The family of a Jonesboro woman, who was shot in the head by her partner before he killed a garda and then himself, has called for a top level inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the case.

Siobhan Phillips was critically injured in the incident at her home in Mullach Alainn, Omeath in October 2015 when her partner Adrian Crevan Mackin shot dead Garda Tony Golden as he was responding to a domestic abuse complaint.  Mackin then turned the gun on himself.

Circumstances surrounding the incident were reported on RTE’s Primetime programme on Thursday last and uncovered a litany of errors in the handling of Mackin who had a history of violence and was known to police on both sides of the border.  It’s alleged the 25-year-old may have been operating as a Garda informer and was freed on bail just weeks earlier, despite having admitted to possessing weapons during an interview with detectives.

Siobhan Phillips’ father, Sean, who was at the scene of the shooting but had been told by Garda Golden to wait in the car, says he has “no faith” in an investigation led by the Garda Ombudsman and instead has called for a full public inquiry “at the highest level”.

The Primetime documentary raised questions about why Mackin was not convicted on weapons charges after admitting to possessing guns and ammunition during an interview with detectives, but was instead charged with an offence he did not admit to, namely membership of the IRA.

His family have also alleged he was an informer and have questioned why he was freed on bail after being arrested for buying weapons online.

Mackin had a string of convictions, including a firearms offence in the north for which he was serving a three-year suspended jail sentence, as well as convictions for criminal damage, shoplifting and pornography.

The RTE programme also reported that Mackin was sent to Portlaoise Prison to “spy” on the Real IRA and was later released on reduced bail after republicans banned him from their wing amid suspicions he was an informer.

In a statement released in response to last week’s programme, Katie McAllister, from Madden and Finucane Solicitors, which is representing the Phillips family, said the revelations were a “significant development in relation to the family’s pursuit for information and accountability relating to the serious shooting of Siobhan on 11th October 2015 and the serious threat to the family beforehand.”

“These revelations raise issues of significant public importance and require an investigation at the highest level,” she added.

“We have been instructed to issue proceedings in the High Court in Dublin and we will be writing to Frances Fitzgerald, the Minister for Justice, requesting that she immediately establish a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the shooting of Siobhan and the murder of Garda Golden.”

Siobhan’s father said the family hope a public inquiry will lead to changes in Irish bail laws and in the treatment of domestic abuse victims. He described his daughter’s ongoing recovery since the shooting as “nothing short of a miracle.”

“He shot her in the forehead between the eyes and we were told that her injuries were so bad that she wouldn’t make it.”

Fianna Fáil’s Justice and Equality Spokesperson, Jim O’Callaghan, said the Primetime documentary had raised “issues of considerable concern,” particularly the fact that Mackin’s release from Portlaoise prison on bail had permitted “this dangerous man, who was self-medicating for anxiety, back into the community.”

He said Garda Golden should have been made aware prior to accompanying Siobhan Phillips to Mackin’s home in Omeath that Mackin was a dangerous man who had admitted to the importation and possession of guns.

“Had Garda Golden been aware of these factors he most probably would not have approached the premises without armed support,” he added.

“If Mackin was a Garda informant, as was suggested by the programme, and was prosecuted with an offence that would facilitate his informing, rather than the serious offences to which he admitted, then this needs to be explained by the relevant authorities.

“Garda operational matters are not the concern of politicians but if decisions are made by State authorities that expose the community to danger, then those decisions must be explained and subject to scrutiny.

Sinn Féin president and Louth TD Gerry Adams said all of the families affected by the gun attack need to have truth about the circumstances of Mackin’s arrest, questioning, charging and relationship with An Garda Siochana.

The Head of the Civil Service, Mr Malcolm McKibben, was informed of the “huge anger” felt across the district regarding emergency services at Daisy Hill hospital during a meeting with Sinn Fein MLAs on Monday last.

Assembly members Conor Murphy and Megan Fearon organized the meeting with Mr McKibben to discuss the threat from the Southern Health and Social Care Trust to close night time service in Daisy Hill Hospital Emergency Department.   Following the  meeting, Mr Murphy said Mr McKibben “was left in no doubt as to the huge anger that exists in the area” over the Southern Trust’s approach to delivery of services in Daisy Hill.

Mr Murphy claims the failure of the Southern Trust to provide adequate medical cover ensuring 24 hour Emergency Department service in Daisy Hill is being viewed “as part of a strategy to downgrade services” at the hospital.

Revealing that he and Ms Fearon outlined to Mr McKibbon “the depth of anger and opposition” felt by people across the area, he said: “The Trust have recruited senior medical staff in recent times to service both Daisy Hill and Craigavon, it is their responsibility to ensure that this happens. Their plans to spend £1m on contingency plans in Craigavon while not addressing the issue of cover in Daisy Hill must be challenged by the Health Department.”

Mr McKibben pledged to speak with the Permanent Secretary of the Health Department and ask him to engage with the Trust, Ms Fearon said and added: “We expect further discussions with senior civil servants as a result of this initial meeting.  We will continue to step up the fight to protect services at Daisy Hill Hospital.”

A formal application for a new £100 million retail park in Newry has been submitted to planners. The Carnbane Way development, if approved, is expected to create around 1000 jobs and, with Asda believed to be on board as anchor tenant, it is hoped the retail hub will attract cross-border shoppers.

