Two local businesses joined forces last week to showcase the ‘hidden gem’ of tourism in south Armagh to an eager American audience in New York.

Without financial help from government or local authorities, this self-funded venture between the Cross Square Hotel in Crossmaglen and Matthews Coach Tours in Inniskeen, Co. Monaghan was aimed at opening up the border area to international tourists, after years of living in the shadows of the Troubles.

Embodying the spirit of cross-border co-operation and armed with the firm belief in their local area as a mecca for tourists from across the globe, Fiona Kieran, Managing Director of Cross Square Hotel, and Colm Murphy, Travel Co-ordinator with Matthews Tours, met with a number of influential groups in New York and Pittsburgh, to present their welcoming programme and garner support for the tourism trade in the border areas.

The delegation was overwhelmed by the reaction they received and managed to build firm and, hopefully, long-lasting links with prominent Irish- affiliated organisations, universities, colleges and partners in the travel trade.

Speaking following the successful trip, Mr Colm Murphy of Matthews Tours said: “Because of the Troubles, both sides of the border were seen as somewhat off the tourism trail until recent times.  There are few trips that can compare to the likes of Slieve Gullion, the Mourne Mountains, the Heritage sites of the Boyne Valley, or the Medieval town of Carlingford.”

Fiona Kieran of the Cross Square Hotel, echoed those sentiments and added: “The demolition of the Look-out Towers, the withdrawal of the British Army and the opening of the first hotel in Crossmaglen in over 100 years – back in March 2006 – has exposed a pure and natural unspoilt area, crying out to be discovered.  This is the time for south Armagh and its border region to shine!”

The presentations in both cities aimed to reveal the area’s rich cultural heritage as well as its beauty, as typified by Slieve Gullion, recently classified as an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty by Unesco.

The group also highlighted the increasing technology business opportunities in the region, coupled with a local highly skilled workforce ready for an investor to tap into this growing market.

The pitches delivered by Colm Murphy, Fiona Kieran and Gene Carragher – proprietor of the Cross Square Hotel – also outlined the multitude of activities and destinations available and highligh ed the upcoming festivals and attractions, along with business opportunities for potential investors.

“Tourists to the area will experience historical and architectural sites as well as immersing themselves in the literary homes of writers such as Patrick Kavanagh and MJ Murphy and a

host of Gaelic poets,” said Gene.

There are also full tour itineraries available of political sites, murals and flashpoints associated with the Troubles – both in South Armagh and further afield – as well as  opportunities to experience the new Gaelic revival in the area.

Attention was also drawn to areas of interest in the central border region, all within easy travelling distance from South Armagh, such as the Government Buildings in Belfast and Dublin or the tour of the Falls and Shankill Roads in Belfast, as well as the city of Derry, or the Ulster/American Folk Park. The newly opened Titanic Experience in Belfast was also cited as a major tourist draw, accessible from the locality.

“There is a huge interest in both “The Gathering” and the World Police and Fire Games in Belfast next year, and we have the expertise and infrastructure to be able to maximize the experience for groups,” Colm pointed out.

Attractions south of the border in counties Louth, Monaghan and the mystical Boyne Valley of Meath were also revealed to the American audience. Dan Dennehy, U.S National Immigration Chairman, had high praise for “The Gatherings” event and agreed that South Armagh was somewhat of a hidden jewel which had a lot to offer visitors.

“Every year, The Ancient Order of Hibernians in America sends a large tour group of Irish Americans concerned with peace, reconciliation and development to different locations around the North of Ireland. After visiting the region this February, it was natural to have Fiona and Colm come to the US and present all that Crossmaglen, South Armagh and the border region of Louth and Monaghan has to offer visitors. The proof was in the tremendous level of press attention and attendance at their presentations. For new visitors and old friends, a homecoming in Crossmaglen, South Armagh and the border region is a winning idea,” he said.

The Group extends a special thanks to Mr Jim Lamb, Honorary Consul of Ireland for Pittsburgh and to Sean Pender, President New Jersey AOH and Dan Dennehy, New York State FFAI Chairman AOH for all their help and assistance in making the South Armagh Gathering events such a success.

