24/03/2014 BBC Newsline

Good evening. The headlines on BBC Newsline: Gerry Adams says he's

prepared to meet the police over the IRA murder of Jean McConville.

As the search goes on for a missing angler, hundreds gather to mourn his

friend. Respects are paid to the Norbrook

business tycoon Lord Ballyedmond. Also on the programme: Opera isn't

always about sopranos and tenors. A new generation takes centre stage.

Ulster Rugby star Stephen Ferris on his comeback from injury. We have an

exclusive interview. And a soggy end to Monday, but the

rest of the week doesn't look quite as wet.

Gerry Adams has said he's prepared to meet the police about the murder

of Jean McConville in West Belfast in 1972. The Sinn Fein president

said he'd asked his solicitor to contact the police, but insisted he

had nothing to do with the killing. At the weekend, the veteran

republican Ivor Bell was charged in connection with the abduction and

murder of the mother of ten. Mark Simpson reports. For Gerry Adams,

the questions won't go away. Questions about being in the IRA,

about being involved in the murder of Jean McConville, the mother who

was abducted and killed by the IRA in 1972. In a statement, Gerry Adams

attempted to set the record straight. He said what happened to

Jean McConville... Last week the police arrested his

one-time associate Ivor Bell, who was charged with aiding and abetting

the murder of Jean McConville. He denies the charge. In the 1970s and

1980s there -- Ivor Bell was a senior Republican, seen here after

the collapse of a trial. The RUC see the recent gains by Sinn Fein as a

major threat. The evidence against them in relation to the killing of

Jean McConville involves an interview he allegedly did for the

Boston College tapes. The history project began 20 years ago and was

led by the former journalist Ed Moloney. IRA and UVF members gave

interviews, on the basis that their words would only be made public

after their death. One interview was given by former mayor a commander

Brendan Hughes, who alleged that Gerry Adams was linked to the Jean

McConville murder. I had no control over the squad. Gerry had control

over this squad. Gerry Adams has always said that's not true. That's

just recycling of the same story. You can repeated ad nauseam but it's

not true. Police went to court in America to try to gain access to

some of the tapes and succeeded. The legal wrangle and the controversy

has had repercussions, not least in the academic world. Historians are

now thinking twice about similar projects. One unfortunate

consequence will to be make it less likely for people to get first-hand

research on conflict and that's unfortunate because if going to

understand violent conflicts, we need to understand the perspectives

are around those who were in them. The investigation and Ron Jean

McConville stretches back for decades. For eight months, police

have been studying information from the Boston College tapes but we do

not know whether the Ivor Bell court case is a one-off or whether there

will be more. And Mark Devenport is at Stormont.

Why do you think Gerry Adams felt the need to put out this statement?

This Sinn Fein statement referred to media speculation, I assume in

reference to an article which appeared in Sunday life, an

interview in which Jean McConville's daughter speculated on

the possibility that the detectives involved in bringing charges against

Ivor Bell would want to speak to Gerry Adams. He could have ignored

that by issuing the statement he is being seen to take the initiative,

saying his solicitor will be getting in touch with police. The other

thing that strikes me is that he uses some strong language to

criticise those behind the Boston College oral history project and he

says those interviewed went to great lengths to attack the republican

struggle and the peace process, so he is clearly angry about the

project. Thank you, Mark. The funeral has taken place in

Richhill of one of the men from a Portadown angling club who died in

County Westmeath last week. David Warnock was with two of his friends

when they got into trouble on a boat in Lough Ree. A search for Darryl

Burke continued again today, made all the more difficult by the

weather. A third man is recovering in hospital. We'll hear from Lough

Ree shortly. First, our reporter Gordon Adair was at the funeral in

County Armagh. Their faces set against the driving

rain members of the Portadown anglers club perform one final sad

task for their chairman and friend, David Warner. Inside Saint John's

church near Markethill, the clubmates and hundreds of other

mourners heard a reading from the book of Matthew in which Jesus saves

Peter from drowning. The presence of Jesus lifted Peter and brought him

to safety. I believe that same presence of Jesus was with David

when he was in the water on that cold and restless lake in County

Westmeath. I believe he made his peace with God. I know Jesus heard

his cries for help and was with him. Jesus reached out his hand to him to

and lifted him up. Mourners heard of the family's gratitude to all those

who risked their own lives in an effort to save David. We thank the

members of the RNLI in Athlone and all those who went out on the lake

to help. David is survived by his partners Sharon and his

four-year-old son, described in church today is a miracle baby,

having being born prematurely. David Warnock's family expressed their

gratitude that John Trumbull had survived and urged people to pray

for those searching for Darryl Burke. And the search for Darryl

Burke has again been hampered by stormy weather. For the divers, the

visibility is down to two metres at most. Our reporter Julian Fowler has

spent the day at Lough Ree with the teams of volunteers who are trying

to find the 30-year-old Portadown man. Heading out into stormy waters.

