Family of murdered GAA chairman Sean Brown to meet the Tánaiste
The family of murdered GAA chairman Sean Brown is to meet the Tánaiste Simon Harris in Dublin later, marking the 28th anniversary of his death.
The family will arrive for talks at Government Buildings at 5pm.
Mr Brown was abducted and shot dead by members of the Loyalist Volunteer Force as he locked up Bellaghy GAA club in Co Derry in 1997.
Northern Ireland's Court of Appeal has affirmed a court order that the UK government should hold a public inquiry into the killing.
The UK Government has said it intends to appeal the order to the Supreme Court in London.
During an inquest it emerged that several agents of the British state were linked by intelligence to involvement in the murder.
It was the first time such information had emerged despite several previous investigations.
The inquest was stopped when the coroner ruled that the process was not able to properly deal with redacted intelligence material.
The coroner later suggested that a public inquiry was the only avenue which could properly hear such evidence in closed sessions.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Police officer, 36, killed after colleague ‘accidentally shot her in back during chase' as tributes paid to ‘tough' cop
A POLICE officer and mum-of-one was shot and killed unintentionally by a colleague while on duty. Krystal Rivera, 36, who worked for the Chicago Police Department in Illinois, lost her life during a confrontation between police and armed suspects. 7 Krystal Rivera, 36, was tragically killed by another officer Credit: X/@Chicago_Police 7 Rivera was a four-year veteran and the mum of a young girl Credit: Facebook 7 Her death will be investigated by the Chicago Office of Police Accountability Credit: Facebook The tragedy unfolded when Rivera and other officers were patrolling the city's East Chatham neighbourhood on Thursday, as They decided to investigate a suspect believed to be armed at 9.50pm. The suspect fled on foot into a nearby apartment as cops ran behind, according to Chicago Police Department Supt. Larry Snelling. When police entered the apartment, another person pointed a rifle at them. Read more US news An officer discharged his weapon during the confrontation leading Rivera to be shot, Snelling said. As she was being transported to the local hospital, the police vehicle reportedly caught fire and as a result, Rivera had to be put in another car, according to Snelling. She was pronounced dead at the hospital, police said. Another officer suffered a wrist injury, requiring hospitalization, according to Most read in The US Sun Dozens of police officers and firefighters paid their respects, walking in procession at 3am from the hospital to the Cook County Medical Examiners Office. The Chicago Police Department said Rivera was a 'courageous and compassionate officer who devoted her career to helping others and protecting our city'. Cops foil 'Lee Rigby-style' plot to behead British paratrooper as families on airbase told 'protect your kids' 7 Rivera's death has shocked the force who lined the streets in procession several hours after the incident Credit: Instagram/@illinois_fiveo 7 Rivera was the mum of a young girl Credit: Facebook Snelling revealed Rivera was a four-year veteran and the mother of a young daughter: 'She was a mom, and there's nothing like walking into a room and having to deliver this type of message to her mother and her very young daughter and the rest of her family.' He added: 'She was a hero, and she lost her life tragically doing the job that she loved. 'That was one of the things that her mother said, she loved her job, and the way that she worked.' In an Instagram post, the Chicago Fire Department posted a picture of the tragic officer, saying she 'made the ultimate sacrifice in service' to the city. According to Snelling, two people inside the apartment fled the apartment but were taken into custody soon after. He added that 'several individuals" are in custody, as three weapons were recovered from the scene. Police and the Chicago Office of Police Accountability, which assesses incidents that involve officers firing weapons, are conducting an investigation . Speaking about Rivera, Snelling said: 'She had already processed two other guns working that day. 'She was a working police officer trying to keep the street safe. And she did great work. "And if you talk to anyone on her team, they would tell you how great of a worker she was. "This is the risk that our officers take every single day.' Snelling added that "this happens way too often", saying: "An officer, a young officer, 36-years-old and four years on the job. Who was working hard… these officers are out here driving down crime while putting their lives at risk. 'I want everyone to keep this officer's family in your prayers and understand the risk that she took every single day when she came out to do her job.' Police are reportedly issuing a search warrant for the apartment, and a forensic investigation is said to be underway in the apartment 7 'This happens way too often,' said Snelling Credit: Facebook 7 The Chicago Police Department released this image of Krystal Rivera Credit: X/@Chicago_Police
