An incredible groundswell of support and generosity from businesses and individuals across the district has enabled a terminally ill groom-to-be and his fiancée to have the wedding of their dreams.

Just last week Tony Mulholland (36) from Forkhill was given the devastating news that he is suffering from terminal cancer.  Until now, he and his fiancée Kim Cunningham, like most couples, thought they had plenty of time to arrange their wedding.  Unfortunately the shock diagnosis has made the couple rethink their plans, prompting Tony to express his wish that he and Kim fulfill their dream of getting married.

Keen to help the stricken couple, family and friends got together to devise ways of raising funds that would enable them to have the wedding of their dreams.

A Gofundme page was set up and, in just two days, donations to the appeal had reached almost £5,000 of the £10k target.

Meanwhile, Kim’s sister-in-law, Cathy Cunningham, began organising a fundraising run/walk event, and announced the details via Facebook. 3

Outlining the purpose of the fundraiser, Cathy stated: “Like every young couple, my beautiful sister in law Kim and her fiancé Tony thought they had plenty of time to organise their dream wedding, but unfortunately that wasn’t to be, as Tony has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. As a family, we would love if you could show your support to this amazing couple and their young family and help give them the wedding they both deserve.”

Within just a few hours, her request had obtained an amazing response as dozens of people, deeply moved by the heartbreaking story, got in touch to offer services and facilities free of charge to help the couple realize their dream.  Offers for every conceivable wedding requirement – from venues and cars to music and food – flooded in and, as a result, the entire wedding has been organized in just a few days, with the date set for Friday 4th March.

Buoyed by the huge support from the public, Cathy says the couple “are overwhelmed by the generosity of people and are so grateful for everything”, adding that the upcoming nuptials is giving Tony and Kim and their five young children something to focus on as they face an uncertain future.

The 10k run/5k walk will take place on Sunday 21st February, commencing at 12noon from Peadar Ó Doirnín GFC, Forkhill.  Entry fee is £10 or family rate of £20.  Light refreshments will be served in the club afterwards and everyone is welcome.

Meanwhile, donations to the fund can be made through the gofundme page at https://www.gofundme.com/6fn4q7ss.

A ‘Meet the Manager’ event scheduled to take place this Friday 19th February at Newry train station is not a public meeting, contrary to an announcement by Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy, as reported in last week’s Examiner.

Mr Murphy recently met with Translink Group Chief Executive, Chris Conway, to discuss local public transport issues raised by his constituents in the Newry area, after which he revealed details of an upcoming ‘Meet the Manager’ public meeting.  However, Mr Conway has stated Friday’s planned meeting is a further opportunity to engage with political representatives and not for the public to attend.

The purpose of the earlier meeting, Mr Conway said, was an opportunity to provide an update on some of the key service developments within the company, such as passenger growth in the popular X1 and X2 cross border Goldline Coach Service as well as the 238 Goldline Express services to Belfast.

Cross border travel was also highlighted along with an update on the progress of the new refurbished Enterprise trains which are all in final testing phase and soon to be in passenger service. There was also an opportunity to set out some of the funding challenges the organisation has been facing, how this has impacted on some local rail services and what has been done to address these by offering integrated travel solutions for local customers.

“Stakeholder meetings of this nature are extremely valuable and give Translink an opportunity to positively address local issues and concerns.  Translink would like to clarify that the ‘Meet the Manager’ meeting on 19th February is a further opportunity to engage with local political representatives and is not a public meeting.  It would appear that there has been a misunderstanding around the nature of this meeting and we would apologise for any inconvenience caused,” he said.

Mr Conway says Translink holds passenger focus group meetings on a regular basis to engage with local users and also welcomes feedback from customers who complete a feedback card at one of the main stations or email via feedback@translink.co.uk.

“We place high value on input from our passengers and stakeholders and regularly monitor this feedback to help plan and shape local services.  We will be taking the opportunity to capture further local customer feedback at Newry Train Station over the coming weeks and will publicise the details of this session in the station shortly,” he added.

The case of a pensioner who is taking legal action against the Equality Commission and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council over the naming of a Newry playpark has been adjourned in the High Court.

Mrs Bea Worton (88), whose son Kenneth was killed in the Kingsmill Massacre in January 1976, is seeking a judicial review of the decision to have the park named after Camlough hunger striker, Raymond McCreesh.

Her legal team were due to commence proceedings against the Commission and the Council on Tuesday but the case has been put on hold due to other commitments of some of the lawyers involved.

Seeking an adjournment, barrister Paul McLaughlin told Mr Justice Maguire both the Council and the Equality Commission intend opposing the challenge.

Agreeing to the adjournment, the judge urged both parties to fix a new date within the next two to three weeks.

A fundraising run/walk event to help defray wedding costs for Forkhill couple Tony Mulholland and Kim Cunningham will take place this Sunday 21st February in the village.

When Tony was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, his family embarked on a campaign to help him and his fiancée Kim fulfill their dream of getting married.

A Gofundme appeal has already raised more than £6,000 and Sunday’s event is planned to help boost the wedding fund.

