Omagh inquiry rejects Benn bid to redact junior civil servants' names
David Young, Belfast Telegraph and Irish News, June 4th, 2025
The chairman of the Omagh Bombing Inquiry has rejected a bid by the government to redact the names of junior civil servants in documents shared with other parties involved in the probe.
The Northern Ireland Office had argued they had more expectation of privacy than senior civil servants and it had raised potential security concerns over sharing their names.
Inquiry chairman Lord Turnbull refused the application made by Secretary of State Hilary Benn in a ruling published yesterday.
The documents, which are already in the possession of the inquiry, will now be shared with other core participants.
The chairman made clear the issue under consideration only related to sharing the documents with other core participants in the inquiry, and did not relate to the potential for them to be made public.
Lord Turnbull stressed that all core participants are bound by confidentiality agreements.
He said the issue about the potential publication of the names during the proceedings would be dealt with at a later juncture.
“This ruling is not concerned with the separate question of whether the content of any documentation which is disclosed in an unredacted fashion may, in due course, be aired in evidence and, or, published in the media,” he said.
The Real IRA bomb in the Co Tyrone town in August 1998 killed 29 people, including a woman who was pregnant with twins, in the worst single atrocity in the Troubles.
Could attack have been prevented?
The public inquiry was set up by the previous government to examine whether the explosion could have been prevented by the UK authorities.
Mr Benn's application was considered during procedural hearings in Belfast last month.
During proceedings, the inquiry also considered a submission on the PSNI's position in respect of disclosing the names of people suspected of involvement in the 1998 attack and other linked terror activity.
The PSNI did not make an application for redaction, and instead just set out its own view in respect of the issue.
During the hearings, several media organisations made representations in respect of both the government and PSNI's submissions.
In relation to the naming of suspects, Lord Turnbull said the matter was more “straightforward” than the application to redact junior civil servants' names.
“In the end, there was no dispute between any of the contributing counsel as to what the correct approach should be,” he added.
The inquiry intends to put suspects in one of two categories — those who have been named publicly in the media or Parliament already, and those who have not.
Those in the first category will be assumed not to have a “reasonable expectation” of privacy.
Those in the second category will be subject to further examination by the inquiry to consider issues around privacy rights and security risks.
Mayor and Deputy Mayor who joked about sectarian massacres elected
Andrew Madden, Belfast Telegraph, June 4th, 2025
A DUP councillor who once 'liked' a tweet praising the Greysteel massacre has been allocated a top council post.
Tyler Hoey is the new deputy mayor of Mid and East Antrim.
Mr Hoey is among a series of appointments as the head or deputy head of local councils this week.
Elsewhere, Sinn Fein's Barry McElduff became the chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council for the second time in three years.
It marks another step in Mr McElduff's political rehabilitation, after he stood down as West Tyrone MP in 2018 over a social media video posted on the anniversary of the Kingsmill massacre, when the IRA murdered 10 Protestant workers.
He posted of himself balancing a loaf of Kingsmill bread on his head — but insisted he never intended to cause hurt and was unaware of the date of the anniversary.
‘Déja vu?’
After Monday night's appointment, Mr McElduff said: “This is a major role, and I could ask myself, 'is this déjà vu?', having done it previously, relatively recently.
“I learned a lot from that experience. Not everything stands still, and nothing remains the same.
“There are new challenges and new priorities in the changing fortunes of time for all of us.”
The DUP's Shirley Hawkes has been installed as vice-chair of Fermanagh and Omagh council.
In Mid and East Antrim, Mr Hoey became deputy mayor with the UUP's Jackson Minford named as mayor.
Mr Hoey found himself in hot water several years ago when it was revealed he had a history of offensive social media behaviour, including racist comments.
He previously 'liked' a tweet posted on the anniversary of the 1993 Greysteel massacre, in which eight Catholics and Protestants were murdered by the UDA.
‘Trick or treat’?
The post praised the killers and described how they “trick or treated” their way into the Rising Sun pub where the murders took place.
Mr Hoey also mocked the deaths of 39 Vietnamese immigrants found in the back of a lorry driven by a Co Armagh man in 2019.
In a caption next to a photograph of a lorry trailer, Hoey writes “trailer for sale, serious offers only, sleeps 39 people”. The message was posted on the same day the bodies of the migrants were found in the trailer of a lorry driven by Maurice Robinson who was jailed for 13 years for manslaughter.
In another Facebook post he described Covid-19 as “kung-flu” and accuses Chinese people of eating bats. He also mocked transgender people.
A DUP spokesperson said: “When criticisms were first raised more than two years ago Tyler apologised for the posts which were from an account which had been deactivated some time previously.
“Tyler's focus and that of the DUP is on the future for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and the issues facing ratepayers. We wish Tyler well as he takes up the post of deputy mayor.”
First DUP female Mayor for Belfast
This week, councils across Northern Ireland are electing first citizens for the next 12 months.
In Belfast, Tracy Kelly has become the DUP's first female lord mayor, while the SDLP's Paul Doherty has been installed as her deputy.
Ms Kelly said her priority is to “make sure that everyone in Belfast feels part of the changes that are happening in our city and can find a place for themselves within them — that no one is left behind”.
In Antrim and Newtownabbey, the UUP's Leah Kirkpatrick is the first female mayor since the new council was formed in 2015, while Alliance councillor Julie Gilmour has been installed as deputy mayor.
Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon's new lord mayor is Stephen Moutray of the DUP, while 25-year-old Alliance member Jessica Johnston became the council's youngest deputy lord mayor.
Sinn Fein's Oliver McMullan has been appointed as the new mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, while Alliance councillor Richard Stewart will serve as deputy. Mr Stewart is the council's first gay deputy mayor.
“To be entrusted with this position is a privilege I do not take lightly. Representing such a diverse, vibrant, and resilient borough is a huge honour,” Mr Stewart said on his appointment.
“It's not lost on me that I will be the first openly gay person to hold this post in our council's history. While I take pride in this milestone, I also recognise it as part of a wider journey towards greater inclusion and acceptance.”
At Derry City and Strabane, Sinn Fein's Ruairi McHugh has been elected as the new mayor, while the DUP's Niree McMorris has been installed as deputy.
Newry, Mourne and Down Council has elected two Sinn Fein councillors to its top posts — Philip Campbell will be chair with Geraldine Kearns his deputy.
Mid-Ulster District Council is expected to appoint the DUP's Frances Burton as chair, with Denise Johnston (SDLP) as deputy.
The remaining councils will appoint their mayors and deputies this week.
NI's first black mayor 'refused to be defined by hate'
Andrew Balfour, Local Democracy Reporter, Belfast Telegraph, June 6th, 2025
GREATEST HONOUR IN LIFE CAME WITH RELENTLESS ABUSE, BARR TELLS COUNCIL
Northern Ireland's first black lord mayor has said she faced “unprecedented levels” of racially-motivated online abuse during her term in office.
In her outgoing speech, Derry City and Strabane District Council's former mayor Lilian Barr said despite the “relentless harassment” she “refused to be distracted by those whose only goal was division”.
The SDLP representative, who was replaced by Sinn Fein councillor Ruairi McHugh at Monday's Annual General Meeting, said being Derry's first citizen had been “the greatest honour of my life”.
Councillor Barr said: “As my year as mayor draws to a close, I sit here tonight with a heart full of gratitude, reflection, and pride in the people and places that make up this remarkable district.
“It has been the honour of a lifetime to serve as your first citizen; a journey that has changed me, shaped me, and connected me even more deeply with the soul of this place I proudly call home.
“From day one, I pledged to be a mayor for everyone; approachable, present, and focused on building a city and district where every voice matters.
“And as I reflect on this extraordinary year, I hope I've lived up to that promise.
Breaking new ground
“Because this year wasn't just about holding office, it was about breaking new ground.
“As the north's first black mayor, a Maasai woman, and a Derry girl, I knew that simply being in this role was powerful. But I also knew I needed to lead with purpose, humility, and determination, not to make history but to make change.
“And while I'm proud that this year was a celebration of diversity and inclusion, it was also a year of courage [and] of choosing dignity and unity in the face of adversity.”
Ms Barr also highlighted a number of milestones during her term, including the signing of the Derry & Strabane City Deal, welcoming visits from former Taoiseach Simon Harris, and the Lord Mayor of London, and several fundraising events for her chosen charity, the BUD Club.
“And yet, not all moments were easy,” she concluded. “Throughout my year as mayor I faced unprecedented levels of online abuse, much of it racially-motivated and deeply personal.
‘Relentless harassment’
“There was relentless harassment, waves of misinformation, and deliberately misleading narratives aimed not only at undermining the work I was doing, but at questioning my very right to do it. There were those who tried to distort my actions, discredit my leadership, and diminish my voice — not because of what I stood for, but because of who I am — but I want to say this clearly; I refused to be defined by hate.
“I refused to be distracted by those whose only goal was division, because I knew the work I was doing mattered and, more importantly, you knew it too.
“In the face of those attacks I chose to stay focused, present, and true to my purpose; building a more inclusive, compassionate, and forward-looking district.
“Every time it felt heavy, the people of Derry and Strabane lifted me up.”
Fellow SDLP councillor Brian Tierney praised Ms Barr for her “care, compassion, and unique energy” during a “ground-breaking year”.
He added: “You have been the subject of unacceptable abuse that others in this council would not have received, because of the colour of your skin and because of where you were born.
“John Hume once said 'none of us chose to be born', so the differences that are an accident of birth should be a source of unity, not division.
“People from across this council have put aside political differences to stand with you, when you have come under unreasonable attack, and I know that you appreciated every ounce of support.”
Cross party praise
Sinn Fein councillor Christopher Jackson described the racially-motivated abuse as “unacceptable and disgusting”, while DUP councillor Keith Kerrigan praised councillor Barr for bringing “pizzazz” to the role.
UUP councillor and outgoing deputy mayor, Darren Guy, said councillor Barr “did a remarkable job, whilst adding your own vibrancy to the role”.
Mr Guy said: “Unfortunately we have to mention the online abuse that you and your family suffered, [it was] totally disrespectful to the first citizen of our city and those people should be ashamed of themselves.”
Independent councillor Gary Donnelly said the online abuse “exposed a dark underbelly” within the city and district.
Benn to meet parties over legacy
Rebecca Black, Irish News, June 4th, 2025
THE secretary of state is to hold a series of meetings with political leaders over fresh legislation to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.
Hilary Benn will meet the leaders of the four larger political parties which comprise the executive in Belfast today, having met the SDLP yesterday.
