:00:16. > :00:21.Good evening. The headlines on BBC Newsline: Four brothers go on trial
:00:22. > :00:24.accused of murdering a couple at their home in County Armagh.
:00:25. > :00:34.Just how much pressure is Gerry Adams under? We've a special report.
:00:35. > :00:38.It will be a long night for the head teachers and other educationalists
:00:39. > :00:43.at Stormont who have gathered to make their views known on changes
:00:44. > :00:47.for a budget for schools. Will the Dream Team lead to a
:00:48. > :00:51.potential talent drain of players from Northern Ireland?
:00:52. > :00:55.Also in sport, we announce BBC Northern Ireland's unsung hero.
:00:56. > :00:58.And after a drizzly, grey day today, a bright and much more breezy
:00:59. > :01:04.picture for tomorrow. Join me later for all the details.
:01:05. > :01:08.The trial has got underway of four brothers accused of a double murder
:01:09. > :01:11.in County Armagh seven years ago. They are accused of murdering a
:01:12. > :01:23.couple at their cottage near Tassagh. Thomas O'Hare and Lisa
:01:24. > :01:25.McClatchey did a horrific death. Both were overtaken by their
:01:26. > :01:30.injuries in the days that followed an arson attack at this remote house
:01:31. > :01:34.they shared. This morning we heard disturbing details of the attack,
:01:35. > :01:39.the alleged motive for and a horrific moments that followed. The
:01:40. > :01:43.prosecution say the massed men who burst into the house were the Smith
:01:44. > :01:48.Brothers, Martin, Christopher, Niall and Stephen. They brutally beat
:01:49. > :01:53.Thomas O'Hare with hammers and then deliberately doused almost every
:01:54. > :01:59.room in the house with up to 15 gallons of petrol. The resultant
:02:00. > :02:05.explosion dislodged roof timbers and blew the back door to pieces. Six
:02:06. > :02:09.years earlier, Thomas O'Hare pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting
:02:10. > :02:13.three young boys when he was 17. One of them was Stephen Smith, the
:02:14. > :02:20.youngest of the Smith Brothers and other tenant in this trial. The
:02:21. > :02:23.court then heard her for details of how a desperately injured Lisa had
:02:24. > :02:31.run to neighbours seeking help. Both Lisa and Thomas O'Hare suffered 80%
:02:32. > :02:35.burns. Half of these described as full thickness was up was too much
:02:36. > :02:40.for their bodies to bear and within days both work bed, but in the words
:02:41. > :02:46.of the proceeding QC, they were not the only ones under to hospital that
:02:47. > :02:51.night with burns. The Smith Brothers also presented themselves at
:02:52. > :02:55.hospital in Dundalk. Their ride in a silver Mercedes and a green forward
:02:56. > :03:01.Mondeo. The next day their father scrapped a green forward Mondeo. The
:03:02. > :03:07.silver receives were screeds -- was seized and among items that was a
:03:08. > :03:13.receipt for four balaclavas bought in Dublin. Clothing was also seized
:03:14. > :03:17.which the prosecution say can be mapped to remnants of clothing found
:03:18. > :03:22.at the scene of the fire. Mr Edwards said in doing what they did the
:03:23. > :03:26.defendant must have intended to cause Thomas O'Hare and Lisa
:03:27. > :03:30.McClatchey serious harm. They submit that the evidence suggests the
:03:31. > :03:37.intention was to kill. The case continues.
