SAOIRSE32

Derry Journal
01 December 2008

Derry’s City centre manager is confident disruption to city centre trade can be kept to a minimum during this Saturday’s Lundy parade.

Thousands of Apprentice Boys, bandsmen, and supporters are expected to gather in the city centre for the 320th annual ‘Shutting of the Gates’ parade which will culminate with the burning of an effigy of Lundy at Bishop Street.
In recent years the Apprentice Boys have brought the parade, traditionally held on the second last Saturday of December, forward in an effort to keep disruption to pre-Christmas trade to a minimum.

Last year, a record number of businesses stayed open during the parade.

Chief Executive of Derry’s City Centre Initiative, Sean Trainor said he was hopeful that trend would continue this year.

“We would hope to build on last year, with the parade coming to a close quickly and inconvenience to the city centre kept to a minimum. There is no reason to believe this will not be the case again this year.”

Mr.Trainor said a series of meeting have been held over recent weeks involving the CCI, business leaders, traders, the PSNI and the Apprentice Boys.

The parade gets underway at 1130 in the Waterside, before making its way to Society Street and culminating in the burning of Lundy at 15.15 in Bishop Street.

News Letter
02 December 2008

STORMONT Minister Conor Murphy has been informed by police of a loyalist attempt to murder him, it has been confirmed.

According to the Sinn Fein MP, police informed him he was the target of a grouping calling themselves the ‘Orange Volunteers’ over the course of the weekend.

“I was informed by the PSNI that a unionist paramilitary gang calling itself the Orange Volunteers are claiming to have carried out a murder attempt on myself over the weekend in the Newry area,” Mr Murphy said.

The murder plot follows incidents in Tyrone last month, when pipe bombs were discovered in the Cookstown area.

“Sinn Féin are obviously taking these events seriously. But we will not allow reactionary unionist elements to deflect us from our work in representing people and driving forward the United Ireland agenda,” Mr Murphy continued.

The Newry and Armagh representative called on unionists to condemn the death threat.

He said: “What we do need to hear now is strong words and actions from unionist political leaders in the face of what are clearly attempts to attack the political process from elements within their community.”

Derry Journal
02 December 2008

The case opened at Dublin’s Special Criminal Court today of four Derry men accused of Real IRA membership.

Gary Donnelly (28), of Kildrum Gardens, Michael Gallagher (29), of Sackville Court, Martin Francis O’Neill, of Colmcille Court, and Patrick John McDaid (38), from Marlborough Street, all denied membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army.

Their trial, which is expected to last 20 days, was later adjourned until Thursday because additional evidence against the accused was served at a late date.

The men were arrested at Bridgend during a Garda operation into the activities of dissident republicans in Co Donegal. The brief hearing was delayed for a short time as O’Neill - who was the only man on bail - arrived late at the city centre courthouse - and all four were remanded in custody until Thursday.

The men were arrested while in the company of four BBC journalists when a van was rammed by Gardai after it allegedly failed to stop in Bridgend on March 16.

Barry McCaffrey
Irish News
**Via Newshound
01/12/08

THE family of Maze prison escaper Pol Brennan say that he will appeal a court ruling that he can be deported from the US.

In 1983 Brennan was among 38 Provisional IRA prisoners who escaped from the Maze.

He was arrested a decade later living under a new identity in San Francisco and charged with illegally entering the US.

In 2000 the British government dropped its extradition case against Brennan and he was allowed to live in San Francisco, while awaiting a resolution of his residency status.

However, in January he was arrested at a border checkpoint where it was found that a work permit was out of date.

The Department of Homeland Security applied to extradite him back to Northern Ireland.

The Maze escaper’s nephew Colm Brennan last night confirmed that his uncle had now been informed that his legal challenge against deportation had been rejected and that he could be extradited at any time.

“Pol is very disappointed at the decision,” he said.

“He will appeal the decision to a higher court, but is very concerned that Homeland Security will try to deport him before he has a chance to appeal.

“He will now apply for bail to be with his wife and family while the appeals process is undertaken.

“The US authorities know that Pol is no danger to society as they have allowed him to live openly with his family in San Francisco for the last 10 years.

“We hope that even at this late stage Pol will be shown clemency.”

GERRY MORIARTY, Northern Editor
Irish Times
**Via Newshound
2 Dec 2008

THE INQUIRY into the murder of Rosemary Nelson has been told the solicitor was an IRA “terrorist” who had an affair with one of her clients, Colin Duffy. Mr Duffy was described to the inquiry as a prominent IRA figure in Lurgan.

