Community Restorative Justice Newry Armagh (CRJNA) has received more than £210,000 of funding from the the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) which will be used on projects that will deliver positive change for the local community. 

The organisation, based in Ballybot House in Newry is one of 17 groups to benefit from the IFI who have invested £2.6m in community projects across Ireland.

The funding has been allocated through the Peace Impact Programme (PIP), Personal Youth Development Programme (PYDP) and Peace Walls Programme (PWP). 

Welcoming the funding, CRJNA, project coordinator, Ewan Morgan said, “Restorative justice is a theory of justice that emphasizes repairing the harm caused or revealed by criminal behaviour.  It is best accomplished through cooperative processes that include all stakeholders. CRJ Newry / Armagh provides a safe and confidential community service which is available to all. 

“CRJ’s trained staff and practitioners are impartial, their role is to provide a safe and structured format that brings local people together to enable them to resolve issues that are affecting their quality of life.”

Speaking about the recent successful ‘South Armagh Talks Back’ engagement in Crossmaglen which was funded through the IFI, Mr Morgan said it aimed to “provide the voluntary and business communities with opportunities to contribute toward the economic, social and cultural development of the south Armagh area”.

CRJNA will use the funding injection to expand its project across Newry, south Armagh and border villages in Louth and Monaghan for two years. It will offer training, capacity building, essential skills, mental health awareness, youth intervention, local mediation and negotiation, cross- community peace building and engagement.

 An elderly lady is among the latest victims who have been targeted by callous thieves in the run up to Christmas.

The 75-year-old had her handbag stolen while in the Sainsbury’s store in Newry on Friday recently, resulting in the loss of valuable items, including a brand new iPhone.

The pensioner’s daughter voiced her anger on social media and warned others to be vigilant: “Please folks be careful when out doing your Christmas shopping.  My mum, a 75-year-old vulnerable old lady, had her handbag stolen in Sainsbury’s in Newry on Friday.  It contained her new contract iPhone, purse with some cash, and her cards, precious memory card of her brother and her disability parking ticket!

“Some scum bags out there looking out for vulnerable older people to rob. She has been left traumatised and very frightened. Disgusting.”

The former Chief Executive of the north’s leading animal charity has avoided a jail sentence after being found guilty of abusing his position to defraud the service.

Fifty-five year old Stephen Philpott, originally from Ashgrove Road, but now with an address of The Manse in Newry, appeared at Newry Crown Court on Monday last (14th Dec) where he was sentenced to nine months suspended for two years.

In September, as his trial was about to commence, Philpott entered a guilty plea to the charge of abusing his position by obtaining rental payments for a property in Bessbrook owned by the charity. The offences took place over a seven-year period between January 2007 and November 2014.

Wearing black rimmed glasses and a dark suit during Monday’s brief sentencing hearing, Philpott made no reaction as Judge Gordon Kerr QC issued the sentence. Judge Kerr outlined that Philpott had been a ‘high-profile leader’ with the charity and had been involved with the USPCA for 25 years.  He accepted Philpott had at times placed himself at risk in his role by opposing illegal animal sports such as badger baiting.

The court heard the rental income for the Bessbrook property was £400 per month and that the total amount unaccounted for over the seven year period was £40,000.

That sum has since been repaid to the charity.

Judge Kerr said Philpott had accepted “with a degree of reluctance” that his activity had been fraudulent and assessed him as at a “medium risk of reoffending”.

Outlining the main aggravating factors as the abuse of position and taking money from a charity, the judge added that the custodial threshold had been met.  Taking into account the former charity boss’s guilty plea, that restitution had been achieved, as well as the receipt of a number of good character references and medical evidence that Philpott was suffering from a serious condition not disclosed in court, Judge Kerr sentenced him to nine months in prison, suspended for two years.

Philpott thanked the judge after being told he could leave the court. He made no comment to waiting reporters outside.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Ian Wilson said, Philpott had “blatantly abused his position and the trust that was placed in him, deceiving his colleagues in a bid to satisfy his own greed and fraudulently receive large amounts of money.”

“Mr Philpott’s dishonest behaviour prevented the USPCA from receiving substantial funds; funds which could have been used to prevent cruelty and provide care for abandoned animals.  Despite his role as Chief Executive of the USPCA at the time, it is clear that Mr Philpott did not subscribe to the values of the charity and chose to profit significantly at the expense of suffering animals in need of help.

“We will relentlessly pursue anyone who seeks to abuse a trusted position to commit fraud.”

USPCA chairwoman Helen Wilson said the sentence “brings closure to a challenging period in the history of the USPCA, a respected and valued charity whose trust was ruthlessly abused by its most senior executive”.

Ms Wilson thanked all all those involved in the investigation and prosecution of the offences and said a debt of gratitude was owed to USPCA members “for their unwavering support.”

“Throughout this lengthy process, the board, staff and volunteers of the USPCA continued to fulfil the charity’s pledge to protect and relieve the suffering of animals.

“Far from being distracted by events, several initiatives that significantly enhance the range of our charitable services were introduced.

“I look forward confidently today, in the knowledge that the USPCA is in good shape, under new leadership and focused on its core purpose – the protection of all animals.”

In 2015, Proinsias O’Coinn from Mullaghbawn, made a radio programme entitled ‘Lacrimosa’ about his search for a work of art that could bring him to tears. 

