#Portadown Times

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in 1998 – Drumcree Conflict | The annual Orange Order march was prevented from marching through the nationalist Garvaghy area of Portadown, Co Armagh.

Security forces and about 10,000 loyalists began a standoff at Drumcree church. During this time, loyalists launched 550 attacks on the security forces and numerous attacks on Catholic civilians. On 12 July, three children were burnt to death in a loyalist petrol bomb attack. This incident brought an end to the standoff. The Drumcree conflict or Drumcree standoff is a dispute over yearly Orange…

[werewolfetone]

Btw if I had a time machine I would do the funniest thing possible with it & use it to go back & convince the United Irishmen to hold a parade celebrating their ideals with banners depicting as many slightly ambiguous looking old French philosophers in wigs + Oliver Cromwell + Glorious Revolution stuff + as many red white and blue French flags and accompanying red white & blue accoutrements as possible in Portadown on July 12th 1797

[jphlaw]

What Should I Expect from a Solicitor in Portadown?

When you’re dealing with a legal issue, selecting the right solicitor in Portadown is essential. Whether it’s a personal injury, a family matter, or property transactions, a good solicitor will guide you through each step of the process, offering expertise and a reassuring hand. Here’s an overview of what you should expect from a solicitor in Portadown, covering everything from initial consultation to personalized service, communication, and outcomes.

1. Professional Expertise and Knowledge of Local Laws

Solicitor Craigavon has a unique legal landscape, influenced by both local and national laws. A solicitor should possess deep knowledge of the area’s specific legal requirements and be able to guide clients through complex processes. They will have an understanding of local courts, authorities, and regulatory standards, ensuring that each case is handled according to the best practices and legal expectations within the region.

When consulting with your solicitor, expect them to be well-versed in their field of expertise, whether it's personal injury, family law, or property. They should be able to explain the relevant legal principles in a way that’s easy to understand, helping you feel more confident in your case.

2. Clear and Transparent Communication

Clear communication is crucial in any legal matter. From the start, your solicitor should be transparent about your case's possible outcomes, legal fees, and the timeframes involved. Expect open discussions where they clearly outline the steps they will take, potential challenges, and options to consider.

Solicitors in Portadown understand that legal terms can be confusing, and they strive to simplify the jargon. Whether it’s through emails, phone calls, or in-person meetings, they will communicate in a way that’s accessible and easy to comprehend. Be prepared to ask questions, and you should expect clear, concise responses that help you understand the legal process without feeling overwhelmed.

3. A Compassionate and Personable Approach

Law is complex, but solicitors also know that legal matters often come with emotional or financial stress. When working with a solicitor, expect them to be compassionate and understanding of your unique situation. Whether it’s a dispute, an injury, or other sensitive matter, a good solicitor will approach your case with empathy and care.

In Portadown, many solicitors pride themselves on offering a welcoming environment, where clients feel heard and respected. You should feel comfortable discussing personal details, knowing that your solicitor will treat them with respect and confidentiality. Establishing a rapport early on can create a more collaborative relationship, making the journey less stressful.

4. Personalized Attention and Tailored Legal Advice

Every legal case is different, and a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work in the legal field. In Portadown, you should expect a solicitor who takes the time to understand your specific circumstances, offering personalized guidance rather than generic advice.

From gathering the initial facts of the case to strategizing on potential outcomes, a competent solicitor will adapt their approach to suit your situation. They will consider various aspects, such as your priorities, deadlines, and the best potential solutions. This tailored approach not only increases the chance of a favorable outcome but also ensures that you’re informed about decisions that affect your case.

5. Efficient Case Management and Timely Updates

Efficiency is key in any legal matter & Divorce solicitors Portadown, especially when certain cases are time-sensitive. Your solicitor should keep your case moving forward, managing each phase with precision. Expect regular updates on your case's status and reminders about any actions required from you. They should also keep you informed about any new developments or potential setbacks.

In Portadown, many solicitors implement structured case management systems to track progress and communicate effectively. This means you’re less likely to encounter delays and more likely to receive a timely resolution. If your case timeline extends, a good solicitor will keep you informed about the reasons and potential alternatives.

6. Strong Representation and Advocacy in Court, If Needed

Although many cases settle without going to court, some require strong courtroom representation. If your situation reaches this stage, expect your solicitor to be a capable and confident advocate for your interests. They will prepare thoroughly for court appearances, ensuring that every detail supports your position and that you’re fully prepared for any cross-examinations or procedural steps.

In Portadown, solicitors are skilled at advocating on behalf of their clients, aiming to achieve a positive outcome. They will handle all formalities, from presenting evidence to negotiating with the opposing party, and work to secure the best possible resolution for your case. Whether in a courtroom or a negotiation setting, they should serve as your dedicated representative, protecting your rights every step of the way.

7. Clear Explanation of Fees and Billing Structure

Transparency around fees is essential, as legal costs can quickly add up depending on the case’s complexity. During your initial consultation, your solicitor should clearly explain their billing structure, including hourly rates, fixed fees, or contingency fees, depending on the case type.

Solicitors in Portadown generally offer clear estimates and may even provide a breakdown of potential additional costs. Make sure you discuss fees upfront, asking questions about any charges that might not be immediately apparent. This will help avoid misunderstandings and allow you to budget for the legal services more effectively. Expect your solicitor to be open about financial arrangements, so you’re fully aware of any potential expenses as your case progresses.

8. Dedicated Client Support and Accessibility

Accessibility is vital when dealing with legal matters. In Portadown, most solicitors prioritize client support, ensuring that someone is available to address your concerns promptly. Expect responsive service, where your solicitor or their staff responds to emails or phone calls within a reasonable timeframe.

A good solicitor will have a team or assistants who can address your questions and keep your case organized. Should your primary solicitor be unavailable for any reason, there will likely be a trusted team member who can provide updates and guidance, ensuring continuous support throughout your legal journey.

Conclusion

Finding the right Solicitor Portadown can make all the difference in your legal experience. From clear communication and tailored advice to professional expertise and compassionate service, a reliable solicitor is your partner through any legal process. When choosing your solicitor, look for someone who meets these expectations, as it will give you peace of mind and a greater chance of achieving a favorable outcome. Whether it’s a straightforward case or a complex matter, having a knowledgeable and dedicated solicitor can turn a stressful experience into one where you feel supported and empowered.

Read Also: Need Help from Personal Injury Solicitors in Craigavon?

[sa7abnews]

Final report from the All-Island Strategic Rail Review is published…

New Post has been published on https://sa7ab.info/2024/08/06/final-report-from-the-all-island-strategic-rail-review-is-published/

Final report from the All-Island Strategic Rail Review is published…

From The BBC:

Airport rail links and a proposed new station at Craigavon are among the recommendations of the final report from the All-Island Strategic Rail Review. But restoring a railway line to Enniskillen has been ruled out. The report was published in draft form in July 2023, with a consultation afterwards. Among its recommendations were connections to international airports and the restoration of the line from Londonderry to Portadown with a view to increasing North West connectivity. The final version now contains 32 recommendations.

Among them are:

Connecting Dublin, Shannon and Belfast International airports to the rail network. Reinstating the Lisburn to Antrim line would enable Belfast International to be served by a rail link

Restoring a line linking Portadown in County Armagh with Mullingar in County Westmeath. The line would pass through Armagh and Cavan

Restoring a line between Londonderry and Portadown, linking the towns of Strabane, Omagh and Dungannon to the network

Building a new direct line between Lisburn and Newry

Developing a new rail link from Letterkenny in County Donegal to Derr

It is expected the recommendations would take up to 25 years to implement in full. Northern Ireland will pay a quarter of the cost, estimated to be between €35bn (£29bn) and €37bn (£31bn) in 2023 terms. The review focused on six goals:

Contributing to Decarbonisation;

Improving connectivity between the island’s major cities;

Enhancing rural and regional accessibility;

Encouraging sustainable mobility;

Fostering economic activity;

Achieving economic and financial feasibility.

