19/05/2017 BBC Newsline

The son of murdered Fermanagh woman Connie Leonard leads

A bid to boost tourism in Belfast with longer Sunday shopping fails.

Michelle O'Neill gives her reaction to

It is one of our most marginal seats. I will be reporting from

Fermanagh and South Tyrone. ?1 million to be spent on restoring

a 22-mile monument in the Mournes. On the eve of the Ulster

Championship, we hear from the four counties in action

on the opening weekend. And still some pretty lively showers

around this weekend. The son of a woman murdered

in County Fermanagh earlier this week has been praised

for his bravery. A priest told mourners

at the funeral of Connie Leonard that evil intent had visited

the peaceful community Ms Leonard was killed by her former

partner, who she had taken Connie Leonard lived a life filled

with music, and today some of the children she shared her gift with

were among those here. The violence of Monday night was recalled, along

with the bravery of her son who has down syndrome.

In the light, evil intent visited this peaceful community. Evil

lurking in the shadows, seeking to destroy life. But in that moment of

madness, Conor cared for and protected his mum.

The attack happened hours before eight court hearing to confirm a

non-molestation order against Peadar Phair. Today, the woman was

described as a great musician, cook and mother.

Conor is our reason to hope today. Thankfully he survived the ordeal of

Monday, but he is the one who will lead all of us through our recovery.

And as the funeral ended, mourners were reminded of the two great loves

of Connie's life's traditional music and her son.

A 35-year-old woman and her three children have had to leave

their home in Crumlin after it was petrol-bombed.

It happened in the Ballydonaghy Meadows area in the early

The woman fled from the house with her children, the youngest just

six years old, after she heard a loud bang and saw

The police are appealing for information.

There will be no change to shop opening times in Belfast on Sundays.

A vote at City Hall has killed off the idea of longer trading hours

for part of the year to help tourism.

Our business correspondent Julian O'Neill reports.

A union protests, as councillors inside City Hall prepare to vote on

extending the Sunday opening hours for big retailers. Shop workers have

made their opposition clear, and it was largely based on more hours

disrupting family life. The family time we have on a Sunday

is incredibly important. Who get together and make sure everybody is

happy. We would not get that time where

everyone is at home. It is a religious day as well, and everybody

should have their religious beliefs. On the table was designating Belfast

as a holiday resort, which would have allowed trading changes. But

the idea failed to win significant backing. The vote against was a

decisive one, 12 to three. Sinn Fein, the DUP and the SDLP all

rejected new trading hours on 18 designated Sundays between March and

September. The tourism sector had promoted Sunday morning opening to

help boost the appeal of Belfast, and the vote went against the

outcome of an eight week public consultation. The council received

2471 responses to organisations and individuals, and a majority, 62%,

backed the idea of longer shopping Sundays. Retailers themselves were

split, and the chamber of commerce was in favour, but smaller

retailers, who can already open all day on Sunday, wanted that advantage

for themselves. I think it is highly likely this

will be revisited. In fact, I think this goes further than Belfast, but

puts a market down to the other ten councils, not to try to relax on the

trading standards. The chamber of commerce says it will

keep lobbying for holiday staters. But the idea looks dead now.

Although there is a call for new thinking on what Belfast offers

visitors on Sundays. Sinn Fein say the DUP need to

give more details about a ?435,000 donation

they received during last year's Sinn Fein raised the issue

at a meeting today with The DUP leader Arlene Foster

has denied her party has Here's our political

correspondent Enda McClafferty. This is Richard Cook -

the public face of the pro-union business lobby behind the donation

to the DUP. The problem for Sinn Fein

is that we don't know but we do know how

their cash was spent - nearly 300,000 on an

advert in the Metro, a free newspaper only

available in Great Britain. Today, Sinn Fein raised

their concerns with This could be very easily resolved

if the DUP come out today and shine a light upon the donations, and if

they in fact told us the true nature of the donations made last year.

But last night on the BBC programme The View, Arlene Foster

insisted her party had complied with all the legal requirements.

