Troubles victims consider taking case to Europe after Supreme Court legacy ruling

CONNLA YOUNG CRIME and SECURITY CORRESPONDENT, Irish News, May 8th, 2026

RELATIVES of people killed during the Troubles may take their case to Europe after the Supreme Court ruled controversial legacy legislation did not result in the rights of victims’ being diminished.

The London-based court heard the case last year after it was brought by the Labour government.

Both the High Court and Court of Appeal in Belfast previously found that parts of the 2023 Legacy Act were incompatible with human rights.

They also found it undermined the rights of victims in breach of the Windsor Framework, which was introduced after Brexit.

The contentious act, which was introduced by the previous Tory government, offered conditional immunity, ended civil cases and set up the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).

Many victims have no confidence in the ICRIR and refuse to engage with it.

The Court of Appeal had also found that a British government veto over sensitive material that can be disclosed by the commission to relatives of the dead is not compatible with human rights laws.

It is now set to be rebranded the Legacy Commission as part of the Troubles Bill, which is currently making its way through Westminster.

The initial challenge had been brought by four victims of the Troubles, Martina Dillon, John McEvoy, Brigid Hughes and Lynda McManus.

Ms Dillon’s husband Seamus was shot dead by loyalists in December 1997, while Ms Hughes’ husband Anthony was killed during an SAS army ambush at Loughgall in May 1987, which also claimed the lives of eight IRA men.

John McEvoy was injured in a loyalist shooting in Kilcoo in 1992, during which one man was killed.

Linda McManus’ father James McManus was wounded in the Sean Graham Bookmakers massacre in the same year, which resulted in five dead.

In its ruling the five-person Supreme Court panel allowed a British government challenge, finding those behind the original case were “unable to establish that the 2023 Act led to a diminution of rights”.

Lawyers for the four families say the court has not ruled that the ICRIR contains the necessary safeguards to secure human rights compliant investigations, but has held it “cannot conclude that investigations will be incompatible in every case”.

Victims of the Troubles say they will take their case to London

They say this means the extent to which the ICRIR can secure human rights compatible investigations may lead to further court action.

Mairead Kelly, whose brother Patrick Kelly, was one of the eight republicans killed in Loughgall, described the Supreme Court ruling as “very disappointing” and said the case may end up in the European Court of Human Rights.

“We would have wanted a positive response from them…it’s not the end of the road,” she said.

European Court

“I think we are going to end up in the European Court, because there’s too many people’s rights that are affected.

“The ICRIR is not going to deliver for people whose relatives have been killed by the state, regardless of whether they are seen as an organisation that will deliver for other groups – that’s probably to be seen as well.”

The Legacy Act was also opposed, which launched an interstate legal case against the British government, claiming it breached the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

“I would like to think that the Irish will continue on with that, I would be mighty disappointed if they didn’t,” Ms Kelly added.

Gavin Booth of Phoenix Law, who represents the victims, said the ruling “flies squarely in the face” of previous court decisions.

“Whilst disappointing, our clients will now consider taking this matter to the European Court of Human Rights,” he said.

“They also call on the Irish government to continue with their inter-state case.

“The Supreme Court have unfortunately today left victims and families in a state of flux. This decision is likely to lead to more lengthy litigation.”

Gráinne Teggart, of Amnesty International, said the “decision to uphold the government’s appeal is a bitter blow to victims and condemns them to further delays for truth”.

ICRIR

Christopher Stanley of Relatives for Justice said: “The judgment will be welcomed by the British government as with reference to the ICRIR it supports the apparent reforms in the Troubles Bill regarding its proposed Legacy Commission.

“Without amendment the Legacy Commission will be the ICRIR in all but name – denying families effective participation and ensuring government control over disclosure of information.

“Today’s judgment will embed further the ICRIR process – no matter what it is called – denying truth and accountability to families.”

SDLP Leader Claire Hanna said: “Today’s judgement does not remove the concerns consistently raised by victims and survivors, particularly around disclosure.”

A spokesman for the British government welcomed the judgment adding “it is clear that the Troubles Bill is now the only viable way to generate confidence across communities, enable information sharing by the Irish authorities and put in place the necessary safeguards for our former service personnel”.

Daniel Holder from the Committee on the Administration of Justice said: “Whilst the NIO (Northern Ireland Office) won its appeal it did not get its own way entirely.

