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January 04, 2007

Blair: Enough Agreement For Elections in North

News About Ireland & The Irish

BN 01/04/07 Blair: Enough Agreement For Elections In North
BB 01/04/07 Positive Replies To Blair Views
SF 01/04/07 Adams: We Await DUP Response To Tony Blair
IT 01/05/06 Dr Ian Paisley's Response
IT 01/05/06 NI Office Response
SF 01/04/07 Police Proposals In Line With SF Positions
IT 01/04/07 Adams Now Faces Crucial Call On Ardfheis
UT 01/04/04 Dougan Threatens To Leave Over Policing Wrangle
RT 01/04/07 DUP Seeks 'Upfront Delivery' From Sinn Féin
UT 01/04/07 McCord In Victim's Commissioner Bid
BB 01/04/07 Church To Appeal On Disappeared
IT 01/05/07 Opin: SF Facing Pressure On Policing
IT 01/05/07 Runway Sealed Off By Unexpected Marine Visitor
IT 01/04/07 Belfast One Of Healthiest UK Cities
HO 01/04/05 The Chieftains & The Houston Symphony

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http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/?jp=CWSNKFSNGBMH&rss=rss1

Blair Says There Is Enough Agreement For Elections In North

04/01/2007 - 19:35:50

The growing crisis in the North over policing appears to
have been averted after the British prime minister Tony
Blair said there was enough agreement between the DUP and
Sinn Féin for elections and devolution in March this year.

However, he warned, after returning home from his US
holiday a day early, that unless there's clarity, elections
will be cancelled and the so-called 'Plan B' will be
implemented.

DUP leader, Ian Paisley, says time is running out for Sinn
Féin to endorse the police while that party's president,
Gerry Adams, says it's time the DUP played its role and was
more positive about the Devolution of policing by May 2008.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6230971.stm

'Positive' Replies To Blair Views

Tony Blair returned home from holiday early for talks

Blair interview

Sinn Fein and the DUP have made a "positive" response to
Prime Minister Tony Blair's comments on the political
situation, the government has said.

Mr Blair came home early from holiday to try to revive
hopes of devolution returning by the end of March.

He said commitments on policing and power-sharing must be
honoured for an assembly election to happen.

"I am confident both parties want to see progress and will
honour their commitments," he said.

"But there is no point in proceeding unless there is such
clarity."

Mr Blair, who cut short a holiday in Florida by a day, said
that if Sinn Fein delivered on supporting the police, there
should be devolution of justice by May 2008, as set out in
the St Andrews Agreement.

He said Sinn Fein would propose to a special conference on
policing that the party "commit now and fully to support
the PSNI and the criminal justice system and actively
encourage everyone to co-operate fully with the police
services in tackling crime in all areas as well as actively
supporting all the criminal justice institutions".

"For their part, the DUP require that the Sinn Fein
commitments to support the police, the courts and the rule
of law are translated into action so that there is real and
tangible evidence of such support.

"It is delivery on those commitments that creates the
conditions for devolution of policing and justice to take
place.

"When there is delivery, there will be devolution."

Mr Blair said he was "confident that both parties want to
see progress and will honour their commitments".

"But there is no point in proceeding unless there is such
clarity," he added.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said Mr Blair had reflected
in his statement the basic elements of the motion he would
put to his party on policing.

The West Belfast MP said: "The core of a motion I would put
to a Sinn Fein ard fheis is accurately summarised in the
British prime minister's statement today."

Sinn Fein's leadership voted last month to hold a
conference on the issue of whether to support policing.

But the party signalled on Wednesday this was in doubt
because the move had not received a "positive enough"
response from DUP leader Ian Paisley.

If the conference does not go ahead, the March election may
be in doubt.

Although Mr Blair was away on his Christmas and New Year
break, he was involved in intensive discussions with
Northern Ireland politicians.

More than two-thirds of Sinn Fein's executive last week
voted in favour of holding a conference on the issue of
supporting policing.

