:00:14. > :00:24.Good evening. This is BBC Newsline with Donna Traynor. The headlines
:00:24. > :00:28.
:00:28. > :00:34.this Friday evening: a man accused of murdering a reporter is jailed
:00:34. > :00:38.for three years. A jobs blow for Armagh as 50 workers are made
:00:38. > :00:44.redundant at this haulage firm. A woman goes back into a house fire
:00:44. > :00:49.to save her dog and has to be rested herself. 30 years on, every
:00:49. > :00:51.union for the stars of the Billy plays.
:00:51. > :00:55.As the Six Nations rugby championships gets underway this
:00:55. > :00:58.weekend, I'm live at Belfast City Hall with three Ulster greats.
:00:58. > :01:07.And after we record the lowest temperature of the winter so far,
:01:07. > :01:09.will it be just as cold tonight? A man previously accused of
:01:09. > :01:12.murdering the Sunday World journalist Martin O'Hagan has been
:01:12. > :01:17.given a reduced jail sentence after promising to help the police
:01:17. > :01:22.investigation. Neil Hyde got three years for a catalogue of other
:01:22. > :01:24.offences linked to the Loyalist Volunteer Force. He pleaded guilty
:01:24. > :01:27.to all the offences after joining the Witness Protection Programme
:01:27. > :01:30.which allows a criminal to get a shorter sentence, in return for
:01:30. > :01:40.giving valuable information to the police. This report from Kevin
:01:40. > :01:43.
:01:43. > :01:48.Martin O'Hagan was killed in 2001, shot dead in front of his wife and
:01:48. > :01:58.children, a short distance from their home. Neil Hyde was charged
:01:58. > :01:59.
:01:59. > :02:05.with murdering the Sunday World journalist she agreed to tell the
:02:05. > :02:12.police information about who killed him. He faced 48 other charges,
:02:12. > :02:22.including having guns, petrol bomb offences and drug running. He
:02:22. > :02:28.pleaded guilty to all 40 it charges. The judge said his crimes included
:02:28. > :02:32.notorious crimes. Neil Hyde had a propensity because of violence and
:02:32. > :02:39.was known as an informs us. She told him you have a long history of
:02:39. > :02:43.criminality, strewn with Aniston -- innocent victims of the LVF. He was
:02:43. > :02:49.sentenced to 18 years in prison with a 75% reduction for agreeing
:02:49. > :02:57.to help the police and a further reduction for pleading guilty.
:02:57. > :03:07.Dissenters was reduced to three years. The time already spent in
:03:07. > :03:08.
:03:08. > :03:13.custody take into account, it means he could be out within five months.
:03:13. > :03:17.Reports are coming in that a man has shot himself dead in a
:03:17. > :03:20.hairdresser's in done Dan. The police found this to getting an
:03:20. > :03:25.incident in this area but they don't believe a crime has been
:03:25. > :03:28.committed. We have no further details at the moment.
:03:28. > :03:32.A haulage company in Armagh is closing down with the loss of 50
:03:32. > :03:35.jobs. Noel Zwecker Transport had been in business for 40 years. And
:03:35. > :03:37.also on economic matters, there have been some developments at the
:03:37. > :03:47.Ulster Bank. Our business correspondent Kevin Magee is with
:03:47. > :03:48.
:03:48. > :03:58.me now. Thailand was a well-known refrigeration haulage business. --
:03:58. > :04:02.
:04:02. > :04:12.Noel Zwecker Transport. It started They would have transported all
:04:12. > :04:15.manner of perishable materials. From across UK and Ireland and
:04:15. > :04:21.further afield. Today, the company has gone into voluntary
:04:21. > :04:24.administration. Have they given a reason? We spoke to the company
:04:24. > :04:28.today and nobody would do an interview with us but they did
:04:28. > :04:34.confirm they had made the decision to call in the of illustrators and
:04:34. > :04:41.and 50 jobs would be lost. They did issue a brief statement in which
:04:41. > :04:46.they said it was due to a reduction of trading and problems with fuel
:04:46. > :04:50.prices. The suggestion was it is cheaper for the customers to do
:04:50. > :04:59.business in the Irish Republic. It survived for 40 years but none the
:04:59. > :05:03.current climate. Another 350 jobs are going in the Ulster Bank.
