently moved to work for the HALO Trust.

Mr McMahon, who is from Co Clare, praised the efforts of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, the Irish Embassy in Beijing and the British Embassy in Phnom Penh who were very supportive to the family.

“Both children were released unharmed and are safely with their mother. I am currently on my way to Cambodia to be with my family,” he said.

“The family would like to thank those who risked their lives to end the crisis and offer their deepest sympathy to the family of the deceased child,” he added.

The children’s grandmother, Mary McMahon, from Newmarket-on-Fergus, spoke last night of her terror when she got the 6am call from her son to say Daragh and Monica had been “kidnapped”.

“Naturally I was shocked. It was terrible. I was speaking with David and Bunly during the day. I was on to her when the news came through that they were being released. It was such a relief but our hearts go out to the Canadian family. While we are celebrating, they are grieving,” she said last night.

“The children are young and well travelled so hopefully they will get over this.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said it had been in contact with the Irish relatives while its embassy in Beijing had been in contact with the father.

“Whatever assistance is required from us will be made available to the family. The main thing now is that the children have been confirmed safe,” he said.

Concern’s assistant country director for Cambodia, Mark Munoz, took his children out of the school just two weeks ago when he moved to a new position with the Irish aid agency in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Pehn.

Speaking from Phnom Pehn last night, he said his wife Patricia had been in constant phone contact with the parents of their children’s classmates throughout the siege. Their children, Gus (5) and Dorothy (2) would have been in the classroom which was seized.

Martha Kearns

Irish Echo

Murdered within sight of the law

Diane Hamill stands witness for her dead brother

By Anne Cadwallader
acadwallader@irishecho.com

Click to view

BELFAST - Seven years ago, Diane Hamill spoke for the first time in public about the death of her brother, Robert. A crowd of about 20,000 people, gathered at a Bloody Sunday commemoration in Derry, listened intently.

In more recent days it has been her turn to listen as a public inquiry into Robert Hamill’s murder began to ask the same questions.

In her January 1998 Derry speech, Hamill told of how Robert had been kicked to death by a loyalist mob screaming “Die, you Fenian bastard, die”.

She told of how police patrol, within sight and hearing distance, failed to come to his aid.

She spoke of how police failed to even put tapes up to secure the scene of crime until the morning after the attack.

She spoke of how they also failed to make any arrests until Robert had lost his battle for life in a Belfast hospital.

“We’re hopeful, really hopeful”, she says of the inquiry.

“The judge in charge seems like the sort who won’t take any nonsense. We believe that the inquiry team is dedicated to their work.

“We also hope that police officers will come forward with evidence. Maybe after all these years, someone might be troubled by their conscience and tell what they know.”

The Hamills, mother, father and ten children, lived in the Obins Street of Portadown and, until April 1997, led a relatively normal life.

Around July 12th, the bonfires on the nearby Corcraine estate were sometimes frightening, as were the stones and taunts often thrown in their direction close to the local peace line. Still, the family wasn’t political and mostly keep to itself.

Robert, a 25-year-old father of three, was the fourth eldest. Diane was his elder sister. She was on night duty at a nursing home in Carnlough, Co. Antrim, when she heard Robert had been seriously wounded in an attack in their home town.

On his way home from a dance, he and friends had been ambushed by a loyalist mob. Robert had been knocked to the ground and beaten mercilessly.

“Mum said Robert had been hurt by a whole lot of Protestants and the police hadn’t helped him.

“I phoned casualty in Craigavon and they told me he was ventilated. I knew then that it was bad.”

The Hamill family gathered at Robert’s bedside in Belfast.

“He never regained full consciousness, although at one stage the consultant said he was out of danger.

“He was semi-conscious for a while but it was like he was trapped inside his body and could do nothing about it. He was uncomfortable and writhing in pain so they had to sedate him. It wasn’t until the post-mortem that they identified a diffuse brain injury.”

A “diffuse” brain injury means that someone has not been killed by a single blow but by a series of blows as the brain repeatedly hits the skull, amounting to a fatal injury.