A full consultation and exhibition of the proposals was held at the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre in Newry in January and are due to be publicly advertised this week.

According to Damolly Developments, the company behind the plans, all but one response generated during the consultation evening was positive.

The original plans for a 30 acre development on the former HMRC site in Newry were granted planning permission more than two years ago by then Environment Minister Mark H. Durkan.  The proposed mixed use development comprising of 70 industrial and business units, a retail foodstore and 14 residential units, divided local opinions and faced staunch opposition from various local political representatives as well as the Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade, who sought a judicial review of the Minister’s decision.  The Chamber failed in its High Court bid to overturn the planning permission with their claim that it would have a detrimental impact on city centre investment.

Now the Newry-based developers have acquired lands adjacent to the original site and are seeking planning permission to expand the original plans to 35 acres.  The development would be situated next to the Damolly Retail Park and would be known as the Newry City Business and Retail Park.

A pre-planning community consultation report, which has been submitted to Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, has described January’s consultation as “very successful” and

Damolly Developments says it has been “heartened by the overwhelmingly positive feedback we have received”.

The Air Ambulance Northern Ireland (AANI) helicopter conducted a fly-past over Newry’s Daisy Hill hospital on Monday last, as part of familiarization procedures for the newly established service.

Helicopter crews conducted a number of flights and surveys at several hospitals including Daisy Hill, with the purpose of establishing routes and coordinates in preparation for the service which is expected to become operational later this month.

Newry businessman, Dr. Gerard O’Hare is a Trustee of the AANI charity and he has welcomed its introduction in the north.

“This is another important step in the establishment of HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) for Northern Ireland – the last area in these islands to have this service,” he said.

Describing how the service will function, he continued: “The operation will be a partnership with the Department of Health who will provide the doctors and medical resources, the NI Ambulance Service who will task the operations on a daily basis and the charity which will provide, maintain and fund the helicopters.”

Dr O’Hare also stated that in securing the Air Ambulance they had learned how the Mournes and South Armagh in particular were two of the most challenging locations in Northern Ireland for ground ambulance travel times.: “A round trip by ground ambulance to either of  these locations, given the topography of the Mournes and the road challenges of South Armagh, can take up to 1 hour 20 minutes to Daisy Hill, and the tasking of an Air Ambulance will be critical to saving lives in both these locations,” he said.

With annual running costs for the service expected to be in the region of £2m, Dr O’Hare says the charity will be heavily reliant on the generosity of local people.

Next month’s Westminster election is an opportunity for the public to vote against the Tory Brexit agenda and austerity, Sinn Féin’s Mickey Brady has said.

At a recent party selection convention, the sitting MP for the Newry & Armagh constituency was reselected to contest the poll on June 8th.

Speaking  at the event, Mr Brady said, “In the last Assembly election the people came out and voted for equality, integrity and respect, and that vote made a difference.  Now as we face into a Westminster election where the Tories and the DUP want to drag us out of the EU against our will, the vote of the people can make a difference once again.

“Brexit will be a disaster for the economy, for local business, for farmers and the wider agri-food industry, for the health service, for workers’ rights and border communities.”

Mr Brady claims it is vital for future prosperity that the north remains in the European Union but warns there can be “no EU frontier across Ireland”.

“‘Sinn Féin is the only party to put forward a credible alternative to Brexit with our case for designated special status for the north within the EU.  That case will not be won at Westminster but across Ireland and throughout Europe,” he said.

“What Sinn Féin wants in this election is a win for everyone who wants a new progressive politics which is modern and inclusive.”

Commenting on the threatened closure of Daisy Hill Hospital Emergency Department, he added, “The local community has joined together to send a clear message that they will not accept the closure of the Emergency Department or indeed any further dilution of services there.  Sinn Féin stands firmly against Tory cuts and supports the protection of frontline public services.”

There was standing room only at the Canal Court on Monday night as almost 1,000 people attended a public meeting in Newry to voice their fears about the potential closure of Daisy Hill Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department.

The meeting was called after the Southern Trust revealed a £1m contingency plan to expand Craigavon Area Hospital’s Emergency Department to accommodate extra patients in the event of temporary closures of Daisy Hill’s Emergency Department at night time – something the Trust say is unavoidable due to ongoing difficulties in recruiting senior medical staff.  With fears  rising that the ‘contingency plan’ could result in the permanent closure of the local Emergency Department, hundreds voiced their support for the campaign to retain 24/7 emergency services at the hospital.

A political panel, which included Conor Murphy (Sinn Fein), David Taylor (UUP), Jim Wells (DUP), Patrick Brown (Alliance) and Justin McNUlty (SDLP), were united in their condemnation of the Trust’s contingency plan and vowed to work together to fight for the retention of the Emergency Department.   Notable by their absence was Newry Mourne and Down District Council Chief Executive Liam Hannaway and any representatives from the Southern Trust.  Both had been invited to attend and many protesters expressed anger that they had not shown up.