:05:03. > :05:08.the details of the voluntary redundancy package have been
:05:08. > :05:16.outlined. They are being offered three-and-a-half weeks' pay for
:05:16. > :05:21.every year of service. That means that it is capped at 104 weeks and
:05:22. > :05:28.it means the maximum anyone who opts for voluntary redundancy at
:05:28. > :05:33.the Ulster Bank is two years salary. You would need to be there 30 years
:05:33. > :05:37.in order to qualify for that but the finance union have rejected
:05:37. > :05:43.that. They have said it is not enough and they have asked the
:05:43. > :05:47.Ulster Bank to come back with alternative proposals. They are not
:05:47. > :05:51.satisfied with those. Firefighters have rescued a woman
:05:52. > :05:59.who went back into her burning home to save her dog. The blaze badly
:05:59. > :06:06.damaged the house in Glengormley early this morning. A 50 it year-
:06:06. > :06:10.old man has been arrested. Chris Page has more. Their living room is
:06:10. > :06:13.a blackened shell. The man and woman who live here were not
:06:14. > :06:18.seriously hurt. The fire service say the outcome could have been
:06:18. > :06:21.much worse. The couple got out of the House when the fire started.
:06:21. > :06:26.Looking at this damage, it is obvious the claims must have been
:06:26. > :06:31.very fierce but the woman went back inside the house to try and rescue
:06:31. > :06:35.dead dog. The woman was overcome by fumes in the upstairs bedroom.
:06:35. > :06:40.Firefighters brought her to safety, then went into the house the second
:06:40. > :06:46.time to get the dog. The fire rescue service says people should
:06:46. > :06:51.not go back into a burning building, even if something precious is at
:06:51. > :06:58.risk. Your life is not worth your family pet's life. I retread just
:06:58. > :07:02.to stay at once you get out. She was very quickly overcome and only
:07:02. > :07:06.because we were so close, it could have been a whole different
:07:06. > :07:13.situation here this morning. After the woman and dock were rescued,
:07:13. > :07:16.the man was clapped. -- the man collapsed. A number of police
:07:16. > :07:21.officers were at the house this mind. They were examining the
:07:21. > :07:25.living room when the fire began. Police now believe the blaze was
:07:25. > :07:28.started deliberately. The widow of one of six men
:07:28. > :07:31.murdered in the Loughinisland murders in 1994 has launched a High
:07:31. > :07:34.Court challenge to a Police Ombudsman's report. The report
:07:34. > :07:38.found insufficient evidence of security force collusion with the
:07:38. > :07:42.loyalist killers. Brigid Green's 87-year-old husband Barney died in
:07:42. > :07:44.the shootings at the Heights Bar. Her lawyers have lodged legal
:07:44. > :07:48.papers claiming the ombudsman's findings are flawed, irrational and
:07:48. > :07:58.that they wrongly define collusion. You're watching BBC Newsline and
:07:58. > :08:11.
:08:11. > :08:18.still to come on the programme: On The iconic Billy plays are back on
:08:18. > :08:22.our screen once again. And some of Ireland's legendary players give
:08:22. > :08:25.some of their predictions on the eve of the Six Nations rugby tour.
:08:25. > :08:28.The daughter of a man accused of murdering Philip Strickland near
:08:28. > :08:31.Comber last month has appeared in court accused of withholding
:08:31. > :08:35.information about the killing. Lesley Weir was released on bail.
