Recruitment of ex-RUC to legacy ICRIR unacceptable - Glenanne Gang victim’s daughter
Connla Young, Crime and Security Correspondent, Irish News, June 20th, 2025
THE daughter of a man shot dead by a loyalist gang which included members of the RUC has said it is “unacceptable” for former RUC officers to investigate the force.
Denise Mullen was just three years old when her father Denis, a member of the SDLP, was shot dead by loyalists at the family home near Moy, Co Tyrone, in September 1975.
The blood-soaked child sat at her father’s side until help arrived.
Her 13-month-old brother and mother Olive were also in the house when the attack took place.
Mr Mullen was gunned down by the notorious Glenanne Gang, which included members of the RUC, UDR and UVF.
His daughter spoke out after the head of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), Sir Declan Morgan, defended the recruitment of former RUC officers to the body.
The chief commissioner and former lord chief justice, was responding after The Irish News revealed that up to 26 former RUC officers, staff and British soldiers are currently employed by the commission.
Writing in yesterday’s Irish News, Sir Declan cited the involvement of former IRA members in selecting PSNI chief constables and referenced the Policing Board. Current board member Gerry Kelly is a former republican prisoner.
Sir Declan said that “90% of the ICRIR’s employees have never worked for the RUC or army” adding that 30 of the commission’s current investigators served in Operation Kenova while others were attached to the Police Ombudsman’s office.
Challenge
Ms Mullen said former RUC officers investigating the actions of colleagues is unacceptable.
“He [Sir Declan Morgan] has the audacity to say it’s OK for the RUC to investigate itself, it’s not acceptable,” she said.
“What has changed with the system in 50 years if former RUC officers are afforded the opportunity to investigate colleagues? I challenge him to meet me and my mother to he sees the effect of waiting for 50 years for answers.”
Human rights groups have also voiced concern.
Daniel Holder, director of the Committee on the Administration of Justice, said other legacy investigations had side-lined former RUC members.
“This response from head of the ICRIR shows a bewildering lack of understanding of basic legal requirements of practical independence in legacy investigations under human rights law, requirements which led to Kenova and the [Police] Ombudsman having strict rules against ex-RUC and military being involved in legacy investigations,” he said.
Although Sir Declan did not name Gerry Kelly, Mr Holder was not convinced by the comparison raised by the ICRIR chief.
Failed comparison
“Comparing the likes of Gerry Kelly’s role on the Policing Board to RUC being involved in ICRIR legacy investigations is clearly the wrong comparator,” he said.
“Being on the Policing Board does not involve doing legacy investigations.
“The correct comparator to ex-RUC in the ICRIR would be if Gerry Kelly was involved in a legacy team investigating the IRA, and claimed he was independent enough to do so. “Clearly he wouldn’t be.” Mr Holder said the ICRIR has not been clear about what roles are carried out by the former RUC members.
“The ICRIR gives a figure of overall 10% ex-RUC and army as its staffing claiming that is low – but will not clarify how many are in the investigations team,” he added.
Mark Thompson, of Relatives for Justice, was also critical of Sir Declan’s response.
“That a former chief justice ignores the fundamental bedrock of human rights compliant independence beggars belief,” he said.
“But then to conflate it with a separate political process in order to deflect and distract from the fundamental flaws of the ICRIR is pretty feeble.”
ICRIR ‘Article and and 3 compliant’
In response to Mr Thompson and Mr Holder a spokeswoman for the ICRIR said: “The courts agree that the commission is already sufficiently independent and procedurally capable of providing ECHR Article 2 and 3 compliant investigations.
“The 1998 agreement was built on fundamental principles – a rights-based and representative approach for promoting reconciliation: a culture of inclusion, not exclusion. Inclusion and rights were the cornerstones of peace. They are the foundations of reconciliation.
“Any effort to now rewrite those rules, retrofitting agendas of exclusion in relation to legacy issues, undermines the very spirit of the agreement.
“A trauma-informed approach to victims, survivors and families affected by the Troubles/conflict is central to all of the commission’s work.”
In response to Ms Mullen, the ICRIR said: “The commission acknowledges the pain and suffering experienced by Denise Mullen, her widowed mother and her wider family. Our thoughts are with them.
“The courts agree that the commission is already sufficiently independent and procedurally capable of providing ECHR Article 2 and 3 compliant investigations.
“The commission recognises that some people will not want their cases investigated by former RUC officers.
“The chief commissioner, Sir Declan Morgan, is willing to meet Ms Mullen and her mother, and indeed any victims, survivors or families, to listen to their case, explain the nature of the commission’s approach, and outline the commission’s processes and procedures.”
Dissidents may be involved in Derry rioting, says Boutcher
Abdullah Sabri, Belfast Telegraph, June 20th, 2026
CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED TO SAFEGUARD POLICE OFFICERS AS 87 HURT IN UNREST
The Chief Constable has said “it would not surprise” him if dissident republicans were involved in recent rioting in Londonderry.
Jon Boutcher said the PSNI is investigating the disorder which has continued this week, with 11 arrests made since Monday.
Masked youths have gathered in Derry city for three consecutive nights of unrest, with plastic barricades, tyres and traffic lights set alight.
“We are still investigating that. We charged nine yesterday. We arrested 11 during the [Derry] disorder,” Mr Boutcher told this newspaper.
“On [dissident involvement], it would not surprise me, but we're still investigating some of the issues.
“Social media — we're looking at all of that to see if people are inciting this violence.”