The first time Diane asked herself serious questions about what was really going on behind the scenes was when press reports claimed Robert had been injured as the result of a fight between rival factions.

She knew from eye-witnesses that this wasn’t right. He had been the victim of a totally unprovoked attack.

Diane went to a solicitor and explained her concerns but he discouraged her from phoning the police, asking her instead to leave it in his hands. The next time they met, the lawyer couldn’t look her in the eye and, on advice from friends, she went to see another solicitor.

That solicitor was Rosemary Nelson.

“She sat me down and I told her what had happened and she began clicking her fingers, asking the people she worked with to do this and that right away. She was really on the ball, fantastic.

“She pushed us the whole way. I would tell her that I couldn’t manage to keep going and she would insist that I could, that I was a strong woman. She was a great example.”

After eleven agonizing days in hospital, Robert died. The media gathered at the family home and Diane found herself acting as their spokeswoman.

“It was like a coping mechanism for me. It was something to do.

“I was so angry with the police. How dare they? Did they really think they would get away with it? To let then kill him and no-one do or say anything about it?

Once the campaign started, the family became the target of a loyalist hate campaign in Portadown. Loyalists would rip down the flowers the family attached to lampposts where Robert had been attacked.

During loyalist parades, people would make shout and gestures at the family home, jumping up and down on the spot and asking if the Hamills “knew what it was like to hear someone’s brain go squelch, squelch, squelch.”

Loyalists also put up flyers in the town center referring to the “Six Portadown Heroes,” a reference to the six men who were then facing charges, all of whom, bar one, were acquitted.

None of the alleged perpetrators has ever been convicted of murder.

The investigation dragged on. Then Rosemary Nelson was murdered.

Diane heard about the bombing while at work in a Belfast hospital. She phoned Rosemary’s office and was told she was seriously injured. Like others, she instinctively traveled to Drumcree Community Center where people were already gathering to hear the latest news.

It was there that she heard that Rosemary Nelson was dead.

The whole agonizing experience, she says, has made her far less concerned about what people think of her. She’s more self-confident and determined. She fully accepts that she was naïve before the murder about the nature of policing in Portadown.

She has reduced the number of meetings she speaks at, finding it massively draining to pour her heart out to strangers.

“It’s made me stronger”, she says. “It’s changed my priorities in life. Little things don’t worry me so much now.”

Diane and her family are hopeful that the public inquiry will finally get to the truth of why he died.

The inquiry has adjourned and will not sit in public again until November at the earliest. Up to 100 witnesses are set to testify at the public inquiry, chaired by former British high court judge, Sir Edwin Jowitt.

Evidence will be studied to assess whether any failure or omission on the part of officers to halt the attack, identify the killers or properly investigate the murder was deliberate or negligent.

If all this is done, the Hamill family will stand to gain some measure of peace.

This story appeared in the issue of June 15-21

BBC

Why thousands flock to Belfast monastery

As the clock ticks down to the IRA’s expected statement on its future direction, Clonard Monastery in west Belfast is the focus for prayers for peace.

One of the ten daily services inside the church

Every June, the Catholic church on Belfast’s Falls Road draws pilgrims from across Northern Ireland.

The annual Festival of Faith is rooted in Catholic devotion to the Virgin Mary and nine successive days of services known as a novena.

The streets around the monastery are festooned with bunting in the papal colours of yellow and white.

Even in the pouring rain the church is filled to capacity ten times a day and the stewards deal manfully with the traffic chaos.

In the grounds, a toilet block has been erected and volunteers from the St John Ambulance are parked up.

Some of the pilgrims bring flasks in anticipation of a long visit. For those who cannot find space inside, loudspeakers carry the services.

There is humour too. Posters advertising the event mimic the catchphrase of a popular lager advertisement by proclaiming: “Clonard - probably the best novena in the world!”

Ten thousand people a day pass through the church and more than 100 lay people are involved in the smooth running of the event.