This charity was chosen as a young member of Comhaltas, had a kidney transplant in 2010.  Miceál Mullen from the Ring of Gullion CCE received a kidney from his brother in November of that year. When he and his family approached the County Board about possibly raising some money for the above charity there was no hesitation from the Board.  Each branch within County Armagh held a local event – the branches involved were Ring of Gullion, Forkhill, St. Mochuas Keady, Tullysarren, Portmor, Clanbrassil, and Crossmaglen. A further event was held in the Canal Court Newry this was organised by Eamon and Martina Murphy and family, Camlough, and Eddie and Marian Mullen and family, Killean.

The invited audience at the presentation night were made up of members of the Comhaltas branches in Armagh along with the Chairman of the Ulster Council of Comhaltas, Eamon Graham. The evening was an opportunity to thank organ donors who have changed the lives of their recipients; many families of children who have received transplants recently were also in the audience along with medical and nursing staff from the Royal Belfast Hospital fr Sick Children (RBHSC).

The Deputy Mayors of both Armagh City Council and Newry and Mourne Councils took time to attend. The audience were kept in fine tune with Henry McDonald as compére .The evening opened with young trad band Cúig of which transplantee Miceál Mullen is a part, along with Eoin and Cathal Murphy and Rónán and Ruairí Stewart from Dungannon – they have played at the fundraising events  over this last six months.  Playing alongside them on the night was the singer Joanna Boyle from Co.Monaghan who sings with band Síoda and prestigious fiddle player Niall Murphy from Reel It In.  There were also performances from Michael Quinn, Seamus McElvanna, Emma Murphy, Mark Mohan, Brid Harper, and P.J. McDonnell.

The cheque for £12,641.26 was presented by Eddie Mullen on behalf of the Armagh County Board to Professor Maurice Savage, representing RBHSC and The Children’s Kidney Fund  NI. This was followed by a few words from Professor Savage who spoke of the importance of charity funds  to continue the work of kidney research and to support families of children with renal disease.  Keith Smith shared his story from a parent’s point of view of the benefits of the charity.

Hugh McElvanna, Chairman of the Armagh CCE, praised the successful efforts of all branches in raising this amount.  Hugh said, “Raising this large amount of money for this deserving charity was a very worthwhile way of marking the 60th anniversary of Comhaltas”.  Eamon Graham, Chair of Ulster Council of Comhaltas added his words of appreciation, saying, “We can see from the benefits of the charity for some of our own members how important this charity is and we are proud to have provided such significant support to the charity as part of our anniversary celebrations”.

Marion Mullen closed the formal part of the evening with words of sincere thanks to the Charity and to Comhaltas.  “Comhaltas has always offered us normality, friendship and support through some difficult times.  She wished Comhaltas many more years of success.”  Marion also thanked the Charlemont Arms Hotel on behalf of the County Board for their support of this event and throughout the year.

The evening ended with a buffet and music carried on until the wee hours of the morning. A great night was had by all in attendance.

The single-car collision occurred on the Keady Road, Armagh around 2.20am on Saturday.  It’s believed the victim was a front seat passenger in the blue Vauxhall Omega.  He was taken to hospital but later died of his injuries.  Two other male passengers were also injured, one was taken to hospital and the other was treated at the scene.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact police in Armagh.

The father of Recep Cetin, the Turkish man accused of killing two County Down women on holiday last August, has been charged with their murder.

Mr Baris Kaska, the lawyer for the Graham and Dinsmore families, travelled to Newry last week to update them on the new development in the case.

Speaking to local news group, Destination Newry, the lawyer confirmed that Eyup Cetin, father of the accused, had been charged after DNA evidence linked him to the crime scene.

The prosecutor revealed last month that he believed it was “nearly impossible” that the suspect committed the murders by himself.

“There was participation by his father or someone else, so we are trying to prove that”, he said at the time.

Marion Graham and Kathy Dinsmore were murdered 60 miles from their holiday apartment in Kusadasi.  The women were stabbed over fifty times in a frenzied attack which sent shockwaves throughout Newry and Mourne.

Recep Cetin, was the boyfriend of Shannon Graham, Marion Graham’s 15 year old daughter, who was on a boat trip at the time of the murders.

The elder Cetin was taken into custody several months ago.  Mr Kaska explained that charges had now been brought following DNA evidence found in the shoe of one of the victims which linked Recep Cetin and another male family member to the scene.  He also revealed that a “secret witness” had already stated that she had seen Cetin’s father at the scene of the murders.

