09/06/2014 BBC Newsline

A community in mourning as a young boy dies and a father fights for

Totally devastated. Heartbreaking news. The community is just numb.

A new round of talks on flags parades and the past -

but are they any more likely to succeed than the last ones?

A man appears in court accused of directing terrorism.

The cleanup after weekend of floods in homes that have already

Our economy is finally on the up - but will a looming interest rate

As the GAA targets a global audience, an ugly pre-match brawl

between Armagh and Cavan prompts the association president to intervene.

And further heavy and thundery downpours are in the forecast.

A warning has been issued by the Met Office.

Robert Christie was only eight years old and described

by his school principal as a bubbly wee character, interested in

He and his father, Bertie, were helping out

an elderly neighbour on a farm near Dunloy at the weekend when they

Robert couldn't survive breathing in the toxins.

Mr Christie is still critically ill in hospital.

As David Maxwell reports, the tragedy has once again highlighted

The dangers of farming life were once again thrown into sharp

focus when the emergency services arrived at this farm on Saturday.

They were called after a postman discovered

a father and son unconscious, poisoned by lethal slurry gases.

The eight-year-old boy was Robert Christie. He'd come here with

his father, Bertie, who was helping the elderly farm owner.

It's understood slurry was being mixed when they were overcome

Robert was airlifted to hospital but couldn't be revived.

His father remains critical. news. The community is just numb.

Particularly in a rule committee like this, everybody knows what

everybody is doing and they talk to each other. The whole farming

This morning, a special assembly took place at the small rural school

Staff say a huge hole has been left by the tragic death.

Robert was a well loved member of the school family. Very gentle

nature. He made friends quite easily and would have shared his time with

others and for that he was very popular. His loss will have a huge

impact on his friends and his classmates and the staff and the

A funeral service for the eight-year-old is due to

This latest farming tragedy is a reminder of the dangers

At this time of year, farmers want to get slurry onto the land so they

have to mix it and this is when gases come from it. The messages,

once you start mixing slurry, get it out immediately and let the machine

There have been 24 fatalities on farms here in the last three years.

But no slurry-related deaths since September 2012, when Ulster

rugby player Nevin Spence died with his father and brother

The Health and Safety Executive are leading the investigation

It will also be considering what more can be done to

Intensive talks about the past, parades and flags are expected to

be convened by the First and Deputy First Ministers.

It's thought there will be two three-day sessions.

The five Stormont Executive parties are being asked to name

Mark Devenport joins me now live from Stormont.

What other chances of a breakthrough? You will remember that

myself and my colleagues spent hours over Christmas and the New Year

standing outside the Stormont Today, waiting for some breakthrough in

those marathon talks chaired by the former American diplomat Richard

Haass. They ended without agreement and you must say that on the face of

it, nothing seems to have changed in relation to this. The parties are

being asked to name five strong delegations and Martin McGuinness,

standing a short time ago, told us it was important to make progress in

the days and weeks ahead. We have agreed that there will be an

intensive period of talks in what is clearly a very limited window of

opportunity, up until the first couple of days of July. And we will

enter that with the same spirit as we entered the Haass talks,

determined to find a way forward to get an agreement around these three

issues. This time, will the British and Irish governments be involved?

Not directly, they will not be at the table. We have the Irish Foreign

Minister here in time on what might turn out to be his farewell tour as

he will stand down in Dublin on July the 4th. He says the governments

would do whatever they can to assist this progress and he detects new

momentum but the governments will not be directly at the table.