War years

Fr Aidan Egan, who is among the organisers, says: “If you imagine the Odyssey Arena being filled ten times a day, you realise that you need a bit of help and it’s there.”

During the war years, Clonard was a place of shelter for the citizens of west Belfast when Catholics and Protestants sheltered together in the vaults of the church during air raids.

But the monastery, which sits on Belfast’s peace line, also has a special significance in Northern Ireland’s peace process.

Ten thousand people pass through Clonard a day during the novena

Several of its redemptorist priests were involved as intermediaries between republicans and others in the political establishment at various key times in the Troubles.

During the IRA hunger strikes of the early 1980s, Father Alex Reid helped to search for a settlement to the Maze prison protest.

He later helped in the process of an exchange of ideas between the Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams, and the Irish government.

The focus of his close colleague Father Gerry Reynolds has long been on ecumenism and the search for harmony between the Christian denominations as a means of breaking down sectarianism.

He welcomes guest preachers to Clonard each year from the Protestant churches.

Terrible price

Fr Reynolds says the desire for peace is very apparent from the written prayers of the Clonard pilgrims.

He told the BBC’s News website on Thursday: “There is so much of the pain and the trauma of the Troubles still in people’s lives. We have bought the situation that we’re in now at a terrible price.”

He hopes the IRA’s statement will progress politics.

“The hope of us all is, as a secret army, they will end that phase. That they will no longer be a military force, thinking of themselves as a deterrent against some attack from the other side.

“We have moved beyond that. We hope that military potential will be put aside, destroyed, decommissioned, whatever the word is, that it will be obliterated really forever.

“And we hope that we will move into a totally political mode of advance working together towards the common good.”

Fr Egan agrees and says Clonard is a force for hope.

“You cannot discount the power of thousands and thousands of people’s prayers.”

The Clonard Novena continues until 23 June.

Irelandclick.com

‘Help us find mystery taxi’

By Damian McCarney

click to view - photo from An Phoblacht

Police Ombudsman staff investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 29-year-old man who died after he was hit by a PSNI Land Rover say they are anxious to trace the occupants of a taxi cab which was in the area at the time of the tragedy.

Glenalina man Jim McMenamin died at the scene of the incident shortly after 1am on Saturday, June 4 on the Upper Springfield Road near its junction with Avoca Close. Initial reports suggest that the Land Rover had been responding to an emergency call when it struck Mr McMenamin.

Earlier this week senior Police Ombudsman staff leading the investigation attended a public meeting at the Upper Springfield Community Trust. The investigators said they had received excellent support from the bereaved family and from the community but said they want to hear from anyone with information about what happened who has not already contacted them.

A spokesman for the Police Ombudsman’s Office said, “Investigators are particularly anxious for the driver of a dark coloured Volkswagen Passat taxi to come forward as he or she may have information which will assist the enquiry.

“They also want to hear from anyone who saw a police Land Rover leave the New Barnsley base at around 1am, and drive up the Springfield Road.”

The spokesman said that the Police Ombudsman has mounted an independent, impartial investigation to establish the circumstances of what happened.

“Investigators are carrying out a detailed forensic analysis of the police vehicle and have examined the scene of the incident. They have conducted extensive house-to-house enquiries in the area and are analysing relevant material provided by PSNI.”

Anyone with information can contact the Police Ombudsman at 90 828627.

