ICRIR investigator says prime suspects in early 1970s PIRA bombing campaign have been identified
John Ware, The Article, August 20th, 2025
Several prime suspects responsible for the spate of IRA bombings and shootings in Britain from 1974-1976 — a campaign of terror that left 52 people dead and some 800 injured — have been identified, according to legacy investigators in Belfast.
The suspects, now in their 70s and 80s, have been linked to the attacks from forensic evidence subjected to new scientific testing ordered by the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery in Belfast.
However, the Irish Government is to face pressure to offer far greater co-operation than has happened up to now to legacy investigations into killings that took place during The Troubles.
Keith Surtees, ICRIR Deputy Commissioner for Investigations told me: “Due to very significant advances in forensic science since these atrocities half a century ago, we have developed some highly significant leads.”
The ex-Metropolitan police commander added that there was now “the real prospect of finally bringing some of the perpetrators of 70 bombings and shootings to justice.”
Surtees was the Chief Investigator for Operation Kenova, which established the British agent codenamed Stakeknife’s involvement in 13 murders and 15 abductions of suspected fellow agents and informers.
The IRA attacks now under active re-investigation include the M62 motorway coach bombing in February 1974, when the IRA planted 25 pounds of high explosive inside the luggage locker of a coach carrying off-duty soldiers and their families.
The bomb detonated just after midnight as the westbound coach headed to Catterick army base, killing nine soldiers, three civilians and injuring 38.
The ICRIR has also been investigating the two no-warning pub bombings in Guilford, Surrey. The first device planted in the Horse and Groom pub killed four soldiers and a civilian aged between 17 and 21, five days before the October 1974 general election. The bomb is suspected of having been left by a man and women posing as a courting couple.
A second bomb exploded 30 minutes later at the Seven Stars pub which had been evacuated. The blast fractured the landlord’s skull and broke his wife’s leg as they searched the premises.
Bombers never identified
None of the perpetrators of either the M62 or Guilford has ever been identified.
Judith Ward was wrongly convicted in 1974 for the M62 bombing and released in 1992 after both her confession and forensic evidence were discredited in the Court of Appeal.
Gerry Conlon, Paul Hill, Paddy Armstrong, and Carole Richardson – known as the “Guilford Four” — were also wrongly convicted, spending 15 years in jail before their convictions were overturned.
Surtees declined to provide further details of ICRIR’s investigation into these and other attacks for “operational reasons”, but emphasised he was “confident that some of those investigations will result in arrests” as well delivering “vital information recovery findings for families”.
The construction of the bombs common to several mid 1970s attacks is believed to be one key focus of the ICRIR investigation, initiated at the request of relatives of the dead soldiers and civilians.
Under the 2023 Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act brought in by the last government, only relatives can trigger an investigation into conflict-related killings between 1966 and 1998. The fact that they have done so against IRA perpetrators marks a distinct departure from the focus on legacy cases to date, which has been primarily on the role of the British state.
Following requests from relatives of the bereaved from IRA cross border attacks, the ICRIR is also investigating the 1979 double ambush that killed 18 British soldiers on the northern side of Carlingford Lough, from two large roadside bombs at Narrow Water Castle outside Warrenpoint, Co. Down. The “Warrenpoint ambush” was the deadliest attack on the British Army during the entire conflict.
Both bombs, half an hour apart, were initiated by radio control 200 yards across the lough on its southern bank. A British tourist was also killed on the shore in Co Lough by army gunfire.
The ambush happened five hours after Louis Mountbatten — Earl Mountbatten of Burma and uncle to the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh — was assassinated by an IRA bomb in his fishing boat in Mullaghmore Co. Sligo. Two family members and a 15 year old boy also died.
The ICRIR was established under the controversial 2023 Legacy Act which the Conservatives said would “draw a line” under the conflict in the hope that this would facilitate reconciliation.
Its impact has been the reverse. The Act has been nearly universally unpopular, not just with nationalist and loyalist NGOs in the North but also with some non-aligned organisations, such as the Wave Trauma Centre in Belfast that provides support to victims and survivors.
The Act closed all outstanding conflict related inquests, and it also offered an amnesty to suspects on condition that they provide accurate information. This change in the law was principally aimed at what its architect, the then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, termed “vexatious prosecutions” of former British soldiers.
The Northern Ireland Courts have since ruled that such a conditional amnesty was incompatible with Britain’s obligation under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to conduct an effective, independent and transparent investigation into past killings involving the State.
The Act also put an end to future conflict-related civil actions and also to major investigations into unlawful agent-running by Operation Kenova and by the former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir (now Lord) John Stevens. The courts have since struck down the ban on civil proceedings and inquests.
ICRIR is only body investigating unsolved Legacy cases
The Act means that the ICRIR is now the only agency permitted to investigate the several hundred unresolved conflict-related deaths, which Britain’s membership of the ECHR requires to be concluded to an Article Two standard.
The ICRIR has been the subject of strong nationalist criticism for lacking both operational independence from the State and sufficient powers to conduct effective Article 2 compliant investigations.
The present Labour Northern Ireland Secretary, Hilary Benn, has promised to “strengthen the Commission’s independence and accountability” through primary legislation, though he has yet to flesh out the details.
The ICRIR has not released specific details of how many of its investigators once served in the Royal Ulster Constabulary, but is believed to be relatively small. A sizeable majority are ex-members of Operation Kenova who originated from English constabularies. Nevertheless, nationalists say any ex-RUC involvement taints perceptions.
The ICRIR Chief Commissioner, Sir Declan Morgan, a former Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, has pointed out that senior ex-IRA members on the Northern Ireland Policing Board currently choose PSNI Chief Constables. “Inclusion and rights are key to reconciliation and progress”, he says.
Whitehall officials accept privately that there exists an independence perception problem in some communities, but say “that it can be addressed”. They point out that “it’s not been raised by 220-plus individuals already with the Commission from every background”.
The Commission has proposed amending the Legacy Act to include a statutory firewall ensuring that there is no conflict of interest, either perceptively or in practice. In reality that would mean non-RUC officers would be operationally responsible for conducting most criminal legacy investigations in future.
Instead, ex-RUC officers could undertake the ICRIR’s other role in recovering information from files about a death for relatives who seek it. Or they could help to retrieve information from former members of armed groups who might offer it — an idea that was part of previous legacy proposals.
Senior Whitehall sources have also acknowledged that the ICRIR’s critics have a valid concern about the Commission’s inability to consistently conduct effective Article Two compliant investigations, as the Court of Appeal in Belfast has confirmed in its judgment in a specific case.