Quite a chunk of change, but we know from other countries that if you have a good rail system it will get used. It is also ironic that we are going back in time, and that the rail system in Ireland was far better over a 100 years ago. You can read the full report here (PDF)

[greenbagjosh]

Days 5 - 7: Belfast - Dublin, the start of a tram system, Grafton Street and an excellent bacon sandwich to go with my Guinness pint.

Hi everyone, Welcome to Day 5 of my visit to Europe in Summer 2004. It is now Thursday 29th July 2004, and I had stayed two nights in Belfast, and had gone up and down that part of the UK. It is time now to go to Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland. I have breakfast at the rail station, called "Ulster fry", take the international train to Dublin, stopping only at Portadown, and arriving about 10:30 AM in Dublin Connolly. I went on a walking tour from the central post office on to Grafton Street, also viewing the Book of Kells at Trinity College. I took a ride on the LUAS from St. Stephen's Green down to Sandyford and back. The next day I went on a clockwise bus tour of Dublin, walked to Drumcondra, rode the train to Dublin Connolly, took the train to Howth and back, ate supper in Howth, then took a bus back to the hostel to sleep for my next journey on 31st July. Hope you will join me.

Dia daoibh, Fáilte go Lá 5 de mo chuairt ar an Eoraip i Samhradh 2004. Is é Déardaoin an 29 Iúil 2004 anois, agus d'fhan mé dhá oíche i mBéal Feirste, agus chuaigh mé suas agus síos an chuid sin den RA. Tá sé in am anois dul go Baile Átha Cliath, i bPoblacht na hÉireann. Tá bricfeasta agam ag an stáisiún traenach, ar a dtugtar “Ulster fry”, tóg an traein idirnáisiúnta go Baile Átha Cliath, ag stopadh ag Port an Dúnáin amháin, agus ag teacht timpeall 10:30 AM go Baile Átha Cliath Uí Chonghaile. Chuaigh mé ar thuras siúlóide ón oifig phoist lárnach go Sráid Grafton, ag féachaint ar Leabhar Cheanannais i gColáiste na Tríonóide freisin. Thug mé turas ar an LUAS ó Fhaiche Stiabhna síos go Áth an Ghainimh agus ar ais. An lá dár gcionn chuaigh mé ar thuras bus deiseal go Baile Átha Cliath, shiúil mé go Droim Conrach, mharcaigh mé ar an traein go Baile Átha Cliath Connolly, thóg mé an traein go Binn Éadair agus ar ais, d'ith mé suipéar i mBinn Éadair, ansin thóg mé bus ar ais go dtí an brú chun codladh do mo chéad lá eile. turas ar 31 Iúil. Tá súil agam go mbeidh tú páirteach liom.

Ciao a tutti, Benvenuti al 5o. giorno della mia visita in Europa nell'estate del 2004. È giovedì 29 luglio 2004, e sono rimasto due notti a Belfast, e ho viaggiato su e giù per quella parte del Regno Unito. Ora è il momento di andare a Dublino, nella Repubblica d'Irlanda. Faccio colazione alla stazione ferroviaria, chiamata "Ulster fry", prendo il treno internazionale per Dublino, fermandomi solo a Portadown, e arrivo verso le 10:30 a Dublino Connolly. Ho fatto un giro a piedi dall'ufficio postale centrale a Grafton Street, visitando anche il Book of Kells al Trinity College. Ho fatto un giro sulla LUAS da St. Stephen's Green fino a Sandyford e ritorno. Il giorno dopo ho fatto un giro in autobus in senso orario di Dublino, ho camminato fino a Drumcondra, ho preso il treno per Dublino Connolly, ho preso il treno per Howth e ritorno, ho cenato a Howth, poi ho preso un autobus per tornare all'ostello per dormire per il mio prossimo viaggio il 31 luglio. Spero che vi unirete a me.

Bonjour à tous, Bienvenue au cinquième jour de ma visite en Europe cet été 2004. Nous sommes le jeudi 29 juillet 2004 et j'ai passé deux nuits à Belfast et j'ai parcouru cette partie du Royaume-Uni de long en large. Il est temps maintenant d'aller à Dublin, en République d'Irlande. Je prends mon petit-déjeuner à la gare ferroviaire, appelée "Ulster fry", je prends le train international pour Dublin, je m'arrête seulement à Portadown et j'arrive vers 10h30 à Dublin Connolly. J'ai fait une visite à pied depuis la poste centrale jusqu'à Grafton Street, et j'ai également visité le Livre de Kells au Trinity College. J'ai fait un tour en LUAS de St. Stephen's Green jusqu'à Sandyford et retour. Le lendemain, j'ai fait un tour en bus dans le sens des aiguilles d'une montre à travers Dublin, j'ai marché jusqu'à Drumcondra, j'ai pris le train jusqu'à Dublin Connolly, j'ai pris le train jusqu'à Howth et retour, j'ai dîné à Howth, puis j'ai pris un bus pour retourner à l'auberge pour dormir avant mon prochain voyage le 31 juillet. J'espère que vous vous joindrez à moi.

Hallo zusammen, Willkommen zu Tag 5 meiner Europareise im Sommer 2004. Es ist jetzt Donnerstag, der 29. Juli 2004, und ich habe zwei Nächte in Belfast verbracht und bin durch diesen Teil des Vereinigten Königreichs gereist. Jetzt ist es Zeit, nach Dublin in der Republik Irland zu fahren. Ich frühstücke am Bahnhof, das „Ulster Fry“ heißt, nehme den internationalen Zug nach Dublin, halte nur in Portadown und komme gegen 10:30 Uhr in Dublin Connolly an. Ich habe einen Spaziergang vom Hauptpostamt zur Grafton Street gemacht und mir dabei auch das Book of Kells im Trinity College angesehen. Ich bin mit der LUAS von St. Stephen’s Green nach Sandyford und zurück gefahren. Am nächsten Tag machte ich eine Bustour im Uhrzeigersinn durch Dublin, ging zu Fuß nach Drumcondra, fuhr mit dem Zug nach Dublin Connolly, nahm den Zug nach Howth und zurück, aß in Howth zu Abend und nahm dann einen Bus zurück zum Hostel, um dort für meine nächste Reise am 31. Juli zu schlafen. Ich hoffe, Sie begleiten mich.

On Thursday 29 July 2004, I had been staying at the Belfast YHA hostel. It was time to check out, and go south to Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland. I would take the international train from Belfast Lanyon Place, then called Belfast Central, and ride in first class to Dublin Connolly. The train would stop only in Portadown, just north of the border. I checked out, with my luggage, walked to the Botanic rail station, took a 80 class train to Lanyon Place station, and went upstairs to the cafe for "Ulster Fry". Ulster Fry is not much different from Full English breakfast, except that it has a few more fried items. I had egg, bacon, sausage, a "potato farl", kind of like a hash brown patty, and a fried mushroom. I had one cup of tea, and another of coffee. About 7:50 AM, I went downstairs to the platform where the train to Dublin would depart from. I found my seat in First Class. Somehow I ended up in the dining car, but did not order anything.

The train left about 8 AM. I had my radio with me, on one of the local FM stations, they played "Ninety Miles from Dublin" by Christy Moore. The train made a prerecorded announcement of the train arrival in Dublin Connolly in the middle of the song. Later on, I heard "Lola's Theme" by the Shapeshifters as well as "Inner Smile" by Texas (a Scottish band that started in the late 1980s but did not achieve fame until at least their "White on Blonde" LP in 1997 / 1998). It seemed, from Belfast to Dublin, that it would be impossible to notice the difference between Northern Ireland and the Republic. It was only after the train passed through Drogheda (pronounced "Draw-dah"), that I would notice that I was in the Republic of Ireland. The train did not make any stops between Portadown and Dublin Connolly. The weather was a bit on-and-off rainy.

