Sheamus Greene puts breaks on bus driving


LOCAL Sinn Féin councillor Sheamus Greene has come to the end of the road – he’s retiring as a school bus driver after 27 years. The councillor for Erne East may be getting out from behind the wheel, but he has only happy memories of the job and the many students who travelled with him. “I’m officially no […]


Work on Enniskillen bypass to resume


IT has been a long time coming, but the A4 Enniskillen bypass is back on the road. On Monday night, news emerged that Northern Ireland’s Minister for Finance, Caoimhe Archibald, has allocated over £16 million to help with the development of the long-awaited Enniskillen Southern Bypass. Up until now, the development has had its fair share […]


Cabinet Office’s view was to ‘let Bobby Sands die’


A NEW book by a respected Irish journalist has revealed the ultra-hard line a top civil servant had on the hunger strikes and that the Cabinet office’s approach to Bobby Sands was “let the hoor die”. In his memoir, ‘Eyewitness to War and Peace’, journalist Eamonn Mallie said he was shocked by the ferocity of the language […]


Local lineup confirmed for Fermanagh People’s Assembly


A FERMANAGH woman is set to chair the upcoming People’s Assembly meeting at the Westville Hotel in Enniskillen which will discuss what a new Ireland ‘might look like’. On Thursday, February 22, a large crowd is expected to attend the event, organised by Sinn Féin, which will give people living in the area the chance to […]


Sinn Féin’s Dolan backs Gildernew for EU seat


A FERMANAGH and South Tyrone MLA has backed Michelle Gildernew to ‘call out the EU when needed’ if she’s elected later this year. Last week it was confirmed that Ms Gildernew will contest the European Union in July in the Midlands/ North West constituency. It’ll bring the curtain down on her 20-odd year campaign as […]


SOAS seeks meeting with NI Health Minister Robin Swann


NEWLY re-appointed Health Minister Robin Swann has been urged to commit to restoring emergency general surgery (EGS) at the SWAH. Campaign group Save Our Acute Services has already written to Minister Swann requesting an urgent meeting on the situation. The decision by the Western Trust to withdraw the EGS service at the Enniskillen hospital was announced a […]


Saving SWAH and fixing roads key for Fermanagh MLAs


SUPPORTING the South West Acute Hospital, improving infrastructure in Fermanagh and fighting for better public sector pay are the key priorities for our local politicians as they return to Stormont this week. After a two-year absence, the Northern Ireland Executive is finally back up and running and the elected representatives for Fermanagh and South Tyrone […]


‘DUP sold us a lie’, says TUV’s Crawford


A MEMBER of the TUV in Fermanagh, who erected a ‘Stop DUP Sell-out’ banner in Enniskillen, has said he ‘feels very strongly’ that action needs to be taken after the Stormont Executive was restored. After a two-year absence, the Stormont Executive returned on Saturday. Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill was elected as First Minister, with Emma […]


Gildernew gets €10k for breaking leg in Leinster House


SINN Féin’s Michelle Gildernew has received a €10,000 payout after breaking her leg in Leinster House in 2012. The MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone sought damages from the Houses of the Oireachtas in Dublin after falling down stairs while attending a committee meeting. She was paid a €10,000 settlement through the State Claims Agency in 2019. […]


Fermanagh farmers fears over new minister


THERE is a feeling of fear among Fermanagh farmers following Saturday’s appointment of Andrew Muir as the Minister at the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). The Alliance MLA has no direct farming experience, and his party has already indicated it will be prioritising the environmental side of the departmental portfolio. While this should […]