Latest news with #UlsterFreedomFighters
BBC News
17-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Andy Tyrie: Former UDA leader dies in his 80s
Andy Tyrie, a former leader of loyalist paramilitary group the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), has Tyrie, who was in his 80s and died on Friday, began his leadership of the paramilitary group in the early 1970s, during some of the bloodiest years of the continued until the late 1980s when he avoided death in a car bomb attack and later backed the Ulster Democratic Party's (UDP's) support of the Good Friday Agreement, which brought an end to the 30-year conflict in 1998. A prominent figure within loyalism, the Loyalist Conflict Museum in east Belfast, which recounts the history of the UDA, was originally called the Andy Tyrie Interpretive Centre. Former chair of the Parades Commission and Community Relations Council, Peter Osbourne, paid tribute on X, writing: "In the years that I knew him, Andy Tyrie was an advocate for tolerance, reconciliation, and on those issues that particularly affect working-class communities." Mr Tyrie emerged as UDA leader after former leader Tommy Herron was shot dead in 1973. The UDA, which formed in 1971, had tens of thousands of members at its peak and killed hundreds of people during the Troubles, often claiming responsibility under the cover name the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF). It remained a legal organisation until it was banned in August his leadership, Mr Tyrie was involved in Ulster Workers' Council strike in 1974, a 14-day campaign of civil disobedience which brought down Northern Ireland's first power-sharing 1999, he told The Observer that the UDA were not opposed to power sharing but "the Council of Ireland, which was being seen as a mechanism to roll us into a United Ireland". State papers released in 2005 showed that 30 years previously Mr Tyrie had organised talks between the UDA and the IRA, without the knowledge of many of his supporters. Merlyn Rees, the then Northern Ireland secretary, told Prime Minister Harold Wilson that the meetings included a "certain amount of camaraderie". In that interview with The Observer in 1999, Mr Tyrie said many of the things they had argued for had come to fruition through the Good Friday Agreement."We called for power sharing, sensible north-south co-operation under the control of a Belfast assembly and a council of the British Isles. All of this has happened and that is why I'm happy about the new government at Stormont."
Extra.ie
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Patrick Kielty confirms date of final Late Late Show with hilarious skit
Patrick Kielty has officially confirmed when the Late Late Show will be wrapping up for the summer. Taking to social media on Tuesday, the comedian turned talk show host took part in the TikTok narrator trend, introducing himself to fans of the show. Patrick, who took over as host from Ryan Tubridy in 2023, will host the final episode of this season sooner than you may think. Patrick Kielty has officially confirmed when the Late Late Show will be wrapping up for the summer. Pic: Andres Poveda In the short clip, Patrick can be seen grappling with his age, annoying his coworkers in the newsroom and looking back on some of his favourite bits from the season. At the end of the hilarious snippet, the AI voice over reads: 'Join Paddy this Friday night for the last Late Late of the season before he finally tells the social media team to f*** off.' It's been a tough season for Kielty, who paid a heartbreaking tribute to his mother on the Late Late following her passing earlier this year. Coming to a TV near you this Friday night… it's the last Late Late Show of the season ⭐️#latelate — The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) May 6, 2025 Mary Kielty, whose husband Jack was shot dead by the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) in 1988, died peacefully at home in Dundrum, Co Down, on Saturday aged 84. Opening this year's St Patrick's Day special, a visibly emotional Patrick said his beloved mum 'never missed a Late Late Show' in 50 years, and dedicated this week's show to her. He said: 'When you're called Patrick, Saint Patrick's Day is always special, and the person that I have to thank for that, and so much more is mum. Taking to social media on Tuesday, the comedian turned talk show host took part in the TikTok narrator trend, introducing himself to fans of the show. Pic: RTÉ 'Sadly, we lost her last weekend and I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who took care of her and took care of our family this week. 'My mum watched this show religiously and she loved it so much, that she still kept watching even after I got the gig.' The Late Late Show host then teared up as he added: 'In over 50 years, Mary never missed a Late Late show, and there was no way she'd want me to miss this one for her tonight. 'And so I couldn't be prouder to stand here and say, This one's for you, Mary.' The season finale of the Late Late Show will take place on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player this Friday (May 9) at 9.35pm.