Journalist:: Damien McCarney

Daily Ireland

Ombudsman seizes radio tapes of fatal collision

by Ciarán Barnes
c.barnes@dailyireland.com

The Police Ombudsman has seized PSNI radio tapes as part of its investigation into a fatal collision involving a police Land Rover in west Belfast.
Jim McMenamin died after being hit by the police vehicle on the Springfield Road on June 4. Police officers in the vehicle claimed they were responding to an emergency call when they knocked over and killed the 29-year-old.
Ombudsman investigators are keen to learn if sirens can be heard during radio transmissions between police officers. It is standard procedure for PSNI vehicles to sound sirens when responding to emergency calls.
Details on who telephoned the emergency call, where the PSNI Land Rover was going and how fast it was travelling are also being probed by Nuala O’Loan’s office.
Earlier in the week the Police Ombudsman issued an appeal for information from the occupants of a taxi who may have witnessed the incident.
Daily Ireland understands the taxi stopped for a short time at the scene of the fatal collision.
However, it is not thought the taxi’s passengers were questioned by the PSNI at the time.
A spokesman for the Police Ombudsman said: “Investigators are carrying out a detailed forensic analysis of the police vehicle and have examined the scene of the incident.
“They have conducted extensive house-to-house enquiries in the area and are analysing relevant material provided by the PSNI.
“Investigators are particularly anxious to hear from the driver of a dark-coloured Volkswagen Passat taxi. We want the person to come forward as he or she may have information which will assist the enquiry.”
The spokesman said they also want to hear from anyone who saw a police Land Rover leave New Barnsley barracks before driving up the Springfield Road at around 1am on June 4.
The McMenamin family were too upset to speak about the circumstances surrounding their relative’s death.
They urged anyone with any information on the crash to contact the Police Ombudsman.

Irelandclick.com

New team to challenge city’s problem areas

West Belfast’s first ever ‘Neighbourhood Officer’, who has been appointed to oversee action plans for a cleaner, safer environment in the Lower Falls community, says the fact that his “heart and soul” lies in the area should make his new role easier to manage.

Martin Voyle (42) was appointed to the post in a venture that is jointly funded by Belfast City Council and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

The Divis man will work with the local community in the Lower Falls while drawing up an action plan covering four main areas of work – estate management, environmental management, community safety and community involvement.

Martin, who has worked as a Housing Executive warden for two and a half years and as a youth worker in the Divis area for 15 years, explained yesterday: “This position came about because there have been occasions in the past when it was hard to determine whether a problem was a Housing Executive issue or a Council one, and because there are a lot of people out there who are unsure who to contact or what to do when they have a problem that needs addressed by either of these bodies.

“Basically I’ll be on the ground supporting the services provided by the Housing Executive and the City Council, and working with their staff. I’ll also be working with local businesses and community bodies to improve the local environment.”

In his new role, Martin will be providing advice about other agencies such as health and social services, providing a housing management service, monitoring maintenance for abandoned properties and any incidents of anti-social behaviour around them.

He will deal with nuisances such as disputes, noise or problems with unsupervised pets.

He will also be supporting vulnerable members of the community, such as minority groups and the elderly, and assisting both Belfast City Council and the Housing Executive at meetings and forums, keeping tenants informed of their outcome.

“I can’t make Housing Executive or Council decisions, but the idea is that I’ll be the first line of contact, pointing people in the right direction or offering advice. This can involve things as small as a Housing Executive door needing fixed, to more serious criminal problems that need to be addressed. Or it can involve promoting initiatives like the Lock Out scheme for elderly people – the age for applying for this scheme is going to be lowered, but this is an example of something that a lot of people maybe don’t know about.”

With his experience as a Housing Executive warden, a Divis youth worker and co-manager of the famed Immaculata Football Club, Martin has a thorough knowledge of the Lower Falls area, its people and its social issues. But he says the environmental aspect of the post is something he was previously unfamiliar with.

“I’ll have to identify places where there has been illegal dumping and devise a strategy to stop it, and I’ll be checking on rubbish removal, ensuring abandoned vehicles are removed and arranging the removal of graffiti. That’s an area I don’t have so much experience in, but I feel very strongly about getting the place cleaned up because it’s my home at the end of the day.”

Martin believes the scheme, which will benefit three other Belfast areas – Woodvale, Lower Ormeau and Woodstock – has come about because of the previously proven success of Housing Executive wardens.

“This just widens the job description and generally improves the quality of life around the four local communities – it’s a big undertaking, but I think it can be done.”