This is one of the issues over which the Irish government is currently taking the British government to the European Court of Human Rights. The Act gives ICRIR investigators fewer powers than a police force, and in some cases fewer powers even than local authorities.
This includes the absence of powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) to direct surveillance against a suspect – unlike councils for licensing enforcement.
Nor does the Commission have authority to retrieve billing data from telephone companies, or to force a suspect to provide a DNA sample.
More homicide investigations than the London Met
In circumstances where the ICRIR currently has over 90 live investigations into 157 overall deaths, it has fewer powers but more homicides to deal with than the Metropolitan Police. The challenge to Benn is whether he will give ICRIR the powers, investigators and resources that it needs.
“There is a need for significant reform,” acknowledged one Whitehall official, “both for confidence building and as a matter of sheer practicality.” It is understood a much favoured option would involve building on the Kenova-type investigation model, in parallel with an arm focused on information recovery.
Kenova succeeded in finding new and important information about the agent Stakeknife’s criminality by finally securing access to files from MI5 and from discovering a secret MoD computer system whose log-in was inaccessible to previous outside inquiries into the intelligence services.
The Kenova model has also been endorsed by families, stakeholders and veterans’ groups as being ECHR compliant and victim-focused. Several families who have recently received draft Kenova reports have commended Kenova for the detail they provide.
I understand the Commission has been pushing Benn to equip the ICRIR with RIPA equivalent powers, the right to initiate certain types of investigations, and for the PSNI to refer to the Commission legacy case leads they encounter.
Officials also want Benn to explore allowing independent judges, under the Commission, to conduct the equivalent of inquest hearings yet to be heard with next of kin representation.
The single most enduring impediment to confidence building within the Legacy Act has been the Secretary of State’s veto over the disclosure of what the Act refers to as “sensitive information”, typically the role of State agents, on the grounds that its release would pose a threat to national security.
Closer North-South security co-operation and national security issues under review
The UK Supreme Court is currently considering an appeal by Benn to retain the veto over what constitutes a threat to national security, instead of the PSNI Chief Constable exercising his discretion over intelligence held by him.
If the court finds in Benn’s favour, that will likely be the end of the matter, because it will be settled UK law. However, the ICRIR is seeking to mitigate the Secretary of State’s veto by urging Benn to allow ICRIR the right of appeal over national security non-disclosure decisions by him.
The ICRIR also wants the Irish government to strengthen North-South co-operation on its investigations into unresolved cross border attacks, including Warrenpoint, by establishing discreet An Garda Siochana and Judicial liaison mechanisms to expedite requests for evidence and information. Kenova’s experience on this front was not encouraging. “If you want to fully investigate cases like Narrow Water, a joint framework with the Irish government is needed,” one official said.
The next three months will see a series of critical decisions over whether the British and Irish governments can agree a viable joint framework on reforms to replace the Legacy Act, legislation which will also need to take account of three key Supreme Court rulings.
The outcome will determine the shape, content, powers and long-term effectiveness of the Commission and by extension the scope for meaningful reconciliation, after a quarter of a century of failed legacy initiatives.
John Ware has covered the Northern Ireland conflict since 1974 and its legacy since the signing of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. His book on the role of the intelligence service in the conflict, Neither Confirm Nor Deny, is due for publication in the Spring of 2026.
'Time for truth'... victims' families hopeful over legacy body's Shankill bomb probe
Rebecca Black, Belfast Telegraph and Irish News, August 21st, 2025
BODY'S HELP SOUGHT IN 'FIGHT FOR JUSTICE FOR OUR LOVED ONES'
Hope has been expressed that the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) can deliver truth and accountability around the Shankill bomb.
Two men bereaved in the Provisional IRA attack in 1993, and the son of a ambulance worker also murdered by the PIRA, have requested the new body take on their cases.
Last week the body was tasked with investigating the 1979 Narrow Water attack in Co Down, which killed 18 soldiers and the 1974 M62 coach bombing in England, which left 12 dead.
They are among the latest cases that have been accepted by the commission and are in the information recovery stage.
The ICRIR was created by the previous Government's controversial Legacy Act and is headed by former Northern Ireland Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan.
Bereaved families, victims and certain public authorities can request the commission carry out an investigation into Troubles incidents.
However, some have questioned the body's independence and its ability to uncover answers about Troubles crimes.
In a statement issued through JWB Consultancy, Charlie Butler, who lost three family members in the Shankill bomb, and Gary Murray, whose 13-year-old sister Leanne was killed in the same blast, said they want to know the full truth.
One of the bombers, Thomas Begley, was killed by the bomb, while Sean Kelly was convicted of murder following the attack on a fish shop in the Shankill Road.
JWB Consultancy said it has formally requested an ICRIR investigation into the atrocity and it hopes to bring others involved to justice, including those who made the bomb, transported it and those who planned the attack.
Mr Butler said others involved have escaped accountability: “We have taken this step to continue the fight for justice for our loved ones.
“There has never been full criminal or public accountability brought to bear on many of those responsible for and who played a role in the Shankill bombing.
“We have inquiries and investigations galore into killings by loyalists or the security forces, but no such resources poured into holding the PIRA accountable for their terrorist campaign. I hope the ICRIR will correct that imbalance and injustice. Time for truth.”
‘Every IRA member who played any role’
Mr Murray said their fight for justice continues: “The criminal liability for the Shankill bomb does not begin and end with the terrorist bombers, but rather every IRA member who played any role, whether active or supporting, in the plot to indiscriminately bomb the Shankill Road.
“We trust the ICRIR will conduct a robust and detailed investigation to finally hold all those involved accountable, and to provide us with the 'truth' we so often see nationalist/republican legacy groups, supported by Sinn Fein and former IRA terrorists, hold placards demanding. We want the truth about this PIRA atrocity.”
Meanwhile, Paul Shields, the son of murdered ambulance worker and former RUC reservist Robin Shields, said his father was serving the community when two IRA gunman entered Broadway ambulance station and killed him.
“The murder of my father, in the prime of his life, robbed us of our family and him of the opportunity to see his children and grandchildren live their lives,” he said.
“The community also lost a courageous and dedicated servant, given that our father gave much of his life to public service both as an RUC reservist and ambulance worker.
“In death, PIRA still would not let our father rest, embarking on a series of bomb alerts designed to disrupt his funeral.
“We see and hear the catchphrase often from PIRA and their surrogates: 'Time for truth.' Yes, it is. And we as a family want the truth about the PIRA murder of our father, and all those involved to be held criminally liable.”
A spokesperson for the ICRIR said: “The commission is committed to serving victims, families and survivors.
“We respect people's choices about whether they come to the commission and our door will always remain open to all. We will continue to work to give answers to the over 200 individuals from across the community who have to come to us in their quest for truth and justice.”