“The protections for Good Friday Agreement rights in the Brexit protocol still have notable teeth.

“This does however leave a very unsatisfactory situation for victims, who can only challenge the lack of ECHR compatibility of the ICRIR after they have completed each case and not before.”

Sinn Féin MP John Finucane said the “judgment will cause genuine concern among families who believed protections contained within the post-Brexit arrangements would safeguard their rights”.

Supreme Court's Legacy Act ruling met with mixed Stormont reaction

CALLUM PARKE, Belfast Telegraph, May 8th, 2026

JUDGES DECIDE ACT IN 2023 DIDN'T LEAD TO VICTIMS' RIGHTS BEING DIMINISHED

A Supreme Court decision on the Legacy Act and Windsor Framework has been met with mixed political reaction at Stormont.

The UK's most senior court yesterday ruled that parts of a law that ended police investigations and inquests related to the Troubles did not lead to victims' rights being diminished.

The 2023 Legacy Act was introduced by the previous Conservative government and offered conditional immunity for perpetrators of some Troubles crimes in exchange for co-operation with a new body, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), which would oversee investigations.

The Labour Government has since introduced a new Bill to Parliament to overhaul the Act, with MPs already voting to repeal the conditional immunity provision and scrap a bar on future legacy compensation cases as the new Bill is still being debated.

Northern Ireland's High Court and the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal (NICA) had both previously found that parts of the Act were incompatible with human rights and also undermined the rights of victims in breach of the Windsor Framework, which was signed following the UK leaving the EU.

The framework states that the Government must ensure that various rights and entitlements in Northern Ireland, enshrined by the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, cannot be diminished.

Despite efforts to change the law, the Northern Ireland Office still took the case to the Supreme Court over the application of the Windsor Framework, telling a hearing last October that the issue was “constitutionally profound”.

Four Troubles victims — Martina Dillon, John McEvoy, Brigid Hughes and Lynda McManus — opposed the challenge, with their lawyers telling the UK's highest court that the NICA was “plainly correct”. In a ruling yesterday, five Supreme Court justices unanimously allowed the Government's challenge.

Lords Reed, Hodge, Lloyd-Jones, Hamblen and Stephens said in their 77-page judgment that four victims were “unable to establish that the 2023 Act led to a diminution of rights”.

Gavin Booth of law firm Phoenix Law, which represents the victims, said that the ruling was “disappointing” and had “left victims and families in a state of flux”, adding that his clients could take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.

Grainne Teggart, Northern Ireland deputy director at Amnesty International UK, which intervened in the case, said the ruling was a “bitter blow to victims” and a “tipping point for truth and transparency”.

First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she had not had a chance to examine the judgment in detail, but added: “My bottom line in all of this has always been that any process around legacy needs to command the confidence of the victims, that any process needs to be human-rights compliant, and I think that the British Government have demonstrated that they are prioritising the needs of British state forces over the needs of victims — and I think that is cruel, to be quite blunt about it.”

Raised at Westminster

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said it was important that all victims and survivors are able to get justice but said the judgment was around the scope of the Windsor Framework.

“This was a challenge that was based around the scope of article two of the Windsor Framework - and I think there were some who wanted to make sure that there was an expansionist interpretation of article two,” she added.

“We had raised those concerns, as you will be aware, at Westminster because of course that would have meant that Northern Ireland law would have had to keep up in a dynamic way with European Union law.

“That would have had all kinds of consequences much further than this very specific issue in this case — so I think it's the right decision.”

The Irish Government said it will examine the judgment “very carefully”, the Taoiseach said.

Micheál Martin told reporters in Belfast he had not had an opportunity to examine the “lengthy judgment” but said: “We will examine this very carefully.

“My view is that the joint framework agreement that we have on the table - and that's being legislated for at the moment in Westminster — is the best opportunity in a generation to bring into effect a meaningful, impactful and sustainable legacy framework.

“I've witnessed various iterations over the years that have come to nothing.“It's extremely important for survivors, for victims, families, that we do everything we can to get this framework over the line.”

Martin claims ‘strong confidence and mutual trust’ between governments

REBECCA BLACK, Irish News, May 8th, 2026

THE Taoiseach has hailed “very strong confidence and mutual trust” between the UK and Irish governments during a visit to Belfast.

Micheál Martin was speaking after being pressed on how the UK is handling dealing with the legacy of Northern Ireland’s troubled past.