The prosecution lawyer said he chose to come to Ireland to update the families in person and extended his thanks to Mayor Charlie Casey, Sinn Fein MLAs, Conor Murphy and Mickey Brady and SDLP representative, Margaret Ritchie for the emails and calls they had made in support of the case.

Eyup Cetin remains in custody until a hearing on 20th June.

Kate Arslanian (née Harvey) originates from the townland of Drummuckavall near Crossmaglen but moved to Paris more than thirty years ago and has lived there since.

Her latest exhibition, entitled ‘Borderlands’ will be officially opened on Thursday May 17th by respected journalist and art expert, critic and author, Eamonn Mallie.  The event is a follow up to her recent exhibition in the Irish Arts Center, Manhatten, New York, where it received rave reviews and was deemed the largest visual art exhibition the center has ever held.

Visitors to the exhibition described it as ‘wonderful, vibrant and completely original’ and congratulated Kate on her unique style and astounding talent.

Kate described the New York experience as ‘emotional and exciting’ and ‘a really big event in my life’, adding she is very much looking forward to showcasing her work in her home locality again.

Kate first exhibited in the Iontas Theatre two years ago and such was its success that she has been invited to return with her latest work.

With her focus on abstract paintings, Kate Arslanian’s work is almost exclusively concentrated on her native Crossmaglen and despite creating the majority of her paintings in her studio in Paris, she

draws her inspiration from the enviable beauty of her homeland.

Her ‘Borderlands’ exhibition remains true to these roots, with paintings based on her beautiful surroundings in south Armagh.  Extolling the beauty of her homeland, Kate said: “Crossmaglen is a dream for inspiration and, of course, the top of Drummuckavall Hill has no comparison for beauty, whether looking towards Mobane lake or the Bay of Dundalk.  I have a very soft spot for Fetherna Bog on the Courtbane Road, which I visit many times a year.”

Kate prefers the abstract form of recreating her native landscape: “My abstract work is about looking at the boglands around Crossmaglen.  Not the way we see them visually, but of feeling them.  The

forms and shapes have been purposely broken, the circle is no longer round and the square is broken – because feelings are not in shapes.”

Kate’s work has been seen in multiple galleries in Ireland, France and, most recently, in New York.  After each time she visits home, or exhibits her work, she takes something away from her experience that becomes part of her art, making her one of Ireland’s highly acclaimed, continually growing and well respected artists today.

Borderlands exhibition will open in Iontas, Castleblayney on 17th May at 6.30pm.

The news that supermarket giant Tesco is set to open a new store in Newry’s Downshire Road has been met with mixed reaction.  Although the Tesco Extra store is expected to create 300 new jobs in Newry, there are concerns about its’ impact on the city centre and the surrounding residential area.

The new store, rumoured to be larger than Newry’s Sainsbury’s store and Tesco in Banbridge, will include 500 car parking spaces and a new public realm area, as well as a bus stop and bus lay-by for customers.

Construction of the store has already begun with contractor, Turkington, expected to complete the project by Spring 2013.

A spokesperson for Tesco confirmed that the company, who will begin recruiting locally early next year, is delighted to be investing in Newry.

“Our new store will bring hundreds of jobs as well as offer our customers a wide range of products and a modern and convenient shopping experience.

“We will work in partnership with local employment agencies in order to recruit locally and more information will be released closer to the store opening date.”

Local traders have raised their concerns, however, with Newry City Centre Management Chairman, Jack Murphy, describing the decision to grant planning for the site, “a disgrace.”

Mr Murphy believes the location of the new store shows no consideration for the development opportunities which exist in the city centre and said he is “disappointed that planning permission has been granted for an out-of-town site.”  He questioned how the store would affect other businesses in the town and said he feared that smaller businesses in Newry would suffer job losses as a direct result of the new Tesco store.

Commenting on the expected jobs boost, the Chairman added, “How many of the 300 jobs are going to be full-time jobs and not just a few hours a week?”

He also raised the issue of increased traffic in the surrounding residential area both during construction and after the opening of the new store, concluding that, while he is not against the idea of Tesco coming to Newry he believes “it should suit Newry and not just suit Tesco; they have to play a part in the growth and development of Newry just like other businesses do.”

Daryl’s progress was being well monitored and it was no surprise when he was asked to participate in the IFA Excellence Programme which ran for 20 weeks with 120 boys from the various Leagues in the six counties. Only 40 of those players would be asked back for a further 3 weeks training programme when a panel of 22 would be then selected to form the Elite development squad. Daryl comfortably made the squad who are now in a tough 5 week training schedule in preparation for their travels across Europe.

