We carry their love forward...' Murders have shaken country to its core, removal service told
'We carry their love forward...' community says farewell to tragic mother and children
Jessica Rice, Belfast Telegraph, July 31st, 2025
LARGE CROWD ATTENDS SERVICE FOR MAGUIRESBRIDGE MURDER VICTIMS
Sorrow was heavy in the air as the mother and two children who were killed in their Co Fermanagh home began their final journey yesterday.
Mourners lined the streets of Maguiresbridge as three identical coffins were carried side-by-side to and from St Mary's Church in some of the most poignant images from a week of sombre grief in the community.
Vanessa Whyte (45), her son James Rutledge (14) and daughter Sara Rutledge (13) died in the shooting at their home last Wednesday.
A service of removal took place before their remains were taken to Co Clare, where Vanessa was from, ahead of their funerals on Saturday.
From early morning, the streets began to fill with mourners, as a shocked community said its final farewells to three much-loved people.
Vanessa's coffin was carried into the church first, decorated with white roses, followed by the coffins of James and Sara.
Somehow it seemed fitting, given the many tributes to Vanessa's dedication to guiding her children through life.
The impact the mother and children had on the community was clear from the large crowd.
Mourners included the First Minister Michelle O'Neill and local Sinn Fein MP Pat Cullen, and former First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster.
The three coffins were carried through a sea of colour with mourners, at the family's request, dressed in bright, vibrant colours.
Many wore GAA jerseys representing the local teams Vanessa, James and Sara played for and supported, while others opted for summer attire.
But the bright colours still couldn't mask the grief that has settled on this tight-knit community.
The small church was packed, meaning the congregation poured out onto the street.
During the service, Fr Raymond Donnelly acknowledged the suffering the community has endured following the loss of Vanessa, James and Sarah.
‘Church filled with grief’
The priest spoke of “a church filled with grief”.
“There is a heaviness in the air, a silence within our hearts — that speaks volumes,” he said.
“The tragedy we have endured has shaken this community, and our country, to its core.
“We are left shocked, grieving, heartbroken, searching for meaning: grappling with questions too deep for words.”
Fr Donnelly said the three victims were loved and admired by so many people within the Maguiresbridge community.
“The loss of Vanessa and her two beautiful children, James and Sara — lives taken in such an unspeakable way — is more than any heart should bear.
“A woman full of kindness and warmth, a friend to so many here. And her children, so young, so vibrant, so full of promise.”
The priest took time to speak about the joy James and Sara brought to their friends and classmates.
“Their laughter rang through school corridors, through playing fields, especially on the GAA pitch, where they thrived with passion and joy,” he said.
“That zest for life, their infectious energy, their open smiles.”
Becoming emotional during parts of his homily, Fr Donnelly urged the congregation to live life as Vanessa, James and Sara would have done.
“The love Vanessa gave, the love Sara and James radiated did not end, we carry their love forward,” he said.
“Let's honour their memory not just in mourning but by living how they lived,” he said.
Fr Donnelly offered his sympathies and support to those affected by the tragedy.
“To the grieving families, I say you are not alone, we stand with you,” he said.
“We hold you in prayer and grace, we do not have answers, but we offer presence.”
Many of the congregation were young friends of James and Sara, and Fr Donnelly took time to speak directly to them.
Message for classmates
“To the classmates and friends of Sara and James, know that it is OK to feel angry and confused and to cry, but please speak to someone, grief is not something to carry alone, it is a journey we make together,” he said.
He also thanked local sports clubs for their support in recent days.
“Sport was so important to Vanessa, James and Sara,” he remarked.
“Thank you for the joy you gave them and for helping to nurture the bright spirits of James and Sara, they will remain clear in every game played in their honour.”
Fr Donnelly finished by encouraging the community to support each other.
“Light still flickers even in the darkest days,” he told mourners.
The love that the local community had for the three was clear throughout the poignant 45-minute service.
Elizabeth Armstrong, the principal of Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, which James and Sara attended, said the first reading, while representatives from their school, the local GAA clubs, Vanessa's workplace and a family member read prayers of intercession.