For a fifth day, Lough Ree lifeboat set out to try and find Darryl

Burke. The weather today has made the task even more difficult. But

they've been helped by the surviving fisherman, John Trimble. He's now

recovering in hospital and has told the police where they were when

their boat sank. That information has been vital because at least it

confirms our Ron calculations based on where we found the first person

and that is dictating how we are designing the search. Dive teams

also returned to the water. Over the weekend, more than 30 volunteers

from local sub-aqua clubs joined police divers on the search. The

conditions aren't great under the water. We have very bad disability,

a metre or two metres, so it is not easy searching. We were hoping we

would be able to find more people or find the boat, it is a big object

and it is just frustrating, it is sad and sombre as well. Searches

have also been taking place along the shore. We are searching two main

areas here, two peninsulas, one team have searched on the side of the

peninsula and then another team dispatched to this barrier appear,

which is very difficult one team will search North and the other

south. Electronic survey equipment was also being used today to try and

find the boat, but so far to no avail. The divers spent about two

hours out on the loch this morning. They have now returned to shore and

are waiting for conditions to improve before resuming the search.

The lifeboat and volunteer divers were stood down this afternoon. But

they are determined to continue, to end the agonising wait for Darryl

Burke's family. You're watching BBC Newsline. Still

to come on the programme: A warm welcome for the GAA team that's come

a long way. A whistle blower has won undisclosed

damages against a nursing agency, following an industrial tribunal

case in Belfast. The nurse made allegations of neglect regarding a

patient and a loss of personal and professional detriment. Our health

correspondent Marie Louise Connolly was in the court. Tell us more about

this. Significantly, this whistle-blower has waived his right

to anonymity. Kevin Murray was employed by the National nursing

agency group A24 and because of his speciality he nursed one patient who

following a brain injury required round-the-clock nursing care at his

home. Mr Murray was unhappy with the standard of care. He described it as

inadequate and said it constituted abuse and neglect. He said the

standard of equipment was poor, there was a lack of management of

the patient and he raised his concerns through normal channels.

When you make complaints, first with the nature -- the nursing agency,

then he turned to the local health trust in charge of the patient's

care, then the regulators and finally after the Health Minister

Edwin Poots appealed for people to come forward, he wrote to the Health

Minister. All his concerns, he says, went unnoticed. No one took any

action. Finally the nursing agency cut his contact with the patient, he

lost chefs, he had no work and he said he suffered financial loss,

earnings and finally he suffered a nervous breakdown. This involves the

Belfast Health Trust. Yes, and I understand Mr Murray has instructed

his legal team today to begin proceedings against the Belfast

Health Trust. While no liability was accepted by the nursing agency, I

understand an undisclosed sum of money was awarded to Mr Murray.

Reports coming in this evening about waiting times at accident and

emergency. Here we go again, it is Monday evening so we are hearing of

trolley waits at the Royal the career hospital. The Belfast Health

Trust confirms it is another busy evening. 100 people are waiting, 30

people waiting on trolleys. It is the spill-over from the weekend and

it would appear the Belfast Health Trust are still struggling with

coping with the weekend figures. Thank you, Murray Louise.

The funeral has taken place in Newry of Lord Ballyedmond, the

multi-millionaire who died in a helicopter crash in England earlier

this month. Also known as Edward Haughey, the businessman developed

Norbrook Pharmaceutical Laboratories to become one of Northern Ireland's

richest people. Kevin Sharkey reports.

