09/11/2012 BBC Newsline

Good evening. The headlines on BBC Newsline: The redundancies begin

for workers at the Patton Group in Ballymena.

Basically, we have all been made redundant and that's it. That's

what we expected. A Turkish court hears evidence from

a key witness in the murder of two County Down women.

A priest who has tried to talk to dissident republicans dismisses

them as mindless morons. Honoured with a memorial headstone

after 94 years - a tribute to this Portadown soldier.

We hear from the All-Ireland winning Gaelic football manager who

has joined the backroom team at Glasgow's Centre it.

And a cool weekend with a sharp showers but it won't be wet all the

time. I have the forecast. More than half the staff at the

Ballymena based Patton Group lost their jobs today. The building firm

was put into administration on Tuesday and now 190 people face

Christmas on the dole. Our Business Correspondent has spent the day in

Ballymena. From early this morning, Patton

Group's Stafford began arriving at the company's headquarters to hear

their fate. Many, like this employee, hoped for the best but

expected the worst. He summed up the feelings of his colleagues.

has been difficult for everyone. Everyone was trying to keep

cheerful and make the best of what is going on and hope for the best.

That's all you can do. It's a difficult time for everyone.

about 10 o'clock, the first wave of workers made redundant just met

beforehand began leaving for the last time. You are just told that

you are no longer required and you get your forms to fill in. You may

be entitled to redundancy and that's it. How long have you worked

there? 10 years and it has been very enjoyable. The workforce was

drip-fed been used in groups of 25. Within minutes, they were out on

the street. -- drip fed the news. There was no room for a motion and

a young couple who had just had a new child were among those laid off.

They said we have all been made redundant, basically. That's it.

That is what we expected, as unfortunate as it was. What advice

would you go then? -- were you given? Advice on redundancy and

what you may be owed, what could go ahead and what you could get and

what benefits you may receive. Nobody actually knows yet.

employee was sent outside to retrieve his company laptop to

surrender to the administrators. What has surprised many is the

sheer speed with which the administrators have moved to lay

off staff. The company only went into administration three days ago

but already, a significant number of workers have been shown the door.

The administrator said a total of 190 staff were laid off - almost

two-thirds of the work for scorn in a single day. I think there is a

hope that if the company can be brought back to the core, it can be

reactivated. But this is market forces. We have got to recognise

that. As more and more staff left with their redundancy packs under

their arms, Patton Group's new logo to celebrate its centenary, 100

years and building, became a bitter irony.

The Patton Group has deep moots -- Brits in Ballymena. Natasha Sayee

has been finding out how the company's collapse has affected the

town. For a name is stamped all over

Ballymena. Ask anyone here and they will tell you that the company

built the town. But today, the construction sites are quiet. As

well as employing thousands over its history, Patton Group has built

homes in Ballymena, offices, the new town hall and this new jobs and

benefits centre. I suppose the sad irony of that is that many of the

people who were made redundant today will be coming here, seeking

advice in the very place that they helped to build.

It has been a family business in Ballymena since 1912. This shop has

been around almost as long and its owner, 76-year-old Matthew, was a

schoolboy with the man who ran Patton Group for 60 years.

sometimes think that this economic distress has ruined things. It has

but then I did have one of our best companies. Very sad. I went round

yesterday and passed by quite a few of his sights and stopped the car

and read the name. All the advertising. They have a hoarding

up this week, 100 years and still building. Signs of recession in

Ballymena can't be avoided but this is not a one-company town. Other

companies are all big employers here. Ballymena is a resilient town.

It has a lot of industry. Some of the skills the work force of Patton

Group have can be transformed -- transferred to the other companies

so perhaps there is a future for them. So there is a possibility

that those who have lost their jobs can find work in other areas. But

sub-contractors who did business with the company have been affected

by this, too, so for many, many families it will be a very bleak

the run-up to Christmas. Still ahead: From Croke Park to

Celtic Park - a match made in paradise for the Donegal manager

Jim McGuinness. Judges in Turkey for examining

evidence about the killing of two women from County Down have heard

testimony from a witness who claims to have seen the two suspects near

the murder scene. Father Michael Canny from a new Greek and Cathy

Dinsmore from Warrenpoint was stabbed to death in 2011.