The congregation prayed for the strength to grieve Vanessa, James and Sara and to 'keep alive the values and the ideals they put before us'.
Church of Ireland presence
A representative from the local Church of Ireland held a poignant candle lighting ceremony in memory of the three.
The service of removal ended with a decade of the rosary.
As they were taken from the church, the coffins were carried through a guard of honour made up of local GAA clubs, Maguiresbridge St Mary's and St Patrick's Lisbellaw, as well as Enniskillen Royal Grammar and Maguiresbridge Primary School.
The coffins were then carried over the main bridge in Maguiresbridge, towards the local primary school, followed by crowds of mourners.
Later, the three were taken to Barefield, Co Clare, where they will lie in rest tomorrow ahead of their funeral mass on Saturday.
The mass will take place at noon in The Church of the Immaculate Conception, Barefield, before they are laid to rest in Templemaley Cemetery.
The family has asked that donations in lieu of flowers be made to Women's Aid.
A death notice for the three referred to “broken hearts and many tears”, saying “cherished and much-loved Vanessa, James and Sara will forever be in the hearts of their heartbroken family”.
Agricultural contractor Ian Rutledge (43), who died on Monday, is understood to be the only suspect in the shooting of his family.
Last week, police said a triple murder and attempted suicide was a line of inquiry.
Conor Coyle, Irish News, July 31st, 2025
A PRIEST in Co Fermanagh yesterday said the Maguiresbridge murders have “shaken the country to its core” during a service to remember the lives of Vanessa Whyte and her children James and Sara.
Vanessa (45), James (14) and Sara (13) were all killed as a result of gunshots at their home in Maguiresbridge last Wednesday.
Ian Rutledge (43) died in the Royal Victoria Hospital on Monday, understood to be as a result of self-inflicted gunshot wounds – and he is the prime suspect in the triple murder.
Originally from Barefield, Co Clare, Vanessa and her two children will be taken to her homeplace for their funerals on Saturday.
A removal service was held by the parish in Maguiresbridge yesterday where members of the community gathered to bid farewell to the much-respected family.
Hundreds of mourners gathered inside and lined the streets outside to pay their respects, including teammates of the children from St Mary’s Maguiresbridge GFC and St Patrick’s Lisbellaw hurling club.
In his homily in St Mary’s church, Fr Raymond Donnelly paid tribute to Vanessa, James and Sara and spoke about the immense grief suffered by the community.
He added that their lives had been taken in an “unspeakable” manner.
“There is a heaviness in the air – a silence within our hearts – that speaks volumes,” Fr Donnelly told those gathered.
“The tragedy we have endured has shaken this community, and our country, to its core. We are left shocked, grieving, heartbroken, searching for meaning: grappling with questions too deep for words.
“The loss of Vanessa and her two beautiful children, James and Sara -– lives taken in such an unspeakable way – is more than any heart should bear.
“A woman full of kindness and warmth, a friend to so many here. And her children, so young, so vibrant, so full of promise. Their laughter rang through school corridors, through playing fields, especially on the GAA pitch, where they thrived with passion and joy.”
Fr Donnelly spoke directly to family members of the victims during the service, which was also contributed to by clergy from the Church of Ireland.
“You are not alone. We stand with you. We hold you in prayer and embrace. We do not have answers, but we offer presence. We offer prayer. We offer love,” he said.
“To the classmates of Sara and James and to all the friends, know that it is okay to feel confused, angry, sad and to cry. Please speak to someone. Speak to your parents, to your teachers, to your clergy. Grief is not something to carry alone. It is a journey we make together.”
Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Pat Cullen, First Minister Michelle O’Neill and MLA Áine Murphy attend the service.
Mourners – including teammates of James and Sara from St Mary’s Maguiresbridge GFC and St Patrick’s Lisbellaw hurling club – line the streets
PIRA killer Stakeknife's cause of death is revealed as both pneumonia and stroke
Allison Morris, Irish News, July 31st, 2025
This is the death certificate of Freddie Scappaticci, revealing new details about how Britain's top spy inside the IRA passed away.