Medical staff from Daisy Hill were also present at the meeting, as well as union groups, local politicians and councillors, service users and concerned members of the public. Once the meeting was opened to the floor, impassioned pleas were made to fight to keep the Emergency Department open, with many sharing their own personal stories of medical emergencies and life-threatening situations which were all tended to at Daisy Hill ED. One such story came from Crossmaglen woman Gabrielle O’Neill, whose son, Crossmaglen Rangers star Ruairi O’Neill, contracted meningitis on 17th December last year and was left in a coma fighting for his life for days before he came around.

Gabrielle, who is a nurse and has worked in healthcare for over 30 years said her son could have died from the illness were it not for Daisy Hill ED. She said nurses cleared the Newry hospital’s resuscitation area and “saved” her son.  Mrs O’Neill also paid tribute to the ambulance personnel who worked on Ruairi at the side of the road in Annduff.  She told the meeting that her son would never have made the journey to Daisy Hill without the intervention of ambulance staff and that he would have died if he had to be rushed as far as Craigavon.

“We were 17 miles from Daisy Hill, we would have been another 50 minutes travelling to Craigavon and Ruairi would not have been saved,” she said

“Bacteria had just taken hold. Craigavon was just too far away, he needed emergency treatment there and then.”

She revealed that staff at Daisy Hill ED had stabilised her son before he was moved to Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital for further treatment.

“Had he not have been able to be stabilised, in A&E casualty, he wouldn’t be with me today,” she added.

Monday’s meeting sent a strong message to the Trust that the people of Newry and Mourne will not accept any closure of its Emergency Department at Daisy Hill – which is unanimously perceived as a precursor to the eventual permanent closure of the department and the eventual stripping away of other vital services at Daisy Hill.

Southern Trust cancer services are failing some patients, according to leading charity Cancer Research UK.

New figures show that cancer services across Northern Ireland are well below par, with just 68.6 per cent of patients beginning treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral last December – well below the 95 per cent target.

All health trusts missed the target for the quarter, as well as a target for all urgent breast cancer referrals to receive an assessment by a specialist within 14 days.  A total of 91.4 per cent of patients were seen in the two-week timeframe in December – down from 99.4 per cent in October but up from just 49.5 per cent a year earlier.

The Southern Trust fared worst in the figures with just 39% of patients seen by a breast cancer specialist within the 14 day target last December.

Cancer Research UK said the Department of Health figures show a “consistent inability” to meet targets, and called for a new strategy to deal with increased demand for treatment.

“The lives of patients depend on swift, efficient and effective access to cancer services. Every extra day of waiting is stacking the odds in cancer’s favour,” said spokeswoman Margaret Carr.

“Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK without an up-to-date cancer strategy.

“With the number of people being diagnosed with cancer rising, a strategy on how the health service in Northern Ireland will cope with increased demand is more urgently needed than ever.”

A visit by the DUP leader Arlene Foster to Our Lady’s Grammar school in Newry on Wednesday to meet with Irish-speaking students, has been described as “an extremely positive experience” by Principal, Fiona McAlinden.

The visit was arranged as part of Mrs Foster’s pledge to meet with Irish speakers ‘without political baggage’ and gain a better understanding of the culture.  Earlier this year the former First Minister was criticized for declaring her party would never agree to an Irish Language Act.

When meeting with staff and pupils at Our Lady’s, Mrs Foster enjoyed songs and drama performances in Irish, and afterwards declared she was “set up for the rest of the day”.

Stating she was “really uplifted” by the visit, Mrs Foster said: “One of the very strong things that came across was the passion that the girls had for the language and it is really good to strip away all the politics out of this issue and just to listen in a very clear way as to how Irish and the language has helped in the study of other languages and to give them a head start in relation to job opportunities as well.”

To mark the occasion, Mrs Foster was presented with a painting depicting two girls with the bilingual message ‘Ní neart go chur le chéile – Together we are strong’.

At the conclusion of her visit, Mrs Foster addressed her hosts in Irish, saying “Go raibh maith agat” (thank you).

Principal Fiona McAlinden praised Mrs Foster’s positive engagement with the students.

“We were very happy to welcome Mrs Foster to Our Lady’s.  We were delighted with the positivity in the room and how Mrs Foster engaged with the students,” she said.

“On the day she met girls who have come to Our Lady’s from the Irish Medium Unit in Crossmaglen, others from a Bunscoil background, as well as students who only came across Irish when they started in Our Lady’s.  It was an extremely positive experience for the students, the staff and Mrs Foster herself and we were very happy to host such a visit at the school.”

A Senior Consultant Physician, who has worked at Daisy Hill Hospital for 20 years, has revealed he is in receipt of documents which allege the Southern Trust lied about the rates of pay given to locums. Dr Donal Duffin made the revelation at the packed board meeting of the Southern Health and Social Care Board which took place at Craigavon Hospital on Thursday last.  The highly contentious meeting was convened after warnings from the Trust that the Emergency  Department at Daisy Hill may temporarily close overnight due to staff shortages.

It followed a public meeting in Newry’s Canal Court on Monday night that saw hundreds of people voicing their objections to any closure of the local ED and to the proposed £1m extension of Craigavon Emergency Department, which has been mooted by the Trust as a means of coping with additional patients should the service at Daisy Hill be suspended at night.

