Bury him in ‘unmarked grave’ says victim of Dunleavy
Victim ‘couldn’t be happier’ Dunleavy died in prison
Connla Young, Crime and security Correspondent, Irish News, August 29th, 2025
SHAMED CHRISTIAN BROTHER DIES IN JAIL
A VICTIM of prolific paedophile Paul Dunleavy has said he is “delighted” after the Christian Brother died while serving a prison sentence and hopes he is buried in an “unmarked grave”.
Dunleavy (89) was sentenced to 10 years behind bars last November after being convicted of 36 charges of historical sexual abuse against nine boys.
The 89-year-old died in hospital on Tuesday, the Prison Service has confirmed.
The offences took place between 1964 and 1991 while Dunleavy worked at four schools in Belfast, Newry and Armagh, with the victims aged between seven and 14 at the time.
Dunleavy, above, had already been behind bars after he was previously convicted on two separate occasions of sexual offences against children.
Over three trials the predator, who retired in 1997, was convicted of 72 offences involving 18 victims in total.
Offences included indecent assault, attempted buggery and gross indecency with or towards a child.
Concerns were raised last year after The Congregation of Christian Brothers confirmed that despite the convictions Dunleavy remained a member of the order.
Died in hospital
It is understood the convicted sex offender died in hospital after being taken from Maghaberry Prison.
A spokesman for the Prison Service said: “The Northern Ireland Prison Service can confirm the death of an 89-year-old male prisoner from Maghaberry at an outside hospital.
“As with standard procedure, the PSNI, Coroner and Prisoner Ombudsman have been informed.”
One of Dunleavy’s victims, who was abused as a schoolboy, aged between 10 and 11, more than 50 years ago, has welcomed his death.
The victim, who does not want to be named, was singled out by Dunleavy when he attended Abbey Christian Brothers PS in Newry in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Now aged in his 60s, the man said Dunleavy was due to appeal his conviction in October and that he had recently been contacted by police to attend.
“It hasn’t been an easy journey from the time he got sentenced until now,” the man said.
“I am delighted to hear he is dead.”
‘Worried about going back to court’.
The man said he was initially shocked to hear his abuser had died adding that he had been worried “about going back to court”.
“Worrying about the fact that he might get his sentence overturned and that (he) might get out because I was hoping he would die in prison.
“I got my wish eventually.” The victim said he was glad because “I got my time in court and that he got a conviction for what he did to me”.
“I am delighted with that and that it’s not going to be overturned now,” he added.
“I couldn’t be happier, I just hope it’s an unmarked grave and they can never find him.”
Solicitor Owen Beattie, of Owen Beattie Solicitors, who represents several victims, said “the shadow of Paul Dunleavy covers a history of systemic abuse perpetrated on an industrial scale across the country”.
“The questionable conduct of the Christian Brothers throughout this period is still under intensive investigation which will be factored into ongoing litigation before the High Court,” he added.
Kevin Winters, of KRW Law, who represents several victims said “many victims are frustrated that Dunleavy never lived to see out his sentences”.
“Many clients I’ve spoken with are annoyed that he prolonged their distress in fighting cases he really should have pleaded guilty to.”
Ex-Christian Brother who was jailed for abuse of boys dies in prison
Niamh Campbell, Belfast Telegraph, August 29th, 2025
PERVERT TEACHER'S LITANY OF CRIME LEFT MANY YOUNG VICTIMS WITH LASTING TRAUMA
Former Christian Brother teacher and child abuser Paul Dunleavy has died in jail.
Dunleavy passed away on Tuesday in hospital after being transferred from Maghaberry Prison, the Northern Ireland Prison Service has confirmed.
In line with protocol, the PSNI, the coroner, and the Prisoner Ombudsman have been notified.
The 89-year-old, who had an address at the Glen Road in west Belfast, had been sentenced in November 2024 to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of 36 separate counts of sexually abusing nine boys.
These offences, which spanned from 1964 to 1991, occurred while he was employed in Belfast, Newry, and Armagh.