One of the reasons the Mullaghbawn man believes he found it difficult to cry, was that, as a gay man, he had always struggled to accept who he really was. A month after the documentary was broadcast, Proinsias received an email from a woman called Donna who wanted to tell him about the work of art that made her cry – a sculpture by Ossip Zadkine called The Destroyed City, commemorating the bombing of Rotterdam in World War Two.

Donna and Proinsias began writing to each other and discovered they actually had a lot in common. Donna understood Proinsias’ struggle with his sexuality, as her daughter is gay. However there was something else too – they both had the same type of cancer. But whilst Proinsias found out he had cancer after his tumour had been removed, Donna was not so fortunate, with her diagnosis terminal.

Proinsias knew he had to meet Donna and visit the sculpture with her. Maybe, it would be the work of art that would finally bring him to tears. More importantly, he wanted to meet his new pen pal.  The story of their unique friendship and meeting is told in the upcoming BBC Radio Ulster documentary, ‘Stories in Sound – Pen Pals’, which airs on Sunday 30 December at 12.30pm.

A judge has criticised the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in the case of a Crossmaglen man who had been charged with assault and intimidation offences.

Brendan Carragher (34) of Creenkill Road, Crossmaglen, had been accused of assault and making a threat to kill in relation to an incident in February this year, where a shotgun was fired at a house in Cullyhanna in which a mother and her son were inside.  

Carragher was arrested in March and charged with GBH (grievous bodily harm), AOABH (assault occasioning actual bodily harm) and making a threat to kill, before being granted bail and made the subject of a non-molestation order.

He was re-arrested in July and appeared at Newry Magistrates Court accused of allegedly breaching the order on two occasions, with the second breach alleged to have occurred in The Quays shopping centre in Newry when Mr Carragher walked past the male and “smirked” at him. 

When the case came before the court again last week, the Prosecution advised it would not be putting forward any evidence and was withdrawing all charges.

In response, District Judge Eamonn King acknowledged the difficult situation Mr Carragher had “been put through”.  He warned the PPS that he was taking “a judicial note” of matter and said he would not be as quick to make such a non-molestation order in the future “given your experience in this matter”.

A new not-for-profit social enterprise has opened in Finnegan’s Nursery in Silverbridge. The new community interest company (CIC), An Tobar, meaning ‘the well’, is named after a well on the south Armagh farmland which local people used to consider as a ‘healing well’.

An Tobar offers horticulture therapy, social farming, gardening classes and nature-based educational programmes to the community. The project is currently working with children in many of local schools and with older people in residential care.

The scheme is developing a community garden in the Nursery which will facilitate individuals and groups of all ages.

From October 1st last year, all plant sales and tearoom sales at Finnegan’s have been used to fund the social enterprise programmes. Finnegan’s encourages people to continue supporting the garden centre and Libby’s Tearoom in support of their local community. 

Finnegans are delighted to have the opportunity to work with people of all ages in the community and share their love of plants and nature in a way that might be enjoyable and beneficial.

Finnegan’s Nursery & Garden Centre and Libby’s Tearoom are now open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4.30pm.

There have been increased calls for urgent action on the A1 carriageway after two major crashes occurred on the notorious road in less than 24 hours last week.

On Wednesday afternoon two people were airlifted to hospital following a two-vehicle crash involving a car and a tanker on the road near Newry. Less than 24 hours later, on Thursday morning, the road was again closed in both directions between Loughbrickland and the Sheepbridge roundabout, after a lorry toppled over the central reservation, shedding its load, and hitting another car. Thankfully, only minor injuries were reported.

In the wake of the latest accidents, SDLP MLA for Newry and Armagh, Justin McNulty called for the A1 improvement scheme recently confirmed by the Department for Infrastructure to be brought forward. 

DfI announced the huge £50m safety upgrade on the main Belfast to Dublin route set to begin in 2021, after increasing pressure from a high profile campaign to secure vital improvements on the notorious stretch of road. 

The ”A1 How many must die?” petition was launched by the friends and family of 27 year old Newry man Karl Heaney, who died in May after a collision with a vehicle that had turned on to the wrong side of the A1 carriageway.  The campaign group, along with a delegation of local political representatives which included SDLP representative, Mr McNulty, were briefed on the department’s plans to improve safety along the carriageway  before Christmas.

A tanker lorry lies overturned on the A1 near Newry on Wednesday evening following a collision with a car.

The plans will see all central reservation crossing on the route closed, preventing u-turns and right turning out of junctions onto the road.

In addition, 21 junctions will be upgraded, 10 others will be closed and new safety barriers will be installed in the central reservation to improve safety.

Mr McNulty said that whilst the upgrade works are essential and welcome, with work not planned to commence until 2021, “a greater sense of urgency” is needed.

“I know many of the families who have lost loved ones or who have had friends and family seriously injured on the A1. All have firmly stated that if the road was safer, there would not have been an accident.

“For this reason alone, I believe every effort must be made now to ensure the road is much safer for all who use the route as soon as possible.”

Newry and Armagh MLA Conor Murphy said that action needs to be taken now to improve the existing road safety features and help raise drivers’ awareness along the strategically important transport corridor. 

The Sinn Féin MLA said the existing layout along the road, with a mix of agricultural and local traffic criss-crossing the carriageway at dozens of locations along the route “undoubtedly increases the risk of a collision” and called for additional signage and driver awareness initiatives discussed at the recent DfI meeting to be implemented immediately. 

The scene on the A1 carriageway near Newry on Thursday morning after a lorry toppled over the central reservation, hitting another car.