:03:38. > :03:39.The shooting of a man in south Armagh last night has been
:03:40. > :03:43.condemned. Several men entered a house in Cullyhanna and shot him in
:03:44. > :03:48.the legs. The man's injuries aren't thought to be life-threatening. No
:03:49. > :03:54.one wants this type of activity. People have rejected it and my
:03:55. > :03:58.message to those involved in it is simply stop it and allow people to
:03:59. > :04:02.live their lives in peace. A security alert in Londonderry has
:04:03. > :04:04.ended. Army bomb experts closed Coshquinn Road, Whitehouse Road and
:04:05. > :04:10.Groarty Road after suspicious activity was reported. All roads
:04:11. > :04:13.have been re-opened. The inquest into the UVF murder of
:04:14. > :04:17.the Dungannon pensioner Roseann Mallon has been told that an area
:04:18. > :04:27.around the scene was in a type of security forces' lockdown at the
:04:28. > :04:33.time. The 76-year-old's death is one of 29 being examined amid claims of
:04:34. > :04:38.collusion with loyalists. A particularly violent time, is how
:04:39. > :04:41.the period leading up to the murder of Roseanne Mallon was described in
:04:42. > :04:46.court. Eight people killed in two weeks. The inquest heard groups of
:04:47. > :04:54.armed men were a regular feature in the district. Giving evidence, and
:04:55. > :04:57.STS -- and SDLP councillor said he was getting complaints by local
:04:58. > :05:02.farmers whose land was being used by the Army. He described it as
:05:03. > :05:06.lockdown, where it was impossible to travel within a three-mile radius
:05:07. > :05:10.without being stopped by patrols. He was asked if that had anything to do
:05:11. > :05:14.with the murders and said it was murdered triangle where
:05:15. > :05:18.noncombatants like Roseann Mallon were killed. He said all such
:05:19. > :05:25.security force activity stopped after her murder. The day before the
:05:26. > :05:31.murder, he said a Mr T on reported seeing a number of what he described
:05:32. > :05:37.as a number of Army men in the area. Mr Hazelton was called the
:05:38. > :05:44.questioning but said he could not remember anything related to that
:05:45. > :05:47.period 20 years ago. In a statement, father James Crowley, who
:05:48. > :05:52.administered last rites, spoke about the fear in the committee after the
:05:53. > :05:57.killing. He was concerned about its impact on community relations. He
:05:58. > :06:01.said police visited, since in the area morning they were under threat.
:06:02. > :06:09.He said he spent time visiting families to reassure them. The
:06:10. > :06:13.inquest continues. Gerry Adams has seen off many a
:06:14. > :06:16.political crisis in his 30 years as Sinn Fein president. But this time
:06:17. > :06:19.it's personal, and political, with allegations about his role in his
:06:20. > :06:29.brother's sex abuse case and the 1972 disappearance of Jean
:06:30. > :06:34.McConville. Does he now believe that it is time for his party president
:06:35. > :06:39.to resign? The kind of questions Sinn Fein is facing in a week which
:06:40. > :06:45.has seen Gerry Adams's and ability questioned. Martin McGuinness had to
:06:46. > :06:50.defend his leader's role in the sex abuse case against Liam Adams.
:06:51. > :06:57.Critics continue to claim Gerry Adams was too slow to act. Clearly
:06:58. > :07:01.the party opposite me who brought this forward, are more interested in
:07:02. > :07:09.covering up for their paedophile protecting President. Sinn Fein
:07:10. > :07:12.demanded a retraction but accusations are flying as Gerry
:07:13. > :07:16.Adams defends himself over allegations he was an IRA leader at
:07:17. > :07:23.the time of the murder of Jean McConville. I have learned from a
:07:24. > :07:25.top Republican source that you were a Belfast brigade commander when
:07:26. > :07:33.Jean McConville was taken and executed. That you, in fact, were
:07:34. > :07:38.ultimately responsible for her fate. That is not true. What ever the
:07:39. > :07:49.truth, these problems are taking their toll. He is damaged, it is
:07:50. > :07:57.career will not go any further. Gerry Adams's pitch for power in the
:07:58. > :08:03.Dail, where he became TD for a loud, has brought new pressures. You could
:08:04. > :08:09.argue that south of the border he is a liability. Sinn Fein is in a
:08:10. > :08:12.position to make real gains in the Republic and become a major party
:08:13. > :08:20.but a flaw in that plan is its leader. The reason is that Gerry
:08:21. > :08:24.Adams has baggage. Whether Gerry Adams climbs to ministerial position
:08:25. > :08:31.or not, it is claimed his TD post remains solid. He is a popular TD in
:08:32. > :08:35.this area and I think while he might be under pressure at a national
:08:36. > :08:42.level, we saw last night Enda Kenny and Brendan Smith delivered a strong
:08:43. > :08:46.speech, so he is under pressure political -- politically but a
:08:47. > :08:56.national level, that has not come through here. In Dundalk, opinion
:08:57. > :09:00.was mixed. It is despicable. He needs to own up to the reality
:09:01. > :09:11.everybody else is living in. I like Gerry Adams but he admitted to being
:09:12. > :09:14.a terrorist. He should not be add representative because the truth was
:09:15. > :09:19.shown the other night in the documentary. After 30 years at the
:09:20. > :09:25.helm of Sinn Fein, the party insists his position is secure. He is one of
:09:26. > :09:31.the greatest political leaders in this island, a man of the highest
:09:32. > :09:35.integrity, and a thoroughly decent human being. He has widespread
:09:36. > :09:41.support within nationalist Ireland and within our party. But critics
:09:42. > :09:50.aren't going away and at Stormont this month, the UUP will lead a
:09:51. > :09:54.debate on the disappeared. The former Northern Ireland football
:09:55. > :09:57.captain Martin O'Neill says he is looking forward to his new job,
:09:58. > :10:03.managing the Republic's football team. Roy Keane will be his
:10:04. > :10:10.assistant. Mark Simpson has been following the story. Is it all
:10:11. > :10:15.smells so far? No walk-out today, but can they really work together?