His victims were between the ages of seven and 14.
The abuse was laid bare in a series of trials in which Dunleavy was convicted of 72 offences in total, involving 18 victims across four schools.
These included indecent assault, gross indecency with or toward a child, and attempted buggery.
Previous convictions
He had previously been convicted twice before for similar offences and was already in custody at the time of his final sentencing.
Solicitor Owen Beattie, who represents a number of survivors, described Dunleavy's legacy as emblematic of widespread abuse within institutions.
“The shadow Paul Dunleavy cast reflects a much larger, systemic problem that affected children across the country,” he said.
He added that the actions of the Christian Brothers during this period remain under close legal scrutiny and are part of ongoing High Court proceedings.
The Belfast Telegraph previously spoke to two of Dunleavy's victims.
To preserve their anonymity, we have called them Jay and Brendan — not their real names.
Jay, now in his 50s, was just 10 when he was sexually abused by Dunleavy at a Belfast primary school.
He recalled the abuse starting in a school store room after a football game, when Dunleavy lured him in with the offer of a lolly.
The former Christian Brother used disturbing language, telling Jay: “This is what you do with your girlfriend” — a phrase the young boy later learned was repeated to other victims as well.
Jay said the abuse left deep scars. He spent much of his adult life in denial, but its impact surfaced in self-destructive behaviour, including alcohol addiction, sabotaging relationships, and quitting jobs.
Recurring trauma
He described a cycle where things would go well for a while, then he would push people away out of shame and fear they'd discover his past.
Brendan, now in his 60s, recounted the severe psychological and physical abuse he also endured from Dunleavy while attending Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School in Newry.
The abuse began when Brendan was around nine or 10 especially when he was alone with Dunleavy in places like the attic above the tuck shop or a classroom.
Although he cannot remember the specific events that occurred in those isolated moments, the trauma has deeply affected his entire life.
Brendan described Dunleavy's methods of physical abuse, including the use of a silver-painted dowel rod, and how the psychological manipulation he used made him grow up hating himself.
He believed he was worthless, which led to decades of self-harm, suicide attempts, and ongoing mental health struggles.
Brendan said he had felt no emotional closure following Dunleavy's sentence, and reflected on how normalised the abuse seemed at the time, and how difficult it still is to fully confront or understand what happened.
He came forward with his story in 2018 after seeing Dunleavy on television, which gave him the courage to contact the police.
Brendan still describes his healing process as long and painful, with lasting consequences.
Racist crimes hit record high in north during a ‘year of hate and fear’
Conor Coyle, Irish News, August 29th, 2025
RACE hate crimes in Northern Ireland have reached a record high in what a human rights organisation has branded a year of hate and fear.
Amnesty International made the comments in response to new statistics from the PSNI which show that more race hate crimes have been committed since it started recording the data in 2004.
The figures include race hate crimes and incidents which were recorded during widespread disorder stemming from anti-immigration protests in Belfast last summer and in Ballymena in June of this year.
Migrant businesses and homes were attacked last August in south Belfast, while others fled from burning homes following the unrest in Ballymena.
In recent weeks, police have described vigilante groups patrolling the streets of Belfast targeting migrants as “racism pure and simple”.
The figures emerged as other hate crimes involving sectarianism, disabilities and sexual orientation have largely seen decreases in the number of incidents reported.
1,329 hate crimes with a race motivation were recorded between July 2024 and June 2025, an increase of more than 400 compared with the previous year.
Race hate ‘Incidents’ also on rise
Race hate ‘incidents’, which are regarded as less serious than crimes, totalled 2,049 in the same period, increasing by more than 600 compared to the previous 12 months.
Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland Director, said racism in the north has got “out of control”.
“This has been a year of hate and fear in Northern Ireland and a shameful new record; the highest number of racist hate crimes ever recorded. This isn’t just a headline. It’s a crisis,” Mr Corrigan said.
“Behind these figures are real people, real families, living in terror simply because of the colour of their skin or where they come from.