He heard starkly opposing views on legacy from Sinn Fein and the DUP during a series of meetings at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, earlier in the day.

Sinn Fein pressed for the interstate case which Ireland initiated against the UK in 2023 over the previous government’s controversial Legacy Act, claiming it breached the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The DUP described the case as “disgraceful” and called for it to be stopped.

Labour is set to bring forward replacement legislation but some still have concerns about the impact on families of Troubles victims seeking truth and justice.

Speaking to media at Grand Central Station, Mr Martin said there is “no basis” to suggest that the UK Government will renege on its commitments on legacy.

“We’ve worked in a very collaborative, constructive way with the British Government in respect of the joint framework on legacy, and a lot of progress has been made,” he said.

“In fairness, they have fulfilled their commitments to date, and we also are fulfilling our commitments.”

The Taoiseach described “very strong confidence and mutual trust” between the UK and Irish governments.

Asked if it would be a confidence-building measure to drop the interstate case, Mr Martin said the relationship between the governments has been positive and added: “I think they understand the context of how this is evolving and how this will work.

No need to reactivate inter-state procedings

“And so we’re quite confident there’s no need, really, between the two governments to have to engage in confidence-building measures.

“I think we’ve had a good relationship to date on a range of issues and continuing progress.”

The topic of the reform of the power sharing institutions also featured in his meetings with the main Stormont parties yesterday afternoon.

Meetings with Sinn Fein and DUP

During his first meeting, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said she told Mr Martin that the concerns of victims need to be addressed in the joint framework on legacy between the UK and Irish governments.

Speaking to reporters at Stormont, Ms McDonald urged that “we do not go down the road of the British Government pandering to their veterans and compromising the effectiveness and the legality of the legacy framework”.

She added: “We have been given assurances that there will be absolute vigilance on the part of the Irish Government in that regard, and that the interstate case still remains live.”

Ms McDonald said it is important the UK Government understands it could not “walk away from the real need for effective and fully legally compliant legacy mechanisms”.

The Taoiseach’s second meeting was with a DUP delegation, which included leader Gavin Robinson and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly.

Mr Robinson said he is “continually disappointed” with the approach of the Irish Government, particularly Ireland’s interstate case against the UK over the Legacy Act, and its “unwillingness to engage” with the Omagh Bombing Inquiry, or set up its own parallel inquiry.

“It has always been a disgrace – I’ve indicated to you very clearly – an Irish Government that talks a lot about legacy but has delivered nothing for victims, an Irish Government that has more answers in their top drawer than they have the temerity to give lectures to the UK Government,” he said.

“They continually ask a lot of others, but they fail time and time and time again.”

 Other meetings

Meanwhile reform of the institutions featured in the taoiseach’s meetings with the Alliance Party and the SDLP.

Alliance leader Naomi Long said both the UK and Irish governments have responsibility to both drive the reform of Stormont, as well as acting on dealing with the legacy of the past.

“The issue has been finding the momentum and the timing between the two governments and the Assembly to be able to move this forward, and I think the time is now right,” she said.

“It’s very clear that all parties recognise the current situation where our institutions are constantly destabilised by the threat of collapse and possibility that somebody will walk away, and that we aren’t able to function as a normal government, I think are issues that most people recognise, and it’s a conversation that we need to have with a degree of urgency.”

SDLP leader Claire Hanna said she talked to Mr Martin about the urgency of delivering Stormont reform before the next Assembly election in a year’s time.

“The fact is that people here deserve better than failing government, and government that is never far from collapse,” she said.

“We think that the taoiseach understands that argument, and we’ve urged him with the UK Government to convene a process.

“There is momentum, urgency and a window to get this done in good time before the next election.”

Mr Martin spoke to UUP leader Jon Burrows by phone, as he was in London.

Mr Burrows said he “constructively challenged” the Taoiseach on legacy, telling him “the way Dublin has handled legacy to date is simply not good enough”.

Mr Martin also met with business leaders, and with Women’s Aid.

He went on to Grand Central Station, where he marked the signing of a 700 million euro (£604 million) contract for a new fleet of cross-border trains, before delivering the Lord David Trimble Lecture 2026 at Queen’s University Belfast.

Speaking ahead of his visit, the taoiseach paid tribute to Lord Trimble’s “critical role in the achievement of the Good Friday Agreement”.