:10:16. > :10:19.And if they are successful what implications would that have or the
:10:20. > :10:23.Northern Ireland team? I have been trying to answer some questions. My
:10:24. > :10:31.report contained some flash photography. They used to work in
:10:32. > :10:34.different dugouts, now together. The partnership between Roy Keane and
:10:35. > :10:38.Martin O'Neill is the talk of the ball, and last night they talked
:10:39. > :10:44.about it for the first time. Fantastic news, honoured that Martin
:10:45. > :10:49.has asked me to help with the team. I might not look excited but I am, I
:10:50. > :10:54.look forward to working with the players and trying to get to the
:10:55. > :11:01.Euros. I'd know who is yen and who was Yang, but a marriage made in
:11:02. > :11:10.heaven? I think I am the bad cop and he is the bad, bad cop. It is a
:11:11. > :11:19.remarkable turnaround 13. In 2002, a bust up in the Republic squad led to
:11:20. > :11:23.him flying home early. Can Northern Ireland prepare for the World Cup
:11:24. > :11:30.game without their captain? But Keane spoke to Stephen Watson before
:11:31. > :11:42.he left. I feel good, the conscious and I am happy to be going home to
:11:43. > :11:47.see my family. Any regrets? No. But his relationship with Irish triple
:11:48. > :11:53.authorities has been rebuilt. We agreed to put the past in the past
:11:54. > :11:57.and that is all that the future now. That future is in good hands
:11:58. > :12:02.according to former Northern Ireland player Neil Lennon. Two guys with
:12:03. > :12:06.vast knowledge of the game, whether as players or managers, and
:12:07. > :12:10.interesting to see how that steelworks. In Martin O'Neill you
:12:11. > :12:16.have one of the best fish managers of the last 30 years and in Roy, you
:12:17. > :12:22.have one of the best players of his generation. These are difficult
:12:23. > :12:27.times for Northern Ireland fans. The glory days of the 1980s are a long
:12:28. > :12:32.time ago and now with two big games in charge of the Republic's team,
:12:33. > :12:37.will more young players from Northern Ireland decide to head
:12:38. > :12:42.south? There was something similar in the Jack Charlton era when the
:12:43. > :12:45.Republic became a big player and some young players started looking
:12:46. > :12:52.towards them and it became easier to declare, but I don't see it changing
:12:53. > :12:57.hugely overnight. The Republic's new partnership could all end in tears.
:12:58. > :13:04.One thing is for sure, there is unlikely to be a dull moment.
:13:05. > :13:08.Stephen, looking back at that old village, it is hard to believe Roy
:13:09. > :13:16.Keane is back in the fold. You pinching yourself today? It was
:13:17. > :13:20.definitely my shortest interview, definitely most intimidating, but
:13:21. > :13:26.the storm that cause in footballing, it is hard to believe. Martin
:13:27. > :13:31.O'Neill will speak at the weekend and then we will hear from Roy Keane
:13:32. > :13:38.next week. Plain selling unlikely, entertaining yes.