Jamie Bryson helps IRA victims ask for ICRIR investigations into Shankill Bomb network
By Philip Bradfield, Belfast News Letter, August 19th, 2025
Jamie Bryson has begun his strategy of 'rebalancing the Troubles narrative' by helping three IRA victims ask for a probe by the new legacy body into who was really behind their loved ones’ murders.
A trainee lawyer, Mr Bryson assisted Shankill Bomb victims Charlie Murray and Gary Butler, along with Paul Shields - whose father was also murdered by the IRA - in lodging their files on Tuesday.
The move comes after the loyalist activist called for unionists to "rebalance" the narrative on legacy by "flooding" the newly launched Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) with requests to investigate IRA murders.
This would shift the dominating focus on loyalists and the UK state and more fairly reflect the fact that the IRA carried out 60% of Troubles murders, he argued.
Mr Murray and Mr Butler have asked the ICRIR to investigate the 1993 IRA Shankill Road bombing which killed Mr Murray's little sister Leanne and Mr Butler's family members Evelyn and Michelle Baird and Michael Morrison.
Whilst bomber Thomas Begley was killed in the explosion and Sean Kelly was jailed for it, they are pressing for the ICRIR to find all those involved - from those who sanctioned and planned the attack to those who procured vehicles, built or moved the bomb, transported the bombers or gave logistical assistance.
Mr Butler said those behind the attack have still not been brought to book.
‘Time for truth’
"We have inquiries and investigations galore into killings by loyalists or the security forces, but no such resources poured into holding PIRA accountable for their terrorist campaign," he said. "I hope the ICRIR will correct that imbalance and injustice. Time for truth.”
Mr Murray added that liability must extend to every IRA member who played a role.
He added: "We trust the ICRIR will conduct a robust and detailed investigation to finally hold all those involved accountable, and to provide us with the ‘truth’ we so often see nationalist/republican legacy groups demanding."
Paul Shields has asked the ICRIR to probe the murder of his father Robert 'Robin' Shields, an ambulance worker and former RUC Reservist.
Two IRA gunmen burst into the the Broadway Ambulance station in Belfast in 1980 and shot him.
The murder "robbed his family of the opportunity to see his children and grandchildren live their lives" he said.
The IRA later triggered a series of bomb alerts to disrupt his funeral.
“We see and hear the catchphrase often from PIRA and their surrogates: ‘Time for Truth’," he said. "Yes, it is, and we as a family want the truth about the PIRA murder of our father, and all those involved to be held criminally liable.”
All three victims are asking for probes into claims that informants were among those behind the murders.
The ICRIR responded that it is committed to serving victims, families and survivors.
"We respect people’s choices about whether they come to the Commission and our door will always remain open to all," it said.
"We will continue to work to give answers to the over 200 individuals from across the community who have to come to us in their quest for truth and justice."
Accused pub petrol bomber ‘threw device directly at people’, court told
Irish News, August 21st, 2025
A MAN facing attempted murder charges after an arson attack on a busy bar in Co Armagh allegedly shouted “trick or treat” before throwing a lit petrol bomb directly at two people inside, a court has heard.
John Patrick Nixon (38), appeared in a Co Down court yesterday accused of two counts of attempted murder in relation to the incident in Armagh city on Monday.
Mr Nixon, who spoke briefly to confirm his name, date of birth and that he understood the charges, is also charged with several other offences alleged to have been committed on the same day, including criminal damage to property and a vehicle elsewhere in Armagh earlier that evening.
No defence application for bail was made at the remand hearing in Newry magistrates court yesterday and Mr Nixon, who is from Irish Street in Armagh, was remanded into custody to appear before a judge again next month.
During the hearing, a detective constable told the court that the Toby Jug bar on Irish Street had a significant number of people inside, including children, when the attack unfolded shortly before 9pm.
Customers were watching a football match on TV and traditional music was being played when the incident occurred, the court heard.
“Police attended and spoke with victims and witnesses who stated that a male entered the pub, shouted ‘trick or treat’ and then threw a lit petrol bomb directly towards two people in the bar,” the officer said.
Two men, one aged in his 30s and one in his 60s, were taken to hospital with burn injuries described in court as “significant”.
Suspect may have been involved in other incidents
The detective constable told the court that CCTV from outside the bar showed a man taking something from a plastic bag, walking across the road, then lighting a rag protruding from a bottle.
He said the CCTV showed a flash and orange flames and glow of fire coming through the doorway of the pub shortly after the man walked inside.
“The male suspect walks calmly out of the bar, walks across the street whilst removing an item from the waistband of his trousers,” he added.
“As a number of children and an adult came running out of the bar, he brandishes this item, which appears to be a large knife.”
District judge Eamonn King was told that Nixon was arrested later that evening at an address on Chapel Lane in Armagh. The court heard that a petrol bomb and a plastic bag containing a knife were located at the same property.
The detective constable said officers had also obtained CCTV footage from a local filling station at around 7.50pm that evening that allegedly shows the accused filling up a plastic bottle with £2.03p worth of petrol.
As well as two counts of attempted murder, Mr Nixon is also charged with arson with intent to endanger life; possession of a knife in a public place; and three counts of criminal damage.
The criminal damage charges relate to incidents on the Keady Road in Armagh early on Monday evening.
At around 5.30pm, police received a report that a brick had been thrown through the window of a home on the road and the window of a car had been smashed at the same property.
A short time later, another 999 call was made reporting that a brick had been thrown through the kitchen window of another property nearby.
CCTV from the area showed a bald man wearing dark clothing walking up the drive of one of the properties at the time.
The detective constable told the court that a local resident had identified the man as Mr Nixon.
The officer said detectives had established that the description of the man who had caused the damage to the windows matched that of the male who had thrown the petrol bomb.
The court was also told that Nixon made no reply to questions asked by detectives while in police custody.
He will appear before Armagh magistrates court on September 2 via video-link.
Man charged over John Caldwell murder bid offered bail
Alan Erwin, Belfast Telegraph, August 21st, 2025
COURT TOLD SUSPECT IS LINKED WITH TWO PLANNED ATTACKS ON JOHN CALDWELL
A man charged in connection with the dissident republican bid to kill a senior detective is to be released on bail, a High Court judge ruled yesterday.
Liam Robinson (45) is accused of involvement in moving a car used in the attempted murder of John Caldwell in Omagh, Co Tyrone.
Prosecutors also claimed he helped recover another vehicle following an earlier failed effort to assassinate the policeman.
Mr Caldwell was shot and seriously wounded in front of his son just after he finished coaching a youth football team at sports facilities on February 22, 2023.