Speaking ahead of the meetings, Mr Benn emphasised that any new arrangements must have the confidence of bereaved families and of all communities.
The previous government’s contentious legacy act has been almost universally opposed by political parties and victims groups.
It halted scores of cases going through the courts and inquests concerning the Troubles, and set up the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).
Mr Benn also reiterated that the government will repeal and replace the Legacy Act. The ICRIR is expected to be retained.
“This UK government is committed to [repealing and replacing] the previous government’s legacy act and to ensuring we have a system that is capable of delivering for all families who are seeking answers around the loss of their loved ones,” he said.
“I am continuing to work with all of the Northern Ireland parties over what should be included in that legislation.
“It is important that new legacy arrangements are capable of commanding the confidence of families and of all communities,” Mr Benn added.
“It is important that new legacy arrangements are capable of commanding the confidence of families and of all communities.
BBC ‘won’t geoblock Republic output’
Conor Sheils, Irish News, June 4th, 2025
BBC Northern Ireland has “no intention” of blocking its news or other output in the Republic, its director Adam Smyth has said.
There were reports it might happen following Gerry Adams’s libel case victory in Dublin.
It was reported yesterday evening by BBC NI that in an email to staff, Mr Smyth wrote: “We will, of course, be making a considered response to the outcome of the case, including what it means in practical terms.
“That is what everyone would expect of the BBC.
“We remain mindful of the legal considerations that apply across the island, but have no intention of limiting our journalism and programmes, or their general availability, as a result of Friday’s verdict.”
Foyle MP Colum Eastwood has written to Mr Smyth urging him to clarify the situation.
Mr Eastwood said narrowing the media landscape in Ireland by restricting news and current affairs content would not serve audiences or the public interest.
“Geoblocking content between the north and south does not serve audiences across this island and runs contrary to the public interest,” he said.
‘We live shared lives in a complex place’
“We live shared lives in a complex place – narrowing the media landscape that helps people understand, engage in and inform themselves about current affairs and political debate can only be a bad thing.
“I understand that the BBC is entering a period of reflection following last week’s court ruling. But any reaction which seeks to erect new barriers between the lives of people who share this island would be a fundamental mistake. I have written to the director of BBC Northern Ireland outlining my strong views and seeking confirmation that the BBC does not intend to pursue any form of additional geoblocking.”
Former Sinn Féin leader Mr Adams sued the BBC over a 2016 episode of its Spotlight programme, and an accompanying online story, which he said defamed him by alleging he sanctioned the killing of former Sinn Féin official Denis Donaldson, for which he denies any involvement.
A jury at the High Court in Dublin awarded him €100,000 (£84,000) when it found in his favour last Friday, after determining that was the meaning of words included in the programme and article.
BBC granted time to consider appeal in Adams libel case
Cillian Sherlock, Irish News, June 4th, 2025
THE BBC has been granted time to consider taking an appeal of a jury decision which found it had defamed Gerry Adams, before paying all costs and damages to the former Sinn Féin leader.
Mr Adams took the BBC to court over a 2016 episode of its Spotlight programme, and an accompanying online story, which he said defamed him by alleging he sanctioned the killing of former Sinn Féin official Denis Donaldson, for which he denies any involvement.
On Friday, a jury at the High Court in Dublin found in his favour and awarded him €100,000 (£84,000) after determining that was the meaning of words included in the programme and article.
The BBC will also have to pay Mr Adams’s legal costs.
However, the broadcaster was granted a stay on paying out the full costs and damages to allow it time to consider whether to lodge an appeal.
The stay was subject to paying half the damages (€50,000 or £42,000) and €250,000 (£210,000) towards solicitors’ fees.
Eoin McCullough SC, for the broadcaster, told trial judge Mr Justice Alexander Owens yesterday that he was applying for a stay pending a decision on whether to take an appeal.
He said his client had not determined if it would appeal, but added that he was seeking a stay until the end of the appeal period.
In making its decision, the jury also found the BBC’s actions were not in good faith and the corporation had not acted in a fair and reasonable way.
When asked by the judge for what grounds an appeal could be taken, Mr McCullough said the court had rejected applications by the defence on matters put to the jury relating to Section 26 of the Defamation Act.
In particular, he questioned the decision to reject an application to withdraw the question of “good faith” to the jury – and the order in which that question was asked of the members.
The jury was asked the good faith question before making a decision on whether the publication was fair and reasonable.
Mr McCullough said it was inevitable that the jury would find against him on the matter of fair and reasonable action once it had already found against him on good faith.
Mr Justice Alexander Owens agreed with counsel that there may be grounds for an appeal on the fact that the jury was first asked to consider whether the actions were in good faith before considering whether the actions were fair and reasonable.
Tom Hogan SC, for Mr Adams, said that if the court was going to grant a stay, it should be on the basis of something being paid towards the award.
Mr Justice Alexander Owens granted the stay subject to the conditions that €50,000 be paid towards damages and €250,000 towards the solicitors’ fees.
However, this can also be appealed against.
Grounds for appeal
Mr McCullough had raised other potential grounds for appeal, including the court’s decision not to allow Mr Donaldson’s daughter to give another “version” of matters given in evidence by the family’s former solicitor Ciaran Shiels.
He also said an appeal may be grounded on the exclusion of the evidence of Austin Stack and historian Eunan O’Halpin.