Mr Boutcher has described the trouble as “blatant sectarian violence” and warned those responsible will be pursued “with the full force of the law”.
Police said while there were incidents of criminal damage in the Galliagh area of Derry, there was no repeat of the disorder seen on Monday and Tuesday nights.
From around 7.15pm, plastic barriers, bins, a sofa, pallets and tyres were dragged onto roads and set alight.
A traffic light on Glengalliagh Road was also set on fire and left inoperable.
Chief Superintendent Gillian Kearney, Area Commander of Derry City & Strabane, said: “Overnight, in Derry/Londonderry, while there was no repeat of disorder on the scale witnessed in the city on Monday and Tuesday, there were incidents of anti-social and criminal behaviour in the Galliagh area.”
Trouble has also flared in other parts of Northern Ireland after a peaceful vigil in Ballymena ended in violence.
Mr Boutcher said he believed people in Ballymena “could have died” if PSNI officers hadn't intervened.
Since then 46 arrests have been made.
At least 87 officers have also been injured in “sustained” attacks against officers, the police chief said.
9,500 PSNI assaulted over three years
It comes as the Police Federation for Northern Ireland (PFNI) revealed that almost 9,500 officers have been assaulted over the last three years — nine a day.
As a result, almost 3,000 officers have been injured.
Police Federation wants ‘tough sentences’
But PFNI chair Liam Kelly believes this is a conservative estimate as minor injuries typically aren't reported.
In response, the federation launched a campaign at Stormont to safeguard officers here in tandem with the Department of Justice, the Chief Constable and the Policing Board.
Mr Kelly has demanded tougher action against those who “strike, kick, punch and spit at our colleagues”.
He said: “We want the public to realise the full extent of what our officers — themselves fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters — have to suffer. It's not right they should end up in hospital with injuries they sustain while protecting the community.
“Decisive and tough sentences handed down by magistrates and judges will deter those who assault our police officers.”
Justice Minister Naomi Long pledged to put forward a bill in the autumn to bring tougher sentencing measures.
The legislation would also extend to assaults on the wider workforce who provide a “public service” to the community, ranging from firefighters to Translink bus operators.
‘contagion’ of violence
Mrs Long expressed her concern at the “contagion” of violence that has swept the region and hopes the bill will offer more robust sentencing options.
One officer at the launch recalled being kicked in the head so badly that she lost consciousness during an incident in west Belfast.
Inspector Roisin Brown said she notes an assault occurring every time she reads through a review on the previous day's events.
“One of my neighbourhood officers broke his foot four weeks ago at an interface, trying to arrest somebody,” she said.
“I actually think assaults are becoming more serious and injuries are becoming more serious — broken bones, people losing consciousness, and then you have the everyday run-of-the-mill assaults that no one really talks about.
“I know that in my personal experience, I've had multiple low-level assaults that are just never reported, and it just comes with the job until something really serious happens, which happened last year to me.”
Meanwhile, Sergeant Mark Young recalled entering a cell out of concern for a man who was trying to self-harm, and coming under attack with multiple blows to the head.
The Fermanagh-based officer sustained a black eye and a bruised head which left him with “no clue where I was”.
Sergeant Young added: “Myself and a female civilian detention officer went to try and assist him, he turned on a sixpence, became very violent, exceptionally aggressive and punched violently 14-15 times to the head, kneed twice to the side of the head.
“Whilst it didn't render me unconscious thankfully, I had no clue where I was, and he calmly walked out of the cell and slammed the door shut with me still inside.”
Irish far right may fail at the polls, but use social media effectively to spread hate
Irish Examiner, June 18th, 2025
The Irish far right may not be having success in national politics but it is using the online world to “build its base” and to spread “ideologies of hate”, according to new research.
Academics in University College Cork (UCC) said there has been “an increase” in both far-right and extreme right-wing activity in Ireland in recent years - seen in online activism, street protests, and “even violence”.
“Although there is a longstanding belief that there is no far-right presence in Ireland because the country has so far avoided the presence of any successful far-right parties in national politics, this article demonstrates that Irish far-right networks are using online platforms to build their base, discuss and disseminate misinformation, conspiracy theories, and divisive and discriminatory rhetoric," the research said.
The study was carried out by academics from UCC Department of Sociology and Criminology - Gabriella Fattibene, James Windle and Orla Lynch - and technical experts from online threat monitoring company, Moonshot.
It said the “most prominent” manifestation of far-right activity in Ireland is online, including though social media influencers. These individuals create content of interest to their online audience through videos, livestreaming and interviews.
The research, published in Perspectives on Terrorism, said the Irish political system has resulted in no far-right political party emerging on the scene, in terms of successful representation.
But it said the aim of many on the far-right or alt-right is to get people to think about politics rather than change party politics, by getting issues they want to push into normal, mainstream society.
The research said:
Translating this to the Irish case, while Irish far-right political parties may fail at the polls, social media platforms can be effective in spreading hate, which due to the mainstreaming effect, is often the primary objective of new online far-right networks.
“The evidence from this study demonstrates that the goal of the far right in Ireland is to, if not succeed politically, succeed in influencing metapolitics in creating distrust in mainstream institutions and political parties.
"Like many of their ERW [extreme right-wing] colleagues in Europe, mainstreaming ERW ideas is success in its own right.”
The research conducted a detailed analysis during covid and identified over 420,000 posts in 162 far-right online spaces, mainly Twitter (now X) and Telegram.