“This hasn’t happened in a vacuum. This has been a crisis developing for years, fuelled by complacency and inaction.”
Mr Corrigan has called on the Executive to deliver an anti-racism strategy in order to combat the rise in race hate crimes and incidents.
Boy of 12 and 18-year-old charged after family injured in race hate attack
Jonathan McCambridge, Belfast Telegraph, August 29th, 2025
A 12-year-old boy and an 18-year-old have been charged with riotous behaviour after a family was targeted in a racially-motivated attack on a property in south Belfast.
Police have appealed for information about the incident in the early hours of yesterday.
The PSNI said at around 12.40am, police received a report of a disturbance in the area of Donegall Avenue.
A property came under attack and residents were injured by a group of young people.
Two people, aged 12 and 18, were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour.
They have since been charged. The 12-year-old is due to appear at Belfast Youth Court on September 22.
An 18-year-old man is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates Court on September 25.
‘Exceptionally serious’ - PSNI
South Belfast District Commander Superintendent Finola Dornan said: “This incident was exceptionally serious involving the targeting of a family in their own home, motivated by racial hatred.
“Our officers acted quickly and effectively, making two arrests, however the ages of those involved are of particular concern.
“Racist intimidation and targeting is completely unacceptable.
“I would like to reassure the entire local community that we will continue to be visible so as to prevent and detect offending of this nature, holding those responsible to account through the courts. We will carry out a full and thorough investigation to identify all those responsible.
“This behaviour does not reflect the people of the local area.
“No family should have to go through this and the harm is felt by everyone in the community.”
Sinn Fein MLA Deirdre Hargey said the attack was “disgraceful and disgusting”.
She added: “The majority of people in south Belfast stand squarely against racism and the disgusting behaviours that come with it. They welcome and champion diversity in all of its forms.”
SDLP proposes tax on agrifood firms to improve water quality
John Manley, Political Correspondent, Irish News, August 29th, 2025
A TAX on food firms and other agri-businesses’ profits is among a raft of measures tabled today by the SDLP to avert what its leader has described as an “impending environmental catastrophe”.
As Lough Neagh and other waterways across the north continue to be choked by toxic algae, Claire Hanna’s party is proposing a ‘water quality improvement levy’ that would raise funds for “on-farm advice, innovation and infrastructure” to address the pollution caused by intensive agriculture.
Ms Hanna has joined Agriculture and Environment Minister Andrew Muir in describing the Stormont executive-backed Going For Growth strategy as a “mistake”.
She said the strategy had failed to deliver on environmental safeguards that were promised at the time of its launch in 2013.
The South Belfast and Mid-Down MP has also pushed back against criticism that her party bears some responsibility for the deteriorating state of the north’s waterways, arguing that no minister has a “better environmental record” than Mark H Durkan, who served in the executive between 2013-16.
The SDLP’s ‘Road to Recovery’ document sets out a series of measures to redress what it terms the “decades of underinvestment, poor governance and political short-termism have taken a devastating toll on the natural world”.
It calls for a review of NI Water’s funding and governance, along with a “robust regulatory regime” for septic tanks.
Making polluters pay
But its potentially most controversial proposal is a levy on “large agri-food businesses”, which it is claimed would generate around £7.5m annually, to be used to combat agricultural pollution, which is predominantly responsible for the deteriorating water quality in Lough Neagh and other waterways.
Ms Hanna said it was big companies and corporations, many of which signed May’s open letter to Mr Muir outlining opposition to his department’s Nutrient Action Programme, who were “cashing in” at the expense of the environment. The companies that signed the letter included Moy Park owner Pilgrims Europe, animal feed company Devenish Nutrition and the Larry Goodman-founded ABP Food Group.
She said the party had “calculated the profitability of all those organisations at £750m cumulatively”.
“Meanwhile, farm prices or farm incomes haven’t really gone up,” she said.
“Farmers aren’t the ones that are cashing in but some of these big corporations are, so we support a levy that would raise funds that can be properly invested in sustainable farming because a very small percentage of Stormont’s farming budget is going into sustainable farming practices.”