:08:35. > :08:38.Her father Jimmy Seales and two of her brothers are charged with the
:08:38. > :08:40.murder at Ballydrain Road. The 20- year-old appeared alongside 20-
:08:40. > :08:46.year-old Melissa Dickson, who's also accused of withholding
:08:46. > :08:50.information. Nine people have now been charged in connection with the
:08:50. > :08:59.killing. A previous court was told it was linked to drugs and
:08:59. > :09:03.criminality. The Irish Justice Minister is considering calls for
:09:03. > :09:08.an investigation of the former Provost and run Bethany home in
:09:08. > :09:14.Dublin. More than 200 children died and many more were ill-treated at
:09:14. > :09:21.the home in Bath Ghat which closed in 1972. Enquiries have already
:09:21. > :09:26.begun into the Catholic ran baby laundries. Survivors of the best
:09:26. > :09:32.anyone to be included as well. Why has the government been so
:09:32. > :09:36.reluctant to include Guy macro in this investigation? Because the
:09:36. > :09:40.state of disputes that it has any responsibility for the home. If you
:09:40. > :09:44.think back to the report and character exposed the systemic and
:09:44. > :09:48.endemic abuse of children in Catholic ran institutions around
:09:48. > :09:52.Ireland, it was very clear in that case that the institutions were
:09:52. > :09:59.being run by the Catholic institutions on behalf of the state.
:09:59. > :10:03.As far as Bethany is concerned, the state maintains it was an
:10:03. > :10:08.independent home, it was not a residential institution for which
:10:08. > :10:15.the state had responsibility. Campaigners say they have unearthed
:10:15. > :10:21.evidence which disputes this. the campaigners get what they want,
:10:21. > :10:25.eventually? What do they want? They want recognition for they suffer.
:10:25. > :10:29.We know there was a high infant mortality rate, we know they were
:10:29. > :10:34.buried in unmarked graves and campaigners say starvation and
:10:34. > :10:39.neglect were widespread. For what compensation what they suffered and
:10:40. > :10:48.by inclusion in the state redress scheme which has paid out over 1
:10:48. > :10:53.billion euros so far it to mostly Catholic survivors, but not all. We
:10:53. > :10:58.are talking about a very small number of people, no more than two
:10:58. > :11:03.dozen people who are now elderly and the Campaign for them has
:11:03. > :11:08.stepped up somewhat. They have been representations to Aisling Foster
:11:08. > :11:11.among others and while the Justice Minister has said there are no
:11:11. > :11:16.immediate plans for the Bethany home to be included in the Magdalen
:11:16. > :11:26.inquiries, he said he was willing to consider how the issues could be
:11:26. > :11:33.
:11:33. > :11:36.addressed. If you're a fan of the arts, you've probably heard of the
:11:36. > :11:38.Old Museum Arts Centre, known as Omac. Well, now Belfast has son of
:11:38. > :11:41.Omac, simply called the Mac. Our arts correspondent Maggie Taggart
:11:41. > :11:51.has been looking back at the struggle which has led to the
:11:51. > :11:57.building of a new arts centre in the Cathedral Quarter. We were here
:11:57. > :12:02.in 2007 when Meryl Streep visited here. Now, we can reveal the
:12:02. > :12:06.results of this fund raiser. It will have the two theatres. The
:12:06. > :12:14.biggest will hold 350 and the smaller more intimate one will take
:12:14. > :12:19.120. But it is not just tutors. The Mac will make up for a lack of
:12:19. > :12:29.galleries. In April, the main walls will carry paintings by L S Lowry
:12:29. > :12:30.
:12:30. > :12:35.and William,. It is very tall. This whole gallery is closed control, as
:12:35. > :12:40.it is called, which allows us to control the heat and light and
:12:40. > :12:47.humanity. That means we can have more priceless artworks from around
:12:47. > :12:52.the world. The first drama will be a play about the Titanic. It would
:12:52. > :13:01.tell the personal stories of the survivors. You are looking at the
:13:01. > :13:06.smaller picture, the human stories. They are real. They are in people's
:13:07. > :13:10.words themselves. It cost �80 million, most of it government
:13:10. > :13:17.money for the first and Deputy First ministers were keen to be at
:13:17. > :13:23.the lodge. They joined Mariella Frostrup whose memory of Belfast is
:13:23. > :13:28.not as a city of culture. There is a lot of arts in the north of
:13:28. > :13:33.Ireland and unfortunately, up until now, it has had little room to
:13:33. > :13:37.express itself. In many ways, the Mac is like a huge loudspeaker that
:13:37. > :13:47.can shut out to the world, this is what we can do and try and keep up
:13:47. > :13:51.to us if you will. High visibility jackets and a hard hat because it
:13:51. > :14:01.is still a building site. But it will be beautiful by April and when
:14:01. > :14:03.
