A new national appeal for information about the brutal murder of a County Derry farmer four years ago will be made on TV next week.

By Ciaran O’Neill

editor@derrypost.com

The County Derry Post has learned that an appeal for information about the murder of Patrick Devine will be made on the BBC’s Crimewatch programme next Monday.

Mr Devine was found dead with gunshot wounds in his remote farmhouse at Carraigbayne near Claudy on September 11, 2004.

Despite an extensive police investigation and a £10,000 reward being put up by the 51 year-old’s family, no one has ever been charged in connection with his murder.

The killer fired several shots through the kitchen window of Mr Devine’s home, where the batchelor lived alone.

The PSNI have since revealed that they believe earlier attacks on Mr Devine and his brother Aiden may hold the key to a motive for the murder.

Detective Superintendent Andy Hunter, who is in charge of the investigation, said an assault on Patrick Devine at Dungiven market in 2001 and an attack on his brother in 2004 are being treated as links to the murder.

Mr Hunter added that a Scottish connection to the murder was also being examined.

There were great celebrations in Clady last week when one of the area’s best known residents celebrated her 100^th birthday.

By Ciaran O’Neill

editor@derrypost.com

Lizzie Marron is now officially the first person ever in the Greenlough parish to live to celebrate their 100^th birthday.

Family and friends gathered at the home Lizzie shares with her husband and son, Manus senior and junior, last Tuesday to mark the special occasion.

Among the visitors was Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

Lizzie also received telegrams from the Queen and Irish President Mary McAleese.

Lizzie was born in the townland of Newtown on May 20, 1908, into a family of 13.

Many of her siblings left Ireland for countries such as America and Australia, but Lizzie remained at home.

She worked as a ward nurse at a hospital which amazingly involved a round-trip each of 26 miles – which she completed on foot!

Lizzie married Manus, who was from the neighbouring townland of Moneystaghan, on April 16, 1952, and the couple settled in Clady, where they have lived ever since.

Their family still joke with Manus that he was something of a toy boy, as he was 20 when he got married, while Lizzie was 40.

The had two children, Manus, who is a full-time carer for his parents, and Eileen, whose married name is O’Boyle and who lives in Rasharkin.

Manus junior said there had been great excitement at his mother’s birthday.

“She is a very humble person and kept telling me that she didn’t want a party,” he said.

“So we didn’t organise anything too big but there was a constant stream of people coming to the house and she really enjoyed seeing everyone.

“It’s a great honour for my mother and our family that she is the first person from the Greenlough parish to celebrate her 100^th birthday and it was a very special day.”

Although health has limited Lizzie in recent years, among her great loves were cooking and gardening, and she won several competitions in Clady over the years for having the best garden.

New homes being constructed along the A6 road could face being tumbled within a few years to make way for a dual carriageway.

By Orla McNicholl

orla@derrypost.com

Despite planners continuing to grant planning permission for the construction of new properties, these homes could face being knocked down for the construction of the A6 dual carriageway and bypass of Dungiven.

The news came at last week’s public exhibition, which was held in Dungiven, to show the possible routes for the dual carriageway road between Derry and Dungiven, including the bypass of Dungiven.

Speaking on the five possible routes which were on display at the event, Ronnie Faloon, of the Roads Service, confirmed that properties in the area may be at risk.

He said: “When building a new road, properties will be at risk, it is inevitable.

“We cannot do this work without causing damage to farm land and properties.”

When asked about how people, who have submitted planning applications for the construction of new properties in the area, would be affected, Mr Faloon said: “We do try to minimise the loss of property but it would be a left hand, right hand scenario.

“We cannot put words into planner’s mouths, they are attentive of the problems.

“Only when we get the preferred route then we will get teeth to defend or refuse planning applications.”

“We will take into account any comments we get here which will help us in deciding the best possible route,” he concluded.

The Roads Service hope to announce the preferred route by Spring 2009, before they move towards a public enquiry, where they will examine the impact the preferred route would have on land and property.

Vandals have sprayed graffiti on a local GAA club’s premises at the weekend, defacing a plaque dedicated to a deceased clubman.

By Orla McNicholl

orla@derrypost.com

Hooligans dubbed graffiti  on the pillars and gates of St. Matthew’s GAA grounds in Drumsurn in the early hours of Sunday morning. 