The research identified 39 unique far-right influencers, mainly Irish, British, or American figures.
ICRIR - Questions over failure to provide equality monitoring information
Connla Young, Irish News, June 20th, 2025
A CONTROVERSIAL legacy body set up by the British government has failed to provide equality monitoring information despite being told 17 months ago it would be required to do so.
An internal report produced by the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) also reveals that the body’s HR system did not record employee community background.
All registered employers are required to keep a record of community background, including a religious breakdown of staff, and other details.
Earlier this month The Irish News revealed that up to 26 former RUC officers, staff and British soldiers are currently employed by the commission.
It has now emerged that since it began operating in May last year the ICRIR has not made a monitoring return to the Equality Commission.
A Review of Recruitment, Pensions and Payroll report by the ICRIR reveals the Equality Commission advised the legacy body it would be required to obtain monitoring information.
It reports that in an email dated January 2024 the Equality Commission said the requirement would be enforced from the beginning of this year.
In November last year the ICRIR report noted the required information had to that date not been gathered.
The ICRIR began operating on May 1 last year after the introduction of the Legacy Act.
The Court of Appeal later found that a British government veto over sensitive material that can be disclosed by the commission is not compatible with human rights laws.
Many people impacted by the Troubles are opposed to the ICRIR, believing it was designed to protect state participants.
While the British government claims it has plans to repeal the contested act, it intends to retain the ICRIR.
The body’s chief commissioner is former lord chief justice Sir Declan Morgan, while ex-senior police officer Peter Sheridan heads its investigations.
ICRIR defends recruitment of ex-RUC
Sir Declan has defended the commission’s recruitment of former RUC officers.
Writing in The Irish News yesterday he referenced the Patten Commission and Criminal Justice Review Commission along with the Equality Commission “overseeing improved fair employment and equality legislation”.
Since its establishment the ICRIR has produced a number of accountability updates, including one in April, which contained no community back monitoring information.
In response to a freedom of information request to the Committee on the Administration of Justice last month, the commission said it held no information “regarding monitoring data of the community background of its” employees and those involved with the Information Recovery Team.
CAJ director Daniel Holder raised concerns about the absence of monitoring information in the most recent accountability update.
“The absence of fair employment monitoring statistics in the recent ICRIR April 2025 ‘accountability update’ was a glaring omission, particularly as equality monitoring data on a number of other grounds was provided,” he said.
“These documents released under freedom of information show the ICRIR were reminded by the Equality Commission over a year ago they must gather this information on the community background of staff, yet had not done so as late as November last year.
“We are a further six months on and the ICRIR has still not published fair employment statistics on its Belfast-based staff.
“You have to ask what on earth is going on here.”
Four months to comply with disclosure rules
A spokeswoman for the Equality Commission spokesperson said the ICRIR was added to the fair employment register in March and “has four months from this date to submit its first fair employment monitoring return”.
“The Equality Commission has not yet received this return,” it added.
A spokeswoman for the ICRIR said: “We wrote to the Equality Commission in January 2024 which confirmed that fair employment regulations did not apply at that point to the ICRIR.
“For accuracy, the Equality Commission added us to their register as at March 31 2025.
“Our first employment equality return is due four months after that registration date, on July 31 2025.”
Chief commissioner of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery Sir Declan Morgan has defended the recruitment of former RUC officers to the body
Community policing key to tackling disorder in Derry by those who feel they 'missed out' on Troubles
Abdullah Sabri, Belfast Telegraph, June 20th, 2026
CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED TO SAFEGUARD POLICE OFFICERS AS 87 HURT IN UNREST
The Chief Constable has said “it would not surprise” him if dissident republicans were involved in recent rioting in Londonderry.
Jon Boutcher said the PSNI is investigating the disorder which has continued this week, with 11 arrests made since Monday.
Masked youths have gathered in Derry city for three consecutive nights of unrest, with plastic barricades, tyres and traffic lights set alight.
“We are still investigating that. We charged nine yesterday. We arrested 11 during the [Derry] disorder,” Mr Boutcher told this newspaper.
“On [dissident involvement], it would not surprise me, but we're still investigating some of the issues.
“Social media — we're looking at all of that to see if people are inciting this violence.”
Mr Boutcher has described the trouble as “blatant sectarian violence” and warned those responsible will be pursued “with the full force of the law”.
Police said while there were incidents of criminal damage in the Galliagh area of Derry, there was no repeat of the disorder seen on Monday and Tuesday nights.
From around 7.15pm, plastic barriers, bins, a sofa, pallets and tyres were dragged onto roads and set alight.
A traffic light on Glengalliagh Road was also set on fire and left inoperable.
Chief Superintendent Gillian Kearney, Area Commander of Derry City & Strabane, said: “Overnight, in Derry/Londonderry, while there was no repeat of disorder on the scale witnessed in the city on Monday and Tuesday, there were incidents of anti-social and criminal behaviour in the Galliagh area.”
Trouble has also flared in other parts of Northern Ireland after a peaceful vigil in Ballymena ended in violence.
Mr Boutcher said he believed people in Ballymena “could have died” if PSNI officers hadn't intervened.
Since then 46 arrests have been made.
At least 87 officers have also been injured in “sustained” attacks against officers, the police chief said.
Over 3,000 PSNI officers a year being injured
It comes as the Police Federation for Northern Ireland (PFNI) revealed that almost 9,500 officers have been assaulted over the last three years — nine a day.
As a result, almost 3,000 officers have been injured.
