21/07/2011 BBC Newsline


21/07/2011

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Akram Good evening. This is BBC Newsline...

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Criticism of plans to axe a unit at Belfast's City possible.

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New evidence into the Smithwick inquiry into the murder of two RUC

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officers. What local parishioners think of

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abuse in the Catholic drugs. Designed for success - the building

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on a shortlist for a top award. As Ireland's Topshop jumpers battle

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it out in Belfast, BBC Newsline is live at the King's Hall.

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And warm and brighter for the weekend, I will have the weather

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details of where you are. But first, 70 families have had to

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leave their homes in north Belfast because a mortar bomb has been

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found there. The police described the device as significant.

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The focus of this police operation is here in the Ardoyne area of

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north Belfast. The police recovered a working mortar bomb device. They

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say the find was significant. We have seen police come and go from a

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house. They have been taking documents out in a plastic bag.

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They have also found a quantity of cigarettes. A man has been arrested.

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The army technical experts have now left, but residents say they have

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carried out at least one controlled explosion.

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A statement read, the actions carried out here at have

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undoubtedly thwarted the attempts of criminals to inflict death and

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misery on the people of north Belfast.

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Does Belfast need a three Accident and Emergency departments? The

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health minister says it does not and because of medical reasons he

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is proposing to close the A&E of City Hospital. That has provoked a

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furious reaction. If the unit does close, the Royal and Mater

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hospitals may have been caught up with up to 50,000 extra patients

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every year. -- may have to cope with.

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There has been discussion of closing this department. Would it

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be on the site of the Royal Hospital here in the west of the

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city? Or here, at the Mater Hospital in north Belfast? But

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finally, despite so many other health ministers dodging the

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decision, Edwin Poots has indicated it is this city's Accident and

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Emergency tea is earmarking for closure. For over 25 years, the

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hospital's tower block dominated the skyline. While the building is

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not closing, A&E might. Yesterday he told the Health Committee a lack

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of junior doctors is among the reasons why Belfast must lose one

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of the three casualty units. Those on the front line say officials

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were warned years ago. The shortage of numbers is not a

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new issue. I have spoken to a number of people including the

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minister over the previous two ears are seeing junior doctors UK-wide

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are in short supply. This has threatened services in the past and

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is doing so again. The hospital in Lisburn is also

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affected, with news that in August its opening hours are to be

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restricted. We have been to go up to see if we

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can recruit additional staff. There is at -- rig -- aggressive

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recruitment going on, so although we are clear on the changes in

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terms of opening hours, the final state of the opening hours at is

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not determined. Less than a fortnight into the job,

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Edwin Poots first indicated change was on the day when he told the BBC

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Belfast had too many A&Es. The question since then has been, where

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will the axe fall? Clearly the decision will have a

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major impact on our members. There are a lot of fears of people being

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displaced or relocated, or indeed made redundant.

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Seoul, has Belfast too many A&Es? While the public would argued no,

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these figures would suggest otherwise. With a population of

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260,700, the city has three A&E departments, but in Hull where

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there are almost 265,000 it is served by one A&E. In Coventry,

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with a population of just over 215,000, it too has won A&E

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department. It is ambitious and optimistic, but

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if he does not take that approach, who will? He has to drive that a

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chord with his officials, and the short answer is, the sooner he set

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his targets and get an operational plan, the better for achieving it.

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It will not be a quick matter of three months.

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Politically, it is always easier to close a unit could even up --

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closer unit, even a hospital, when it is outside his own constituency.

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The thousands who -- pleasing the thousands of patients who will be

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left extra once this closes, will not be as easy.

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Residents have told BBC Newsline they are dismayed at the decision.

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Our correspondent has been gathering reaction.

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From this clinic in south Belfast, it is pretty much the same distance

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to evoke the city hospital or the Royal Victoria, and the people we

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spoke to wear Clear which they preferred.

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I do not drive, and I can get a bus to the City of battle, but if it

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was the case for the Mater, I would have a horrendous journey.

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It puts -- puts more emphasis on the Royal Hospital, and the other

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hospitals will just get busier. I have never had dealings with the

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Mater. Sir, If the writing is on the wall

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for the casualty department, dead politics have anything to do with

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that decision? In the past, health ministers have been accused of

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making partisan decisions on services. In 2,000, the Sinn Fein

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minister opted to base our regional maternity unit at the Royal

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Hospital in west Belfast. Going against the Assembly's Health

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Committee. Earlier this year, the former health minister postponed

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plans for a new radiotherapy unit at the hospital in Londonderry,

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seeing in future he would introduce two new radiotherapy machines at

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Belfast City Hospital. Sinn Fein accused him of making a political

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decision. There is always political

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undercurrents, but my concern as the MP and a former GP, very

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familiar, in fact I worked in the old casualty department, my concern

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is that people have access in a time of crisis, and access has been

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grossly restricted with this move. Quite clearly, Edwin Poots is

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looking at it in a strategically, to ensure that services are

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reconfigured in a way that gets the best love you and service with the

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money available. Whatever the thinking behind the

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decision it is these people who will have to live with the

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consequences. -- get the best value.