Last week’s crashes brought the main Belfast to Dublin thoroughfare to a standstill and caused ensuing traffic chaos in Newry and the surrounding areas –  prompting calls for an emergency traffic management system to be put in place to deal with such incidents.

Sinn Fein MP Mickey Brady said that the traffic gridlock within the Newry and the wider locality following the incidents highlighted a deficiency in the management of traffic detour and movement when responding to emergencies on the A1.

Commending the work of the Emergency Services, Mr Brady said that although the resulting traffic build-ups due to road incidents are expected, “many feel that the chaos experienced by motorists was further compounded due to what seems is the lack of a well coordinated, fully resourced, emergency plan.”

The Newry and Armagh MP said he had been contacted by motorists about “poor signage visibility and failure to properly direct those vehicles and their drivers who were detoured, all this was compounded further by the dark winter evening.”

“The A1 is a major cross border route. Traffic accidents and incidents occur which will necessitate the need for road closure and detours.

“There really needs to be a comprehensive, fully resourced plan ready to kick in immediately. Having increased volumes of traffic and large lorries and vehicles driving around local roads, trying to work out where they are going, increases the likelihood of further accidents.”

Seamus Leheny, policy manager for the Freight Transport Association, said the group has consistently raised safety concerns about the A1 with the DfI.

“We’ve always had a big concern with the A1 and whenever we meet the Department for Infrastructure or politicians we press them on the issue,” he said.

“Our main concern is the gaps in the central reservation on the A1, which can cause vehicles to veer off into oncoming traffic and cause serious accidents.

“There are ongoing plans to close off the central reservation at sections of the road, and that is something we’ve been pushing for. Drivers entering the carriageway northbound also present a danger because they are entering the fast lane.

“The A1 is the most popular road in Northern Ireland for HGVs, which are limited in the maximum speed they should be doing on dual carriageways.

“Some other drivers, who may be driving too fast, seem not to take into account the difference in braking distances for these 40-tonne vehicles, which can cause serious accidents.”

Tickets are now available for the Sabrina Ryan Foundation Gala Ball, which takes place on 2nd February in the Carrickdale Hotel.  The annual event has become a highlight in the area’s social calendar since it began two years ago in memory of Killean woman, Sabrina Ryan.

The inaugural gala ball in 2017 marked the official launch of the charity foundation set up in honour of the south Armagh woman who lost her bravely fought battle with cancer in April 2015. The Sabrina Ryan Foundation aims to continue the compassionate work started by its namesake and for which Sabrina gained an international reputation through her fashion and lifestyle website ‘So She Knows’.

Sabrina was just 28 when she died, four years after being diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer.  Following her diagnosis in 2011, she became a passionate advocate of the work of the Irish Cancer Society, establishing a website and blog which dealt with issues faced by cancer sufferers and offered practical tips on how to cope with events such as hair loss, as well as fashion and lifestyle advice.  Her blog helped thousands of people deal with their own personal health worries and turned Sabrina into a beacon of hope for many who shared her situation.

The Sabrina Ryan Foundation continues Sabrina’s fantastic work, offering financial assistance to people experiencing the emotional and lifestyle effects of cancer treatment – helping to pay for services such as the purchase of wigs, eyebrowdery, reflexology, weekend retreats as well as practical necessities like heating fuel, beds and comfortable chairs. 

As the charity looks forward to next month’s black tie ball, Sabrina’s twin sister Donna, one of the founders of the foundation says 2018 has been a hugely successful year for the charity. She paid tribute to the “amazing people” who have fundraised over the last twelve months, organising everything from competitions and marathons, to scaling Everest in aid of the local charity.  

Donna (left) and her twin sister Sabrina who passed away in April 2015 after a five year battle with lung cancer. Donna founded the Sabrina Ryan Foundation in her sister’s name to offer financial assistance to people experiencing the emotional and lifestyle effects of cancer.

Speaking to The Examiner about the work of the foundation, Donna said one of the aims for 2019 was to reach out and help more men suffering from cancer.  With 95% of the charity’s clients female, the foundation wants to widen its reach and increase the amount of male and younger recipients of help and assistance.

Donna revealed that an important part of the charity’s work is to help improve patients’ mental health during treatment and after it and that, during her own treatment, her late sister had addressed a number of suicide awareness talks as a spokesperson for the Irish Cancer Society, discussing poor mental health amongst cancer patients. 

“The symptoms and treatments for cancer can leave patients and their families feeling afraid and isolated and often lead to a loss of self esteem and independence,” said Donna.

“While the main focus turns to becoming physically better, this takes a serious toll on their mental health and emotional wellbeing which can be much harder to recover from.”

“The Sabrina Ryan Foundation focuses on improving and maintaining a patient’s emotional and mental wellbeing during their cancer battle.  We want to give them hope in life again and give them the extra strength they need to win the fight against cancer.”

The upcoming charity Gala Ball kickstarts another year of fundraising for the foundation.  This year’s host is local businesswoman and The Apprentice star, Grainne McCoy. The glittering black-tie event includes a champagne reception followed by a four course meal, spot prizes and music from Sugartown Road. Tickets are priced £50 and available from the Carrickdale Hotel on 00353 (42)938 0900 or email info@sabrinaryanfoundation.com.

A top consultant anaesthetist from Newry has blamed a “toxic work environment”, poor managerial culture and increasing bureaucracy at the city’s Daisy Hill Hospital for his decision to quit his post.