But PFNI chair Liam Kelly believes this is a conservative estimate as minor injuries typically aren't reported.
In response, the federation launched a campaign at Stormont to safeguard officers here in tandem with the Department of Justice, the Chief Constable and the Policing Board.
Mr Kelly has demanded tougher action against those who “strike, kick, punch and spit at our colleagues”.
He said: “We want the public to realise the full extent of what our officers — themselves fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters — have to suffer. It's not right they should end up in hospital with injuries they sustain while protecting the community.
“Decisive and tough sentences handed down by magistrates and judges will deter those who assault our police officers.”
Justice Minister Naomi Long pledged to put forward a bill in the autumn to bring tougher sentencing measures.
New penalties for those who assault public service workers
The legislation would also extend to assaults on the wider workforce who provide a “public service” to the community, ranging from firefighters to Translink bus operators.
Mrs Long expressed her concern at the “contagion” of violence that has swept the region and hopes the bill will offer more robust sentencing options.
One officer at the launch recalled being kicked in the head so badly that she lost consciousness during an incident in west Belfast.
Inspector Roisin Brown said she notes an assault occurring every time she reads through a review on the previous day's events.
“One of my neighbourhood officers broke his foot four weeks ago at an interface, trying to arrest somebody,” she said.
“I actually think assaults are becoming more serious and injuries are becoming more serious — broken bones, people losing consciousness, and then you have the everyday run-of-the-mill assaults that no one really talks about.
“I know that in my personal experience, I've had multiple low-level assaults that are just never reported, and it just comes with the job until something really serious happens, which happened last year to me.”
Meanwhile, Sergeant Mark Young recalled entering a cell out of concern for a man who was trying to self-harm, and coming under attack with multiple blows to the head.
The Fermanagh-based officer sustained a black eye and a bruised head which left him with “no clue where I was”.
Sergeant Young added: “Myself and a female civilian detention officer went to try and assist him, he turned on a sixpence, became very violent, exceptionally aggressive and punched violently 14-15 times to the head, kneed twice to the side of the head.
“Whilst it didn't render me unconscious thankfully, I had no clue where I was, and he calmly walked out of the cell and slammed the door shut with me still inside.”
Buckfast-fuelled riot accused caught up in ‘recreational hooliganism’ High Court told
Alan Erwin, Irish News, June 20th, 2025
Violence broke out in Portadown following an earlier peaceful immigration protest
A BARE chested Co Armagh rioter drank two bottles of Buckfast before attacking police with masonry in an alleged bout of “recreational hooliganism”, the High Court heard yesterday.
Jamie Smyth (21) has been charged in connection with racially -fuelled disorder which spread to Portadown, last week.
Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan was told he will be pleading guilty to a charge of riot and is “disgusted” with himself.
Bail was refused, however, after prosecutors said police remain on a state of high alert, braced for any further unrest this weekend.
“The context of this case is shocking, given that it involves a riotous behaviour charge motivated by racial hate,” Dame Siobhan declared.
Mr Smyth of Derrylileagh Road in Portadown, was arrested after police came under further attack from a crowd of up to 100 people at West Street in the town on June 13.
He was identified wearing shorts, woolly hat and snood but with no top on, the court heard.
Footage of the disturbances showed Mr Smyth breaking up and throwing pieces of masonry at police lines, the court heard.
He was also allegedly observed trying to block a nearby road with burning wheelie bins and throwing remnants at passing cars.
Police detained him after he had injured himself by jumping over a wall, later requiring hospital treatment for a lacerated hand and cuts to his legs.
During interviews Mr Smyth claimed he had travelled to the area to watch a peaceful protest, but was also said to have made admissions to becoming involved in the unrest.
No memory of his behaviour
“He said that he was drunk and didn’t remember any of his [behaviour]… but that his actions that evening were disgusting,” counsel disclosed.
Opposing bail, she stressed that the trouble in Portadown was part of rioting which spread across parts of Northern Ireland following several nights of serious disturbances in Ballymena.
“Police remain on high alert in anticipation of further disorder during the weekend,” she added.
Paddy Taggart, defending, said Mr Smyth intends to plead guilty without any equivocation.
“He has never been to a parade or protest in his life, he has no issues with immigrants, but he has got himself dragged into this,” the barrister submitted.
“This is a prime example of recreational hooliganism – he drank two bottles of Buckfast and didn’t know any of the others involved.
“Even in the way he was dressed, in shorts and with his top off.”
Based on his client’s admissions, Mr Taggart argued that he should be released rather than getting caught up in any delays in dealing with other alleged rioters.
“One night of stupidity will significantly change his life,” the lawyer said.
But with senior police and public prosecution representatives set to meet early next week to determine how the cases will be processed, the Lady Chief Justice ruled that Mr Smyth must remain in custody at this stage.
‘My officers will no longer take violence’
David Young, Irish News, June 20th, 2025
THE chief constable last night warned rioters that his officers will no longer stand and take the violence directed at them as he made clear there has been a “shift” in responding to disorder under his watch.
Jon Boutcher acknowledged there had previously been reluctance within the force to deploy tactics such as baton rounds and water cannon due to concern among officers that they might be subject to complaints.
He said that since last summer’s race-related disturbances, the PSNI was being “far more proactive and robust” in response to attacks directed at them.
Speaking to the media at an event at Stormont to highlight high levels of assaults against officers across all areas of policing, the chief constable also described as “nuts” social media platforms that enable people to generate income from livestreaming disorder.