RTÉ News
24-04-2025
- RTÉ News
RUC investigation into 1991 Belfast murder was 'ineffective', ombudsman finds
The RUC investigation into the murder of a man by loyalists in Belfast in 1991 was "ineffective" and not capable of bringing perpetrators to justice, Northern Ireland's Police Ombudsman has said. Marie Anderson said that complaints from the family of John O'Hara about the inquiry were "legitimate and justified". The 41-year-old father of five was working as a taxi driver when he was attacked by gunmen in Dunluce Avenue, south Belfast, on 17 April 1991. He had arrived to pick up a fare when a number of men emerged from an alleyway and fired shots through the side window of his vehicle. The Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF), a loyalist paramilitary group aligned with the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), admitted the murder the following day. Police said that Mr O'Hara had no connection to any political or paramilitary organisation. Publishing her report, Ms Anderson said while the original RUC response was of a good standard, the subsequent murder inquiry was "not capable of bringing those responsible to justice". She said the "inadequacy" of the investigation meant it failed to meet the legal obligation under the European Convention on Human Rights. Ms Anderson said that police investigating the murder did not effectively pursue relevant suspects, including failing to arrest a significant number of individuals implicated by intelligence reports and other information as having been involved. Her report also said the murder weapons can no longer be located for analysis using modern forensic techniques, and identified failures to test suspect alibis, to seize a car suspected of being used by the killers, and to conduct adequate forensic inquiries. However, the ombudsman said that she had found nothing to suggest police had information that would have allowed them to prevent the murder. RUC actions surrounding Mr O'Hara's murder were initially looked at as part of a larger ombudsman investigation which focused on the activities of the UDA in south Belfast between 1993 and 1998. Mr O'Hara's killing was not included in the report on the broader investigation, published in 2022, due to the pending prosecution of a man charged in connection to the murder. The trial was halted in December 2023 when the suspect died. Ms Anderson said: "I am mindful that intelligence is not evidence but all investigative agencies rely on intelligence to assist in the investigation of crime. "Intelligence can provide investigators with new lines of inquiry which may result in subsequent arrests and other investigative opportunities. "My investigators have viewed intelligence and information that was provided to the murder investigation team that would have enabled them to identify a number of potential suspects to the murder. "However, no arrests of these individuals followed." She said that one potential suspect was not arrested despite being connected to the murder by witness evidence and four separate pieces of intelligence received between April and September 1991 - one of which suggested he had been one of the gunmen. Ms Anderson also referred to intelligence received by police in late April 1991, which indicated that eight people had been involved in the murder. "This intelligence provided a significant amount of information about the murder, which I have concluded ought to have been actioned by police. "However, only three of those people were arrested," she said. Her report added that another of those named in the intelligence was identified by RUC Special Branch as a possible likeness to a photofit created by witnesses who described a gunman running down the street telling people to stay indoors. Despite having been identified on the basis of intelligence and witness evidence, he was not arrested, although his home was searched. The search found nothing to assist the investigation of Mr O'Hara's murder. 'Concern' that suspect wasn't arrested Police also raised an investigative action to trace and interview another of the potential suspects, rather than arrest him, the ombudsman's report said. "I find it concerning that police had separate pieces of information suggesting that this man may have been linked to Mr O'Hara's murder yet he was not arrested. "He was interviewed only as a witness rather than a suspect." The ombudsman investigators found no evidence that the alibis provided by three suspects arrested in connection with Mr O'Hara's murder had been tested by police. One was interviewed 21 times over three days in April 1991. Ms Anderson said there were only two brief mentions of the murder during the questioning. The report said the suspect stated that he had been at his brother's house at the time of the murder. Ms Anderson said there was no evidence that police had conducted inquiries to test this alibi. The complaint to the ombusdman by Mr O'Hara's widow included an allegation that she had not been kept updated about the progress of the original police investigation. As a result, she suspected there had been collusion between the RUC and those involved in the murder. Ms Anderson said her investigators had identified and spoken to the officer who had liaising with the family during the inquiry. He said that his point of contact with the family had been Mrs O'Hara's brother-in-law. The ombudsman said: "The officer agreed that, because of the pressure of work at that time, together with security concerns regarding the releasing of information, there was insufficient contact with all families who found themselves in similar circumstances during this time period. "This is a systemic issue that I have identified in other similar cases." The ombudsman's investigation found no collusion in relation to the allegation of failures by police to update Mrs O'Hara about her husband's murder.