Around 200 protesters also took part in a picket outside Trust Headquarters ahead of Thursday’s meeting. There were angry scenes as protesters tried to gain access to the board meeting, with around 12 people eventually allowed into the crammed boardroom to hear the Trust’s update of the staffing situation in Daisy Hill ED.

As proceedings got underway, Trust Interim Chief Executive Stephen McNally confirmed that he has asked the Department of Health  to hold a regional summit on options to safely sustain the Emergency Department in Daisy Hill Hospital.

Acknowledging the frustratingly slow progress of talks with consultants and other parties to come up with a longterm sustainable rota for the ED, Mr McNally disputed the public perception that Daisy Hill was being downscaled and said the notion was derived from “misinformation” being generated about the hospital’s status.  He added that rather than put his energies into trying to dissuade the general public of those claims, he had written to the Permanent Secretary requesting that he sponsor a summit which will include the Health and Social Care Board, the Public Health Agency, Belfast Trust, the Ambulance Service, the NI Medical and Dental Training Agency and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority.

“The Trust Board is fully committed to Daisy Hill Hospital, and will explore every option to keep the Emergency Department open, as long as services can be safely provided.

“This summit will bring together the collective expertise of health professionals from across Northern Ireland to support our efforts in maintaining the service in future,” said Mr McNally.

Medical Director Dr Richard Wright went on to describe ‘significant challenges’ around rotas but confirmed that in the short term there were no plans to change the service.  He acknowledged however that a “vulnerability” remained for the summer months.

Speaking at the meeting, Sinn Fein MP Mickey Brady told the board he was sceptical about its plans to have a 12 week consultation on the temporary closure and he said  the £1m spend for Craigavon needed to be “legally challenged.” He accused the Southern Trust of having a “selective duty of care” and added that he hoped the Trust would not be remembered as “the people who closed Daisy Hill’s emergency Department and took away its acute status.”

Mr Brady’s colleague, Sinn Fein MLA Megan Fearon, raised the issue of Daisy Hill’s Fracture Clinic during the meeting but board members refused to discuss her claims that the clinic was being relocated to Craigavon and that patients have already been informed of the move. In a statement issued to The Examiner on Friday, a Trust spokesperson denied those claims, insisting that it hoped to relocate the Fracture Clinic from its current location in the Surgical Assessment Unit to “a more permanent location on the Daisy Hill site.”

Ms Fearon has described that response however as “wholly misleading” and said it must be challenged.

“Fracture Clinic patients have already been receiving letters informing them that their appointments are in Craigavon,” said the Sinn Fein MLA.

“Those who have phoned in seeking to have their appointments in Daisy Hill have been told that the Fracture Clinic will from now on be in Craigavon.”

Speaking to The Examiner, Ms Fearon said the Trust’s denials about the Fracture Clinic compound “a serious lack of confidence and trust in the Southern Health and Social Care Board” and confirmed that she and her colleagues will be seeking “straight answers” on the matter.

“People will not be lulled into any false sense of security. We had hoped that the Trust would have used this space prior to the “summit” to resolve staffing issues, but already what appears to be happening is a circling of the wagons by the Trust to ensure their original  position remains”.

Also addressing the board on Thursday, SDLP MLA Justin McNulty said there was ‘a real anger and fear in the community at the possible withdrawal of services’ and he said investments made in Daisy Hill over recent years “cannot be used as any sort of bargaining chip.”

Mr McNulty said the £1m contingency plan put forward by the Trust “beggars belief,” adding that it was “a very clear indication that this Trust is planning for the longer term closure of Daisy Hill’s Emergency Department.’

The SDLP MLA also claimed that the upcoming Westminster Election and the absence of a Health Minister at Stormont were the real reasons why the Trust has shelved its planned public consultation on the future of of the local Emergency Department.

Introducing Dr Duffin as the next speaker, Mr McNulty warned that the consultant had some shocking revelations regarding Junior Doctor payments that required immediate investigation.

Dr. Duffin accused the Trust of treating Daisy Hill as the “poor cousin” of Craigavon Hospital and he said the stripping away of services at Daisy Hill was “a fact, and was not based on “misinformation.” He angrily demanded that the inequality between the two hospitals be stopped immediately before dropping the bombshell that he had been given a letter which claimed to offer proof that junior doctors in Craigavon were being paid more for the same shift as junior doctors in Daisy Hill. He produced the documentation which he handed to Board chairperson Roberta Brownlee.

The well known consultant’s revelation stunned those present and prompted cries of “shame on you” from angry protesters.

“You are not treating us fairly. You are not telling us the truth. I am calling you out,” Dr Duffin told the Board. In response to the accusations, Mrs Brownlee offered assurances that the pay claims would be fully investigated.  She added that questions asked by those who were given speaking rights would be answered directly to the speakers in writing after the meeting.

The Examiner contacted the Trust in relation to Dr Duffin’s claims and was told:

“As location does not impact on the rate paid for a specific shift, The Trust refutes any allegation that preferential rates are given to locum shifts on the Craigavon Area Hospital site.

“Locum doctors are paid at varying rates depending on experience, agency, type of shift and how far in advance the shift is filled.

“Junior doctors in both of our Acute hospitals (Craigavon and Daisy Hill) received enhanced rates of pay for the Bank Holidays in April.

