:00:10. > :00:16.A Londonderry businessman who played a key role in the peace process
:00:17. > :00:20.Brendan Duddy spent more than two decades acting as an intermediary
:00:21. > :00:22.between the IRA's Army Council and British intelligence.
:00:23. > :00:25.His Derry home was used as a venue for secret meetings.
:00:26. > :00:31.Here's our North-West reporter, Keiron Tourish.
:00:32. > :00:37.This was a rare glimpse into the secret life of a two-year-old
:00:38. > :00:41.Brendan Duddy. The official handover of his private papers to Galway
:00:42. > :00:44.University five years ago. Documenting his work during the
:00:45. > :00:50.Troubles. The prominent dairy businessman who had suffered a
:00:51. > :00:55.stroke in 2010 had been helping to build the peace process since the
:00:56. > :00:58.1970s. The father of six was the subject of a major documentary by
:00:59. > :01:01.BBC journalist Peter Taylor. He has been reporting on Northern Ireland
:01:02. > :01:04.for many decades. He revealed that the more than 20 years, Brendan
:01:05. > :01:13.Duddy was a secret intermediary between individuals the British
:01:14. > :01:16.security services and the IRA's bowling Council through Martin
:01:17. > :01:20.McGuinness. It was claimed those contacts ultimately led to the IRA
:01:21. > :01:25.ceasefire and Good Friday Agreement. The first thing to do was to replace
:01:26. > :01:29.the bombings and the killings with dialogue. It seems simple but that
:01:30. > :01:39.was the essence of everything, dialogue. And every day of peace was
:01:40. > :01:48.a life saved. This is a simple room in a simple family house. This is
:01:49. > :01:51.where it all happened. One man who played a similar role as an
:01:52. > :01:55.intermediary between the IRA and the British Government says Brendan
:01:56. > :01:59.Duddy's rule was significant. From the early days, I do remember him
:02:00. > :02:04.saying it is inevitable, it is necessary, it is a must that the
:02:05. > :02:09.British must talk to the IRA and the IRA must talk to the British, so I
:02:10. > :02:12.think his biggest legacy is that his analysis was correct and his
:02:13. > :02:16.persistency ultimately came to the place he thought it would. Many
:02:17. > :02:20.observers believe that ultimately it is the work done away from the glare
:02:21. > :02:23.of publicity that helps establish and maintain a peace process. The
:02:24. > :02:26.full extent of the significant role of Brendan Duddy may never be known
:02:27. > :02:29.publicly. Tony Blair has warned that
:02:30. > :02:31.a hard border after Brexit But the former prime minister
:02:32. > :02:34.has said he believes there is a consensus in British
:02:35. > :02:37.politics to avoid that outcome. Mr Blair was addressing a group
:02:38. > :02:39.of MEPs in County Wicklow, a meeting also attended by the EU's
:02:40. > :02:42.chief Brexit negotiator Here's our economics and business
:02:43. > :02:54.editor, John Campbell. Few prime ministers have devoted as
:02:55. > :02:59.much time to Ireland as Tony Blair. His policies culminated in the
:03:00. > :03:02.signing of the Good Friday Agreement. Now he says he is
:03:03. > :03:07.extremely anxious to make sure Brexit doesn't imperil that
:03:08. > :03:11.agreement. There is a really common desire whenever other issues are in
:03:12. > :03:15.relation to Brexit to make Northern Ireland a special case and make sure
:03:16. > :03:19.that we do everything we possibly can to protect the Good Friday
:03:20. > :03:22.Agreement, the peace process, and to protect that strong relationship
:03:23. > :03:26.between the Republic of Ireland and the UK going forward. Thank you very
:03:27. > :03:32.much. Among Mr Blair's audience was the EU's Brexit negotiator, Michel
:03:33. > :03:38.Barnier. Later, Michel Barnier headed to Monaghan, do hear the
:03:39. > :03:42.concerns of businesses and community leaders. Yesterday, he said there
:03:43. > :03:45.would have to be some form of customs controls after Brexit.
:03:46. > :03:50.Nobody wants to see the return of disruptive checks like these. There
:03:51. > :03:54.are hopes a so-called smart border, using technology in like numberplate
:03:55. > :03:58.recognition can be put in place, but Michel Barnier says he does not have
:03:59. > :04:07.any answers yet and is still listening to ideas. Let us work, let
:04:08. > :04:12.us work. I need to do work. We need to find a solution, technical and
:04:13. > :04:15.operational solutions. He added that he appreciates how serious Brexit is
:04:16. > :04:20.for the agricultural and food industries. They stand to be worst
:04:21. > :04:24.affected by any new tariffs. One of the food exporters he met said his
:04:25. > :04:28.concerns appeared to have been taken on board. He certainly appeared very
:04:29. > :04:32.open-minded. He engaged fully with all of the participants that I have
:04:33. > :04:35.to say he was not here to offer solutions, but he was listening to
:04:36. > :04:39.the people and he wanted us to engage with them and offer solutions
:04:40. > :04:43.for people in Ireland and particularly in the border region.
:04:44. > :04:47.So Michel Barnier's visit has ended without is learning much about what
:04:48. > :04:50.Brexit will really mean for the border. But we will be hearing a lot
:04:51. > :04:52.more from him over the next couple of years.
:04:53. > :04:55.A man who murdered a west Belfast student and amateur boxer has been
:04:56. > :05:00.34-year-old Turkish national Orhan Koca,
:05:01. > :05:03.of no fixed address, admitted killing Eamon Magee Junior.