There were multiple incidents of people livestreaming disorder in parts of Northern Ireland last week.
Mr Boutcher said his officers had put themselves in harm’s way to police the incidents, with 87 injured as a result.
“I have a duty to protect those officers,” he said.
“In the disturbances last August you will have seen a shift, we were far more proactive and robust in our tactics last August. And we are more robust again.
“And I will bring support in from policing in the United Kingdom to ensure that we can police these disturbances until we’ve arrested all of those concerned. And we will arrest them. We will pursue them, we’ll find them, we’ll arrest them, we’ll prosecute them, and we will put them in prison.”
‘Proportionate force’
He added: “I’ll be very clear, I have no tolerance for assaults on police officers. And I think if you speak to the police officers here, they would be unequivocal in the fact that we use all the tactics available to us, whether that’s AEP [baton] rounds, whether that’s water cannon, but we do it proportionately.
“You’ve seen the footage of what these officers have faced – the masonry, the petrol bombs, the railings and axe [all thrown at them]. We will not stand there and be assaulted. We’ll defend ourselves.
“We’ll take proactive measures to stop that, and we will go after them. And we’ll put their images in the media, that wasn’t happening. So we’ve released more images of people we want to arrest.
“Don’t do it. Stop it. I will be very clear. I will not accept this. I will not accept it, but none of us should accept it. Nobody in society should accept this.”
Mr Boutcher said: “So last year, last August, to be clear, when the disturbances started, I felt that, and I spoke to police officers, officers told me that they didn’t feel supported, they stood there and took incoming missiles of all sorts of descriptions.”
On the issue of livestreaming rioting, Mr Boutcher said: “Much of the stuff that you see online, and there is so much of it, is from overseas. Most of it is from abroad. It’s not from here.
“People who don’t know Northern Ireland, they don’t know Portadown, they don’t know Ballymena, they’re just getting on this almost crowd euphoria looking remotely. That’s what’s encouraging a lot of this behaviour.
“I was only told recently, the more looks or likes you get when you’re filming these events, you get money on social media platforms. That’s nuts.”
60% drop in Good Relations funding for Derry at time of rising tensions
Garrett Hargan, Belfast Telegraph, June 20th, 2025
EXECUTIVE URGED TO THINK AGAIN AFTER VIOLENCE HITS THE MAIDEN CITY
Good Relations funding for groups in Derry and Strabane area has dropped by more than 60% year-on-year.
For the current financial year, the council was awarded £189,607 for six projects, well down on last year's £493,882 for 14 projects, and 2021/22's £428,291 for 13 projects.
While the amount given to groups in Belfast fell significantly, from around £2m in 2021/22 to £1.2m in 2025/26, the city's share of the pot climbed from 56% to 61%.
Causeway Coast and Glens, and Newry, Mourne and Down received no funding, having been awarded assistance in previous years.
For three years, the North West Migrants Forum (NWMF) has received £45,000 in funding for its projects.
It applied for £50,000 for a United Voices: Building Bridges for a Shared Future programme this year, and was unsuccessful.
The project was designed to meet the needs of young people, focusing on addressing racism and sectarianism.
Had it gone ahead, the NWMF would have recruited 15 young people from its network of more than 200, prioritising those interested in leadership or volunteer opportunities.
They would have undergone four weeks of training in diversity, inclusion, leadership, effective communication and workshop facilitation.
The project included a six-week summer scheme, combining educational and recreational activities, with a family fun day to promote cross-community engagement.
Positive engagement between ethnic groups urgently needed
The NWMF said: “With thousands of individuals from minority ethnic communities residing in the Derry and Strabane council area, initiatives are urgently required to promote positive engagement and meaningful interaction across diverse groups.
“The region's diversity continues to grow, driven by an increasing number of migrants, refugees and international students.
“This demographic change is not being matched by sufficient opportunities for communities to come together, leading to a persistent gap in mutual understanding.
“This lack of interaction is fostering a limited awareness of race, racism and the vital contributions of these communities to our society.
“The violence of recent days highlights again the clear need for a proactive, youth-focused initiative like United Voices: Building Bridges for a Shared Future.”
The news comes at a time of rising tensions in Derry.
In April, two Catholic boys were attacked in the Nelson Drive area of the Waterside.
That appeared to spark a spate of sectarian incidents, including a paint bomb attack on a mural in the unionist Fountain estate.
Tensions had been simmering in the area for some time, according to local politicians, with boys arranging fights with one another.
Earlier this week, what the police described as “blatant sectarian violence” was concentrated close to the Fountain estate.
Fourteen officers were injured and mostly teenagers arrested during the disorder.
‘Dumbfounded’
This newspaper recently revealed how the Greater Shantallow Community Arts group was left “dumbfounded” after the entire £65,000 it had received in recent years from the Good Relations Fund was cut.
SDLP MLA Sinead McLaughlin said Good Relations funding had been essential in supporting community groups and projects in Derry.
“The recent decision to withdraw funding from groups like Studio 2 in Shantallow has been a serious blow,” she added.
“Service users have been left devastated that initiatives which have done so much good are now in jeopardy.
“This comes on the back of cuts affecting organisations like Echo Echo Dance Studio and the Northlands Centre, pillars of our community that are now under threat.
“The Executive must urgently review the fairness of these decisions and work with affected communities to ensure support is not stripped away from those who need it most.”
The Executive Office, which runs the fund, was contacted for comment.