A transcript of the evidence, which was given last week by a former head of the RUC Special Branch, was published yesterday on the inquiry’s website.

The inquiry is investigating the March 1999 loyalist murder of the 40-year-old solicitor and it was established as a result of allegations of official collusion in her murder. It was told by the former Special Branch witness that Ms Nelson had a close association with the IRA in Lurgan, particularly with Mr Duffy.

Mr Duffy had served three years on a charge of murdering a UDR soldier but was freed in 1996 as the conviction was quashed by the appeal court. He was also charged with the June 1997 IRA murders of community police officers John Graham and David Johnston in Lurgan. These charges were dropped in October 1997.

He has left the mainstream republican movement and is now a member of the Eirigí republican group, which opposes the powersharing Stormont administration.

Fellow member Breandan Mac Cionnaith said in a statement issued last night said the allegations made about Ms Nelson and Mr Duffy were “unchallengeable and unsubstantiated”. He complained of “salacious” and “unfounded, unproven and unsubstantiated allegations” from members of the RUC.

Under the terms of the inquiry the Nelson family’s legal representative cannot cross-examine the witnesses. Barra McGrory, the family’s solicitor, said in a statement issued to the media that there was no “evidential basis” for the allegations.

The former Special Branch witness, who was granted anonymity by the inquiry, said that the intelligence at the time of her death was that her killers had three targets in mind initially: Mr Duffy and Mr Mac Cionnaith - both of whom the solicitor represented - and Ms Nelson and that she was killed because she was the “easiest of the three targets”.

In his evidence last week the ex-Special Branch officer said the intelligence at the time was that Ms Nelson provided intelligence back to Mr Duffy, that she assisted him in the “furtherance of his own objectives” and that police held the view that she was “involved in these criminal matters”.

He said the intelligence also was that Ms Nelson had a “romantic” relationship with Mr Duffy and that this information was known at senior levels of the RUC including by the then chief constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan.

The ex-RUC officer also spoke of how he had said in a statement that “it would not have surprised me if in fact the murder of Mrs Nelson was a republican bombing posing as a loyalist bombing to destabilise the peace process”.

He said this at the time because they were struggling to establish who was responsible and this was one of a number of theories that were being examined.

The witness said he saw “absolutely” no evidence that Ms Nelson was murdered as a result of collusion involving the RUC, its Special Branch or “other security forces”.

Former senior Northern Ireland civil servant David Watkins, also in evidence last week, spoke of how he had met Ms Nelson during “proximity talks” between the Garvaghy residents and the Orange Order.

He was aware of the claims against her and of her allegedly having an affair with Mr Duffy. “I remember saying to myself I have no evidence that those allegations, those attempts to impugn her, were true because I realised that I might have to deal with this person quite frequently and I did not want to have that baggage in my mind in doing so,” he said.

Mr Watkins also spoke of a meeting with the then chief constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan. When asked how Sir Ronnie described Ms Nelson he replied, “I think he used the term ‘an immoral woman’.”

By Andrea McKernon
Irish News
**Via Newshound
01/12/08

FORENSIC experts have visited a site in Co Monaghan which could lead to a new dig in the search for the remains of one of the Disappeared, The Irish News has learned.

It is understood that “scientific work” has been carried out on an area outside Castleblayney, near the shores of Lough Muckno, after a map – believed to show the secret grave of Crossmaglen man Gerard Evans – was passed onto the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains.

The map was passed to the commission after it was sent anonymously to an aunt of Mr Evans earlier this year with a message saying: “This is where I believe Gerry to be buried. I hope this helps and God bless you all.”

The latest operation follows the recent recovery in the Ballynultagh area of Co Wicklow of the remains of west Belfast man, Danny McIlhone who was abducted and killed by the IRA in 1981.

The family of Mr McIlhone, who was 19 when he went missing, are hopeful that results from DNA tests in the coming weeks will reveal the remains to be those of their loved one.

Mr Evans, a native of Crossmaglen, was aged 24 when he vanished after leaving a bar in Castleblayney to hitch a lift to his home in 1979.

The latest investigation is being lead by forensic expert Geoff Knupfer who located the child victim remains of Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley.

The commission declined to comment on the latest developments saying: “The commission is looking to take forward work on all the Disappeared.”

By Gemma Burns
Belfast Media
2 Dec 2008

A visionary regeneration plan that could transform West Belfast into a bustling hub for tourism and business was unveiled last week.

