Latest news with #BBCNewsNI
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
'Girls shouldn't have to wear skirts to school'
Two school girls from County Fermanagh are campaigning for legislation to force schools to offer girls a choice between skirts and trousers. Rhea and Astrid successfully campaigned for Enniskillen Integrated Primary School to allow girls to wear trousers, and said it's "weird and unfair" that some schools still enforce skirts. They are taking their case to Stormont's education committee on Tuesday afternoon as part of a hearing into broad changes to school uniform law. Education Minister Paul Givan told BBC News NI the decision lies with individual schools and their boards of governors. Some schools in Northern Ireland already allow girls to have a choice between trousers and skirts. Enniskillen Integrated Primary were prompted to change their policy after Rhea and Astrid contacted Dr Mairead Ryan, whose research outlined a relation between school uniforms and physical activity. In a letter to the school, Dr Ryan said: "Gendered uniforms can limit girls' movement and engagement in physical activities." "Uniform items like dresses and skirts can restrict certain movements and inhibit young girls from climbing, jumping, and participating in other forms of active play that are crucial for their development," she added. Rhea said: "I didn't really like being made to wear a skirt, it just felt wrong. It's 2025. "It's quite hard to run around without your skirt blowing up in the wind," she added. "All schools have the power to change it so if you have the power, then I think you probably should." Astrid said: "I think its important to have the choice for our privacy and for our comfort. "It's weird that some schools don't give you the choice to wear trousers. It's a bit old school." Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's The Nolan Show, Education Minister, Paul Givan, said: "Whenever it comes to decisions should I then give the legal right for a child to say I'm going to wear a school tie or not." When challenged, he said "I'm widening it out, because it can't be taken in isolation between a trouser and a skirt." The committee hearing on Tuesday will examine wide ranging changes proposed to the law around school uniforms. It includes proposals to make school uniforms more affordable, and limiting the amount of branded items which parents and retailers have said drives up the cost. Sports kits that 'don't last' push prices 'up and up and up' Should there be a school uniform price limit? Schools could be forced to explain uniform price under new law
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
More than 100 historic sites damaged across NI
More than 100 specially protected archaeological sites and historic monuments have been damaged or vandalised in Northern Ireland over the last five years. Most of the breaches occurred on or near farmland including an ancient field system in County Antrim and a centuries-old ceremonial site in County Tyrone. There are 2,000 historic monuments in Northern Ireland that are protected by law, with some dating back almost 10,000 years. The latest figures on damage and vandalism have led to fresh calls for more awareness to be raised around the importance of such historical sites and monuments. The Department for Communities has responsibility for protecting historic monuments here. Paul Logue is a senior official with the department's historic environment division. He said: "Archaeological sites represent a unique source of information about the lives of our ancestors and how they adapted to and changed their environment. "Unauthorised works at scheduled sites remove or degrade that archaeological source of information and can be likened to removing an important book from a library and burning it before anyone has had a chance to read it." There are currently around 35,500 archaeological monuments recorded in the Historic Environment Record of Northern Ireland (HERoNI). But only around 2,000 of them are scheduled, which means they have statutory protection. They include many prehistoric sites, forts, churches, castles, maritime sites, and also more recent industrial and defence heritage. New sites and monuments are discovered every year, often during building excavations, the farming of land and changes in weather conditions revealing ancient sites. BBC News NI previously reported on how in 2022 a spell of hot weather dried up a swamp in the Loup area that had been concealing a man-made island, known as a crannog. Special permission must be sought before any works are carried out on scheduled monuments to protect them from damage. Failure to get the proper permissions or unlawfully disturbing them can lead to a court summons and a fine. In January 2024 a building contractor was fined £50,000 for demolishing a protected historic monument on a site he intended to develop in County Antrim. Figures obtained by BBC News NI show that there have been over 100 breach cases at scheduled monuments in the last five years. A breakdown of the figures include damage to an ancient field system in County Antrim and a unique set of historic limekilns near Lisburn. Other incidents include graffiti at a 5,000-year-old tomb site open to the public in County Down. A path was also unlawfully inserted into an ancient ceremonial site near a burial cairn in the historic Davagh forest in County Tyrone. Davagh Forest is located at the foot of the Sperrin Mountains where a number of significant archaeological finds have been made. These include the Beaghmore Stone Circles which were discovered in the late 1930s when a local worker, George Barnett, was cutting peat. Damage was also recorded at a number of historic canals in Newry and near the River Lagan in Belfast. Illegal metal detecting was also a problem and in one instance a number of large holes were dug up at a medieval abbey site in Co Down. Some of the most serious damage cases occurred during the Covid period and around 30% of breaches occurred in urban areas, but most breaches were on farmland. Paul Logue said: "The high percentage of farmland cases is most likely because Northern Ireland has a large amount of farmland in our landscape and the overwhelming number of protected monuments are on farmland. "But overwhelmingly, we believe that Northern Ireland landowners and farmers are responsible people who in many cases have carefully looked after monuments