The SDLP leader rejected the notion that the tax would increase food prices, arguing that “the majority of these companies sit comfortably in profit and can afford to absorb a cost like this”.
“It is essential to their business too – a clean environment is a pre-requisite for high quality food and the levy would be going directly into ensuring food production here is sustainable into the future, including that our reputation for quality is maintained,” she said.
“It is well within a government’s remit to step in to prevent private interests causing public harm. We need to stem this an impending environmental catastrophe.”
Independent environmental agency
Elsewhere, the Stormont opposition party’s plan calls for the establishment of an independent environmental protection agency, “legally binding environmental targets to drive recovery” and a Future Wellbeing of Generations Act that would place a statutory duty on all public bodies to “cooperate and act in the long-term interest of people and planet”.
“Lough Neagh is the most visible and salient aspect of it but we’re one of the most nature depleted parts of the planet,” Ms Hanna said.
“The SDLP is up for supporting what the executive brings forward, but we’re putting out clear ideas of our own that include closer partnership and management with with farmers, investment in agricultural practices that are sustainable, and crucially levying the cost of that where it belongs – on the agricultural giants who are making hundreds of millions of pound profit,” she said.
Addressing critics who among other issues point to former infrastructure minister Nichola Mallon’s planning approval for sand dredging on Lough Neagh, Ms Hanna said Mr Durkan was “the only minister to try and take some action after it had been completely unregulated for decades”, while Ms Mallon “regulated it for the first time ever and substantially reduced it”
Letters: Irish News
Claire Hanna’s leadership
JUST under a year ago Claire Hanna became the new SDLP leader. In a short period of time, she has steadied the ship within her party and has now got her sights on winning seats back from their rivals in Alliance and Sinn Féin at the next assembly election. Claire Hanna was long tipped to be a future leader of the SDLP – for her first year in the job, she has clearly done a good job amid the circumstances her party finds itself in.
The SDLP has in recent years become an extremely limited party – eight MLAs is not enough to credibly mount a challenge at Stormont against Sinn Féin within the nationalist/republican bloc. The 2022 election was a disaster for the party – it lost four seats – all to Alliance – and lost high-profile candidates, such as Nichola Mallon, in the process.
Claire Hanna has three clear tasks ahead of the 2027 elections – set out a clear vision of the SDLP’s plan for a new Ireland, organise its campaign around several key target seats for the assembly and further develop its communications as the Official Opposition at Stormont. If the SDLP can make good on each of The SDLP campaign must be fought on two objectives – maintain its support, retaining its MLAs and increase its support to gain new MLAs in the assembly. The party should focus on winning back an MLA seat in Belfast North, Belfast West, Upper Bann, Lagan Valley and a second seat in South Down. The party also has the potential to mount a strong campaign in Strangford and Fermanagh and South Tyrone if it was able to garner support around a strong, local candidate.
“There is potential for growth of the party in the next assembly election these challenges, it will have a successful day at the polls in May 2027.
Paul Doherty has shown the SDLP’s winning formula already – a candidate with profile on the ground will eventually break new support within the local community if they are given enough time to do it. The symbolism of an SDLP victory in Belfast West alone would undoubtedly lift the morale within the party and show its rivals that the SDLP can strike a blow electorally in seats once deemed to have been ‘out of reach’.
The party has taken the role of Official Opposition at Stormont extremely seriously – Matthew O’Toole has been an intelligent and highly competent Leader of the Opposition. The SDLP has the potential to use its role in the assembly as the key weapon against Alliance MLAs who occupy its target seats at the next election. However, the party has not taken full advantage of some key moments in opposition as it ought to.