They also defaced a plaque, which was erected in the grounds, in memory of deceased club man Billy Doran.

The sick thugs wrecked havoc in the area by spraying loyalist graffiti on road signs into the entrance of the village and damaged a phone box.

Sinn Féin councillor Brenda Chivers condemned the attacks: “It’s an outrage that this sort of behaviour has occurred in Drumsurn.

“The graffiti is hard to make out but the letters NF and UFF are repeated several times.”

Cllr Chivers believes that the GAA club was singled out by members of the National Front and Ulster Freedom Fighters. 

She said it was extremely worrying that these attacks could happen in such a small rural area.

She said: “Drumsurn is a peaceful area where all sections of the community live in harmony, we don’t need outsiders vandalising the area.”

Concerns have been voiced about the route of a new £33 million by-pass proposed for Magherafelt.

By Connla Young

connla@derrypost.com

News that the long awaited by-pass is to get the green light was confirmed by roads minister Conor Murphy last week.

The proposed route is 5.9kms long and extends to the east of Magherafelt from the new roundabout at the Moneymore Road/Coolshinney Road junction, to tie in with the existing Castledawson Roundabout.

It will be bridged over Killyfaddy Road and Loves Road, with new roundabouts constructed at its junctions with Ballyronan Road and Aughrim Road. It is also proposed that the Killyneese Road be blocked off on either side of the new road.

But despite a broad welcome for the by-pass blueprint Magherafelt councillor William McCrea has voiced concerns.

He said: “Now at this stage the Department for Regional Development has sought to bulldoze a new preferred route through the virgin countryside irrespective of the damage that will be done to the natural environment and the farming industry.

“I feel it is disgraceful that the farming community seems to have little say in this matter even though farms are to be cut asunder and fragmented in a deplorable manner.”

The DUP man also accused DRD chiefs of wanting to take land off local farmers below the market price.

Local SDLP councillor Jim Campbell backed the by-pass proposals.

“From the outset I attended the presentation in the Bridewell and it was well attended. The general consensus among people in the town is that they would welcome the route chosen.”

Roads minister Conor Murphy said backroom work on the by-pass was well under way.

Sick thugs have slashed a pony used to help people with special needs in Maghera.

By Connla Young

connla@derrypost.com

The Dark Bay gilding known as Pharaoh is believed to have been slashed across the right shoulder with a knife or a broken bottle while it grazed in a field belonging to the Fort Riding Centre on Saturday night.

The serious injury, which required ten stitches, was discovered on Sunday morning.

Pharaoh is one of seven horses used by the riding centre to offer therapy to people with special needs.

John McCloskey, who runs the centre, branded the attack “sick”.

“It was a very vicious attack,” he said. “After the previous incidents we moved the animals to this field because we thought it would be safer. I didn’t think anybody would do something like that, it is sick.

The vet told us the injury wasn’t caused by barbed wire. It was a clean deep cut right to the bone.

The horse will now be out of work for two months and I think about how many kids will miss that pony.

“He was an easy target among all the horses and ponies we have. When you go to a field to bring the horses out they are usually reluctant because they know they have to work. Pharaoh is not like that, if you stop at the gate he is the first over to you. So, maybe he went over to his attacker.”

Mr McCloskey explained that the loss of the horse will have an impact on vulnerable children and their families.

“The horse will not be available for two months and that will have a knock on effect,” he said. “Not only do the children get exercise by riding the horse but parents and carers get some respite. This will happen for less people now.”

A spokesman for the PSNI said they were investigating the incident.

The latest attack is the second time this month animals at the Fort Riding Centre have been targeted. The County Derry Post reported last week how young tearaways tried to spear some of the animals with electric fence posts.

A Maghera woman believes oil thieves operating in the area could have been caught if street lights had been implemented in a residential area.

By Orla McNicholl

orla@derrypost.com

The angry resident, who lives in Rowan Glynns housing estate, contacted the County Derry Post to voice her concerns after oil thieves struck twice in recent weeks.

She said: “Two people living in this estate have lost oil, and this may not have happened if street lights were in place.

“This estate is a bloody disgrace, most of these houses are here eight years and still we have no lights.”

The housing estate which incorporates around 70 homes was developed by FP McCann, and residents say they are frustrated at having to wait so long for street lighting to be implemented.