Two men wearing dark clothing opened fire on the off-duty officer, who has since retired from the PSNI on medical grounds, striking him several times.
The would-be killers made their getaway in a Ford Fiesta, fitted with false number plates and later burnt out, before switching to another car.
NIRA and organised crime
Although the New IRA claimed responsibility for attempting to kill Mr Caldwell, detectives believe other criminal factions joined forces with the terror grouping to target someone regarded as a joint enemy.
Robinson, of Ardstewart in Stewartstown, Co Tyrone, has been charged with preparation of terrorist acts and perverting the course of justice.
In a circumstantial case, Crown counsel claimed he can be linked to two separate incidents where Mr Caldwell was targeted. The court heard a previous bid to kill the policeman three weeks before the shooting failed because he was not at the sports complex.
An Audi A6 car believed to have been part of that unsuccessful operation was later moved by a recovery lorry from a location in Coalisland.
Based on CCTV and telephone evidence, it was claimed that Robinson assisted in moving the vehicle.
He also allegedly transported another suspect from Tyrone to Belfast to collect one of two Ford Fiestas which featured in the later attack on Mr Caldwell.
Counsel claimed Robinson could then be linked to an area at an industrial estate where another “operational vehicle” was set on fire following the shooting.
A further part of the case relates to alleged “walk and talk” meetings to discuss plans with suspects, the court heard.
Robinson denies any involvement in the events surrounding the murder plot.
Defence lawyers have stressed he is not accused of taking part in the shooting of Mr Caldwell or being in Omagh at the time of the attack.
With other co-accused already released from custody, Madam Justice McBride granted bail on strict conditions.
She prohibited Robinson from contact with other suspects and directed that a £5,000 cash surety must be lodged.
DUP ‘split’ over NHS treatment for seriously ill Palestinian children
John Manley, Political Correspondent, Irish News, August 21st, 2025
DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley is at odds with party colleague and deputy first minister Emma Little Pengelly over the signing-off of approval to provide medical treatment of seriously ill Palestinian children.
The Upper Bann representative said the health service is for “our children, our men and women, and our elderly”.
He also accused the British government of being “dangerously naive” by agreeing to take part in the so-called medivac scheme that could see up to 300 children receive urgent care.
The Irish News revealed on Monday that Stormont ministers had agreed to a small number of Gazan children receiving emergency clinical attention in Northern Ireland as part of a UK-wide initiative.
While the numbers of children involved has yet to be confirmed, it’s understood that less than a handful will receive treatment at hospitals in the north. Supported by Health Minister Mike Nesbitt, the move was approved jointly by First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Ms LittlePengelly by way of an ‘urgent procedure’, avoiding the need for a full executive meeting.
But Mr Buckley has criticised the decision, repeating his previous assertion that the regional health service should treat residents only.
“I firmly believe that Northern Ireland’s sole and primary focus must be on the treatment and care of its own people – our children, our men and women, and our elderly,” the Upper Bann MLA posted on Facebook as reports of agreement on the treatment for children emerged on Monday.
“This is not about being uncompassionate, it’s about being responsible.”
First Minister criticised
Mr Buckley, who alongside fellow DUP MLA Trevor Clarke, was critical of Ms O’Neill when she recently floated the idea of joining the UK wide scheme, said the north faced “many challenges” and did not “need additional refugees – vulnerable or otherwise”.
“The UK is being dangerously naive – make no mistake, what begins as small numbers will ultimately become big numbers,” he said.
“What Northern Ireland does need is politicians who are prepared to ALWAYS put our own people first,” he wrote.
DUP headquarters has yet to comment on Mr Buckley’s remarks.
Alliance deputy leader Éoin Tennyson said two DUP representatives had opposing views on the issue and that the party leadership needed to “clarify just who speaks for the party on this matter”.
“We all must play our part in ending the horrible scenes emanating from Gaza – taking fewer than a handful of children for specialist medical treatment is the least we can do to help alleviate some of that suffering,” he said.
“Whilst it is welcome the deputy first minister has finally made the right call and signed off on the scheme, it is deeply depressing to see the DUP so split and devoid of compassion on this issue.”
Council launches planning probe over hotel housing asylum seekers
Liam Tunney, Belfast Telegraph, August 21st, 2025
CHIMNEY CORNER INVESTIGATION COMES AFTER DUP MAN RAISES QUESTIONS
A Northern Ireland council has opened a planning enforcement investigation into a hotel providing accommodation for people awaiting the outcome of their asylum applications.
It comes after a DUP politician raised questions following a court ruling in England, granting a district council a temporary injunction to block asylum seekers from staying at a hotel in Essex.
Chimney Corner Hotel in Newtownabbey has been at the centre of protests in recent months, with groups of anti-immigration campaigners picketing the premises.
Counter-protests involving anti-racism demonstrators have also been organised outside the hotel.
Trevor Clarke, a DUP MLA for South Antrim, contacted Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council (ANBC) to question if any change of use had been sought for the Chimney Corner Hotel.
Now, the council that oversees planning applications for the area has confirmed it has launched an investigation into the planning arrangements for the hotel.
Essex precedent
ANBC's enforcement action comes after Epping Forest District Council in Essex was granted a temporary injunction blocking asylum seekers from being housed at a hotel in the area.
The decision was based on the hotel not informing the local authority of a change in use for the site.
A council spokesperson said: “An enforcement investigation has commenced and the council has no further comment to make at this time.”
Mr Clarke welcomed the enforcement investigation.
“The High Court decision makes it clear that housing asylum seekers in hotels without first securing a 'change of use' through the proper planning process constitutes a breach of planning regulations,” he said.
“No one is above the law, not even government departments. There are some other hotels being used for this purpose across Northern Ireland and I am not aware of any having secured a change of use.
“This issue isn't just about the specifics of the need for proper planning approval; it highlights the lack of proper oversight and control in terms of the entire UK immigration system.
“The fact these hotels do not have the proper planning approval to house asylum seekers is merely a symptom of the overall problem.”
Mears Group and Chimney Corner Hotel have been approached for comment.
Meanwhile, TUV leader Jim Allister has written to Northern Ireland councils which are home to hotels accommodating asylum seekers, raising questions over their own arrangements.
In correspondence seen by this newspaper, Mr Allister said: “Can you advise if there are any properties in your district whose planning permission is for hotel use but which are being used to house migrants? If so, will the council, in light of the finding in the Epping case that such use is not compatible with planning permission for hotel use, be taking action to ensure such non-compliant use is terminated?”
South Antrim MP Robin Swann has also written to the Home Office over the issue.
The department said: “Local intelligence is factored into the process, before we procure the accommodation.
“Greater emphasis is being placed on engagement and collaboration with local authorities.