When the Budget Bill was presented to the assembly by the minister of finance, the SDLP presented its alternative budget proposals. The issue was that the launch of the alternative proposals took place with little fanfare (on a Sunday), failing to attract enough attention from the media or the public. Indeed, it was difficult to access the proposal document on the party website. For any opposition party in a democratic system, an alternative budget is the biggest opportunity of the parliamentary calendar to provide solutions to policy issues and attack the government for poor delivery. If the SDLP is to take advantage of the executive’s inaction, it must clearly communicate its alternative proposals to the public.
For some who said that the SDLP was fast becoming a distinct party after the last assembly election, Claire Hanna’s leadership has clearly proved otherwise. There is potential for growth of the party in the next assembly election. The problem is – does the SDLP have the policies and the machine to return to Stormont with more MLAs than last time? That is a question yet to be answered.
EDWARD FERRIN Belfast BT14
28% of P7 pupils fall short of literacy and numeracy standards
Niamh Campbell, Belfast Telegraph, August 29th, 2025
Almost a third of P7 pupils (28%) here are not meeting expected literacy and numeracy levels.
New data has been released by CCEA, with Education Minister Paul Givan saying he will “shortly be publishing new literacy guidance for schools supported by a targeted programme of teacher professional learning”.
Mr Givan called for a renewed focus on foundational skills, and cited the impact of the pandemic on this cohort of children, many of whom were in P2 when schools first closed in 2020.
“The data, published by CCEA, shows that nearly three in 10 pupils are not achieving at the expected levels in literacy and numeracy by the end of primary school,” he said.
“This is a significant concern, particularly as these foundational skills are essential for pupils' future learning, wellbeing and life opportunities.
“It is also a stark reminder of the challenges we face and it highlights the urgent need for a renewed focus on literacy and numeracy across our schools.
“The Covid-19 pandemic meant many children missed several months of school and this disruption to education is likely to leave a long legacy, particularly for younger children and those from the most disadvantaged background.
“Teachers have given us a clear and important message. We must act decisively to change the trajectory.
New literacy guidance
“That is why I will shortly be publishing new literacy guidance for schools supported by a targeted programme of teacher professional learning.”
Mr Givan added: “These initial steps form part of a wider strategy to raise standards in literacy and numeracy and to review the curriculum more broadly.
“The forthcoming literacy and numeracy strategies will outline a range of evidence-based actions designed to support teachers in the classroom.
“I want to thank the schools and teachers who participated at a significant level in this important data collection.
“Their contributions have given us a clearer understanding of where our education system stands following the challenges of recent years.”
At Key Stage 1 (age eight), 82% of pupils met expected communication levels, and 84% met numeracy expectations.
At Key Stage 2 (age 11), 72% met expected levels in both communication and mathematics.
At Key Stage 3 (age 14), 74% reached the expected communication level.
Connolly vows to push for unity if she's elected Irish president
Jonathan McCambridge, Belfast Telegraph, August 29th, 2025
'VERY CONSCIOUS' IT CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED THROUGH CONSENT
Catherine Connolly has said she would use her voice “in every way possible” to pursue Irish unity if elected President of Ireland.
The independent TD for Galway added that she wanted to see Northern Ireland citizens being allowed to vote in future presidential elections.
Yesterday, her campaign for the Áras reached Belfast, where she visited Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich on the Falls Road.
Ms Connolly denied her visit to Belfast was a “waste of time” or that she was “desperate” for Sinn Fein support.
“I have spoken more than once on the importance of giving the vote to the Northern Irish people, in this election in particular,” she said.
“It is much easier than thinking about giving a vote to our diaspora all over the world. That is a much more complex issue.
“It would be a much easier decision to extend the franchise to everyone in Northern Ireland for this election. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen for this election.
“Wasting my time? Absolutely the opposite.
“I have always felt that we have cut off a limb in having Northern Ireland cut off from us.”
Ms Connolly pointed to the growth of cross-border infrastructure on the island.
She said: “I would look forward to a united Ireland in my time.
“I will use my voice for that, [being] very conscious that Article Three of our constitution enshrines that this will only be done by the consent of the majority of people.”
The candidate said movement towards unity had to be a “process”.