This is a repeated story, I have to say. We dealt with it at the time of

the Assembly election, and here we are dealing with the exact same

story. No new information at all. But some observers believe

it's the law around donations The Electoral Commission can save

the DUP has adhered to the law, and the DUP can say they have here to

the law, the problem is the law, and the legislation here about the

nation 's... Voters are in the dark about the activity here. That is not

the case in the Republic of Ireland and not the case in Britain, so we

want to know who pays the piper. The DUP may face more

heat politically over this donation, but not

from the Electoral Commission, as it has no plans to carry

out an investigation. Enda McClafferty,

BBC Newsline, Belfast. The Sinn Fein leader at Stormont,

Michelle O'Neill, has responded in public for the first time

to Arlene Foster's comments In a newspaper interview

last weekend, Mrs Foster described her as "blonde"

in a word association game, and complimented her on her

make-up and appearance. Michelle O'Neill said

the comments were inappropriate. We as political leaders have a

responsibility to set the tone, I'd be careful in our language. I think

Arlene knew that when she said the blonde comment that if you look at

the context in which he said it, she knew it was sexist but went on to

make the comment. It is unhelpful and we need to rise above all that

and make sure we show leadership, and that we do not involve ourselves

in anything that is sexist or racist or homophobic, or discriminatory in

any way. I think she was wrong and I think the comments work on the

fitting of a leader. -- they were not the fitting of a leader.

Coming up on the programme, a restoration project in the Mournes.

22 miles, our longest listed monument, but he needs TLC.

The courts have cleared the way for a scheme allowing older

The Teaching Workforce Scheme was aimed at creating vacancies

for up to 120 newly-qualified teachers, by allowing

teachers over the age of 55 to take early retirement.

A High Court judge today threw out a challenge, and the Department

for Education says it now hopes to progress conditional offers

Good news, for people, whether they be teachers at the beginning of

their career or the ends of their career, and they feel that they have

given all they can to the profession. It is good news all

round indeed. There are concerns that ongoing

crime in the Lower Falls area of west Belfast

could drive away tourists. Several hundred people attended

a rally last night in protest against criminal activity

in the area. Locals say they've been

terrorised by burglaries, Tourists have also been

targeted by criminals. This man was captured on camera

earlier this month trying to steal Our taxis are sometimes robbed when

people leave cameras behind our backs behind, so we have tightened

security so that they are locked up and windows closed, and

unfortunately we have to say to tourists that it is a possibility.

And that they should take their possessions with them when they are

using a taxi. As part of our election coverage,

tonight we're reporting from Fermanagh and South Tyrone

which looks set to be one The seat is held by Ulster Unionist

Tom Elliott, who has a majority He has the backing of the DUP

who are not running a candidate. He faces a challenge from former

Sinn Fein MP Michelle Gildernew, and from the SDLP, the Alliance

Party and the Green Party. Here is our political

correspondent Stephen Walker. It is at the edge of the union, and

the most westerly seat in the UK, but could it be the centre of

political attention next month? This seat has a dramatic electoral

history, and candidates have been elected with the slimmest of

majorities. There have been recounts and legal challenges. At election

time, you often hear at the cliche, every vote counts. Here that rings

true. Even though he is the sitting MP and has the backing of the DUP

and the other party, Ulster Unionist Tom Elliott faces a challenge. So

does he worry that two years after winning the seat, his job is on the

line? That is politics, and again I am

almost up for a contest and a fight. I am a competitive person by nature,

and whether it was in business or playing football or now in politics.

I like confrontation, and I want to make sure I represent the people and

do the job and that is what I want to do.

Michelle Gildernew wants to end the tenure of Tom Elliott as MP. She had

the job for 14 years, and hopes to get it back again. She says interest

in the election is high, and the result will be very close.

On track record, I would say it probably will come down to a fairly

narrow margin. But people are very exercised and up for their

selection, and I know we have had an unprecedented amount of requests to

the office for postal vote forms for registration forms, and all of that,

and I think people are very up for having the right to vote and using

that right to vote in this election. If Michelle Gildernew wins, she

wants to take a seat at Westminster. The SDLP insist that policy lets

down the electorate. -- she will not take a seat at Westminster. The

other night when and because their working does not go to their work,

they do not deserve the title. At the meeting more of them, before

the election time, and as a local councillor I can do that, and

individuals can, but this is about making our voice heard on the

benches in Westminster, and by not going we become irrelevant.