Paddy McIntyre, Chief Executive of NIHE, said yesterday. “This scheme is all about providing front line services for local communities. NIHE and the Council touch the lives of everyone in these areas and so it’s vital that we are accessible and able to respond quickly to any problems that may arise. This scheme should make the areas concerned safer, cleaner, more attractive and a much more pleasant place to live.”

Journalist:: Laura McDaid

Daily Ireland

No republicans on rights body

By Jarlath Kearney
j.kearney@dailyireland.com

No one from a republican background has been appointed to serve on the North’s newly-constituted Human Rights Commission.
Commissioners with strong links to the SDLP, Alliance Party, Women’s Coalition and DUP have all been appointed in a tranche of seven new members announced by secretary of state, Peter Hain, in London yesterday.
As revealed by Daily Ireland yesterday, former Women’s Coalition MLA and University of Ulster lecturer Monica McWilliams was appointed as chief commissioner. Ms McWilliams takes over from Professor Brice Dickson, who stepped down in February 2005.
DUP MLA Ian Paisley Jr yesterday attacked the appointment of Ms McWilliams and claimed that she lacks credibility.
Sinn Féin human rights spokesperson Caitríona Ruane reacted coolly to the announcement of new commissioners and declared that the reconstituted commission will be judged on its results.
SDLP leader Mark Durkan said the announcement marks a “new beginning” for the commission.
Two figures with close links to the SDLP, Queen’s University Belfast law professor Colin Harvey and Down District Policing Partnership chairperson Eamon O’Neill, are among the new appointees.
Alongside Ms McWilliams, new commissioner Ann Hope has links with the Women’s Coalition.
Alliance Party councillor and deputy mayor of Castlereagh, Geraldine Rice, and controversial Ards DUP councillor Johnathan Bell have also been appointed.
Speaking to Daily Ireland last night, Monica McWilliams said that “it is not contradictory for someone committed to human rights to have a strong political activist role”.
Ms McWilliams said she feels “it is a wonderful opportunity for anyone to be given the chance to lead the Commission in drafting a Bill of Rights”.
The Bill of Rights was a major recommendation coming out of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and Ms McWilliam said completing that project “is going to be the major objective of the next Commission”.
Ms McWilliams also praised recent work by the commission’s staff in relation to issues like the rights of women prisoners at Maghaberry and subsequently at Hydebank young offenders centre.
A key problem in terms of the previous commission’s handling of the Bill of Rights was that some commissioners wished to undermine existing fair employment monitoring by removing the established practice of communal designation. On this point Ms McWilliams said she has no intention of “reinventing the wheel”.
“In other countries there has been a sunset clause on that type of monitoring, but we’re probably nowhere near that yet,” she said.
The new chief commissioner also said that she made the strengthening of the commission’s powers “an issue in my own appointment”.
Sinn Féin MLA for South Down Caitríona Ruane said that “the worrying thing about this commission is the number of political appointees”.
“Sinn Féin has always said people on the commission should have a strong record as human rights experts. From an initial scrutiny of the new commission, it is ‘human rights-light’.
“Given these political appointees and the British government’s treatment of the commission, Monica McWilliams has an uphill battle on her hands.
“The commission itself will be judged in terms of the outcomes it delivers,” Ms Ruane said.
SDLP leader Mark Durkan welcomed the appointment of Monica McWilliams and called the new Commission a “positive step”.
“I endorse in particular her stated commitment to a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland as promised under the Good Friday Agreement,” Mr Durkan said.
Ian Paisley Jr said the appointment of Monica McWilliams is “a clear sign of the government’s total disregard for the view of unionists in Northern Ireland”.

Daily Ireland

Honour hero of Bloody Sunday

by Eamonn Houston
e.houston@dailyireland.com

Calls were made last night for the Irish government to issue a posthumous bravery award to a man regarded as a hero of Bloody Sunday.