Most of the Irish railway system is unelectrified. Only from Howth to Bray was there any electrification on the main line, when I last read an article about the Irish railway system. I was surprised, already at Malahide there was electrification. The train was not very far from Connolly station. The train arrived about 10:30 AM on its own track. The exit was gated, so I had to go through the gates to exit the station for the bus to the hostel. I did not see any left luggage area in that station, though I have been told that there is one at the Heuston station due west of Connolly.

Leaving Connolly station, the statin building itself looks like something I might have seen in Northern Italy, kind of like from the Sforza family of Milan. Across the street from Connolly Station is the Busaras, or the central bus station. I asked about how to get to the hostel, but I was told to go to O'Connell Street by Abbey Street Lower and get a city bus from there. Although the LUAS red line tracks were being tested, that line would not go into operation until at least September or October that same year (2004). I had to walk along the sidewalk following the tracks to O'Connell Street. I saw a few light rail vehicles pass by. I knew of the green line, but it would not go farther north than St. Stephen's Green for many years (in 2024 it goes as far as Broombridge).

The Central Post office is at 47 O'Connell Street Lower. In at least one of the six Ionian columns, bulletts were shot into them in the 1920's struggle for independence from Great Britain. Nearby is an obelisque and on the opposite side of the road, towards Connolly Rail Station, is a statue of the writer James Joyce, who wrote "Ulysses". Incidentally, James Joyce was buried in Zurich, Switzerland, which I would visit on 7th August that same year. Only in the early 2020's, did the LUAS green line start operating along O'Connell Street Lower.

When I arrived at the post office bus stop, I found the bus route that went right to the hostel. It was about the corner of Dorset and Wellington Streets. Some time in the 2010s the actual building had been torn down, and has been replaced by university housing. I bought a day pass for the bus, which I think was 4 Euro back then. The bus went past Parnell Square before it made its stop on Dorset Street. I checked into a room with six beds. At the time, I did not see that an actual bed assignment would make any difference. Most of the time, no one minds if the wrong one might be accidentally taken. I would find out very early Saturday morning, that people would make a fuss. But for now, I would charge up my phone and my video camera, and in about an hour's time, walk to the bus stop at Blessington and Dorset, to go into downtown.

After I alighted from the bus at the post office, I walked along O'Connell Street. I made sure I had a good photo of the James Joyce statue. Then I walked past Middle Abbey Street, then along the Liffey to The Famine Memorial, at the Talbot Memorial Bridge. Many of the statues of the Famine Memorial looked lifelike. Then I went back to the O'Connell bridge, crossed the Liffey and stopped by the Mr. Screen cinema. There was nothing playing that I wanted to particularly see, so I walked farther south to College Street and on to Grafton Street. I entered the university at Nassau Street and went north to the library past Fellow's Square. The Book of Kells did not allow any photography. I was able to notice the pages of the bible, written on calfskin using various pigmentations.

Leaving the library, I went along Grafton Street to the St. Stephen's Green rail station. In general, Grafton Street is a pedestrian only passage. I passed by the Bewley's Cafe. They make good toffee sweets. At the time, the LUAS green line did not operate anywhere north of St. Stephen's Green. I walked to FitzWilliam Street Lower, along to Merrion Square. At the northwest end of the park, there was the Oscar Wilde statue. He was sitting, more like lying, on a rock, as if it were a bean bag. I walked by the Leinster House, the current seat of government for the Republic of Ireland, and also one of the ministries, probably for health and human services or similar.

At St. Stephen's Green, I bought a two ride ticket for LUAS. LUAS at the time, did not accept the bus pass, so I had to pay about 5 Euro for a day pass. I validated it, and boarded the next green line LUAS to Sandyford. The train went straight down Harcourt Street, before turning left on Adelaide Road, and turning right onto its own right of way. The LUAS went past Beechwood but somehow I had drifted off to sleep. I think it was still the jet lag. I was inspected by a fare inspector, and they said my ticket was fine. I alighted at Sandyford, the current southern terminus of the LUAS green line, and waited for the next one back to St. Stephen's Green. Once the LUAS arrived at St Stephens Green, I walked up Grafton Street, past the O'Connell Bridge to the post office, took the bus to Dorset Street, then went to the hostel. I think I went to sleep after that. I don't remember doing much else, other than listen to the radio and record local station broadcasts, some in English, some in Irish Gaelic.

On Friday 30th July 2004, it was a much nicer day than Thursday the 29th. I woke up, took a shower, and went downstairs to eat breakfast. The "Full Irish Breakfast" was at an extra charge, where the continental one was included in my stay. I went for the Full Irish breakfast, but it did not contain any black and white pudding, which is like a blood sausage, or a morcillo for those who know about Spanish sausages. I would hope to go into town and maybe have some black and white pudding, but I eventually waited for the next day.

I took the bus to the post office on O'Connell Street Upper, buying a day pass. There was a hop on hop off bus stop, where I could buy a ticket, good for all day transit on the hop on hop off bus. I had to wait until 10:20 AM until the bus departed. The bus went along the route past Parnell Square, the Obelisque, and back again south of the Liffey. The bus went past Trinity College, the house that Bram Stoker of "Dracula" fame once lived, the Molly Malone statue, St. Patrick's Cathedral, St. James Hospital, the Guinness Brewery, Magazine Fort, Heuston Station, and Ha'Penny Bridge. I alighted at Ha'Penny Bridge, and looked for some place to eat. On Anglesea Street just off Fleet Street, I found the Oliver St. John Gogarty pub. It also operated a hostel next door. I ordered a pint of Guinness and a bacon sandwich with fries. It was very good.

I went down the Grafton Street walkway before turning back and taking a bus to the post office. I bought some stamps for postcards at the office. Somehow there after I ended up walking east on Cathal Brugha Street past the Five Lamps to Clonliffe Road. I walked past the GAA Museum at Croke Park. Eventually I would end up at Drumcondra rail station. I could use my Eurail pass to gain access to the train platform for Connolly Station. The section between Drumcondra and Connolly was not electrified in 2004. I was feeling tired after walking so much. I think it was about 4 PM when I caught the train from Drumcondra to Connolly. Instead of the 80 class NIR DMU unit, I was riding on a nice commuter rail train. About where the train crossed Newcomen Bridge, the train came onto the electrified section to Bray/Greystones. At Connolly I transferred to the DART, which also recognized the Eurail Pass. It would be about 4:30 PM when I would board the train for Howth, called Binn Eadair in Irish.

The train to Howth arrived about 4:30 PM. It made about 9 stops before arriving at Howth. Howth is on a peninsula, and on the north side there is a harbor. There is also a shopping area and park close by. I had supper at the Fish Market. I think I had cod and chips along with a salad, and a pint of Guinness. It was really good, cost maybe 15 Euro. About 7 PM I went back to the Howth station to wait for the train back to downtown Dublin. Entering the station, I asked the guard if they would like to see my Eurail Pass, but he said "not particularly" instead of "No". He let me on to the platform. The train did not arrive until 7:30 PM. It departed about 7:40 PM. I stayed on the train until I arrived at Pearse Street. Pearse Street is an elevated commuter rail station. If you look eastward on Westland Row, you might think that you would be seeing a scene of "Glengarry Glenn Ross", where they say "Coffee is for closers". I took the bus back to the post office, and another one of the hostel. Then I went to sleep, at least for a while. Then I was woken up about 5 AM or so. But that's a story for another day.

I hope you will join me in my next journey, from Dublin to Milan. Question: at what airport do I get my passport checked? If you know Ireland's customs union with the UK, it may likely not be at Heathrow, but please stay tuned anyway. See you then!

[maypoleman1]

12th July

The Twelfth

Source: The Guardian

Today is The Twelfth in Ulster and parts of Scotland when the Orange Order, which was founded in 1795, march through towns and cities to commemorate the victory of the Protestant William of Orange over the Catholic King James II at the Battle of Boyne in 1690. The victory ensured the success of the 1688 Glorious Revolution in the United Kingdom and the deposition of James. It also ensured the continuance of the Protestant ascendancy in Ulster and the domination of its Catholic minority which continued at least until the 1999 Good Friday Agreement. As a result, the Orange Order marches have been flashpoints for political tension and sectarian conflict each year.

