Last push by SOAS to help Fermanagh have its say


THE officials at the Department of Health will be left in no uncertain terms how the people of Fermanagh feel about their plan to downgrade the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) when they receive the response to their latest public consultation. Over the past few months, since launching its roadmap outlining how to restore emergency […]


‘There is going to be a lot of people dying’


DURING the recent public meeting of ‘Save Our Acute Services’, Fr Brian D’Arcy read out an emotional letter from a patient who was too ill to be there on the night. “I had half my bowl removed three years ago in SWAH, it saved my life, I was in theatre for eight hours and in […]


Fermanagh man continues appeal for children’s shoes


DYLAN Quinn is continuing to appeal for children’s shoes as he plans for 16,000 pairs of shoes to be laid out in front of Stormont buildings in Belfast on Sunday. Each pair of shoes will represent a young life that has been lost due to the conflict in Gaza since October 2023. The Enniskillen dance artist […]


Fermanagh woman ready for Knitting & Stitching finals


WITH only a couple of days to go until crafters and knitters from across the North flock to Belfast’s inaugural The Knitting & Stitching Show, the finalists in this years dressmaking competition have been revealed. Fourteen finalists from across Ireland are competing for the chance to get their hands on a Janome Sewing Machine worth £850. This […]


Plan to dual the A4 still on the agenda


THE PLAN to dual the main Enniskillen to Sligo road is still on the agenda. However, as always, funding could be a long time coming. The ambitious plan to upgrade the A4 from Ballygawley to Belcoo, and then the subsequent N16 from Blacklion to Sligo, has been floated for many years, and while the funds may not […]


‘You might as well be talking to a Martian’


TRYING to talk to Belfast-based officials about the health crisis here, or other issues impacting Fermanagh, is like talking to someone from another planet, according to those lobbying for the return of services to the county. Pauline Corrigan from Florencecourt is one of the many hard-working volunteers from the Save Our Acute Services campaign group, […]


Fermanagh’s John Garrity catches up with Dermot Kennedy


FERMANAGH busker John Garrity said he received “great advice” from the award-winning and Dublin singer Dermot Kennedy during a chance meeting at a wedding over the weekend. Kennedy, from Rathcoole, is regarded by many music gurus as one of Ireland’s top singer-songwriters of all times, with his songs ‘Giants’ and ‘Power Over Me’ gaining worldwide […]


This is your ‘last best chance’ to save SWAH services


LOCAL patients and health staff have been told to “speak now or forever hold your peace” on the future of the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) emergency surgery. A large crowd gathered at Fermanagh House on Thursday night for a meeting, organised by Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) to explain to people how to contribute to […]