:14:03. > :14:05.it opens then, I will be opening -- A massive weekend of rugby lies
:14:05. > :14:08.ahead with the start of the Six Nations Championship. Stephen
:14:08. > :14:16.Watson is in the perfect location to look ahead to Ireland's opening
:14:16. > :14:21.game against Wales. Tell us where you are. Not at the stadium, as you
:14:21. > :14:26.might expect. I'm at Belfast's City Hall, where tonight some of
:14:26. > :14:28.Ulster's greatest-ever players have all gathered under the one roof.
:14:29. > :14:32.It's for a very special re-union to celebrate Ulster's proud history
:14:32. > :14:39.with the the British and Irish Lions - a touring side which brings
:14:39. > :14:43.together the best players in the home nations every four years.
:14:43. > :14:46.Tonight, 18 of the surviving 22 Ulster players are here, and I will
:14:46. > :14:49.be talking to three of Ireland's greatest ever players in a moment.
:14:49. > :14:52.A few Lions not able to make it like Tommy Bowe and Stephen Ferris,
:14:52. > :14:55.who have a slightly more important engagement against Wales on Sunday.
:14:55. > :14:58.And today Ireland had to make a late change to their starting team.
:14:58. > :15:02.Gavin Andrews reports. Munster's Keith Ferris has been forced to
:15:02. > :15:12.withdraw from the side for family reasons. His newly-born daughter is
:15:12. > :15:13.
:15:13. > :15:22.unwell. Her Wales are missing some of their key players. Islander well
:15:22. > :15:29.aware of what they are capable of. -- island are well aware -- island
:15:29. > :15:36.are well aware. They have a good pack and can finish with very good
:15:36. > :15:41.speed. They are the full package. We will pay them respect that the
:15:41. > :15:45.Matt deserve, but focus on ourselves, and after that...
:15:45. > :15:55.quarter final defeat to Wales at the World Cup was hard to take but
:15:55. > :15:56.
:15:56. > :15:59.both sides have moved on. We have played them twice last year and be
:15:59. > :16:06.a plea done quite a few times at Leinster and Munster so we know
:16:06. > :16:11.what they can be like. They might be using it as motivation. It pence
:16:11. > :16:19.to be a fiery match when the sides clash and Ireland are relishing the
:16:19. > :16:24.challenge. It is a long time, so, we're pretty eager to get out there
:16:24. > :16:34.and play. Of recent meetings are anything to go by, a expect plenty
:16:34. > :16:36.
:16:36. > :16:42.of drama. What about this for a talented line-up of former Ireland
:16:42. > :16:46.players, among them, Willie-John McBride, the most capped British
:16:46. > :16:51.and Irish lines Blair. Are you still confident for Ireland this
:16:51. > :16:57.weekend? Yes, they have got a good blend of experience and younger
:16:57. > :17:00.players and must go up there can be confident. It is always a bit of a
:17:00. > :17:06.knock to have somebody pull-out at this stage but in this professional
:17:06. > :17:16.world, that should not be a problem. They have a good bet to the squad.
:17:16. > :17:18.
:17:18. > :17:24.And the All Wales won. -- we owe Wales one. A said, that great lines
:17:24. > :17:31.tour of 19 some before will be one of the things talk about. Yes, it
:17:31. > :17:35.will be one of the things top of it. We got it right, and that was a
:17:35. > :17:43.huge commitment and it was successful. That is something to
:17:43. > :17:53.remember, and to treasure. 1955, Cecil, a very long time ago, you're
:17:53. > :17:54.
:17:54. > :17:58.lying stir, but still a special moment in your life. -- Lions tour.
:17:58. > :18:03.People said to me were you not surprise to get on that tour? And I
:18:03. > :18:13.said no, because my uncle was manager, and my cousin was on it so
:18:13. > :18:18.