Irish Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern said clarity was needed
before the end of January from the parties, but welcomed
Sinn Fein's acceptance of Tony Blair's statement.

He said that the "pendulum was moving" towards the DUP on
how willing it was to share power.

He said the party also needed to commit on the devolution
of policing and justice powers taking place on or before
May 2008.

"We're under no illusion that it is going to continue to be
difficult over the next couple of weeks," he said.

The DUP has made it clear consistently that there will be
no timetable for the devolution of policing and justice
powers agreed by us

DUP MP Nigel Dodds

DUP leader Ian Paisley said they were willing to make
progress but that "upfront delivery is required from Sinn
Fein" on policing.

"There can be no movement unless we have clarity on the
need for everyone to support the rule of law," he said.

"The prime minister is well aware that we are willing to
make progress on a level playing field when there is full
support for, and co-operation with the police.

"The time for action from Sinn Fein is now."

The Northern Ireland Office in a statement said: "It is
positive that the leadership of both Sinn Fein and the DUP
have accepted and welcomed the prime minister's assessment
as set out in his statement today.

"We believe that the parties can move forward on that basis
within the timeframe of the St Andrews Agreement."

However, the North Belfast DUP MP Nigel Dodds, said that
the 2008 target date had not been agreed by his party and
would not be.

"The DUP has made it clear consistently that there will be
no timetable for the devolution of policing and justice
powers agreed by us," he said.

"Such a timetable or target date is a purely republican
demand only. It was not required of us at St Andrews and we
are not about to renegotiate something on which our party's
position is well settled."

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2007/01/04 21:56:42 GMT
© BBC MMVII

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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/17291

Gerry Adams - We Await DUP Response To Tony Blair's
Statement

Published: 4 January, 2007

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams MP responding to this
morning's statement from British Prime Minister Tony Blair
said: "Last Friday the Sinn Féin leadership set out in the
clearest possible terms our commitment to move forward on
policing, we now need to see the same clarity from the DUP.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair's statement this morning
accurately summarises the core of our Ard Fheis motion on
policing."

Mr. Adams said:

"Last Friday the Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle backed a proposal
to convene a special Ard Fheis on policing. We set out in
clear and unequivocal terms the substance of the motion
which we would put to the Ard Fheis and our intention to
hold this before the end of January. We also set a very
clear course forward and stated very plainly that we would
be going to the party to ask it to support this motion.

"This is a hugely significant step.

"British Prime Minister Tony Blair's statement this morning
accurately summarises the core of our Ard Fheis motion on
policing.

"Of course the difficulties which have arisen over recent
days are not about Sinn Féin's commitments. We set these
out very clearly last Friday. The difficulties, which led
to intense negotiations between Sinn Féin and the British
government in recent days, were because the DUP did not
respond positively.

"Republicans want to see a new beginning to policing. We
want to move forward. We want our special Ard Fheis to go
ahead. But this cannot be a one way street. The DUP also
have commitments and responsibilities. We now await their
response to Tony Blair's statement."ENDS

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http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2007/0105/1167776701774.html

Dr Ian Paisley's Response, 3pm

"Over the course of the last number of days I have made
clear to the prime minister that upfront delivery is
required from Sinn Féin on the issue of support for the
Police Service of Northern Ireland, the courts and the rule
of law. I welcome the prime minister's assessment. Sinn
Féin must deliver on policing in a real and meaningful way.

"There can be no movement unless we have clarity on the
need for everyone to support the rule of law. The prime
minister is well aware that we are willing to make progress
on a level playing field when there is full support for,
and co-operation with, the police. The time for action from
Sinn Féin is now. If we are to see further political
developments, then it must be in the context of full and
final delivery from republicans. On this there will be no
weakening.

"We have remained steadfast on the need to achieve full
delivery and if confidence is to be built then it is up to
Sinn Féin to match their words with deeds."