“The Trust is continually seeking to fill locum shifts on an ongoing basis. The Trust strives to obtain long term cover to provide more stability to the rota. We seek to fill long term locum shifts through agency with ad hoc shifts through medical e-locums and agency.”

Meanwhile, the much anticipated regional summit to deal with senior staffing issues collaboratively is expected to begin this week.

Three men have escaped jail after receiving suspended prison sentences, having pleaded guilty to a number of illegal fuel laundering offences.

Padraigh Doran (33) from Newtownhamilton, Martin Fitzpatrick (35), whose address was given as Main Street, Newry, and Michael Kennon (25), of Newtown Road, Belleek were convicted at Newry Crown Court on Tuesday last.

The convictions stem from the discovery by Revenue and Customs of a sophisticated diesel laundering plant at Kilnasaggart Road, Jonesborough in January 2013.

The plant had an underground storage facility with the capacity to hold more than 100,000 litres of laundered fuel and was concealed by an agricultural shed that was built over it.

HMRC officers seized 39,000 litres of laundered fuel, two fuel tankers, 62 bags of bleaching earth - used to launder the diesel – and 18,000 litres of toxic waste from the site.

All three admitted the fraudulent evasion of excise duty, while Doran was also sentenced for a separate fuel fraud offence after he was caught driving a van carrying 2,400 litres of laundered fuel in November 2014.

Having pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing in January 2017, Doran was sentenced to two concurrent 18 months jail terms, which were suspended for three years.

Both Fitzpatrick and Kennon were sentenced to 18 months, also suspended for three years.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is calling on all citizens of the area to give their support to Daisy Hill Hospital by joining in a major rally taking place this Saturday 13 May at 11am at Middlebank, Newry.  The rally has been organised to show the widespread opposition to any closure to the Emergency Department at Daisy Hill Hospital.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Gillian Fitzpatrick, who put forward the idea of a mass rally at the recent public meeting against ED closures says the protest will focus on supporting the retention of full acute services at Daisy Hill and in particular, the necessity of retaining the 24 hour Emergency Department service.

“This will build on the excellent work of the community campaign which has ensured that the Southern Trust has acknowledged the clinical need for this service,” said Councillor Fitzpatrick.

“Whilst our immediate concern is for Emergency Services, it is essential that in this era of centralisation of health services we must come together to fight for the people of Newry, Mourne and Down.

“Rural areas are particularly hit by centralising of services as the poor roads infrastructure and public transport system mean difficulties for both patients and relatives in accessing hospital services.

“The additional transport requirements will place an extra burden on what is universally agreed to be an already overstretched ambulance service. Even if an ambulance is immediately available in many parts of Newry, Mourne and Down cannot be reached within the 8 minute target time for a category A life threatening emergency – problems which will be compounded if ambulances are tied up transporting patients to centralised services and if local Emergency Department services are reduced.”

Tributes have been paid to a former Newry man who was killed in a tragic accident while out walking his dog in Warrenpoint last Wednesday morning.

Sixty-six year old Keith McWilliams was walking along the Rostrevor Road close to a bend along the coastal route connecting Warrenpoint and Rostrevor when the freak accident, involving a lorry loaded with logs, occurred.

Mr McWilliams – who was originally from Newry but had moved to the seaside town with his wife Ellen around 30 years ago – was described as “well-known and popular.” His death caused widespread shock throughout the district and it is understood many of the firefighters who attended the scene of the accident knew the victim personally.

SDLP MLA Sinéad Bradley said locals were stunned that a life had been taken “in such a sudden and dramatic way.”

“Amidst the pleasant surroundings on a beautiful sunny day none of us anticipate circumstances unfolding in a way that would result in the tragic loss of life. I extend my heartfelt sympathies to the family and loved ones of the deceased, ” she said.

Independent councillor Henry Reilly said Mr McWilliams was very well known in the local area and described his death as “an absolute shock.”

“I send my sincere condolences to the family of this gentleman at this difficult time,” he added.

SDLP Councillor Declan McAteer said he understood the trailer that was carrying bags of logs became loose, ploughing into Mr McWilliams as he was out for a walk.

“It just seems to be a very unfortunate tragedy and will come as a terrible shock to the family.

“Most people in Warrenpoint walk that road every day and I believe he walked it regularly,” said Mr McAteer.

Mr McWilliams is survived by his wife Ellen, brother Nigel, sister Denise and the family circle.

His funeral arrangements have yet to be confirmed.

Anyone who was travelling on the Rostrevor Road between 10.15am and 10.30am on Wednesday 3rd May when the accident happened – or who saw a lorry towing a trailer – has been asked to contact detectives.

The announcement made last week by the Southern Health and Social Care Trust that Daisy Hill Hospital’s Emergency Department will remain a 24 hour service has received a cautious welcome, with the public urged to continue to support the campaign for a long term solution to the A&E recruitment crisis and wider health service provision issues at Daisy Hill.

The Trust announcement came following a regional summit held on Monday last, which was attended by staff from the Health and Social Care Board, the Public Health Agency, Belfast Trust, the Ambulance Service, the NI Medical and Dental Training Agency and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority.