Three men and six youths in court charged over rioting
Eamonn McDermott, Irish News, June 20th, 2025
Motorists negotiate a burning barricade where traffic lights were set on fire along with bins and wood in the Glengalliagh Road area of Derry
THREE men and six youths have appeared at Derry Magistrates Court charged in connection with the rioting in the city.
Darrell Ramsey (30) of Rathlin Drive in Derry was charged with riotous behaviour at Nailor’s Row on June 17.
Martin McDonald (29) of Cromore Gardens in Derry was charged with riotous behaviour at Lecky Road on June 18 and Michael O’Connor (47) of Glenfada Park in Derry was charged with inciting and encouraging a riot on June 18.
The six youths, a 14-yearold, three 15-year-olds and two 16-year-olds, are charged with riotous behaviour on June 17 and 18 and one of the 15-year-olds is also charged with possessing a petrol bomb.
A police officer gave evidence that disorder broke out at 7.30pm when a group of youths were observed heading towards the interface area.
Police intervened and disorder broke out with masonry, stones and petrol bombs being thrown at police.
As regards the defendant Ramsey, a police officer said that a group of officers were under attack from masked rioters and were joined by three unmasked men one of them being Ramsey.
It was alleged that he was encouraging others to take part in the riot.
Ruarai Muldoon, defence solicitor for Ramsey, said that it had not been put to his client that he had thrown anything.
He said his client would accept he was in the area but denied rioting.
Deputy District Judge Chris Holmes asked was the violence connected to the disorder last week and was told it wasn’t.
Similar evidence was given as regards McDonald who was in the vicinity of rioting in the Lecky Road.
Again the court was told that the defendant denied all the allegations.
Judge Holmes said there was extensive drone footage which could lead to further charges.
When O’Connor appeared a police officer told the court that police had observed him ‘speaking’ to a number of masked youths who then went on to riot while he videoed it.
All three men were granted bail on condition that they do not go within 100 metres of any police operation, observe a curfew and stay out of a specific area of the city.
When the youths appeared Judge Holmes said he was not going to treat these cases any differently from the adults.
He said that as youths there was a statutory assumption for bail unless there were exceptional circumstances.
He released the youths on bail on condition that they observe a curfew and they will appear again on August 5.
The judge asked the PSNI to prioritise their examination of the drone footage to see if any further charges might arise.
Long slams 'nonsense' claims on DoJ's powers
Abdullah Sabri, Belfast Telegraph, June 20th, 2025
MINISTER ADDRESSES 'MISINFORMATION' REGARDING POLICE OMBUDSMAN'S LEAVE OF ABSENCE
The Justice Minister has slammed the “absolute nonsense” from her critics who claim she has the reach to amend the powers to dismiss the Police Ombudsman.
Naomi Long said there has been “a lot of misinformation” surrounding the issue which would require extensive public consultations to achieve.
It comes after NI's Police Ombudsman, Marie Anderson, announced she was taking a temporary leave of absence on Tuesday. This follows the news that police investigating an alleged domestic incident at the Ombudsman's home have sent a file of evidence to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS).
Ms Anderson said that, despite planning to retire in December, she opted for temporary leave due to the “current commentary” that was “detracting from the focus” of her work with bereaved families.
The probe, launched after the alleged incident at Ms Anderson's Co Down home in September 2023, was carried out by West Midlands Police at the request of the Chief Constable, and has now concluded.
The PPS confirmed that the file reports “one individual for potential offences of perverting the course of justice and misconduct in public office”.
Mrs Long believes there has been “too much speculation” regarding the alleged incident, as well as “a lot of misinformation” about the capabilities of the Department of Justice's powers.
She told the BBC's Nolan Show: “I think that brings a legal risk. I also think that brings all sorts of damage.”
Ombudsman not answerable to Dept of Justice
Asked about the department's powers generally in relation to the Police Ombudsman, she said: “There has been a lot of misinformation around this. First and foremost, for me, public confidence in the role of the office of the Police Ombudsman is crucial because it impacts confidence in policing. I want to acknowledge [her] decision to delegate her powers to the chief executive and senior staff.
“To be clear, the Ombudsman herself is not appointed by the Department of Justice or employed by the Department of Justice. She is a corporation sole, which means that the powers of the Ombudsman are vested in the individual, not in the office.
“It's not her office that has the powers, the office is there to facilitate her powers.”
Mrs Long explained that the nature of accountability in the Ombudsman role was set up to ensure control was not “abused” for political means.
She added: “It would require a period of significant public consultation to ensure that any power to suspend or remove the Ombudsman could not be abused for political ends.
“That is the reason why when this office was set up originally there was no power of suspension or removal from office.”
The Justice Minister admitted there is “a conversation to be had” surrounding the high thresholds, but slammed the notion that any action from her office could be taken swiftly.
“There are very clear rules set down in law about when the Ombudsman should be removed from office, in terms of when someone should retire, and those thresholds are high.
“There is a conversation to be had around this, but the idea that a piece of legislation, that either I or the Executive Office could bring at the drop of a hat without thorough consultation and legal advice is absolute nonsense.
“Some commentators have been suggesting we should just change the law. It is not that simple.”
What exactly are Farage’s plans for Northern Ireland?
Alex Kane, Irish News, June 20th, 2025
THE news that Reform is considering organising in Northern Ireland didn’t come as much of a surprise to me.
I think Nigel Farage would like to be the first UK party leader to have members elected in Westminster along with the Scottish parliament and the Welsh and NI assemblies.