Having had the personal experience of seeing Daryl in action on numerous occasions while officiating as a referee it has come as no surprise to me that Darly has made the transition from the lower Leagues to the bigger stage without any fuss. “Aside from his undoubted predatory nature in front of goals Daryl always stood out as a very astute reader of the game, belying his tender years, with passing, movement and involving others in the play second nature to him.”

While it was his ability to score goals that originally saw Daryl called into the National set up, his versatility is such that he has made a name and a niche for himself as an attacking, goalscoring full back in this current 22 man Northern Ireland.

With some of the bigger clubs taking a more keen interest in Daryl let’s hope that he has a very successful tenure with the team where he will be exposed to the watchful eye of talent scouts from a  broader spectrum.

Incidents of antisocial behaviour have also dropped by 22% (673 fewer incidents).

The report detailed a decrease in sexual offences by almost 16% (15 less offences) with burglary falling by more than 24% (178 less incidents).  The number of robberies fell by 16% (a reduction of 8 incidents) while criminal Damage decreased by 7.7%, which amounted to 87 less crimes.

Commenting on the new figures for 2011/12, Area Commander, Chief Inspector Davy Beck said:

“I am delighted with the figures which show that almost every crime type in Newry and Mourne has fallen. The community set us a very challenging series of targets in the Policing Plan and through the dedication and professionalism of each and every officer in this area we have delivered on our promises.

The Chief Inspector paid special tribute to all communities for “engaging positively with police” and underlined the fact that the reduction in crime had “prevented 250 members of our community from becoming victims of crime”.

In conclusion the Area Commander pledged to continue to listen to the community to improve police service, and thanked the public for supporting the PSNI in dealing with crime.

“We recognise that the public demands and deserves a police service that is accessible, responsive, friendly and accountable. We will continue to listen to enable us to improve our service to you. We want to focus on getting the basics right because we know that personal, professional and protective policing is what communities want.

“Crime in Newry has reduced by more than 10% over the last two years. This is an incredible achievement for the officers and staff who are spending more time in your neighbourhoods and for the communities who have offered their support to police and are working with us to tackle crime and find solutions. Thank you for your support. Policing needs our communities and I would ask for your continued enthusiasm as we move forward. We know it will not always be easy but we have shown that working together is the most effective method of tackling crime”.

This very popular and well known Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, which is set in  1930s Austria, follows the story of the Von Trapp family singers in their journey to escape the Nazi Regime.

This year again boasts a very strong line up with relatively newcomer to the society Fiona Flynn capably portraying the role of Maria. Lowry Hodgett returns to the Society as Captain Von Trapp, however on this instance he has 13 Children!! The six younger children have been double cast and will play in alternative performances (“Rodgers” family will play on Tues, Thurs and Sat Matinee) and (“Hammerstein” family will play on Wed, Fri and Sat evenings) The eldest daughter Liesl, will be played in all performances by our own Aimee McCague, who along with talented newcomer Ronan Sharkey in the role of Rolf make a very handsome couple. The family’s favourite Uncle Max will be ably executed by Martin Morgan, with Raquel Rodrigues as Elsa.

Mother Abbess, at Nonnberg Abbey, is played by the well known multi talented Veronica Barr, with Siobhan McGivern, Grainne Canavan and Maeve Bell in the roles of Sr’s Margaretta, Sophia and Berthe respectively.

This definitely proves to be one show not to be missed. With beautiful musical numbers such as Climb Every Mountain, My Favourite Things, Do-Re-Mi and Edelweiss, Newry will certainly be alive with “THE SOUND OF MUSIC”

The show opens on Tuesday 22nd May until Saturday 26th nightly at 7.30pm and Saturday Matinee at 2.30pm

Booking opens in Buttercrane Centre on Saturday 12th May daily from noon. Telephone Booking Number from Monday 14th: 07707072010

“Rodgers” Family:    “Hammerstein”  Family

Ronan Lavery: Peter Donnelly.

Erin Coghlan:  Julie Brady.

Dara Evans:   Aiden Lavery.

Catriona Sneddon: Marie-Claire O’Connor.

Gemma Hegarty: Rachel Finnegan.

Ellie McKevitt: Emily Fitzpatrick.