“The principles and purpose of the agreement remain central to what my Government does and how we foster relationships across these islands,” he said.

“I am committed to continuing to work toward reconciliation and mutual trust, as we collectively set out to do in 1998, including through the Shared Island Initiative.”

Anger over ‘odious and offensive’ UVF mural

CONOR SHEILS, Irish News, May 8th, 2026

THE Housing Executive has asked for part of a newly unveiled east Belfast mural it funded to be taken down as it includes an image of a loyalist band marching past the site of the Sean Graham bookmakers massacre.

The mural, unveiled earlier this week in the London Road and My Lady’s Road area of the city, is one part of a project aimed at replacing previous paramilitary displays in the area.

The ‘re-imaged’ murals feature a number of scenes including a poppy field in memory of those who fought and died in World War 1, and a tribute to former PUP leader David Irvine.

However, one of the murals, which is dedicated to the Ulster Volunteer Force Regimental Band features the band marching past the Sean Graham bookmakers where in 1992, the UDA killed five civilians including two teenagers, and injured 29 others. The image shows the band parading past the site as protesters hold banners saying ‘No sectarian marches’.

A new UVF Regimental Band mural in east Belfast

In a statement, the families of the victims of the Sean Graham massacre described the image as “odious and deliberately offensive in the extreme”.

“There’s a stark difference between cultural expression and naked sectarianism that seeks to deliberately promote an appalling atrocity, which in turn re-traumatises those bereaved and injured,” they said in a statement released through Relatives for Justice.

Housing Executive seeks resolution on issue of offensive image

“This image is odious and deliberately offensive in the extreme. It needs to be removed immediately.

“Those responsible, including any agency that provided funding and resources, need to explain to the families and community their rationale for such imagery.

“Our solicitor, Niall Murphy, has been instructed to contact the relevant authorities, including NIHE, seeking clarity regarding their reported role and involvement in this matter.”

The Housing Executive, which provided funding towards the project, has now asked the East Belfast Memorial Committee and others to remove the mural featuring the Sean Graham shop, adding that it is not “in line” with the body’s “approach to reimaging”.

Never noticed

Secretary of the East Belfast Memorial Committee, Stephen Gough, told The Irish News that he had not noticed the bookmakers in the background, and that the image was among many supplied depicting the band’s various styles of uniform at different points in recent history.

“I can honestly say that I never realised that was Sean Graham’s bookmakers,” he said.

“I knew it was the Lower Ormeau but didn’t realise it was there. The picture was picked because of the uniforms — it’s the 40th anniversary of the Ulster Volunteer Flute Band. They picked the photograph of the band, not of the background.

“There’s a person holding the thing up saying ‘no sectarian marches’ — and maybe that’s the reason it was included. Maybe the Ulster Volunteer Flute Band wanted people to see that.

“The attack on the bookmakers, the murder of five innocent people, has nothing to do with us or this community.

“We are trying to change the face of east Belfast and north Down, working to improve the image of east Belfast.

“We’ve taken down murals of UVF gunmen and put up something the community wanted.

“Why, when we are trying to move forward as a community would we select a photo to annoy victims.”

A Housing Executive spokesperson said: “We are proactive in removing structures, emblems or signs, where possible and our response is based on collaboration with the local community and partner organisations.

“In the last five years, alongside community groups, we have delivered 63 different reimaging projects across Northern Ireland, the majority of which resulted in the removal or prevention of a memorial or mural which would have undermined positive community relations.

“We can confirm that we helped fund the installation of new images on a property in My Lady’s Road to replace paramilitary and violent imagery.

“Some of the images used on the installation are not in line with our approach to reimaging.

“We have expressed our concern with the group who carried out the reimaging and have asked that these images are removed.

“We will continue to engage with the group to resolve this matter.”

Mural of UVF band marching past massacre site described as 'unwelcome'

ABDULLAH SABRI, Belfast Telegraph, May 8th, 2026

A new mural depicting a UVF band parading past the site of a loyalist shooting has been criticised for “weaponising the darkest moments of our past”.

The painting on the London Road in south Belfast pays homage to a First World War battalion, as well as the late PUP leader David Ervine.

Also included is a picture of the UVF Regimental Band East Belfast marching by Sean Graham bookmakers on the Ormeau Road.

On February 5, 1992, two masked UFF gunmen entered the shop and opened fire, killing five people and injuring several others.