If nothing else it would send a message that Reform genuinely was a national party.
Fair enough, the Conservatives field candidates here, but my cat, dead for three years, has a better chance of victory. And Labour doesn’t even bother fielding, much to the annoyance of its own fully paid-up members here.
But as with anything to do with Reform, matters are much more complicated than may first appear.
The party did agree a Memorandum of Understanding with the TUV in March 2024 and Jim Allister said the two parties would announce agreed candidates in the general election.
That turned out to be the high point of the relationship, because Farage (who wasn’t leader at the time) endorsed Ian Paisley and Sammy Wilson, but none of the other TUV candidates.
A spokesman for Reform said on Tuesday that the agreement with the TUV had ended last year and it was currently not aligned with any other party in Northern Ireland.
Ben Habib, the party’s former deputy leader and one of the key Reform figures behind the memorandum, has since left the party.
Trust Farage ‘at your peril’
He has advised unionists to trust his old party “at your peril… Farage stuck a knife in the back of the TUV and is also on the record saying the north would inevitably unite with the Republic and Mary Lou McDonald is someone with whom he would share a platform – both views repugnant to a unionist”.
It’s not Farage’s first attempt to gain an electoral foothold in local politics. As a former leader of UKIP, he had approved the formation of an NI branch, and the UUP MLA David McNarry, who had disciplinary problems with his party, defected to it in October 2012.
He delivered a higher profile for the branch, helping it to win a few councillors in the 2014 local government elections, as well as 24,584 votes in that year’s Euro election. A handful of unionist councillors, from the DUP, UUP and TUV, defected to UKIP over the next couple of years.
In an interview with Farage in July 2013, when he was in Belfast to address the AGM of the local branch, I asked him if UKIP would fight every election here and what its unique selling point would be.
“I think non-sectarian politics has a place; or at least I think it should have a place; I’d like to see it have a place. That’s consistent with our thinking… I think there is a gap in the market for us,” he said.
I also asked him about a possible electoral relationship/pact with the TUV.
“I think that whilst UKIP and the TUV would have quite strong agreement on the European question, I also think that on many of the other issues the divide may be too great.
“I think it’s difficult, but I also think it’s not up to me to intervene too much myself.” (Perhaps he was still thinking that when he more or less ignored the Reform/TUV electoral arrangement in July 2024).
Anyway, in October 2021 the formal relationship with the NI branch and the main party disintegrated when local members accused it of ‘silence’ on the issue of the NI Protocol.
One of those members told me that the party had gone down the “Conservative route… promising to have our backs in Northern Ireland but never going the extra mile in terms of support”.
I never had the impression – and I interviewed him another couple of times after 2013 – that Farage wanted to get too deep into NI politics.
New-generation English nationalism was always his priority and I’m fairly sure he was aware that his core electoral base had no particular interest in defending Northern Ireland’s position within the UK.
That said, Reform also says it is “gauging the interest in NI – the hows, whens and wheres of setting up. We’re exploring the areas we’d be strongest in. It’s all at a very early stage”.
“How badly burned could NI unionism plc get if Reform does field candidates in supposedly ‘safe’ seats where the TUV, DUP and UUP might also be standing?
Former members of UKIP in NI got burned by Farage. The TUV got burned by Farage. How badly burned could NI unionism plc get if Reform does field candidates in supposedly ‘safe’ seats where the TUV, DUP and UUP might also be standing?
Which unionist party would even be prepared for tentative talks with him, considering how many former friends and colleagues seem to have been left in his wake?
At this point, though, the rumours could either be intended to rattle unionism here, or be no more than a cosmetic exercise to keep local Reform members quiet.
As ever with Farage, you can never be entirely sure what he’s up to. Which suits him very nicely, thank you.
If Farage elected PM would put unity 'centre stage' says Varadkar
Cate McCurry, Belfast Telegraph, June 20th, 2025
Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that Irish unity would become “centre stage” if Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was elected Prime Minister.
Mr Varadkar, who stood down as Taoiseach in April last year, said it is possible Mr Farage will be Prime Minister in four years or nine years' time - and could alienate some in Northern Ireland's centre ground enough to move them towards favouring a united Ireland.
He described British politics as “very volatile”.
Reform made big gains in local elections in England and Wales in May.
Mr Varadkar told BBC Northern Ireland's The View programme, which was aired last night, that he hoped Mr Farage is not the next Prime Minister.
The former Fine Gael leader said if the Reform leader became Prime Minister, it would “change the pictures in terms of attitudes towards independence in Scotland”.
“I think it would change the views of some people in the middle ground in Northern Ireland (towards Irish unity),” he said.
“It isn't just because a right-wing nationalist government in London would want to bring the UK and Northern Ireland away from Europe. It is other things as well.”
He also claimed that councils run by Reform in England were preventing people from flying Pride or Progress flags.
Mr Varadkar added: “I don't think most people in Northern Ireland would like that.
“If that's the kind of government they had in London versus a government in Dublin that was very different, it might make them more likely to vote yes to unification,” he added.
“I do want to be very clear about this, it's not something I hope happens.
“I hope it doesn't happen.”
Mr Varadkar said he believes planning for a united Ireland should be happening, but that a date should not be fixed as the numbers to win are not in place.
Unity trajectory
He added: “I don't think a united Ireland is inevitable, I think it's something that we have to work towards.
“But I think there are a lot of factors that would suggest that we're on that trajectory.
“Demographic factors, polling, even the most recent numbers showing that a very clear majority of younger people in Northern Ireland want there to be a new united Ireland.”