The Alliance Party's Maureen Campbell and the Green Party's Tanya

Jones are also on the ballot paper here, a baroque border constituency.

Brexit, jobs and fracking our campaign talking points. One

observer insists that away from the issues this is a two horse race.

Tom Elliott won this seat last time by just over 500 votes and he won

that from Michelle Gildernew. He won against the odds. He can of course

win it again, because he has the backing of other unionists in the

area, including Arlene Foster. But Michelle Gildernew could win it

again, we have seen in previous elections she has been capable of

winning that sea from a single Unionist candidate.

Politics here runs the, tradition and history are never far from the

surface. In a seat which may be one again by the slimmest of margins...

-- it may be won again. Back to a story we had earlier about

a petrol bombing in Crumlin, the police have said it has been

established the buyer was not caused by a petrol bomb.

Rory Best believes the all Blacks can be beaten on their home soil.

At 22 miles it's our longest-listed monument, rising and falling over

But the Mourne Wall, built more than a century ago, has fallen

victim to the weather, especially lightning strikes.

Now Northern Ireland Water which owns it, is planning to spend

Here's our agriculture and environment correspondent

The Mournes attract tens of thousands of people every year.

And they almost all cross this listed monument.

But the Mourne Wall has been battered by the winds

In some spots it has tumbled, weakening the integrity

Just under 400 pieces of the wall are damaged, and that goes from a

small place where the capstone of the wall has been knocked off, to

larger pieces. The largest is 80 metres long, totally knocked down.

That is due to a lightning strike. So NI Water, which owns it,

is spending a million over four years to restore this listed

momument, drawing on the expertise of local stonemasons whose forebears

built the original by hand more Put in a line of chisels and tap

gently and evenly. Sometimes you wonder how they got

those stones on top of their and got the Stones carved out, and so high,

six foot in a lot of places. You wonder how they lifted those big

stones to the top of it. It was built to mark

the catchement boundary of the Silent Valley Reservoir,

which supplies Belfast's drinking Of course, this wall is not just an

important monument. It is also a key navigational tool for the thousands

of walkers who flock to the Mournes every year. To use it as a

navigational handrail to get from mountain town mountain. -- to get

from mountain to mountain. So the hill walkers will be happy

too when work starts on an one and a half-mile stretch

later this month. Even something as hard

as Mourne granite needs The Ulster gaelic football

championship starts this weekend Tomorrow evening, Monaghan

and Fermanagh get the provincial Before Antrim and Donegal

go head-to-head in Tyrone are the current

Ulster Champions, but eight teams are vying to topple Mickey Hartes

side this time round. At a time when every other

provincial championship has become predictable and unbalanced, Ulster

has always bucked the trend. All nine counties feel they can go all

the way. It will be like finding the holy

Grail. For a country that has never won it and has only contested some

provincial finals... Obviously, it would be a stark breakthrough and

people would remember it. They would go to their graves happily. For

people, it is the Eldorado of football, winning that.

A familiar foe will be attempting to stop the manner at the first hurdle.

-- to stop for a manner. We have played against them for

years, and there are family still up there in Fermanagh, so I have an

attachment to the county. The only thing now is it is my fifth year on

this, so harder than the first year, at this stage, to realise it is

business. If Monaghan do not win I would like Fermanagh to win, but it

is a matter of doing your best to get through.

After a number of high-profile retirements, this was expected to be

a year of transition for Donegal, with players taking their

opportunity, and impressed as for Rory Gallagher's side.

The boys that have come in have been a breath of fresh air. They have

been great and I could not come Mina. They are talented lads and

have come in and worked hard, and they are really stepping up for

Donegal. Each championship is a different ball game.

Antrim going as underdogs, but relish the opportunity to take on

some of the biggest names in sport. Murphy is one of the best in

Ireland. Monaghan are the best. We will see how they come in, but I

would be delighted... If Michael Murphy was there I would be happy,

but we will see. Monaghan against Fermanagh will be

live on BBC Two television from 6:40pm, and Antrim and Donegal from

7pm. That is on Sunday. Rory McIlroy has withdrawn from next

week's BMW Championship at Wentworth due to his ongoing rib injury.

