Omagh Puns

“Dungannon, are you ready? Are you ready for the SDLP to continue to deliver for this town next term? Indeed, deliver more than we ever have before? That is because the SDLP has a real plan for the future of Northern Ireland. One where we are more equal, one based on real public investment, on robust public services and on a future for our rural towns and villages.”

“Aya and I both grew up in small, rural villages, to working class families. Our politics are based on those experiences, on seeing our towns shrivel and decline as wealth was sucked out of our communities by far away cities and large corporations which do not care about us, only our money. I’ve had to look on as my village lost its post office, its regional bus service and most of its small businesses. Look on as our town lost its only clothes store, bike repair shop and as potholes developed in our roads no one cared to fix. I had to watch my grandmother, who lived in another village, struggle to live independently as every single service in her town had disappeared, bar a bus service that only existed as this town happened to be on the road between two major cities. She had to travel to see her GP, to buy food, to see her family or even to do something as simple as going to an ATM to get her pensions in cash rather than in her bank account.”

“Underinvestment in our communities is something that not only makes our lives harder, it is something that costs us many lives every year. My grandma was unable to get the help she needed when she first developed cancer, and because she struggled to even see her GP, let alone get a second opinion, her health quickly deteriorated. Her cancer was noticed by accident during a routine health check for heart issues she had developed earlier, and by the time anyone knew, it was terminal. Due to underinvestment into social care, she was unable to use her right to palliative care and had to die away from her home. If we had invested into proper healthcare systems, into biannual health checks as the SDLP is proposing, into social care, into GPs and so many other services that rural people need as well, she may have had more time to live and spend with those who loved her.”

“My grandma is only one person who has been significantly worse off due to underinvestment in our rural communities. I have seen people around me get addicted to drugs due to the lack of youth services and support in school. I’ve seen people get trapped in poverty and not have the opportun

What does the UWP believe its main rural policy is this term?

This term upcoming, our main rural policy has to be in regards to efforts to incentivise greater agricultural engagement and advancement by not just levelling up the subsidies scheme, but also by increasing the educational funding for agricultural science and expanding apprenticeship opportunities into the field. Our aim is not just to support farmers, but also the supporting structures that go into improving agriculture overall, as well as additional efforts to support the infrastructural network through programs to hire and supply new drivers, and funding to farmers who will cultivate land, to support them in the purchasing of expansions to the areas on which they plant. We will also look at instituting a scheme which will give priority of purchase to Northern Irish farmers, ensuring that they are given the opportunities they need to succeed in the market.

What does the UWP believe its most important contribution to rural communities was last term?

Last term, our enshrining of a right-to-fish for Northern Irish small, local fishermen is a vital contribution in protecting and preserving the fishing industry of countless working-class people across our country who now have a security in knowing that waters close to shore are safe and un-fished by large corporations who would seek to over-farm the waters, cutting off our fishermen from their stocks and forcing them into more dangerous waters. Ulster Workers’ Party policy on that front ensures that our fishermen get a fair deal from the legislation we have in Stormont.

Fishing communities make up a substantial part of Northern Ireland, and critical support being offered to them was an immense achievement of the Ulster Workers’ Party leadership last term, one which I believe has made the lives of thousands of people substantial better off, as well as combatting one of the most exploitative practices we have ongoing on our seas, that of what is essentially mass farming of entire regions, to the total detriment of local communities who seek to fish the same waters and rely on them for sustenance.

Does the UWP support a buy local campaign as their partner party in Wales has done?

Absolutely, the UWP is deeply supportive of a scheme which would encourage and indeed support shops and businesses in stocking Northern Irish grown goods on a far more regular and prominent basis. It of course requires additional policies, and we believe can

When we look at some of the worst impacted regions, just on a purely numerical basis, the prevalence of rural crime is shocking in this region and is something which we firmly believe must be tackled, and must be tackled seriously, not just with the theft of equipment, but also issues of smuggling which can be brought in from over border. We have to look at how the PSNI can better tackle this, as well as tackle the growing prevalence of social issues which crop up in some of the worst hit communities in the constituency. How can we ensure that the PSNI is operating, not just as a law enforcement agency, but also a body which works with and alongside communities to make their community safer, their people happier and their circumstances better?

