FORMER unified bantamweight champion Ryan Burnett has confirmed his retirement from boxing. The 27 year-old Newington man enjoyed a remarkable career as an amateur and pro, but the accumulation of injuries forced his hand has prompted him to call it a day. “Although my retirement is forced through injuries, I carry a heart full of […]
Welsh FM calls for bridge-building at Belfast City Hall
THE First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford AM was in Belfast on Friday when he appealed for bridge-building across the Irish Sea despite the headwinds of Brexit. The Welsh premier made the appeal at the gala banquet of the Belfast International Homecoming in City Hall. He also said he was envious of the strong global […]
McHawk-eyed gulls give Big Macs a miss
THERE’S something strange flying high above McDonald’s at Westwoods. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a hawk-shaped kite designed to scare away seagulls and other sky-borne nuisances. Graciously circling overhead like birds of prey on the hunt, two faux hawks are simply attached to a line and pole, which is mounted […]
Investors sought for Belfast Media Group
SINN Féin MLA Máirtín Ó Muilleoir is seeking an investor or buyer for his Belfast Media Group news organisation. The West Belfast-based group publishes the Andersonstown News, North Belfast News, South Belfast News and the Irish Echo in New York. Mr Ó Muilleoir said with the “decline in print media” and falling advertising revenue it […]
What happens in our garden when a star falls to earth
SOMETIMES something exotic bursts from the earth in our own gardens that make us realise that we’re only recent custodians of the land. We cut our lawns and trim our hedges, but underneath that thin layer of manicured grass lies thousands of years of evolution. Much of it has been buried forever, but occasionally something […]