Award winning medic, Dr Peter Maguire, intends to continue practicing in the Republic of Ireland in a Co Monaghan hospital, describing his current work there as, an “uplifting experience where things run like clockwork” – a stark contrast he says to the “toxic environment” and bureaucratic constraints at Daisy Hill, where he has been based for the last 16 years.

Dr Maguire, a fluent Irish speaker who runs a bi-lingual clinic for patients in the south, also told the Irish News that he felt the collapse of Stormont was violating his nationalist identity and that fears over Brexit also factored in his decision to leave. 

In the scathing interview, the high-profile consultant claimed the managerial culture at Daisy Hill is so bad that he believes a special measures “hit squad” should be called in.  He said the current climate at the hospital has left staff feeling undervalued and led him to question the role he once loved. 

Hitting out at the “incredible amount of red tape” which he says results in less time to help patients and carry out his job, Dr Maguire says his role has became increasingly difficult due to the management culture and bureaucratic restrictions at the hospital.  According to the leading anaesthetist, modern anaesthetic drugs which he said consultants have to “beg” for in the north are more accessible in the Republic.

Dr Maguire revealed that his tipping point came last October, after his first ever request for emergency leave – to care for his elderly mother following surgery  – was refused. The medic – who is an only child – said “everything fell apart” for him when his request was refused.   He took sick leave and with time to consider his future, he decided that it was time for him to go and wrote to Southern health trust chiefs about his planned retirement, giving five months notice with an end date of March 31 this year.

Despite the hospital having a shortage of consultant anaesthetists and relying on expensive locum cover, the top doctor says senior bosses never contacted him about his decision to quit.  

“The trust should be making a charm offensive to retain staff but I never heard anything back since handing in my notice,” he said.

“I am the most experienced member of the team and I know we need three extra people in our department.”

Dr Maguire said he has no plans to leave his profession – just the north’s health service.

“Not everything is perfect in the south but when I drove across the border to Monaghan one day last month, it was the most uplifting experience,” he said. 

“I knew I had seen the patients in a pre-op clinic beforehand and I knew they will be fit for surgery. I knew I was going in to do a good day’s work to change a number of people’s lives. I knew it was going to run like clockwork and it did. I felt so valued, so appreciated.”   

Reiterating his decision to “get away from this awful, toxic environment”, the Newry doctor added, “If anyone asks me about applying for a job here, I would highly recommend they don’t.”

“I will go and make my life my own. I will continue with service and teach young doctors… I am going to keep doing good.”

In response to the consultant’s claims, a spokesperson for the Trust said,

“Dr Maguire’s opinion piece in the Irish News is clearly very disappointing for the many staff who have worked tirelessly to ensure that Daisy Hill is secured as an acute hospital serving the local community.”

Thanking him for his service and wishing him well for the future the Trust representative added, “The Trust is committed to the Pathfinder process. So far this has secured the Emergency Department 24 hour opening, a new Direct Assessment Unit, medical and nursing recruitment and additional funding – £6.4m announced by the Department of Health.

“The success of Pathfinder is down to staff working alongside the local community, and is now being used as a model elsewhere in Northern Ireland. We look forward to a continued positive engagement with those who are committed to the future of Daisy Hill Hospital.”

Campaign group, Save Our Emergency Department, who have worked on the Pathfinder Project to deliver sustainable acute and emergency care in the Newry and Mourne area, said their views on the current status at the hospital differed from Dr Maguire’s.

A spokesperson for the group said they have worked closely with staff “to push for progress and make sure the Pathfinder process reflects their concerns and works to address them.”

“The public along with staff and patients have positively stepped in where politics has been stagnant/chaotic in both the shadow of Brexit and the stalemate at Stormont. The success of Pathfinder model is now being rolled out in other Trusts here.

“We welcome any staff who want to help us along in the push for progress.”

The Camlough man who died after falling from a crag while walking in the Mourne Mountains last weekend has been described as a “popular and highly-respected family man” whose contribution to his local GAA club was immeasurable.

Sean Byrne was hiking with two friends on Wee Binnian mountain on Sunday morning (13th January) when he suddenly lost his footing and fell more than 100ft.  

The Mourne Mountain Rescue team responded to the emergency around noon but was unable to save the married father-of-three who was pronounced dead at the scene.  The operation was hampered by the weather and coastguard rescue helicopter 116 flew from Dublin to the scene but due to conditions was unable to assist.

A former Treasurer and Trustee of Craobh Rua Camlocha Hurling Club, a club spokesperson paid tribute to Sean’s immense contribution: “The news of our respected former Treasurer and esteemed Trustee’s death has devastated us all.  He had a great love for our Club and he showed this over the years by the giving freely of his time and experience to help us develop and become rooted within our community.  He possessed great gifts of commitment, integrity, calmness and care. He loved his family, his community, Gaelic sport and culture.

“No words we can say will lessen the shock and pain of his family as they struggle to come to terms with this news. However we will be there for them just as Seán had been here for us over the past thirty years.”

Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy said the tragedy “has utterly devastated the local Camlough community”.

He said: “Seán was a popular and highly respected family man, a friend to many of us.  He had a great love for Craobh Rua Hurling Club and the local community.  Seán was rest assured to be seen at any fund raising quiz or event that took place here in the village.  He was a keen photographer and would be present at hurling, cycling, running and swimming events snapping away.

“The Byrne family had a long coal and oil business tradition and would be known to many throughout south Armagh.  We can assure them that they are in our thoughts and prayers at this dark and devastating time. We as a community will give them what support we can.”