The answer, to me, and to the Ulster Workers’ Party, is through an emphasis on community policing, to dramatically up our community police force and emphasise its jobs as not just a body to tackle crimes, but also as a body to work within the community as a support structure. The PSNI shouldn’t work to just be the strong enforcement of law and order, but in fact should operate alongside communities to ensure that they feel safer and they are able to go about constructive engagement with the officers that patrol their communities. We’ve seen in the past how areas can become no-go, or bandit countries, and the need for ourselves to understand how we can work WITH these areas to make sure that they never return to that is vital. We believe that every area of a community should have a local community officer, and they should be the first port of call to signpost to alternative services. This means an overhaul of our policing training, but it is something which is necessary.

Furthermore, we want to see more officers for rural communities and regular check ups and accessible contact points to raise concerns and to also lend the supporting hand that we know they can to guarantee that communities in Omagh are supported by the PSNI. We have to build that trust, especially where elsewhere in the United Kingdom there have been many issues of Police Forces suffering crisis’ of confidence as a result of action by their officers, and senior leaderships, and for the PSNI, that trust is so much more vital and so much more critical we maintain by operating alongside them to help the community. Additionally, we will pour efforts into combating the issues of social deprivation, getting tough on the causes of crime by offering economi

This story or event is one of the most tragic, in that an entire family was murdered by their father.

The background to this is complicated, and goes back long term.

We need to go back long term, as there are many elements that led to this.

Arthur McElhill was born in 1971, growing up in rural County Fermanagh, not far from Ederney.

Going by evidence obtained online (official report investigating the house fire- link at bottom of this post), it seems that he had mental health issues, as he had been admitted to hospital due to several suicide attempts in the late 1980s.

Also, I'm the early 1990s, he had been in a car with someone when they got shot ( he was uninjured), and this, as stated in the report, greatly distressed him.

There is a background of criminality, as he was convicted of sexual assault on two occasions (1993 and 1996 respectively), and burglary in relation to his first conviction.

Whilst out on bail after the first assault, he had started to see an underage girl, who was 15 when they began to see each other.

Her name was Lorraine McGovern, and she came from rural County Cavan.  She ended up getting pregnant, and after she had her first child, she lived with her parents, while Arthur McElhill lived with his own parents.

After a few years, she moved in with Arthur's sister in Omagh, and it seems that he was a frequent visitor to his sisters house.

He got convicted a second time for sexual assault.

After he got releleased, him and Lorraine moved in together on permanent basis, and had 4 more children,  the youngest of which was still a baby.

Going by various articles and the aforementioned report, it seems that things weren't going well between the two of them, with rumours of domestic violence, and the police being called out on at least one occasion.

It has also been stated that he had a long term drinking problem.

Also, it came out at the inquest that he had been having underage sex with a 16 year old babysitter in the family home (age of consent was 17 at the time in Northern Ireland) and also that he had a Bebo profile, using one of his children's identities to communicate with girls.

It subsequently emerged that another teenager had been sleeping over at their house, even though legally, due to a child protection order, she shouldn't have been there.

In terms of what happened on the night, it seems that the couple had been having a row/argument, and he doused the inside of the house with petrol/accelerant a

There was once a time when the heart of a rural town was its community hub, usually the highstreet or large community centre/structure. Those days have passed as a result of growing economic deprivation in many of these communities as well as the legacy of the Troubles which destroyed or damaged these areas, making them no-goes for sections of the population or leaving them devoid of the activity which is needed to sustain and maintain them. This has had a crippling effect across our constituency, and I’ll tell you that it has gone on for too long that the parties of Northern Ireland have not recognised the need to give our high-streets a hand which will enable them to become the economic hubs of the regions. It’s about ensuring that the small local towns keep character, but also have the ability to be a small local hub, and have good accessibility and opportunity for those living outside.

That’s why the UWP’s plan for rejuvenation is the most important for this constituency, why we need UWP representatives in the Assembly and why we ask you to vote for our party in this election. It’s not about constitutional on which the battle here rests, but on the socio-economic inequalities which have been allowed to fester as a result of complacent Sinn Fein and SDLP governance. Ask yourself if either party has properly represented you this election and if what they are promising is going to bring prosperity to Armagh, Fermanagh and Omagh. The answer is no, and whilst there is always going to be an attempt to focus on the Nationalist-Unionist divide here, to distract from the vital ways our policy can help, it is important that I, as the UWP candidate, emphasise that my goals here, are not to fight a sectarian battle, not to fight a constitutional one, but to be an avid campaigner for your communities in the Assembly and in the UWP to ensure that the policy which is delivered is policy which helps small towns like here, flourish under a new age of prosperity.

