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I am now the proud father of a healthy baby boy 
Its the greatest feeling in the world! 
I now have an even greater respect for womenkind.

Poor wee man has Donegal on one side, Down on the other and living in Antrim - terrible start to life! 

[39 MLAs register family interests at Stormont]

39 MLAs register family interests at Stormont

Thirty-nine MLAs have registered employing or buying services from their family members or the relatives of party colleagues.

They completed the section in the latest Stormont Register of Interests.

This covers family members benefiting from the assembly's Office Cost Expenditure allowance.

Twenty-seven of the politicians are from the DUP, four each from the SDLP and Ulster Unionists, three from Alliance and one from Sinn Fein.

Some politicians directly employ their own relatives as researchers or office assistants, other have registered employing family members of other representatives.

Not all those who fill out the section employ relatives - some have paid relatives for work on websites or constituency offices.

I have seen this poster on here recently, I'm just curious to know, what's his story?

Been registered just over a month (approx 37days)
Posts - 38
Topics started - 17!!!!!!! That is almost 50% of his posts have been new topics! Blows Tony out of the water.

[Four 'super injunctions' in Northern Ireland]

Anyone remember the story about a certain fat twat and a leisure centre !!!!!
I wonder? 

Four 'super injunctions' in Northern Ireland  
It has emerged that there are four super injunctions in place in Northern Ireland.

The information was contained in an assembly answer from David Ford to the TUV leader Jim Allister.

Mr Allister was asking questions of the justice minister and was told four such injunctions have been awarded in the High Court Northern Ireland since 2007.

The North Antrim MLA said he hoped the information "may stimulate some necessary debate" on the issue.

"The mystery and secrecy surrounding injunctive relief is generally not healthy, nor does it sit comfortably with the transparency expectations of a modern society," Mr Allister said.

"Thus, establishing that there have been four 'super injunctions' in Northern Ireland contributes in a small way to redressing the balance of secrecy."

[Queen's Diamond Jubilee details announced]

Queen's Diamond Jubilee details announcedThe Queen will begin her Diamond Jubilee celebrations on 2 June next year by attending the Epsom Derby, Buckingham Palace has announced.
The 60th anniversary celebrations will be held over four days.
A flotilla of up to 1,000 boats will sail along the Thames with the Queen on the Royal Barge on 3 June.
People will also be encouraged to share Sunday lunch with neighbours and friends, and a BBC concert will be held at the palace on 4 June.
Tickets will be available by public ballot later. The concert will be televised, but the line-up of performers has yet to be announced.
The government has designated Tuesday 5 June a bank holiday for the jubilee, while the late May bank holiday has been moved to Monday 4 June, to enable a four-day weekend of events.
Events are expected to be held throughout the country and the Commonwealth.
A chain of 2,012 beacons will be lit across the country on the night of 4 June and the Queen will light the National Beacon.
The long weekend will conclude on 5 June with a carriage procession and a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral.
More details for all Diamond Jubilee events will be released early in 2012, the palace said.
The Queen came to the throne on 6 February 1952 on the death of her father, King George VI.

[NI poised to lose Devine and Ferguson to Republic]

Ah poor wittle nigel, no-one wants to take his calls!
Gurning aul shite. 


NI poised to lose Devine and Ferguson to Republic
Northern Ireland are set to see another two of their young players switching allegience to the Republic of Ireland.

NI boss Nigel Worthington has been informed that Preston North End defender Daniel Devine has opted to play for the Republic.

Worthington believes Shane Ferguson intends making the same move after the Newcastle United defender failed to reply to his calls.

A Fifa ruling allows N Ireland-born players to opt for the Republic.

Fifa rules include a clause allowing players to change nationality once before they play a senior competitive match if they were born "on the territory of the relevant association".

The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 provided for Northern Ireland-born people to claim either British or Irish nationality.

Darron Gibson, Shane Duffy, Marc Wilson, Daniel Kearns and Paul George have already made the move to the Republic.

There is a good production line here and to lose them is disappointing. Quote Nigel Worthington

Teenagers Devine and Ferguson, who played for the senior team in a friendly against Italy in 2009, have also represented Northern Ireland at youth level.

A disappointed Worthington wants further clarification on the eligibility ruling.

"It needs to be more black and white - to put all the indecision to bed once and for all," he said.

"It's frustrating and disappointing that a lot of time, energy, commitment and finance goes into these players over a period of years and then when they are 17, 18, 19 or even 20, there is the opportunity for them, because of the ruling, to vacate to another country.

"There is a good production line here and to lose them is disappointing.

"I've left voicemails, text messages and made random calls to Shane (Ferguson) but at no time did we get a reply."