on their land for generations. However, like any other section of society, a minority do not act responsibly." Seán Clarke is a Sinn Fein councillor and farmer from Broughderg who has reported the discovery of several historic artefacts from the land during his working life. Along with the local history group, he was instrumental in discovering a prehistoric site surrounding the ruins of an old school from the 1800s. He said: "We noticed that there was this deep bank in a double ring shape that surrounded the old playground, and we began to realise this was something much older. "We reported it to the authorities and they said they believed it was a prehistoric ceremonial site, so we helped get it reported and registered." He added: "Down the years even on my own land I've discovered different things like old standing stones and stone circles. "It's so important to protect these artefacts because they're part of our story, part of our past and once they're gone, they're gone forever, they can't be replicated." Paul Logue added: "The reality is we need the message out there that if you do damage heritage, you may end up with a criminal record. "And that's not what we want, so we would just ask people to be cautious and remember these places and monuments are telling important stories about humanity." Man fined £50k for demolishing monument Hot weather dries up swamp, uncovers ancient fort
Irish Daily Mirror
26-05-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Irish Liverpool among those injured after car ploughs into crowd at title parade
An Irish Liverpool fan was rushed to hospital after being struck by a car which was driven into a large crowd of people at the club's Premier League victory parade on Monday. Merseyside Police were contacted just after 6pm today after receiving reports that a car had hit a number of people on Water Street in the city centre. The incident happened as thousands of Liverpool supporters lined the streets of the city to celebrate the club's Premier League title victory. Co Down native Jack Trotter, from Newtownards, and his girlfriend Abbie Gallagher were among those in attendance at the parade when they incident unfolded. The couple had travelled to the parade with friends from Northern Ireland. Mr Trotter was struck by the vehicle and was rushed from the scene to a nearby hospital. He took to social media soon after the incident, describing the events as 'crazy'. "I'm writing this because I've got a million texts asking if I'm okay and it's crazy over here. I've barely any service,' he wrote. "The parade was going unreal until the very end. Unfortunately I was hit, however I'm extremely lucky as I dodged the car just in time, however still got hit. "In absolute shock how an event like this can turn to such a tragedy.' Speaking to BBC News NI from hospital, Mr Trotter said he was in "absolute agony". Dave Kitchen, from the North West Ambulance Service, confirmed in a press conference that 27 patients were taken to various hospitals across Liverpool following the collision. Two of those taken to hospital, including one child, suffered serious injuries, he added. 20 others were injured and treated at the scene, while a number of others have taken themselves to hospital for treatment. The collision is thought to be an isolated incident and police do not believe it to be terror-related, chief constable of Merseyside Police, Jenny Sims, said at tonight's press conference. A 53-year-old white British man believed to be the driver of the vehicle was arrested at the scene and an investigation into the circumstances leading up to the incident is under way. 'The car stopped at the scene and a 53-year-old white, British man from the Liverpool area was arrested. We believe him to be the driver of the vehicle," Sims said at Monday night's press conference. 'Extensive inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision, and it is vital that people do not speculate or spread misinformation on social media. 'I know that people will understandably be concerned by what has happened tonight. 'What I can tell you is that we believe this to be an isolated incident, and we are not currently looking for anyone else in relation to it. 'The incident is not being treated as terrorism.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
NI Liverpool fan in hospital after being struck by car at parade
A man from Northern Ireland is being treated in hospital after being struck by a car at a Liverpool Football Club parade. Jack Trotter, from Newtownards, County Down, and his girlfriend Abbie Gallagher were hit by the car as it drove into fans on Water Street, in Liverpool. It happened at about 18:00 BST on Monday as thousands of Liverpool FC fans gathered in the city centre for the Premier League victory parade. Speaking to BBC News NI from hospital, Mr Trotter said he was in "absolute agony". The couple had travelled to the parade with friends from Northern Ireland. Merseyside Police say a 53-year-old British man has been arrested. Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said the incident is not being treated as terrorism. David Kitchen, from the North West Ambulance Service, said 27 patients were taken to various hospitals across Liverpool. Four of the injured were children and one paramedic on a bike was also struck but not seriously injured, he added.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
NI Liverpool fan in hospital after being struck by car at parade
A man from Northern Ireland is being treated in hospital after being struck by a car at a Liverpool Football Club parade. Jack Trotter, from Newtownards, County Down, and his girlfriend Abbie Gallagher were hit by the car as it drove into fans on Water Street, in Liverpool. It happened at about 18:00 BST on Monday as thousands of Liverpool FC fans gathered in the city centre for the Premier League victory parade. Speaking to BBC News NI from hospital, Mr Trotter said he was in "absolute agony". The couple had travelled to the parade with friends from Northern Ireland. Merseyside Police say a 53-year-old British man has been arrested. Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said the incident is not being treated as terrorism. David Kitchen, from the North West Ambulance Service, said 27 patients were taken to various hospitals across Liverpool. Four of the injured were children and one paramedic on a bike was also struck but not seriously injured, he added.