We want to ensure not only that the rural infrastructure network is at tip-top shape, but also that the high street here, is filled with small and medium sized businesses, stocking local goods which are produced in the nearby counties and backed all around by a high street filled with entertainment and cheap social housing. Because fundamentally this area needs to become a hub for the community, and the way that this constituency has been left to its own devices, its local councils kept away from certain powe

In a sleepy part of Armagh, a crowd gathers around a raised wooden platform. As the wonder as to where the Sinn Fein staff are, a car screeches down the road. Decorated with tricolours, bandying about Irish Republican Phrases with decals and playing the rebs, the sedan careens to a halt. Rushing out from the car is the Sinn Fein candidate for Armagh, Omagh and Fermanagh, u/Wiredcookie1. He and his campaign staff quickly shuffle some papers between each other, before the candidate of the hour takes the stage and begins to speak.

“Welcome one and all to the kickoff of my campaign today! I’m glad to see that Armagh remains excited for the Sinn Fein program. Now, let’s get right to it. My time as an MLA this past term has been an interesting time, though whether that is good or bad is up to you, as I bore witness to what some are terming the most chaotic Stormont in recent memory. And generally, I’d attest to that, what with the actions of the UWP abusing constitutional mechanisms to serve the interests of the fast food industry and our response in collapsing the Executive. While a collapse is hardly desirable, it is still a designed feature of our political system and I stand by our decision to do it. However, in spite of such chaos, Sinn Fein’s tenure at the First Minister’s office was one that assisted in the ever growing tensions between the SDLP and the UWP in the Executive. So when people are asking you who you are going to be voting for, remember that there’s one party that is committed to preventing chaos in Stormont and governing judiciously, and that’s Sinn Fein.

But enough about our leading figures, you all are going to be wondering what I’ll be doing for you, the fine people of Armagh, Omagh and Fermanagh. My time as an MLA this past term has been dedicated to delivering the left-wing agenda that you voted for in the last election. I’ve voted in favour of bills that deliver increased charging infrastructure, so that rural areas of our constituency don’t have to only turn to pollution-emitting vehicles. I’ve voted in favour of subsidies to our apprentices, to make sure that not only they are being properly paid but that those apprentices who have been historically underappreciated are shown our appreciation through additional subsidy. And I have voted in favour of the Railways bill that brings our rail back into public ownership and allows us to make sure that another vital component of our transport infrastructure is affordable.

I fully intend t

"Good morning, everyone! I'm very glad to be speaking to you today, as your Coalition! candidate for Westminster. As a party, Coalition! have been working hard in Parliament to fight for you, and by sending another C! MP to Westminster, you will be able to help us in the efforts we're doing to ensure better governance for the United Kingdom.

Our track record speaks for itself. Coalition! has been one of the only parties fighting for animal welfare - just this term, we've introduced bills to ban the cruel holding of cetaceans in captivity, make it a legal requirement to scan lost pets for microchips, and to ban the boiling of live crustaceans. Here in Northern Ireland, I've also worked to lobby for the executive to speak out on the unjust copyright regime, which unjustly and needlessly stifles creative efforts and freedoms for artists, inventors, and innovators.

In this campaign, you'll hear a lot of hot air, whether it is one side going off about smashing the republicans, or another going off about crushing the billionaires - but this by-election will not change the government. Most every party in this race is already represented in Westminster, including Coalition!.

So, what is it, then? Why should you vote for me? By bringing another Coalition! MP to Westminster, you will be able to send another MP who can spend less time talking about how bad something is, and instead working to fix it. As an MLA for West Tyrone, I have been working on delivering change for Northern Ireland, because we are the party of change. If you send me to Westminster, that is another Coalition! voice there working hard for you.

I don't want to make this campaign about how bad all the other parties are. Instead, I want to run a campaign of positivity. If you want to vote for Coalition!, don't make it a vote against anyone else. Make it a vote for change, a vote for better representation, and a vote for you, because that is who I will put first as an MP. Thank you very much for listening."

Is there anywhere online that might have aerial photos of Omagh going back to the 70s and 80s?

I want to see where my grandmother's house used to be in relation to the Dunnes Stores they built on the site /street some years ago.

I heard there was an incident in Omagh depo today. Has anyone heard anything or of anyone involved??