“In terms of the accommodation of asylum seekers in Northern Ireland, it remains the case that only those claiming asylum in Northern Ireland are accommodated there.”
Under current arrangements, people seeking asylum in the UK take part in a screening interview before the Home Office decides whether their claim can be considered in the UK.
If so, they are invited to attend a more in-depth interview in relation to their experience and documentation, before the Home Office makes a final decision.
Asylum seekers must be accommodated while awaiting a decision, a service the Government has contracted to the Mears Group, a private company.
In 2019, the firm signed a £113m contract with the Home Office to do this, running until August 2029.
Approximately 32,000 asylum seekers are currently being accommodated in hotels across the UK. An NAO report found, as of December 2024, 413 people seeking asylum in Northern Ireland were being accommodated in hotels, with a further 2,328 in other accommodation.
Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland director of Amnesty International, said the Government needed to act to ensure that anyone affected by the challenges to planning status was not left “in limbo”.
“This judgment must not lead to even further disruption and insecurity for the refugees themselves,” he said. “Proper investment by the Government in planning and providing for appropriate accommodation is urgently needed.
“At the same time, that department must reset its asylum system to provide people with decisions on their asylum claims fairly and efficiently — so people are not stuck in limbo and can get on with their lives.”
Scapegoating migrants
A spokesperson from advocacy group End Deportations Belfast (EDB) said asylum-seeking communities should not be “scapegoated”.
“Asylum hotels are not homes — they were only ever designed to be used by the Home Office as contingency accommodation,” they said.
“People who seek protection on our shores should have access to decent accommodation within communities where they can access services and integrate as part of those communities.
“The segregation and warehousing of people in hotels or other sites is cruelty by design.
“We've previously heard of children growing up in asylum hotels here, their only play area a hotel stairwell.
“The time for accommodation within communities is now.
“After decades of Stormont failing to deliver for communities across Northern Ireland, we caution against the political scapegoating of asylum-seeking communities who call this place home.”
Border Security Minister Angela Eagle said the current Government “inherited a broken asylum system”, adding that at its peak in summer 2023 more than 400 hotels were being used to accommodate asylum seekers.
Currently fewer than 210 are being used, according to the Home Office.
The MP for Wallasey added: “We will continue working with local authorities and communities to address legitimate concerns. Our work continues to close all asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament.”
Family of 11 migrants hid in attic as home was attacked during Ballymena rioting, court hears
Alan Erwin, Irish News, August 21st, 2025
A FAMILY of 11 migrants hid in an attic as their home was broken into during racially-motivated rioting in Ballymena, the High Court heard yesterday.
Police disclosed that a twoyear-old child was among members of the Roma community forced to seek refuge.
Six Filipino men also went into hiding when another house was looted on the same street, a judge was told.
Details emerged as bail was granted to a 40-year-old man accused of targeting properties when public disorder erupted in the Co Antrim town earlier this summer.
Martin Gamble, now with an address at Manor Street in Belfast, faces charges of riotous behaviour, burglary and criminal damage in connection with the unrest on June 9.
Police came under attack from crowds throwing fireworks, petrol bombs and masonry in trouble sparked by an alleged sexual assault on a schoolgirl in Ballymena.
Several homes and businesses were also targeted during the violence.
Police claimed Gamble was among the main participants as houses in the Clonavon Terrace area were raided.
“One of the properties had a family of eleven Roma hiding in the attic, one of them a two year-old child,” an investigating officer said.
“He then continued to burgle another property on Clonavon Terrace… where six Filipino men were hiding.”
The officer alleged: “He was quite persistent in the offending, there was rioting and specifically targeting houses where minorities were living.”
The defence accepted the charges were serious but argued there was nothing to suggest Gamble would re-offend if released. He disclosed his client is a father-of-five who has been diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia.
Granting Gamble’s application for bail, Madam Justice McBride imposed a curfew and ordered him to seek medical treatment for his mental health.
She also directed: “He is to stay out of Ballymena and is not to attend any protests.”
Irish speaker brings ‘wrongful arrest’ case against the PSNI
Conor Coyle, Irish News, August 21st, 2025
A WEST Belfast grandmother who says she was arrested for “speaking Irish” at a protest in Belfast city centre is to take a civil case against the PSNI for wrongful arrest.
Máire Mhic an Fhailí (74), from Poleglass, has also lodged a complaint with the Police Ombudsman over her arrest.
Ms Mhic an Fhailí was carried into the back of a PSNI vehicle by officers after attending a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Belfast last week.
It comes after the British government made expressing support for, or being a member of the Palestine Action group a criminal offence under terrorism legislation.
Ms Mhic an Fhailí said she believes police only arrested her after she spoke in Irish.
The 74-year-old had been wearing a Palestine Action sweatshirt at the time of the arrest alongside a number of others, but she was the only one arrested by police.
“I believe because I made a point of speaking in Irish the police officer took a dislike to me and decided to arrest me for that reason,” a statement from Ms Mhic an Fhailí’ said.
“Anyone else both at that protest and other protests have been cautioned but there was never any suggestion of them being arrested unlike in my case.
“I am a 74-year-old woman. I was involved in a peaceful protest. I don’t believe I should have been arrested and it should have been dealt with at the scene.”
Representing the complainant, Kevin Winters of KRW Law said he believes the actions of officers at the scene is a “step backwards in policing”.
“We believe the motivation for the arrest was prompted by Maire’s insistence upon engagement with the officer in Irish,” Mr Winters said.
The PSNI has been approached for comment.
Call for ‘day of prayer and reflection’ in aid of the people of Gaza
Connla Young, Irish News, August 21st, 2025
THE Catholic Church has called for a day of prayer and reflection for Gaza on Sunday.
A pastoral letter from Archbishop of Armagh Eamonn Martin also called for a “renewed commitment by the international community for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East”.
Around 62,000 Palestinians, including thousands of women and children, have been killed by Israeli forces since October 2023.
Hundreds more have starved to death as a result of Israeli blockades on food supplies.
The increasingly isolated regime launched its operation in Gaza after around 1,200 people lost their lives during a Hamas-led attack inside Israeli territory, during which around 200 hostages were taken.
Archbishop Martin condemned the ongoing onslaught in Gaza.
“The Irish bishops made it clear in June that genocidal actions sanctioned by the government in Israel, are resulting in the death of tens of thousands of non-combatants, many of them women and children,” he said.
Unconscionable acts
“This is unconscionable and disproportionate.
“It is immoral for world leaders to stand by inactively in the face of this outrageous tragedy for humanity.”
Ireland’s most senior cleric urged people to get involved in Sunday’s events.
