Latest news with #TwelfthofJuly
Belfast Telegraph
6 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
‘Our hero, too kind for this world': Footballer who died weeks after crash laid to rest in Co Armagh
Mourners gathered in Knocknamuckley Parish Church near Portadown on Wednesday to say their final farewell to Aaron Moffett. A group of young people formed a guard of honour as the coffin was carried into the church. The 38-year-old, from the Knocknamuckley area, was involved in a collision near Markethill while making his way back from a Twelfth of July parade in Keady. Aaron was taken to hospital following the crash on Coolmillish Road, but died last Friday. A funeral notice described Aaron as "the darling husband of Lindsey, devoted son of John and Florence, loving brother of Hannah, dear son in law of Philip and Jennifer, cherished brother in law of Ashley, Chris and Vicky and also incredibly loved uncle of Bodhi, Sonny, Carson and Arthur'. It said he 'went to sleep one last time surrounded by his loving family' on August 1. "Sincerely loved and forever missed by his entire circle of family and friends,' the notice continued. "Our hero, too kind for this world.' The family had requested donations for the charity REVIVE, which supports the work of ICU wards, and for the NI Air Ambulance. A private committal took place following the service led by Rev Ian McGrath. Stormont's Deputy First Minister previously paid tribute to the former Dollingstown FC player who spent 13 years with the club as a player and captain. Emma Little-Pengelly described his passing 'an absolute tragedy'. "Aaron was so respected and loved by so many,' she said. "It is a real testimony to him and his character to see the outpouring of grief and all the many poignant reflections on his life and contribution.' His former club, which he retired from in 2021, posted on social media: 'May you rest in peace skipper'. Dollingstown FC also made a poignant post: 'May you rest in peace skipper'. 'It is with total sadness that we announce the passing of Aaron Moffett. Words simply will never do him justice,' the club added. 'Moff was simply Mr Dollingstown, loved by all. '(He played) 13 years as captain of the club, winning countless trophies along the way, he then took up the job of secretary where he played a vital role in the running and progress of the club ever since. 'He was respected and admired by clubs all over the island. We thank each and every one of you for the messages and phone calls of support. 'A total gentleman who we will never forget.' News Catch Up - Wednesday 6th August DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley previously said that Aaron's family are 'devastated'. Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Buckley said: 'He was a popular young man and they are a well-respected family; it is just devastating,' he said. 'He was known in so many circles and was so highly regarded, it was news no one wanted to hear. 'He fought a brave fight but he has unfortunately succumbed to his injuries and my thoughts go out to his wife Lindsey and mum and dad and sisters- and brothers-in-law and many uncles and aunties.'
Sunday World
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Sunday World
Funeral details announced for footballer who died three weeks after crash
Aaron Moffett (38) was involved in a collision near Markethill while making his way back from a Twelfth of July parade in Keady The funeral of a man who died after falling from a moving vehicle in Co Armagh on July 12 will be held on Wednesday. Aaron Moffett (38) was involved in a collision near Markethill while making his way back from a Twelfth of July parade in Keady. The crash happened on the Coolmillish Road at around 4.30pm on July 12. Mr Moffett was being treated in hospital prior to his passing. The funeral for the Dollingstown FC footballer will be held at on August 6, at 2pm in Knocknamuckley Parish Church, and will be followed by a private committal. Tributes for the footballer, who had spent 13 years at Dollingstown FC as a player and captain, were led by Deputy First Minister. Emma Little-Pengelly branded his passing 'an absolute tragedy'. "Aaron was so respected and loved by so many,' she said. "It is a real testimony to him and his character to see the outpouring of grief and all the many poignant reflections on his life and contribution.' Mr Moffett was from the Knocknamuckley area. His former club, which he retired from in 2021, posted on social media: 'May you rest in peace skipper'. His former club Dollingstown FC posted poignantly: 'May you rest in peace skipper'. The club added: 'It is with total sadness that we announce the passing of Aaron Moffett. Words simply will never do him justice. 'Moff was simply Mr Dollingstown, loved by all. '(He played) 13 years as captain of the club, winning countless trophies along the way, he then took up the job of secretary where he played a vital role in the running and progress of the club ever since. 'He was respected and admired by clubs all over the island. We thank each and every one of you for the messages and phone calls of support. 'A total gentleman who we will never forget.' After the accident Dollingstown chairperson, Hubert Watson, said Aaron was with the club for 18 years and was loved and admired by everyone. On Friday night, Mr Watson said the club had lost 'a true friend and leader'. The Mid Ulster football league said Mr Moffatt led his club with 'unwavering pride'. 'Aaron was the very embodiment of Dollingstown – a true gentleman, known affectionately as 'Mr Dollingstown' and deeply loved by everyone who had the privilege of knowing him,' said a spokesperson. 