Delays as pressures mount at the SWAH


THERE have been calls for “immediate intervention” to help the local health service cope with the perfect storm of delayed discharges and staff shortages that is leading to a clogged up system at the SWAH. While Covid-19 is continuing to challenge our health service, particularly regarding the staff shortages in some areas, it appears pressure from the long predicted […]

Final’s calling for Rachel and Fergal!


By Mark McGoldrick DERRYGONNELLY duo Rachel and Fergal McConnell are through to the final of TG4 country music show, Realta agus Gaolta. The duo have rose to fame over recent months for their musical exploits and in particular, Rachel is really making a name for herself since the release of her new single, ‘Your Heart […]

Local couple ‘Wish Upon a Star’ for Friends of Cancer


LOCAL couple Ken and Avril Graham, from Ballinamallard, have made a special appeal to the people of Fermanagh to support the ‘Wish Upon a Star’ appeal by the Friends of the Cancer Centre this Christmas. For a donation of £10, those who support the appeal can share their wish, message or name of a loved […]

Father and son to spend Christmas on call with the RNLI


WHEN most of us are settling in to tuck into our turkeys this Christmas afternoon, many Fermanagh families will have someone ‘on call’ and ready to rush to the rescue if the need arises, not least among them our volunteer RNLI crews. In fact, there will be eight new volunteers carrying lifeboat pagers for the first time this Christmas across the county, including […]

Brrrrrrr! Martin feels the full effects of Storm Barra!


By Mark McGoldrick What Martin Cassidy hoped would be a nice, peaceful walk across Coliemore Harbour turned out to be one of shock and surprise for the Lisnaskea native! Mr Cassidy is working in Dublin and as Storm Barra approached last Monday, all outside work in the city was cancelled. The Fermanagh man tried to […]

Clashes in council chamber over universal credit uplift


MEMBERS of the local Council have cl ashed over the extension of the Universal Credit (UC) ‘uplift’ £20 payment, with some referring to claims of ‘electioneering’ ahead of next year’s Assembly poll. The SDLP’s Councillor Adam Gannon expressed disappointed by a response by the Minister for Finance in response to a call to maintain the […]

Fears increase for local poultry industry


LOCAL bird keepers are being urged to be ultra vigilant once again this week, after two more cases of bird flu were confirmed in neighbouring counties, resulting in tens of thousands of birds being culled. Concerns are growing that the continued spread of the virus, officially known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1, could pose a major […]