“Light a candle in your family home or local parish church, attend Mass, spend time before the Blessed Sacrament, pray the Rosary, make some small personal penance or sacrifice, and on that day let the light of hope radiate out from the island of Ireland for peace, for Gaza and for the future of its people.”
Meanwhile, the plight of Palestine will be highlighted when a special anniversary walk is held this weekend to mark the 57th anniversary of the first civil rights protest in the north.
Hundreds of people are expected to retrace the route between Dungannon and Coalisland to make the historic event exactly 57 years later.
Organised by the 1916 Societies, the ‘Free Ireland, Free Palestine – walk the civil rights route’ event will highlight the “continued joint occupation of both Ireland and Palestine”.
The original march between Coalisland and Dungannon on August 24 1968 proved to be a watershed moment as calls increased for an end to ‘gerrymandering’ and anti-Catholic discrimination in housing and employment.
The march was blocked by the RUC from entering Dungannon’s Market Square where the Rev Ian Paisley had organised a counter protest.
Up to 5,000 people took part in the procession before it reached RUC lines at Thomas Street in the town.
Attempts to break through the barrier was repelled by baton wielding RUC men.
A series of hard-hitting speeches were delivered by prominent figures including Gerry Fitt and Austin Currie before the event broke up.
This weekend’s march will leave Dungannon at 1.30pm on Sunday and will conclude with a rally at 3pm in Coalisland.
Inside Kneecap star's chaotic return to court in festival atmosphere
Niamh Campbell, Belfast Telegraph, August 21st, 2025
As Kneecap star Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh returned to Westminster Magistrates Court, attention once again was as much on events outside as the actual proceedings inside the courtroom.
Amid chaotic scenes, Ó hAnnaidh was greeted by a huge crowd of supporters as he arrived and left court.
The Metropolitan Police estimated it was even larger than at his first hearing in June.
One onlooker joked that the crush of cameras was beginning to resemble a mosh pit at a concert by the Irish language rap group.
Some police officers said the only other case they had worked on that attracted a similar level of attention was Tommy Robinson's trial.
Ó'hAnnaidh — charged under the name Liam O'Hanna — performs under the stage name Mo Chara.
He is charged with a terrorism offence in relation to the alleged display of a flag in support of proscribed organisation Hezbollah at a London gig last November. Amidst the typically monotonous legal jargon that judges and lawyers hear day in and day out at court, not-so-usual echoes of live singing and 'Free Mo Chara' could be heard outside, as lead defence lawyer, Brenda Campbell KC, presented her client's case.
And the juxtapositions didn't stop there.
Akin to festival
While the charge Ó hAnnaidh is facing is a serious offence — one that can carry a sentence of up to six months in prison, or fine of up to £5,000 — the atmosphere among his supporters out front was akin to that of a music festival.
From 8am yesterday morning, hundreds began gathering outside the building, which houses one of the busiest courts in London.
A road sign had been subtly changed to bear the words: 'Ethnic cleansing in Palestine.'
Other homemade placards included phrases like 'Catch yourself on Keir' — a reference to Prime Minister Starmer.
One of the more unusual sights was a Co Tyrone man who was dressed in a huge homemade papier-mâché replica of DJ Provaí's Irish tricolour balaclava.
And while bystanders laughed and stopped for selfies with him, the man behind the mask was solemn in his message when asked for an interview.
Without taking off the faux head, he said: “I'm from Co Tyrone and I now live in Surrey in England, but I felt that I needed to be here today with my daughter, to support Kneecap and Mo Chara because what's happening in Palestine is wrong, and everyone knows it's wrong.
British Govt complicit in genocide
“The government is doing nothing about it, so we the people have to do something about this, because they're doing nothing, and they're totally complicit in the genocide of the Palestinian people.”
Officers from both the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police lined the streets, with one road sectioned off to accommodate the throng of protesters who continued to accumulate throughout the morning.
One officer said around 500 protesters campaigning for Mo Chara were expected throughout the afternoon.
Those who ventured inside court for the hearing had their bags carefully checked and were not allowed in if any 'protest-like' materials were found in their possession.
The queue to get into court took round 40 minutes and included lawyers, reporters and other people attending court for their own cases.
One police officer said another major case ongoing in court during the morning was the trial of an alleged train fare dodger who is said to have accumulated potentially hundreds of thousands of pounds owed to Transport for London (TfL).
Irish language interpreter
Amid the mayhem, there was a small slice of history — an official Irish language interpreter in an English courtroom for the first time.
Ó hAnnaidh had requested — unsuccessfully — one for his first sitting two months ago.
The 27-year-old from Ballymurphy was allowed to exit the dock to sit beside the newly appointed interpreter, Susan Folan, in the main courtroom.
She has been formally permitted by chief magistrate, Judge Paul Goldspring, who will wait until September 26 to give his ruling.
After Ó hAnnaidh left the court, he addressed his hundreds of advocates, saying that his case is a distraction, stating: “Unfortunately, this story will end up in the media, while Israel commits genocide at the same time.”
Upon leaving the small stage — set up outside for musicians, politicians and activists — a separate group of campaigners across the road began blasting Kneecap's controversial song 'Get Your Brits Out'.
The song was played while the rappers were surrounded by Met Police officers, in one of London's most central locations.
The Met had imposed conditions limiting where the demonstration outside the court could take place, saying they were needed to “prevent serious disruption”. While the gig-like atmosphere and impassioned cheers continued well after Kneecap left the premises — shortly before 1pm — a man was detained by police outside the court building because of a placard he was holding following the hearing.
Surrounded by officers, he told reporters his hand-made sign made no reference to any proscribed organisations.
Ó hAnnaidh appeared in Court 1, but because of the public interest in his case, many spectators had to sit in the 'overspill' area and watch proceedings via a screen.
The support cast comprised people of all ages and nationalities — some Kneecap fans from across the island of Ireland flew in.
One of the stewards that helped organise the protest said she was too afraid to talk on the record, or be pictured in the media, as her “friends and comrades have been doxed by Zionists” for speaking out.
The judge does not yet know what his ruling will be — or whether the case even falls under his jurisdiction or that of the Crown Court.
But one thing is for certain: expect more chaotic scenes the next time Ó hAnnaidh returns to court.
Crocodile tears won’t clean Lough Neagh, political leadership will
Pro Fide, Pro Patria, Irish News
“Noxious blooms threaten wildlife and public health, strain drinking-water supplies that serve 40 per cent of Northern Ireland, and place economic pressure on fishing and tourism. It is a crisis that demands leadership, not posturing
LOUGH Neagh, that vast freshwater jewel at the heart of these islands, is not in crisis because of natural forces alone – it is a crisis borne of human neglect, political reticence, and institutional inertia.
