Not sure which aspect is worse: That someone ‘composed’ it; the fact so many of them know it well enough to join in; the age a few of them would have been in 2011; the glee of those reacting to the words; or how little regard there is for the suffering the family has endured.
Where were these ardent defenders of Ireland when a woman and 3 young children were brutally knifed to death in Cavan in 2016? Where was the outrage over Claire Collins' murder in Co Clare 2 weeks ago? Or last month's murder of Denise Morgan in New York? Am I missing something?
Statement just issued by
@NIfoodanddrink
on the Northern Ireland Protocol: “While politicians may debate constitutional implications of Brexit deals, we are concerned with the livelihoods of 113,000 people who are dependent on the prosperity of Northern Ireland food and drink."
Some images in from
@ONeills1918
, showing staff in Strabane manufacturing scrubs for the health trusts. The company has confirmed that 150 people are now back working.
We could do a lot worse than spend public funds on reprinting
#LostLives
. Personally I find it incredible that the book has become so inaccessible (£400-500 on ebay). Such an important document should be in every school in the country. In an ideal world, every home.
And like that, +£1.50 added to my bus commute to Belfast. Now £19 per day, a 45% increase vs 15 months ago (and that's using an iLink card - it's £23 cash day return). So much PR around cutting emissions, but where is the strategy for incentivising people out of their cars?
If
@Translink_NI
is serious about getting commuters out of the car, they might need to look at prices. £13.10 (day return) to Belfast (from Omagh/B'gawley) if I get the 6.50/7am bus. Opted for the next bus today (8.10am)... £19.50 day return. Got back in the car and drove to work
Bar the Toy Show, I can't remember the last time I sat through the
#LateLateShow
in its entirety (or even more than 30 mins). Considering the nerves and pressure he was under, Paddy was fantastic and will only get better. Thoughts & prayers with Phil Patterson at the Dundrum Inn.
Tyrone sportswear manufacturer and retailer O'Neills is to open its first Belfast city centre store in the former Virgin Megastore unit on Royal Avenue, creating 25 jobs. The retail space has been empty since mid 2018
BREAK: Lidl is creating 120 jobs within its NI operation on the back of "unprecedented customer demand". The supermarket chain says it is particularly looking to take on those in retail, catering or hospitality who may have lost their jobs in recent days.
Its commercial director painted a gloomy picture for the haulage industry at a Lords committee on Friday, but new accounts show 2021 was a record year for the McBurney Transport Group's profits
Less than 18 months after former Tyrone U20 player John Rafferty (21) lost his life on the A5 Curr Road, Caolan Devlin, the brother of Tyrone's All-Ireland U20 winning captain Niall Devlin, has been killed just 2.5 miles away on the same stretch of road. This can't go on.
Two of the most prominent transport firms involved in the discourse around the protocol/Windsor Framework have reported record profits for 2022. Both McCulla and McBurney saw their profits surge by more than 60% last year, new accounts show
If you're in the business of public relations, legal advice, crisis management etc... Having an absolute meltdown on social media isn't the best promotion for your skills.
So... I have relocated:
New job title: Belfast Telegraph Business Correspondent
New contact details: rmcaleer
@belfasttelegraph
.co.uk
Any good business stories, drop me an email or a message on here.
Co Down bakery Grahams has become the latest NI food firm to sign an all-island supply deal with Lidl. The German retailer estimates it will be worth at least £2.5m per year to the family-owned firm (via
@irishnewsbiz
)
10.30am appt today with my 8yo daughter @ Altnagelvin fracture clinic (severe arm break - temp cast since Sunday). In under 60 mins: We had old cast off, new cast on, x-ray and saw consultant twice. Staff couldn't have been better. An incredibly well run clinic
@WesternHSCTrust
.
God help the people of Armagh. I'm in bits watching this and I don't really even like Armagh... I jest. Absolutely delighted. I think it was Jarlath Burns lifting Aidan Forker's wife and his sons over the barrier behind him that broke me.
#somethinginmyeye
Was just on
@BBCNolan
discussing the A5. In 2016 I produced this map in an effort to create some kind of record of road fatalities. At that time I recorded 30 deaths from RTCs (2006-2016). Sadly, I've had to update it 17 times since.
A new report from ESRI confirms a significant shift in the Republic from GB to NI suppliers under the protocol. It comes as one of the biggest chilled transport groups on the island revealed its £8m plans for a new storage and distribution hub in Lisburn
Quite an emotional evening for the
@irish_news
as many of its columnists and ex-staff gathered to bid farewell to Donegall Street, the paper's home since 1906.