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http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2007/0105/1167776701774.html

NI Office Response, Shortly Before 4pm

"It is positive that the leadership of both Sinn Féin and
the DUP have accepted and welcomed the prime minister's
assessment as set out in his statement today. We believe
that the parties can move forward on that basis within the
timeframe of the St Andrews Agreement."

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http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/17293

Proposals For Policing And Justice Departments In Line With
SF Positions

Published: 4 January, 2007

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Policing issues Gerry Kelly today
said that the proposals put forward by Peter Hain regarding
the departmental model for Policing and Justice were
broadly in line with those put forward by Sinn Féin. Mr
Kelly made his remarks as he attended a meeting of the
Programme for Government sub group on Policing along with
party colleague Raymond McCartney.

Mr Kelly said:

"During the course of the recent political negotiations
Sinn Féin submitted to the British government a detailed
paper outlining what we believed was the best Departmental
model for Policing and Justice powers to be transferred to.

"I have read the paper submitted by Peter Hain to the
meeting of the Programme for Government sub group on
Policing today and I am satisfied that it is broadly in
line with the approach outlined in our paper." ENDS

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http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/frontpage/2007/0105/1167776701968.html

Adams Now Faces Crucial Call On Policing Ardfheis

Fri, Jan 05, 2007

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams is to take time over the
weekend to consider whether he will press ahead with a
party ardfheis on policing. The British prime minister Tony
Blair intervened yesterday to try to avert the collapse of
the political process in the North, writes Gerry Moriarty,
Northern Editor.

Mr Blair made it clear to both Mr Adams and the DUP leader,
the Rev Ian Paisley, that he will abandon plans to hold
Assembly elections in March if the policing deadlock is not
quickly broken, which in turn would rule out any prospect
of a return to devolution by the scheduled date of March
26th.

Mr Blair put forward a form of ultimatum to Dr Paisley and
Mr Adams yesterday, amid conflicting signals from the DUP
on whether it would accept the transfer of policing powers
to a reinstated Northern Executive, a key demand of Sinn
Féin to support policing.

The prime minister issued a statement saying his
understanding was that Sinn Féin would properly sign up to
policing and that the DUP would accept the devolution of
policing powers by May 2008, as envisaged in the St Andrews
Agreement. "I need both leaders to agree to this
understanding," he insisted.

"Mr Blair does accurately summarise the core of the motion
that I would put to an ardfheis," Mr Adams told The Irish
Times.

Dr Paisley in a statement welcomed "the prime minister's
assessment" and added that the DUP was "willing to make
progress on a level playing field when there is full
support for and co-operation with the police". Dr Paisley
did not specifically say in the statement that he accepted
the transfer of policing powers by May next year and
insisted that "upfront delivery is required from Sinn Féin
on the issue of support" for the PSNI, the courts and the
rule of law.

Downing Street and the Northern Ireland Office assessed Dr
Paisley's statement positively. "He has welcomed the prime
minister's assessment and what you can't do is cherry-pick
the prime minister's assessment. If there is delivery in
terms of policing then there can be agreement to devolve
policing," said a senior London talks source.

He added that Mr Blair's position would not change. "What
the prime minister offers is a sensible way forward," he
said.

A spokeswoman for Taoiseach Bertie Ahern also responded
positively, if more cautiously. "We note that both parties
have welcomed the prime minister's assessment. This is
progress."

However, four DUP MPs, Nigel Dodds, Gregory Campbell, the
Rev William McCrea and David Simpson, MEP Jim Allister and
party chairman Lord Morrow of Clogher Valley issued hard-
hitting statements insisting there was no agreement on
transferring policing powers. Mr Dodds said his party would
not agree a date for the transfer of policing powers. "The
DUP has made it clear consistently that there will be no
timetable for the devolution of policing and justice powers
agreed by us," he said.

It appeared significant that these statements, most of
which did not emanate from party headquarters, were last
night countered by more positive but carefully crafted
statements issued through head office from MPs Jeffrey
Donaldson, Sammy Wilson and Iris Robinson and Assembly
members Thomas Buchanan and Paul Girvan which followed on
similar careful comments from deputy leader and MP Peter
Robinson.