He said an appeal could further be grounded on the defendants being excluded from taking on the issue of whether Mr Adams was in the IRA, arguing that this could be put forward as significant acts of misconduct which would speak towards reputation.
Mr Adams denies being a member of the IRA.
Mr McCullough also raised comments by the judge which referred to newspaper reports about Mr Adams that were called upon during cross-examination as “rot” and “blather”. He said that based on all of these issues, the jury determination of a €100,000 quantum for damages was itself unsustainable, further stating that the circulation of the programme and article was “very small” and combined with a “very damaged reputation”.
Mr Justice Alexander Owens said he was “not really persuaded” on the grounds of the appeal, other than the order of the questions on “good faith” and “fair and reasonable”.
He made the order of the payment of partial damages and costs.
It is open to the BBC to seek a further stay against that payment at the Court of Appeal.
'Unacceptable': Michelle O'Neill hits out after Palestine campaign group denied Stormont entry
Liam Tunney, Belfast Telegraph, June 4th, 2025
A refusal to allow a Palestinian campaign group entry to Stormont was “absolutely unacceptable”, Michelle O'Neill has said.
The First Minister was pictured with representatives from Mothers Against Genocide at Parliament Buildings yesterday.
In a post on her Facebook page, Ms O'Neill said: “Today I met with the Palestinian solidarity group Mothers Against Genocide at Stormont.
“It was deeply wrong and absolutely unacceptable for Assembly management to deny them entry to the building. There is nothing controversial about standing against genocide.
“What's happening in Gaza is a crime against humanity and it must be the duty of every person to take a stand.
“We've raised their denial of entry with Assembly management, and while I had a brief conversation with them today, I'm working to reschedule a more thorough meeting.
“I want to commend these courageous mothers for their relentless activism. In the face of injustice they've shone a light on some of the most heinous crimes of our time.”
The group's Fionnuala Nic Thom said: “In the course of our activism we have been arrested, strip-searched, and in this latest breach of our democratic rights, denied entry to see our elected representatives.
T-shirts said ‘Mothers Against Genocide’
“The reason given was our T-shirts, which simply say 'Mothers Against Genocide'.
“We are watching the livestreamed murder of children just like ours and our institutions have shut their doors on this simple expression of dissent.
“We are against genocide. That shouldn't be controversial.”
An Assembly spokesperson said visitors to Parliament Buildings must comply with Assembly Commission policies.
“These policies include that the carrying of flags, banners, placards, photographs or similar items with political messaging or emblems are not permitted within Parliament Buildings,” they said.
“The Assembly was sitting today and Assembly Commission officials strictly enforced these policies. Unfortunately, this meant that a group was denied access.
“There is no difficulty in visiting Parliament Buildings to meet MLAs if visitors comply with the Assembly Commission's policies and officials are happy to provide advice to any group in advance of their visit.”
Donaldson family want inquiry into ex-IRA man’s murder
Colm Keena, Irish Times, June 4th, 2025
The State’s efforts to investigate the murder of Denis Donaldson in Glenties, Co Donegal, in 2006 are “simply not working” and a statutory inquiry is needed, a spokesman for the family has said.
The Donaldsons want a cross-Border process that would identify not just “who pulled the trigger” but also “who may have pulled the strings”, said family solicitor Enda McGarrity.
Donaldson was a former IRA member who worked in the Sinn Féin Stormont offices. He was shot dead in April 2006 after public disclosure in December 2005 that he had been an informer for 20 years for MI5 and the PSNI Special Branch.
Former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams last week won a defamation case against the BBC arising from a programme where an anonymous man was quoted as saying the IRA murdered Donaldson and that Mr Adams would have sanctioned the killing, a claim Mr Adams denied.
The killing occurred nine months after the IRA issued a public statement saying it had instructed its members to cease violent activity and henceforth only engage in peaceful political activity. The Garda investigation into Donaldson’s death is ongoing. A coroner’s inquest has been adjourned repeatedly because of the ongoing inquiry.
The family wants a statutory inquiry with a cross-Border element because they are concerned about not just who killed Donaldson but also why he was not better protected after it had become known he was an informer, said Mr McGarrity. “At present, as far as the family are aware, the Garda are focused on the individual or individuals who pulled the trigger and not the broader circumstances around who may have pulled the strings. And that is an issue that is inextricably linked to the murder,” he said.
Mr McGarrity said the family considered a claim of responsibility made by the so-called Real IRA three years after the murder to be opportunistic and unreliable, and that they had an open mind as to who carried out the murder.
Gardaí said the investigation was ongoing and asked that anyone with information get in contact with Glenties station, or with any Garda station. The Department of Justice said: “Inquiries and/or investigations have been undertaken both in this jurisdiction and in Northern Ireland.”
People 'got away with murder' in most dangerous place in UK for journalists
A senior figure in the media industry has said people have “got away with murder” amid a raft of threats and attacks on journalists.
Seamus Dooley was speaking as an Amnesty International report was launched yesterday stating Northern Ireland is the most dangerous place in the UK to work as a reporter.
The report — Occupational Hazard? Threats and violence against journalists in NI — features 26 interviews, including 22 with journalists in which they recounted their experiences of being told they would be shot or stabbed and threatened with bombs under their car.
Patrick Corrigan — the human rights organisation's NI director — spent the past 12 months along with journalist Kathryn Torney on the report which uncovered over 70 threats or attacks on journalists since the start of 2019.