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Fame-hungry' Titan sub boss Stockton Rush ‘wanted to die at world's most famous shipwreck in high-profile disaster'
TITAN sub boss Stockton Rush intended to die at the wreck of the Titanic, his friend has claimed. The bombshell allegation suggests the OceanGate CEO wasn't simply chasing deep-sea glory, but allegedly orchestrating a high-profile mission designed to etch himself into Titanic legend. Advertisement 8 Stockton Rush allegedly wanted to die on the doomed 2023 diving expedition, his pal claimed Credit: Becky Kagan Schott 8 The destroyed submersible pictured on the ocean floor in 2023 Credit: AP 8 Veteran sub expert Karl Stanley made the bombshell allegations about his longtime friend in a book Credit: BBC Karl Stanley, a veteran submersible expert and longtime friend of Rush, made the explosive claim in a new book called Submersed: Wonder, Obsession and Murder in the World of Amateur Submarines. He told author Matthew Gavin Frank: 'Rush's ego was so big, he was willing to die and kill to be pivotal to the character of this story. 'He wanted to go [die] at the wreck [of the Titanic]. 'The more high-profile, the better. He didn't just murder four wealthy people and get paid a cool mill to do it — they are all part of the Titanic mythology now.' Advertisement Read more on the Titan Sub According to Stanley, Rush meticulously planned the doomed voyage as a one-way trip. The pal described it as a "death dive" in a "futile" submarine that was never intended to return, Twelve days after the Titan's catastrophic implosion in June 2023, Stanley messaged Frank via WhatsApp, alleging Rush knew exactly what would happen - and intended for it to. The friend further claimed the OceanGate boss deliberately named the sub after the fictional British liner Titan — the ship in the 1898 novella Futility, which famously sank in eerily similar circumstances to the Titanic. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Exclusive Exclusive The implication, according to Stanley, is that this was no coincidence, but allegedly part of a calculated bid to tie himself to maritime legends. 'What's that bang?' Chilling moment sound of doomed Titan sub imploding heard from support ship 8 In Frank's telling, Stanley claimed Rush 'needed to compel more than just his own death, and he needed to knowingly fabricate a 'futile' vessel, costumed in a titanic name, as his murder weapon.' He even described the Titan as a 'mousetrap for billionaires.' Advertisement Asked point-blank if he believed Rush had knowingly killed the other four passengers, Stanley said: 'I know this is what happened.' Those passengers — British billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, and renowned Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet — were all killed instantly when the Titan imploded just 1 hour and 45 minutes into its descent. This isn't the first time concerns have been raised about Rush's approach to safety. In 2019, Stanley himself reportedly warned Rush about Advertisement During that mission, Stanley recalled hearing ominous 'gunshot-like' sounds every few minutes — noises he believed were the sub's carbon fiber hull buckling under pressure. 'The sounds we observed yesterday sounded like a flaw/defect… being crushed/damaged,' he wrote in an email to Rush. He urged OceanGate to pause operations until the problem could be investigated. But Rush allegedly dismissed the warnings. Advertisement In an icy reply, he reportedly wrote: 'I value your experience and advice on many things, but not on the assessment of carbon fiber pressure hulls… 'I hope you, of all people, will think twice before expressing opinions on subjects in which you are not fully versed.' 8 The 61-year-old died alongside his four passengers on the doomed 2023 voyage 8 The OceanGate CEO, left, was previously branded a 'psychopath' by his employees Credit: AP Advertisement In response, Stanley painted a chilling picture of what could happen: 'The worst-case scenario of pushing ahead… involves [Triton Submarines CEO] Patrick Lahey and some Russian oligarch tooling around a Russian nesting dolls version of a wreck site in a made-for-TV special, telling his version of how things went wrong. 