The 10k run and 5k walk will get underway at 12 noon from Peadar Ó Doirnín GFC with an entry fee of £10 per person or £20 per family.

Dozens of generous businesses and individuals have also pledged to support the couple and have offered everything from wedding limousines, dresses, photography, music and every conceivable requirement for the special day which has been set for Friday 4th March.

Farmers are being urged to prepare for compulsory bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) testing on cattle, which will come into effect on 1st March.

Sinn Féin councillor Terry Hearty said from that date, all herd owners will be required to tag and test any cattle born on or after that date for bovine viral diarrhea.

“BVD is a major disease that can lead to infertility, lost or weakly new-born calves, it makes cattle more vulnerable to other conditions and costs farmers across the north around £20m a year,” he explained.

“It is particularly damaging to calves born to an infected mother as they can become persistently infected with the disease and are then in turn the main spreaders of it.”

Mr Hearty said the only way to fully eradicate the virus is to remove such animals from herds: “The best way to do this is by testing ear punched samples collected by farmers as part of the official identity tagging process. Samples must be sent for testing within 7 days of being taken and the cost of the test is included in the price of the original tag.  Should a BVD test come back positive farmers are able to submit a supplementary blood test and a follow up test will have to be conducted by a vet.”

Councillor Hearty says it is “extremely important” that farmers cooperate with the scheme, pointing out that anyone found guilty of not testing their animals or knowingly selling an infected animal, will face a £5,000 fine or up to a month in prison.

“Marts will also require you to produce a valid BVD negative certificate when selling cattle and in order to keep your herd disease free you should insist on seeing one when buying cattle,” he said.

“This scheme is in the best interests of farmers so I would urge them all to be aware of it, remember it and comply with it.  If you have any further questions about it you should contact the Department as soon as possible.”

An increase of 1.94 per cent in the District Rate agreed by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council on Wednesday last, means ratepayers will fork out approximately 26p per week extra when their rates bill are determined.

With the Regional Rate set by the Assembly at 1.67 per cent, the figures, when added, equate to an increase of 1.82 per cent, or £13.74 per year.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council says the moderate increase will cover the cost of public services it provides, as well as financing a number of major planned projects.  Schemes earmarked include investments in Camlough Lake, Slieve Gullion Courtyard, Forkhill regeneration scheme, Kilbroney Park, Warrenpoint Municipal Park, Annalong Harbour, upgrade of Ballynahinch weather pitch, Downpatrick football club, Dunleath Pavilion, Drumanakelly Transfer Station, Downpatrick recycling centre and Lough Inch cemetery.

The construction of two new leisure centres – in Newry and Downpatrick – will account for £19.4m of the Council’s overall budget.  Work on phase two of the Newry Leisure Centre has commenced and will cost £9.5m while the construction of a new facility to replace Down Leisure Centre in Downpatrick has also started and will cost £15.5m.

Commenting, Council Chairperson, Mickey Ruane, said, “The new Council in its first year is operating in very challenging times and the Council is pleased following much negotiations and discussion to be able to strike a rate which seeks to reflect the low level of price increases currently being expressed by consumers. This has enabled us to ensure there is no detrimental impact on service delivery to our citizens during these challenging times as we seek to continue to deliver the high quality service our citizens expect and deserve.”

Chief Executive, Mr Liam Hannaway, said the Council remains committed to delivering the strategic priorities within its Corporate Plan 2015-2019.

“Whilst the councillors continue to face the challenge of operating within very tight fiscal constraints and still deliver efficient and effective services to our citizens, we are delivering on major capital investment within the district,” he said.

“We will continue to advocate on our citizens behalf and lead the economic regeneration of this area whilst empowering and improving the capacity of our communities and we will work in partnership to seek opportunities to continue to lever substantial funding for the benefit of Newry Mourne and Down.”

Sinn Fein Group Leader on the Council, Councillor Terry Hearty acknowledged an increase “would be an added strain” on ratepayers but hoped it would be seen as an investment in the area.

Drawing attention to the two leisure centres, along with a number of smaller projects, he said: “This increase will also allow us to protect over £500,000 for seasonal events and festivals throughout the district.  As chair of the Tourism Task and Finish Working Group I can confirm that as well as being important to local communities these events are crucial for attracting visitors into the area and several of them are responsible for a large number of overnight stays in the district.  In addition to these projects we also have a duty to protect and maintain all the frontline services that the council currently offers.

“We have also kept some money available to assist communities in applying for funds from the Rural Development Programme, which is set to bring some £11m into the district over the next five years.  This money is crucial for village enhancement which is also part of our tourism project and plays a key role in plans to create rural jobs,” he added.

Councillor Hearty has also advised affected businesses to continue to appeal huge increases in business rates following revaluation.

A local fashion designer is on cloud nine after a stunning dress she designed was showcased to an international audience at the recent BAFTA awards.  Cloughoge native, Shauna Fay was thrilled to be asked to design a dress for aspiring Castlewellan actress Eileen O’Higgins, who had a starring role in the hit movie Brooklyn.  Eileen, whose plus-one at the prestigious awards ceremony was real life best friend and Brooklyn star, Saoirse Ronan, needed a “wow” dress in a hurry for the red carpet event and turned to the locally renowned fashion designer for help.