Yet, as the DAERA minister Andrew Muir rightly stated this week, what we’re seeing from some of his executive colleagues amounts to little more than crocodile tears.
Last summer’s toxic bluegreen algae blighted the lough’s shores, turning what should be a resource for all into a hazard, and the environmental aftermath has echoed well into 2025.
This is not a matter of alarmist rhetoric. Noxious blooms threaten wildlife and public health, strain drinking-water supplies that serve 40 per cent of Northern Ireland, and place economic pressure on fishing and tourism. It is a crisis that demands leadership, not posturing.
That is why the 37-point Lough Neagh Action Plan – finally approved by the executive in July 2024 – is so critically important. Its proposals are grounded in science, calling for measures across agriculture, wastewater, enforcement and community engagement. Yet delivery stalls. As Mr Muir cautioned, “the pace of progress will depend… on the funding available” and on whether Stormont can, for once, act with urgency.
It is not enough to nod gravely in the chamber while letting power-sharing politics hold our home’s greatest lake hostage. Farmers cannot expect lenience when slurry runoff is choking the lough; urban communities cannot afford to wait while sewage infrastructure crumbles. And the public expects more than sympathy; they expect action.
Across the political divide, calls for collective responsibility are mounting. From community groups to environmental scientists, the message is clear: Lough Neagh cannot be fixed party by party. It requires a unified, cross-department strategy – not just Council brochures and committee photo-ops.
The environmental crisis at Lough Neagh is also a civic test.
Are we content to leave the mess for the ecosystems – and future generations – to clean up? Or will we summon the political will to reverse course now, while it still counts?
What Mr Muir called out was not emotion, nor was it theatrics; it was overdue accountability. Crocodile tears may capture attention, but they will not rescue Lough Neagh. Only real, sustained investment and tangible action – backed by political unity and public pressure – can keep it alive.
Stormont must now prove that this is not just another headline, but a turning point. For if we fail, we fail not only a lake, but the communities and ecosystems that depend on it.
LETTERS: Irish News
Politics should be about fixing problems ..not this Big Mac Meal of debate we get
IS it just me, or should we have long ago moved beyond the Groundhog Day politics of Northern Ireland? I’ve just read an article about Irish Street signs in east Belfast and one about a bonfire in Derry.
Every summer it’s the same headlines – bonfires and parades, street signs and flags. Same rows, same talking heads, same ‘whataboutery’ routine.
It’s lazy, it’s boring and worst of all – it passes for politics in this place. And I am going to be very controversial now – it is not real politics.
Too many people, including some of our elected representatives, seem to think the job of a politician is to win a shouting match over the past, or to make sure the ‘other side’ doesn’t get a symbolic win. And because our political culture rewards point-scoring over problem-solving, this theatre gets dressed up as leadership.
“Too many people, including some of our elected representatives, seem to think the job of a politician is to win a shouting match over the past, or to make sure the ‘other side’ doesn’t get a symbolic win
Meanwhile, hospitals are collapsing; housing is in crisis; schools are begging for resources and businesses are drowning in uncertainty.
But sure, who cares about all that when you can get on the news for calling out the latest ‘disrespect’ or ‘provocation’.
In another social media post I watched some fit young fellas in GAA tops in a row with a former UDR member – in a car park outside a shopping centre and a bit of back and forward, caught on the now ubiquitous smart phone. The usual suspects were tweeting vociferously and calling each other out: “Our man is right.” “No. Our lads are right”.
Let’s be honest, ‘whataboutery’ is political junk food. It’s cheap, it’s easy, and it keeps the base feeling fed – even though it’s rotting the system from the inside out.
It’s the Big Mac Meal of debate, the half and half with curry sauce of discussion. And it works because it’s so much simpler to trade historical grievances than to deal with budget reform, climate policy, the faeces in Lough Neagh or the fact that it will take four-plus years for a young woman with severe gynaecological problems to see a specialist.
We deserve better. Politics should be about fixing problems, not finding new ways to rehearse the old ones. If our politicians can’t tell the difference, maybe it’s time we stopped rewarding them for keeping us stuck.
Because here’s the truth – whataboutery doesn’t just distract us from real issues – it is the reason they never get solved.
EUGENE REID Ballymena, Co Antrim
Stormont to make education or training up to age 18 mandatory
Mark Bain, Belfast Telegraph, August 21st, 2025
Stormont is to draft legislation extending compulsory participation in education and training to 18.
It comes after a public consultation earlier this year revealed high support for the proposal.
Education Minister Paul Givan's plan stems from recommendations in the Independent Review of Education.
It highlighted the need to modernise the system and address inequalities in post-16 participation.
Mr Givan said: “Regrettably, a young person's background remains a key factor in whether they progress to post-16 education. This legislation will improve life chances for all young people, especially the most vulnerable.
“I have been clear that the approach taken should have the best interests of young people at its heart. I am grateful to all who have participated in the consultation and am particularly encouraged to hear directly from the many young people who responded.”
The consultation showed that 82% believed young people should be encouraged to continue education or training to age 18, with 56.5% saying young people choosing elective home education for the first time at age 16/17 would not be appropriate.
The main obstacles identified as stopping young people remaining in education or training were a lack of motivation (56.94%); emotional health and anxiety (49.11%); lack of money (34.52%), and a lack of information regarding qualifications/pathways (24.91%).
Measures that could encourage more young people to stay in education or training were identified as scholarships or grants (48.75%); support for programmes tailored to individual needs (48.04%); free or discounted travel (35.23%), and additional funding for families (29.54%).
At present young people can leave school at 16. That has been the law since 1972.
There are around 14,000 young people here not in education, employment or training.
“Participation in education beyond the age of 16 directly impacts upon life chances of young people,” Mr Givan added.
“Compulsory education or training ending at 16 is a remnant of a manufacturing society with many unskilled jobs that no longer exist. Jobs today require high levels of skill and education.”
Work on drafting a Bill is already under way, with the Department of Education hoping it will be finalised by the autumn.
But the legislative process could mean it will be a further 12 months before any law is on the statute book.
'This is a real kick up the a*** for us': Poll suggests Alliance surge over - but they have a plan
Suzanne Breen, Belfast Telegraph, August 21st, 2025
ANALYSIS SUZANNE BREEN SHIFT TO OPPOSITION BENCHES COULD BE WAY FOR 'THIRD' PARTY TO REVIVE FORTUNES
Alliance has problems, and it knows it. The party had established itself as the “third force” in Northern Ireland politics.
In successive opinion polls, Sinn Fein has been well ahead of all its rivals; the DUP was in second spot; and Naomi Long's party was next with the Ulster Unionists and SDLP following after.