Mr Byrne was one of two fatalities in the Mournes that occurred within an hour of each other, the second victim named as Robbie Robinson from Banbridge.  Mr Robinson, a retired RUC Chief Inspector, fell to his death while walking on Slieve Commedagh. 

A third incident in which a walker sustained a broken ankle was also dealt with by the Mourne Rescue Team who said to have two fatalities in the course of one day was “an anomalous situation” and extended sympathy to the bereaved families.

SDLP MLA Justin McNulty offered his condolences to the two men’s families.

Extending his sympathy to the bereaved family of Sean Byrne, he said: “Mr Byrne was a widely known and well respected member of our local community. He was deeply involved in sport, and was a Trustee and former Treasurer of the Craobh Rua Camlocha Hurling Club.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this very difficult time. This is a very close community and I know everyone will rally around the family in the days, weeks and months ahead.”

He added: “Unfortunately Seán wasn’t the only one to lose his life in the Mournes on Sunday. Banbridge man Robbie Robinson also tragically lost his life. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time for his family also,” and he offered his appreciation to the Mourne Mountain Rescue Services and Air Support for their efforts in the rescue and recovery operation.

A 25 year old County Down man accused of raping his twelve day old son has been remanded back into custody at Maghaberry Prison after being questioned by police about other matters.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child, appeared before Newry Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning, charged with sexually assaulting the infant on September 29 last year.

He is also charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm on the baby with intent.

Previous court hearings heard how the child was found at an address in the Annalong area with unexplained injuries, including broken ribs and thigh bones as well as a brain haemorrhage and traumatic bruising and bleeding. Detectives also claimed to have discovered extreme pornographic material and indecent images of children on a phone linked to the accused.

The defendant denies the charges against him, telling a High Court bail hearing in November that he may have unintentionally hit the child’s head on a wall while “tired and frustrated”.

During Wednesday’s hearing, a detective constable said police were applying for the accused to be released into their custody for 24 hours to be questioned “in relation to other separate offences than which he is presently in custody”.

District Judge Eamon King ordered the accused to be freed into police custody at Banbridge PSNI station for 24 hours.  The defendant was subsequently remanded back into custody in Maghaberry on Thursday morning to appear at Newry Magistrates Court on 13th February.

Three south Armagh high schools have ranked in the top twenty of the Irish News non-grammar schools performance list for the highest percentage of pupils achieving five or more GCSE’s at grades A* to C. The list features the top 50 non-grammars across the north, ranked by exam performance at GCSE.

Both St. Paul’s High School Bessbrook and St. Joseph’s Crossmaglen appeared in the top 10, with St Paul’s placed seventh on the league table with  74.2% of pupils passing 5 or more  GCSE’s with an A* to C grade, whilst St. Joseph’s placed tenth on the table with a 72% pass rate. Newtownhamilton High School came in fourteenth with 69.2%

Local councillors have heaped praise on the impressive results for the area’s schools. SDLP Slieve Gullion Councillor Pete Byrne said the results had been achieved “through the hard work and determination of pupils supported by the excellent teaching skills of staff.” 

Mr Byrne paid particular tribute to St. Joseph’s High School which he said “is showing that it can compete with some of the best schools across the North and this is a credit to the staff, pupils and governors.”

“The school is now entering a new era after planners gave the go ahead for a new school building early last year, this will only help to improve the standard of education in the years to come,” added Mr Byrne.

Fellow Slieve Gullion councillor, Kate Loughran congratulated the staff and pupils at St. Paul’s and Newtownhamilton High on their continued success and added,

“We are incredibly grateful to the staff who too often don’t get the recognition and praise they deserve for supporting our children’s aspirations.”

Ms Loughran said schools in the district are some of the hardest hit when it comes to austerity and the current political climate. 

“Education is the passport to our children’s future and I am certainly thankful for the dedicated staff in all our schools throughout South Armagh.”

Meanwhile, a Keady school that topped the non-grammar league tables twice in four years has fallen in rankings following the release of its first results since a probe into cheating.

An independent investigation into GCSE English and Maths examinations taken by pupils of St Patrick’s High School in Keady in summer 2017 uncovered malpractice involving a number of staff members. 

Having previously topped the tables back in 2013/14 with an 80% pass rate at A*-C grades and again achieving first place in 2016/17 with a massive 91.3 %, the school has plummeted down the ranks after the first series of exams taken following the investigation – with a pass rate of 65.2 per cent.

The Irish News also published its performance list for grammar school A-level performance across the north last week, with Newry grammar schools St. Colman’s and Sacred Heart once again appearing on the top 50 list, ranking eleventh and twenty-first successively.  

A Netflix series investigating some of music’s biggest unsolved mysteries is set to reveal “seismic” new information about the Miami Showband massacre. 

The groundbreaking investigative series, ReMastered, began streaming on Netflix last October.  The project from award-winning brothers Jeff and Michael Zimbalist uncovers the history behind some of the music industry’s most legendary events and figures.

The much-anticipated documentary, which was two years in the making by the Emmy-winning team behind the new series, will be available to 130 million Netflix subscribers around the world around St Patrick’s Day.

Survivor of the Miami Showband massacre, Stephen Travers, says he feels  “privileged” that the band’s tragic story is being told on Netflix and says it is an amazing opportunity to bring the story to the world “to ensure victims of that conflict, from all traditions, who have been so badly treated and used as pawns by those who have chosen to deny history, others who rewrite history and others who ignore history, are not forgotten.”