She added: “It has to be a process which will be gradual, it is a building of trust and it is a building of a vision for a united Ireland where we value everybody.
“Of course I would like to see it in my term as president, but whether that will happen will be a political decision.
“But I will use my voice in every way possible for that vision to be a reality.”
Asked about her message to unionists, Ms Connolly said she valued diversity.
Value all traditions
She said: “We have to value all traditions, all religions in an inclusive manner.
“That is what a strong democracy does, it is not afraid of difference. I welcome difference.
“I believe the stronger that one is in one's own identity, the easier it is to embrace other cultures.
“Within Northern Ireland, we will do that by consent.
“We will bring people along by consent; it is enshrined in our constitution.”
Ms Connolly denied that she was using a visit to west Belfast to “court” support from Sinn Fein.
She has already secured the backing of Labour, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit-Solidarity and a range of independents.
Sinn Fein has yet to announce whether it will support Ms Connolly or run its own candidate.
A wide range of names in the party have been mentioned as potential candidates including First Minister Michelle O'Neill, Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Pat Cullen, and North Belfast MP John Finucane.
“When a surgeon says to you, ‘This is Northern Ireland. I am not a politician’, you know you have a problem”
After speaking out about a 49-hour wait in a Belfast emergency room, former senator Máiría Cahill said she was told to expect a ‘very long’ wait if added to a surgical waiting list
By Allan Preston, Irish Press, August 28th, 2025
A former senator who endured two days in a Belfast emergency room has been told not to expect anything less than “a very long” wait if she needs gallstone surgery.
Máiría Cahill had told The Irish News of spending 49 hours in the Royal Victoria Hospital’s A&E before she was admitted to a ward on Wednesday.
Department of Health waiting targets state that 95% of patients should be either discharged or admitted within four hours, and that no patients should wait more than 12 hours.
Suffering from gallstones, she later shared an exchange she had with a surgeon working to determine the best course of treatment.
“(They told me) that they were going to try different medication to control the pain, and then once that was under control, send me home and add me to the surgical waiting list for removal,” she said.
“So I asked how long the list was. The response was ‘very long, this is Northern Ireland. I’m a surgeon, I’m not a politician. I’m doing my best’.”
Ms Cahill had previously described how she has visited hospitals over the previous four months with abdominal pain and other issues, but the problem had not been identified.
She said gallstones were eventually found after paying for a private scan out of “sheer desperation” in recent weeks.
This had allowed her to get a GP referral, with a new hospital appointment arranged.
Before this could happen, she became unwell on Sunday and attended the Royal’s emergency room.
A spokesperson from the Belfast Trust had stated that patients are admitted to hospital beds according to the severity of the condition.
“Belfast Trust is very sorry that Ms Cahill had a long wait for a bed,” they said.
“She has been admitted as an inpatient and is currently having further medical investigations which will help determine an appropriate care pathway for her.”
Emergency waiting time average is five hours
On Thursday, the latest Emergency Care waiting times showed that during April, May and June - patients who were discharged home from Type 1 emergency departments waited an average time of four hours and 59 minutes.
The average time patients who were admitted to hospital spent in emergency rooms was 14 hours and 21 minutes .
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine in Northern Ireland called it the worst first quarter performance since records began in 2011, noting that in June alone 533 patients had to wait over two days (57 hours) before a ward bed could be found for them.
In the event that Ms Cahill does need surgery to remove gallstones, current outpatient waiting times in Belfast Trust for gastroenterology are listed as one week for red flag, 43 weeks for urgent and 89 weeks for routine.
Having already praised the health workers providing her care, Ms Cahill added on Thursday: “My granny was a cleaner in the Royal for most of her life.
“So, at this point given today’s Irish News coverage, it’s important for me to say that every single person I’ve seen cleaning, changing beds, doing porter, bringing food, etc is without exception, exceptional.”