Patrick Walsh, who died yesterday aged 71, braved gunfire in Derry on January 30, 1972, to crawl into open ground and help the dying Patrick Doherty.
The image of Mr Walsh crawling out to Mr Doherty is one of the iconic images of Bloody Sunday.
Mr Doherty’s son Tony, yesterday led calls for official recognition of Mr Walsh’s bravery.
During the Saville Inquiry into the events of Bloody Sunday, a number of British soldiers present during the massacre instructed their legal counsel to “salute” the courage of the Creggan man.
Tony Doherty said last night: “Paddy Walsh’s bravery in trying to help my father should have been recognised a long time ago by the Irish Government on behalf of the Irish people. I think that the Irish government should consider a posthumous award to recognise this act of bravery on the part of one of its citizens.”
Former SDLP leader, John Hume, extended his condolences to the Walsh family and also called for official regcognition of Mr Walsh’s courage.
“In any other country in Europe, or indeed the world, Paddy Walsh would have been recognised nationally. His was a total act of bravery,” said Mr Hume.
The Irish government currently has no mechanism to honour civilians who have made major contributions to society or who have demonstrated exceptional acts of bravery.
Fine Gael’s Michael Finucane has raised the matter in the Dail and the Irish Seanad.
Speaking to Daily Ireland, he urged the government to look at the French model of honouring its citizens.
“We should be looking at something like the French Legion of Honour. There is nothing at present to honour anyone living or dead.
“As a nation we always speak well of the dead, but it is a pity that they were never recognised when they were living.”
SDLP Assembly member for Foyle, Pat Ramsey, voiced his disappointment that there is nothing within the nationalist community to acknowledge achievements or acts of bravery.
“It may be time for the Irish government to consider some form of recognition for people with particular achievements.
“Speaking in the local council chamber this week on a proposal to erect bronze plaques at the homes of famous Derry people, I expressed my concern that achievements are usually acknowledged when the person has passed away. I believe that there should be a way of rewarding people while they are alive.”

Irelandclick.com

Belvoir ‘more like Beirut’

Victoria McMahon

Castlereagh Housing Executive, recent winners of an award for ‘Excellence in Customer Service’, has been accused of “doing nothing” by angry Belvoir House residents over living conditions labelled “third world” by a local councillor.

Residents of the high-rise flats say their complaints about the vandalism and squalor of the communal areas of the flats are falling on deaf ears.

Belvoir House resident Gordon Davis told the South Belfast News: “Belvoir has won Best Kept Estate in the past but look at the state of the place now. The windows and lights at the entrance to the flats have been broken for the past six months, the shattered glass is still lying on the ground. The place is just a dumping ground yet we are supposed to live here. It’s disgraceful.”

Colin McClure and partner Zelda McAvoy said they fear for the health of their two small children as the lift in the building stinks of human faeces and urine – and the alternative of the stairs isn’t any better. For four years the young family has been on the Housing Executive list – desperate to get out of the 11th-floor two-bedroom flat that has become their prison.

An angry Colin said, “Let’s not beat about the bush: these flats are slums. To be living in conditions like this in the 21st century is just ridiculous. The Housing Executive has dug their heels in against doing anything for us because we have dared to complain about living in these disgusting conditions. This has been going on for years and yet they continue to do nothing about it.”

He added: “It is more like living in Beirut than Belvoir.”

Expectant mother Zelda said her five-year-old daughter Amy pulls her jumper up over her head because of the overpowering smell in the lift.

“I’m always watching the two of them to make sure they don’t touch the walls or the handrail – it is absolutely disgusting. Dear knows what they could catch. Sometimes people have even spat on the buttons of the lift. We shouldn’t have to live like this. I just pray we get moved,” she said.

A spokesman for Castlereagh Housing Executive said they knew of a window in the communal hallway being broken through an act of vandalism and thaat it would be repaired when the redevelopment scheme, planned for the high rise later this year, starts. But the spokesman denied the Housing Executive had received any recent complaints regarding unhygienic conditions.

“Whilst the District Office has not received any recent complaints from residents about maintenance work being required, we will continue to monitor the situation and carry out any necessary repairs prior to the start of the improvement scheme. The Housing Officer is also in regular contact with the residents in preparation for the improvement work to start, and arranges for repairs and cleaning to take place as required.”