The summit was convened in response to the public outcry over Trust plans to temporarily close the local A&E Department at night due to a lack of senior medical staff.  The Department of Health said all parties now agreed that Daisy Hill’s Emergency Department should be retained because of the “clinical need, current size and projected growth of the population of Newry and Mourne.”

Following the meeting, Interim Chief Executive, Stephen McNally said the Trust had secured “concerted support from across the Health and Social Care system to develop a viable plan that will address the immediate pressures and look to stabilise the provision of emergency services at Daisy Hill.”

A Departmental spokesperson added that work would now gather pace on achieving the regional approach in a safe and sustainable way and said that the immediate pressure on emergency services in Daisy Hill was further evidence of the need for transformation in the provision of health and social care and the future planning of those services at a Northern Ireland level, in line with the Department’s “Delivering Together” document, launched last October.”

Seana Grant from the Save Our Emergency Department campaign group – who  spearheaded the recent public meeting in Newry on the issue – welcomed the outcome of the emergency summit with “reserved optimism.”

She said that whilst the group appreciated the efforts of the Trust to reach an interim solution, “the continued use of rhetoric that fails to commit to providing a permanent, long-term solution to this problem is disappointing.”

The campaign spokesperson called on the Trust to reverse its policy of “over investment in Craigavon,” as well as what she described as the “systematic downgrading of Daisy Hill.”

“The campaign to secure the services that the people of Newry, Mourne and South Down desperately need and deserve is only in its infancy. We are determined to ensure that the Trust invest in and support the staff of Daisy Hill to allow them to meet the needs of the community,” she added, vowing to work with the Southern Trust and the public “to ensure that Daisy Hill is supported and developed to provide the best possible care for all its patients.”

Unite the Union have also demanded that the Trust  follow-through on its commitment to a 24/7 Emergency Department at Daisy Hill.

Unite Regional Officer Kevin McAdam said the u-turn represented “a tremendous victory for the people power campaign” but he warned it was important that people “remain vigilant.”

“This is only round one. As yet, the resources necessary to underpin this decision have not been committed – it is vital that we maintain the pressure on the SHSCT board to ensure follow-through,” said Mr McAdam, confirming that Unite is seeking clarity directly from the chair of the board, Roberta Brownlee, on the future of the Fracture Unit at Daisy Hill as well as a full response to the allegations raised by Dr Donal Duffin regarding a disparity in pay rates for Junior Doctors in Daisy Hill compared to rates for working in Craigavon.

Martin McKeown, secretary of Unite’s Newry Community branch who played a lead role in the campaign, also extended a cautious welcome to the announcement claiming that “in the past the Trust has made similar declarations only to strip support services undermining provision in the long-run.”

“This success was delivered only through mass mobilisation and a well-organised campaign. Only such pressure could compel politicians to become active on the issue and force the Trust to do what was right,” said Mr McKeown who confirmed that Newry Unite community branch will be meeting with the Save Our Emergency Department Committee as well as other active Trade Unionists in the coming days to formulate ideas “in order to keep the pressure on so as to secure the long-term future of Daisy Hill.”

Newry and Armagh Sinn Fein MP Mickey Brady welcomed the news but said more work is needed to secure the future of the service in the long term.

“While the announcement is welcome, there is still a need for a longer term solution to the problems at Daisy Hill as there are still concerns over Fracture Clinics and Oorthopaedic Services so the campaign for Daisy Hill must continue,” he said.

“Sinn Fein will continue to engage with the Trust, staff, health authorities, unions and user groups to ensure first-class health service provision for the local community.”

A huge gorse fire that forced dozens of residents from their homes and closed a number of roads in Newry on Friday night is believed to have been started deliberately, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has said.

Fire crews were called to the scene shortly before 9.00pm, at which stage the hill behind Barley Lane was well alight, the flames threatening the nearby St. Mary’s High School.

More than 60 firefighters, some from as far away as Belfast, tackled the blaze as it raged perilously close to the school and nearby homes from which residents, some of whom were in their nightwear, had to be evacuated.

Dozens of onlookers gathered to watch the scene unfold while distressed residents, some visibly upset, looked helplessly on.  Meanwhile, firefighters had to move people back for their own safety as burning embers and ash rained down on houses and cars.  One eyewitness described the scene as “quite dramatic” as residents were running across the street and others searching for missing pets.

Fire crews battled for more than six hours before the blaze was finally declared extinguished around 2.00am.

Sinn Féin Councillor Valerie Harte thanked the fire crews for their “prompt attendance and sterling efforts”, and said that, at one point, there was “huge fear and concern” that the fire would engulf homes.

Earlier on Friday, the NIFRS revealed that it had dealt with 221 gorse fires in the previous five days, 92% of which were started deliberately.

Area Commander, Maurice Rafferty said the current spell of dry, sunny weather had “provided a tinderbox landscape” for gorse fires and he appealed to the public to act responsibly.

“We are appealing to everyone within the local community to be aware of the dangers and consequences of deliberate fire setting.  It ties up our vital resources from other more serious incidents and potentially puts people and property at risk,” he said.

“Tackling gorse and wildland fires is extremely challenging for us. It means deploying firefighters and equipment to remote locations. This can be for prolonged periods of time with our crews working under hazardous and intense heat to bring the fires under control. These fires can easily spread and even a slight change in wind direction can pose a serious risk to life, property and the environment.”