The police escorted Lord Ballyedmond's cortege to St Patrick

and St Colman's Cathedral. A piper played as his remains and his

grieving family went inside. And another tribute on the street from

the people of Newry - quiet whispers of appreciation for his business

empire, paying millions of pounds in salaries locally. Politicians came,

too. They encourage people to create jobs and Edward Haughey spent almost

half a century recruiting workers. Mourners inside the packed cathedral

were told that his company employs 3000 people globally, about 2000 of

them in Newry. But that wasn't his only legacy. Edward made many

significant donations over the years to education establishments and

charitable organisations. Most of these were never published and many

charities and schools in this area benefited. Today's ceremony also

remembered the pilot and co-pilot of the ill-fated helicopter as well as

the fourth victim, Declan Small from Mayobridge, who was buried

yesterday. Except this player that we offer you, merciful Father, for

Declan small. Eddie had humble beginnings in County Louth to

establish his business empire. Today, in death, a return journey,

beginning this morning from his castle home in nearby Rostrevor to

Newry Cathedral and finally to a country cemetery in his native

Kilcurry. People living in Strathfoyle on the outskirts of

Londonderry have welcomed the news that a major waste plant on their

doorstep looks like being abandoned. It would have processed huge amounts

of waste each week from seven council areas. But the local

authorities aren't satisfied it can be delivered on time and to the

specification required. Here's Keiron Tourish. It is perhaps

something we take for granted. Council staff on their rounds to

collect our rubbish. It's then recycled or sent for disposal. The

amount we're producing had prompted seven councils to plan for the

long-term. The local authorities, stretching from Derry City Council

to neighbouring areas like Stabane, Limavady and Ballymoney and

Magherafelt, had intended to build a major facility near Strathfoyle. The

plant would have cost ?500 million and dealt with 200 tonnes of waste

each day. It would have turned black bin rubbish into energy in a process

called gasification. It uses high temperatures to create a fuel which

can be reused, but residents had health concerns. When we heard the

plant was coming, -- it was not coming, there was huge relief. We're

getting a voice and we are saying we do not know enough about that. It is

not good and we do not wanted. You do not know what it is. It is not

knowing that scares you. The umbrella group set up by the

councils to oversee the project had concerns over whether it could be

delivered on time and to the specification required. ?3 million

of public money has already been spent. Is that wasted money? It is

money that cannot we recovered. But it is also money that when you look

at ?500 billion in a project, that is not when 6% of the overall

budget. Still public money. Yes, some of that we will learn lessons

from. The seven councils involved still have to formally agree to

abandon the project. But dealing with the material we choose to

discard remains a long term challenge. So what happens? These

councils will still have a massive amount of waste to process in the

future and they must have a plan in place. Otherwise, they rescued fines

being imposed from Europe. The pressure is on. And the clock is

ticking... Some music next and when you think of the opera, young

children singing such classical music wouldn't normally come to

mind. But three primary schools have written and performed their own

productions at the Grand Opera House in Belfast. Julie McCullough has

been watching and listening. You are a liar. I stole your dinosaur.

Forget Carmen or Madam Butterfly - Revenge of the Teddy Bears is the

latest opera to hit the stage in Belfast and the entire production

has been written and performed by this group of children aged between

nine and 11. This is Holy Primary School in North Belfast rehearsing

at the moment. The storyline of their opera isn't perhaps the most

traditional. It's about a little girl who steals a dinosaur and as a

punishment has to tidy a little boy's room. But when she gets there

all his teddy bears come to life. Can you do that really exaggerated?

The children have been working on their operas for the last couple of

months and they've had a little help from opera singers like Lucia. Were

going to come very close to the edge. I've just been bowled over by

how up for singing they are, for dancing, for giving me their ideas.

If they were a little bit younger they wouldn't be able to do that. If

they were a little bit older they would start to feel self-conscious

and none of that has kicked in yet. It's a fabulous age group to work

with. And all the children I spoke to are now opera converts. Some even

see it as a future career. It involves dancing and singing. Those

are my talents and that's why it's just perfect for me. I don't

actually want to be famous or make lots of money, I just want to

entertain people. I told my mummy I had the main part and she was

excited and I told my granny and she was blown away. Two other schools

have also written their own operas. All three productions were being

performed in front of friends and family at the Grand Opera House

today. Stars of the present and future in the world of opera. Good

singers! Rugby stars next. Stephen's here to tell us about the Ulster

team that just keeps winning. Yes. Ulster are unbeaten in 2014 after

defeating Edinburgh at the weekend. The countdown is now on to the

Heineken Cup quarter final against Saracens in under two weeks. And a

big favourite with the fans could be in line for a place in the team. It

was unthinkable a couple of months ago, but now Stephen Ferris could

play a key role in the biggest match of the season so far. He says he has

been making steady progress and could play. Running out for his

first Ulster starred in over 15 months. Stephen Ferris played one

half of the weekend game against Edinburgh as he eased himself back

from career threatening injury. It does not play on my mind when I am

playing, it is so afterwards and they manage that through the week I

my training. But I am not out of the woods. People must understand that

just because I am back saying rugby, I am not 100% it. It is all about

rehabilitation. What is going on here? Listen to this! Is richer in

the previous week made an instant impression with fans and opposition.