The West Belfast and Greater Shankill Enterprise Council (WBGSEC) revealed their vision for the future for the area which includes a tourism and education centre on the Black Mountain, a hotel and museum on the Shankill Road and the redevelopment of Andersonstown as a modern ‘urban village’.

A total of seven projects were outlined in the planning document, entitled ‘Think Transformation’, which could transform the economy of greater West Belfast and catapult the area to a place as a major player in the city’s regeneration.

The WBGSEC is made up of 14 members drawn from both sides of the community in West Belfast and the Greater Shankill.

Keen to release the economic potential of West Belfast, the Enterprise Council commissioned a group of architects to develop the Think Transformation master plan.

The Council Chairman, Padraic White, said now that Stormont is back up and running the elected politicians need to look at how the area can be developed.

“Now that the Northern Ireland Executive is back in action, the Enterprise Council looks to local ministers who understand the needs of local people to make decisions on a coherent regeneration strategy for the area over the next 12 months, taking account of the various proposals now on the table,” said Mr White.

Three of the signature projects in the master plan tap into the potential of the Belfast Hills which dominate the West Belfast skyline.

The first proposal is to build a visitor centre and viewing platform at the peak of Black Mountain; the next is to develop a tourism site at Fernhill House on the Shankill Road which would include a hotel, cultural centre and museum; the third is for an enterprise hub for knowledge-based industries to attract business to the area and which will also include existing enterprise areas including the former Mackies site, Ballygomartin Industrial Estate and the Whiterock Industrial Estate.

A public square and business centre to cater for Irish language projects could be built on the Fall Road to copperfasten its place as the city’s Gaeltacht Quarter, and Andersonstown could be in line for a major facelift to turn the area into an urban village.

A further project puts forward the concept of an economic hub based on the Andersonstown gateway which is currently being considered by the Department for Social Development (DSD), and the final project supports the future use of historic church buildings in the Shankill area.

The Council’s Vice Chairman, Dr Mark Brotherston, said the newly unveiled rapid transport system which will link the top of the Springfield Road with the Europa Hotel will play an integral role in the plans.

“Transport access to and from the West Belfast and Greater Shankill area is crucial to achieving regeneration objectives so the rapid transit system proposed by the Department for Regional Development is essential to the proposals in the master plan,” he said.

West Belfast MP Gerry Adams added: “The Enterprise Council has brought forward an imaginative and innovative report which provides a positive vision of West Belfast for the future. The next step must be in developing a delivery mechanism which can turn these ideas into realistic projects. This will require practical support from the Executive and government departments.”

Project one: The Black Mountain, Destination Centre

Black Mountain and Divis could house an iconic visitor facility which will be visible from across the entire city.
Thousands of visitors every year could be drawn to the Black Mountain Destination Centre centre which will provide a viewing platform to see across the city, restaurants and a hotel as well as an outdoor pursuits centre. The architects of the plans have come up with innovative ‘Giant’s Steps’ buildings which will form the main body of the centre and step up the side of the mountain. As well as the tourism angle, the centre will also have educational purposes as well as offices for the National Trust, the Belfast Hills Partnership and other conservation organisations.

Project two: Fernhill House and Interpretative Centre

The culture, arts and heritage of the Shankill area will be preserved in a museum and cultural centre at Fernhill House.The Belfast City Council-owned building has hosted a community museum since 1996 depicting the social, economic and military history of the Greater Shankill area. In the new plans the museum will be enhanced and an Ulster Scots Language and Cultural Centre will be built.
A hotel and visitor reception facility will also be included on the site.

Project three: The Enterprise Hub

The arc of industrial estates that skirt the western fringes of the city will be upgraded and built upon in plans for an enterprise hub. The plans will consolidate the employment and land assets in the West and Greater Shankill into a strategic enterprise arc linked directly to a new public transport network. A new business campus will be created within the parkland area to attract greater economic investment to the city.

Project four:Andersonstown Urban Village

The heart of Andersonstown will be in line for a major facelift and its commercial core transformed (pictured above). The plans propose the creation of new buildings at Casement Park, the leisure centre and the Busy Bee site. The three sites will then be linked with new pedestrianised areas. This area would become a key route serving a potential new library and rapid transport stop.
The frontage of businesses across the district will be transformed and public art acknowledging the culture and heritage of the area will feature heavily.