'No great strategy apart from being open and honest'
ROBIN SWANN TALKS TO MARK BAIN ABOUT HOW LIFE HAS CHANGED SINCE BEING ELECTED AN MP, STORMONT'S FAULTS, AND TENSIONS WITHIN THE UUP IN NORTH ANTRIM
You can take the man out of Northern Ireland, but you can't take Northern Ireland out of the man.
And while times have been difficult for the UUP, there's always one politician who seems to rise above the turmoil.
It's a Monday morning in Antrim's High Street. Robin Swann is behind his desk in his constituency office. Like the MP himself, it is a straightforward affair: neat, tidy, no fuss and business-like.
During his time as Health Minister while Covid raged, his Westminster counterpart Matt Hancock described him as “spectacularly dour”.
Mr Hancock is no longer at Westminster, but the legacy of Covid now demonstrates it was certainly no time for a spectacular showman.
In Northern Ireland, the public appreciated a serious voice taking the pandemic seriously. Mr Swann's personal ratings with voters soared when he could easily have become public enemy number one. And he remains as popular as ever.
“I don't know,” he says when asked if he can put his finger on why he remains the UUP's most valuable player.
“That popularity was a surprise to me. One of the things I always try to do in politics is be myself. There's no great strategy apart from being open and honest.
“But there really were difficult times. Those press briefings were left to me for quite a bit of the time, so maybe that familiarity helped people relate to me. I had no option other than fronting up to the media, the cameras, going into everyone's living room each evening.”
Often it meant bad news — more onerous restrictions putting a halt on things we took for granted. Mr Swann admits it was a time of great difficulty.
“The decisions that had to be taken, you get the impression people think you made them without thinking of the impact,” he recalls.
“But there was naturally always a personal element. It's not as if we were living somewhere different to everyone else.
“Our own families — I had young children going to school, my wife worked in the health service. All those things were on a personal level.
“Our youngest was born with a congenital heart disease, and we spent 13 months on the Barbour ward at the Royal. There was a lot of understanding in the decision-making process.”
Reliving covid in UK wide Public Inquiry
Mr Swann is now reliving Covid through evidence sessions at the UK-wide public inquiry.
He adds: “Covid was something nobody expected. We're now five years on from it, but the inquiry has been challenging for me personally as well as all the families who are contributing, but I believe it's asking the right questions.
“The recommendations that Baroness Hallett comes up with and how they're implemented will be another real challenge ahead for governments across our four nations.
“Whether politicians are prepared to take those on and whether our health service is actually in a robust and strong enough position to actually do some of the things she recommends is what we have to wait and see on.”
Mr Swann (53) has been in politics a long time. He was MLA for North Antrim for 13 years before being elected MP for South Antrim in last year's General Election, taking the seat from the DUP's Paul Girvan.
He has made an impact: in just over a year, he has made 144 spoken contributions in the House of Commons, and cast his vote 208 times.
In his first 12 months, Mr Girvan spoke 24 times and voted on 149 occasions.
“I think, for any politician, getting to Westminster is the pinnacle,” Mr Swann says.
“It is the seat of power no matter what some over here may think and it's where big decisions happen very quickly.
“I enjoy the business of the place, the level of debate, the engagement.
“I do miss crawling into my own bed at night. It's a different perspective for me. But when you come back over here on a Thursday, it's straight into constituency stuff. It is an easier pace. When I'm home, I'm home. In Westminster, you don't notice time. It goes very quickly.
“It's a completely different mix of people and I suppose one of the things you do notice, having been interested in politics for a long time, is that this Parliament misses the 'big beasts'.
“Where are the big names, those big personalities? They seem to have disappeared.
“At the last mandate, many of them stood down or weren't re-elected. There are a few personalities coming through who I like to listen to.”
While the scale of Labour's victory — a 174-seat majority — may not have left him feeling as the only new kid on the Westminster block, it has presented the Government with a set of problems it maybe didn't expect.
He says: “What brought that into perspective for me was the induction as new MPs. The Labour newcomers actually filled their side of the chamber and right across the back. It was a big political change. A lot of new people, getting used to new things. There's not much time to get used to it all.”