Victim art and Cathy Dinsmore were good friends and loved going to

Turkey. But there trip ended in horror. Their bodies were found in

the City outskirts. Two men are charged with the murders. Eyup

Cetin, in handcuffs, and his 22- year-old son Recep, who, at the

time was the boyfriend of Marion Crane's daughter. This morning,

they heard testimony from a witness whose identity was kept secret. He

testified by a video link from another courtroom and his voice was

disguise. The witness claimed he was in a graveyard near the forest

when he heard screams. He told the court he followed a path and then

saw the two suspects standing near an electricity pylon. The witness

said he went to police the next day after reading a newspaper report.

But a defence lawyer claimed the police records show the witness did

not speak to police until a month after the killings. Recep and Eyup

Cetin said the witness was a liar and asked the court to set them

free, but the judge refused. The lawyer representing the victims'

family's has told the BBC he believes there will be several more

hearings before the case finishes. A priest in Londonderry who has

tried to talk to do that and Republicans has now dismissed them

as mindless morons who have nothing positive to offer. Father Michael

Canny was speaking after the Chief Constable visited Derry yesterday

and that community and church leaders.

-- net. The dissident threat has been all too evident here. In

September, a bomb was left in a holdall and another attached to a

bicycle along the banks of the foil when many walking jog. Both devices

were viable and dealt with by the army. In the past few years,

dissidents have carried out a series of attacks - on this city

centre bank and on the City of Culture offices. The Chief

Constable says that as Derry prepares to celebrate in 2013, the

PSNI will be taking be distant threat very seriously. We know what

they can do. We have had to put money back into dealing with it. On

occasions, they are sadly able to murder. I want be clear about this

- we are really fully behind the City of Culture. We are fully

behind making this a successful stock I believe it will be a huge

boost, not just for this area but the whole of London Ireland --

Northern Ireland. One priest who has had in direct

contact with the dissidents says people want a positive year and not

more attacks by what he termed a mindless morons. They came from a

very, very strong ideological viewpoint that they had no

difficulty in planting bombs that would kill police officers, using

guns that would kill police officers and endanger other

people's lives. My view is there can be no guns, no bombs that

endanger lives. So we were coming from two opposites and there was

nothing to negotiate, nothing to reflect on so it was hopeless.

must say I have to agree with him. Nobody wants to go back to the dark

old days again. We just want to see our City progress and everybody

been happily together and The Cote -- Chief Constable says he

has no doubt that 2013 will be a big success but is under no

illusion about the threat posed by dissident republicans. He says the

PSNI remains determined to counter that threat.

Ahead of Remembrance Sunday, a special tribute has been paid in

Portadown to a soldier who died in the First World War. As Gordon

discovered, he was at the centre of a mix-up that has taken 94 years to

put right. At the going down of the Sun, and

in the morning, we will remember A simple ceremony to remember and

on a soldier who died almost century ago. This sort is Private

James Neale. He was a man with a remarkable life. -- this soldier.

It is an equally remarkable story after his death that concerns us

just now. A short distance from where his headstone has just been

erected, there is this family memorial which includes the name of

one Private James Neill, a soldier from Portadown seven with the Royal

Irish Fusiliers and he was killed in World War One. But this man is

not our private James Neill. It is a coincidence. A cover incidents

that was to sow the seeds of bird puzzle that would take nearly 100

years to sort out. It is very unusual. The commission did not

actually know where this soldier was buried. We thought his name was

commemorated on a memorial in the ceremony but it transpires that

that is a commemoration to a casualty was buried in France. It

is an error on the records. It has not been possible to pinpoint the

exact location of the grave, Hell's the wording -- hence the wording on

the headstone. His granddaughter travelled from Canada and it was an

emotional day for her. I thought about the grandfather I did not

know, the grandmother I did know, who lived so much of her life

without him, and I thought about my mother, who was 10 when he was

killed. All those thoughts were going through my mind, and how his

death had been very tragic but also how it had affected their lives.