Local SDLP councillor Séamas de Faoite said the terrorist attack cast “a long shadow over this community” and criticised the mural as “an unwelcome reminder”.

“It's deeply disheartening to see a mural that will cause hurt to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the Sean Graham bookmakers shooting,” he said.

“For many people, the pain and trauma remains very raw. If we are ever to make progress in this society, we need to stop weaponising the darkest moments of our past to cause further division and hurt.

“The overwhelming majority of people in this community want to move forward together and this mural is an unwelcome reminder of a painful chapter in our history.”

‘Purely coincidental’

However, loyalist activist Jamie Bryson dismissed commentary branding the mural as offensive and pointed to the link being “purely coincidental”.

He said: “I commend the local groups involved in the reimagining project which was supported by all those in the local area. This is a positive piece of work by the groups involved and it's utterly ridiculous there is some effort to turn it into a controversy.

“Self-evidently, the fact a particular location happens to be in the background is purely coincidental and nothing should be read into that.

“If all images whereby there had been an IRA murder or bombing were to be excluded from usage, then there would be barely an image of any area of Northern Ireland.”

The Regimental Band East Belfast did not respond to a request for comment.

In social media post on Tuesday, they said: “Tonight our band has had the privilege of being included in this new incredible mural on London Road. A place we have called home for many years. It's great to have a small piece of history on our doorstep.

“A massive thanks to the organisers who have worked tirelessly in getting this project across the line.”

Relatives of some of those killed and injured in the Sean Graham attack reached a High Court settlement in 2022 following allegations of state collusion.

A total of eight lawsuits had been issued against the Chief Constable, Ministry of Defence and the Government over the circumstances surrounding the shootings.

PUP leader says ‘grinders are waiting’ for dual language street signs

CONOR COYLE, Irish News, May 8th, 2026

THE leader of the Progressive Unionist Party has said “the grinders are sitting waiting” for any dual language street signs which would appear in his area.

Councillor Russell Watton, the party’s only remaining elected representative in Northern Ireland, described the erection of Irish-English street signs as “sectarian and divisive” at a meeting of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council on Tuesday.

Councillors had been discussing a potential change to its existing policy for dual language street signage, which holds that two thirds of residents on a street must express support for the proposed signs.

Several other councils, including Belfast City Council, have a policy of a 15% threshold in order for the signage to proceed.

Officials had informed councillors that retaining the current 66% threshold was “potentially misaligned with evolving legislative expectations”.

Dual language street sign policies have been heavily scrutinised in recent months across several council areas, while a number of signs featuring the Irish language have been damaged.

Cllr Watton told a full council debate on the issue that the people he represents “couldn’t give a damn” about the Irish language and said any dual language signs erected in his area “would be down the next morning”.

‘Foreign to me’

“You say it’s not a foreign language, it may not be foreign to you but it’s foreign to me,” Cllr Watton said.

“The people I represent, they couldn’t give a damn about it. That’s just being truthful.

“It’s sectarian and it’s divisive. I don’t know where we’re going to go with this but I could tell you now, if there was a sign put up at the end of my street, it would be down the next morning.

“No point in me telling you otherwise. I’m telling you, the grinders are sitting waiting. You can put them up all you want, they’ll not be up too long and that’s a fact.”

During the meeting, councillors narrowly voted to retain the current policy of a 66% threshold for dual language signage.

Irish language rights group Conradh na Gaeilge have described Cllr Watton’s comments as a “heinous anti-Irish outburst” and the decision by Causeway Coast and Glens councillors to uphold its current policy as “hugely disappointing”.

“The decision of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council to continue presiding over a restrictive, draconian dual language street signage policy is hugely disappointing, yet entirely unsurprising. In the years since adopting its first policy on dual language signage, fifteen applications have come before the council.

“All of those applications showed significant majority of residents in favour, with little to no opposition. Not one of those application were approved. That record alone speaks volumes.

“We find the remarks from Cllr Watton deeply disturbing and troubling.”

Man charged with attempted murder after Lurgan police station attack

Kurtis Reid, Belfast Telegraph, May 8th, 2026

A 48-year-old man has been charged following an attack on a Lurgan police station.

Last week, the New IRA admitted responsibility for the attack on the PSNI base which saw a food delivery driver hijacked in Kilwilkie and forced to drive a “crude but viable” device to the station.