Mr Wilson said the DUP recognised "the value of having
powers devolved to Northern Ireland" while Mr Donaldson,
echoing a New Year's Day statement by Dr Paisley,
implicitly criticised DUP hardliners by stating, "Let no
words discourage" Sinn Féin from moving on policing.

Mr Adams, who now faces a crucial personal call on whether
to proceed with the ardfheis, expressed concern about the
dissident DUP statements but said he accepted that Dr
Paisley did want to share power with Sinn Féin. He said
party officers would consider the situation next Tuesday
and indicated that a further ardchomhairle to clarify
whether the ardfheis would now take place would be held
sometime thereafter. "Last week's ardchomhairle motion is
predicated upon a positive response from the DUP. So let's
just travel forward in hope and travel positively . . .
Let's look at this in the round, and let me take the
weekend to judge where it's at and to see if we can move
forward again," he said.

© 2007 The Irish Times

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http://u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=79058&pt=n

Geraldine Dougan Threatens To Leave Over Policing Wrangle

A Sinn Fein Assembly member has threatened to become the
second member of its Stormont team to quit the party if it
decides to support the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

By:Press Association

Following Davy Hyland`s decision at Stormont yesterday to
become an independent, Mid Ulster Assembly member Geraldine
Dougan confirmed she was also contemplating leaving.

Earlier this week Sinn Fein announced Ms Dougan would not
be putting forward her name to contest the next Assembly
election for personal reasons.

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http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0104/northpolitics.html?rss

DUP Seeks 'Upfront Delivery' From Sinn Féin

04 January 2007 23:04

DUP leader Ian Paisley has said that 'upfront delivery' is
required from Sinn Féin on the issue of policing before
political progress could be made to restore powersharing in
Northern Ireland.

Mr Paisley said the British Prime Minister Tony Blair was
aware that the DUP was willing to make progress when there
was full support for policing.

He said the time for action from Sinn Féin was now.

The comments came after Mr Blair threatened to call off an
Assembly election in March unless there was clarity on Sinn
Féin's commitment to supporting policing and a DUP
undertaking to powersharing.

Mr Blair said he understood that once Sinn Féin delivered
on the policing issue, the DUP would support devolution.

The British Prime Minister called on the parties to honour
their commitments.

On RTÉ Radio's News At One, the Minister for Foreign
Affairs, Dermot Ahern, has also said there is a need for
clarity from Sinn Féin and the DUP.

Mr Ahern said that between now and the end of January will
be a critical time for Northern Ireland, and that the
Government would spare no effort to coax the parties
forward.

The Sinn Féin President, Gerry Adams, has said that the
core of a motion he would put to his party's Ard Fheis was
accurately summarised in Mr Blair's comments.

Earlier this week Sinn Féin had hinted that it might
postpone its Ard Fheis on its policing policy after what it
saw as a less-than-positive response from the DUP.

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http://u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=79062&pt=n

McCord In Victim's Commissioner Bid

A justice campaigner whose son was murdered by loyalist
paramilitaries has revealed he wants to become Northern
Ireland's next victims' commissioner.

By:Press Association

Raymond McCord, whose allegations of security force
collusion with terrorist killers are expected to be
confirmed in a explosive report later this month, disclosed
his plans for life after his nine-year fight to uncover the
truth is finally over.

His chief ambition is to succeed Bertha McDougall, the
widow of a police reservist whose appointment to the
position has been engulfed by controversy.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6231391.stm

Church To Appeal On Disappeared

The Catholic Church has agreed to help in a fresh appeal
for information on the location of bodies of people killed
and secretly buried by the IRA.

Archbishop Sean Brady said he had received the request for
help from the Independent Commission for the Location of
Victims' Remains.

The appeal will be published on church notice boards and
parish bulletins in the archdiocese of Armagh this weekend.

Other dioceses will take part in a similar appeal later
this month.