Alliance Castlereagh councillor Sara Duncan said she had recently passed on complaints about the vandalism to District Manager Paul Carland.

“Within the last month I have spoken to Paul Carland and he gave me assurances he would be looking into the vandalism of the windows. People in Belvoir House are living in third world conditions and I will be talking to Paul Carland again over this. Understandably the people in Belvoir feel very ignored and let down.”

She added: “I am extremely disappointed that nothing has been done about this. People can’t be expected to live this way while paying rent, it is hardly value for money. I would ask the Housing Executive not to wait until the refurbishment and put an end to these conditions immediately.”

Cllr Duncan said she was dismayed at hearing about unhygienic conditions. She said she would be alerting the Council’s Environmental Health Department to see if anything can be done.

Journalist:: Victoria McMahon

Irelandclick.com

South Editorial

Our new street art must be there for the public

Public art is an important element to bringing life to the streets and public buildings of any town or city.

Belfast for too long has been seen as a grey, war-weary city, and the introduction of good local street art and sculptures is to be welcomed as a sign we are finally moving away from our past.

When it comes to art, Belfast as a city should be about more than just tribalistic murals on gable walls.

In the past few years street art has arrived in our city with a vengeance, developed and commissioned by various government agencies and community organisations, and although some is without doubt better than others, it all has its place.

However, there is an exception, to every rule.

Plans revealed this week for a new giant sculpture at Belfast City Hall have received a mixed response from both the city fathers and bemused residents.
The unconventional looking sculpture of a naked woman will stand some 50ft high and will no doubt raise a few eyebrows from passers by.

However, it remains to be seen how this £300,000 piece of sculpture will add to the image of our city.

Will this expensive sculpture help put us on a par with places such as Prague, Rome and Barcelona? Or will this statuesque woman bring more ridicule than tourism revenue?

To create a beautiful city money must be spent on regeneration and art plays an important part in that rebirth.

But let that art reflect the history of our city and the aspirations of its people, rather that the fantasises of an individual or a socially detached group of artisans.

When you buy a piece of art for your own home, should it be a an expensive understated oil or a print of dogs playing snooker, you buy it because it reflects your own personal taste.

But public art that is placed in city centres, parks and public buildings has to be looked at by all the people of this city and cannot be just one person’s vision. Huge sums of money, whether public or raised privately are spent as an investment in the future of our city.

Public art should be about just that – the public. And when it comes to placing huge and expensive pieces of art at heart of our city, the public should have their say and it should be their will that is heeded at the end of the day.
We hope that the people will make their voice heard.

Irelandclick.com

City granted Fair Trade status

Campaigners raised a cup of Fairtrade coffee on Thursday morning to toast the announcement that Belfast has been named a ‘Fairtrade City’.
The Fairtrade Foundation confirmed this week that Belfast was the latest city to be granted Fairtrade City status.

For the past nine months, Fairtrade Belfast has been working to raise awareness of the plight of producers in developing countries – particularly coffee, cocoa and tea growers – and guarantee them a fair deal for their product.

At the moment, almost 100 shops and cafés in Belfast sell or serve Fairtrade products, and the number continues to rise. Fairtrade Belfast currently is working with many more hotels and restaurants, and their suppliers, to offer Fairtrade products to their customers.

Tony Weekes, Chairman of Fairtrade Belfast, pointed out that the city and its people had a long history of commitment to ethical trading.

“In the late 18th century, Thomas Russell – the first Linenhall librarian – organised and led a successful campaign to boycott sweetmeats in protest against the slavery used in sugar plantations in the West Indies.

“Also in the 18th century, Belfast was the first city in these islands to ban ships involved in the slave trade from its harbour,” said Tony at a special Fairtrade coffee morning held in The Spires shopping centre.

He added: “The granting of Fairtrade City status is just one step on a long journey to providing a better life for those perceived to be less fortunate than ourselves.”