:18:18. > :18:24.there was no way that they can leave me off! He was there, and he
:18:24. > :18:33.let -- met Tony O'Reilly and met him after recommit of Robben Island,
:18:33. > :18:40.Nelson Mandela, I don't mean Tony, I don't mean -- I mean him. It is
:18:40. > :18:43.going to be a very interesting night. Onto Gaelic games - the
:18:43. > :18:46.Allianz National Football League gets under way this weekend - the
:18:46. > :18:52.All-Ulster clash sees 2010 all Ireland finalists Down take on last
:18:52. > :18:55.years beaten semi-finalists Donegal. They are the Ulster counties to
:18:56. > :19:01.have made the biggest championship impact in recent years. County Down
:19:01. > :19:06.came within one point of winning the summer while Trophy into 1010.
:19:06. > :19:15.Last year, Donegal created headlines. -- the Sam Maguire
:19:15. > :19:20.Trophy. Not all of them were without controversy also Kevin
:19:20. > :19:26.Cassidy's departure led to an unsettled winter, but now, the
:19:26. > :19:30.manager wants to look forward, not back. It was a decision that had to
:19:30. > :19:39.be taken, although it was difficult. The issue had to be dealt with, and
:19:39. > :19:45.it has been dealt with. That is all I can say. It is 2012, and we are
:19:45. > :19:50.now facing County Down. As for their opponents, their league
:19:50. > :19:54.ambitions are modest. To when it would be nice but everyone in the
:19:54. > :20:04.league apart from Dublin, Cork and Kerry wants to avoid relegation and
:20:04. > :20:05.
:20:05. > :20:09.we are and the same boat, I suppose. They a top-quality team and have
:20:09. > :20:14.been moving towards the summit themselves, so obviously, they have
:20:14. > :20:17.got bigger ambitions and that is a big game for both counties. This
:20:17. > :20:21.Division One match will not decide whether trophies are going but it
:20:21. > :20:30.will lay down a early marker as to where the strongest also challenges
:20:30. > :20:32.likely to come from. -- Ulster challenge. The former Wales and
:20:32. > :20:36.Celtic footballer John Hartson was here this week to promote awareness
:20:36. > :20:41.of men's health issues. He says his experience of cancer is a warning
:20:41. > :20:44.to others. Mark Sidebottom reports. He was one of the most bruising and
:20:44. > :20:51.physical footballers of his generation. But, John Hartson's
:20:51. > :20:57.story is a cautionary one. From footballer and superstar or to
:20:57. > :21:03.being laid low by the ravages of cancer. You do not leave it seven
:21:03. > :21:10.years like I did. It almost cost me my life. I kept putting it off. And
:21:10. > :21:15.then the cancer spread from my testicles to my lungs to my brain.
:21:15. > :21:20.He was admitted to hospital and his life hung in the balance. I stared
:21:20. > :21:26.death in the face. And I do believe that I did lead this place, at one
:21:26. > :21:30.stage, and for whatever reason, I came Fred. He says he owes it to
:21:31. > :21:38.his doctors to give something back. And the message to Belfast and
:21:38. > :21:45.beyond is a stark one. If you find a lump or a bomb, do not ignore it.
:21:45. > :21:48.-- or a bump. There's a full programme of local football
:21:48. > :21:54.tomorrow. Top game Linfield against Crusaders. We'll have action from
:21:54. > :22:00.four games just after 5 on BBC 2 at 5 oclock. And the rugby, Ireland
:22:01. > :22:03.against Wales, is live on Sunday. It's 30 years since the first
:22:03. > :22:06.showing of television drama which many say altered the perception of
:22:06. > :22:09.Northern Ireland in Britain. The Billy plays were written by Graham
:22:09. > :22:12.Reid. The actors included James Ellis and until then, the little
:22:12. > :22:16.known Kenneth Branagh and Brid Brennan. Now we've a chance to see
:22:16. > :22:24.the programmes again, and hear from those who took part in a piece of
:22:24. > :22:31.television history. Will Leitch reports. It too late to top two
:22:31. > :22:35.Billy came to this greens and January 1982, an authentic
:22:35. > :22:38.portrayal of Protestant working- class Belfast and not specifically
:22:38. > :22:44.about the Troubles, something you for a programme shown across the
:22:44. > :22:48.BBC. Audiences were moved by it and loved it. The Billy plays were
:22:48. > :22:53.billion. It was the first thing I remember being filmed in Belfast.