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The widow of one of the murdered RUC officers at the centre of the

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Smithwick Tribunal has contradicted evidence by a former RUC chief

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constable. He told the tribunal that a superintendent of Harry

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Breen had been at a meeting where he was told not to cross the border.

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Mrs June Breen says her husband was with her all day.

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Let me take you back to some weeks ago, we heard from a what does the

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team, no name. He was the former RUC Assistant Chief Constable. He

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said that Harry Breen was at a meeting on 16th March, four days

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before an IRA ambush killed him and his colleague, Bob Buchanan. What

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this 18 says at that meeting Harry Breen was given an order not to

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cross the border. That order was disobeyed and both men died. Today,

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Mrs Harry Breen said in her statement that could not have been

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the case, her husband was not at the meeting and was with her all

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day. Soul, a contradiction we may find out at a later stage why this

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is the case. The tribunal also heard today about

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instructions Harry Breen had given in regard to his funeral.

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That is right, Harry Breen had told his wife that should he be killed,

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his boss, the ven RUC head Sir John Hermon, was not to attend. We did

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not get a reason for that today. We get an insight into the people who

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have to live with the consequences of things like that which happened

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on that day. His wife recalled it was a dark, wintry day, she was

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preparing dinner and the TV was on in the background. She heard the

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news that two men had been shot dead. She thought it was two IRA

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men, and she said to herself, they are some mother's son. She later

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found out one of those two men was in fact her husband. The purpose of

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the tribunal was to establish alleged -- to investigate alleged

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guard a collision in those deaths. And Mrs June Breen was not at the

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tribunal today? Yes, she had given a statement in

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2007 and that was read at the tribunal. She released a statement

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to the media afterwards, because she is recuperating after a serious

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medical condition. She said she was anxious to have that evidence read

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out at this stage in the tribunal. She is spending time outside of

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Northern Ireland with her son and daughter and says she is extremely

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appreciative of the efforts being made by all those seeking to

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uncover the truth. First we had the Taoiseach's

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unprecedented attack of the Vatican's handling of clerical

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abuse. Enda Kenny described Rom as dysfunctional and narcissistic. Now

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from within the judge, Archbishop Derek Barton -- Diarmuid Martin has

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said there is a cabal in the church trying to undermine child

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protection measures. A priest in Londonderry, Father

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Michael Canny, has told us he also feels the Vatican's actions are

:11:39.:11:49.
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frustrating. What to parishioners The sound of choirs can still be

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held -- hared around the Vatican. These days, another sound -

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stemming -- stinging criticism. The Pope will have much to think about,

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the Desert had much to say. While Pope Benedict ponders, ordinary

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Catholics are determined to keep their feet. A long way from the

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powerful corridors of the Vatican's, here in St Annes there are dozens

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of volunteers involved in church work. Despite all the scandals and

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negative publicity in recent years, these people are as committed to

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the church as ever. Prompting the question, why?

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Like any right-thinking person, I am absolutely shocked by what has

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taken place in the church, but within the church there are a large

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number of priests who have continued to work strongly for the

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benefit of everyone. It would be unfair to tarnish them all with the

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one stick. The and the Church at local level is getting support

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among all ages. From a very young age my parents

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instilled in me the importance of faith and participated in the

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church, so that has been the foundation of my involvement. Also,

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the church is a great family network. Because I have been going

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from a young age I have grown up within it, so it has always been a

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part of me to be going to Mass and be actively a member.

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Old certainties in the Church have changed, some have walked away, but

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not all. As a parishioner and father, I have

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to be sure that my Catholic Church is the same place for my children,

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and I had choices to make. It was either sit in the sidelines or

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become involved as a lay person bringing my own expertise. I had to

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be assured and people had to be assured that the Catholic Church is

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a safe place for children. Over the coming days, the Irish

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Government will wait to hear from the Vatican publicly, pitting

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parishes like this -- but in parishes like this rebuilding the

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With this latest scandal, the close relationship between the church and

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state is being questioned as never before in the republic. A possible

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papal visit next year could now be in doubt. Our correspondent has

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been looking at whether Catholic Ireland has changed for ever.