The very talented Shauna – who is no stranger to making “wow” dresses for all kinds of special occasions – got to work immediately and, during a personal consultation with the actress, suggested a full length version of a red fan-neck dress Eileen admired in her Belfast based studio.  The dramatic gown with it’s unusual fan detail neckline was a resounding hit with the actress who was flabbergasted that Shauna was creating the bespoke dress from scratch.

Determined to make Eileen the red carpet dress of her dreams, Shauna worked day and night on her creation and after a pre-BAFTA fitting just two days before the big event, both actress and designer were delighted with the finished gown.

With live coverage of the BAFTA’s starting earlier than the televised event, Shauna was inundated with Snapchat photos from Eileen’s sister of the actress in the dress and when she finally got to see the dress being worn on the big screen for herself, Shauna was overwhelmed by how beautiful it looked and thrilled that Eileen and her gown received so much screen time.

The highlight of the evening for both Shauna and Eileen came when Brooklyn won Outstanding British Film.  As all of the cast went onstage to collect the award, the world got to see Eileen on stage at the BAFTA’s in her stunning red dress – a huge coup for the local designer!

Shauna has big plans for the “BAFTA dress” as it will now take pride of place in the window of her studio in Spires Mall in Belfast where she will regale customers of how it was worn for the world to see at the 2016 BAFTAs!

A group of children are lucky to be alive after they were rescued from a fire they ignited while playing at a disused factory in Newry on Tuesday last.

The three youngsters, the youngest of whom is nine years old, were suffering from smoke inhalation when they were rescued by firefighters who were alerted by a member of the public.

A police spokesperson revealed the children may have been just moments from death when they were found hiding in a corner of the factory on Canal Street.  The firefighters had to battle their way through dark smoke to locate them.

Details of the incident were contained in a Facebook post by an officer from Newry and Mourne PSNI.

Thanking the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service for its assistance, he said: “The Fire Service Crew Commander at the incident informed me that a member of the public had informed them of three young persons messing about in the grounds of the factory just prior to the fire starting. Fire fighters entered the building where three young persons were hiding in a corner masked by dark smoke. They were safely rescued with only very minor smoke inhalation.”

The officer said the children admitted starting the fire “for a laugh”.

Revealing the gravity of the situation, he added: “A Senior Fire Officer has informed me had these children been located one minute later, these young people would not have survived due to smoke inhalation.”

This April a Culloville man will embark on an epic two-wheeled trip spanning the breadth of the United States, all in aid of the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust.   Darren Rowland will begin the monumental 4000 mile cycle from San Francisco to New York on Sunday 3rd April travelling south of the Rockies, across the Nevada Desert to Dallas Texas, Memphis Tennessee, Nashville Tennessee, Philadelphia and finishing on June 16th in New York City.

The solo cyclist will have some company for the last leg of his journey when pal Jamie Malone joins him for the 800 mile trek from Louisville Kentucky to New York.  Jamie says she has been inspired by her friend’s determination and commitment to the challenge and admits that, although the two wheeled trip is completely out of her comfort zone, having never even owned a bike before deciding to join Darren, training has begun in earnest and she is “determined to see it through.”

According to Darren the idea for the  “2wheels2newyork” fundraiser was born from his desire to escape the office routine and “get out on the open road and see the world from the saddle.”

A Mechanical Engineer by trade, Darren says he became eager to get out on his bike and ride and that the idea to cycle across the United States is a dream he has harboured for years. To fulfil that dream he decided to complete the coast to coast bike ride while raising funds for the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, a charity close to his heart having known Kevin Bell during his school years.  Darren’s commitment to raise funds for the renowned repatriation charity was compounded by the tragic death of Silverbridge man Niall Quinn in a boating accident in Australia in January.

Speaking on his 2wheels2newyork blog, he said,

“With KBRT offering their assistance to repatriate Niall’s body, it really hit me that what we’re doing the cycle for can affect any family at any time. For this to happen at this time and so close to home really has made me more committed to give it my very best.”

Both training and fundraising are well under way for the mammoth cycle and Darren’s family have come on board forming a fundraising sub committee which helped to organise a hugely successful Canal Court Quiz night earlier this month. A fundraising fashion show will take place on 11th March in Culloville Community Centre as well as an Easter raffle with all proceeds going to the very worthy cause. More fundraisers are in the pipeline and both Jamie and Darren are raising funds via idonate.ie.

The pair’s cycling training is in full swing and a customised fitness programme from well known personal trainer, Rodney Hanna, is helping Darren to reach tip top condition for the gruelling challenge.

“Coming from playing gaelic football for most of my life to cycling, it’s quite a different sport that utilises completely different muscle sets, so adjusting to riding for prolonged periods of time will be something of a challenge which I will have to adjust to,” says Darren.   Jamie too admits that her relationship with intense training schedules has been non-existent before embarking on the challenge and that she is a complete novice when it comes to cycling. In the last few weeks however she has felt the benefits of her training programme which is helping to improve her fitness levels and target and strengthen the muscles required to cycle 800 miles.