The band, who were one of Ireland’s most popular cabaret bands in the 60s and 70s, were travelling home to Dublin after a gig in Banbridge in July 1975 when a fake army patrol made up of UDR soldiers and UVF members stopped them at a bogus checkpoint just outside Newry.  The loyalist gang attempted to hide a bomb inside the bus while the band members were lined up along the roadside, however the device exploded prematurely, killing two of the would-be bombers.  

The other gunmen then opened fire on the group, killing lead singer Fran O’Toole, guitarist Tony Geraghty and trumpeter Brian McCoy and injuring two other band members, Des McAlea and Stephen Travers, who both survived the atrocity. The attack was carried out by members of the Glenanne Gang, which included members of the RUC, UDR and UVF. 

Two serving UDR soldiers and one former UDR soldier were given life sentences for the killings.They were later released under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

Since then, survivors and relatives of those killed have been tireless in their quest for justice and have taken legal action against the British Ministry of Defence and the PSNI, alleging collusion with the loyalist killers.

Their fight for justice will form a key part of the Netflix documentary, which will air on March 19th.

Speaking to the Irish Sun about his involvement with the upcoming documentary,  Stephen said he knew the directors had “come up with something seismic” from the moment he met them. According to Netflix,  the documentary “tracks Travers’ efforts and recent discoveries to tie the bombing and subsequent attacks to direct orders” given by people close to the British government.

Mr Travers was keen to stress that reconciliation is always his aim when retelling the terrible events of that night and explained that “any episode from the Troubles could be used as a stick to beat the other side.”

ReMastered: The Miami Showband Massacre will air on Netflix on March 19th.

A Bessbrook woman who lost her little boy Harvey to a rare degenerative disease has seen her dream of keeping his memory alive come true, with the opening of a new sensory room dedicated to her special son.

Little Harvey McCabe passed away at just two-and-a-half years old, only four months after his family received the devastating news he was suffering from the life limiting condition, Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD) – a rare, genetic, degenerative disorder that leads to muscle wasting and weakness, developmental delays, blindness, impaired swallowing and dementia. Most children diagnosed with the condition have a life expectancy of up to 5 years old however Harvey’s life was tragically cut short six months after his second birthday. 

With the love and support of their families and the local community, mum Clare and partner Cathal were determined to keep Harvey’s memory alive. As a way of remembering Harvey him and to help children who require a specialised environment to enjoy their hospital experience, they launched the ThumbsUpForHarvey fundraising campaign to build a new sensory room at Daisy Hill.

Sister Michelle McLogan, Daisy Children and Young People’s Unit with members of the McCabe family marking the launch of Harvey’s Haven, the new sensory room.

 Their tireless dedication raised £23,000 to create “Harvey’s Haven” , a lasting memorial to the toddler, located in Daisy Hill’s Children and Young People’s Department. The beautiful room, equipped with the latest in sound and light interactive technology, was officially opened last week, marking Harvey’s fourth anniversary this month.  Speaking at the opening, proud mum Clare said,

“We are beyond grateful to all the sponsors and people who have kindly dedicated their personal fundraising challenges to our ThumbsUpForHarvey campaign. 

“Special recognition must go to the local communities of Bessbrook, Camlough and surrounding areas who donated generously throughout all of our fundraising events and always offered a helping hand when needed. Through Harvey’s Haven, Harvey’s memory will always be kept alive.”

Paying tribute to Clare and family, Dr Ahmed Khan, Associate Medical Director for Children and Young People’s Services for the Southern Trust said, 

“We sincerely thank the McCabe family who have gone to so much effort to help other families following their own tragic loss. 

“Being in hospital is particularly difficult for children and young people and indeed stressful for the whole family. Harvey’s Haven is a place where families can now find some peace and tranquillity and which offers children some distraction during their time in hospital.”  

Clare McCabe and family members Frank McCabe, Nora Gregory, Cathal Quinn and baby Caidan have donated an amazing £23,000 to develop a new sensory room ‘Harvey’s’ Haven’ within the Daisy Children and Young People’s Unit at Daisy Hill Hospital. Pictured with Dr Ahmed Khan, Associate Medical Director for Children and Young People’s Services at the Southern Trust, Sr Michelle McLogan, Deputy Sister Orla Heaney, Staff Nurse Jamie Loughran and Health Care Assistant Michelle ONeill.

 Police have said there is no clear motive for the fatal shooting in Warrenpoint on Friday evening that claimed the life of 37-year-old Wayne Boylan and critically injured a 21-year-old woman.

Mr Boylan, a father-of-two, was gunned down after two men burst into a flat on Lower Dromore Road around 7.30pm and blasted him in the head with a shotgun.  Pellets struck the 21-year-old woman in the face and neck and she was taken to Daisy Hill Hospital before being transferred to intensive care in the Royal Hospital, Belfast where she underwent emergency surgery and remains in a critical condition.

At a press conference at Ardmore police station in Newry on Saturday, Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Geoff Boyce said police had launched a murder investigation and revealed there appeared to be “no clear motive” for the attack.  He described the killers as “cold-blooded” and said the attack was a “senseless and callous murder perpetrated on a completely unsuspecting man”.

DCI Boyce revealed that Mr Boylan was enjoying an evening at his friend’s house in the company of a number of friends when the two masked men, armed with what police believe to be a shotgun, burst into the property and fired at Mr Boylan, striking him in the head and fatally injuring him.  He said Mr Boylan had just come back from a local off-licence 10-15 minutes before the attack and may have been followed.