A slightly more benign commemoration of the Boyne is the Sham Fight which takes place on or about the 12th at Scarva, near Portadown in County Down. Scarva was where William camped the night before the battle and each year after an Orange parade, the battle is re-staged as a fight between two horsemen, one decked out as William and the other as King James. William (known by Ulster Protestants as “King Billy”) of course wins every time.

[sbknews]

Suzuki summer test ride roadshow back for 2023

Suzuki GB will again embark on a test ride roadshow this summer, when it brings an additional fleet of demo machines to a number of dealerships nationwide, including the new-for-2023 GSX-8S and V-Strom 800DE. The first of 13 events will take place on the first and second of April at new Suzuki dealer Mo-Tech Suzuki, based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, with a test ride fleet including the GSX-8S and V-Strom 800DE; the two all-new middleweight machines launched this year, powered by a new 776cc parallel twin and equipped with a quickshifter, colour TFT dash, power modes and multiple traction control modes. The V-Strom 800DE also gets switchable ABS and an off-road traction control mode.

The list of demo machines also features the new V-Strom 1050 and V-Strom 1050DE, the GSX-S1000 and GSX-S950, as well as the GSX-S1000GT – the best-selling sports tourer of 2022 – the updated Katana, the Burgman 400 maxi scooter, and the iconic hyperbike, the Hayabusa. Away from the test rides, Suzuki staff will be on hand to provide information on the firm’s full range of models and current offers and incentives. Additionally, individual dealerships will also provide extra entertainment and activities on the day, such as refreshments, special guests, offers on clothing and accessories, and motorcycle health checks.

Suzuki GB’s head of motorcycle marketing, Ian Bland, said, “The test ride roadshows have become a staple part of our summer events’ calendar, and we’re looking forward to getting them underway again in 2023. Not only can potential customers try a rich variety of Suzuki machinery on the day, it is also a great opportunity for us to spend time talking with existing and potential customers to better understand their motorcycling needs and habits. We’re travelling the length and breadth of the country, and it’s set to be another busy summer of motorcycling.” For a full list of dates, see below, or visit the event’s calendar. - 1-2 April, Mo-Tech Suzuki, Bridge House, Elizabeth Street, Byker, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE6 1JS, 0191 265 9793 8-9 April, McCrum’s Motorcycles, 48 Armagh Rd, Portadown, Craigavon BT62 3DR, 02838 868004 - 15 April, St Neots Motorcycles, 29-39 St. Marys Street, Eynesbury, St. Neots, Cambridgeshire, PE19 2TA, 01480 212024 22 April, Thunder Road Motorcycles, Tremains Road, Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, CF31 1UA, 01656 661131 - 28-29 April, Bulldog Suzuki, 267 – 269 Reading Road, Winnersh, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG41 5AB, 01189 360725 13-14 May, Crescent Motorcycles, 324-326 Charminster Road, Charminster, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH8 9RT, 01202 512923 - 27 May, Groombridge Motorcycles, Mayfield Road Garage, Cross In Hand, Heathfield, East Sussex, TN21 0SP, 01435 862466 3 June, Two Wheel Nation, 3 Pontefract Road, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S71 1AJ, 01226 747669 - 22 July, Bill Smith Motors, 30/36 Tarvin Road, Boughton, Chester, Cheshire, CH3 5DH, 01244 323845 12-13 August, Two-Wheel Centre, 1-5 Priory Works, Priory Square, Mansfield Woodhouse, Mansfield, Notts, NG19 9LN, 01623 627600 - 19 August, Powerslide Motorcycles Stoke, 962 London Road, Trent Vale, Stoke on Trent, ST4 5NQ, 01782 415298 3 September, Orwells Motorcycles, Copdock Bike Show, Trinity Park, Felixstowe Road, Ipswich, IP3 8UH, 01473 257401 - 9-10 September, Fowlers Suzuki, 2-12 Bath Road, Pylle Hill, Bristol, BS4 3DR, 01179 770466 Note that bike availability may differ from one event to another. Customers are advised to speak to their local dealer in advance of the event to check availability. For more Suzuki GB news check out our dedicated page Suzuki GB News For more information on Suzuki Bikes GB visit bikes.suzuki.co.uk/bikes/

Read the full article

[thefivedemands]

AGENTE DEL MI5: “NON HO DISTRUTTO LE PROVE” Secondo giorno di testimonianza di un agente del MI5 in incognito, nel procedimento in stile Diplock contro Colin Duffy, Henry Fitzsimons e Alex McCrory…

[wandereraway]

Launch Site of the Titanic

33 Clarendon Dock, Queens Island, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom 54.6107, -5.9086

A museum marks and documents the site of the Titanic's launch.

HOW DO YOU MARK AND memorialize the site of a tragedy that technically sits more than two and a half miles under water?

The tragedy of the Titanic sent pangs of shock and grief through citizens all over the world. Comparable tragedies all have an intensely personal memorial site where people can visit hallowed ground and commune with their emotions about the event - Ground Zero in New York City, Auschwitz in Oswiecim, Poland, and Hiroshima Park in Japan - but the site of the Titanic is unreachable by the vast majority of humanity.

The organizers of the Titanic Belfast museum in Northern Ireland believe that they have the best possible solution. An elaborate building and museum built next to the slipways where Titanic was built showcases the Titanic story from her early beginnings to her tragic end.

Poignant and moving, standing at the site of the joyous send-off of a doomed ship is an affecting way to pay respect to the tragedy. Looking to the sea on a sunny day, one can imagine the emotions evoked among the engineers and workers who toiled for months to construct her, as they watched famous ship shrink into the horizon, wondering when they might, if ever, see it again.

Anyone with an interest in maritime history or the Titanic story should visit this incredibly special part of Belfast; Queen’s Island has a lot to offer other than the slipways and museum.

The slipways themselves outside of the museum are open to the public without charge, so you can walk in the outline of the great ship and marvel at the memorials in the area without paying a penny.

Know Before You Go

There are a number of activities on offer around the Queen's Island besides the Slipways and the Museum. Not to be missed is the SS Nomadic, (Titanic's Tender ship), and the Thompson Dry Dock and Pump House where Titanic was outfitted. If visiting the Titanic Belfast Exhibition, it is recommended to book tickets online in high season, and move through the self-service ticketing stations to save time getting into the galleries. Early morning visits mean the galleries are less crowded and easier to traverse. Getting to the Titanic Quarter is easy, as following the River Lagan out towards past the Odyssey Pavillion is a 15 minute walk from the city centre. The huge, pointed silver building is prominent on the skyline, as are the Harland and Wolff cranes which share the island. The train stop of Titanic Quarter is a short distance from the building and Slipways, and is accessible from the Central or Grand Victoria stations in Belfast via the Portadown/Bangor train route.

via Atlas Obscura

Send me some gas money!

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in 1998 – Drumcree Conflict | The annual Orange Order march was prevented from marching through the nationalist Garvaghy area of Portadown, Co Armagh.

#OTD in 1998 – Drumcree Conflict | The annual Orange Order march was prevented from marching through the nationalist Garvaghy area of Portadown, Co Armagh.

Security forces and about 10,000 loyalists began a standoff at Drumcree church. During this time, loyalists launched 550 attacks on the security forces and numerous attacks on Catholic civilians. On 12 July, three children were burnt to death in a loyalist petrol bomb attack. This incident brought an end to the standoff. The Drumcree conflict or Drumcree standoff is a dispute over yearly Orange…

[brian-in-finance]

Belfast star Jude Hill: ‘I really hope to become an actor... but Oscar is a very big word’

Jude (11) won’t get carried away over awards buzz

Jude Hill on the red carpet last year

Acting prodigy Jude Hill is keeping his feet on the ground amid talk he is tipped for an Oscar.