Since June 2022, only two people have been successfully prosecuted for threats against journalists.
Seamus Dooley, the assistant general secretary of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Ireland, said there has been a “conspiracy of silence” with journalists “reluctant” to talk about their experiences.
He thanked Ms Torney and Mr Corrigan for their work compiling the report with the help of the NUJ, but said that even this picture “isn't necessarily clear”.
“I think this is just the start,” he said.
“People have not only just got away with abuse, threats and intimidation, but they have also got away with murder.”
The killers of Sunday World journalist Martin O'Hagan, who was murdered in 2001, remain at large nearly a quarter of a century later.
Mr Dooley said the abuse of female journalists in particular is rising.
“The abuse of female journalists online and misogyny is also an issue that needs to be spoken about,” he said.
He added that there is a benefit in seeing so many journalists “come together” on this issue.
“Journalism can be an egotistical profession and sometimes people who put their hands up and say 'I feel under threat' can be seen as attention-seeking to some,” he said. “Nothing could be further than the truth.
“The benefit of this report is that it gives people the agency to say we have had enough, we are standing up and we are being counted.”
Dedicated to Martin O’Hagan
Ms Torney said there is “strength in numbers” with many journalists feeling confident in coming forward to share their stories for the report.
Mr Corrigan added that many journalists have “lost confidence” in reporting threats to the police.
“Ultimately it's up to the PSNI to restore that confidence and for us to see investigations leading to successful prosecutions,” he said.
The report is dedicated to Mr O'Hagan, who was shot dead by the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) in Lurgan, Co Armagh, in 2001, and Lyra McKee, who died after being struck by a bullet while observing rioting in Creggan in Londonderry in 2019.
PSNI Chief Superintendent Sam Donaldson said the police will take time to consider Amnesty's report.
“The PSNI takes the safety of journalists very seriously and has been very much involved in developing both national and local plans to tackle this issue over the last couple of years,” he said.
“As a result, we have developed a joint strategy and joint plan with NUJ and with local editors.
“We have appointed two Journalist Safety Officers, established an internal Journalist Safety Group, implemented screening arrangements within our contact management centre and ensured that reports of threats and crimes by journalists are investigated by detectives.”
I've had police at my door to check under my car for bomb, my name was painted on wall with crosshairs
Alison Morris, Belfast Telegraph, June 4th, 2025
COMMENT ALLISON MORRIS: THREATS AGAINST US NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT GAZA-BASED REPORTERS ARE FACING
The Amnesty report is titled Occupational Hazard? and looks at threats of violence against journalists in Northern Ireland, which the authors say is the most dangerous place to work in these islands.
And while it shouldn't be, for those reporting on crime and security matters, being under threat is indeed an occupational hazard, a peril of the job.
I have covered crime and security stories for most of my career and have been under varying degrees of threat for the majority of that time.
They take different forms. There are threats in the street, threats while at the scene of a crime, the online threats by faceless thugs.
Then there are the more serious threats from paramilitary or organised crime gangs.
They are delivered by a police officer knocking your front door to hand over a form known as a TM1, which details the threat. This is often based on intelligence gathered from informants.
In 2023/24 I received more threats than at any time in my career — nine in a short space of time.
One read: “Police are in receipt of information that criminal elements may intend to attack Allison Morris at her home address. The use of firearms or an under-vehicle device cannot be ruled out.”
I've had police at my door at 2.30am to check under my car for a bomb. My name has been painted on a wall with crosshairs.
As a result of that threat level my home is fortified. I have bulletproof windows and doors, security cameras, motion-activated lights and an alarm system.
I often joke that unless I dig a moat around my house and fill it with sharks there really isn't much more I can do.
I realise this is not a normal way to live, but it is a normal way for me to live.
While my home is safe, mine is not a desk job. My work requires me to be out at crime scenes, at courts and in public order situations.
On one occasion a man followed me around playing hardcore pornography on his phone loudly claiming it was me.
When I asked police at the scene could they move him on, they told me I could just leave if I wanted.
Despite making a formal complaint, that man was never charged with any offence.
The online threats and general abuse I receive are also very gender-based.
They are sexual and misogynistic in nature and happen so often I've learned to ignore them, as reporting them to the PSNI is time-consuming and unlikely to get a conviction.
As a crime correspondent I report on dangerous people, and we cannot expect criminals to behave in any other way.
But we can expect a better way of dealing with it, both by the justice system and other support networks.
If a politician, police officer or member of the judiciary received a paramilitary threat they would have home security measures funded by the Northern Ireland Office.
Fortress Homes
My employer has had to foot the bill for the expensive protective measures myself and colleagues have fitted in our homes.
But — and this is a very important point — we are not the story here.
The people who are brave enough to stand up to the coercive elements in their communities, to step forward and speak out at considerable risk to themselves, should always be the focus.
It is an honour and privilege to be trusted with their stories, and they do not get to go home to a fortified house at night.
When journalists are threatened it isn't about silencing us, it is about silencing them, removing the ability to tell their story.
This report is also released at a time when international journalists are banned from Gaza and those local members of the press reporting on the Israeli bombardment are being targeted.
The Committee to Protect Journalists reported in February that 179 have been killed in the conflict.
When threatened, I make a point of going to work the next day, making sure those attempting to menace me know that I am not going to be deterred.