The grief of families never really goes away. It does not matter that

it is a hundred years ago. It is as real as it was at the time for them

today. I think it is my job and my privilege to be able to pay honour

to him and to help to give some release the two that grief. This

photograph, by the way, was only on Earth during the recent research

after the great mix-up came to light. And the day of the ceremony

was the first time this lady had ever seen any picture of her

It's been an eventful 24 hours for the Donegal gaelic football manager.

He has gone from glory with the All-Ireland champions and

disturbing to the football champions.

The important thing for Donegal is they are not losing their manager.

Last night we revealed that Jim McGuinness was in Glasgow for talks

with Celtic. Today, the deal was done - and he was welcomed on board

by manager Neil Lennon. He will take on the role as the club's

Performance Consultant. That job is initially part-time, so that will

allow him to continue managing Donegal. Thomas Niblock reports.

Jim McGuinness, where do we start? He probably thought it couldn't get

any better than winning the All- Ireland seven weeks ago, until

today. Jim McGuinness, a qualified sports psychologist, will work with

Celtic on a part-time basis initially. However, he will remain

manager of Donegal, a happy Donegal manager and a happy Celtic 1 as

well. We are delighted to have brought him in and I think she is

pleased, but it will not affect what he's doing with Donegal -- I

think he is pleased. He will probably initially come in on a

two-day a week basis and we will take things from there, but we

didn't want it to remain or affect what he's doing with the Donegal

team, because they have been magnificent fish here. It is a

great opportunity for myself and number of days a week and that is

going to be a great environment for me to be in in terms of what I can

take from Celtic Park to Donegal. It is the stuff that dreams. Two

years ago, Jim McGuinness took over mediocre Donegal team and after

All-Ireland the championships, he is at Celtic. But will it be

difficult to transfer the GAA skills to the football world?

Coming across will not be a problem for Jim. He will come in and

predominantly work with younger players but if I feel there is a

first-team player who will benefit from Jim's skill, then there will

be no hesitation in using him to do that. And it is those skills that

led over 30 Donegal men for to unprecedented success that Neil

Madden will be held think -- hoping will continue the Celtic revolution.

Now to a man who was at Celtic but is still making his presence felt

in the Scottish Premier League. Nial McGinn, from Donaghmore, is

rewriting the goal-scoring record books at Aberdeen. And he was the

hero for Northern Ireland last month. Denise Watson caught up with

him. Niall McGinn has made a great run

on the nearside. One-on-one with the goalkeeper. Fires it on to the

top corner -- into the top corner. Niall McGinn scores his first

international goal. It is Portugal 0, Northern Ireland 1.

unforgettable moment for Niall McGinn. He has been making his mark

domestically as well. The Thai Rain Main is the toast of Aberdeen

Football Club for his recent goalscoring record breaking streak

-- Tyrone man. It has been fantastic and I want the fact the

manager for bringing me in. I thought it was important for me to

get in and have a good reason and I felt I have done that. I picked

injury up and I was set for a few weeks but that hit the ground

running and playing with a smile on my face, doing well ands Goring

goals. -- scoring goals.

We will see if the boss is in. There he is, sitting on his nice

comfy seat, hard at work. Top man, so he is. It is all good.

A very good signing. One of the best, they tell me, that Aberdeen

have signed for a long time. He is son-in-law material. I usually look

at a guy and say, if my daughter came in with this guy, would I be

happy? If my daughter came in with a guy like Niall McGinn, I would

say great, because he is a fine guy, he is a gentleman. Can you describe

how you felt when you saw him score against Portugal, with Northern

Ireland getting a draw against the odds? I felt very angry, because he

had the very same chance the Saturday before against Kilmarnock

and he blasted it over the top and put it into the seats in the stand.