He now wants to earn his starting place in the Heineken Cup

quarterfinal. Running is not the issue, it is taking the impact,

smashing into the rocks. Especially after being out for so long. I have

to put my hand up for selection when the time comes and we know that the

next four weeks and another win would keep that ball rolling. Ferris

played his part as Ulster kept their momentum in the Pro12. Paddy Jackson

kicked his side to another victory. There were points dropped, chances

missed and big decisions against both title contenders in the Irish

Premiership at the weekend. And Linfield and Cliftonville remain

locked in battle at the top of the table. Mark Sidebottom reports.

Linfield thought they had scored in the first half at Coleraine when

Mark Michalis tour guided the ball into the path of Andy Waterworth but

the referee blew for shopping. -- shopping. Coleraine could have also

taken all three points. The key moment was a penalty claim for the

visitors, again denied. Stephen knew this, and it is not because he is an

excellent free kick player. We could not see why it was given. We had the

second situation with Jamie going down. I thought he was clearly

obstructed. That is frustrating. That was also the theme at the Oval,

where handball and the build-up denied Cliftonville this effort. And

Liam boys came so close for the visitors. Nobody will give us

points, you must burn them and you must put the ball into the net and

today we did not do that, which is rare for us. I thought today, if one

had gone in, he might have got if you more. But it was not to be. Next

weekend, convert chances are at a premium the first against second at

Windsor Park. We are used to seeing South African imports come over here

and star on the rugby and cricket fields. But today, a touring side of

Gaelic footballers made up of players from the townships of

Johannesburg showed some off their skills in Belfast. Thomas Kane was

there. A guard of honour for a very special team of visitors. Having

travelled thousands of miles to get here, this tour mixed culture and

sport. South Africa! It is all about momentum. It is an interesting

sport. Kicking the ball are bad time, it is one of the fantastic

things in Gaelic football. One of the best sports ever. We find in the

club in 2009 in South Africa and I was transferred there with my work.

I was playing before that. Your accent does not sign Irish. I played

in Singapore. I started learning back in 2005. Going global is one of

the main aims and while there are already competition is taking place

all over the world, most playing or Irish. The touring South African

Gaels squad, though, is made up entirely of home-grown players. The

club have benefited from Australian Rules structures already in the

country. Most of these men come from Astra lien reels. With the

international rules that they have, it is a natural progression to go to

a round ball on a rectangular patch. -- pitch. It is hoped this tour will

further boost interest in Gaelic Games in the Rainbow Nation, with

plans to start coaching children in townships across Johannesburg. The

Belfast Giants took a big step towards their third trophy of the

season. They beat the Nottingham Panthers 5-2 in the first leg of the

Challenge Cup Final. We'll have a preview of the second leg tomorrow.

The weather is next with Angie. We had gusty wind and spells of rain

today, not very pleasant but this will be the wettest part of the

week. Once that moves, there will be showers around but some good dry

spells developing and with variable cloud, there should be bright or

sunny spells. With clear intervals at night, there is the risk of

frost. The main issue today was the wind and those spells of rain, which

have been moving slowly from the south-west. They are affecting most

parts. We have a gap behind but do not count on that lasting, with more

showery rain to come this evening and tonight but still windy for the

first part of the night. But wind will ease and temperatures will be a

three-day five degrees so just about frost free. Tomorrow we have lighter

wind, a good deal of cloud and some showers around and we will find the

bulk of those during tomorrow morning. Some could be sharp with

the remnants of that overnight rain in the North and West and we will

still be prone to showery bursts throughout the course of the day

that they will ease away. Towards the south and east, it should become

drier towards the end of the day, possibly with brighter glimpses.

Temperatures better than today at ten or 11 degrees. Tomorrow night,

the weather front ringing the current rain starts to slide back

towards us so we could have some showers tomorrow night into

Wednesday morning but once they cleared away, Wednesday looks good.

Spells of sunshine and for the rest of the week we are looking at more

dry than wet weather. Our late summery is at 10.25pm. You can also

keep in contact with us via Facebook and Twitter. Goodnight.