It states that he died in St Peter's Hospital in Chertsey, Surrey. Scappaticci's cause of death is revealed for the first time as pneumonia and a stroke.
His last known address was at a £800,000 detached house in rural Woking in north-west Surrey.
Earlier this week, a judge ruled that the will of the Belfast agent, who fled Northern Ireland in 2003, be sealed for 70 years.
Scappaticci is thought to have left around £500,000 in his will, but the exact amount and the beneficiaries may never be known.
The highly unusual move — usually reserved for members of the Royal Family — is expected to be challenged by relatives of the republican killer's victims, who are seeking civil redress against his estate and the Ministry of Defence, which ran him as an agent for several decades.
When he first fled his west Belfast home, Scappaticci — the agent known as 'Stakeknife' — lived in an affluent area of Guildford in Surrey and used the name 'Frank Conway'.
He died, however, using the name 'Frank Cowley'.
Behind closed doors
Earlier this month, Sir Julian Flaux, Chancellor of the High Court in England, ruled in favour of secrecy after a behind-closed-doors hearing following an application from a man called 'Michael Johnson', whose connection to Scappaticci was not revealed and who asked that “his true identity is not disclosed”.
Lawyers for the Attorney General supported the secrecy application.
The ruling states: “The deceased is alleged to have been a leading member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army ('IRA') and its internal discipline unit known as the 'Nutting Squad' from about 1980 until the mid-1990s.
“The alleged purpose of the Nutting Squad, according to press reports, was to interrogate and, on occasion, murder suspected informers whom the IRA suspected may have been spying on them and passing information to the British Government.
“In May 2003, there were articles in several newspapers, including The Guardian, which accused the deceased of having spied on the IRA for the British Government and of being the agent codenamed 'Stakeknife' (who is alleged to have been an agent for the British Army whilst also being a leading member of the IRA).
“The press reports alleged that whilst working for both the British Government and the IRA, the deceased was responsible for the torture and murder of dozens of alleged IRA informers.
“The allegation that the deceased was working for the British Government was particularly inflammatory in the Catholic community in Northern Ireland given that he was alleged to have been responsible within the IRA for dealing with individuals accused of spying on the IRA.”
“The deceased always vehemently denied the claim that he had been an agent of the British Government.”
It added: “Matters escalated again in 2018 when the deceased's home in England was raided by police officers working on Operation Kenova.”
The judgment, delivered on July 21, unusually states: “Frank Cowley, who, until he changed his name by deed poll in January 2020, was known as Freddie Scappaticci.”
This raises questions about how Scappaticci was able to live for 17 years using the name Conway undetected, while also claiming legal aid for representation in a number of criminal and civil cases, claiming to be on benefits.
We obtained the death certificate for Frank Cowley in England.
The document shows he died on March 20, 2023.
While the interim Operation Kenova report into the activities of Stakeknife said he had killed more people than he had saved during his time as a military agent, he could not be named in the report due to the intelligence agencies' 'never confirm, never deny' policy.
The full Kenova report is expected to be published later this year.
The judgment, delivered at the High Court in England, states: “Following the raid on his home by Operation Kenova officers, it was necessary for the deceased to change his name again and to relocate for his own safety.”
More desirable postal code
His death certificate confirms he upscaled to an even more desirable postcode, with his last address located in a tree-lined street full of gated residences.
The document states that Frank Cowley died on March 20, 2023, at St Peter's Hospital, Guildford Road, Chertsey.
It also states that a relative was present at his death.
The certificate records that his primary cause of death was pneumonia, with the secondary cause being a stroke.
The death was registered on March 27, 2023; it was another fortnight (April 11, 2023) before news of Stakeknife's death publicly emerged.
The secrecy ruling on his will has angered the families of victims engaged in more than 30 compensation claims in which Scappaticci was named as a defendant and had been granted legal aid for his defence.
Kevin Winters, of KRW Law, said they were considering a legal challenge to the sealing of the will.
“Families won't settle for being told that details of his will are to be shelved for 70 years. They've battled for too long and won't be easily fobbed off,” he said.