:13:39. > :13:44.Rejigging funding for schools has caused a lot of controversy. The
:13:45. > :13:47.consultation period is over, but that has not stopped the education
:13:48. > :13:51.committee from seeking views on what changes will mean for budgets. About
:13:52. > :13:58.80 representatives from primary and secondary schools are at storm onto
:13:59. > :14:02.this evening, and our education correspondent is there too. These
:14:03. > :14:05.pupils will have to do some more work. They are here at the
:14:06. > :14:09.invitation of the education committee, and they have answered
:14:10. > :14:13.very as questions about this controversial change to the funding
:14:14. > :14:18.in schools. They were invited by the chair of the education committee.
:14:19. > :14:24.Mervyn, the consultation period is over, so what do you hope to
:14:25. > :14:28.achieve? Grave concern has been expressed by the 80% of primary
:14:29. > :14:31.schools who stand to lose a considerable part of their budget.
:14:32. > :14:36.The education committee will be using this evening as a means of
:14:37. > :14:40.collating information from the schools, the concerned parents and
:14:41. > :14:46.teachers as to how these proposals will affect them. On the basis of
:14:47. > :14:53.the information here tonight, the education committee will respond to
:14:54. > :14:56.this process. As far as I can see from those I have talked to, these
:14:57. > :15:02.are people who are losing money. Nobody likes that. Not many schools
:15:03. > :15:06.have gained money, so are you preaching to the converted? But is
:15:07. > :15:10.not the case. We have schools who are gaining money, and it has been
:15:11. > :15:13.interesting to see how many schools are gaining money and have still
:15:14. > :15:18.said this is not a fair way to distribute money. That is why the
:15:19. > :15:23.education Department and the Minister need to listen to the real
:15:24. > :15:29.concerns concerning the way these proposals are currently framed. We
:15:30. > :15:34.will talk to one of the principles now. What are you losing and how are
:15:35. > :15:41.you going to pay for that? We are losing over ?20,000, 1.9% of our
:15:42. > :15:47.school budget. To say that sort of money requires losing staff. And
:15:48. > :15:52.ultimately, losing staff means less support for children who need it. If
:15:53. > :15:55.you find yourself at one of these tables speaking to a teacher who is
:15:56. > :16:00.gaining a lot of money, how will you talk them out of wanting that money?
:16:01. > :16:05.I would not want to talk them out of the money, simply the method of
:16:06. > :16:10.dispersing the money is not right. You can't take money from schools
:16:11. > :16:14.that are already under pressure and give it to other schools. People I
:16:15. > :16:18.have talked to don't want to take money from other schools. Like
:16:19. > :16:23.ourselves, they want to raise achievement in every child, not just
:16:24. > :16:26.the children in their school. The results of this meeting will be fed
:16:27. > :16:29.back to the education committee, and no doubt they will then make
:16:30. > :16:34.representations to the Education Minister.
:16:35. > :16:39.UTV, the Belfast -based media company, has announced plans for a
:16:40. > :16:42.major expansion in the Republic of Ireland. It is to set up a new
:16:43. > :16:52.Dublin -based TV station which is expected to go on air in early 2015.
:16:53. > :16:57.Audiences here know it as the place to watch soaps, News, X Factor and
:16:58. > :17:02.the Champions League. The past ten years, UTV has been busily expanding
:17:03. > :17:06.and diversifying, building up a group of radio stations across
:17:07. > :17:11.Ireland and the UK. Now the attention is swinging back to TV.
:17:12. > :17:15.They are setting up UTV Ireland, which will employ 100 people in the
:17:16. > :17:22.Republic. That will have a major impact on Dublin's TV market. On
:17:23. > :17:28.air, it will be known simply as UTV. It is a simple concept, to
:17:29. > :17:34.provide the ITV network schedule, customised to meet the needs of
:17:35. > :17:37.Irish viewers. It will broadcast nightly news programme, with
:17:38. > :17:42.journalists based in all the main cities. But these will be the real
:17:43. > :17:48.ratings grabbers and money spinners, the two big soaps. They are
:17:49. > :17:52.currently screened by TV three, which will face a hole in its
:17:53. > :17:59.schedules. Since TV three came along in the Republic, and they took the
:18:00. > :18:04.ITV programmes like accommodation street -- Coronation Street and
:18:05. > :18:14.Emmerdale, advertising fell away. If you like, they are moving back to
:18:15. > :18:19.restore that to UTV. They know it works. The new station is a very big
:18:20. > :18:26.investment. But it comes at a time when cuts are still being made at
:18:27. > :18:31.UTV's Belfast operation. UTV are given a vote of confidence in the
:18:32. > :18:34.Republic's economy. They believe it will deliver advertising revenues.