However, I say that knowing that for some journalists around the world, that autonomy over their situation is a luxury.
Michelle Gildernew has dealt with her axing with poise
Suzanne Breen, Belfast Telegraph, June 4th, 2025
VETERAN CAMPAIGNER ALWAYS SPOKE HER MIND AND WILL BE ASSET WHEREVER SHE GOES COMMENT
Michelle Gildernew is a class act. She has handled losing her job in Sinn Fein with dignity and grace.
This is a party that she has served for three decades. She loved Stormont and wanted to stay there, but no other candidate could have won the Westminster seat in Fermanagh and South Tyrone, so she ran.
Her employment contract was terminated by Sinn Fein last month. That must hurt, along with the fact that the story went public before she had a chance to announce the news herself.
Yet, in two interviews yesterday, Gildernew has been incredibly generous in her comments about the party.
That may be influenced by the fact that two of her siblings remain Sinn Fein elected representatives.
Her brother Colm is a Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA, and her sister Gael is a Clogher Valley representative on Mid Ulster Council.
Gildernew told the BBC she was “disappointed” at having her employment contract ended by the party, but she was “ready to do something different”.
In her last role, she was part of the team conducting an internal governance review. She had “no complaints” about how Sinn Fein handled her exit.
“It was a proper meeting, all above board. It was handled very professionally but, yeah, I was disappointed,” she said.
“None of us are owed anything. The party and the cause of Irish freedom and unity is bigger than any one individual. I have had the privilege of working with some extraordinary people North and South.
“Nobody's journey in life always goes smoothly. I have to look at opportunities now and it'll give me the chance to do something different.”
Derry was different
Sinn Fein were met with a very different response when Martina Anderson was asked to step down as Foyle MLA in 2021. Her family said she had been “humiliated”.
Her sister, Sharon Burke, said: “The British could not do to our Martina what her comrades and friends have done”.
The family said had Martin McGuinness been alive, this “would never have been allowed”.
Despite the poise with which Gildernew is responding to the situation, her axing will have caused her immense private pain.
She's already dealing with a lot, and the party knows that. She told the Irish News of the challenges of caring for her husband Jimmy who suffered a stroke, aged 52, two years ago.
He's had to learn to walk again and still can't communicate verbally. Yet, ultimately, Gildernew may not be surprised at the party leadership's decision to let her go. There has been no love lost between her and Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill for many years.
Asked by the BBC about her relationship with the First Minister, she said it was “okay”. Even that diplomatic answer speaks volumes.
She said she'd not spoken to O'Neill since she had been informed her contract was being terminated.
When John O'Dowd challenged O'Neill for the vice-presidency in 2019, Gildernew backed O'Dowd.
She welcomed the contest, saying a debate in the party would be healthy and show the leadership wasn't taking grassroots for granted. Sinn Fein is still run with iron discipline. That works well for the party in some ways; compared to its rivals, there are few leaks. Whatever divisions exist internally, the media rarely gets to hear about them.
However, too many of its elected representatives are robotic. They don't show enough personality or individuality.
Gildernew wasn't like that. She was warm and outgoing. She didn't look upon the media with hostility. She was too chatty with journalists for some.
She was great craic when I joined her on the campaign trail in Dungannon one evening for Sunday Life. She reckoned our photographer looked like actor Jamie Dornan and joked that she hadn't yet seen Fifty Shades of Grey, and a Sinn Fein councillor was teased that he'd borrowed his pin-striped suit from Ian Paisley Jnr.
Very much her own woman
It would be a stretch to say that Gildernew was trouble for the upper echelons of the party, but she was very much her own woman. When asked to jump, she wasn't the sort of elected representative to ask 'How high?'
Her personal working relationship was strong with Gerry Adams. When the leadership baton passed to Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill, it was always going to be more challenging for Gildernew.
Former West Tyrone MP Barry McElduff, who resigned in 2018, has carved out a new local government career. He's just been appointed chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council for the second time.
Gildernew said she has “probably” given up further aspirations of being an elected representative again, but did not “at this stage” see herself quitting membership of the party. She remains a “committed republican”.
The former MP and agriculture minister said she is open to job offers in the agrifood sector and has hinted at a possible role in media.
Wherever she goes, she will be an asset. She will surely embrace the greater freedom she will now enjoy.
She has guts, and she was never one for just repeating the party mantra.
Maybe one day she'll be sitting in a TV studio on election night commentating on Sinn Fein's performance.
We have not heard the last from Michelle Gildernew.
How ironic if Beeb paved way for Adams becoming Irish president
Senan Molony, Belfast Telegraph, June 4th, 2025
“Inspecting the Defence Forces guard of honour at the GPO now is president Adams...”
It could happen. Sinn Fein has had the way cleared by a Dublin High Court jury to run Gerry Adams, peacemaker, for the Áras.
Bertie Ahern, on the other hand, still has the shadow of tribunal findings hanging over any possible tilt at the top job.
But for Sinn Fein, an intriguing possibility has opened up, even if a spokesman said yesterday that the party is “still discussing options with members”.
There were SF members around Leinster House who had doubts about Adams' high-stakes gamble in suing the BBC, which has triumphantly paid off.
They remembered the case of a prominent republican, Thomas 'Slab' Murphy, who sued the Sunday Times long ago over articles accusing him of directing an IRA bombing campaign in Britain.