In a statement, the PSNI confirmed a man has now been charged with attempted murder, attempting to cause an explosion, hijacking, and possession of explosives with intent to endanger life or damage property.

Chief constable says political ‘sniping’ over support for police must end

He is due to appear at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday, May 8. As is normal procedure all charges are reviewed by the PPS.

On Wednesday, a 39-year old woman was charged with obstructing police and is due to appear at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 3 June while a 15-year old boy who was previously arrested was released pending further enquiries.

'INLA chief' challenges Police Ombudsman finding on PSNI interviews

ALAN ERWIN, Belfast Telegraph, May 8th, 2026

An alleged INLA chief cleared of cocaine charges has launched a High Court challenge against a watchdog body for dismissing his complaint about the PSNI interview process.

Sean 'Carlo' Carlin is seeking to judicially review the Police Ombudsman's Office over claims it unlawfully rejected his grievances against officers involved in the questioning.

The 46-year-old west Belfast man contends forensic evidence may have been overstated in a bid to blacken his name among friends and colleagues.

“I was concerned that police officers were eager to secure a conviction against me due to my republican political beliefs,” he stated in court papers.

Carlin, who has previous convictions for flag offences related to INLA commemorations, faced prosecution after cocaine was discovered in a car stopped more than two years ago. 

He was formally acquitted at Belfast Magistrates Court in February this year after no evidence was offered against him. By that stage Carlin had already lodged a Police Ombudsman complaint about the conduct of the PSNI investigation.

He claims forensic evidence about the seized cocaine was misstated during his police interviews.

A report issued by the watchdog body in December 2025 dismissed all aspects of his complaint against the relevant police officers. 

Lawyers representing Carlin are seeking to have those findings quashed, alleging an unlawful failure to provide adequate reasons for the conclusions reached. They also want a new investigation to fully address grievances over how the forensic evidence was portrayed.

In an affidavit which forms part of the challenge, Carlin claimed there may have been attempts to mislead him while being questioned. “Such conduct obviously did not lead me to confess to crimes I did not commit,” he stated. “But I can imagine how it might have affected others less confident than myself or more susceptible to suggestion.”

Amid indications that the Ombudsman's Office could re-examine the complaint, Carlin's application for leave to apply for judicial review was adjourned yesterday until next month.

Speaking outside court, his solicitor Owen Beattie said: “Following the acquittal of my client, this legal action gives an opportunity to the ombudsman to recalibrate their investigation into the questionable conduct of police.

“The concerning facts of this case require a root and branch examination that will be factored into current and pending legal action.”

Political ‘sniping’ over support for police ‘must end’

JONATHAN McCAMBRIDGE, Irish News, May 6th, 2026

POLITICAL leaders in Northern Ireland need to “advocate together” for policing rather than “sniping” at each other, Jon Boutcher has said.

The PSNI chief constable said he would not get “dragged into politics” but added the region needs a moment such as Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness “coming together”.

Mr Boutcher was answering questions at the Policing Board yesterday over recent dissident republican attacks on police stations in Dunmurry and Lurgan.

He criticised the “cowards” behind the incident in Dunmurry who he said had treated a member of the public like a “human bomb”.

Following the Dunmurry attack, Sinn Féin First Minister Michelle O’Neill and DUP Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly appeared together at a press conference with the chief constable.

However, the two parties have since clashed after DUP leader Gavin Robinson asked questions about Sinn Féin’s level of support for policing.

DUP board member Keith Buchanan said there were “mixed messages” over terrorist attacks.

He said: “Some political leaders will condemn an attack in 2026 but won’t condemn an attack in 1976.

“Yes, that’s 50 years ago, but the effects of that is still there.

‘All attacks were wrong’

“My point being groups seeing that and listening to that, an attack in 2026 is wrong, all attacks were wrong.

“You have to condemn all attacks.

“You just can’t say they’re regrettable.

“So is that giving you a problem that political leaders in Northern Ireland are not condemning all attacks over a long period of time, and is that giving credence to some of these new groups that think what may have worked for them may work for us?”

Mr Boutcher said he was “not going to get dragged into politics”.

He added: “I’m speaking to political leaders because I don’t think enough has been done to advocate for policing, collectively, jointly.

“What we need is a moment where we’ve seen previously with Reverend Paisley and Martin McGuinness coming together to make sure that this place moved forward.