Instead, it will be facilitated by a secretary and essentially a civil

servant. On another matter, the issue of environs. That is high on

the agenda? That was because of the Westminster committee using these

facilities. -- on the runs. They were taking evidence about the vexed

question of paramilitary on the runs. Gerry Kelly from Sinn Fein

explains to us why he has decided to decline any invitation to give

evidence to that committee. They say they will cooperate with any review

being conducted by a senior judge but they say that they will say no

to the Westminster committee, annoying members who say this is an

insult to Parliament. Thank you. A man described as a prominent

member of the IRA in Londonderry has been in court accused of directing

terrorism and of being a member The local Magistrates Court was told

that the charges stem from a smuggled note found

at Maghaberry Prison. The accused, who was clapped

and cheered by family and friends, With more details, our North West

reporter, Keiron Tourish. Before the court was 38-year-old

Thomas Ashe Mellon, He's charged with membership

of a proscribed organisation, namely the IRA, between a date

unknown and June 6th this year. He's also accused of directing

a terrorist organisation. Police believe they intercepted

a letter from a proscribed organisation to its prisoners

in Maghaberry last Thursday and It was written

on cigarette papers licked together It was found during a search

of a man visiting Maghaberry Prison Police say that after he left

the prison he was later seen speaking to Thomas Ashe Mellon

on Glenshane Road near Maghera. Police are now trying to locate

Mr O. The prosecution claimed there was

DNA and handwriting evidence linking At one point

in the letter it states: I will not allow any dual army

operating along with the IRA and Tell the POWs not to engage

in loose talk. A defence lawyer described

the letter as a rant and said the charge of directing

terrorism didn't stand up. He said there were no instructions

or orders being given. A detective constable said

the police would oppose bail The detective constable said

the PSNI believed Thomas Ashe Mellon was a prominent member of the IRA

and would continue in that role Thomas Ashe Mellon was remanded

in custody until the 3rd of July. As he was being taken from

the court there was clapping and A man arrested

in connection with the murder of his mother in Portstewart last

week has been released from police custody and detained

under the Mental Health Act. 69-year-old Margaret Evans was

a well-known businesswoman She was killed at her home

in Knockancor Drive on Wednesday. Her 32-year-old son who lived with

her was arrested a short time later. could put paid to the fragile

recovery in the local economy. It was an unusual smell that led to

the discovery of more than 400 cannabis plants

in South Belfast at the weekend. People living near the house in the

Village area alerted the police. As BBC Newsline's Mark Simpson

reports, once inside, officers saw the lengths to which the people

behind the cannabis factory had gone It looked like a normal house

on a normal street. But inside was

a secret cannabis factory. To keep it hidden,

a wall was knocked through to In recent weeks,

people in the area became suspicious It was the smell, there was a very

strange smell coming out of this building and people, lots of elderly

people would not know what a cannabis factory would smell like

Anna took some investigation to realise it was a drugs factory. To

make matters worse, we believe the electricity

make matters worse, we believe the the plants was coming from the mains

and street lighting so the plants was coming from the mains

this up and we are delighted that the community provided information

to the police, who have dismantled this factory. Toyland 400 plants

were found inside, close to a South Belfast family centre. We were very

surprised to find it was on the doorstep, with so many children

coming to the centre and we're glad it has been fired. The cannabis

factory is similar to one find in a rented house in Fermanagh two years

ago. Finding the factories is not easy. But often, there are some

clues. Police say there are a number of different things to look out for.

Blacked out windows or lots of condensation on windows, people

going in and out all of the time and, of course, unusual smells.

Following the latest find, police have reminded landlords to

check their rented properties to make sure they know exactly what is

Closing arguments have been made in the trial of Francis McPeak. The

72-year-old faces 12 child sex abuse charges involving a 15-year-old girl

died years ago. A prosecution barrister questioned his evidence

that he was having problems with his sexual capabilities during the time

of the alleged abuse. But the defence lawyer claimed the alleged

victim had told lies. Tomorrow, the jury is expected to retire to

consider its verdict. Homeowners whose properties were

flooded at the weekend in the heavy rain say they fear they'll

never be able to sell their homes. Properties between Ahoghill

and Randalstown were affected. Roads

in Ballymena were also flooded for Will Leitch has been listening

to the residents who've been Flooding has happened on

Ballymena's Toome Road and Local people filmed the worst

of it as they tried to protect their homes last night - but the elements

and history were against them. Most householders already have

painful memories of the times it has flooded before. When it started last

night, the sandbags were dug out quickly. But it still was not enough

for some homes. The garage was flooded and the oil tank was lifted

up, and the kitchen floor was completely swamped with water.

In several homes, furniture had been hurriedly removed.

Today, the insurance assessors were due.

You can see the watermark was actually up to here last night. The

last time the flood happened, it can still see the watermark. The new, if

we knew it was going to flood, we would not have bought this house.

That was eight years ago - a time Ruth McCandless remembers

I came home to the downstairs flooded last time.