'For over 13 distinguished years as club captain, he led with unwavering pride and passion, securing countless trophies and unforgettable moments. "In his role as club secretary, he continued to guide and shape the future of our club with tireless dedication and integrity.' Another former club, Loughgall FC, expressed "great sadness' at the news. DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley said that Aaron's family are 'devastated'. Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Buckley said: 'He was a popular young man and they are a well-respected family; it is just devastating,' he said. 'He was known in so many circles and was so highly regarded, it was news no one wanted to hear. 'He fought a brave fight but he has unfortunately succumbed to his injuries and my thoughts go out to his wife Lindsey and mum and dad and sisters- and brothers-in-law and many uncles and aunties.' Roads Policing Inspector Cherith Adair from the Collision Investigation Unit said their investigation into the crash remains ongoing. 'Officers responded to a report of a man who had sustained serious injuries following the incident on Coolmillish Road just after 4.30pm,' the inspector said. 'Colleagues from Northern Ireland Ambulance Service also attended and the man was conveyed to hospital. 'Subsequently, 38-year-old Aaron Moffett from Portadown, passed away in hospital on Friday 1st August. 'Our investigation is ongoing, and we appeal to anyone with phone/ dash cam footage, or information which might assist, to get in touch. 'The number to call is 101, quoting reference number 1461 of 12/07/25.' Aaron Moffett News in 90 Seconds - Sunday, August 3rd
Belfast Telegraph
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Funeral details announced for Portadown footballer who died three weeks after crash on Twelfth
Aaron Moffett (38) was involved in a collision near Markethill while making his way back from a Twelfth of July parade in Keady. The crash happened on the Coolmillish Road at around 4.30pm on July 12. Mr Moffett was being treated in hospital prior to his passing. The funeral for the Dollingstown FC footballer will be held at on August 6, at 2pm in Knocknamuckley Parish Church, and will be followed by a private committal. Tributes for the footballer, who had spent 13 years at Dollingstown FC as a player and captain, were led by Deputy First Minister. Emma Little-Pengelly branded his passing 'an absolute tragedy'. "Aaron was so respected and loved by so many,' she said. "It is a real testimony to him and his character to see the outpouring of grief and all the many poignant reflections on his life and contribution.' Mr Moffett was from the Knocknamuckley area. His former club, which he retired from in 2021, posted on social media: 'May you rest in peace skipper'. His former club Dollingstown FC posted poignantly: 'May you rest in peace skipper'. The club added: 'It is with total sadness that we announce the passing of Aaron Moffett. Words simply will never do him justice. 'Moff was simply Mr Dollingstown, loved by all. '(He played) 13 years as captain of the club, winning countless trophies along the way, he then took up the job of secretary where he played a vital role in the running and progress of the club ever since. 'He was respected and admired by clubs all over the island. We thank each and every one of you for the messages and phone calls of support. 'A total gentleman who we will never forget.' After the accident Dollingstown chairperson, Hubert Watson, said Aaron was with the club for 18 years and was loved and admired by everyone. On Friday night, Mr Watson said the club had lost 'a true friend and leader'. The Mid Ulster football league said Mr Moffatt led his club with 'unwavering pride'. 'Aaron was the very embodiment of Dollingstown – a true gentleman, known affectionately as 'Mr Dollingstown' and deeply loved by everyone who had the privilege of knowing him,' said a spokesperson. 'For over 13 distinguished years as club captain, he led with unwavering pride and passion, securing countless trophies and unforgettable moments. "In his role as club secretary, he continued to guide and shape the future of our club with tireless dedication and integrity.' Another former club, Loughgall FC, expressed "great sadness' at the news. DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley said that Aaron's family are 'devastated'. Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Buckley said: 'He was a popular young man and they are a well-respected family; it is just devastating,' he said. 'He was known in so many circles and was so highly regarded, it was news no one wanted to hear. 'He fought a brave fight but he has unfortunately succumbed to his injuries and my thoughts go out to his wife Lindsey and mum and dad and sisters- and brothers-in-law and many uncles and aunties.' Roads Policing Inspector Cherith Adair from the Collision Investigation Unit said their investigation into the crash remains ongoing. 'Officers responded to a report of a man who had sustained serious injuries following the incident on Coolmillish Road just after 4.30pm,' the inspector said. Storm Floris to bring 'unseasonably strong winds' to parts of UK 'Colleagues from Northern Ireland Ambulance Service also attended and the man was conveyed to hospital. 'Subsequently, 38-year-old Aaron Moffett from Portadown, passed away in hospital on Friday 1st August. 'Our investigation is ongoing, and we appeal to anyone with phone/ dash cam footage, or information which might assist, to get in touch. 'The number to call is 101, quoting reference number 1461 of 12/07/25.'
