“I think we will still get our Southern shoppers to be honest.”
MLAs welcome decision on bereavement benefits
FERMANAGH MLAs have welcome the decision to extend bereavement benefits to cohabiting partners. The Department for Communities announced that those in the county – and the rest of the North – will have access to Bereavement Support Payment and Widowed Parent’s Allowance. This had only previously been available to both married and civil partnership couples. Now, this will be […]
Women’s Aid conference to focus on domestic abuse
WOMEN’S Aid Fermanagh will be staging a conference to coincide with International Women’s Day that will focus on domestic and sexual abuse. The two-day event will be hosted by the Lough Erne Resort on March 8 and 9 under the title, “Where the Blame Lies” and will be compered by former BBC Newsline journalist, Sarah Travers. […]
Mother demands ‘Neil’s Law’ for tractor safety
A GARRISON mother whose son was killed in a tractor accident caused by negligence has called for a new law to ensure other parents do not suffer as she has done. Neil Graham lost his life in 2018 while working as a trainee mechanic Brown’s agricultural engineering firm in Enniskillen. He was working underneath a Massey Ferguson […]
Don’t let SWAH maternity go way of Scottish hospital
“DON’T let the SWAH maternity unit go the same way as ours,” is the warning from health campaigners in Scotland. The Herald recently reported that concerns over the future of the SWAH’s maternity facility after we revealed that several obs and gynae consultants have announced they are planning to leave the hospital, and said locums […]
Save our SWAH protest held at the Town Hall
PROTESTERS campaigning against the downgrading of surgical services at the SWAH made their voices heard at Enniskillen Town Hall. A delegation from Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) which included local solicitor Reggie Ferguson, local businessman Robert Patton and health activists Helen and Jimmy Hamill, made a presentation to members of Fermanagh & Omagh District Council. The presentation […]
Fears over Brookeborough and Tempo Surgery’s future
THERE have been calls for “much-needed health reform” following the shock news that the future of the doctor’s surgery serving Brookeborough and Tempo could be under threat. GPs at the practice have given six-months notice that they are handing their contract back to the Department of Health (DoH) with the latter confirming this to be […]
Teachers left with no other option but to go on strike
“WE don’t want to be out on strike, but we have to,” was the message from the picket line outside Holy Trinity Primary School. The Enniskillen-based school was one of many in Fermanagh whose teachers came out on a half-day strike, yesterday, in protest against low pay and increased workloads. Unions state that salaries have […]
Fermanagh duo honoured at National Bravery Awards
TWO brave Fermanagh men were recognised for their act of courage at the National Police Public Bravery Awards. Bernard McDonald and Paul Shannon were two of only 13 other recipients across the United Kingdom to receive Gold Awards at the event held in Sheffield for their efforts during a fatal house fire in Derrylin in 2018. […]
Tiernan bringing joy with his street music
A BELLEEK musician has taken to the streets to help bring post-Pandemic joy to the Fermanagh masses. Tiernan O’Rourke has literally been taking his piano ‘on the road’ and tinkles the ivories to get the public tapping – and even singing – along. By entertaining shoppers and passers-by, Tiernan says he is on a one-man musical crusade […]