Paying tribute to Darren’s dedication to the challenge,  Jamie says “he has left no stone unturned in planning and coming up with new ideas for fundraising for KBRT.”

“By the time I join Darren, he will have cycled over 3000 miles solo!!!

“He has been spending every free hour, on the phone or emailing different organisation’s trying to spread the word and raise as much money as possible for the trust.”

Both Darren and Jamie are regularly updating their 2wheels2newyork blog on training progress and planning for the epic trip and for updates of upcoming fundraising events so to track the cycling duo’s journey keep an eye on the blog and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram search for 2Wheels2NewYork.

A talented trio of female singers from Newry are enjoying unprecedented exposure after featuring in a video recorded in an unusual venue recently.   The teenagers performed a stunning mash-up of hit songs by artists such as James Bay, George Ezra and Ellie Goulding from the backseat of Dundalk based  “Maxi Taxi Talents” cab recently. The video has since gone completely viral, having been viewed over 130,000 times and counting since it was first posted on the Maxi Taxi Talents Facebook page two weeks ago.

The unique musical platform is the brainchild of Dundalk taxi driver Mark Kavanagh who has become somewhat of a local hero to artists by regularly inviting local singers and musicians to perform in his taxi cab and sharing the footage on his facebook page, providing some much welcome exposure for up-and-coming singers.

Newry trio Caoimhe McAleavey, Sarah-Louise McCaul and Niamh McCoy were invited to showcase their inimitable singing voices after Mark was sent a video the girls had posted of their mash-up performance. Jumping at the chance to feature in his talent taxi, the girls met with Mark earlier this month and belted out a pitch perfect performance in Newry’s Canal Court Hotel car park!

Speaking to The Examiner about the phenomenal reaction to the video, 19 year old Caoimhe McAleavey said the girls have been blown away by the response.  Caoimhe, who like Sarah-Louise and Niamh, produces her own videos on Youtube of her solo renditions, revealed that the trio have bagged a number of local gigs on the back of the viral video, as well as an invitation to perform at the wedding of a Newry bride-to-be.

The girls are all students at the Bimm Music Institute in Manchester and they hope this boost to their profile will help them on their path to musical success.

Explaining how the talented friends came to collaborate, Caoimhe added,

“We all do our own music separately but we’re all studying music together at Bimm. Niamh is studying vocals and Sarah-Louise and I major in songwriting.

“We just decided to collaborate on something together.  We never thought we’d get this response so we’re definitely going to start doing things together as well now.”

With local and national radio stations such as Downtown Radio, Iur FM and Cool FM all sharing the video and vying for an interview with the trio, the singers are certainly in demand, and with local gigs in the pipeline, the video is also raising their profile in Manchester.  It seems the three friends will now have to put their talented heads together to come up with a name for their band to ride the wave of their newfound popularity, as, in keeping with the Maxi Taxi Talents catchphrase – “the Greatness keeps moving along!”

Rising rates bills will place extraordinary pressures on the licensed trade and hospitality sector and lead to the closure of rural pubs, SDLP representative Justin McNulty has claimed.

Mr McNulty has met with officials from Land and Property Services (LPS) to express his concern, and that of some local publicans who, he says, feel their businesses are being unfairly rated when compared to similar premises in more built-up and affluent areas.

“Industry, retail and economic experts point to a change in our eating and drinking trends and this is changing the shape of local pubs and restaurants.  For many years there was a very clear definition between a pub and a restaurant, now we tend to see more pubs offering food, with many telling me that they couldn’t survive without the income brought from food,” he explained.

“However government has so far been unable to change and adapt to the changing landscape of our pub and hospitality sector.  Pubs are punished for providing food, instead of supporting the local industry, the rates burden is crippling them.  Change is needed and it is needed fast before more businesses fold.”

Making the case for rural-based establishments, Mr McNulty said: “I pressed LPS on the need to ensure that the burden is fair and to press for an understanding that pubs serving food, particularly those in rural communities, are very different to a restaurant in Belfast, which has access to a large customer base.

“In the cases which we have referred to LPS, they have agreed to reconsider the valuations and take into consideration the environment and locations they are operating in.  I would urge local publicans who have seen their rates bill jump in recent years, particularly if serving food is now a major part of their business, to get in touch and we can refer their case to LPS for reconsideration,” he added.

A multi-million pound mixed used development in Newry could suffer a significant setback as speculation mounts that supermarket giant Asda is rethinking its decision to become the anchor tenant of the controversial new retail and business park.

The 15-hectare project is poised to include a mix of 70 light industrial and business starter units, 14 social housing homes, a coffee shop and associated landscaping as well as a retail food store. With Sainsbury’s and Tesco already operational in the city, Asda had been strongly rumoured to be the most likely contender for the site. Developer Hill Partnership, a family owned business run by father and son team Eamon and Laurence Breen, has said the development will create 400 permanent jobs locally and £7.1 million in construction wages.