BreakingNews.ie
24-04-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
RUC investigation into 1991 Belfast murder was ‘ineffective', ombudsman finds
The RUC investigation into the murder of a man by loyalists in Belfast in 1991 was 'ineffective' and not capable of bringing perpetrators to justice, Northern Ireland's Police Ombudsman has said. Marie Anderson said complaints from the family of John O'Hara about the investigation were 'legitimate and justified'. Advertisement Mr O'Hara, a 41-year-old father of five, was working as a taxi driver when he was attacked by gunmen in Dunluce Avenue, south Belfast, on April 17th, 1991. He had arrived to pick up a fare when a number of men emerged from an alleyway and fired shots through the driver's side window. The Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF), a loyalist paramilitary group aligned with the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), admitted the murder the following day. Police said Mr O'Hara had no connection to any political or paramilitary organisation. Advertisement Publishing her report, Mrs Anderson said while the original police response was of a good standard, the subsequent murder inquiry was 'not capable of bringing those responsible to justice'. She said the 'inadequacy' of the investigation meant it failed to meet the legal obligation under the European Convention on Human Rights. Mrs Anderson said police investigating the murder failed to effectively pursue relevant suspects, including failing to arrest a significant number of individuals implicated by intelligence reports and other information as having been involved. Her report also said the murder weapons can no longer be located for analysis using modern forensic techniques, and identified failures to test suspect alibis, to seize a car suspected of being used by the killers, and to conduct adequate forensic inquiries. Advertisement However, the ombusdman said she had found nothing to suggest police had information that would have allowed them to prevent the murder. Police actions surrounding Mr O'Hara's murder were initially investigated as part of a larger ombudsman investigation which focused on the activities of the UDA in south Belfast between 1993 and 1998. Mr O'Hara's killing was not included in the report on this broader investigation, published in 2022, due to the pending prosecution of a man charged in connection to the murder. The trial was halted in December 2023 when the man died. Marie Anderson said she did not find evidence that police could have prevented the murder (Liam McBurney/PA) Mrs Anderson said: 'I am mindful that intelligence is not evidence but all investigative agencies rely on intelligence to assist in the investigation of crime. Advertisement 'Intelligence can provide investigators with new lines of inquiry which may result in subsequent arrests and other investigative opportunities. 'My investigators have viewed intelligence and information that was provided to the murder investigation team that would have enabled them to identify a number of potential suspects to the murder. 'However, no arrests of these individuals followed.' She said one potential suspect was not arrested despite being connected to the murder by witness evidence and four separate pieces of intelligence received between April and September 1991 – one of which suggested he had been one of the gunmen. Advertisement Mrs Anderson also referred to intelligence received by police in late April 1991, which indicated that eight people had been involved in the murder. She said: 'This intelligence provided a significant amount of information about the murder, which I have concluded ought to have been actioned by police. 'However, only three of those people were arrested.' Her report said another of those named in the intelligence was identified by RUC Special Branch as a possible likeness to a photofit created by witnesses who described a gunman running down the street telling people to stay indoors. Despite having been identified on the basis of intelligence and witness evidence, he was not arrested, although his home was searched. The search found nothing to assist the investigation of Mr O'Hara's murder. Police also raised an investigative action to trace and interview another of the potential suspects, rather than arrest him, the ombudsman's report said. 'I find it concerning that police had separate pieces of information suggesting that this man may have been linked to Mr O'Hara's murder yet he was not arrested. 'He was interviewed only as a witness rather than a suspect.' The ombudsman investigators found no evidence that the alibis provided by three suspects arrested in connection with Mr O'Hara's murder had been tested by police. One was interviewed 21 times over three days in April 1991. Mrs Anderson said Mr O'Hara's murder received only two brief mentions during these interviews. The report said the suspect stated that he had been at his brother's house at the time of the murder. Mrs Anderson said there was no evidence that police had conducted inquiries to test this alibi. The complaint to the ombusdman by Mr O'Hara's widow included an allegation that she had not been kept updated about the progress of the original police investigation. As a result, she suspected there had been collusion between police and those involved in the murder. Mrs Anderson said her investigators had identified and spoken to the officer who had contact with the family during the murder investigation. He said his point of contact with the family had been Mrs O'Hara's brother-in-law. The ombudsman said: 'The officer agreed that, because of the pressure of work at that time, together with security concerns regarding the releasing of information, there was insufficient contact with all families who found themselves in similar circumstances during this time period. 'This is a systemic issue that I have identified in other similar cases.' The ombudsman's investigation found no collusion in relation to the allegation of failures by police to update Mrs O'Hara about her husband's murder.
Irish Post
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Post
Residents sent threatening letters after flags erected in Northern Irish town
POLICE are investigating after union flags were erected and threatening letters were sent to residents in a Northern Irish town. A series of reports were made by residents in Lisburn, Co. Antrim, where the flags had been hung in a mixed-community development. At the same time as the flags appeared residents received letters which warned against taking them down. The leaflets reportedly had a UFF (Ulster Freedom Fighters) emblem and text on them warning "anyone caught removing loyalist flags from lampposts will be dealt with". 'Last month, police in Lisburn received a number of reports in relation to letters being sent to residents living in Altona Drive which were threatening in nature,' PSNI Superintendent Kelly Moore said. 'Following this, further reports were received at the weekend (Sunday 19th April) in relation to flags being erected in the same area.' She added:'I would like to stress that police take all reports of intimidation and threats very seriously, and I want to offer every assurance that our officers are investigating, and will continue to investigate, all those received.' The police force has urged anyone with information about the falgs or the letters to contract them. 'We are also continuing to engage with our partner agencies, community representatives and local residents in relation to these issues, and I would like to express how much we appreciate the support of those people who have already come forward to help us and provide assistance and information in relation to our investigation, which is very much ongoing,' Supt Moore explained. She added: 'In the meantime, I would continue to appeal to anyone who might have any information at all which could help us with our enquiries, to come forward. 'Similarly, if you, or anyone you know, have any concerns around issues regarding threats or intimidation, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Police. 'The number to call is 101, or, you can make a report using our online reporting form." See More: Antrim, Flags, Threats, Union Jack