Slab lost ignominiously and also failed in a retrial.
The similarities do not end there. Murphy, under oath, denied ever being a member of the IRA.
He was also named in the same BBC Spotlight programme over which Adams has successfully sued. It was feared by some SF members at Leinster House that a Slab-style defeat for Adams against the BBC at the High Court in Dublin would not just leave egg on his face — it would discredit the whole movement.
In other words, it would banjax any Sinn Fein election candidate in the presidential contest later this year.
New political climate
Adams sued over the claim that he had authorised the killing of Denis Donaldson, once a high-ranking Sinn Fein member, which was carried out in April 2006 — exactly eight years after the Good Friday Agreement.
If he had lost, any presidential candidate from a mainstream political party in the Republic could have thrown in the face of a Sinn Fein bidder for the Áras — in a TV debate, for instance — the charge that the IRA “hasn't gone away”.
The insistence that once-armed republicanism is now pursuing purely democratic means towards a united Ireland lies at the heart of Sinn Fein political acceptance in the Republic, driven by the electorate.
It used to be, in the last century, that the movement pursued its goals with an Armalite in one hand and a ballot box in the other.
Now the ballot box is joined by an Adams vindication — a powerful political argument that the past should stay in the past, even if Adams himself is ultimately not the party's candidate to succeed Michael D Higgins.
But why not? He's 10 years younger and in fine fettle.
He has new standing, plus an apparent grasp of the broad sweep of Irish history and where we might be going, making him a grey eminence with whom others might find it hard to compete.
The undeclared race has already been upended.
Wouldn't it be ironic if the British (Broadcasting Corporation) gave us our next head of state?
We haven't had a non-incumbent contest since 2011, and the acute issue of housing makes it look like a protest candidate could be set fair this time.
Added together, it could all accommodate Adams in a run for the Big House in the Park.
Belfast Council passes motion calling on northerners to be allowed to vote in Irish Presidential elections
Conor McParland, Belfast Media, June 4th, 2025
A MOTION has been passed at Belfast City Council calling for people in the North to vote in Irish Presidential elections.
In November 2013, the Fifth Report of the Convention on the Constitution recommended giving citizens residing outside the 26 counties the right to vote in presidential elections.
It also noted that Irish citizens living in the north can stand for, and be elected as President of Ireland but cannot vote in presidential elections.
At Monday evening's monthly Council meeting, a motion by Sinn Féin councillor Róis-Máire Donnelly called on Belfast City Council to write to the Irish Government and ask that they implement the recommendation of the Convention on the constitution with regards to voting rights in presidential elections, thereby extending the right to vote in elections for President of Ireland to all Irish citizens on the island of Ireland.
Alliance councillor Fiona McAteer said the proposal was not about forcing people to vote, but simply giving them a choice.
Green Party councillor Brian Smyth said the current rules treat Irish citizens in the North as "second-class" because they are left "voiceless".
TUV councillor Ron McDowell described the motion as an "inconsequential" issue in a "foreign country". "It is not my country and it is not my business," he added.
DUP Alderman Dean McCullough described the motion as a "trojan horse". He said the motion was about "extending the reach and influence of a foreign presidency into part of the United Kingdom".
SDLP councillor Gary McKeown joked that "Sinn Féin seem to live rent free in the heads" of Unionist members opposite.
DUP Alderman Andrew McCormick said it was surprising to hear "jokes and snarly comments" from the SDLP, given that "Sinn Féin have virtually wiped the SDLP off the electoral map". Sinn Féin group leader Ciarán Beattie added that every time Sinn Féin was mentioned, £1 should be put in a box.
Returning to his comments, SDLP councillor Gary McKeown said he found some comments by Unionist councillors "offensive".
"I was born on this island. I have an Irish passport. I am Irish. I am not a foreigner living in my own country. I respect people who do not see themselves as Irish. The President of Ireland is my head of state and I should have a right to have a say in an election."
Following a vote, the motion was carried with 41 votes for and 17 against, which was met with loud cheers from some councillors.
The Odd Policeman - PSNI
Sam McBride, Northern Editor, Belfast Telegraph, June 4th, 2025
In late February, an email arrived in my inbox from a former PSNI officer who wanted to talk. What he had to say was shocking and became a front page story – but just over a week ago, this man claimed that what he’d said was lies. It’s important to explain transparently how this came about.
The story of ‘Sean’ – the anonymised name I gave him for his safety, even though I always knew his real identity – is illustrative of the limitations of journalism to get to the truth. When we interview people – whether at the scene of an accident or for a sports report or a celebratory event – we work on the general presumption that they’re acting in good faith.
There are circumstances where we’re more suspicious of an interviewee. A former paramilitary or a businessperson with a huge vested interest in pushing their product or a politician trying to spin something politically embarrassing will always be treated more sceptically than a sorrowing mother.
However, in more than 16 years of covering politics it is highly unusual for someone to entirely make things up. I’ve regularly had political figures try to mislead me with slippery wording, but an unvarnished and indefensible lie is exceptionally unusual.
Complex PTSD
When I spoke at length to Sean, he seemed highly plausible. He told me he’d just been medically retired from the PSNI with complex post-traumatic stress disorder.
Nevertheless, he was entirely coherent, rational and reasonable. In all our subsequent communications by phone, email and text message, this remained the case. I verified with another police source that he was who he claimed to be. I verified from match reports that he played GAA.