:18:35. > :18:40.They say this venture should break even in its first year of operation
:18:41. > :18:45.and deliver a profit in 2016. Now, have you ever heard of cyber
:18:46. > :18:49.Monday? I had not until today, but this year's cyber Monday is December
:18:50. > :18:55.the 2nd, the biggest day for online shopping. But more and more local
:18:56. > :19:03.firms are exploiting e-commerce opportunities all year round.
:19:04. > :19:08.Retail was a big casualty in the downturn. Shops went bust, and
:19:09. > :19:13.others, like HMV, could only be rescued by reducing branches and
:19:14. > :19:18.axing jobs. The recession has changed the high street, but so has
:19:19. > :19:21.the rise of Internet shopping, and with earnings being squeezed,
:19:22. > :19:29.consumers are more cost-conscious than ever. Just clothes and shoes,
:19:30. > :19:36.mostly. It is handier going online and then it comes to your door. My
:19:37. > :19:45.electronic stuff and clothes, I buy on the Internet. Pro but it does
:19:46. > :19:50.average the high street. -- it does damage the high street. I try and do
:19:51. > :19:55.my fair share. I come into town on a Wednesday to spread it around a wee
:19:56. > :19:59.bit. Royal Mail and others have seen Internet shopping drive up parcel
:20:00. > :20:04.volumes as more companies turn to e-commerce. This pharmacy branched
:20:05. > :20:10.out five years ago, and has watched sales climb for make-up and
:20:11. > :20:18.skincare. This year, we have seen good growth and we are running at
:20:19. > :20:22.80% of last year's, so we are excited about what that means and
:20:23. > :20:27.becomes the opportunities to grow further. The shop door never shuts
:20:28. > :20:32.with online retail. This business makes websites and its clients sell
:20:33. > :20:39.everything from golf clubs to tractor parts. Online allows you to
:20:40. > :20:42.operate 24/7. You can sell lots of different products to countries
:20:43. > :20:50.around the world. We have customers at the moment in China, Japan and
:20:51. > :20:54.Australia. There is most of the new with e-commerce. There are about 50
:20:55. > :20:59.days until Christmas, the time of year retailers love. If last
:21:00. > :21:05.December is anything to go by, when the UK spent more than ?800 million
:21:06. > :21:15.online, a price could be paid on our high streets.
:21:16. > :21:23.Sport comes from Ravenhill rugby ground tonight. What is happening?
:21:24. > :21:27.Tonight, we are going to reveal BBC Northern Ireland's unsung hero for
:21:28. > :21:32.this year. As you would expect, he comes from the world of rugby, and
:21:33. > :21:40.an impromptu training session has begun. But from our unsung hero tour
:21:41. > :21:44.racing hero. AP McCoy moved one step closer to that landmark 4000th
:21:45. > :21:57.victory earlier today. The 18 time champion jockey moved on to number
:21:58. > :22:01.399 win -- 3999 win, thanks to a late spare ride at Chepstow.