:22:53. > :23:00.One with a houses are changed, because the people have not! --
:23:00. > :23:05.only the houses have changed. is too many people on this House
:23:05. > :23:12.trying to tell me what to do. elder children were played by a
:23:12. > :23:15.relative unknowns, Kenneth Branagh and Brid Brennan. Maureen Gorman
:23:15. > :23:23.played the youngest daughter and she and James have not met since
:23:23. > :23:33.filming ended all those years ago. I cannot believe it. Is it 30
:23:33. > :23:33.
:23:33. > :23:40.years? I cannot believe it. You are still as big as ever it! You can
:23:40. > :23:48.still call me daddy, you know! the street off the Donegal Road
:23:48. > :23:52.where the plays were set, they met up. It was a masterpiece. Plays of
:23:52. > :23:58.this stature do not grow on trees. The wife and mother of their family
:23:59. > :24:07.was dying, and for the sisters the taboo subject was her previous
:24:07. > :24:17.affair with an insurance man. - he just rambles. He hasn't a work to
:24:17. > :24:17.
:24:17. > :24:23.say. He was her boyfriend. goodness sake, Anne! I remembered
:24:23. > :24:31.the words. You could remember the whole thing? Yes, because we did
:24:31. > :24:37.this seen so many times! We were precocious a spoiled brats. Jimmy
:24:37. > :24:40.sat on Ken's shoulders. Least 11 s, we torture people. They give us
:24:40. > :24:50.ways to keep us quiet every single day but everybody was brilliant
:24:50. > :24:54.with us. -- they gave us sweets. was a better a bloody man than you
:24:54. > :25:01.but you could not appreciate that but she loved him, she despised you
:25:01. > :25:07.but she loved them. After 30 years there is bound to be another
:25:07. > :25:15.generation whose fathers or grandfathers may have seen this
:25:15. > :25:23.plough, and lives into their 30s will not have seen us play. --
:25:23. > :25:29.lives -- lads. I trust they will be glued to the TV, every Sunday from
:25:29. > :25:39.the Sunday. The story's form these Belfast streets are both funny and
:25:39. > :25:40.
:25:40. > :25:43.sad. Mostly, though, they take you back 30 years. And you can see that
:25:43. > :25:51.documentary Talking to Billy this Sunday on BBC Two at nine o'clock.
:25:51. > :25:56.The first of the three plays will Time now for the weather forecast.
:25:56. > :26:02.It is going to be chilly tonight, but not as cold as last night.
:26:02. > :26:12.Route -- we recorded the lowest temperature of winter so far, minus
:26:12. > :26:17.eight Celsius, at Katesbridge. War cloud pushing and from the West
:26:17. > :26:23.tonight, and it will become damp from western areas. Tomorrow,
:26:23. > :26:28.getting off to a done start for some, it is not going to be as cold,
:26:28. > :26:32.but more rain is on the way and the wind will become stronger. The
:26:32. > :26:37.weather are quickly coming in from the West during the day. Some of it,
:26:37. > :26:41.heavy, persistent and blustery. Temperatures will be mild for the
:26:42. > :26:50.time of year at around nine Celsius. During the second part of the day,
:26:50. > :26:57.becoming drier from the West. Into tomorrow evening, holding onto some
:26:57. > :27:04.clear skies. To do just dipping to below zero in some places, but the
:27:04. > :27:12.cloud should act as a better club like it. -- temperatures dipping. -
:27:12. > :27:17.- cloud shook act as a bit of I blanket. More rain to come on
:27:17. > :27:22.Sunday, from the West. Becoming drier, as we going to the evening.
:27:22. > :27:28.Temperatures, we will hold on to those milder temperatures of around
:27:28. > :27:31.seven Celsius. Into next week, it looks as though it will stay
:27:31. > :27:36.unsettled. One thing to bear in mind over the weekend is that if
:27:36. > :27:40.you are heading towards Britain, in some places we are expecting snow
:27:40. > :27:50.fall of up to 10 centimetres, and that could lead to some trouble
:27:50. > :27:53.
:27:53. > :27:58.destruction. Stay tuned to the forecast. More details on line. The