Victims campaigners want Scappaticci assets frozen
Connla Young, Irish News, July 31st, 2025
THE British agent known as Stakeknife is reported to have left £500,000 in his will it has been reported.
In 2003 west Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci, a former commander of the IRA’s Internal Security Unit (ISU), was identified as Stakeknife.
Also known as the “Nutting Squad”, the ISU was responsible for hunting down and killing informers.
Scappaticci has been linked to 14 murders and 15 abductions.
While the notorious agent, who died in 2023 aged 77, worked for the British army’s Force Research Unit, it later emerged he was instructed by MI5 via his military handlers.
Operation Kenova, which was established in 2016, has investigated the activities of Stakeknife.
It produced an interim report last year and has recently distributed 25 bespoke reports to the relatives of people impacted by the agent.
The investigation team’s final report is due to be published at some point in the future.
It emerged this week that during a closed High Court hearing a judge ordered that Scappaticci’s will should be sealed for 70 years.
The judge said that this is the first time, except for members of the British royal family, where a court has ordered that a will not be made open to public inspection.
It has now been reported in The Times that Scappaticci is believed to have left £500,000 in his will.
Speaking at Westminster in 2003 Labour MP Kevin McNamara, a former shadow secretary of state, said that Scappaticci had been paid £80,000 a year – an equivalent salary to a cabinet minister at the time.
Mr McNamara added that the cash was deposited into a bank account based in Gibraltar.
It has now emerged that the National Crime Agency (NCA) was asked to seize or freeze Scappaticci’s assets almost seven years ago.
Mark Thompson, chief executive officer of campaign group Relatives for Justice, wrote to the agency’s director general in December 2018 to investigate payments made to the agent by the British government.
Mr Thompson, who spoke to Mr McNamara before his Westminster revelations, also requested that the agency “freeze all assets of Mr Scappaticci and the accounts to which these monies were paid into”.
“It is our firm belief that payments to Mr Scappaticci were for actions that clearly constitute criminal activity of the most serious nature and must, therefore, be a priority for the NCA and must be seized or frozen pending the outcome of Operation Kenova,” Mr Thompson added.
Mr Thompson said the NCA did not respond to his correspondence. The NCA was contacted.
Solicitor Kevin Winters, who acts on behalf of more than 30 plaintiffs in ongoing high court proceedings against the state and Scappaticci, said he has been “instructed to look at making applications to the High Court in Belfast to access the will”.
“All our clients will have a vested interest in the out workings of its contents as they will likely touch upon liability in the cases as well as determining which defendant may be liable to pay out damages,” he said.
Mr Winters said he has previously “queried Scappaticci’s legal aid status” in court actions “only to be told that he was in receipt of state benefits”.
“We now intend to revisit the circumstances in which this state funded killer was able to claim state benefits to support his legal aid status in defending the ongoing tranche of cases against him,” he said.
Decision on former soldiers’ trials delayed by illnesses, court hears
Alan Erwin, Irish News, July 31st, 2025
EFFORTS to establish if former soldiers charged over shootings in Belfast more than 50 years ago are medically fit to stand trial have been held up by their illnesses, a court has heard.
Counsel for two of the British soldiers said a consultant psychiatrist has not yet examined them because one of them suffered fractured ribs and the other remains in hospital.
The pair are among four ex-servicemen facing charges related to incidents at the height of the Troubles.
One of them, referred to as Soldier F, is accused of the murder of Patrick McVeigh in May 1972. He is also being prosecuted for the attempted murder of four other people during the same incident.
Three of his former military colleagues, identified only as Soldiers B, C and D, are jointly charged with attempting to murder another two men a day earlier.
All four defendants were part of an undercover army unit known as the Military Reaction Force (MRF) which operated in Belfast at the time.
Members of the MRF used unmarked cars to patrol parts of the city before the outfit was disbanded the following year.
Mr McVeigh, a father of six, was shot at the junction of Finaghy Road North and Riverdale Park South.
He had reportedly stopped to speak to those manning a civilian checkpoint when the gunfire began.