The developers were given the go ahead for the project last July after a judicial review taken by the Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade was dismissed at the High Court.  At the time Laurence and Eamon Breen said they had been vindicated by the review going in their favour and slammed Newry Chamber for a “dereliction of duty” in delaying the development.

While Asda has never openly confirmed its interest in the Carnbane Way location, a  spokesperson for the retail giant, commenting when the project was first given the green light back in summer 2014, said the company was  “interested in opening a store in Newry.

“We are currently reviewing our options to enable us to deliver Asda’s great range of quality products at affordable prices to shoppers in the town,” the spokesperson added.

Now it seems the Newry project has hit another complication with widespread conjecture that Asda may not proceed with the store, as part of its decision to also reconsider other sites in Northern Ireland.

The supermarket also looks set to pull the plug on plans for a new £25m store in Monkstown, near Newtownabbey, a site that was earmarked to create up to 300 new jobs there. During a visit to Northern Ireland in January, Asda Chief Executive Andy Clarke said that economically, Northern Ireland was a “more challenging” place to do business than other parts of the UK.

“The Northern Ireland market continues to be important, offering great potential, [but]the wider UK market context may mean that we have to re-assess our involvement in some developments,” the chief executive said.

Commenting on current speculation about its plans for the Newry site, an Asda spokesperson said,

“While the retail market continues to face one of its most challenging periods ever, Asda remains committed to considering all new opportunities where they reflect our ongoing strategy.”

Issues surrounding the ongoing shortage of staff in Daisy Hill hospital’s emergency department are damaging morale and adversely impacting on applications for the vacant posts, the SDLP’s Karen McKevitt has claimed.

Extensive advertising of 29 vacant positions over the last six months drew just a few applicants and, to date, all of the posts remain unfilled, with just two specialty doctors appointed to the emergency department in that time, she said.

Calling for action from Health Minister Simon Hamilton, Mrs McKevitt said: “I have spoken with senior management in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust and received assurances that the Trust is taking action to attract the right people to these posts and that the emergency department service will remain operational on a full-time basis.”

The MLA revealed that Health Trusts have collectively spent over £50 million employing temporary staff and says their focus should be to reduce this and recruit permanent staff as a cost saving measure.

“The Minister and the Department of Health have failed to deal with workforce planning and the consequences are being felt by staff working under intolerable pressure,” she said.

“The increasing workload, coupled with pay freezes, are damaging morale and damaging prospects attracting new staff.  The current rate of vacancies is only exacerbating this problem. The uncertainty over junior doctor contracts is also a factor that is discouraging doctors from finding work here.

“Reports on high waiting times for emergency services across the region demonstrate the need for urgent and decisive action on these issues.  By addressing these problems the Minister can begin to tackle emergency room waiting times that have spiralled out of control,” she added.

A Southern Trust spokesperson confirmed to The Examiner that the latest briefing sent to local political representatives in January, on behalf of Interim Chief Executive, Paula Clarke, advised that a senior member of staff based there had since left their post after tendering their resignation last November.

The Trust admitted that the UK-wide shortage of Middle Grade and Consultant emergency medical staff continues to present “significant difficulties” with both the recruitment and retention of suitably qualified doctors and senior medical staff required to safely sustain the Emergency presenting a particular challenge.

The January briefing sought to reassure political representatives that the Southern Trust is

“continuing to exhaust every recruitment option to attract medical staff at a range of grades to work in our hospitals.”

“We advertise job opportunities online and via social media and have also engaged international recruitment specialists to help us reach as many suitably qualified overseas medical staff as possible.”

A management plan for the emergency department has been agreed by senior medical staff from Daisy Hill and Craigavon some months ago and, the briefing outlined that,  “staff from both hospitals are now working on a short-term rota basis to support Daisy Hill’s Emergency Department to remain open while we progress these recruitment approaches.”

“The future sustainability of the service remains challenging in the medium to long term,” it added.

“We are continuing to work with the Health and Social Care Board and the Public Health Agency to do everything possible to maintain this service.”

The annual turnover of Norbrook Laboratories increased by 8.5% to £216m last year, recently released figures have revealed.

The pharmaceutical firm, which specialises in veterinary medicines, recorded pre-tax profits of £22m.

One of Northern Ireland’s biggest exporters, the firm’s largest trading region is North America where turnover grew by 12%, helped largely by a number of new product launches.  The weak euro, however, impacted on sales in mainland Europe.

During the financial year, Norbrook sold its investment in Cumberland Breweries to the US-based firm Alltech.  The group has also completed a restructuring exercise to remove non-veterinary pharmaceutical assets from the group balance sheet.

Chief Executive, Liam Nagle, said the animal health industry is “buoyant” and the firm has “a strong pipeline of new products under development”.

Adding his voice to the ‘Brexit’ debate, Mr Nagle says a vote to remain in the EU is a must for the company.

“Based in Newry, we have hundreds of people who go from north to south every day.  We are very dependent on the open border and free movement of people.