Nine people murdered and secretly buried by the IRA during
the 1970s became known as the Disappeared.

The remains of four have been found, the latest in 2003.

IRA members involved in the killings have previously
visited burial sites with a forensics expert.

'Support'

In a letter to Archbishop Brady, the commission urged
anyone with information on the location of the bodies to
use the newly-created confidential telephone number or PO
box address.

Archbishop Sean Brady said said he was happy to support the
commission's appeal.

"The families of the Disappeared ask for nothing more than
the return of the bodies of their loved ones so that they
can bury them with dignity," he said.

The commission, which was set up in 1999, said its work was
strictly non-political and was solely concerned with
returning the victims' remains to their families.

In its letter the commission said: "This current effort is
a real opportunity to end the harrowing ordeal for the
families and with this in mind, the commission appeals to
anyone who has any information on any of the cases to
contact them now."

Earlier this week Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams called for anyone
with information about the bodies to come forward.

He said he expected work to start this spring to implement
the work of a government-appointed forensics expert.

Mr Adams said those involved must "have all the information
possible to make their efforts a success".

The commission's confidential international telephone
number is: 00800-55585500. The PO box address is ICLVR, PO
Box 10827, Dublin 2.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2007/01/04 15:40:50 GMT
© BBC MMVII

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http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/opinion/2007/0105/1167776701634.html

Opin: SF Facing Pressure To Jump First On Policing

Fri, Jan 05, 2007

Blair makes judgment call to flush out definitive responses
from Adams and Paisley The DUP is talking tough but is the
party really in a position ultimately to block a role for
the Executive in policing? asks Gerry Moriarty, Northern
Editor

There was a strong sense of déjà vu yesterday, a harkening
back to David Trimble in 1999 when he jumped first to allow
powersharing at Stormont and invited Gerry Adams to jump
next on decommissioning - which was too long coming to save
the former first minister.

This time Mr Adams is being asked to jump first on policing
and the prospective first minister, the Rev Ian Paisley,
may then or may not jump next in agreeing to a May 2008
date for devolving policing and justice powers to the
Northern Executive.

Yesterday was a day of Jesuitical manoeuvring and at the
end of it Mr Adams decided to buy some time by putting back
his next move to next week when Sinn Féin will assess what
is a rather confused political state.

It was dramatic for the political process but the great
Irish public was not holding its breath. It must be
heartily sick of what seems an unending, grudging process.
Yet, this is old-fashioned, highwire politics, and
honestly, a form of endgame is at hand.

A degree in casuistry would have helped yesterday. It was a
day of interpretation, a day when senior DUP politicians
appeared intent on preventing Sinn Féin signing up to
policing, a day when politicians were going around in
circles on the issues of delivery and dates.

It came to a head when British prime minister Tony Blair
returned a day early to London from his Christmas break in
Miami. After long hours of telephone contact with Mr Adams
and Dr Paisley, he decided to make his own judgment call to
flush out definitive responses.

In essence, Mr Blair's assessment was that Sinn Féin was
prepared to properly endorse the PSNI at an ardfheis and
that if this happened the DUP was prepared to accept that
policing and justice powers should be transferred to the
Executive by May next year at the latest.

Mr Blair invited Mr Adams and Dr Paisley to accept his
"clear understanding" of the situation. He wanted clarity
and without clarity there would be no election on March 7th
and, obviously, no devolution by March 26th.

Mr Adams said that, yes, the motion that conditionally will
be put forward at the ardfheis was as Mr Blair understood
it.

Dr Paisley said upfront delivery was required from Sinn
Féin. There would be no weakening of the DUP position. It
was up to Sinn Féin to match words with deeds. But he also
said - and these were the crucial lines as far as the
governments saw it, "I welcome the prime minister's
assessment". And he added: "If we are to see further
political developments then it must be in the context of
full and final delivery from republicans".