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Dublin is like any other European city - a place where people of all

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nationalities, faiths and races next. But there is still evidence

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of the special position of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

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Every tee time before the main news, the Angelus bell is sounded. It is

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a traditional call to prayer for Catholics. It is this kind of

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interweaving of church and state that Enda Kenny seemed to signal an

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end to it when he took a very public swipe at the Vatican over

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clerical child abuse. The report excavates the dysfunction, the

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disconnection, the elitism, that dominates the culture of the

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Vatican today. There has been a long tradition of deference to the

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Vatican in Irish society, stretching back to the foundation

:15:19.:15:29.
:15:29.:15:33.

of the state. The best example was the eucharistic convince -- of 1952.

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The Irish Air Corps flew above the ship in the shape of a cross.

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cardinal step ashore. The first pope to land in Ireland for over

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two centuries. It was the Irish Catholic nation on the march, a

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manifestation of this kind of conjunction between the new Irish

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state and the Catholic Church and the Catholic people of Ireland.

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streets along the route had been thronged four hours before the Pope

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was due. The country has changed greatly since the days of the

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eucharistic Congress and there is a real debate now about the further

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separation of church and state. There is almost a danger that

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behind the calls for separation of church and state There is an anti-

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Catholicism in the air. That would 5th encounter of reaction. We are

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at a difficult time but sometimes - but sometimes things have to get

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worse before they get better. for appetite for more change.

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are some very conservative Catholics out there who find it

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difficult to come to terms with some of the advancement that have

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been made. Younger people have voted with their feet in some cases

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and find it very difficult to be surprised by anything. In 1932, a

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million people attended the final mass of the eucharistic Congress.

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It is coming to Ireland again next year. This time, this 80,000

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capacity stadium has been booked and that is a measure of how much

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Ireland has changed in the intervening 85th you are watching

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BBC Newsline. Still to come: The council money

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helping these five people to sail around the world.

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I am the final day of the showjumping championships. We are

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live with for the world champion. Look at a building that looks so

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:17:47.:17:52.

good that it to be shortlisted for the has it would five per if

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successful, it could win its architect �20,000. Arts

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Correspondent reports from Derry. Since it opened two summers ago,

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Culturlann Ui Chanain has been teaching Irish and traditional

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music and dance to the people of Derry. It was paid for mostly from

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public money from Northern Ireland, the Republic and the European Union.

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It has been shortlisted for the final six of the prestigious

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Stirling Prize. It takes his place along an Olympic building in London.

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The architect had to work on a difficult site of an order burnt

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out bakery. It had a very narrow entrance on the front. We realised

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that whatever we did had to be tackled from the inside out.

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Culturlann Ui Chanain has counted to 42,000 visitors who learned

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about Gaelic culture. And now the Royal Institute of British

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Architects has judged it worthy of becoming the first Northern Irish

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entry into the Stirling Prize. decided to come to the city centre

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and put up a building that would be striking and make a statement about

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modernity because we did not want grand Towers. This is 21st century

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language and we wanted a 21st century building. If it wins the

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prize, it would tie in nicely with Derry's 2013 title as UK City of

:19:30.:19:34.

Culture. It is important to the city of culture because it is

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another piece in the jigsaw of confidence building for the city.

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It has needed a boost for a long time. A number of things have

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happened now. It is a city on the up. It is transforming. We know

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already that Derry is a city of culture. In the two years it has

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been open, Culturlann Ui Chanain has become a hub for Irish speakers,

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dancers and musicians but also for non-Irish speakers who live and

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work here. It may not be the bookies choice here but they are

:20:04.:20:10.

very confident that it will win the prize in October.

:20:10.:20:13.

Today marks a special birthday for the National Balmoral Showjumping

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Championships. Mark is at the showground in south Belfast.

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It is the 25th birthday. There aren't - and there is more than

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�20,000 available in cash but unfortunately, this man, both

:20:31.:20:35.

former world champion will miss out. He clipped the last. Unfortunate

:20:35.:20:42.

for you. My horse jumped very well. It was a bit of a shame but I am

:20:42.:20:46.

happy enough. We can take a look at what has been going on today and

:20:46.:20:53.

over the last few days. In its 25th year, is the event riding out the

:20:53.:20:58.

recession? Yes, we have had a fantastic turn out all week. It has

:20:58.:21:02.

catered for every class, every horse and rider and we have had a

:21:02.:21:10.

good turnout. For you and for the top riders, you must be looking to

:21:10.:21:16.

Madrid at the end of August. You must want to make it to the London

:21:16.:21:22.

Olympics? Yes, that has been the strategy all year. The team manager

:21:22.:21:27.

has been trying to save the best combinations as much as he can

:21:27.:21:32.

towards the Europeans and we are confident that the horses are in

:21:32.:21:37.

good shape and we go there with a fighting chance. It as a former

:21:37.:21:44.

world champion, what would it mean to you to make it to those gains in

:21:44.:21:50.