Arrived in Belfast this morning to be met with a banner telling bus commuters approaching the Europa: 'f**k the Irish News (and the Telegraph)' and 'all taigs are targets'. Wasn't raining, so not all bad...
On Monday,
@DUPleader
Arlene Foster blamed the media for trying to drive a wedge between her party and the business community. Below are some of the comments by DUP MLA Edwin Poots on the CBI and Stena Line (posted today).
Irish bus operator Aircoach has bought Derry-based passenger transport company Airporter. Aircoach said the deal will see it launch a new 7-day-a-week Derry to Dublin bus route via Belfast International Airport and Belfast city centre.
First 'parklet' in Belfast City Centre opened in Linenhall Street today. It's part of a broader £600k
@LinenQuarterBID
project for more outdoor social space. Can file this under 'things we want to see more of'.
Did you know the boxes for Quality Street are made in Dungannon? See tomorrow's
@irish_news
where we'll be looking at Greiner Packaging's big plans for its Co Tyrone operation.
Two years on from its collapse, Flybe is coming back to Belfast City Airport. The resurrected regional airline has named Belfast as its second operational base (alongside Birmingham). List of new routes expected to be announced next week.
After a disappointing visit to a well known Belfast restaurant, today's highlight in the city remains the punter at certain venue, who brought the house down with his karaoke number, which he ended on stage, ballick naked, at 6.25pm.
An emotional day as I leave the Herald office for the final time after 8 years (amid rolls of thunder overhead!). A major chapter in my life closed. On to the next one.
This opinion piece has been reverberating in my head for a few days. While there seems to have been a focus on getting people back into city centre offices, flexible working is here to stay. So it’s time to get real about creating a living city centre.
The
#MassacreAtBallymurphy
documentary paints Bloody Sunday in an even more chilling light. You can only but wonder how much of the subsequent violence could have been avoided.
New trade survey out this morning from Invest NI/NI Chamber: 54% of the firms which took part said they believe the NI Protocol is supporting business growth
Once again BBC NI gives priority to news from the Republic rather than from NI. This time a murder in the South rather than the possible increase in rates which applies to everyone across Northern Ireland. No wonder it is now calledBBC Ireland
RESULT:
Órfhlaith Begley (SF) 16,346
Tom Buchanan (DUP) 8,390
Stephen Donnelly (Alliance) 1,130
Daniel McCrossan (SDLP) 6,254
Chris Smyth (UUP) 2,909
@OrfhlaithBegley
is the new
#WestTyrone
MP
Some popular Belfast pubs taking a hit in the latest rates reval (just a snapshot):
Sunflower – 563% rise (£7.5k-£50k)
Henry's - 318%+ (£37k-£155k)
Lux – 213%+ (£64k-£200k)
The Harp Bar – 167%+ (£135k-£360k)
Duke of York – 116%+ (£125k-£270k)
Dirty Onion – 121%+ (£145k-£320k)
Economy Minister Diane Dodds tells Stomont's Economy Committee that "the very poor financial settlement for the NI block grant in 2021/22" represents in real terms a 15% cut to her departmental budget. Said DfE faces £54m of pressures, and the loss of £70m from EU funding.
Imagine forgetting the winning captain's name and then insisting on taking the cup back off him so you can be the one to hand it to him. 🤦♂️
#sigersoncup
Big news in Tyrone hospitality circles. After 87 years, the Kelly's Inn name is no more. Peter Canavan has taken over the running of the well-known Garvaghey roadside venue.
Hundreds of people of Beragh and members of local sports clubs of all codes have gathered at Beragh Swifts' pitch this morning for a show of solidarity with their coach John Caldwell. People will walk toward St Mary's GAA grounds.
The Ballymena-based McBurney Transport Group is being sold to the Danish shipping group DFDS for £138m. Comes just two months after McBurney posted record profits for 2021.
Noel Doran gets the
@ianknoxcartoon
treatment as we gather in the newsroom today to officially mark the end of an incredible 25 years as
@irish_news
editor.
In case you missed this actual piece of business news today: Shoe Zone has named Terry Boot as its next finance boss after predecessor Peter Foot walked away from the role.
#yesreally
Life in a village with pets comes with the daily risk that something might happen. Unfortunately it came to our door this morning. Two very heartbroken wee girls, and let's be honest, two devastated adults.
RIP Fred ❤️.
P.S. please slow down when driving through a village.
Creative Oceanic have declined to disclose their registered company name and answer other questions around the selection process for their awards. They have (unsuccessfully) tried threatening me with legal action. They are now resorting to online trolling. Very normal behaviour.