“What I don’t want is a league table of who supports policing more.

“These attacks are criminal terrorist attacks, they all need to be condemned.”

Mr Boutcher added: “What I need our political parties to do… is come together to advocate for policing together, not separately, not try to snipe at each other, together.

“That’s what we need, that’s what the men and women of the PSNI need, and that’s what I’ve asked for.

“All terrorist attacks should be condemned.

“I’m very clear on that,” he added.

Co Tyrone goldmine ‘would make King millions’

Tommy Greene, The Detail, Irish News, May 8th, 2026

KING Charles’ estate would make millions through royalty payments if a planned west Tyrone goldmine went ahead, an inquiry into the proposals has heard.

Projected sales from the proposed mining scheme could reportedly be as high as £500 million per year, although this would depend on fluctuations in the price of gold, according to The Detail.

The Crown Estate, a property portfolio worth billions owned by the British monarch, would receive 4% of the mine’s annual gold sales,

A portion of those royalties would go to fund the royal family, which legally owns almost all gold and silver deposits in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Another royalty would go towards an Irish company called Minco Plc, which Dalradian acquired in 2017.

“There’s a separate 2% [royalty] for Minco. But that’s [now] been bought out [by Dalradian].”

The revelations came on an inquiry day during which Dalradian conceded neither it nor any other interested parties had hired a forensic accountant, a specific kind of financial expert, to scrutinise the company’s plans for a project on which it has placed a £21-26 billion valuation.

Beyond these more granular financial questions, there was debate over the fiscal revenues the planned goldmine would create.

Andrew Hunt, an economics consultant hired by Dalradian, told the inquiry that Dalradian’s mine would generate “FTSE 100 levels of corporation tax”.

But third-party objectors and representatives for Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC) argued much of this tax revenue would not make its way back to the local area or to Northern Ireland.

A FODC representative said these revenues were not guaranteed to flow back into the area.

“This corporation tax will go to the UK Exchequer, and the UK government can choose to do with that whatever it likes,” he said.

“It can choose to spend it on defence, the NHS…or to reduce the [overall Westminster budget] deficit.

“There is absolutely no guarantee that money would flow back to Northern Ireland, let alone to the Fermanagh and Omagh local district,” he added.

A notable point of contention was Dalradian’s promise to train and employ local people who are currently out of work.

Dalradian promises

Conor Fegan, a barrister acting for the council, argued that the company’s draft plan to train and provide jobs for unemployed local people was “long on promises and short on detail”.

But the mining company defended its proposition, citing an “action plan” it says it has developed to tackle unemployment in the surrounding district.

Mr Hunt told the inquiry he “refuse[d] to accept” that some of an estimated 1,000 unemployed people in the council area “could not be assisted into work” through Dalradian’s planned mine.

He cited large-scale infrastructure projects in Britain, including the 2012 Olympic Games and the Sizewell C nuclear facility, which he said had “exceeded targets for recruitment”.

Mr Fegan also questioned Dalradian’s binding obligations towards training, noting what he said was the repeated use of the phrase “’we’ll use reasonable endeavours’” in the firm’s employment plan.

“It’s not ever going to be a hard commitment. It’s only ever going to be ‘reasonable endeavours’ on this.”

Keith Burge set out the area’s skills gap and challenges to rapid workforce training.

Plan’s viability questioned

“A very significant proportion of people who are unemployed or economically inactive have low levels of qualifications,” said Mr Burge, leading him to question the feasibility of Dalradian’s training claims.

He told the inquiry that a significant number of these people were suffering with health problems, were students, had care responsibilities or were retired.

“These are not people who, in most cases, are able or willing to retrain and gain qualifications allowing them to work, respectively, at this operation.”

Questions were also raised around the mine’s lifespan and what could happen if it closed earlier than initially forecast.

Citing a number of mining case studies in Australia, third-party objector Sean Tracey asked whether “abrupt or early closure” of Dalradian’s planned mine, projected to operate for 20-25 years, was a likely prospect.

Commissioner McKeary said there are a number of questions around such a scenario to which she intends to return.

Concluding the day’s session, Commissioner McKeary said: “We’re slightly more than halfway through.”

She added that the inquiry is still to hear submissions on carbon monetisation, social impacts, policing, community, distribution, and socio-economic considerations. The inquiry continues.