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Wallace Browne, called on the people of Belfast to make a conscious decision to help producers in developing countries build better lives for themselves.

“It is such a simple thing for consumers to choose Fairtrade products, and yet it is a small change that makes a big difference.

“The Fairtrade system not only means paying a fairer price but also guarantees a long-term trading commitment, allowing communities a real chance to plan and build for a brighter future,” said the Lord Mayor.

Journalist:: Staff Reporter

Irelandclick.com

Bookies gets the green light

All bets are off as a bookies in the picturesque residential area of Stranmillis has been given the go ahead despite objections from local residents and the planning department, it emerged this week.

It was thought the odds were staked against the bookmakers being granted permission such was the level of objection from Stranmillis residents, Methody College, the Ulster Museum and local businesses. The bookies had been viewed as a rank outsider in the planning dispute after a proposal from the same applicant was turned down back in 1992.

However it’s luck changed following a decision taken after a meeting of the Planning Appeals Commission late April deciding in favour of the bookmakers.
Chairperson for Stranmillis Residents Association, Alison Greg said people living in the area were “gutted” by the news.

“Residents were told on the decision at our meeting this week and they are completely disgusted. It is very annoying for people who live in the area because the planners objected, the Ulster Museum, Methody College and yet it got permission.”

She added, “The Planning Appeal Commission is not listening to the planners or the residents. I don’t understand where they are coming from.”

It is understood the green light was given to the bookies due to a combination of factors. The main reasons given include; the highly residential area of Rosetta having a bookies, the rear ‘expansion’ at the Stranmillis Road bookies would not prove unsightly as the planning department had ruled and the change in image of a bookmakers has changed over the years to become more socially acceptable.

While residents were taken off guard by the decision SDLP councillor Pat McCarthy said he was “disappointed but not surprised” the bookies has been granted permission.

He claimed, “There is a 90% chance when it gets to the Planning Appeals stage the applicant will succeed.”

He said, “I have asked David Ferguson the Chief Executive of Planning to try and implement some changes as the system as it is now is heavily weighed in the favour of the developer.”

Cllr McCarthy added, “The area is supposed to be an area of Townscape Character. The building and the area would be better served if it were turned into a residential house.”

The best bet now for residents and other objectors was to appeal the granting of the bookies’s license, said the Laganbank cllr.

“Although developers have a right of appeal resident’s have none,” he said.

Given that, the best bet now for residents and other objectors is to switch targets and appeal the granting of the bookersmakers licence, said Cllr. McCarthy

Journalist:: Staff Reporter

RTE

Irish EU referendum postponed

17 June 2005 15:37

The Government has said it is postponing the referendum on the EU Constitution, but that the ratification process will continue, with a longer period to debate the issue.

Portugal earlier said it will postpone its referendum on the European Union’s proposed constitution after the decision by EU leaders to extend the deadline for ratification.

The referendum had been planned for October.

EU leaders at their summit in Brussels have begun a second day of talks in an effort to reach agreement on a long-term budget for the union.

Arriving for the meeting, the Swedish Prime Minister, Goran Persson, said he was pessimistic about the chances of a deal on the budget and said it might be better to delay a decision for another year.

Last night the leaders agreed to extend the deadline for ratifying the constitution beyond November 2006 after its rejection by French and Dutch voters.

No new deadline has been announced, but the Luxembourg presidency said that member states had agreed to review the situation in mid-2007.

Denmark had already announced the postponement of its September referendum.

In an interview with RTÉ News last night, the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, said that he was confident that the EU Constitution could be saved.

No question of renegotiation: Juncker

Speaking after EU heads of government held several hours of talks, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, said there was no question of the constitution being re-negotiated.

However, Mr Juncker also said we could not pretend that nothing had happened and what was required was a period of reflection, stocktaking and debate.

He suggested that those member states who were holding referendums needed more time to explain the benefits of the constitution than those countries using the parliamentary method.

Ultimately, Mr Juncker said, all EU member states had agreed that the constitution was the right answer to many of the questions citizens in Europe were asking themselves.