UPDATE: EE site closure in Enniskillen confirmed


IT was the worst-kept secret in town, but that didn’t make it any easier to accept. Yesterday it was confirmed that the EE, formerly BT, call centre in Enniskillen was closing. Staff members were told that the site would be shutting its doors for good during a morning meeting with a senior BT Group executive. The proposed closure […]


Files show authorities lied about Michael Leonard death


ARCHIVES uncovered by a victims’ charity have revealed the British authorities lied to the Irish government regarding information about the killing of local man Michael Leonard. The 24-year-old Pettigo man was shot in the back and killed by the RUC while crossing the border at Brookhill, Letter, Fermanagh in May, 1973. His family, including his cousin […]


O’Dowd outlines new measures to cut MOT waiting times


INFRASTRUCTURE Minister John O’Dowd has outlined several measures to tackle MOT waiting lists across the North. Speaking in the Assembly on Monday, Mr O’Dowd said more than 50 newly recruited examiners would start working in test centres from June. “The DVA currently has 55 MOT examiner vacancies across its network of test centres,” the minister told MLAs. “It […]


Fermanagh’s future leaders take seats at the Townhall


THERE were no doubt a few future leaders among the St Kevin’s Student Council who had the opportunity to sample the workings of local government last week. Recently the students from the Lisnaskea college had the change to hold their first Student Council meeting of the new term in the chamber of Enniskillen Townhall. The Student Council, […]


Three-day Translink strike suspended


A THREE-DAY strike this week by transport workers in Northern Ireland, which threatened to disrupt the travel plans of thousands of Fermanagh commuters, has been suspended. Translink workers were due to walk out yesterday (Tuesday) for three days after their unions rejected a payment offer from the government. However, following talks on Sunday, the unions said there had been an […]


Debate and discussion at Fermanagh People’s Assembly


OVER 200 people turned out to the Westville Hotel in Enniskillen on Thursday night for the Fermanagh People’s Assembly which was aiming to discuss the ‘bread and butter issues of a new Ireland’. Organised by Sinn Féin’s ‘Commission on the Future of Ireland Committee’, a Fermanagh-led panel discussed a diverse range of issues including education, health […]


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 […]


Outrage at worsening pothole problems


FERMANAGH residents could not hide their anger after new government data revealed that potholed roads in the county have surged by 90 per cent. Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd said yesterday an additional £1 million is to be invested in road maintenance and specifically the pothole problem, but this amount won’t even begin to resolve the issue. The new data […]