“It is very clear it is in Norbrook’s interest for the United Kingdom to remain part of the European Union,” he said.

A doctor who has previously been convicted of conspiring to falsify the will of a Forkhill pensioner, has been found guilty of two counts of professional misconduct by the Republic’s Medical Council.

Dr. Seamus Cassidy (64), who has a practice in Dundalk, pleaded guilty in 2014 to conspiring with others to attempt to alter the will of Catherine ‘Kitty’ Haughey between 2004 and 2007, and to fake a sale of property.   The 81-year-old spinster, who owned Larkin’s pub in Forkhill, left cash, land and property worth £1.5m on her death in 2004.

Suspicions were raised when Ms Haughey’s will was changed two weeks before her death.

Dr Cassidy was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, for his part in the fraud.

On Thursday a Medical Council inquiry heard allegations that in 2009 Dr Cassidy had failed to notify the council on his application for registration that he had been convicted in a court of law.  He admitted his failure to declare that he had been convicted of drink driving in Northern Ireland.

The professional misconduct findings relate to the road traffic offence, but the inquiry also found against him regarding the will fraud conviction.

Representing Dr. Cassidy, Ken Connolly told the inquiry his client was deeply ashamed and remorseful, but acted under “duress” when he was purported to witness the signature of a will.

Dr Cassidy claimed he was intimidated by a patient – referred to as ‘Mr A’ – and the threat to himself and his family was “credible and real”.

A decision on any sanction will be made at a later date.

The Jonesborough man cleared of involvement in the Omagh bombing says he has been used as a “scapegoat” and the whole incident has stigmatized him and his family.

Seamus Daly was released from Maghaberry jail on Tuesday where he has spent almost two years on remand, accused of taking part in the Omagh atrocity as well as a Real IRA bomb attack in Lisburn April 1998.

The case against the 45-year-old dramatically collapsed when the prosecution withdrew, citing inconsistencies in the evidence given during preliminary hearings last week by its key witness, Denis O’Connor, a builder from Co. Kilkenny.

The prosecution had claimed that O’Connor received a phone call from Daly on the day of the attack from a phone they believed was used by the bomb team.  However, during a hearing last week O’Connor admitted under questioning from defence barrister Brenda Campbell that the call may have been made a week before the attack.

Daly’s solicitor, Peter Corrigan, said his team had previously questioned the reliability of the witness: “From the commencement of the prosecution we made oral submissions before the resident magistrate stating the inconsistencies and unreliability of Denis O’Connor’s evidence.  These inconsistencies are in the papers since 1999 so we don’t know why he was prosecuted in the first place,” he said.

Reiterating his innocence, Mr Daly added: “I have been blamed over a phone call that I never made and that has been admitted in court.”

He said he now intends to challenge a decision made by the civil court in 2013 that found him and three others liable for the Omagh attack because it also relied on evidence provided by O’Connor.  This case had been taken by relatives of some of those who died in the bombing.

Mr Daly claimed he was being used as a scapegoat as he had been living openly in the north for five years before he was arrested in Newry in 2014 and believes the timing of his arrest was connected to legal action by Omagh relatives who are campaigning for a public inquiry.

He says the whole incident has placed a strain on him and his family: “While it is nothing compared to what the Omagh families have suffered, you are tainted, it has tainted the whole family.  They have made me out to be the big bad wolf,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Release Seamus Daly Campaign, which has been instrumental in campaigning for his freedom, welcomed his release, stating that the case against him “showed a total disregard for his human rights and liberty”.

“The case against Seamus Daly has been flawed from the beginning, the British Government along with the prosecution proceeded against Seamus with no tangible evidence.  For the last 18 years Seamus and his family have been harassed by State agencies and media north and south due to the corruption and ineptitude of the investigators into the Omagh bomb,” the spokesperson said.

Accusing the prosecution of adopting “a tyrannical and farcical approach” to securing a conviction at any cost, the spokesperson added: “The case against Seamus Daly showed a total disregard for his human rights and liberty and we hope that he is the last person to be subjected to internment and false allegations arising out of the Omagh bomb.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all organisations who have helped us highlight Seamus’s case and in particular the many individuals who showed great courage in speaking out on what is deemed a very sensitive subject in our history.

“We would like to pay tribute to Seamus and his family who have been steadfast in their commitment to achieving justice.”

Addressing a Policing Board meeting on Thursday, Deputy Chief Constable Drew Harris said, from a policing perspective, the collapse of the case is “profoundly disappointing” but the PSNI remains “ready and willing” to pursue new lines of enquiry should new information be forthcoming.  However, he conceded that without such information, the matter is unlikely to advance any further and he cannot envisage any future prosecutions unless new evidence came to light.

A Newry foster mother received very special recognition on Saturday evening when she featured in a surprise appearance on the prime time TV show ‘Saturday Night Takeaway’, hosted by Ant and Dec.

To mark Mother’s Day, one of Ella Rafferty’s foster children nominated her to receive a very special surprise from the famous TV duo.