Four other men were shot and wounded in the incident.
The previous day’s shooting occurred at Slievegallion Drive in west Belfast.
Decisions were taken to charge the former soldiers after the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) assessed evidence gathered in a police investigation.
Lawyers representing Soldiers C, D and F have already obtained an initial medical opinion they would be unfit to take part in a preliminary enquiry to have them returned for trial.
However, there is a legal requirement for that view to be backed up by a consultant psychiatrist.
Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard that only Soldier F has undergone further evaluation so far.
Ian Turkington KC disclosed: “The ill-health of the other two has impeded any further examinations.”
He told the court Soldier C is set to remain in hospital until at least the end of August, while Soldier D is recovering from having suffered fractured ribs.
“Whilst we hope to have both examined by our own psychiatrist before the end of the summer, their health very much may be an impediment to that,” Mr Turkington added.
Prosecuting counsel acknowledged there may be issues about when the Public Prosecution Service gets to carry out its own medical checks on the defendants.
“That will inform whether the committal (proceedings) can go ahead, as well as the public interest test,” he told the court.
Alliance needs to read writing on wall over Belfast bilingual signs
Newton Emerson, Irish News, July 31st, 2025
OPINION
BELFAST City Council’s bilingual street sign policy is causing problems in leafy, mixed suburbia – a particular problem for Alliance, which ushered the policy in.
The policy was introduced in 2022 by a vote of the full council, where Alliance holds the balance of power.
This lowered the threshold required to approve a sign from 66% of registered electors in a street to 15%.
Residents who do not vote are no longer counted as voting against.
Applications for a sign can be made by one resident or any councillor, rather than by a third of residents as before.
The 15% threshold is based on a 2017 report from the UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues, which reached the understandable conclusion that you cannot require majority support for a minority language.
Irish and Ulster Scots are recognised under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, to which the UK is a signatory.
Of course, languages are not just languages in Northern Ireland. They are also cultural signifiers.
Nor are nationalists a minority in Belfast – they are either a majority or a plurality, depending on how you measure it.
So the policy includes a flexibility mechanism. After a sign is approved by 15% of residents, the matter is passed to the council’s People and Communities Committee, which can block a sign if there are “clear reasons” to do so, based on the views of residents, “local context” and potential adverse impact on good relations.
Use of this mechanism established a convention that if more residents were against a sign than for it, the decision would be deferred indefinitely.
Although this was an uneasy compromise, it was to some extent the best of both worlds. New signs became very easy to approve, except where a majority of residents expressing a preference were against them.
Follow-up surveys of four streets in north Belfast where signs were deferred on this basis showed that residents opposed to signs would accept them if they had 50% support.
The council’s 15% threshold was seen as undemocratic to a degree that undermined the aims of the policy, delegitimising bilingual signs even where more residents were for them than against them.
Streets where the population is this finely balanced tend to be the ‘nice, mixed areas’ of hope and legend.
In east Belfast, one of those streets, Shandon Park, is the spiritual home of the ‘Cherryvalley Lady’, mocked by James Young in the 1970s. It has been the archetypal Alliance heartland for as long as Alliance has existed.
Unfortunately, the informal compromise arrangement broke down earlier this year, with Sinn Féin and the SDLP insisting signs go through on the 15% threshold alone.
Flexing majoritarianism muscle
Nationalism gained three council seats in 2023 and has begun flexing its majoritarianism when it has the numbers at meetings to do so.
Bilingual signs went up in the four north Belfast streets and Shan-don Park. There was no revolt by residents, obviously – rioting in Cherryvalley is unlikely.
But unionism and loyalism would not let it lie.
Union flags appeared on lampposts in Shandon Park, to the quiet consternation of residents.
Last month, the annual Ballysillan community parade passed down one of the four north Belfast streets, Sunningdale Park North, for the first time.
The parade is not specifically Orange, let alone loyalist – most participants are children.
However, it is part of Twelfth celebrations and DUP representatives were in attendance.
The SDLP has received objections from some residents and is demanding to know why the police and Parades Commission judged it non-contentious.