The line from London and the Northern Ireland Office in
Belfast was that "you can't cherry-pick an assessment".
Therefore, Dr Paisley was accepting that with Sinn Féin
delivery, the May 2008 St Andrews timetable for devolving
policing power was also deliverable.

To other ears it sounded like Dr Paisley saying, "you jump
first, Mr Adams".

Mr Adams, too, wondered if the governments were correct in
their particular focus. Was Dr Paisley accepting Mr Blair's
assessment of the situation the same as agreeing to this
assessment? It was all rather laborious. However, nil
desperandum, said the governments, this is progress, and it
could still work.

But the DUP "noises off", as Mr Adams had it, sounded
rather ominous. Out they trooped with their statements
before and after the Blair statement. Republicans might
want to be patted on the back for potentially moving on
policing but they "had shot so many people in the back"
that they deserved no kudos, said DUP MEP Jim Allister on
Downtown Radio.

The prospect of a Sinn Féin minister sometime in the future
being in charge of justice was like "putting Herod in
charge of child welfare", said MP Gregory Campbell on BBC
Radio Ulster's Talkback programme. And just in case people
missed these comments, MPs Nigel Dodds and David Simpson
issued statements effectively saying they couldn't foresee
a date when policing responsibility could be devolved to an
Executive, let alone when a Sinn Féin politician might hold
the post.

Such stances are curious. View it all as a balance sheet
and even from a hardline DUP perspective what do you have
on the debit side? The party must share power with Sinn
Féin. But look at the credit side:

The DUP, a self-proclaimed devolutionist party, would be
the dominant party in helping run Northern Ireland.

Under the deal hammered out over Christmas there won't be a
Sinn Féin justice minister, either senior or junior until
2011 at the earliest, if then.

In the 17 months to May 2008, if Sinn Féin fails to honour
its commitments to policing, the DUP can collapse the
Assembly and Executive simply by walking away.

If Sinn Féin delivers, the DUP can have the devolution it
craved, with Sinn Féin supporting the institutions of the
Northern state, including, historically, policing.

All that seems mighty good for Northern Ireland, the island
generally, and unionism in particular. Why wreck the
possibility of making a state, that never properly worked,
work?

It's important to state that there were also carefully
crafted but positive DUP comments from Peter and Iris
Robinson, Jeffrey Donaldson and Sammy Wilson.

Mr Adams, who has his own dissident internal "noises off",
as he ponders his next move, now knows how David Trimble
felt when he was being shafted by Sinn Féin. Yet, with the
proper nerve and desire he could still out-manoeuvre his
own and the DUP rejectionists.

He says that, whatever about Mr Dodds, Mr Allister and so
on, that he accepts that Dr Paisley wants this to succeed
and that when the DUP leader said he was a man of his word
at St Andrews he meant it. Dr Paisley, even allowing for a
negative interpretation of his statement yesterday, has
said over recent days that if Sinn Féin delivers he won't
be found wanting, and that there can be a timeframe for
devolving policing.

But just as Mr Trimble had to trust Mr Adams so must Mr
Adams must trust Dr Paisley to deliver. If he takes a
gamble and proceeds with and carries an ardfheis, then the
DUP could hardly justify not allowing devolution on March
26th.

The DUP opponents of powersharing would be equally hard-
pressed to deny the devolution of policing powers by May
2008 if Sinn Féin's commitment to policing was evident. And
would Dr Paisley - if he is still at the DUP helm by then -
allow his colleagues to dishonour a solemn pledge.

Talk will continue with Mr Blair and through the prime
minister with Dr Paisley in the days ahead to try to make
it easier for the Sinn Féin leader. But Mr Adams has to
jump.

© 2007 The Irish Times

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http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2007/0105/1167776698935.html

Airport Runway Sealed Off By Unexpected Marine Visitor

Fri, Jan 05, 2007

An aircraft had to delay landing at an Irish airport after
a seal was spotted on the runway.

Staff noticed the seal shortly before a flight was due to
land at City of Derry Airport on New Year's Eve.