Folks I know that there is a thread on Airtricty, but with Pheonix gas putting prices up by 39% I was wondering if any of you had switched to Firmus?
Is it as good as it sounds?
How long is the waiting list? (Heard that they can only take 8000 new customers a month!).
Is it a no-brainer?

Surprised that no-one has mentioned this yet.
Good few posters from the Antrim rd on here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12284139

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0126/belfast.html


Heard 2 controlled explosions last night, first one quite small, but the second was much louder.
Antrim Rd to be kept closed until at least tomorrow morning.

According to the radio he's dead!


Man shot on Shankill Road
 
28/05/2010 - 13:54:17
A man was shot on the Shankill Road in Belfast today, police said.

The shooting in the staunchly loyalist area of the city was reported to officers shortly after 1pm.

Police said the extent of the man's injuries were not known.

Officers were at the scene.


Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/man-shot-on-shankill-road-459486.html#ixzz0pELTvi7i

Lads and lasses, I have a friend heading to South Africa for the World cup and he wants to get a big Tricolour something round 12ft x 6ft, was hoping not to have to pay too much for it.
Does anyone in the Belfast or Ardboe area know where he could get one?

Any help greatly appreciated.

[Skull found in GAA pitch sand]

http://www.u.tv/News/Skull-found-in-GAA-pitch-sand/f7b1edde-f78e-4894-b19f-41f9f67a6c6f

Skull found in GAA pitch sand

A skull and bones have been found in a lorry load of sand delivered to a GAA pitch in Co Donegal.

The skeletal remains were spotted after a truck delivered tonnes of sand to a new training pitch at the Naomh Brid Club in Ballintra.

The load had been picked up at a quarry in Carrick, Gweedore.

Gardai said the remains appeared to be human and the county coroner was notified.

Both the scene of the pitch at the GAA club and the quarry where the sand was taken from have been sealed off for examination.

It is understood the skull and bones were spotted as the lorry driver dumped the sand out for a new training area to be developed at about 7.30am on Wednesday.

Gardai said it was too early to determine sex, how long the remains may have been in the ground or where they may have come from.

Another one?
Heard about 15 mins ago.
Sirens heard straight after.

Just to keep all the predictions in one place, tried trawling through the Horse Racing thread looking for tips on the big race, can't work out which races they are talking about.
This thread can be deleted after the race if anyone wants.

Anyway to start of, only caught the tail end of John McCricrick on 5live but he says a good each way bet is - Hello Bud at 50/1.

Fr Mulvey in Strabane built the Chapel, Community centre and Melmount Community Care.

Willie Frazer has turned his back on the DUP, not bitter enough for him, TUV his new drink of choice.

Wonder how long this thread will last! 

Welcome to FAIRArrogance and ignorance of Jimmy Spratt 
Friday, 05 March 2010 
Victims are disgusted by the arrogance and ignorance of Jimmy Spratt despite his willingness to speak on a matter that he clearly has little knowledge of. Now having been challenged to stand over his comments he has fallen silent, choosing to use his underling Chris Stalford to make a response. Therefore let us add cowardice to his charge sheet. I have issued a personal challenge to Mr Spratt to come to South Armagh, apologise and learn for himself what we do and how valuable real victims find our group. Since Jimmy Spratt's scandalous attack upon victims was brought to our attention we made it quite clear that we would not be letting this matter drop.  When ordinary victims read his comments there were angry and hurt. Therefore let us set the record straight in the meeting Mr Spratt spoke directly to Patricia McBride sister of a PIRA terrorist and said -"Patricia, I was delighted to hear you say that you had been looking at how funding was spent between 2000 and 2008. By that, I assume that you meant that you looked at the funding that was allocated by the Community Relations Council, and so on.



However, as we all know, there are fat cats who have lived for years on the millions of pounds of funding from many sources that has been given to the various groups that they are supposed to represent. Very little of the money allocated to those groups gets to the grass roots, which is where it should be spent, because after you pay for the fat cats and their entourages, you would be lucky to be able to pay for a Christmas dinner or a trip to Scotland or down South from the money left. That concerns me, because some of those organisations are even buying advertising space in newspapers, which is almost political. That must be got to grips with."