:05:04. > :05:05.He died after being stabbed in the chest and stomach
:05:06. > :05:09.He had been hoping to follow in the footsteps of his father,
:05:10. > :05:19.The families of ten people shot dead by the army in west Belfast in 1971
:05:20. > :05:23.have welcomed the setting of a date for a full inquest into the deaths.
:05:24. > :05:26.The hearing into the Ballymurphy killings will begin in September
:05:27. > :05:38.next year and is expected to last three months.
:05:39. > :05:43.That is for the work that needs to be done and for families like
:05:44. > :05:46.yourselves that have waited all these years, closure is what they
:05:47. > :05:48.have been campaigning for and we hope that our loved ones will be
:05:49. > :05:49.declared innocent. Sport, and the main day's racing
:05:50. > :05:52.at the North West 200 will take place tomorrow -
:05:53. > :06:06.but one fan favourite One team not competing tomorrow is
:06:07. > :06:10.Honda Racing, who have withdrawn because of John McGuinness's crash.
:06:11. > :06:15.We are joined by our expert, Steve Parrish. Steve, big problems for
:06:16. > :06:18.them. Yes, very much so. Bearing in mind their track record here, they
:06:19. > :06:22.have had so much success year and it is really bad. Initially, it came to
:06:23. > :06:26.your broken his leg and it was a compound fracture of his lower leg
:06:27. > :06:36.and he also has two broken vertebrae is, three broken ribs, and he is
:06:37. > :06:40.banged up. Begley, the safety features you at the North West 200
:06:41. > :06:42.have got a lot better and he will be making a full recovery. Yes, best
:06:43. > :06:45.wishes to him. What kind of day are we expecting tomorrow? A
:06:46. > :06:51.barnstormer. How jihad is something to prove as does Glenn Irwin, riding
:06:52. > :06:55.the big Ducati. It just goes on. There is an enormous field of very
:06:56. > :07:00.fast riders and conditions were good for tomorrow and I am very excited.
:07:01. > :07:05.I probably will not sleep tonight. OK, Steve, thank you very much. You
:07:06. > :07:08.can see it all live on the BBC sport website and on the BBC Facebook page
:07:09. > :07:15.and also commentary on BBC Radio Ulster.
:07:16. > :07:24.Ballymena United have scored a victory. Although the goals arrived
:07:25. > :07:28.in the second half of the game. Only four Glenn Aven to equalise when
:07:29. > :07:37.Bruce Marshall reacted first to volley home for close range. Kevin
:07:38. > :07:41.Brummitt was the hero as time ticked down, the substitute scoring against
:07:42. > :07:46.his former club. He put them into the European competition for the
:07:47. > :07:48.first time in 28 years. Internat's relegation play-off, Carrick Rangers
:07:49. > :07:51.preserve their top-flight status, decent eating Institute for having
:07:52. > :07:53.one. Coming up next week...BBC
:07:54. > :07:55.Newsline's Mark Simpson tells us the inside story of the recent
:07:56. > :08:16.return to Mauritius, Six years after Michaela McAreavy
:08:17. > :08:19.was murdered, her family are still seeking justice. There are things
:08:20. > :08:24.that will stay with me for the rest of my life. So they came here, many
:08:25. > :08:28.miles from home. They appealed to the people of Mauritius for help.
:08:29. > :08:29.They put pressure on politicians, and they returned to the scene of
:08:30. > :08:30.the crime. And that's on BBC One
:08:31. > :08:32.Northern Ireland next Onto the weekend weather forecast
:08:33. > :08:44.now, with Cecilia Daly. Hello there. It is a bit of a mixed
:08:45. > :08:47.bag this weekend. There will be some rain at times, particularly on
:08:48. > :08:51.Saturday, some damp weather to start with. It improves and brightens up
:08:52. > :08:56.but then there will be more showers later on. On Sunday, Sun sank to
:08:57. > :09:00.begin with but some scattered showers in the afternoon. Blustery
:09:01. > :09:05.at times. It will not be a cold wind. Not much win night but wet at
:09:06. > :09:16.times. Bring living from east to west. Low cloud and mist over the
:09:17. > :09:19.hills and also in parts of the east coast. It is a mild night so it will
:09:20. > :09:21.stay mild into Saturday morning, but also dull and damp to begin with.
:09:22. > :09:26.The rain will become patchy as well. Damp weather to begin with tomorrow,
:09:27. > :09:31.if you are heading to the North West 200, bear striking up as the day
:09:32. > :09:35.goes on. Showers before the afternoon is finished. Let's look at
:09:36. > :09:39.the bigger picture. Cloudy with rain across parts of Scotland and
:09:40. > :09:41.northern England. Right across the Republic of Ireland, Wales, and
:09:42. > :09:47.Central and southern counties of England. More cloud with showery
:09:48. > :09:52.rain over south-west Ireland and that will also come northwards later
:09:53. > :09:56.in the day. Or the Balmoral show, it looks damp to begin with but then
:09:57. > :10:01.becoming drier and brighter. Showers later in the day. Writers guys, with
:10:02. > :10:05.some dry weather for a time tomorrow before some more showers develop in
:10:06. > :10:08.the day. Most of that wet weather will cleared through by Sunday
:10:09. > :10:14.morning, leading some sunshine and just a few showers on Sunday
:10:15. > :10:16.afternoon. That is it until 615 tomorrow evening. Good night.