“I don’t know what the problem is, the poles for the lights have been put up before Easter, but work on the lighting seems to have stopped,” she continued.

The Maghera woman said, that in one of the incidents were oil was stolen, it took the police over one and a half hours to come out to the house even though they received reports of a van acting suspiciously in the area.

She said: “It happened at around 11.30pm and I believe that if there had been street lights in place, someone would have at least seen a number plate which they could have reported to police.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Regional Development said: “This is not adopted by the Road Service, it is the responsibility of the Developer.”

No one from FP McCann was available for comment at the time of going to press.

A Limavady man, whose Rottweiler dog strayed and bit a woman, has been fined at the town’s Magistrates’ Court.

By Orla McNicholl

orla@derrypost.com

The court heard that the injured party had been walking towards her home at Anderson Park on December 2 when two Rottweiler’s ran towards her and one of them bit her on the back of the right leg.

The dog’s owners were identified as belonging to the wife of Paul Partington of Anderson Park. However he had been looking after them on that particular day when they had strayed.

Defence solicitor Johnny Sandhu said there had been two holes in the fence where the dogs were kept and they had got out, however the fence had since been fixed by the Housing Executive.

Magistrate Eamon King said: “Sometimes it amazes me why people keep animals such as Rottweiler’s in confined spaces when they are trained to be guard dogs.”

Partington was fined £144.

Nature lovers in Magherafelt are peed off after council chiefs closed a toilet block in a popular local park.

By Connla Young

connla@derrypost.com

The move means local people at Polepatrick Park and Cemetery are being forced to dive behind ditches if they want to spend a penny.

Packed most weekends with young families, the park and cemetery cover a nine acre on the outskirts of the town.

It is believed the toilets were closed after a series of vandal attacks.

One angry parent who contacted the County Derry Post blasted the decision to keep the toilets closed.

“It’s a bit of a disgrace really that the toilets aren’t kept open,” said the parent.

“I bring my young children to the park on a regular basis and the toilets are always closed. This means if the children have to go to the loo you have to find a quiet place in the park.

“It’s just not right that in this day and age people should be forced to do that. Never mind the health implications of people going to the toilet in public places, people are entitled to some privacy. Surely something can be done to sort this out.”

Magherafelt councillor Jim Campbell said the possibility of opening the toilet block should be re-examined.

“Vandalism could be a problem there but it is worth looking at the possibility of getting the toilets open, particularly coming into the summer, “said the SDLP man.

“The park is a great facility for the town and more people could use it.”

In keeping with its policy of not speaking to the press, Magherafelt District Council refused to comment on the toilet block controversy.

An out-reach service, which will provide support to substance users, will be launched in Limavady and Dungiven following a funding boost from the Big Lottery Fund.

By Orla McNicholl

orla@derrypost.com

Until now, HURT (Have Your Tommorrows) was based in Derry and could only operate an out-reach service in neighbouring Limavady half a day per week.

The new lottery-funded initiative will help provide support to families affected by drugs, as well as awareness education for children as young as eight.

The organisation can now extend its services, which include counselling, support and alternative therapies for substance users and their families, thanks to a £492,000 grant from the Big Lottery Fund.

Sadie O’Reilly established HURT almost six years ago, after losing her son Tony in 1999 following a tragic heroin over dose.

She said: “The drug problem isn’t going away – in fact there’s a degree of acceptance within society which makes it even more dangerous for young people now.”

Sadie highlighted the importance of drug awareness among young children in order to teach them about the serious effects drugs can have the deadly consequences:

“The drug problem seems to have got worse and those involved are getting yo

unger – that’s why we need to get the education out to children as young as eight and nine.  You’d often be surprised by just how much some of them know,” she added.

Since HURT’s launch, they have received no government funding, thus the lottery funding is so vital to the organisation.

“We’re so thankful to the Lottery which has supported us in getting to this point and look forward to providing our support services to those in need,” said Sadie.

Briedge Gadd, Big Lottery Fund NI Chair, said: “The Reaching Communities programme is a very important part of our work in NI, ensuring that lottery cash reaches strong projects led by the voluntary and community sector that have a real and lasting impact on people’s lives.

“HURT’s Have Your Tomorrows Project will be supporting marginalised individuals and their families within our society.”