The 11-year-old stole the show as Buddy in Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical Belfast, which is expected to clean up at the Academy Awards.

The nominations are due this month, but Jude, from Gilford, is not getting carried away just yet.

He said: “Hearing all those people say I’ll be nominated is really nice, but ‘Oscar’ is a very big word.

“I think Kenneth deserves all the praise the film’s getting. He’s put so much work into it. It’s so personal for him.

Jude and Jamie Dornan in Belfast

“My friends were really excited hearing about what I’d been doing, but it didn’t really change anything and it only comes up a few times in our conversations. They’ve all gone to see the film, though, and they’re so proud.

“I hope to become an actor and I think Belfast has given me a good purpose.”

Jude also praised Sir Ken and his Belfast co-star Dame Judi Dench for mentoring him all the way through his breakout role.

Belfast stars Lewis McAskie, Caitriona Balfe, Jude Hill, Kenneth Branagh and Jamie Dornan

“They’re really nice and they supported me a lot. It felt really good to have these people as friends and I loved having them by my side during filming,” he said.

“Kenneth taught me about the angles of the shots and about the camera, and Ciaran Hinds [who plays Buddy’s grandfather] taught me to have fun on set. Judi Dench showed me how to learn lines. Each and every single person taught me something different — they all helped me out.

“I felt like the luckiest boy meeting Kenneth. He was such a lovely person and so down-to-earth.”

Jude’s proud mum Shauneen is convinced her son’s role in Belfast could be the start of something big.

Jude plays Buddy in Belfast

She said: “Everywhere he went, he wanted an audience. When he was at nursery, he was asked to read a poem at a festival.

“I remember rehearsing at home with him. He had this great expression on his face. He had a big, loud voice and he knew when to pause.

“It’s all been extremely surreal. We’re so privileged and so grateful for him getting this opportunity.

“We didn’t really know what to expect as it was all completely new, but everyone was absolutely lovely and so good to us.

“We were so lucky to have Belfast as his first movie as he had an amazing experience.”

Shauneen and her husband Darryl signed Jude up for lessons at the Shelley Lowry School in Portadown when he was four.

Jude and his mum Shauneen

She explained: “He’s been there ever since. He was a wee natural at it and it was something that he loved to do.

“The first time that we saw his wee face on the big screen, it was just so hard to believe.

“I’ve seen it [Belfast] eight times now, and every time I watch it, I think I cry more. It becomes more emotional.”

Acting chops clearly run in the family, with Jude’s two younger siblings — six-year-old brother Jonah and nine-year-old sister Georgia — following in his footsteps at the same acting school.

Georgia recently finished shooting the Channel 5 children’s drama Mimi’s World, in which she plays Saoirse, the lead role. She has also appeared in the CBBC sci-fi drama Silverpoint and the comedy-drama Almost Never.

Jonah, meanwhile, is showing promise as a singer and performed with his brother at a Shelley Lowry showcase.

Dame Judi Dench, Jude and Ciaran Hinds while filming Belfast

Asked where the kids’ love of performing came from, Shauneen said: “I did speech and drama at school a wee bit and I was a big Irish dancer.

“We keep things very normal at home. We take the children outside all the time, and at the weekends we go to the trampoline park. We keep things low-key. That really helps.”

Shauneen gave up her job as an operations manager to chaperone Jude and his siblings on set.

“Anywhere the kids go, any set where they are filming, I’m there with them. It’s very special for me to be involved because it is such an amazing experience for them,” she said.

Jude’s performance in Belfast has already earned him nominations from the Critics Choice and SAG awards.

He is also widely tipped to become the youngest best actor nominee since 1931 when the Oscars shortlists are announced next week.

“Hearing all these people say nice things about me is very crazy, but I love it all,” he said.

For his next big projects, he’s appearing in the Britbox crime drama Magpie Murders and the big-screen thriller Mandrake.

In the meantime, he’s enjoying promoting Belfast on press tours in Los Angeles, New York and Paris.

“It was my first time in Los Angeles and I just loved it,” Jude told the latest edition of Hello magazine.

“We were in Paris, having dinner at our hotel, and [Spider-Man actor] Tom Holland walked in and saw Jamie Dornan [who plays Buddy’s dad]. He came over to say hi and then he turned to me.

“We had a brief little talk, but I was just so shocked I could barely say anything. I started to cry after he left. Meeting him was just a dream come true.”

- The edition of Hello! magazine with the full interview is out now

https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/entertainment/belfast-star-jude-hill-i-really-hope-to-become-an-actor-but-oscar-is-a-very-big-word-41316715.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BT:DailyNews&hConversionEventId=AQEAAZQF2gAmdjQwMDAwMDE3ZS1jZWE1LTVmNmMtOTExNC00ZjQzNjkwN2UwNjHaACQwOTM0ZTUyYy1kMGQwLTRlZTYtMDAwMC0wMjFlZjNhMGJjZDXaACQwNDY0NTBhNy1iYmUyLTQ3MzAtYjU5MC0yZDBiNzgwMTA1MTmqF50zE3M8cSdRJb5xp3vo_62iQ_GrLi7ZMtYEW_Oc-A

Remember… Ciarán Hinds taught me to have fun on set. — Jude Hill

[jphlaw]

How Can Personal Injury Solicitors in Portadown Help You?

Experiencing a personal injury can be overwhelming, leaving you not only physically hurt but also emotionally and financially strained. In Portadown, personal injury solicitors are dedicated to helping individuals navigate the complexities of the legal system. Understanding how these professionals can assist you can make a significant difference in your recovery journey.

Understanding Personal Injury Law

Personal injury law encompasses a wide range of situations where individuals suffer harm due to someone else's negligence or wrongful actions. This can include workplace accidents, road traffic collisions, slips and falls, medical negligence, and more. Personal injury solicitors specialize in these cases, advocating for your rights and working to secure compensation for your injuries.

Legal Expertise and Guidance

One of the primary ways personal injury solicitors in Portadown & Solicitor Portadown can help you is through their legal expertise. They have in-depth knowledge of the laws surrounding personal injury claims and the legal processes involved. Here’s how they can guide you:

1. Initial Consultation and Case Evaluation

Most solicitors offer a free initial consultation. During this meeting, they will assess the details of your case, including how the injury occurred, the extent of your injuries, and any evidence available. This evaluation is crucial for determining the viability of your claim and the potential compensation you might receive.

2. Building Your Case

Once you decide to proceed, your solicitor will gather evidence to build a strong case. This includes collecting medical records, accident reports, witness statements, and any other relevant documentation. A thorough investigation is vital, as it establishes the facts and supports your claim.

3. Negotiating with Insurance Companies

Insurance companies often aim to minimize payouts, making negotiations challenging for individuals without legal representation. Personal injury solicitors are skilled negotiators who understand the tactics insurers use. They will represent your interests, ensuring you are offered a fair settlement that reflects the full extent of your injuries and losses.

4. Representation in Court

If a fair settlement cannot be reached, your solicitor is prepared to take your case to court. They will represent you during legal proceedings, presenting your case effectively to a judge or jury. Their experience in the courtroom can significantly influence the outcome, increasing your chances of receiving the compensation you deserve.

Emotional Support and Guidance

Dealing with a personal injury can be a stressful experience. Personal injury solicitors provide not only legal support but also emotional guidance. They understand the challenges you face and can offer reassurance and advice throughout the process, helping you to feel less isolated during this difficult time.

Contingency Fee Basis

Many personal injury solicitors in Portadown work on a "no win, no fee" basis. This means you don’t pay legal fees unless you win your case. This arrangement makes legal representation accessible, allowing you to focus on your recovery without the added worry of upfront costs.

Maximizing Compensation

Personal injury solicitors are adept at calculating the true value of your claim. They consider various factors, including medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and future rehabilitation costs. Their expertise ensures that you seek and potentially receive maximum compensation for your injuries.