These outcomes would be bad enough were they confined to the poisoning of community relations in and around the streets affected. But the poison is spreading, geographically and politically.
Unionists have responded to the Sunningdale Park North row by slyly demanding “minority rights”, throwing the 15% threshold back into nationalism’s face.
This has almost limitless potential to cause trouble.
The council’s UN and European Charter argument was rather contrived; it would not be hard for unionism to contrive something similar.
The best and perhaps only way to reverse this disaster is to put the compromise that operated until this year onto a formal footing.
Alliance can do this by aligning with other parties, including the Greens, who are also unhappy at nationalism’s inflexibility.
Alliance’s belief that flexibility would be shown was exceptionally naive.
It needs to realise it has put itself in the position it has always thought itself above – of having to defend its territory, street by street.
If you're an NI Catholic with gluten intolerance, maybe it's time to become a Protestant
John Laverty, Belfast Telegraph, July 31st, 2025
Back when I was a nipper, the 'Pub With No Beer' opened in Ballymena. I never really got what that was all about. To me, a pub with no beer was like a pencil with no lead — both literally and metaphorically pointless.
Maybe they should have called it the Pub With No Long Term Future, which might have been more accurate.
There are, however, many similar places still in existence, although these days they're better known as 'coffee shops'.
And here comes the latest oxymoron du jour — the Holy Communion With No Gluten.
Not being a particularly devout Christian, I've only just realised this has become a thing.
It's also something strongly opposed by the Catholic Church, which insists that bread for the hosts must be made from wheat flour in order to be consecrated into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
The Church of England, incidentally, is at one with the Vatican on this, ruling that fully gluten-free substitutes (and non-alcoholic wine) must not be used for Holy Communion.
Yes, you can alter the altar bread and water down the wine, but the former must still contain a minimal amount of gluten (which gives the dough its elasticity), while the latter requires at least a smidgen of alcohol.
This has led to scenarios whereby some of the bread has such a low gluten content — less than the 20 parts per million that could trigger an autoimmune reaction and damage the small intestines of the afflicted — that it is technically classed as “gluten-free”, even though it clearly isn't.
For context, your average slice of whole wheat bread is about 10% gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye and barley) or 100,000 parts per million.
Here, the Church of Ireland which, according to the 2021 Census, has a flock of nearly 220,000 in Northern Ireland, is seemingly more relaxed on this thorny issue, permitting the use of communion wafers endorsed as “gluten-free” by the Coeliac Society.
With that in mind, if you're a coeliac Catholic and eager to fully participate in Holy Communion, perhaps you'd be better off throwing your lot in with the C of I Protestants.
Spare a thought, though, for the poor clerics who are having to add “catering for the varying dietary requirements of those parishioners with an autoimmune disease” to an already lengthy to-do list.
And here's the kicker — more people here are turning to gluten-free, even though they are not one of the estimated 100,000 living with coeliac disease on this island, with a further 450,000 who are gluten intolerant.
Indeed, a growing number believe that ditching gluten-based foods for the likes of quinoa, rice or almond flour improves digestion and promotes a healthier lifestyle.
These folk are joining genuine sufferers by selecting dining establishments serving naturally gluten-free items that, mercifully for them, no longer taste like cardboard.
They're also learning — as I did to my surprise while researching this — that several foodstuffs that aren't necessarily considered a “grain” still contain gluten, as do the likes of salad dressing and canned soups; in the world of the cautious coeliac, “wheat-free” does not necessarily mean gluten-free.
For them, a few years ago, finding a single, safe option on a menu was like striking gold, but the culinary industry has come a long way since.
Belfast, to its credit, now has an impressive range of restaurants where everything is stored, prepared and (naturally) cooked separately, and all their gluten-free baked goods come individually wrapped.
But you'd expect that from quality, responsible restaurateurs who rely on your custom, rather than clerics who cherish your faith while their coeliac disease-inflicted parishioners are merely expected to trust the 'prep' at communion time.
Wine only option
The good news, if you'll excuse the biblical pun, is that both Catholics and C of Is will still be deemed to have taken communion if they have consumed “only bread” or merely taken just a swig of the altar vino.