“In 7.5 years in this job I have never encountered such a level of interest in Northern Ireland as an investment location for manufacturing." - Stephen Kelly (
@ManufacturingNI
).
AP footage from 23 years ago capturing the challenge and conflict within unionism around the Good Friday Agreement. Worth watching for Ervine vs Paisley at the end (albeit cut short)
50 iPads stolen from the The Moat PS in Lisnaskea yesterday. Hard to fathom the mindset of someone who would literally steal from children at the mouth of Christmas. Please be wary of being offered a cut price iPad from a dodgy source over the coming days/weeks.
A powerful image. Just hours before leading Tyrone to an Ulster title, Michael Rafferty would have heard about the deaths of two young people on the A5. The crash happened very close to the place where his older brother John (a former Tyrone u20) lost his life 18 months earlier.
My kids' school, like so many others, opting to treat Wed-Fri as staff dev days. In all likelihood it won't reopen again before the summer. More schools every hour announcing closures. At this rate, there won't be many left for the Minister to close.
The Republic’s National Transport Authority has placed an order for 120 fully-electric double-deck buses with Wrightbus. It’s the Ballymena manufacturer’s second significant bus order in the EU inside 3 weeks. Follows Cologne-based RVK’s order for 60 hydrogen buses on May 27.
Debenhams has officially appointed administrators to sell the retail group. Stores will continue to trade as normal. The group says any new owner will have access to a £200m funding pot. But it will likely pave the way for 'restructuring' i.e. closures and attempts to cut rents.
Danske Bank CEO Kevin Kingston this morning presenting latest results from the lender: "A no deal Brexit is the biggest risk to the Northern Ireland economy in a generation."
Mourne Seafood Ltd, the company behind one of Belfast's best known restaurants, is in the process of being wound up. Its founder said the debt built up since the pandemic had become too significant.
Mourne Seafood Bar in Bank Square remains open, but is now under new ownership.
Canadian music retailer Sunrise Records has bought HMV. Owner Doug Putman tells
#r4today
that around 100/125 stores to be saved. HMV branding to remain.
Reliving my primary school days with this jigsaw that arrived today from Lisheen Toys in Kerry. Has gone down a storm with the wee people of the house.
This will teach me to go into the office. This is what I landed home to today. Meet Fred. Apparently Fred had a rough start in life and was treated like more like a football than a pet. He is quickly realising he has landed on his feet now though.
Breaking: SSE Airtricity has announced a 35.4% hike in electricity prices from October 1 2022 (follows a 33% rise that took effect on June 1).
SSE Airtricity gas tariffs will also go up by 28.3% on October 1 - follows a 42.7% increase on July 1 and a 39% rise in April.
Plans are in train by McAleer & Rushe to transform the Europa bus centre into a new food market attraction. Food traders are already being lined up for the Great Victoria Street Market. Translink is due to vacate the depot in the Autumn.
Neighbourhood Café, one of the Belfast businesses caught up in the Oct 3 fire at Cathedral Buildings, is to reopen in the first week of December after chef Niall McKenna offered Ryan Crown and Oisin McEvoy his former Hadskis premises in Commercial Court.
The narrative of unionist apathy and angry/motivated nationalists tends to ignore a simple fact: Demographics.
The last census, AE22 and LE23 are ultimately the reflection of a changing demographic. The nationalist population is young and growing,the unionist demographic isn't.
Diane Dodds says that on average, EU funding has equated to £100m per annum across her department and its arms length bodies. With bids for £70.6m already in for next year.
(This is all quite remarkable to hear from a pro-Brexit DUP minister.)
The French shipping group CMA-CGM, is setting up a new container feeder service at Belfast Harbour, which will connect the port with a number of key European hubs. Belfast Harbour say it's good news for both importers and exporters
Unsung hero of this goal is Stephen O'Neill, losing control of the ball, battling back, skillfully flicking the ball up and supplying Milligan, who in fairness, had a bit to do. SON did something similar in the '08 All-Ireland final.
#playmaker
We lost this man on the road through our village tonight. 'Big Paddy' (aka Pat) came to us from the fantastic Rainbow Rehoming in Derry (where he was named). He had a great life with us. More than a bit devastated it was cut so short. I'll miss my WFH buddy.
The
@WhigNorthern
account is linked to Eoghan Harris in today's Sindo. Editor Alan English states ‘Lady Macbeth’, who the account is preoccupied with, is Francine Cunningham, the Strabane-born wife of INM's Peter Vandermeersch. Another Tyrone writer Martina Devlin also targeted.