Conclusion

Personal Injury Solicitors Portadown is invaluable allies when navigating the complexities of personal injury claims. From initial consultations to court representation, they provide the legal expertise and emotional support you need during a challenging time. If you’ve been injured due to someone else's negligence, reaching out to a local solicitor can be the first step toward securing the compensation and justice you deserve. Don't hesitate to seek their assistance; your recovery and well-being are worth it.

Read Also: What Can Personal Injury Solicitors in Portadown Do for You?

[clairebeauchampfan]

Two sides to every story

So....I just saw a repost by a blogger who usually posts sympathetically about Outlander,   about bigotted Ulster Unionists, which came with a slew of comments  about  how dreadful they are, f*cking British colonists, and with even more comments below about  how everything about the English is wrong and how horrid we were and are because of  our history as slavers and genocidal colonials, cultural vandals and ruthless Imperialists  (rich if some of that is coming from American bloggers, but that’s another story)

I try not to get involved in politics on my blog , least of all the god-awful  politics of Northern Ireland, that  benighted but beautiful corner of the Emerald Isle that is torn by ethnic and sectarian conflicts that have been intractable for, what, 400 years? Usually the comments I read on Tumblr about the horrors of the British Empire and how beastly the English have been and STILL ARE, pass me by.  If you are English you get used to being the world’s whipping boy for every real or imagined sin of your slave freeing, democracy promoting Nazi defeating ancestors. No one much liked the Romans, either, the bastards. What did they ever do for us? 

 But in this case I have, as they say, skin in the game.  MY Irish  ancestors were Southern Irish whose family had been in Ireland probably before the Mayflower; I don’t know. They certainly thought of themselves as Irish and sounded Irish, but  their names were not Mcthis or O’that, so I assume they were ‘planted’ at some time. Like 10% of pre-Independence Ireland they were Protestants, and like many they were driven out of Ireland during and after the civil war; their houses burned, their people intimidated or murdered,  their churches now ruins, in a determined bout of Bosnian style ethno-social cleansing that Republian Ireland would much rather forget. 

The Protestant population of the Republic of Ireland now stands at about 2%

“Over a large part of the country the already sparse congregations are being reduced to vanishing point – memories of the ‘terror’ have burnt very deep – anyone who knows Southern Ireland knows also the undercurrent of feeling urging the elimination of Protestantism ... the fact remains that a migration of younger clergy has begun.” - 1921 Church of Ireland Report

The future of Ireland in the 1920s and the 1930s under de Valera, as I read,  was of a closed, priest ridden society that harked back to a mythical time of agrarian self-sufficiency, a sort of Kim Il Jong ‘juche’ ideology in the Atlantic ocean, an Ireland where regardless of their tradition every school child was forced to learn Irish Gaelic, that indispensible international tool for a largely  Anglophone country.  It was an introverted Ireland which for fifty years seemed largely cut itself off from  the rest of the world, (until Ireland joined the European Union and became a ‘Celtic Tiger’) . An Ireland whose leadership,  in order to spite Britain, declared Ireland  neutral in the struggle against the worst tyranny the world had then ever seen, and whose leader signed a book of condolences at the German Embassy when he learned that Adolf Hitler was dead. As you would. 

Unsurprisingly MY Protestant Irish ancestors felt persecuted and the whole lot fled to the welcoming arms of Australia, back in the 1920s. .  You can learn more about the fate of the Southern Irish protestants in the book ‘Buried Lives, the Protestants of Southern Ireland”, by Robin Bury.

Like I say, there are two sides to every story. You’ve heard and you will  hear a lot about how terrible the English were in Ireland and I’m sure most  of it is all too true. You’ll hear about Cromwell, the massacres of Drogheda and Wexford, the Irish Famine, the absentee landlords, the gallant Fenians of 1798 and the Easter Rising and all. You’ll hear about the struggle for civil rights and about the English boot trampling on the neck of the oppressed peasantry and those gallant IRA boyos fighting to free the six counties from John Bull’s tyranny.

You won’t hear about the Portadown massacres in Ulster,  or the Protestants dragged from their homes and massacred in Cork, or driven into the night with their homes blazing behind them, or the Ulster protestants blown to pieces in Enniskillen on Remembrance Sunday. You wouldn’t understand the siege mentality of a people clinging to their identity against the flood tide of history. 

But then, to be fair, you probably won’t hear about the 50,000 brave Irishmen (some sources put the figure much higher) who volunteered to fight for Britain against Hitler and were shunned by the Irish government on their return, their contribution to the fight against fascism and Naziism ignored by official Ireland until 1995.  

You certainly won’t hear about  the grenade they threw into my grannie’s garden in Dublin, and if you did, I’m sure you could justify it.   They were unionists, after all, even if they didn’t speak with that strange strangulated accent of the Ulster Unionist politicians that we all  find so off-putting, or beat the Lambegh drum and sing ‘The sash my father wore and bait the Taigs every summer. 

But, like I say, there’s two sides to every story.  Now I’ll get off my soap-box and wait for the brick-bats. Filthy English scum that I am.

(Thank God, I also have Scottish ancestry too, unsullied by any profits from English Imperialism! Like most people with a Scottish connection  I now keep very quiet about the plantations in the West Indies, the ranches in Canada and the properties in Australia and New Zealand,  and the careers they made in the Honorable East India Company, which generated  the money that built all those fine neo-Classical houses in Edinburgh and Ayrshire and those Scottish Baronial Castles  so beloved of tourists)

#two sides to every story

[greenbagjosh]

Days 3 to 5 - Belfast, Carrick a Rede, Giants Causeway and Bushmills

Hi everyone, Welcome to Day 3 of my visit to Europe in Summer 2004. Up to Monday the 26th July 2004, I had been staying at my parent's then-home in California. I was there for the Gilroy Garlic Festival. Now I had to move on to Belfast, in Northern Ireland. I planned to go on the city tour, and the next day a tour of the Carrick-a-Rede Bridge as well as the Bushmills distillery. Then lastly I rode the train from Belfast Botanic to Portadown Central. On 29th July 2004 I would go by train to Dublin, in the Republic of Ireland. The weather was much cooler than in Texas, and I was fortunate enough to remain healthy.

Dia daoibh, Fáilte go Lá 3 de mo chuairt ar an Eoraip i Samhradh 2004. Suas go dtí Dé Luain an 26 Iúil 2004, bhí mé ag fanacht i dteach mo thuismitheoirí i gCalifornia ag an am. Bhí mé ann le haghaidh Féile Gairleoige Gilroy. Anois bhí orm bogadh ar aghaidh go Béal Feirste, i dTuaisceart Éireann. Bhí sé beartaithe agam dul ar chamchuairt na cathrach, agus an lá dár gcionn turas ar Dhroichead Charraig an Rí chomh maith le drioglann Bushmills. Ansin ar deireadh mharcaigh mé an traein ó Belfast Botanic go Port an Dúnáin Láir. Ar 29 Iúil 2004 rachainn ar an traein go Baile Átha Cliath, i bPoblacht na hÉireann. Bhí an aimsir i bhfad níos fuaire ná mar a bhí i Texas, agus bhí an t-ádh orm fanacht sláintiúil.

Ciao a tutti, Benvenuti al terzo giorno della mia visita in Europa nell'estate del 2004. Fino a lunedì 26 luglio 2004, ero stato ospite a casa dei miei genitori in California. Ero lì per il Gilroy Garlic Festival. Ora dovevo andare a Belfast, nell'Irlanda del Nord. Avevo programmato di fare il tour della città e il giorno dopo un tour del ponte Carrick-a-Rede e della distilleria Bushmills. Poi, infine, ho preso il treno da Belfast Botanic a Portadown Central. Il 29 luglio 2004 sarei andato in treno a Dublino, nella Repubblica d'Irlanda. Il clima era molto più fresco che in Texas e sono stato abbastanza fortunato da rimanere in salute.