This is known as partaking “in only one kind”, although it's of little succour if you happen to be both a coeliac and an alcoholic.
In any case, although Catholics feel bound by what the Vatican calls the “Sunday precept” (attending Mass on all Sundays and 'holy days of obligation'), that doesn't mean they're also required to receive communion once a week.
“Participation” in the Mass is distinct from the reception of communion, which has a separate 'obligation' of just one occasion per year.
Amen to that, I hear some of you cry.
On that singular occasion, however, you would still be required to ingest gluten-based bread because, as the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith makes clear: “Hosts that are completely gluten-free are invalid matter for the celebration of the Eucharist.”
Frankly, I've always believed the good Lord to be considerably more pragmatic than that.
As Jesus himself told the Pharisees in Matthew 15:11: “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person...”
Loyalist survey finds 'some support' for return to street protests over Irish Sea border nes'
By Adam Kula, Belfast News Letter, July 31st, 2025
There is "some support for the re-emergence of organised protests" over the Irish Sea border, according to a poll of loyalist attitudes.
It is one of many findings from the group Let's Talk Loyalism, which has produced a 60-page document based on a survey with "over 50 selected loyalists".
Each respondent provided answers, mainly by e-mail and WhatsApp, to "five key questions about critical issues facing unionism today," it said.
The responses were then summarised by Let's Talk Loyalism.
Let's Talk Loyalism was founded in 2021.
At the time it said it was "a small group of young loyalists" who aimed to “research, recommend and lobby for policy change which positively impacts the loyalist community and NI”.
Arguably the best-known member is Moore Holmes, though DUP Belfast councillor Dean McCullough is also involved.
Asked how the survey participants were selected, Mr Holmes said: "Over 50 loyalists were individually approached by members of Let's Talk Loyalism, representing a broad cross-section of the community including youth workers, community workers, members of the loyal orders, activists, women's groups, bandsmen, ex-prisoners, and people with deep roots in their communities".
The first question was: How can Unionism continue to resist the Irish Sea Border?
The summary of responses to this said: "There is some support for the re-emergence of organised protests, both in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland, similar to tactics used by other groups, like French farmers.
"This includes both lawful protests and more disruptive forms of civil disobedience to draw attention to unionist concerns…
Building alliances across UK
"There is a call to build alliances with other political and social groups both within Northern Ireland and across the UK, particularly by creating connections with Reform UK and challenging EU policies through united fronts."
It adds: "A smaller group of responses suggest a more resigned approach, arguing that the situation may be irreversible, and that unionism should either accept the Irish Sea Border as part of the current political reality or shift focus to making it work within the existing framework."
Among other things, the report recommends "all unionist parties should publish a new up to date policy paper outlining their current position on the Northern Ireland Protocol/Windsor Framework";
That "Arlene Foster’s position as chairperson of InterTrade UK should be leveraged and other instruments must be influenced to unionism’s advantage";
That loyalists compile "a database of businesses and individuals who have been negatively impacted by the Windsor Framework/Protocol";
That "activists should continue to stage creative, artistic and effective demonstrations... demonstrations could include artistic murals, poster messaging, satirical images, flash mobs, flare/light protests, and other creative demonstrations";
And that activists should "make a case" for the invocation of Article 16, which allows for suspension of the Protocol in the event of either “serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties” or a “diversion of trade”.
Four Questions
The other four questions asked of loyalists were:
– How can Unionism mobilise its community to come out and vote?
– How can Unionism create greater co-operation and collaboration across Unionist parties?
– How can Unionism become more appealing to and effectively engage young people?
– And how can Loyalism contribute more effectively to political affairs?
Among the other recommendations in the report are getting shops to offer a "customer discount and special offers exclusively to those who are either registered or have voted on election day" to increase turnout;
Creating a "new pro-union coalition party at Westminster" which "could better consolidate the pro-union vote and prevent further fragmentation";
"Modernising cultural and traditional events... for example, music festivals that blend classic pipe bands with local modern bands or DJs could provide a space for young people to experience their cultural heritage in a way that feels current and exciting";
And promoting "positive loyalist culture" while "combating negative stereotypes".