He broke two seats in the Kilmarnock stand when he should

have burst the net. I am joking, but I did think to say to him

afterwards, try and pass the ball into the net. Niall McGinn has made

such an impact at the Pittodrie, he has already broken the scoring

record with six goals in six games. Northern Ireland will be hoping he

hits the back of the net against Azerbaijan. My main focus is to do

well for Northern Ireland. I have loved my time so far wearing the

Northern Ireland jersey and and so glad I have got by international

goal and hopefully it can kick off from there. It is St Mirren

tomorrow with Aberdeen and then his focus is solely on next week's

World Cup qualifiers. That is at Windsor Park NICE --

next Wednesday. Four Ulster rugby players will run

out at the Aviva stadium tomorrow for the opening autumn

international. But they're not all playing for Ireland. While Chris

Henry makes his home debut alongside Andrew Trimble and Tommy

Bowe, they'll be up against their Ravenhill team mate who's starting

for South Africa. Gavin Andrews reports.

Hunter. Charged down by Pienaar. It is going to be a third of try.

and time again, Ruan Pienaar has been the toast of Ravenhill. It is

definitely getting ready, they are competing well, and I think they

have got a settled side with a lot of experience. I think they have

got Irish rugby in good hands, and together with the experience, there

is a lot of youth coming through. And the man who will be breathing

down his neck all evening in Dublin, his. Team-mate Chris Henry. We are

best friends on their pitch but when we go on their pitch -- off

the pitch and when we go on, it'll go to the side and my job will be

to get stuck in and fluster him, but as we can see, it has a taken

an awful lot to get him flustered, because he is world class.

Ireland need to deliver after the disappointment of defeat the New

Zealand of the summer tour. more we play the southern

hemisphere sides, the better for us. If we have to go through the pain

we went to the last Test match, it is not something you enjoy going

through, but the benefit is you can gain from it in the long run and

you see sights like England, they went through the same experiences

before they have won the World Cup and if we can go through that, we

can become a better side. Ireland have won three out of the last four

meetings between the sides. A win this autumn will be a step in the

right direction. And that will be Tommy Bowe's 50th

cap. In local football, Irish

Premiership leaders Cliftonville face champions Linfield in what is

the big match of the day. Final Score tomorrow for that and all the

local football results. The rugby is on BBC One.

Now, arise, Sir Kenneth. The Belfast actor and director Kenneth

Branagh received his knighthood from the Queen today. He is famous

for Rolls from Shakespeare to the TV detective Wallander and is being

honoured for services to drama and the community of Northern Ireland.

He said he felt "humble, elated and incredibly lucky".

Now let's go for the weather forecast. How was it looking?

There are some positive spat at the last I's spell of wet and windy

last I's spell of wet and windy weather, there has been a Collette

air coming in, so it will be turning cooler as we go through the

weekend. There will be at night frosts and some showers around,

showery rain for tomorrow, but certainly not wet all the time and

there will be some brighter spells. This evening, clear spells are

developing across many areas and the showers we have had will tend

to ease back to what windward coast, so it will become quite chilly

tonight. Rurally, Vicar sea temperatures dipping close to

freezing, so we are looking at some frost -- we could see some

temperatures. The odd icy patch as well. Tomorrow will eventually

start to brighten up but first thing in the morning, the showery

rain is going to be the main feature, probably arriving in the

West before dawn. It then edges eastwards and some of it could be

quite heavy, with the risk of a little bit of Hale in places and

the odd rumble of thunder. It could be the early afternoon before it

clears away from the east coast and things start to brighten up, but

there will still be some sharp showers for areas along the north

coast and in parts of the West and for all of us, a chilly feeling day,

single figures. If you are heading to the rugby in Dublin, wrap up

warm. It should be mainly dry but it will be quite chilly and a

chilly night to come tomorrow night again with some frost and icy

patches. Still some showers in the north and west, they will die away