Project five: Gaeltacht Quarter Hub

The Falls Road’s Gaeltacht Quarter will rubberstamp its reputation as the city’s centre for Irish language.
The core of the quarter will stretch from St Mary’s University College to Beechmount Leisure Centre. New office space will be created, the Cultúrlann will be extended and public art will welcome visitors to the area.
A new public square will be built and a business centre set up for businesses catering for enterprise projects trading and developing through the medium of Irish language.

Project six: Andersonstown Gateway, Feasibility Study

The Andersonstown Gateway Study is being developed to feasibility stage by the Department for Social Development. The study is exploring the possibility of a commercial hub for the area defined by the boundaries of Kennedy Way, Glen Road and the upper section of the Falls Road. The DSD is in the process of looking at ways it can attract investment to the area and is currently carrying out a community engagement exercise.

Project seven: The Shankill Initiatives

The Shankill Road could be in line for new public spaces, streetscape improvements and new commercial activity.
A key element of this is supporting the future use of historic church buildings in the area for community and visitor use. The Shankill Initiatives project will make the area an attractive place to visit and invest in.

BBC

More people in Northern Ireland are choosing to describe themselves as Northern Irish or “equally Irish and British”, according to a new report.

The Queen’s University, Belfast, report examined the attachment or loyalty to national and religious group labels.

It found national and religious identities underpinning difference and division in Northern Ireland remain.

Symbols still cause strong emotional responses, the report said

But it said more people were moving away from the traditional labels of Irish Catholic or British Protestant.

The author of the report, Professor Orla Muldoon, from the University of Limerick, said some things had remained the same.

“As you might expect, Catholics in Northern Ireland are more likely to describe themselves as being Irish, while Protestants are more likely to describe themselves as British,” she said.

Almost two-thirds of those who responded to the survey identified themselves as either British Protestants or Irish Catholics, she said.

“There was, however, an increase in the number of people who identified themselves as being Northern Irish, with around one in four opting for this label, compared to around one fifth in previous surveys,” she added.

Within the Northern Irish group, about a third described themselves as being equally British and Irish.

“They did not see Britishness or Irishness as being mutually exclusive and rejected the notion that these identities are opposites.

“That indicates a shift away from the traditional national and religious identities that underpinned the Troubles,” she said.

Researchers also presented the 1,179 people who took part in the research with emblems or historical images that might be viewed differently by those with differing identities.

Prof Muldoon said emotional responses to images such as flags and emblems were stronger among those who stuck to traditional identities.

Those who identified themselves as Irish Catholic were more likely to feel uneasy or annoyed when presented with the image of a Union flag or a photograph of a news presenter wearing a poppy, she said.

Conversely, those sticking with the British Protestant identity were uneasy or annoyed by an Irish Tricolour or Irish language letterhead.

The findings were based on information from the 2007 Life and Times Survey conducted by Ark, a research initiative by Queen’s and the University of Ulster.

Breaking News.ie
01/12/2008

Renewed efforts are underway to find the body of a man who is believed to have been killed by the IRA and buried in Co Monaghan in March 1979.

Forensic scientists have visited the area where they believe Gerry Evans might be buried, but no digging has taken place and a spokesman has cautioned against any early optimism.

Mr Evans, who was 24 and from Crossmaglen in south Armagh, was last seen hitch-hiking in Co Monaghan nearly 30 years ago.

No-one has ever admitted responsibility for his death.

Earlier this year, his aunt was sent a map with a place marked and an anonymous note reading: “This is where I believe Gerry to be buried. I hope this helps.”

BBC
1 Dec 2008

The families of two teenage murder victims wept in court as they heard a horrific account of their deaths.

Portadown teenagers Andrew Robb and David McIlwaine were stabbed to death in February 2000.

Steven Leslie Brown, also known as Stephen Revels, of Castle Place in Castlecaulfield, denies the murders.

The victims’ families were clearly shaken as Mark Burcombe, one of the men involved in the killings, gave a graphic account of the killings.

Evidence

Burcombe, the only person to have admitted involvement in the murders, explained in chilling detail just how brutal their deaths had been.

Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge after agreeing to turn Queen’s evidence.

He described how the accused, Steven Brown, allegedly beat and kicked David McIlwaine.

Burcombe said another man, Noel Dillon, who is now dead, then cut his throat with a butcher’s knife.

Steven Brown, according to Burcombe, then took the knife and repeatedly stabbed David McIlwaine, afterwards boasting how he had enjoyed it.

Under cross-examination, Burcombe admitted he had not told police the whole truth when he first came forward but denied he was lying to cover up his own role in the murders.

The trial continues.