“But I'd been in the Assembly, that stood me in good stead,” he adds, even if the sheer pace at Westminster left him gasping for breath at the start.
Being there is important
And being there is important, he notes, in a subtle dig at the abstentionist seven Sinn Fein MPs.
“It's about listening, seeing if there's an aspect relevant to Northern Ireland.
“A statement on rail links for the south-west of England, then ask the question, why can we not have some too?” he says, pointing to how the reopening of rail links to Belfast International Airport on the Knockmore line was a key campaign over the last year.
“It's not just the engagement in the chamber, though, it's the follow-up. But if you're not in there asking questions, you're not getting any level of engagement or action.
“That's something Northern Ireland could have more of, but then so many of our MPs aren't there. That's their own choice, but it hurts the cause of Northern Ireland.
“The speed of it all was the real eye opener. In the Assembly, an issue can last a number of weeks.
“With the fast pace at Westminster, if you're still on the same topic a day later, then there's a problem.”
Mr Swann feels too much of business at Stormont is scripted.
“Our Assembly Speaker, Edwin Poots, had a point when he spoke recently about the quality of debating and the number of MLAs reading pre-written statements,” he says.
“The Assembly should not be a public speaking chamber, it should be a debating chamber. It comes down to personality at the Executive table as to how it works. A balance of taking advice offered and actually making some of those unpopular decisions.
“The chief medical officer is a doctor, the chief social worker is a social worker. There are other departments where they could do with that level of expertise. And with the civil service, you'd get to work with someone who's well on top of the brief, but they get their promotion and that could be to another department. The link is broken.
“There's a real challenge in dealing with the sheer size of our civil service.”
Mr Swann has filled a variety of roles: MLA, UUP leader, Health Minister (twice) and now MP.
“I put a lot of it down to being in the right place at the right time.
“There was never any great career plan where I sat down and worked out a strategy to get to where I am now. There were opportunities and events that brought me here.”
UUP leadership
For now, his role as South Antrim MP is the priority, though changes may be afoot in the party.
The long-term leadership of Mike Nesbitt remains a point of conjecture.
Mr Swann vacating his MLA role in North Antrim caused party ructions, with his succession by Colin Crawford alienating well-regarded Coleraine councillor Darryl Wilson, who subsequently switched to the DUP.
Mr Crawford has since stepped down, replaced by former top police officer Jon Burrows. Doug Beattie also stepped away from the leadership. But Mr Swann said his move from his MLA role, and his second stint as Health Minister, had been planned before the resumption of Stormont in February 2024.
“At that point in time, there was a succession in place,” he says.
“Everything was lined up before the Assembly was restored. It had already been agreed that I would run for Westminster in South Antrim.
“Mike was lined up for the health role and the snap election came a lot quicker than anyone expected. We went with our plan and we took the seat.”
As for the fall out?
“People know I don't do the internal party stuff. I'm not going to start now.
“I've been in contact with Jon Burrows a couple of times since he was selected. It's about trying to give him encouragement and those pointers as to where the opportunities are.
“His media engagement is impressive. He came into the role with that reputation and that skill set already in place. That can only add to our Assembly team and to the party as well.
“But if Mike or Jon ring me, I'll answer the call. I'm always open to have a conversation.”
And perhaps that's a big part of Mr Swann's longevity, though he admits there remains a disappointment that not all are as accepting in wider society.
At the Feile a few weeks ago, an image in tribute to former senior IRA man Brendan 'Bik' McFarlane was shown to thousands of young people following his death earlier this year.
“We're 27 years post the Belfast Agreement, our education system has improved and there is a lot more understanding and acceptance among the vast majority of people,” Mr Swann says.
“There's nothing to be gained from being antagonistic. But there are events where you have to question: what was the need for that? Who was the audience for that? Was it the 12,000 young people there to celebrate and enjoy the music or was that image to play to another audience?
“Part of the challenge for Sinn Fein is how do they move away from celebrating these people. Can they? Do they even want to? Those are questions they still have to answer.”