:22:02. > :22:08.Now to a sportsman who is just as tough in the saddle. It is our top
:22:09. > :22:12.cyclist Martyn Irvine. This year, he has been breaking records and
:22:13. > :22:18.breaking bones. A first world title, a career
:22:19. > :22:23.threatening leg break, and a miraculous comeback. 2013 has been a
:22:24. > :22:27.dry matter give the golden boy of Irish cycling, and he has done it
:22:28. > :22:31.all against the odds. If I was a world champion swimmer or track and
:22:32. > :22:36.field, I would be way better off than a cyclist. The British system
:22:37. > :22:45.is so well funded. It gives me a kick beating them, knowing what I
:22:46. > :22:53.have done. Not beating them all the time, but just fighting. There is a
:22:54. > :23:02.bit of satisfaction in that. Can Martyn Irvine do it 's my word, he
:23:03. > :23:07.can! It is a brilliant run. World champion. The jersey will be on the
:23:08. > :23:15.wall now for the rest of my days. That was awesome. Personally, I just
:23:16. > :23:24.like the way I come back. It was proving that I am worthy. He has
:23:25. > :23:32.done the business on the track, and now he is doing the Giro d'Italia in
:23:33. > :23:36.front of a home crowd. It is massive. It is going to take over
:23:37. > :23:41.the country for a few days. Cycling is booming in Ireland, but when that
:23:42. > :23:49.comes in, it will shut the place down. That could be the motivation
:23:50. > :23:54.for a tough winter's training ahead. While the likes of Martyn Irvine or
:23:55. > :23:59.AP McCoy grabbed the headlines on a daily basis, BBC's unsung hero is
:24:00. > :24:06.all about recognising volunteers in sports in different regions. This
:24:07. > :24:12.year, our winner is Sam McBurney, the coach here. One of his players
:24:13. > :24:22.is going to give Sam the award now. Congratulations. Tell us more about
:24:23. > :24:26.this rugby team? It is a rugby club for those with learning
:24:27. > :24:30.difficulties. They mainly come from a Down syndrome or autistic
:24:31. > :24:38.background. We started seven years ago. First club of its type in
:24:39. > :24:42.Ireland. We started as a six-week pilot project, as we told our wives.
:24:43. > :24:49.And seven years on, we are going from strength to strength. There are
:24:50. > :25:02.five other clubs in Ulster. Even the English schools followed our model.
:25:03. > :25:10.James, tell us about this man. He is an amazing guy to work with and to
:25:11. > :25:25.play with. He knows what he is doing. It is a family as well. We
:25:26. > :25:30.are very happy for Sam to get the award. This is not just for
:25:31. > :25:34.yourself, it is for the club as well. Exactly. I am just the guy who
:25:35. > :25:40.does a lot of shouting on a Sunday morning. We are and credible team,
:25:41. > :25:44.from committee members and fundraisers through to our young
:25:45. > :25:48.volunteers who are signed up with our scheme which is a legacy from
:25:49. > :25:55.the London 2012 Olympics. Incredible bunch of people. I am privileged to
:25:56. > :26:03.receive this award. Thank you for joining us. More on AP McCoy's race
:26:04. > :26:15.for 4000 victories tomorrow. It is a bit of a great picture
:26:16. > :26:22.today. As we go into this evening, those skies start to clear. Tonight,
:26:23. > :26:27.it could be quite chilly, particularly across the eastern side
:26:28. > :26:36.of Northern Ireland. By the time we get to dawn, we could see a grass
:26:37. > :26:40.frost across rural areas. Thursday will be a brighter day than today,
:26:41. > :26:50.but it will also be blustery. The real feature is these strong winds.
:26:51. > :27:00.That is being driven by the low-pressure system heading our
:27:01. > :27:02.way. Tomorrow, we have showery conditions across the north and
:27:03. > :27:10.west. The best of any brightness will be in the East. Temperature is
:27:11. > :27:17.a little disappointing. Through the evening, the winds dropped off a
:27:18. > :27:22.fraction. That means temperatures drop into single figures, but not as
:27:23. > :27:26.cold as we have seen tonight. All of our recent weather has been driven
:27:27. > :27:32.by that low-pressure heading towards us. Even as it moves away, there is
:27:33. > :27:38.no major change in the setup to our weather. It is still coming from the
:27:39. > :27:41.West, with another area of low-pressure following behind. It is
:27:42. > :27:49.delivering a similar picture. Unsettled conditions continue on
:27:50. > :27:53.Friday, another chilly day. It is that same setup all the way through
:27:54. > :27:57.the weekend. The wind is coming out of the West. You will never be far
:27:58. > :28:02.from a shower, so make the most of it.
:28:03. > :28:06.That is it fair now. You can keep in contact with us via Facebook and
:28:07. > :28:11.Twitter. Our late summary is at 10:25pm. Good night.