I arranged for a photographer to visit his home and take the image below which protected his identity. I sent it to him and he approved it being used. 'Sean' posed with his back to the camera to protect his identity
What he said involved three core elements to his story. First, he was annoyed at the Police Federation – the sort of union which represents junior officers – for asking him to pay thousands of pounds for medical assessments. He felt strongly about this, but for me it was the least important issue.
Secondly, he told how he’d feared for his life as dissident republicans had threatened him personally, targeting him because he was a Catholic officer who played GAA. This wasn’t surprising, but it was powerful personal testimony about what it means to live under threat of death.
Thirdly, he alleged that he had experienced gross sectarianism from PSNI colleagues, drawing particular attention to the Tactical Support Group (TSG) of which he was a member. The detail – story after story of specific incidents – and the nature of what he alleged was the most important aspect for me.
The sectarianism allegations tallied with multiple current or former Catholic officers I’ve spoken to over the last two years. A small number of Catholic officers have said they’ve experienced minimal or no sectarianism, but others refer to a serious problem, suggesting that parts of policing were without blemish while others were problematic.
Deputy Chief Constable offered to meet ‘Sean’
I put Sean’s allegations – using his real name – to the PSNI and the Police Federation. The PSNI responded with unusual speed, issuing a statement not anonymously from a police spokesperson, as is standard, but in the name of Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton. He didn’t dispute any of what was alleged, said he was taking it seriously and offered to meet with Sean.
Sectarianism in any organisation would be deplorable. But in the PSNI, which is emblematic of the new Northern Ireland and which has spent years trying to attract more Catholic recruits so it is more representative of society, this was clearly an issue of public interest.
The story ran in the Belfast Telegraph on 8 March. That day, he sent me a message of appreciation, saying: “Your article was very professional…thank you”. In a message some weeks later, he said that the article “has given officers some hope and I believe a lot more will now come forward”. A serving PSNI officer contacted me to say Sean’s experiences tallied with his own, but said: “I would still fear speaking out”.
The following week, my editor proactively approached Jon Burrows, a retired PSNI head of discipline who’d written for us before, and asked him to write about his experience. Mr Burrows said that he’d seen all sorts of bad behaviour in the PSNI – which is inevitable in any organisation, as it would be in society – but sectarianism wasn’t something he’d encountered.
Mr Burrows said he didn’t criticise the publication of the interview or want to “dismiss it out of hand” but Sean’s account was one which he just didn’t recognise. These were serious allegations, he said, and they should be investigated.
Meanwhile, Sean told me that he had approached prominent solicitor Kevin Winters after the article was published. I spoke to Mr Winters who confirmed he had been instructed to begin High Court proceedings relating to sectarian discrimination, and said this was one of four cases, something we reported.
On 29 March, we published as our main letter to the editor a letter from many of Sean’s former TSG colleagues who firmly rejected his allegations. Then, on 9 May, the Chief Constable told the Policing Board that he’d met Sean and he was a “decent, decent man” – but Jon Boutcher also met the TSG team who impressed him and he believed there was no sectarianism involved.
Confused by this, I phoned Sean who he said he stood over his comments entirely, and Mr Boutcher's comments were "unsettling" and he felt he was being "ganged up on".
On 21 May, my colleague Ciarán Dunbar interviewed Mr Burrows – who was working with the TSG group – and myself for the Bel Tel podcast, setting out the story as we knew it at that point.
Three days later, Mr Burrows and some of the TSG officers came in to us. They emphasised that Sean was someone they cared about and whose allegations dismayed them. He was a very credible person, they said, adding that they could understand why we’d found him credible.
One of their central annoyances was that their letter had been published on the letters page, rather than there being further up the paper in a news article. In retrospect, they were right. It could have been more prominent.
No contact
The day after that meeting, I wakened to discover that the front page of the News Letter had a statement from Sean retracting all his allegations, saying he’d lied. The paper hadn’t spoken to him and so I wanted to contact him. His number didn’t work. I emailed him, but there was no response. I tried his solicitor, but he hadn’t heard from him.
We reported the retraction online that day and I then wrote a longer piece setting out more of the background of what had become a bizarre situation. I’d never in my life experienced a situation like this.
I remained concerned that I couldn’t contact Sean to hear from him directly. Then I got an email from him a few days later, using an email address he’d previously used. He apologised for misleading me – and by implication, our readers. He said that he had been told “on the strongest advice for my mental health” that he can’t be contacted by media. He said he would be “eternally grateful” that we have maintained his anonymity.
You might wonder why we’re not naming him in circumstances where he has admitted to deceiving us. Ordinarily, it would be in the public interest to unmask him. That’s not about revenge, but about discouraging others from doing likewise.
Any decent journalist would go to prison before they’d reveal a source (and my colleague Suzanne Breen got uncomfortably close to having to do so several years ago), but we owe no loyalty to a source who has deliberately set out to mislead us.
Yet it never crossed my mind to name this man because I know that he has faced genuine dissident republican threats. He has served in the PSNI at a point where that required immense personal courage and a commitment to the public good.
I can’t explain why he did what he did, but he doesn’t deserve to be murdered. He wasn’t telling the truth, but I am – and this is what happened.
As journalists we are always going to make mistakes. All we can do is seek to minimise those mistakes, learn from them, correct them as quickly as possible – and be transparent with you about what has happened.