Ella has been fostering for 27 years has cared for more than 40 children and young people, in both short term and long-term placements.

Thinking she was just a member of the audience at the popular show, unsuspecting Ella was shocked when she was singled out and told she will be part of the series finale, on a cruise ship in Barcelona.

Congratulating Ella, Paul Morgan, Director of Children and Young People’s Services for the Southern Trust said he is absolutely delighted that Ella has received this very special tribute.

“She, like our many other foster carers, go beyond the call of duty every day, opening up their homes and their hearts to make a real difference to many young people who need a positive influence in their lives,” he said.

“Foster care is indeed challenging but extremely rewarding. Ella has made a real impact on the many young people she has touched over the years and we are delighted that she got to enjoy such a very special evening and a mother’s day she probably won’t forget.”

The Trust is always recruiting foster carers, for short term, long term and to provide respite care.

If you have time and space in your life for fostering and are interested in finding out more

Tel: 028 3833 7181 or Email: fostering&adoption@southerntrust.hscni.net.

The former Good Shepherd Sisters in the Marian Vale mother and baby home in Newry came under the spotlight at the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry which reconvened at Banbridge Courthouse on Monday last.

The long-running Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry focussed on alleged incidents of child abuse at a number of institutions run by the Good Shepherd Sisters, located in Newry, Belfast and Derry.

Former residents of the Newry facility who gave birth there as teenagers gave evidence at the public inquiry, including one woman who claims that her baby was illegally taken away from her at the Marian Vale home using forged adoption papers.

Ten people have made claims to the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry about the Good Shepherd Sisters. The claims centre on alleged emotional abuse, slapping and the quality of food provided in homes during spells in the 1960s and 1970s.

The Good Shepherd Sisters are challenging the allegations and the inquiry is expected to span across two weeks.

Proceedings began on Monday with a short opening from inquiry chairman, retired high court judge Sir Anthony Hart, before barrister and counsel to the inquiry, Joseph Aiken, provided an overview of matters relating to the institutions run by the Good Shepherd Sisters.

The HIA inquiry was set up by the Executive in 2013 to investigate the extent of abuse in  state and church run residential institutions between 1922 and 1995.  So far 22 institutions have been investigated by the HIA and it is expected that more than 450 witnesses will have provided oral testimony by the time it concludes public evidence sessions this summer.

For now the HIA will only focus on individual claims of women under 18 at the time of residence in Good Shepherd Sisters’ institutions but an inter-departmental working group led by the Department of Health is set to make recommendations on the scope of any proposed future inquiry into mother and baby homes and Magdalene laundries.

Sir Anthony is expected to submit his findings to the Northern Ireland Executive by January next year.

The brother of three men shot dead by loyalists 40 years ago has has welcomed a five-year plan proposed by Northern Ireland’s most senior judge to deal with legacy inquests into some of the most controversial killings of the Troubles.

Eugene Reavey, whose brothers John Martin (24), Brian (22) and Anthony (17) were gunned down by a UVF gang in a sectarian attack on their rural home in Whitecross on 4th January 1976, told The Examiner he was delighted to be present when Lord Chief Justice, Sir Declan Morgan, met with over one hundred victims’ families last month to discuss a review of legacy cases carried out by Lord Justice Weir earlier this year.

Sir Declan said his proposed way forward had been influenced by the views of families of victims during this “extremely worthwhile” meeting and added that “the only way to gain the trust and confidence of the families is to deliver outcomes.”

The 56 legacy cases involve 95 deaths, and include killings by police officers and soldiers, and others where there are allegations of collusion. The majority of the deaths under consideration were carried out by the notorious Glenanne Gang based in south Armagh. The gang was directed by the RUC Special Branch and Military Intelligence and operated a campaign of bombings and shootings at will without fear of detection. The Glenanne Gang were responsible for some of the most heinous crimes of the trouble including the murders of the Reavey brothers, the bombing of  Donnelly’s Bar in Silverbridge,  the bombing of Kay’s Tavern Dundalk, the shooting of the O’Dowds at Guilford, a non fatal car bomb attack of Tully’s Bar in Belleek, the bombing of the Step Inn Bar in Keady, the bombing and shooting at the Rock Bar in Granemore and the bombing and the shooting of the Miami Show Band.

Sir Declan Morgan announced his five year plan to a victims and survivors conference in Belfast last week, outlining his intentions to establish a new legacy inquest unit and a new electronic data management system to manage the huge quantity of sensitive documentation involved in the cases. He said his plan will require the provision of additional resources and advised that If the funding is provided before the assembly election in May, the new unit could start work in September.  He told the conference that the secretary of state has indicated that she would give very serious consideration to a request for funding from the Northern Ireland Executive and added that the rate of progress would depend of on the level of funding provided.

“There remains time before the assembly elections for the executive to take a decision to put forward a bid to the secretary of state for the draw-down of funding to allow legacy inquests to proceed,” said the Lord Chief Justice.

“I have set a timescale of five years for completion of the existing legacy cases which are before the coroner, from the point at which resources are provided,” he explained.