“Wayne was a father and his two young children have been left without their father. He was a son, a brother and a friend. His murder has caused his family and friends immeasurable pain and their lives will be forever changed by his loss,” said the police chief.

At present no clear motive for the attack on Mr Boylan has been identified and Chief Inspector Boyce has appealed directly to those who may know the people involved to tell the police what they know.

Murder victim: Wayne Boylan.

“Were you in the Lower Dromore Road area last night between 6pm and 8pm ? Did you see the gunmen or any unusual vehicles in the area? Did you see any vehicles being driven erratically in the area of Lower Dromore Road or the dual carriageway between Newry and Warrenpoint yesterday evening around 7:30pm? Please tell us what you saw. We want to be able to give answers to a grieving family. To give them justice by putting his murderers behind bars,” he appealed.

The scene of the fatal shooting on Lower Dromore Road, Warrenpoint on Friday evening.

The Major Investigation Team can be contacted by calling 101 or 028 44 611001, quotig reference 115 18/01/19 or information can by passed anonymously via the Crimestoppers charity.

Local politicians visited the scene and said people in the town are shocked.

SDLP MLA Sinead Bradley said it is “dreadful news to think one family, one home, will hear they have lost a loved one in this manner”.

“You just wouldn’t expect it,” she said, adding that, “Whatever the circumstances, for someone to have lost their life is devastating news.”

Sinn Fein MLA Sinead Ennis said the local community of Warrenpoint are “shocked and stunned” by the shooting.

“Our first thoughts are with the family of the victim,” said Ms Ennis, and she appealed for anyone with information to bring it forward to assist the investigation.

Independent Councillor Jarlath Tinnelly said the shooting was a “shocking event in a very quiet residential area”.

“Warrenpoint generally would be a very quiet town and has seen nothing like this, certainly since the end of the Troubles,” he added.  “It’s an absolutely incredible scene and one that we thought we had all left behind many, many years ago.”

“Our children don’t know where the border begins and ends, and that’s the way we want it to stay” – was the clear and concise message from the Border Communities Against Brexit (BCAB) protest at Carrickarnon on Saturday.

Hundreds from across the country turned out to register their opposition to the imposition of any type of hard border in the event of a no-deal Brexit when Britain leaves the EU in March.

Mock checkpoints were erected and armed ‘soldiers’ manned imitation watchtowers symbolising the potential consequences of a hard border, while temporarily erected concrete walls were demolished with sledgehammers to represent the defiance of protesters.  

Anti-Brexit slogans were scrawled on concrete walls as organisers sent out a clear message that a “hard physical border in Ireland” will never be accepted.

A spokesperson for BCAB outlined the impact on people’s lives and the economy should Britain crash out of the EU without a deal: “Be under no illusions, if we crash out with no deal, without the protection of the Backstop, tens of thousands of jobs will be lost right across this society, North and South. 

“Let us never stop reminding the British establishment, the Tory party and the DUP, we [in the North] voted Remain (56%).   Let us further remind them that the DUP does not speak for us, they represent less than 30% of the population, they are not our voice on Brexit.”

And quoting former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern ‘If you tried to put it there you wouldn’t have to wait for terrorism to take it down, people would just physically pull it down – the ordinary people’, the spokesperson added: “That’s is exactly what they did on Saturday, a nurse, a farmer a salesman – local people.

“The Backstop is an insurance policy so there will never be a hard physical border in Ireland again.” 

RTÉ has admitted that there was no evidence to support its accusation that the Dromore Diocese withheld documents pertaining to sexual abuse carried out by paedophile priest, Fr Malachy Finegan. 

Finegan, who was a parish priest of Clonduff in Hilltown as well as a teacher and later president at St. Colman’s, has been accused of sexual and physical abuse against boys on church and school premises. He was never questioned by police or prosecuted before his death in 2002.

The Irish station reported last summer that the diocese had concealed documents from a children’s safeguarding audit. 

In February last year, Bishop of Dromore, Dr John McAreavey, resigned as Bishop of Dromore after it emerged he co-celebrated Mass with Finegan despite knowing his record of abuse, and by saying his funeral Mass.  Victims were outraged and said the bishop had compounded their suffering. 

In August, a RTÉ report claimed that the Dromore Diocese had withheld documents relating to Finegan’s sexual abuse. Last week, RTÉ released a clarification statement which said,

 “On Morning Ireland on August 16 last it was stated that the Catholic diocese of Dromore had hidden documents concerning child sexual abuse by the late Father Malachy Finegan from a child safeguarding audit led by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church. 

“RTÉ accepts that there is no evidence of such concealment by the diocese or by its then Bishop, John McAreavey, and is happy to provide this clarification.” 

The Dromore Diocese responded to the clarification saying it reiterated its original statement given in August 2018 when the allegations first emerged, “which stated that the Diocese gave access ‘to all available records and the review made reference to those files and acknowledged the work of Bishop McAreavey in the field of safeguarding’.” 

A PSNI team from the PSNI’s Public Protection Branch was established last March following the revelations about the serial child abuser to investigate the circumstances of abuse committed by Finegan in Newry and any other people connected to the leading grammar school.  So far over 30 people have contacted the special police team and officers have recorded a “significant” number of statements.  It is understood further police interviews are planned this year.