LucidTalk's latest poll for the Belfast Telegraph showed a very different picture.
Alliance is still in front of the UUP and SDLP — by one percentage point.
Behind TUV
And on 12%, it's been relegated to fourth position by the TUV which is now one point ahead. “The poll is a kick up the a**e for us,” says an insider. “It's not good, but it's very much reversible, and we know what needs to be done.”
It's not just Alliance corporately which has suffered a decline in support. Naomi Long's personal rating has fallen significantly.
She was once regularly the most popular Northern Ireland politician, now she is in last position. Claire Hanna (60%) scores better with Alliance and Green voters than Long (57%).
There have been persistent rumours of a leadership challenge, but they're nothing more than mischief-making by political opponents.
The only realistic contenders would be deputy leader Eoin Tennyson or Lagan Valley MP Sorcha Eastwood, and neither of them have the slightest interest at present in the top job.
However, there is unanimity across the party on the need for Long to become much more visible in day-to-day politics.
“Naomi remains our greatest asset, but the problem is the public just don't see her enough,” says an insider.
Behind Hanna
“Claire (Hanna) is constantly front and centre for the SDLP, but Naomi is too tied up in the (justice) department. That's bad news for her and for the rest of us. It has to change.”
There is also growing support in Alliance for going into Opposition after the 2027 Assembly election. It's felt that being in government isn't working for the party.
The Executive is failing to deliver and Alliance is “paying the price for that”. Insiders say Andrew Muir is working very hard in the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs but progress is being stymied by the DUP and Sinn Fein.
Both parties are accused of consistently voting against Muir's plans to tackle pollution in Lough Neagh.
In the Justice Department, Long is seen as too often saying a particular issue isn't her responsibility or else delivering bad news. A range of sources predict that Alliance will decide to go into Opposition after the 2027 Assembly election.
With a swathe of new MLAs elected in 2022, the party arguably has the Assembly's strongest front bench, yet it's acknowledged that the most isn't being made of their talents.
Follow SDLP into Opposition?
“If the DUP and Sinn Fein are blocking progress in the Executive, then some are naturally asking what is the point in us being there?” says one source. “We have strength in depth in our Stormont team so why not use that? Naomi would be a formidable leader of the Opposition.”
Critics will say that Alliance's change of heart on the benefits of being in the Executive highlights how foolish the party was to enter government last year without preconditions like institutional reform.
The growing popularity within the party for going into Opposition next time is testimony to the success that the SDLP's Matthew O'Toole has had in the role.
The next Stormont election is 20 months away, but sources say Alliance will increase its pace politically when the Assembly returns next month. With no election imminent, the party had become a tad directionless over the past year.
Expect identity issues to be far less prominent in Alliance's agenda than they have been. There is a recognition in some quarters of the party that the public have grown tired of their pre-eminence.
There is an acknowledgement that Alliance is regarded as “too much part of the furniture” in Stormont and needs to start differentiating itself from the other government parties.
Doing so requires a balancing act because, whilst the Executive honeymoon might be over, Alliance won't want to take such a tough approach that it looks like it's the problem.
The SDLP provides more competition for Alliance under Claire Hanna's leadership than it ever did under Colum Eastwood's. She is more popular with 'Other' voters than he was.
Hanna's party will robustly challenge Alliance's record in government during the 2027 election campaign. It will contend that a party which promised change hasn't delivered.
The SDLP will also argue that only a new Ireland can truly transform lives here and, on that issue, Alliance is effectively “a party of the status quo”.
Royal Black mark ‘Last Saturday’ (August 30th) as 17,000 to join parades across Northern Ireland
By Iain Gray, Belfast News Letter, August 20th, 2025
The Royal Black Institution marks its traditional Last Saturday celebrations next weekend, with 17,000 members to take part in parades across Northern Ireland. The finale of the organisation’s parading season sees six major demonstrations on August 30, taking place in Antrim, Castlederg, Cookstown, Ballyclare, Dundrum and Limavady.
Around 17,000 members will take part in the parades, involving around 350 preceptories and 300 bands.
Sovereign Grand Master Rev William Anderson, who is to address the Cookstown gathering, described the Last Saturday processions as “flagship events on the parading calendar”.
“We expect to see thousands of supporters turning out at the various locations, where they will see a glorious expression of culture, pageantry, music and history,” he said.
“The institution’s principled stance on the Reformed Christian Faith will be to the forefront at all our demonstrations on the Last Saturday, with religious services held at each location.”
Antrim’s event, the first in the town in eight years, will involve 79 preceptories and 75 marching bands, equating to roughly 4,500 parade participants.
Assembling at Fountain Hill, starting at noon the parade will make its way to the demonstration field on Randalstown Road.
The procession route is via Fountain Hill, Fountain Street, Church Street, High Street, Bridge Street, Dublin Road and on to Randalstown Road.
Platform proceedings will begin at 3pm, with guest speaker Sir Knight William McCrea. The return route begins at 4.15pm.
City of Belfast Grand Black Chapter hold their procession in Ballyclare, Co Antrim; a traditional move, as Last Saturday usually sees Sir Knights from the capital city parade in provincial towns.
Starting at noon, around 3,500 participants will proceed to the demonstration field at Hillhead Road, following an Act of Remembrance at Ballyclare War Memorial. The return parade is scheduled to begin at 4pm.
Castlederg
Castlederg’s event hosts 27 preceptories and roughly the same number of bands. Starting at 12.30pm, the parade will make its way to the demonstration field on Castlegore Road, where the main platform speaker will be Sir Knight Rev Sean McClafferty. A return parade is scheduled to start at 3.30pm.
Around 8,000 people are expected to walk a two and a half mile route in Cookstown – the largest Royal Black event in Co Tyrone, with 64 preceptories taking part, and the first time the parade has been held in the town since 2018.
Headed by Tullylagan Pipe Band, the parade will move from the assembly point on the Grange Road at noon and proceed along Killymoon Street, William Street and Oldtown Street to the field on Moneymore Road. The return parade will start at 3.40pm.
Dundrum
Up to 10,000 participants are expected to turn out at the Dundrum event, with 97 ensembles including sliver, flute, accordion and pipe bands.
The morning parade is scheduled for 11.30am, travelling from the town’s Orange Hall to Ballyloughlin Road via Main street, Belfast Road and Old Road. The return parade is at 4pm.
Limavady
Limavady’s procession will have flags along the route to mark the 150th anniversary of Co Londonderry Grand Black Chapter. Around 35 preceptories and 30 bands, some from the Republic, will attend. The demonstration is in the Orange Field on Roemill Road, with the parade starting at noon and the return set for 3.30pm.