Head of Church of Ireland slams violence against migrants in NI

MARK BAIN, Belfast Telegraph, May 8th, 2026

ARCHBISHOP ALSO WARNS OF DANGER OF 'CHRISTIAN RIGHT' EXTREMISM

The Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland has hit out at those responsible for violence against migrants.

The Most Reverend John McDowell said people who come to live in Northern Ireland should be welcomed, not vilified.

He laid the blame at the hands of the extreme right, saying there is “no organised conspiracy” as they claim.

“It seems to me that there is a fairly simple imperative when it comes to the 'stranger that is in your midst', and that is to welcome and to care for him or her,” he told 600 representatives at the Church of Ireland general synod in Newcastle.

The archbishop also warned of the dangers posed by the so-called Christian right, as official figures covering racist violence and racially motivated incidents in both Northern Ireland and the Republic showed worrying increases in the past year.

Touchstone of faith

“It is my view that our attitude to migration is one of the great touchstones and tests of our Christian authenticity,” he said.

“It is also time to put a few myths to bed. Migration is not some form of organised conspiracy aimed at the colonial dispossession of the Irish people, as has been claimed by the extreme right in Ireland.

“Nor is it an attempt at creating a Muslim majority or a Muslim state, as has been called by many on the British extreme right.

“That increases in migration should be seized on by the extreme right who are bereft of any other ideas is not surprising, although it is less edifying when mainstream parties equivocate in the face of the horrendous violence which migrants suffer.”

On the rise of the Christian right, the archbishop said: “These groups emphasise what they claim to be the undermining of 'Christian civilisation' or 'Judaeo-Christian' values, and the discrimination which they say Christians are subjected to.

“They use the cross — the very epitome of powerlessness, and what a very advanced 'civilisation' inflicted on Jesus — as some kind of symbol of their dominance and superiority.

“Exactly which aspect of discipleship in Jesus Christ is being exercised by baying outside a hostel while terrified children are inside? How is parading around the streets draped in a national flag representing the mind of God?

“Migrants to this island are motivated by exactly the same desires which motivated the Irish immigrants to the USA in the 18th century — a desire for civic and religious freedom, or which motivated many Irish people to immigrate to the USA and Britain in the 19th century: hunger and destitution.

“Migrants to this island want what we all want — to bring up children in security and decency, to provide them with a good education and the chance of a stable future, and to contribute to the communities in which they live.

“They bring enormous energy, fortitude and very often scarce skills. There is every rational reason to welcome them.”

Listing on PropertyPal shows house daubed with ‘locals only’ graffiti and crosshairs symbol

PAUL AINSWORTH, Irish News, May 8th, 2026

‘LOCALS “disgusting” after images of the targeted dwelling appeared on Northern Ireland’s most popular property listing website.

The corner house in Ainsworth Parade, in the Shankill area of the city, is being auctioned later this month.

With a guide price of £66,000, the two-bedroom house is described on the PropertyPal site as an “attractive, red brick, end-terrace property located just off the Woodvale Road in an area of high demand”.

However, the accompanying images of the outside of the house, which is being sold via Wilsons Auctions NI, show it covered in graffiti including ‘locals only’ scrawled on the front alongside a crosshairs symbol.

‘Locals only’ graffiti with a crosshair symbol visible from inside the living room of the house, as seen on the PropertyPal listing

‘Local homes for locals’ adorns the side of the house, beside ‘Islam not welcome’ while ‘no SF North Properties’ greets prospective buyers just beside the front door, itself bearing the words ‘no no no’.

The images also shows an Ulster banner flag attached to the lamppost outside the dwelling.

It is not the first time that the PropertyPal site has listed a dwelling with pictures showing it tagged with ‘locals only’ graffiti.

Last July the site featured a home in Sherbrook Close in the lower Shankill area that had been spray painted with the slogan beside the front door.

Wilsons Auctions said of that house, which was a re- possession being sold by a bank, that they were required by the Properties Description Act to ensure what is put online is a true representation of the property.

The Irish News approached both Wilsons Auctions and Northern Property for comment.

North Belfast Sinn Féin councillor Claire Canavan condemned the targeting of the property.

“The racist graffiti daubed on this property is disgusting,” she told The Irish News.

“All political and community leaders in the area must condemn it unequivocally.

“Diversity enriches our society. There is no excuse whatsoever for hatred such as this.” only’ graffiti on a Belfast house has been branded