The airport is beside Lough Foyle and fire crews managed to
remove the seal from the runway and place it back in the
water.

Once the runway was cleared, the plane was able to land
safely.

However, airport staff were amazed when the seal reappeared
on the runway the following day.

The animal was again captured and taken to a seal sanctuary
at the Exploris Aquarium in Portaferry, Co Down. The
sanctuary was set up in 1989 to care for orphaned or
injured seals.

A spokeswoman for Derry City Council, which manages the
airport, said they were pleased the seal was now in expert
hands.

"Only one flight was disrupted for a short period while the
seal paid an unexpected visit to the airport runway and
thanks to the firefighters and staff from Exploris, the
seal is now safe and well in Portaferry. It is understood
the windy and unseasonal bad weather was the cause of the
unexpected visitor."

© 2007 The Irish Times

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http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0104/breaking58.htm

Belfast One Of Healthiest UK Cities

Belfast is one of the healthiest cities in the UK, a new
survey revealed today.

As hundreds sign up for New Year gym sessions in a fresh
bid to lose weight, the state of the city's health falls
behind London and Cardiff, but ahead of other places such
as Edinburgh and Leeds. It is ranked sixth out of 15 in the
UK, according to a study commissioned for Sky Travel.

Three key factors determined the survey — health, fitness
and environment and included the average number of gyms,
personal trainers, health food shops, daily consumption of
fruit and vegetables and general health. Brighton on the
south coast of England earned the top spot.

The city has the highest proportion of residents who eat at
least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, with 29%
eating banana rather than burgers on a daily basis.
Residents also live to an average of 78 years old — over a
year longer than the average age of everywhere else.

Philip Lucas, Head of Community and Leisure Services in
Belfast City Council welcomed the study and said: "It
recognises the importance that Belfast City Council places
on sports and recreation. Belfast has more leisure
facilities per head of population than any other city in
the UK.

We are proud of this and are building on it with the
construction of a new facility at the Grove Leisure Centre.
"The facility currently under construction will combine a
leisure centre with a library and a major health facility
to provide a holistic health and well-being service for the
community in Belfast. It is due to open in January 2008".

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http://www.houstonist.com/archives/2007/01/04/the_chieftains.php

January 4, 2007

The Chieftains & The Houston Symphony

Looking for something to do this weekend? Like traditional
Irish music? Feeling kinda like dudding up and hitting The
Houston Symphony for a nice evening out - hey, date night
options! The Chieftains will be performing this Friday
through Sunday. This internationally acclaimed group has
been touring in North America (off and on, of course) for
over 33 years and have been around for over 42. Here's a
snippet from their official biography, to familiarize you
who are unfamiliar with the instruments played and the
awards and accolades they have received.

The Chieftains were formed in 1962 by Paddy Moloney, from
the ranks of the top folk musicians in Ireland. Paddy
brought together musicians such as fiddler Martin Fay,
flautist Michael Tubridy, tin whistle virtuoso Seán Potts,
and bodhrán player David Fallon. They recorded a supposedly
one-off instrumental album but five years later were
reunited with some additions - fiddler Seán Keane, and
Peader Mercier replacing Fallon. Derek Bell, harpist came
on board in 1973. It wasn't until 1975 that The Chieftains
began playing together full time and they marked the event
with a historic performance in Albert Hall in London. The
following few years saw the departure of Mercier, and the
addition of bodhrán player and vocalist Kevin Conneff, and
another lineup change in '78/79 with the departure of Potts
and Tubridy and a new flautist, Matt Molloy.

On top of their six Grammy awards, they have been honoured
in their own country by being officially named Ireland’s
Musical Ambassadors, perfomed during the Pope's visit to
Ireland in 1979 in front of a 135,000,000 strong audience,
and were the subject of a tribute Late Late Show in 1987,
their 25th anniversary.

Tickets: $27 - $106
Time: 8:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m. on Sunday
Where: Jones Hall for the Performing Arts - 615 Louisiana

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