Bonjour à tous, Bienvenue au troisième jour de ma visite en Europe cet été 2004. Jusqu'au lundi 26 juillet 2004, j'étais chez mes parents en Californie, où j'étais à l'époque. J'étais là pour le festival de l'ail de Gilroy. Je devais maintenant me rendre à Belfast, en Irlande du Nord. J'avais prévu de faire le tour de la ville, puis le lendemain, de visiter le pont de Carrick-a-Rede et la distillerie Bushmills. Enfin, j'ai pris le train de Belfast Botanic à Portadown Central. Le 29 juillet 2004, j'allais prendre le train pour Dublin, en République d'Irlande. Le temps était bien plus frais qu'au Texas et j'ai eu la chance de rester en bonne santé.

Hallo zusammen, Willkommen zu Tag 3 meiner Europareise im Sommer 2004. Bis Montag, den 26. Juli 2004, hatte ich im damaligen Haus meiner Eltern in Kalifornien gewohnt. Ich war dort zum Gilroy Garlic Festival. Nun musste ich weiter nach Belfast in Nordirland. Ich hatte vor, an einer Stadtrundfahrt teilzunehmen und am nächsten Tag die Carrick-a-Rede-Brücke sowie die Bushmills-Brennerei zu besichtigen. Anschließend fuhr ich mit dem Zug vom Belfast Botanic nach Portadown Central. Am 29. Juli 2004 wollte ich mit dem Zug nach Dublin in der Republik Irland fahren. Das Wetter war viel kühler als in Texas und ich hatte das Glück, gesund zu bleiben.

First I would like to apologize in advance, if some of the subject matter might cause distress. Part of today's adventure will contain the remnants of a conflict that started in the late 1960s, and lives were lost as a result. I will try very hard to keep that to a minimum, and focus on the more positive aspects of the events of the days concerned.

Monday the 26th July 2004, I had planned to fly to Belfast, Northern Ireland, making connections at Chicago O'Hare and London Heathrow. I would fly in first class from San Francisco to Chicago O'Hare, and Premium Economy the rest of the way. At the time, I had a United Premier Silver status, and consequently could spend time in the dedicated lounges. I woke up about 5:30 AM, took a shower, packed up, had a small breakfast, before my mother drove me to SFO. I checked in my rolling suitcase, and took my backpack along with me. The United lounge, at the time, in Terminal 3, allowed me in for an hour. I caught the 9 AM flight to Chicago O'Hare. I think I arrived about 3 PM Central. The flight to London Heathrow would not leave until maybe 5:30 PM. If you like Gerschwin's "Rhapsody In Blue" song, there was at the time, an underground passageway between Terminals B and C, and on the loudspeakers was a handbell version of "Rhapsody in Blue". There was also a neon light display just above the travellators, turning on and off along to the music. The walls had windows the same colors as the neon lights.

I was on a United flight to Heathrow from Chicago O'Hare in a sort of "premium economy" seat. It is different from the regular economy seats, since it has a few extra inches of legroom. On Monday 27th July 2004, I landed about 7:30 AM. First I went to the passport control, where I received a non-Schengen stamp in my passport. It said "Leave to enter for 6 months, employment and access to public funds prohibited". I would not need to have my passport stamped if I entered the Republic of Ireland by rail. My wheeled bag would be returned to me only after I had landed in Belfast. I was hungry, so I went to someplace in Terminal 3, the Cafe Rouge, that had a cafe serving "Full English Breakfast". I ordered it with coffee. I believe I had two fried eggs, sausage, tomatoes, a large mushroom and toast. Breakfast was very good, and cost only 9.50 pounds, including coffee.

After breakfast, I walked around Heathrow, even walking to the Underground station to see what had changed since my last visit in March 2000. Pretty much everything was the same from that time. I went back to the terminal, where I would catch the plane to Belfast. British Midland Airlines, known by its code "BMI", had a partnership with United Airlines, and welcomed those with a United Premier Plus status into their lounge at no charge. I spent an hour there, before my flight to Belfast. I listened to the BBC on my radio, and had a glass of Boddington's in a "nonic" glass.

About 10 AM, I boarded the flight to Belfast. It was on an Airbus A320, and it needed a jetway at Heathrow. The safety video had been prerecorded, and I would watch it again at least two more times on 31st July. The flight went over Isle of Man, before landing in Belfast City, east-northeast of downtown. The airport has since been renamed to the George Best Belfast City Airport. The international airport is west-northwest of downtown Belfast, close to Lough Neagh, and unlike the City Airport, it does not have a railway connection. Belfast City, if I remember correctly, did not have proper jetways, everyone had to alight by staircar. In later years, there might have been a couple installed.

At Belfast City Airport, I fetched my rolling suitcase. The rail link between Belfast City Airport and Downtown Belfast exists, but it is not particularly straightforward. You have to take a shuttle at the airport to the Sydenham Footbridge along the A2, go up and down the stairs, and go to the far side platform, not the near one, as trains would go to Bangor. There were no ticket machines, fares would be sold by the conductor. One thing I noticed at the corner of Inverary Drive and Station Road, was a house with a mural. In Sydenham, which I would learn later that day, the east part of Belfast tends to be loyalist, while the west part tends to be republican (unity with the Republic of Ireland). The mural was on behalf of the Ulster Volunteer Force. It has changed over time, probably three or four times, since I had last been to Sydenham. A train came in the direction of Bangor, likely a class 80. Arriving and departing sounded something like a helicopter landing and taking off. Since Northern Ireland's railways were not electrified then, they were served by diesel multiple unit trains, 80 class with the door handles on the outside, and 450 class that has electric door opening. Unlike in the UK, the Northern Ireland railways use the same gauge as in the Republic, namely 1,600 mm, known as "Irish Gauge". I rode a 450 class EMU from Sydenham to the terminus at Belfast Central, recently renamed to Belfast Lanyon Place, past the Titanic Quarter. I changed to an 80 class train, and rode for one stop to Botanic. The youth hostel was not very far. I think I arrived there about 10 AM. I checked in and signed up for the city tour for that day and the countryside tour for the next day. The countryside tour would include a lunch break where the city tour would not. The youth hostel was in the loyalist part of Belfast, the curbstones were painted red white and blue, and you could see hundreds of Union Jack flags strung along Donegall Road and Sandy Row. The "Orange Parade" had taken place two weeks prior.

At 11:30 AM, the city tour bus arrived, and only a few minutes later, it would end up at Belfast City Hall so that more passengers could board. We went first to the Gaeltacht Quarter on Falls Road. We spent maybe five minutes at Leeson Street, before going on to Shankill and the former Crumlin Road Gaol. The bus had stopped close to the Oliver Cromwell murals, at the time there were two. We were told by the tour guide, not to walk on the grass area due to "booby traps", basically meaning that many dogs do their business in random locations. Please bear in mind, it is difficult to exactly retrace the tour route, as over time, murals are covered and repainted, sometimes just simply covered with a solid color, or even the building can be demolished.

The bus left and we went on to see the Victoria Square and Belfast Cathedral. Belfast Cathedral is Episcopalian, more or less. It had opened in 1904. It is unique as it has two bishop's seats. It had a very nice interior, with corinthian columns and stained glass windows. They did not use benches, but they had individual wooden seats. They requested a visitor donation of about 2 pounds. They used the term "unwaged", for the local unemployed, which would have been maybe 1.00 pound.

The bus also passed by the Titanic construction grounds, and went as far east as Stormont, the location of the Local Assembly of Northern Ireland. The builidng itself was post-Georgian, had six ionian columns, and steps to the entryway. The lamp posts had moose heads on them. We did not have time to spend there unfortunately. The bus went past Queens's Square and the Albert Memorial Clock The tour ended at the City Hall square, and I was free to wander about. I must have wandered about for the last three hours, about as far east as the Albert Memorial Clock, but don't remember much else, as I felt jetlag and went to my bedroom to sleep. I used my UK adapter to charge my phone, which was a Siemens S40. The adapter I used was a "Type G", which worked fine. I went to sleep and woke up about 5:30 AM on Tuesday 28 July.