The Southern Trust’s ‘Acute Care at Home’ service, the first Consultant Geriatrician Led service of its kind in Northern Ireland,  is now available to older people in the Newry and Mourne area and will soon be rolled out in south Armagh. 

The Acute Care at Home team aims to respond to referrals from GPs, Northern Ireland Ambulance service and local hospitals within just a few hours.

With the same access to diagnostic and laboratory services as in a hospital setting, the team can treat patients over the age of 65 with a wide range of acute illnesses in residential, nursing or patients own homes.   They also have  access to mobile diagnostic equipment to carry out scans, take blood tests or organise other diagnostic investigations and treat a range of conditions like  chest infections, pneumonia or dehydration in patients own homes.

The Acute Care at Home service has been expanding across the Southern area since it was originally set up as a pilot in 2014. To date it has prevented around 4,050 hospital admissions and supported earlier discharge for over 1,400 people.

Currently available to suitable patients in Newry City, Mayobridge, Hilltown, Rathfriland and Bessbrook, the next phase will see the service extended to south Armagh and Kilkeel.

As Lead Consultant Geriatrician for the service, Dr Patricia McCaffrey, explains, 

“A hospital admission can be traumatic and disruptive for anyone, but particularly for an older person who may be less mobile, or for those who have dementia. 

Some of the Acute Care at Home Team with Gerry McAleenan and his wife Josie from Newry- Dr Daithi Fitzpatrick, Specialist Nurse, Fiona Towe, Physiotherapist, Niamh Canavan and Yvonne Murphy, Manager.

“Through the Acute Care at Home service, we are transforming the way we offer unscheduled care to our increasing number of older residents who are living with more complex needs. We hope that by offering high quality care their own home environment, we will promote a better quality of life for our older population, avoiding more stressful admissions to our very busy acute hospitals when it is safe to do so.”

Gerry McAleenan from Newry who has a chest condition has used the service on a number of occasions. He has nothing but praise for the initiative. 

“I can’t thank the Acute Care at Home team enough as I would not be here if it wasn’t for them,” he said.

“I have such confidence in the service and all the staff as they cared for me so well.  I have told my GP that I don’t want to go to hospital but to always be treated by the team.  My family are so grateful. The staff took the time to treat me, everyone was so professional and caring and I have never experienced anything like it.” 

The Acute Care at Home team includes Consultant Geriatricians, Speciality Doctors, Specialist Nurses, Staff Nurses and Health Care Assistants, Pharmacists , Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists  and  works closely with many other Community Services.

The service is funded by the Southern Local Commissioning Group and supported by the Southern Integrated Care Partnerships (ICPs).

Gerry McAleenan and his wife Josie from Newry.

Newry and Armagh SDLP MLA Justin McNulty has expressed his support for proposals put forward by the leadership of the SDLP and Fianna Fáil at the recent partnership launch in Belfast. 

Speaking after last Thursday’s announcement that the SDLP and Fianna Fáil had entered an “unprecedented and historic” partnership, McNulty said “politics is changing across these islands, old responses to new challenges will no longer cut it.” 

SDLP party leader Colum Eastwood and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin announced a series of common policies they say are aimed at restoring public faith in politics. They have pledged to deliver politics which works to resolve the powersharing crisis and moves to unite Ireland’s people amid the threat posed to north/south cooperation by Brexit.

Supporting the historic partnership, Mr. McNulty said “politics has moved onto new ground and that new ground is crying out for a politics of creativity and courage to deliver for people in the changing context we find ourselves in.”

“The future we envisioned over twenty years ago, when the SDLP- alongside many other parties- delivered the Good Friday Agreement, has not come to pass. Division and deadlock have characterised the institutions that were built on hopes of a shared and prosperous future.

 The Newry and Armagh MLA said the partnership is the beginning of a process “that will work to deliver a new Ireland envisioned by giants such as Hume and Lemass.”

“Through a programme of joint working groups, research and public engagement we will work with Fianna Fáil on proposing alternatives for critical issues, such as our stagnant economy, investment along the border regions, better public services and cross-border services post-Brexit. Obviously Brexit will be the first priority and together we will continue to push for the Backstop and against the prospect of a return to a hard border.

“Together, we have once again committed to uniting our people here. And only through ‘change’ can we reconcile our society and move forward into a brighter future. That future will not be built through an old and narrow vision of Ireland and our people. I firmly believe a forward facing, robust and dynamic initiative, intent on putting people before politics, has the real potential to deliver just that.”

Mr McNulty added that the party had “always made hard choices for the betterment of all our people, even when those choices cost us dear,” and encouraged people to be open minded about the process “whilst reflecting upon where we are now.” 

“Twenty years ago, through political partnership that reached beyond on our own party, we brought peace to our people. Twenty years on, we are once again determined in our resolve to deliver a type of shared and prosperous Ireland that people here are so deserving off.”

The SDLP is set to hold a special conference in Newry next month where members are expected to vote on proposals for the new partnership with Fianna Fáil.

Police in Newry are seeking the public’s help in tracing a thief who stole a large amount of cash from a car parked outside a supermarket on Friday.

The incident happened around 12.15pm when the opportunistic thief broke into the vehicle parked at Mulkearn’s store on the Forkhill Road and swiped the money.  Police described the thief as “a stocky male with black hair” and added that he made off in “a black old-style Astra” possibly bearing the registration 03 W 2381.

Anyone with information or possible sightings of the vehicle described is asked to contact police on 101 quoting reference 508 25/01/19.