The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (12A) Directed by: Peter Jackson. Starring: Ian McKellen Rating: ★★★ What’s the story? When we last saw the intrepid Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), he was holed up with the mighty dwarf King Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) and his band of fearless warriors inside the reclaimed kingdom of Erebor, […]
St Mary’s and CBS merger is called off
PLANS to amalgamate CBS and St Mary’s Christian Brothers Grammar School have been scrapped after the St Mary’s Board of Governors on Monday night voted in favour of retaining academic selection. Proposals to merge the neighbouring Glen Road post-primaries were unveiled in May with a number of consultations held between parents, staff and trustees. However, […]
Yule politics
May we all have a very happy and blessed Christmas. Remembering departed friends and entertaining – and being entertained by – the friends who are still with us. It is a magical time not just for children but for all of us when we lift ourselves, or get lifted, whether we like it or not, […]
From Athens to Andytown, it’s the same old thieving story
THE British Museum has loaned out one of the Elgin Marbles for the first time ever. The State Heritage Museum in St Petersburg will display a headless carving of the river god Ilissos until mid-January, at which time the precious artefact will be returned home. Or else it’ll go back to the British Museum. One […]
New Casement application
The GAA are set to submit a second planning application for a new Casement Park after a humbling week in the High Court. On Monday Mr Justice Horner found the decision by Environment Minister Mark H Durkan to grant planning permission for the £77 million, 38,000-seater stadium to be “unlawful” and it is expected to […]
‘Inspirational’ Una Crudden is laid to rest
AFTER the wintry sleet that had fallen earlier that morning, sun streamed through the windows of the Church of the Nativity for the Requiem Mass of inspirational ovarian cancer campaigner Una Crudden on Monday. The 60-year-old mother-of-five lost her brave five-year battle with the disease last Thursday. Hundreds of mourners, including Lord Mayor Nichola Mallon, […]