London? We have to qualify first, but the Olympics is everybody's

:21:50.:21:57.

huge gold and to have a horse to complete their is a dream. --

:21:58.:22:04.

everybody's goal. One line of golf before we hand

:22:04.:22:09.

back. We understand that negotiations are at an advanced

:22:09.:22:14.

stage to bring a European Tour event to Royal Port Rush. It is

:22:14.:22:24.
:22:24.:22:25.

anticipated -- an announcement is anticipated as early as tomorrow.

:22:25.:22:30.

With this week's rain it is a bit soft underfoot for the horses. More

:22:30.:22:34.

on the forecast shortly but it will be wind that is needed at the end

:22:34.:22:37.

of the month for the Round The World Clipper Race, which has some

:22:37.:22:43.

local interest. Five people have won the City of Derry Council

:22:43.:22:47.

bursary to take part but they have little sailing experience. They are

:22:47.:22:50.

up for the challenge, as our correspondent reports.

:22:50.:22:55.

It is the chance of a lifetime and a five lucky people would have to

:22:55.:22:59.

have prospected for day. There are eight separate stages and each

:22:59.:23:05.

volunteer wealth sail on one leg each. We have been out on the

:23:05.:23:12.

English Channel, going to France in force 8 gales and boats at a 45

:23:12.:23:17.

degree angle. You are trying to eat and moving about is really

:23:17.:23:23.

difficult. A lot of the crew were sick. The Round The World Clipper

:23:23.:23:27.

Race will see 10 yachts departing from Southampton on a 40,000 mile

:23:27.:23:33.

race, which will last for a year. Cruise on the local yacht, called

:23:33.:23:39.

the Derry Londonderry, can't wait. I have never even sailed before. I

:23:39.:23:44.

have never even considered it. Apparently once we do the training,

:23:44.:23:48.

we will be qualified and we can go and work on boats and people will

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think of us as crew and we can sail to the Caribbean and get paid to do

:23:52.:23:58.

it. I do have nerves but they are good nerves and it is more

:23:58.:24:04.

excitement than nerves. Not terror! The yachts will sail from the UK to

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Brazil, then on to South Africa, through Australia into China, and

:24:09.:24:15.

across to the United States before coming back to Europe. I am going

:24:15.:24:21.

right across the Pacific to Santa Cruz or San Francisco. It is the

:24:21.:24:25.

longest straight one. It is about 6,000 miles and it is a straight

:24:25.:24:32.

run. It is the coldest leg, as well. Aside from their extensive training,

:24:32.:24:36.

none of the five volunteers have had any experience on the ocean

:24:36.:24:41.

wave. One thing is for certain - it won't be as calm as it is here

:24:41.:24:51.
:24:51.:24:55.

It has been Abbate grey to date but the cloud is now showing signs of

:24:55.:25:03.

moving. -- a bit great today. The cloud is beginning to thin, lift

:25:03.:25:10.

and break and a will continue to do so this evening. The rain that was

:25:10.:25:16.

a round earlier is now a way so a dry night to come. The clear skies

:25:16.:25:24.

will filter south. Tomorrow, a brighter start and there should be

:25:24.:25:29.

some sunshine early in the morning. A few showers to come but a lot of

:25:29.:25:36.

places will miss them and will stay dry. As the cloud builds, it will

:25:36.:25:39.

bring one or two showers. There will still be some sunshine in

:25:39.:25:45.

between. But cloudy spells around lunchtime. Temperatures a bit

:25:46.:25:55.

higher today -- than today. The winds will be fairly light.

:25:55.:25:59.

Tomorrow evening will be nice, as well, as the showers fade away and

:25:59.:26:05.

the clouds a break-up. High pressure to the north stretching

:26:05.:26:09.

down to give many central parts of Britain and Ireland are some fine

:26:09.:26:12.

weather through the weekend. Low pressure it threatens eastern areas

:26:12.:26:22.
:26:22.:26:25.

with a lot of rain. For us and for the festival, it will get warmer

:26:25.:26:33.

and fine. And some good weather to come for the weekend. Monday starts

:26:33.:26:40.

fine, as well. We do have some warmer weather are continuing into

:26:40.:26:44.

next week but for the meantime, things are gradually getting better.

:26:44.:26:54.
:26:54.:26:55.

If you are planning on eating a lot A reminder of the stories making

:26:55.:27:00.

the headlines: Police have discovered a mortar bomb during a

:27:00.:27:02.

search in Etna Drive in north Belfast.

:27:02.:27:06.

One man has been arrested. Health unions and some politicians

:27:06.:27:13.

have criticised a plan to close the A&E unit at Belfast City Hospital.

:27:13.:27:17.

Two more deaths are being investigated at Stepping Hill

:27:17.:27:22.

Hospital in Stockport. Police believe insulin was deliberately

:27:22.:27:25.

injected into patients' saline drips.

:27:25.:27:29.

The BBC understands Prince Andrew is to step down as the UK trade

:27:29.:27:35.

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