The document is being formally launched at a meeting in Brownlow House, Lurgan, tonight.
Executive row brewing as DUP say Mike Nesbitt's gender clinic plans haven't been signed off by ministers
By David Thompson, Belfast News Letter, July 31st, 2025
The DUP has accused health minister Mike Nesbitt of not bringing his proposals on a controversial gender service – which has no lower age limit – back to the Executive for discussion.
The party says that the UUP leader had agreed to bring details of his plans before other ministers – but that has not happened.
A new amalgamated transgender service, catering for anyone referred there regardless of age, was announced by the LGBTQ+ lobby group The Rainbow Project last week, and subsequently confirmed by the health minister.
Mr Nesbitt says he “set out the ongoing work on gender Identity services” in a statement when Stormont agreed a ban on puberty blockers – but has avoided a direct question about whether his decision to give £806,000 funding to the ‘Lifespan’ service was brought before Executive colleagues.
The DUP says that when the puberty blocker ban was discussed by ministers, Mr Nesbitt “also agreed to bring back further information on his gender identity service proposals”. A party spokesperson said: “As yet, this has not been provided. No decision was taken by the Executive on this basis.”
Controversial decisions can require approval by the multi-party Executive. The Department of Health argues that it is not providing a new service, but merging two existing services (for adults and children) into one.
“Nothing has changed in terms of criteria from the model of care that has been in place for many years and spanning several Ministers of Health”, a spokesperson said.
In a statement to the News Letter Mr Nesbitt said: “It is a matter of public record that on 5 December 2024, I recommended Executive colleagues approve an indefinite UK-wide order to prevent new patients aged under 18 from beginning to take puberty blockers for the purposes of gender incongruence and/or gender dysphoria, under the care of private prescribers. I also set out the ongoing work on gender Identity services for transgender people living in NI to ensure that appropriate advice and support is available to individuals and their families. The investment confirmed last week is the outcome of this work”.
335,000 extra patient consultation in 2024-5 and set to double - Nesbitt
By Rebecca Black PA, Belfast News Letter, July 31st, 2025
A planned investment in primary care in Northern Ireland could create hundreds of thousands of additional patient appointments.
The expansion of the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) Programme is also aimed at helping to stabilise GP services.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has published an implementation plan for the programme, a partnership between GP federations and health and social care trusts that brings early intervention physiotherapy, social work and mental health roles into general practice.
He said it is making a “significant difference” in the areas it has already been rolled out to.
“It delivered an additional 335,000 patient consultations in 2024-25,” he said.
“We can double that appointments total over the next four years and then push it up to the million mark within eight years. That ambitious projection is included in the implementation plan.
“The MDT programme also involves a range of localised programmes with the community and voluntary sector. During 2024-25 this enabled over 400 local projects, supporting more than 17,000 patients.
“The implementation plan also sets out compelling evidence that the MDT programme helps stabilise pressurised GP services and reduce referrals to hospitals.
“Progress on implementing the MDT model has been constrained by funding and staff availability. However, this year I have been able to secure £61m of executive transformation funding to push ahead with expansion.”
The MDT programme is currently complete or in development in the Down, Londonderry, west Belfast, Causeway, Newry and Ards and North Down GP Federation areas.
The £61m funding will see it expanded to north Belfast, south west (Fermanagh/West Tyrone) and east Antrim, Craigavon, and Armagh and Dungannon.
Mr Nesbitt also addressed frustration expressed by GPs at budget shortfalls across health and social care.
“I can assure them that I am determined to deliver on a neighbourhood-centred system of health and social care. I want to involve and empower GPs at every step of this process,” he said.
“As part of that, I would again encourage the BMA's GP leadership to take up my offer of detailed talks on a new GP contract for next year.
“The fact that available funding this year falls far short of all our requirements should not stop us working together on longer-term solutions.
“We need to deliver more services closer to communities and help people stay well. The contribution of GPs is central to that.”