This sickening double act led to an attack on one group – FAIR, as we are the only one to have taken advertising space. Therefore we can only conclude that the '...fat cats and their entourages...' comment is a direct and personal attack upon William Frazer and the FAIR staff and committee.  Let us say FAIR does not receive millions, and what it does receive is for specific victims work and programmes to assist victims in their everyday lives. Despite our membership growing massively the OFDFM linked funding has been frozen for over seven years. Let us put this in contrast to Mr Spratt and the money he has taken from the taxpayer. Looking at claims he has made from his double jobbing at Castlereagh Council and the Assembly we calculate that at present Mr Spratt is growing fat on a £ 55,539 annual salary. This is more than double the average FAIR workers salary! Secondly he takes over £75,000 in expenses based on his last full claim for 2008-2009, much of which goes to employ his wife as a part time office manager. At a time when victims groups are going to the wall because there are not enough funds to support even a part time administrator, its seems extravagant and nepotistic to employ an MLAs wife to manage office staff.

In total we calculate that since retiring and taking up politics as a retirement activity Mr Spratt has cost the taxpayer over £400,000. This is largely composed of a staggering £385,207.46 we calculate from his claims to council and the assembly since 2005 when he first entered council. The bulk of his claims, date from March 2007, with over £360,000 in salary and expenses, which is more than we get to run entire projects for the same period.  Add to this over the years his Police pension and other incomes such as a property portfolio from Belfast to Sheffield, a holiday home in Morocco and a farm in Comber and we get a picture of a man who has done rather well for himself. If anyone has grown fat over recent years it is Mr Spratt and his entourage and family who have all done very well from his far from productive spell in politics. He is the self proclaimed policing expert however since his involvement in the policing debate we have seen the RUC disbanded and destroyed, the continuance of 50-50 recruitment with over 1000 potential protestant applicants rejected, the closure of dozens of police stations, and the present situation where we find a crisis in policing in the face of a rising dissident threat.

Not satisfied with such a record of disaster and broken promises Mr Spratt also allowed the early devolution of Policing and Justice, a key Republican demand, to happen on his watch! His belated political career is marked by defeat after defeat if he was not already in retirement we would call for him to do so! Now he appears to be turning his ignorant gaze towards the victims sector. We say hands off the victims Mr Spratt, however as one widow commented given his record or failure any attempt to deny us funds would probably end in a windfall for the group! However his display of ignorance about the victims is the biggest insult as he alleges that nothing has been done for the victims on the ground. This is an outright and outrageous lie, and we demand that he publically apologises. When he claims that money does not reach victims I would again remind him that aside from the Northern Ireland Memorial Fund there are no other sources of direct funding for victims despite our calls. I would agree that the policies in place are utterly wrong but it is the OFDFM which put them there in the first place.

If he has a problem with us then he should be man enough to meet us and outline it, indeed we publically challenge him to a debate on victims' issues and who has done more for victims. Our public record is clear, and our accounts are open we have no problem outlining to anyone what we do and where we get what little funds we do. As a group of our size and with our membership we are underfunded. We can outline evidence for the work we have done, we can produce thousands of victims who we have helped and who support our work, can he do the same?

Speaking at a meeting of outraged victims William Frazer said "This personal slanderous attack is not only against me and against FAIR but against all innocent victims who speak from their hearts. When I speak, I speak for thousands of victims who are often angry and disappointed, we have a right to voice our opinion, and this right was bought by the sacrifice of our loved ones and ourselves. It was bought in blood and we are entitled to spend our own money on advertising or literature or any means to express that opinion. I challenge Mr Spratt to a public debate on what victims groups have received and what they have not received, what they have done for ordinary victims and what they have not. We have the proof that shows him a liar and if he does not apologise we will publically expose him as such. I will take the victims whom he has slandered to his office, to Stormont or wherever to confront him. Sinn Fein/IRA have not silenced us in almost four decades and Jimmy Spratt, after his late entry into politics, will not achieve it now. Let him come and see what we do and listen to victims before he speaks. I on behalf of the victims he has slandered demand an apology."

http://www.ulsterbulwark.org/page43.htm

Does anyone hasve a link to Gerrys appearance on the Late Late last weekend, I missed it and would like to see it.

At last it's going to happen!
Unionists  (mainly the DUP) have been trying to stall it for the last few years, now they have to move - shame it took a c**k mad woman and a blinkered bigot/nasty cnut's fcuk up's to seal the deal.

SF need to handle this carefully, parades are a timebomb, and I don't think that they would have given an inch on contentious parades, possibly agreed to a new Parades Comission though.
The other thing I think may have been agreed is a Joint Justice Minister - bad idea if happens.

BTW this won't happen until later on today, or at the latest later on this week.

Yes, I am officially a driver as of 11.45am yesterday!   

Haven't heard any radio stations play Rage against the Machine, yet Joe McElderry is on every feckin hour.

So for those that haven't heard it yet, nice bit of easy listening. 

Hope it gets number one. They're going to donate all proceeds to charity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkuOAY-S6OY