I thought I would have to relive that moment all over again.

The drains here and in other areas like the Glagorm Road were built for

a different era, when thunderstorms like last night?s were rare.

We are seeing more of these intensive storm events and that is

something we are very conscious of and looking forward to seeing

whether the design standards are suitable for years to come.

Residents can now apply for an emergency grant of ?1000.

How a players' parade descended into a mass brawl.

New figures indicate Northern Ireland's economic

recovery continues to lag behind most of Britain.

The research compares four parts of the UK.

The local economy fell further in the crash and it's been slower

But it's feared that fragile recovery could be derailed with

an early rise in interest rates to cool a booming economy in London

Our Economics and Business Editor, John Campbell, reports.

The signs of recovery are becoming visible. New jobs, increasing car

sales and a stabilising property market. We are emerging from a long

and difficult recession. Figures produced by the Office for National

Statistics show we had it harder than other parts of the UK. One

measure shows between 2007 and 2009, our economy shrank by more

than 4%. More than doubled the fall in the rest of the UK. Between 2009

and 2012, we had hardly any growth, just 1.4%. For the UK as a whole,

the rise was 2.5%. We have also not been as good as creating jobs

recently. Second lowest unemployment at the peak of the downturn. It has

not benefited as much as the other countries from economic recovery so

now has the highest and implement levels. But these figures do not

eliminate is how this place, London, is pulling away from us and all the

other parts of the UK. Take just one example. Between 2010 and 2012,

about 80% of all new private-sector jobs in the UK were created in

London. Just think about that. Four out of five all new private-sector

jobs concentrated in this one city. If London success generates the tax

that helps pay for our services, does that matter? Such talent for

the rest of the company -- from the country acts as a magnet. People

feel the need to leave their own areas and moved to London so that

you other parts of the UK. Areas like Northern Ireland and Scotland

with their talented young people and that is not good news for those

areas. Then there is the issue of house prices. In the last year,

prices in London have risen by a massive 17%, the equivalent figure

back at home is just 0.3% and is surging London market is something

that we should be worried about. That is because the frothy the

growth in London, the sooner the bank of England will have to raise

interest rates. That will hit the finances of the thousands here who

have big boomtime mortgages. If enough people feel the pinch, it

could even put our recovery into reverse. Make no mistake, rates will

go up. A process most likely to happen early

Instead of talking about the football action

at yesterday's Ulster quarter-final, the headlines are

about the mass brawl which marred the match between Armagh and Cavan.

It would seem sanctions are inevitable, and that won't be

lost on the GAA, as it pushes to market its brand globally.

The pre-match parade at the Athletic grounds yesterday descended

into a brawl between the two sides - with the parade band scattering

The trouble started as the players made their way to join the parade. A

disagreement over the positioning of the procession in the procession led

to the to the squads clashing. A large number of the stirring

line-ups were involved and it took around two minutes for order to be

restored. The Armagh manager played down this couple. When you get 15

boys hyped up and the adrenaline is flowing, you are going to get little

tests, that is all it was, nothing serious. How concerned are you about

suspensions? We will wait and see what happens. From what I saw, there

were 30 players involved so are they going to suspend them all? Martin

Dunne was unable to start the game following the incident. I don't know

what happened, it was a mass and I could not see who did what. It was

as a result of that incident. How did it affect your side?

as a result of that incident. How to quantify that. Was it a reason

as a result of that incident. How for Armagh's download? I don't know,

very hard to qualify that. for Armagh's download? I don't know,

GAA President gave this reaction. We would like the managers to take

responsibility for the games and line them up in an orderly manner

and then played the game. Unfortunately that did not happen

and anything that damages our image is of concern to us

and anything that damages our image seriously will stop at the time, no

action was taken by the referee who will now submit his match report

before a retrospective disciplinary process will begin if

As for the game - Armagh ran out winners, by one goal and twelve

points to nine points, and Cavan will now host Westmeath following

this morning's draw for the All-Ireland first round qualifiers.

Derry face Longford, Fermanagh travel to Laois, while Monaghan or

At the Athletic Grounds, Armagh were in control for most

of the game bar a brief rally from Cavan early in the second half

of the contest when the Breffni county got within three points.