Human remains found at a site in northern France where a search was taking place for Seamus Ruddy – one of the Disappeared – are believed to be those of the missing Newry man.

A team from the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR) began digging in the area of forest at Pont-de-l’Arche, near Rouen on Tuesday last.  New information, understood to have come from the Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP), which has close links to the INLA, prompted the fresh search after three previous attempts, the most recent of which was in 2008, were unsuccessful.

Thirty two year-old Mr Ruddy was a one-time IRSP activist and was working as a school teacher in Paris when he disappeared on 8th May 1985. It’s believed he was abducted and murdered by members of the INLA, before his body was secretly buried in the forest.

Mr Ruddy’s sister Ann Morgan met with lead investigators at the search site on Friday.  Expressing the family’s desire to find their brother’s body, she said: “All we want is to bring Seamus home to Monk’s Hill to be buried with our mother and father.”

Early on Saturday morning, human remains were uncovered at the site and the Ruddy family received the news they had waited so long to hear.  The family said they are delighted but have “mixed emotions”.

Seamus’s brother Terry described it as “a hugely emotional moment” while his sister Gertie said she had “a gut feeling” his body would be found in this search.

Mrs Morgan thanked the search teams and the French authorities, adding that the families of other Disappeared victims who are still missing, are foremost in their thoughts.

Coming just two days short of the 32nd anniversary of his disappearance, it is expected to take some time before examination and formal identification is completed and Seamus Ruddy’s final journey home to Newry can begin.

Sinn Féin’s Mickey Brady said that every effort must now be made to end the suffering of the families of the Disappeared following the discovery of remains.

“Growing up together in Ballybot, Seamus is somebody who I would have called a friend and my thoughts are with his family at this time,” he said.  ‘The suffering of the families has gone on too long. They have a fundamental right to bury their loved ones and there is an onus on those responsible to help bring this about.”

SDLP MLA Justin McNulty says the thoughts and prayers of the people of Newry are with the Ruddy family.

Describing the new as “great relief and sadness” for Mr Ruddy’s family, he said, “Thirty-two years ago this Tuesday, Seamus was abducted, murdered and then secretly buried.  Now the Ruddy family can bring Séamus home and hopefully find some peace in closure.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ruddy family today, as with all those families who lost loved ones in the Troubles.”

The possibility of a booking system for visitors to Slieve Gullion Park is being explored by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council after the idea was put forward at last week’s meeting of the Council’s Enterprise, Regeneration and Tourism (ERT).

Director, Marie Ward, provided an update on the Council’s capital development plans for the site.  She told committee members that planning permission for a new single storey amenity building was expected by the end of June and it was also proposed that Council investigate options for visitors, such as booking visits in advance.  Ms Ward outlined the ongoing parking issues at the hugely popular attraction, which annually draws around 350,000 visitors, and said that the booking of visits similar to the system in place for other attractions such as the Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge in Antrim, has been suggested as a possibility.

Despite additional parking having been provided at Slieve Gullion, the facility and its surrounding residential roads still face traffic and parking problems during peak holiday periods.

The report on the Council’s capital investment plan also outlined the future enhancements to be made to the facility in order to meet visitor demands.

Those improvements are set to include the new amenity building containing toilets, tourism information and an attendant’s office.  Parking provision is also set to be expanded within the existing lands which is leased from the Forest Service by the Council.

Councillors approved the report’s recommendations to note the timetable for the implementation of the capital investment programme and that Council undertake to investigate options for visiting the facility, including the booking of visits in advance.  This will now go before full council next month.

Local politicians and campaign groups attended last week’s joint meeting of the Oireachtas at the Dail to hear the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier address both houses on how the EU will deal with the concerns of Ireland in the Brexit negotiations.

Declan Fearon of Border Communities Against Brexit said the group travelled to the Dail for the meeting on Thursday in the hope that all the political parties in Ireland would agree to a special status for the North in the Brexit negotiations.

Michel Barnier addressed the Dail during a two-day visit to Ireland ahead of the beginning of Brexit negotiations. He is the first non-head of state or prime minister to make such an address.

He told Irish parliamentarians he had a duty to speak the truth and that the “UK’s departure from the EU would have consequences”. Mr Barnier also stressed that customs controls were part of EU border management but he said that whatever happened in negotiations, “nothing should put peace at risk”.

He also sought to “reassure the Irish people” that the Republic of Ireland’s interest will be the EU’s interest in Brexit negotiations.

EU negotiating guidelines call for “flexible and imaginative solutions” to avoid a hard border but they warn that any solution needs to “respect the integrity of the EU legal order.” Mr Barnier said the Irish border issue would be “one of his three priorities in negotiations”.

Speaking at the joint sitting of the Oireachtas, Declan Fearon said the most important element of Mr Barnier’s speech for border communities was that he would work with Ireland to avoid a hard border.

“The UK’s departure from the EU will have consequences,’’ he added.

“We have a duty to speak the truth.’’

He said customs controls were part of the EU border management to protect the single market, food safety and standards.