He said Irish unity will not happen “by osmosis or by accident”.
“I think (it) has to be worked towards. I think those of us who believe in it have a duty to make the case for it,” he added.
“Look at the trajectory, and that is clear. We see it in elections. We see it in opinion polls. We see it in demographics.”
In May, a survey by Norstat for the Sunday Times suggested that Mr Farage becoming Prime Minister could push support for Scottish independence from 54% to 58%.
Earlier this week, the Belfast Telegraph revealed that Reform UK is exploring the possibility of organising in Northern Ireland, where it has more than 1,000 members.
The party told the Belfast Telegraph it was “gauging interest” in setting up branches and contesting elections here.
Any such move could cause problems for the TUV, which would be competing for the same right-wing unionist vote.
The two parties entered a formal partnership last March for the Westminster election, but the relationship deteriorated three months later when Mr Farage returned as Reform leader and backed the DUP's Ian Paisley and Sammy Wilson against TUV candidates.
Reform has now contacted its members across the UK asking for their views on it organising in Northern Ireland.
A Reform UK spokesperson said: “We're gauging the interest in Northern Ireland — the hows, whens and wheres of setting up.
“We're exploring the areas we'd be strongest in.
“It's all at a very early stage”.
If Kneecap's Mo Chara on terror charge in London over flag, shouldn't half of NI be in dock?
Finola Meredith, Belfast Telegraph, June 20th, 2025
There were surreal scenes this week outside Westminster Magistrates' Court when Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh — aka Mo Chara of the Irish language rap group Kneecap — arrived together with his two bandmates, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí.
An excited crowd waved flags, variously proclaiming “Free Speech”, “Free Palestine” and “Free Mo Chara”. Delighted cheers went up when a van drove past displaying the slogan “More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, Mo Chara”. There were plenty of keffiyeh scarves in evidence, as well as the odd leprechaun hat and what I think was an inflatable shamrock.
Ó hAnnaidh, who was charged under the name Liam O'Hanna, is accused of a terrorism offence: displaying a flag in support of proscribed organisation Hezbollah at a London gig.
This is clearly a serious charge. But what strikes me most forcibly about the whole farrago is the enormous gap that it exposes between the law and how it's enforced in London, and the law and how it's enforced here in Northern Ireland.
The Home Office has a handy policy document explaining exactly what proscribed terror groups are and what offences relate to them.
There are currently 81 terrorist organisations proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000 which are listed in all their grim and bewildering variety.
Lots of proscribed organisations
For instance, I had no idea of the existence of Turkiye Halk Kurtulus Partisi-Cephesi (THKP-C), which is also known as the Peoples' Liberation Party/Front of Turkey, THKP-C Acilciler and the Hasty Ones.
Nor had I come across Sipah-e Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) (Aka Millat-e Islami Pakistan (MIP); SSP was renamed MIP in April 2003 but is still referred to as SSP) and splinter group Lashkar-e Jhangvi (LeJ).
Scroll on down, though, and you find some very familiar names: 14 organisations in Northern Ireland that were proscribed under previous legislation.
They are the Continuity Army Council, Cumann na mBan, Fianna na hEireann, Irish National Liberation Army, Irish People's Liberation Organisation, Irish Republican Army, Loyalist Volunteer Force, Orange Volunteers, Red Hand Commando, Red Hand Defenders, Saor Eire, Ulster Defence Association, Ulster Freedom Fighters and Ulster Volunteer Force.
Under the Terrorism Act 2000, the Home Secretary may proscribe an organisation which “commits or participates in acts of terrorism, prepares for terrorism, promotes or encourages terrorism (including the unlawful glorification of terrorism), or is otherwise concerned in terrorism”.
Proscription makes it a criminal offence to belong, or profess to belong, to a proscribed organisation in the UK or overseas. Under the law, it's an offence to invite support for a proscribed organisation — which isn't necessarily financial; it can also include “moral support or approval” — or even express an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation.
Clothing also proscribed
It's also an offence to “wear clothing or carry or display articles in public in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that the individual is a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation”.
To which a reasonable person might ask: well, why isn't half the population of Northern Ireland under arrest?
We're coming down with flags, emblems and murals supporting terrorist organisations and nobody bats an eyelid.
“Moral support or approval”? “Unlawful glorification of terrorism”? Come on.
Not only among the public, but among our political representatives, we have large numbers of people who have never renounced their support of, or association with, notorious terror groups. Dead terrorists are still frequently honoured as martyrs, revolutionaries and freedom fighters.
It's not normal — not even close. It's familiar, yes, but that's something completely different. Familiarity can lull you into a false sense that the most bizarre or extreme behaviour is acceptable — “just how things are”.
Is lawlessness the price NI pays for peace?
But it wouldn't be tolerated anywhere else. When a friend from abroad visited us in July a few years ago, I remember how shocked he was that the fire brigade had been sent to hose down houses that were dangerously close to an Eleventh Night bonfire, to make sure they didn't catch fire.
“Why didn't they just move the bonfire?” he asked, in all innocence.
The truth is that lawlessness — including blatant and often provocative veneration for terrorists of all shades — is widely accepted in Northern Ireland as a price worth paying for keeping the peace.
And you know what? Maybe it is a price worth paying, considering the alternative.
But let's not pretend that this is anything other than a society predicated on the implicit or explicit threat of violence.
When Mo Chara went to London, maybe he forgot that there's no place like home.