Michael Hoey continues to impress at the Rocco Forte Open, after another

The overnight joint leader, Hoey was among the early starters today,

and a three under par 68 for his second round moved him

That's two shots off the lead in second place

Rory Best believes the All Blacks can be beaten on their home soil.

The Ulster captain, who skippered Ireland to that famous win

in Chicago last year, has been speaking from

the Lions' training camp in Wales, and he's not intimidated

by the prospect of taking on the World Champions.

Rory Best has had a standout year in the green shirt. The Ireland captain

led his team to victory over Australia and South Africa, and in

Dublin he ended England's grand slam holds in the six Nations. In Chicago

history was made when Ireland defeated the All Blacks for the

first time in their history. Positive signs for the summer ahead.

The big thing is... Obviously, the Irish guys have done it, but we have

a lot of players in the squad that are used to winning and used to

competing at top level, and that bodes well for us in terms of

Chicago... I think anything we can share to help with the success of

Ireland, we will, to go as a national team and beat them is

difficult but coming together as the best for nations and beat them, you

know, it's going to be a real challenge.

The man making the selection calls is Warren Gatland. Lions captain, he

is well equipped to make sure that they are involved in the team.

Criminal Finances Bill looking at the experience of the guys who have

been there before, -- looking at them, Danny Simpson, Rory Best, at

the top of their game. When you get your opportunity and

everyone will get an opportunity, it is an important part of making it to

success. The guys feel they have a shot at the team... Anyone who gets

in and takes opportunity, has a shot.

All to play for. The best will be hoping to use his experience to make

sure he is in the right place come the business end of the tour.

It's been a tough day for Ireland's cricketers,

comprehensively beaten by Bangladesh by 8 wickets at Malahide.

Ireland lost the toss and were put into bat by the visitors,

but they could only manage to post an uncompetitive total of 181 before

Bangladesh made very short work of that, reaching their low target

Ireland will next play New Zealand in this Tri Nations tournament

At the Rally of Portugal, Kris Meeke lies in first place

after five stages - the Dungannon man won today's fourth

stage and is handily positioned heading into the weekend.

His Citroen suffered broken suspension, taking him out of

contention. Finally, Derry City

are back in action tonight at home to Shamrock Rovers,

and there's live coverage Now let's take a look

at the weather. All-important weekend weather

forecast, how is it looking? Showery on throughout the week, but

the showery team continues a least into the first half of the weekend.

We are looking at quite a changeable story into the weekend. There are

going to be more showers in the forecast, and when they come along,

some could turn into heavy downpours. At least there will be

some brightness, some sunshine coming through as well. Today it was

the sunshine that one out this morning. This is the scene,

beautiful blue skies and an impressive scene. Very gradually

through the day things have changed. A weather front moving in, and the

clouds bubbling up and bringing spells of rain, particularly across

the western counties. More recently we have seen a few heavy shower

starting to develop further east, so this is where we will probably see a

few heavy downpours this evening, not all parts getting them, and

eventually they will start to slide away to the north-east. We get a bit

of a drier gap, but another batch of showery rain to follow, and

developed through the latter stages of the night. Not particularly

chilly in the count, six or seven Celsius, but as usual rural spots

getting down to three or four Celsius. Tomorrow, bright spells

around, but as I mentioned showers, and when they come some will be

quite heavy. Maybe not as much in the morning, but a damp start for

some eastern areas. That clears away, and the sky brightened, with

some sunshine. Of course that helps to lift the temperatures, and as the

template is gone, the shower clouds will be going up as well, so into

the afternoon, almost anywhere prone to heavy downpours. These could be

quite slow-moving, and some mixed with hail and thunder. As we... At

the end of the day, some showers around, in clonus, but hopefully

fading away, and do tomorrow night they will ease away to leave dry

conditions, and it is Sunday it bright Star, a bit of a breeze for a

time. A few bits and pieces of rain but moving away in the afternoon,

looking dry mainly as Donegal take on Antrim. Into the new week, a bit

unsettled to begin with. Drier. NX pitcher. -- a mixed picture.

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