Speaking to The Examiner after Sir Declan’s announcement, Eugene Reavey detailed the discussions that took place during February’s legacy engagement event between victims’ families, Sir Declan, Lord Weir and Mr Justice Colton, the Presiding Coroner.

“The Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan had previously appointed Lord Justice Weir to conduct a review of over 80 legacy cases,” explained Eugene.

“Justice Weir approached this task in a very bullish manner, determined to find out what the problems were which were causing the serious delays.

“Taking no nonsense from the PSNI and the Ministry of Defence, he insisted that documents be provided in shorter times to the trial judge. All of the material was to be seen by the trial judge in unredacted form,” he added.

“Justice Colton has been appointed as presiding coroner and will case manage all these legacy files to ensure that they get to court in time and without delay.

“To ensure that funding for these cases would be provided he has entered into discussions with Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness.”

Eugene highlighted that all the Glenanne cases will be treated thematically so that inquests can be tackled in a structured and systematic way, to provide a full and complete picture to the presiding judge, “instead of looking at these cases in isolation.”

“Lord Chief justice has proposed a 5 year plan to see all these cases come to fruition and declared that no-one will be able to hide behind a doctor’s note,” said Eugene.

“If a suspect is deemed not fit to travel to court then they will hear that case via videolink.

“Sir Declan has said he will meet with the families in three month’s time to update us with the progress he has made.”

While Mr Reavey has welcomed Sir Declan’s proposals, he remains sceptical of the commitment of the Executive to support the progress with funding.

“All of the victims relatives expressed dissatisfaction with the political system and its inability to agree on a way forward,” he said.

“Arlene Foster has stated that no progress will be made until after the elections. This does not bode well for the victims families, some of whom have been waiting over 40 years to try to get justice for the death of their loved ones.”

A former Crossmaglen-based GP has opened up about his addiction to prescription drugs and credits the recovery programme with Narcotics Anonymous for helping him overcome the habit.

Dr. Liam Farrell, from Rostrevor, ran his GP practice from Crossmaglen Health Centre from the late 1980s for more than twenty years.  In 2007 he was convicted of the theft of diamorphine and cyclimorph, which he used to feed his habit.  He was temporarily suspended from practicing and received a six-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, for the crime.

On Thursday last, Dr. Farrell gave his first interview on the Ryan Tubridy RTE radio show, during which he spoke candidly about his battle with morphine addiction and how it led him to consider his future in the medical profession.

Revealing that he first became dependent on the drug in the late 1990s while working to establish his practice, the former GP admitted that the long hours contributed to his addiction, which at its worst, saw him injecting an ampoule of morphine several times each week.

“Unfortunately about ten years into practice I developed an addiction to morphine. Doctors are given the responsibility and authority to regulate this immensely powerful substance which has tremendous power for good but also can potentially cause tremendous damage. I began to use morphine and became addicted to it,” he admitted.

“At the time I was working every second night in Crossmaglen and it was very busy. The Troubles weren’t at their height at that time, but they were busy enough. I was writing intensely for a number of journals and when you’re offered work you have to take it.”

Dr. Farrell, a leading columnist for medical publications, was, at the time, also working as a postgraduate tutor in palliative care.

Admitting that he began using morphine to help deal with his workload, he told the radio show listeners: “I have no memory of the first time I decided to use morphine. It’s a pivotal moment of my life and the start of my self-destruction.

“I would have used one every couple of months, one ampoule. I would have injected the morphine.  I never thought I shouldn’t be doing it. Initially I was doing it so rarely. Initially I was using it every four or five months. It was just an occasional diversion but I didn’t think of it as an addiction.

“Eventually I got to the stage where I was using it once or twice or week. Then it got to a stage where I was experiencing withdrawal effects and that was like a sledgehammer hitting me. And that is when I realised I was a morphine addict,” he said.

Recalling the time his theft of the drugs was discovered, he continued: “I stole them from my colleague’s bag, which was a terrible breach of trust and a guilt that I have to carry with me and eventually I was found out.

“I was bitterly ashamed and so full of self loathing because I had been given another chance. Everybody had showed great faith in me and I had let them down.”

Seeking help for his addiction, Dr. Farrell described his withdrawal from morphine as “the most frightening thing that ever happened to me”.

“I was frightened of not having the drug. I was frightened of the withdrawal. I was frightened of what it was doing to my health and my family and my children and my job.  I was frightened all the time.  There is an intolerable anxiety,” he said.

The doctor credited Narcotics Anonymous with helping him overcome his addiction and said there is something to be learned from sharing experiences with other addicts.

“I used to go to Narcotics Anonymous and I was a different species almost from other people at it. They were all young street addicts and I had a family to go home to and a job. To see some of the self-discipline they showed it was humbling. I used to meet them afterwards and I was 25 years older than them and they were giving me advice.”

With the support of his family and friends, Dr. Farrell has recovered from his addiction and, having left the medical profession, now concentrates on his writing.

His interview with Ryan Tubridy is available on RTE podcasts at http://www.rte.ie/radio1/ryan-tubridy/podcasts/.