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Glenfield shooting linked to UDA feud
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TENSIONS WITHIN loyalism in Carrickfergus have erupted into violence with a shooting in the Glenfield area of the town and reports of disturbances between groups of men in the town centre on Saturday afternoon.
The shooting happened on Sunday night at around 11pm when the door of a house in Glenfield Walk was blasted with a shotgun. A large crowd had gathered outside the house prior to the shooting.
No one was injured in the incident which is believed to be linked to tensions between the breakaway South East Antrim Brigade of the UDA and the Belfast based leadership of the paramilitary organisation.
The incident follows several months of relative calm between the two groups. There were also reports of disturbances between groups of men in Carrick High Street on Saturday afternoon at around 4pm, with up to seven police vehicles in attendance.
A spokesperson for the PSNI said enquiries into the Glenfield shooting were ongoing. The spokesperson said: "It was reported that a large group of people had gathered outside a house. Damage was caused to the front door. Initial enquiries suggest that the damage was caused by a shotgun blast. There were no reports of any injuries."
Chief Inspector Natalie Wilson of Carrickfergus PSNI said: "Police in Carrickfergus continue to have a high visibility pro-active policing operation in place in the town in an effort to reassure the local community.
"We will work to bring anyone engaging in any criminal activity before the courts. Indeed over recent months our strong policing approach has resulted in a number of arrests and charges of those involved in serious crime.
"We would again ask those with influence in the community to continue working to bring calm to the area and we acknowledge the efforts that have already been made.
"The people in Carrick do not want this type of behaviour and police will continue to work to ensure those responsible for acts of violence are dealt with robustly and brought before the courts," she said.
Police said anyone who witnessed the shooting should contact police at Carrickfergus on 0845 600 8000, or give information anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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Olivia Lennox who was Confirmed on Friday at St Nicholas Church is pictured with sister Anna Lennox, parents Martin and Joanne. GC1825.
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Row over trapped ducks at Woodburn dam
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A ROW has erupted over the plight of ducklings in the Upper Woodburn reservoir outside Carrickfergus.
The row started after it emerged that a number of new-born ducklings have drowned after getting trapped in an overflow tank at the reservoir which is owned by NI Water.
A local resident contacted the Advertiser and accused NI Water of endangering the birds by refusing to erect a barrier to stop the ducklings from being swept into the tank.
The resident said the tiny birds were drowning and were also being killed by crows.
In previous years the fire brigade has rescued trapped ducks at the lake but the cash-strapped service said it can no longer afford bird rescue operations at the reservoir.
NI Water said that it has already taken action to save the ducklings.
A company spokesperson said: "Last year NI Water became aware that some of the ducklings, when the reservoir overflowed, were sliding across the overflow weir and as they could not fly yet were getting stuck.
"In order to alleviate the problem NI Water constructed a ramp at the overflow so that if the ducklings were to slide over they could walk back up the ramp.
"During recent weekly checks of the reservoir NI Water staff noticed that this had become a problem again and have taken steps to lower the level of the reservoir so that it will not be in an overflow situation and the ducklings will not be carried across the overflow weir."
But the spokesman added that barriers could not be used at the tank.
"The erection of barriers of any kind could cause operational problems in that debris could block the overflow and effect the integrity of the reservoir structure," he said.
A spokesman for the Fire Service said Carrick firefighters had "in the past rescued ducklings which have been trapped in an overflow tank in Upper Woodburn Dam in Carrickfergus.
"However Carrickfergus is one of the busiest retained Fire Stations in Northern Ireland cannot continue to commit any resources to this. There are other relevant agencies to help resolve this issue such as the Water Service and USPCA."
A concerned resident said: "It's up to the Water Service to do something. They need to put a net across it temporarily during the breeding season that would stop them from falling into the tank. The crows kill them and eat them - they are very small."
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Countdown is on for Carrick Sevens
on derby high
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THE countdown is nearly over for the biggest event in the Carrickfergus diary. From Wednesday afternoon sixty-six teams competing in the Guinness Carrick Sevens will be arriving in the Borough, filling all four local hotels along with several others in the area. Competitors from Scotland, England, Wales and of course Ulster are looking forward to the three days of action and spills, starting on Friday evening.
The seven hundred men and women will compete for £6000 of prize money, along with sportswear from Kukri, as well as individual prizes for person and team of the tournament. The hard working sevens committee will spend this week transforming the Woodlawn grounds to cater for the thousands of spectators who will be making their way to the largest annual rugby tournament in Ulster.
The weekend starts with the Kukri Sportswear Under 20s at 6 pm, followed by the traditional Guinness Open sevens on the Saturday, with thirty teams vying from midday for the Holmes Salver. Sadly this will be tinged with sadness following the passing last year of one the founding members of the event. In 1973 Alan Holmes in the kitchen of his home along with family and friends decided that Carrickfergus RFC should host a sevens tournament. Thirty-six years later the event goes from strength to strength and it is tribute to Alan and that group of friends that the event has become what it is now.
On the field last years winners Kidney Bean are determined to hold onto their title while a number of sides from Scotland will be giving them a run for the money but I'm sure all will enjoy the Kukri Allstar dancers who are performing on two occasions on the Saturday.
Following the Wild Geese parachute display team delivering the match ball just after midday on the Sunday, some of the best sevens talent around will be competing in the Manvik Premier tournament, while twelve ladies sides are entered in the Lombard 10s.
In the Manvik competition, the Ulster Presidents, coached by former Irish sevens coach and Ulster star Ryan Constable will be selected from within the ranks of the current Ulster squad including their Academy players. Due to their heavy schedule this week the side has not be chosen but it hoped that a number of well known names will be making the trip down from Ravenhill.
Many have tipped the Samurai International squad of making the final, with a mixture of youth and experience having been named in the squad. The team coached by ex Wales sevens coach Colin Hilman and managed by ex England sevens manager Terry Sands, will be led on the pitch by ex England sevens forward, Russell Earnshaw. Rob Thirlby, who was part of England's 2006 Commonwealth games squad, will also be playing, alongside his brother ex bath centre Paul Thirlby. There will also be a Welsh flavour about the side with Nick Wakely who played for Wales in Dubai this year, with Chris Hill of Newpart Gwent Dragons and Nicky Griffith, formerly of the Ospreys who has just signed for Penzance Pirates. Coach Colin Hilman said: "We are looking forward to taking part in the Carrick Sevens tournament as well as looking forward to some good old fashioned Irish hospitality. We have heard good things about this tournament which is why we have decided to attend."
Of course the winners for the last two years, the Irish Exiles DHL sevens will be wanting to make it a hat trick of victories, while newcomers Mels Exiles from Wales, under the guidance of Mel Williamson have been taking part for twenty five years on the sevens circuit using a blend of northern and southern hemisphere talent.
However don't underestimate the local talent on show, with former winners Malone and last years finalists Queens wanting a slice of the action, while Carrickfergus student Michael McKeever will be leading the Carrick Knights onto the field.
Once the action on the field has finished the Guinness Marquee will cater for both players and spectators in the evening and so far has proved so popular that both Saturday and Sunday nights are already sold out but the organisers would ask all visitors to be respectful of the local residents when entering or leaving the grounds. Additionally we would ask all drivers to use the car additional parking facilities adjacent to the grounds to avoid congestion in the area.
The organisers have also made provisions for all players and spectators with plenty of covered areas to enjoy the action if the weather should the weather take a turn for the worst or alternatively if you need some shade from the sun.
For any further information please go to www.carricksevens.co.uk
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