For some reason at 5:30 AM, I woke up, took a shower and then walked from the hostel to Belfast Central station. I took the first train somehow to Whiteabbey, wanting actually to go to Bangor, but by then it was too late. I was in a class 80 train. I happened to see an Iarnrod Eireann train, which I would take the next day to Dublin. The train also passed by Yorkgate. I remembered when I arrived at Whiteabbey, to put the window down and turn the handle to open the door. I did not spend much time at Whiteabbey. The only building of interest nearby was the hospital. I took another train back to Central Station and a bus to somewhere on Dublin Road. It was somewhere close to Wetherspoon Free House. I had a breakfast buffet for about 12 pounds. I could just pick the items that I wanted to eat. Then I took a bus back to the hostel, in time to catch the country tour bus.

The bus left the hostel about 10 AM. It went on the M2 to Glengormley, then north on the A8 to Carnlough Marina where we made our first stop. I remember the Herbert Street Bridge which had the maximum headroom sign of 13 feet and 3.8 meters. The bus went onwards to Carrick A Rede rope bridge. It was a pedestrian only bridge, and there was a charge of 1.00 pound to go over, returning was no charge. I had to walk from the car park on a trail to the bridge. I paid my one pound, and received a receipt for it. Once I returned, I received a signed certificate that I crossed the bridge. Crossing the bridge was not as scary as I had feared. It was going from a cliff to an island. I spent a few minutes there before going back.

The bus went on to the Giant's Causeway. It is said that the causeway goes as far as Fingal's Cave on the Scottish island of Staffa, past Islay. We stayed there for about ten minutes before going to lunch. We had lunch at a pub, and I think I had a thick cut bacon sandwich, salad and glass of local cider, something similar to Magner's. After lunch, we stopped at the Bushmill's distillery. They specialized in whiskey. I was picked to do a taste test at the end of the tour, I think I might have had seven shots of various Irish whiskeys, including Jameson, John Bower & Son, Black Bush and even Bushmills. After the tour ended, the bus drove down the A26 and M22 back to the hostel in Belfast. The tour arrived about 5 PM at the hostel.

I was not quite content to end the day just yet. I walked to Botanic, had a snack of chicken strips, fries and fizzy lemonade. Then I took a train to Portadown, just to look around. The train I rode over was a 80 class train. It made an intermediate stop at the former Great Victoria station, which has since been decomissioned. I walked from the station to High Street. At some point, there were gates that were due to close about 8 PM. Looking at recent Google photos of the same place, those gates would have been removed. I found some place to have fish and chips. About 9 PM, I took the train back to Botanic station. The train arrived at Botanic about 10:30 PM. When the train was at Finaghy, the lights had turned on. As it was a low pressure sodium light, otherwise a SOX light, it had a pinkish glow which would turn bright yellow. Ireland is in the GMT +1 zone, GMT +0 during winter, and the sun might rise and set later than in the UK. I went to my bed in the hostel and went to sleep. I would have to wake up fairly early to catch the bus to the rail station to go to Dublin.

I hope you will join me in tomorrow's adventure in the Republic of Ireland. I get to go on the self guided tour including a LUAS ride to Sandyford. You will kind of feel what it would be like to be in the film "The Commitments", particularly with Robert Arkins. See you then!

[les-enfants]

Colin Duffy a processo per attacco contro la polizia del 2013

Colin Duffy a processo per attacco contro la polizia del 2013

Tre uomini, tra cui il prominente repubblicano di Lurgan Colin Duffy, saranno processati per le accuse legate ad un attacco armato contro una pattuglia di polizia nel 2013 I tre uomini – Colin Duffy, Henry Fitzsimons e Alex McCrory – sono apparsi presso il tribunale di Belfast oggi. I repubblicani hanno respinto qualsiasi addebito legato all’attacco armato di Ardoyne, comprese le accuse di…

[loiswolf]

Day 55 July 27 Kilkeel  - Drogheda

Day 55 July 27 Kilkeel - Drogheda 77kms

My departure this morning was timed to catch the 10am ferry Carlingford ferry. I had successfully managed to extract myself from extended conversations with Jewells and was ready to go right on 9:20. I didn’t know exactly how far it was but I was sure there would be plenty of time. Yes, there would have been if I hadn’t missed the google maps turnoff ( which wasn’t signed) and ended up down in the holiday resort at Loughside. I had to pedal madly back up to the turnoff then race as fast as I could all the way to the ferry. This also is becoming a habit. Of course when I arrived the ferry still wasn’t there but being Saturday, a large group of mamils were. I rolled up for chat leaving them in awe of Shirley’s remarkable achievements.

Once on the ferry another two cyclists sat with me to ask about Shirley and my travels. First we had to pay the ferry lady. She wasn’t happy that I only had 3X£1 coins and €1 to pay the £4. She told me she wasn’t meant to accept mixed currencies but would let me off this time. Next time I wouldn’t get away with it.

My 2 companions and I had a little snigger about this knowing I would never be back there again. One of them decided to give me some advice on the way I should go to Drodhega. He told me the 132 was not a nice road and I should divert off to the more scenic coast road. Hmmm, been there , done that. I decided it was time to show the Irish what a ‘scenic’ beach looked like. Quickly flicking to my photos from our Tangalooma holiday last May I was able to dazzle him with how a beach should look. Blue sky, sparkling blue water and yellow sand.

( not to mention the super cute baby....but no one can compete with that!)

The Irish beaches on this side of the country so far had been brown sand, grey water and gray skies. Not so scenic! They should stick with their strengths - the beautiful green countryside. We can’t beat them there.

Off the ferry all the mamils were headed in a different direction and I was left to cycle towards Dundalk alone. I hadn’t really had a chance to properly see the Mourne mountains, so can we pretend this is one of them? ( I don’t think it is)

The road wasn’t great. Pretty rough in places and I had done 36kms by the time I reached the Lidl in Dundalk. Thinking this might be my last Lidl opportunity I went straight to the toffee twists. Oh no! They were all sold out. Everyone else has discovered them!

I had to be content with a chocolate muffin and donut and the usual cheese roll and baguettes. Another couple of kilometres and I was rolling through town looking for a coffee shop. I stopped at a little place which looked like it had a bit of character. Next time I’m going to stick to the supermarket coffee.

The coffee was terrible and expensive and I had to sit at a wobbly little outside table on the footpath because it was too noisy inside. I consoled myself with the donut, muffin, and cheese roll. It was midday already. I was hungry!

Out the other side of Dundalk and several kilometres along the 132 it was time to decide on my choice of road. The coast road had one thing going for it. Apparently it was flat.

Nah, I couldn’t be bothered with extra kms, I could handle a few hills.

The 132 wasn’t a bad road at all. It wasn’t busy, there was a good shoulder, and the surface had improved greatly. It was a lovely ride and I made good progress. So good, that I made another stop at this inviting looking inn to have a decent coffee. I was feeling rather deprived after the insipid cup I had been served in Dundalk.

The promised hills were not too bad and I had almost been over them when I  stopped. Down the other side and we scooting through Drogheda so quickly we were out the other sides before I could stop for a photo.

Then we had another few kms before out Airbnb place on the other side of town. It’s in one of those housing estates where the houses look exactly the same. There must be about 1000 of them!

Of course I got a bit lost after walking back from the shop. That’s why I always take my iPad out. I can find my way back with that.

I am beginning to think I have a shower curse on me.

In Sligo the shower was a trickle which was either burning hot or cold.

In Killybegs the shower had to be turned back on with a button every 30 seconds.

In Portadown I had a shower in the blackout and didn’t realise it was tepid because the hot water could be adjusted with the second tap. I thought it was not hot because of the blackout.

Today the water was cold because my hostess decided to have a shower just before me and used all the hot water. I had to wait half an hour for it to reheat. It was tepid.

Sorry to whinge...it’s just that these things can get really annoying after a while.

She is currently having a prolonged argument with her 19yo son about cleaning his room.

Not sure where I’m staying tomorrow but I’m really hoping for a good shower!