Cornerback Fergal Flanagan popped this one over to give

But then came the key score of the game, a Caolan Rafferty goal

in the 51st minute, to put the result beyond doubt and leave

Cavan looking at the back door route in the All-Ireland Championship.

Ravenhill was rocked at the weekend with the news that David Humphreys

is leaving for Gloucester in England. When David Humphreys called

on the Ulster shirt, he made things happen. Eight European cup winner as

a player and in the last six years, as director of rugby, the driving

force behind Ulster's return to prominence in the game. His

departure comes as a shock to everyone. David has been consistent

over the years saying he wants his career to advance. We would not

stand in his way. I think the surprising part is the speed with

which it has happened but perhaps that is the way. David has been at

Ulster for 20 years and that is great, but in part, he probably

feels the need to test himself in a different environment. As for his

successor, the trial will be wide. We will look around the world but we

will also look close to home, we have some cracking talent emerging

through the Ulster system and we will take our time and recruit the

absolute best person to fit with our ambition. Seven Ulstermen are part

of the side that defeated Argentina on Saturday.

of the side that defeated Argentina and Andrew Trimble helped give the

squad eight winning squad to their two test tour in South America.

William Dunlop sustained a double fracture in his shin

following a nasty crash in Friday's senior race at the Isle of Man TT.

Today, back in Belfast, he told us he hoped to be back

racing in less than the six weeks, in spite of his injuries.

My hand went really numb and the bike went on. Down I went.

Disappointed I am for the team because I put a big effort in. It

was just a silly mistake on my behalf. I want to continue the run

we are having and it is important because there are two big ones

coming up. I would not push to get ready. I'm in the best hands, these

boys know what they are doing. Staying with two wheels

and Toomebridge rider Eugene Laverty had a podium finish at

the weekend in the latest round of Laverty finished third in Race One

in Malaysia. A seventh place finish in Race Two

means he lies eighth Ballyclare's Jonathan Rea was sixth

in both races and is third overall. Meanwhile,

Katie Taylor has returned from the European Boxing Championships

with yet another gold medal. She won the title for a sixth

time in Bucharest at the weekend. And Banbridge Hockey Club went

unbeaten at the Champions Challenge A 6-3 victory today over Azerbaijan

side Akkord, meant they posted 4 Finally tonight - the US Open,

the second major golf championship This year it is being played

at Pinehurst in North Carolina and Stephen Watson is there for

BBC Newsline. The US open is traditionally

regarded as the toughest test in golf. The tournament is inextricably

linked to Northern Ireland after that remarkable back-to-back success

of a few years ago. Remnick 201 in dramatic fashion in 2010. -- Graeme

McDowell. The next year, Rory McIlroy triumphed in record-breaking

style. There are joined this week by Darren Clarke in Carolina. We will

be following all three of them in their search for more major golfing

silverware. We have more rain to come and the

Met Office has issued a warning for Armagh, Fermanagh and Tyrone and

Derry. There may be some localised flooding this evening and tonight.

This was the picture today. The rain affecting western areas, creating an

eastern, Western split. It will stay that way this evening. There will be

some heavy rain and hail mixed in as well. It will not take long before

the next batch of showery rain from the south. Overnight, temperature is

no lower than ten or 11 degrees. The wet weather will be there tomorrow

morning, giving us a start, especially for the Belfast area.

Unlike today, the showers tomorrow will affect almost anywhere so

prepare yourself just in case. It will not rain all day, in between

the showers, they will be some brighter weather and maybe the odd

spell of sunshine as well. Temperatures getting up to maybe 18

degrees. Where we do have the showers coming in, some of them will

be heavy and there will be thunder and lightning in some places. That

continues as we go into the second part of the afternoon and in the

evening. Some areas will get decent end to the day with brighter

weather. The good news is, as we go towards tomorrow night, we will see

those showers clearing away into Wednesday and it will be a cooler

night with temperatures dropping to about 9 degrees. The good news is,

those showers will stay clear and from any of us, and much better day

on Wednesday. Drier and brighter. There will be one to dump spots,

most likely towards the north coast. Enjoy that dry weather because on

Thursday and Friday, it will turn more unsettled.

That was BBC Newsline. Good night. THROWS VOICE: 'A weekly treat

of all the best bits of Radio 2.'