Two Catholic teenagers have been targeted in a suspected sectarian attack in Derry.
The girls, aged 14 and 17, were set on by five men and a woman in Coleraine on Friday night.
Both suffered facial injuries.
Police have seized what’s been described as a large quantity of suspected herbal cannabis in Strabane, with an estimated street value of £10,000.
It follows the arrest of a 22-year-old man in Bradley Way in the town on Friday evening.
The man is being questioned by detectives in connection with the find.
Tyrone won their eighth GAA Football All-Ireland Minor title thanks to a 1-13 to 1-12 defeat of Cork at Croke Park on Sunday. The Red Hands led by eight points with six minutes left, but Cork staged yet another dramatic late recovery to ensure a thrilling finale. However, there was to be no repeat of the Rebels’ semi-final comeback win over Galway, as Tyrone held on to win by a single point to win their second title in three years. John Mc Cullagh was Tyrone’s top scorer with four points while the Tyrone goal was scored by Harry Og Conlon in the first half.
League Of Ireland First Division Results
Longford 1 v 1 Derry City
Shelbourne 3 – 1 Finn Harps
Promotion-chasing Derry City dropped another two precious points in Friday’s draw with Longford at Flancare Park. The Candystripes took a 10th-minute lead when Pat McEleney thumped in a great shot from 25 yards after a pass from his brother Shane. Longford got their equaliser through a header by sub Lee Roche from a cross delivered by John Hyland. Although dropping points Derry go back to share top spot in the table with Monaghan United.
Shelbourne continued their fine form of late with a fine 3-1 win over Finn Harps in Tolka Park on Friday night. Stephen Paisley and David Cassidy scored in the first half to give the Reds the a two goal lead before Mark Brolly clawed one back for Harps. Brian Farrell killed the game off late on. With Wexford youths also winning on Friday night Harps now drop a place to eight in the table.
The Recorder at Derry Crown Court has said he is ‘totally astonished’ that cannabis seeds can be sold legally when their only use is for illegal purposes.
Judge Des Marrinan’s comments came as he sentenced two men from Strathfoyle in the city for cultivating cannabis plants and for possessing the drug with intent to supply.
Edward Porter (26) of Otterbank Road and Ryan Christopher Miller (19) of Clareen Drive both in Derry admitted the offences which occurred on May 19 last year.
The court heard tat when police raided the house the men were tenants in they found two immature cannabis plants and also a cupboard that was beig converted into a cultivation area.
At interview both men admitted their involvement and Porter accepted he was going to sell cannabis to his friends.
A defence barrister said that as far as Porter was concerned he had been ‘frank’ with the police.
The Judge asked where people got cannabis seeds and when told they were sold legally he asked what was the point in allowing people to buy things that could only be used for an illegal purpose.
He said he was astonished that someone could buy seeds legally he added that it was a ‘disturbing case’ and congratulated the police for ‘nipping it in the bud.’
A man accused of possessing a “terrorist arsenal” following a bomb attack on Strand Road PSNI station in Derry last month has been refused bail in the High Court in Belfast.
Thomas Christopher Nash from Iveagh Park in Derry is charged with possessing a rifle with intent, having eight rounds of ammunition, 33 rounds of Magnum ammunition, and 100 rounds of Luger ammunition.
The 53 year old is also accused of possessing a CS spray canister, an imitation AK47 rifle and fake handgun. He denies the offences.
The INMO has welcomed a Labour Court finding that the HSE cannot set aside a national agreement involving the replacement of student nurses.
The HSE released 376 student nurses at the end of August; however as part of cost cutting they didn’t replace them with the regulated number of replacement nurses.
Since 2005 a replacement ration of one staff nurse for two student nurses has been the norm.
The INMO is now in discussions with the HSE on implementing the court’s recommendations.
Spokesperson Noel Traynor says staff cuts at Letterkenny General Hospital are more difficult, because of the nature of its admissions:
On Thursday Night John Brennan was ratified as Derry’s new football manager in succession to Damian Cassidy. The Lavey native, who was overlooked for the job on a couple of occasions in the past, had been heavily tipped to fill the post this time around and club delegates had no hesitation in ratifying his appointment. Brennan boasts an impressive CV which has seen him win SFC titles in Derry, Antrim and Tyrone with a number of different clubs. The make-up of his backroom team has yet to be confirmed, but it’s believed his nephew and 1993 Derry All-Ireland winning captain Henry Downey could be involved.
Thieves have stolen a funeral car from outside an undertakers in Derry.
The car was being prepared for a funeral when it was taken from outside the premises on Spencer Road on Thursday.
Wreaths from inside the car were later found on Chapel Road and the Old Strabane Road.
Undertaker David Hay said that someone is bound to have seen the funeral car speeding off, as it’s very distinctive:
Gardai and the ISPCA are investigating the dumping of 20 ducks in the Burtonport area on Thursday.
A man out walking along the road at Burtonport made the discovery of several turf bags sealed with cable ties and dumped in a ditch.
When he investigated further he found twenty ducks in the bags, 12 of them alive and 8 dead.
ISPCA officer Kevin Mc Ginley said this morning that the person responsible for this is “heartless”, adding that he can’t understand how anybody would treat a defenceless animal in this way:
