Newry and Mourne City council

Raymond McCreesh play park: Council and Equality Commission’s decision goes to judicial review

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The ongoing saga of the Raymond McCreesh play park took another turn yesterday. Bea Wotton the now 88 year old mother of one of the IRA victims at Kingsmills was granted leave for a Judicial Review of the decision to name a play park in Newry after McCreesh. The park was named after the IRA Hunger Striker (who was arrested in possession of one of the weapons used in the Kingsmills murders) in 2001. In 2014 the Equality Commission ruled …

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Ex Sinn Fein Councillor’s stormy valedictory to Newry and Mourne

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Post by Gabriel Curran. The other thing required of a politician is a thick skin, both with the electors and within the twists, turns and machinations of party whips. I’d heard of Councillor Brendan Curran’s stormy exit from Newry and Mourne Council earlier in the week, but was reluctant to blog it without a clear record of what he actually said. You can judge it for yourself from the video. Curran was critical to Sinn Fein’s early successes in local …

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Raymond McCreesh play park, democracy and judicial activism

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The Newry play park named after IRA hunger striker (and leading suspect in the Kingsmills murders) Raymond McCreesh has kept its name. Unionists on Newry council called a vote on changing the name. One SDLP councillor abstained on the vote whilst the others were not present: something denounced by victims’ campaigner Kenny Donaldson. This despite the SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell opposing the local SDLP’s previous failure to back a name change. Unionists have vowed to continue the fight when the …

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Terrorist play park breached equality guidelines

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The Equality Commission has produced its draft report on Newry and Mourne Council’s decision to name a children’s play park after IRA terrorist and hunger striker Raymond McCreesh. The play park had initially been called the Patrick Street Play Park but in 2001 its name was changed to honour McCreesh who was captured in 1977 in possession of one of the guns used in the Kingsmills massacre the preceding year. In 2012 the Sinn Fein and SDLP majority on the …

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SDLP old guard reject Newry party support for McCreesh playground

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Just a footnote on the flags exchanges from the Commons yesterday which suggests that the SDLP might have a flicker of independent life left in it  when it appeals to old decencies.  What we might call a creative split in the party occurred over  the naming of the Patrick St playground in Newry after Raymond McCreesh  which – my fault – I hadn’t noticed in local coverage before Mick’s  pointed post. Irritatingly report after report  simply lifted what reads like a local corr’s …

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