'I hope you see option B as unacceptable as I do.' The boss of the ill-fated submersible was also He had reportedly dismissed safety concerns raised by his team, accusing critics of stifling innovation. Advertisement Veteran Titanic expedition leader Rob McCallum, who 8 The OceanGate expedition killed all five people on board after the sub dramatically imploded 8 McCallum said he repeatedly warned OceanGate that the Titan was unsafe. Advertisement The sub had never been certified or classed, and McCallum urged Rush to allow independent testing — advice he claims was ignored. He said: 'I run an expedition company that had delivered over 1,500 expeditions — we are not cavalier, we manage risk as far as we can. 'So when OceanGate say things like exploration involves risk, yes it does, but that doesn't give you carte blanche to ignore obvious danger.' Rush, for his part, reportedly accused those voicing safety concerns of attempting to block technological progress. Advertisement How the Titan tragedy unfolded By FIVE men plunged beneath the surface of the North Atlantic in a homemade sub in a bid to explore the Titanic wreckage. Four passengers paid £195,000 each to go on the sub, with the fifth member of the trip being a crew member. But what was supposed to be a short trip spiralled into days of agony as the doomed Titan vanished without a trace on June 18, 2023. The daring mission had been months in the making - and almost didn't happen at the hands of harsh weather conditions in Newfoundland, Canada. In a now chilling Facebook post, passenger Hamish Harding wrote: "Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023. "A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow." It would be his final Facebook post. The following morning, he and four others - led by Stockton Rush - began the 12,5000ft descent towards the bottom of the Atlantic. But as it made its way down into the depths, the vessel lost all contact with its mother ship on the surface, the Polar Prince. It sparked a frantic four-day search for signs of life, with the hunt gripping the entire world. There was hope that by some miracle, the crew was alive and desperately waiting to be saved. But that sparked fears rescue teams faced a race against time as the passengers only had a 96-hour oxygen supply when they set out, which would be quickly dwindling. Then, when audio of banging sounds was detected under the water, it inspired hope that the victims were trapped and signalling to be rescued. It heartbreakingly turned out that the banging noises were likely either ocean noises or from other search ships, the US Navy determined. Countries around the world deployed their resources to aid the search, and within days the Odysseus remote-operated vehicle (ROV) was sent down to where the ghostly wreck of the Titanic sits. The plan was for the ROV to hook onto the sub and bring it up 10,000ft, where it would meet another ROV before heading to the surface. But any hopes of a phenomenal rescue were dashed when Odysseus came across a piece of debris from the sub around 1,600ft from the Titanic. The rescue mission tragically turned into a salvage task, and the heartbroken families of those on board were told the devastating news. It was confirmed by the US Coast Guard that the sub had suffered a "catastrophic implosion".
RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Govt moves to change Rent Pressure Zones system
The Government is moving towards changing the current Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) system ahead of a crunch Cabinet meeting on the matter next Tuesday. Intensive discussions have already taken place on this politically sensitive issue between the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and a number of ministers. Further talks are set to take place on Monday night in advance of the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning. The current legislation on RPZs caps annual rent increases at 2% or at the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. However, it will lapse at the end of December and the Government is now likely to begin preparing new legislation which will change the present system. This will, the Government believes, "give certainty to the market". The Taoiseach has consistently stated that a stable climate has to be created to incentivise developers to invest in the domestic rental market. Senior figures in the coalition believe that "doing nothing" is not an option and if the RPZs legislation is allowed to lapse, then it would be a return to market rents for tenants. To avoid this, new legislation will be brought before the Oireachtas. The Housing Commission last year recommended "reference rents" which would tie rates to local homes of a similar quality. However, opposition parties have warned that any move to abolish the "modest protections" provided by the RPZs will be strongly resisted.