Declan added “If we do not achieve Special Status for the North within the EU we will have customs controls. Europe will not allow the integrity of their food chain and their environment to be damaged by products they cannot verify or endorse their country of origin. Ordinary people and all politicians need to wake up to that reality.

“There certainly is good will in Europe to our very difficult position, but we must realise that Europe have their own rules which they will not have flouted.

“We will continue our engagement with politicians and Mr Barnier’s office to put the case on behalf of border communities.”

Newry and Armagh MP  Mickey Brady, who was also present at Thursday’s meeting in the Dail, said Brexit is bad for Ireland and in particular the North.

“The people of Newry and Armagh voted to remain within the EU last June and are being dragged out of the EU by the British Tories against the democratically expressed wishes of the people.”

Mr Brady added that his party had the opportunity to put their case directly to Michel Barnier, emphasising the need for the North to be designated special status within the EU with no border in Ireland, continued access to the single market and also to the customs union.

“The North cannot be collateral damage in this self-serving, narrow and reckless British Tory Brexit agenda,” added the Sinn Fein MP.

“The people of the Newry and Armagh want the whole island to stay in the EU together. For people living along the border Brexit creates huge uncertainty and could disrupt community cohesion. We must ensure that citizenship rights, trade, business, energy and workers protections are all safeguarded.

“It is imperative that the people take the opportunity to again have their say in the Westminster election and reject Brexit, a border and Tory cuts on 8 June.”

A fresh appeal has been made to help locate the remains of another of the ‘Disappeared’, British Army Captain Robert Nairac.

Geoff Knupfer from the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains (ICLVR), which is leading the search for the four remaining ‘Disappeared’, says he believes the former SAS captain is buried in north Louth.

As the 40th Anniversary of the undercover soldier’s murder approaches, Geoff Knupfer from the ICLVR says it is his belief that Nairac, a Grenadier Guard who was abducted from the Three Steps pub in Dromintee in May 1977, was buried and possibly reburied in the “general vicinity” of where he was killed.

Mr Knupfer entirely rejected the rumours that Nairac’s body was disposed of at a meat processing factory at Ravensdale shortly after his death and says the Commission believes his body may have been buried, moved and reburied up to three times.

A recent RTE Prime Time programme examining the circumstances of the murder revealed that, although information has been given by republicans regarding the location of other Disappeared victims, no information has been provided in the Nairac case.  Mr Knupfer says this silence may be linked to persistent rumours that Nairac was involved in a number of atrocities including the Miami Showband Massacre and the murder of IRA man John Francis Green in Castleblayney in 1975, however he added that despite researching such claims, he has not found “a shred of evidence” to support the accusations.

Fr. William Burke is a former soldier and friend of Robert Nairac who is now a Catholic priest in England.  On a recent visit to the area of south Armagh from where his friend was abducted and murdered, Fr Burke said prayers and appealed for information on Nairac’s whereabouts so his family can give him a Christian burial.

The Southern Trust issued a statement the day before Saturday’s Daisy Hill Rally, organised by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.  In it they welcomed the show of support for Daisy Hill Hospital and emphasised again that all is being done to retain services.

A spokesperson said the Trust is also “absolutely committed” to the retention of services at Daisy HIll and gave the recent £8million investment in a new paediatric centre on the 6th floor of the hospital as an example of its commitment.

“We have listened to, and understand, the community’s concerns about the Emergency Department and we are doing everything possible to keep a safe, sustainable 24/7 Emergency Service in Daisy Hill Hospital,” continued the statement, adding that a Daisy Hill Hospital Pathfinder Group has been set up tasked to produce an acute and emergency care implementation plan by September 2017.

“In the interim period action is underway to stabilise the rota in the ED, and detailed discussions are continuing with colleagues in other Trusts – these are progressing positively.

“The Trust senior team will be meeting with party representatives from Newry, Mourne and Down District Council early next week to discuss their concerns, and we look forward to  working closely with the council in future.”

DNA tests carried out on the remains found in France last week have been confirmed as those of missing Newry man, Seamus Ruddy.

The remains were discovered on Saturday May 6th by a team from the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains during a search of a forest at Pont-de-l’Arche near Rouen.  The Commission has said DNA tests confirmed the body found is Mr Ruddy.

From Newry, Seamus Ruddy was working in Paris as a teacher when he was abducted, killed and secretly buried by members of the INLA in May 1985.  In the intervening years, three separate searches were carried out, the most recent of which was in 2008.

New information received by the ICLVR led to this latest search which uncovered the remains just metres away from the area previously examined.

Plans for the repatriation of Seamus Ruddy’s remains are underway but could take some time.

His sister, Anne Morgan, said Seamus’ body would be taken to Dublin “and eventually we will take him home to Newry”.

“As the family are getting older it is more poignant now we are able to bring him home and at least we will have some sort of closure,” she said.

“At this time it becomes a very personal family journey but we are prepared for this and we are all together for this.  Those 32 years were the longest years that we had to wait for this, the next few weeks won’t be as bad.”

Secretary of State James Brokenshire said this will be a desperately sad time for Mr Ruddy’s family and loved ones.

“I would like to express my sympathy as steps are now taken to bring Seamus home.  My thoughts remain with all those families who are still awaiting the recovery of the remains of their loved ones,” he said.