Irish Times
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
A Marshall Plan is needed for loyalist communities, and so much more
The Twelfth of July passed off mostly peacefully, even if the effigy of mannequins dressed up as immigrants burned on a loyalist bonfire in Moygashel near Dungannon will leave a lingering bad taste in the mouth. The hostility towards outsiders displayed by the bonfire, however, holds important messages not about those who have come to Northern Ireland for a better life, but, rather, about some of those who never left. For some loyalists, outsiders threaten to dilute identity and a way of life, with feelings most acute where they feel most neglected, or most affected by the changes that have taken place around them. The offensiveness of the bonfire in the Tyrone village is an expression of hopelessness and desperation, attempting by way of a tribal display to declare who they are, rather than who they are not. Moygashel provokes two observations about loyalism, one where identity exists in a cycle of hopelessness and despair and another that demands urgent attention because of that hopelessness and despair. One should not, and must not, assume that the feelings represented by the bonfire speak for all loyalism, but they do point to a sickness at the heart of loyalist culture. too often dismissive, isolating and extreme. This is not just about emotion, but something buried deep in the heart of loyalist communities, supported by the continued existence of loyalist paramilitary groups. The formal process of engagement with loyalist paramilitaries now being mooted by the Irish and British governments offers hope that extreme elements can be confronted, or, better again, disbanded. The independent 'expert' body – announced, but not yet set up – that will get a year to report on the disbandment of paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland raises the prospect that serious action might follow. Importantly, though, the disbandment case must be so overwhelming that it exposes the futility of the argument made so often that paramilitary groups are needed to maintain communal safety and order in loyalist communities. Effigies of migrants in a boat burn atop a bonfire at Moygashel, Co Tyrone. Photograph Niall Carson/PA Everyone must see the benefits of such change, especially loyalist communities themselves and those within them who would most object, and resist efforts to bring about disbandment. For that to happen, the conversation must move far beyond condemnation and calls for tougher policing. Instead, real action is needed with deadlines and objectives that will be honoured, not just promised. Graham Spencer, University of Portsmouth Better policing is required to stop the criminality and exploitation that continues to blight poor loyalist districts and both remain the most obvious signs of the reach of paramilitaries in those communities. The report that ensues from whoever is chosen by Dublin and London to lead the scoping work should be clear on what is demanded of the paramilitaries, but, also, Stormont and London. So, what is needed? First, a group that brings together loyalist AND unionist leaders, along with a business and enterprise group involving loyalists and key business figure to drive economic progress in long-forgotten communities. Equally, efforts should be made to attract significant US/European investment in technology, manufacturing, sports and creative industries into loyalist areas, backed by assistance from Stormont and the Northern Ireland Office Loyalist communities should drive efforts to tackle sectarianism, while a civic forum should be established, too – along with a body whose job it should be to gather oral testimony from those who have lived in these communities for generations. Politicians, business, both local and international business, unionist politicians must also step up to the plate, using the 2018 transformation statement made by the three loyalist paramilitary groups as a template to lay out who should do what, and when. Importantly, loyalist paramilitaries must look honestly at their own histories, and, with help, give an honest and serious account of what they, The Troubles and the subsequent peace process did to their communities. Critical self-reflection is key. If change is to come, the focus must be on the lives that can in future be led in loyalist communities, rather than people seeking to win arguments about the disappearance of the paramilitaries themselves, if that can be brought about. Since the Belfast Agreement, loyalist leaders have claimed their role has shifted from paramilitarism to work in the community, but that 'transition' has come to mean a process without end. Good work on education and community programmes does exist within loyalist communities, but the contradictory and never-ending problem of transition is heightened when they continue to recruit new members. Significantly, the notion of transition is itself problematic in loyalist communities – or in unionism more generally – where there is no tradition or appetite for it. Here, transition means change and change means loss. The emphasis has always been on preservation and holding ground and the idea of transition risks being dangerous precisely because it is a criticism about what one has and so what one is. Change presented as 'transition' may be liked by conflict resolution theorists, but life is more complicated in a society where the architecture built up in conflict stubbornly continues to exist long after the guns have fallen silent. Yet without a structured and planned change loyalist communities will remain stuck in a cycle of hopelessness and despair. In such an environment the expression of identity as increasingly confrontational and hostile should come as no surprise. Graham Spencer is emeritus professor of social and political conflict at the University of Portsmouth
Sunday World
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Sunday World
Orange Order celebrations labelled ‘the perfect Twelfth' after bonfire controversies
With the sun shining and temperatures high, thousands hit the streets for the celebrations. People take part in a Twelfth of July parade in Belfast, part of the traditional Twelfth commemorations. The loyalist parades mark the anniversary of the Protestant King William's victory over the Catholic King James at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. Picture date: Saturday July 12, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Mark Marlow/PA Wire Crowds have lined the streets of cities, towns and villages all over Northern Ireland on Saturday to attend Twelfth of July parades. Crowds have lined the streets of cities, towns and villages all over Northern Ireland on Saturday to attend Twelfth of July parades. Crowds have lined the streets of cities, towns and villages all over Northern Ireland on Saturday to attend Twelfth of July parades. Crowds have lined the streets of cities, towns and villages all over Northern Ireland on Saturday to attend Twelfth of July parades. Crowds have lined the streets of cities, towns and villages all over Northern Ireland on Saturday to attend Twelfth of July parades. DUP MP Leader Gavin Robinson, keeps in step with the band. 'Little protestant prince' with his mum. The Orange Order put a week of controversy behind them to put a sunny smile on King Billy's face. It was all ice cream, sunshine and smiles as thousands lined city streets and country roads at 18 venues across Northern Ireland for this year's Twelfth. Grand Secretary the Rev Mervyn Gibson hailed it as 'the perfect Twelfth'' as lodges sweltered in temperatures soaring towards 27 degrees. A controversial bonfire on Belfast's Donegall Road was lit without incident on Friday night while moves will now be stepped up to clear the site of deadly asbestos. 'Little protestant prince' with his mum. News in 90 Seconds - Sunday July 13 DUP leader Gavin Robinson addressed the parade in Belfast, while Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly delivered a speech at the Lisburn parade. Ulster Unionist MP Robin Swann spoke at the parade in Carnlough, Co Antrim. He said some people dismissed the Twelfth and 'would rather we keep our heads down,' adding that the event brought people together and was about 'faith and freedom'. 'It crosses class, it bridges geography and it cuts across party political lines,' he said. Orange Order deputy grand master Harold Henning told the parade in Maghera that unionist political parties had to work together. 'The leadership of this institution remains consistent in its desire to see closer collaboration between the leadership of our pro-union political parties so as to maximise unionist representation at all levels of government. 'Cooperation between our political representatives must be encouraged – more than that, it should be demanded, and country should always come before party or individual self-interest. 'Let's get that message out to our politicians – as a people, we want to see more unity of purpose across political unionism.' One of the largest parades took place in Keady, Co Armagh, where Orange Order grand secretary Mervyn Gibson spoke about the strengths of the union. DUP MP Leader Gavin Robinson, keeps in step with the band. He said: 'We need to promote the union at every opportunity – a union that has stood the test of time and continues to offer its citizens stability, opportunity and purpose. 'At its heart, the United Kingdom is more than just a political entity. 'It is a partnership of four nations England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland – each with its own identity, traditions, and strengths. 'Let us concentrate on building and promoting this union which a generation defended during the Troubles against the murderous, cowardly terrorist campaign of republicans.' Members of local Orange lodges were joined on parade by visiting lodges from Scotland and further afield. The main parade in Belfast set off from the Orange hall at Clifton Street in north Belfast. Labour MP and NIO Minister Fleur Anderson and Emma-Little Pengelly were in Keady. Crowds have lined the streets of cities, towns and villages all over Northern Ireland on Saturday to attend Twelfth of July parades. 'It's important to see that you can have a cultural identity that can be celebrated and is also peaceful,' said Labour MP for Putney. Rev Gibson said the lead-up to the Twelfth has been 'tremendous'. Asked about the Eleventh night and bonfires he said: '99% of everything passed off wonderfully. 'Today couldn't be a better day for it, the sun is shining and the bands are playing loud, it's just been a great Twelfth of July.' Earlier in Belfast, a small feeder parade passed the Ardoyne shops in the north of the city at 9am without issue. There was a small police presence at the shops, which in the past was the scene of parade-related trouble. The return parade will take place this morning. In a separate development police have described an attack on an Orange Hall in Rasharkin as a "hate crime'. Shortly after 1.20am police received a report of criminal damage caused to an Orange Hall in the Main Street area. Paint had been thrown over the front of the building and graffiti daubed on walls opposite. District Commander for Causeway Coast and Glens, Superintendent Sinead McIldowney said: 'We are treating this criminal damage as a sectarian-motivated hate crime. 'The Police Service condemns all sectarian hate crime and criminal damage caused to any property is absolutely unacceptable.. 'We will thoroughly investigate this matter and would appeal to anyone with information to contact us on 101, quoting reference 177 of 12/07/25. 'Our officers will continue to proactively patrol the area and engage with the local community around any concerns they may have.'
