Northern Ireland

This picturesque island off of the coast of Northern Ireland stands out for its unique charm and natural beauty, as it sits completely isolated from the rest of the UK

Tucked away and untouched by mass tourism, this remote island provides the perfect retreat for anyone wanting to reconnect with nature and breathe in the crisp coastal air.

Rathlin Island boasts an incredible array of wildlife, making it an idyllic destination in Northern Ireland for birdwatching and walking, with a tranquillity that only a community of just 150 residents could provide. And yet, they share their home with tens of thousands of seabirds.

The Rathlin Seabird Centre provides a magnificent vantage point to watch the delightful antics of puffins, razorbills and kittiwakes in their natural surroundings. Additionally, seals are frequently spotted basking on the rocks, whilst Irish hares and mink can be seen wandering across the terrain.

One visitor shared their experience on TripAdvisor, saying: “The beautiful and peaceful place. Very little tourism, but it’s not needed; everything is basic, normal everyday life. It’s so simple just to walk the island.

“We have done this on several occasions and walk to each lighthouse. I recommend getting the bus to the bird sanctuary, as it’s quite a walk and very hilly. The scenery is like you will never have seen before.”, reports Belfast Live.

Thanks to the distinctive shape of this small island, it features three stunning lighthouses, each with its own character. Next to the seabird centre stands the West Lighthouse, renowned for being Ireland’s only upside-down lighthouse and an essential stop on any visit.

The East Lighthouse, Rathlin’s oldest, stands tall on the edge of a cave that is steeped in history. It’s said that this very cave was the refuge of Robert the Bruce in 1306 after his defeat in Scotland.

Legend tells us that while hiding away, he found inspiration from a spider to continue his fight for Scottish independence. This tale has forever linked him with the island, and many visitors come to pay their respects at the cave, gazing out towards Scotland from Rathlin.

One satisfied visitor said: “The scenery is mind-blowing, and taking the bus up to the lighthouse and bird sanctuary was fantastic. So much to see, and not just puffins. Lots of other nesting birds, plus the old upside-down lighthouse. Just very cool.”

Another tourist wrote: “A perfect day on an idyllic and unspoilt island. From start to finish… from the scenic crossing to the cold drink at McCuaig’s bar overlooking the swimmers and paddle boarders in Church Bay (at the end of a long walk on a sunny day), Rathlin has everything you could desire.”

However, the only way to reach Rathlin Island is by ferry from Ballycastle Harbour. You have two options: a passenger-only ferry that takes about 25-30 minutes, or a larger ferry that accommodates both people and cars, which takes up to 45 minutes.

GERRY Adams will be blocked from claiming taxpayer-funded compensation under changes to the law today.

The former Sinn Féin leader was on track to receive a government payout for his detention in the 1970s.

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But a new Troubles Bill will now ban him and around 400 other largely republican former-detainees from receiving public cash.

It comes after an unexpected Supreme Court ruling in 2020 on historical detentions in Northern Ireland risked forcing ministers to splurge vast sums of money on individuals who claimed they were wrongfully detained during the Troubles.

The landmark case, brought by Adams, found his initial detention under an Interim Custody Order (ICO) was unlawful because a junior minister signed the order, not the Secretary of State.

This pivotal decision opened the floodgates for thousands of compensation claims for imprisonment and quashed convictions.
Later, Mr. Adams won a court battle in 2023 that ruled he was wrongly denied compensation after his convictions for trying to escape jail in the 1970s were quashed.

Today, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn will introduce new legislation to Parliament to clarify that the relevant law always permitted junior ministers to sign the ICOs and, therefore, ensure no compensation will be paid.

A government source told The Sun: “The last government completely failed to successfully address this issue.

“Today we are making it clear in the law that detentions were legitimate and lawful.

“A result of this will be that those previously eligible will not get a single penny of taxpayers’ hard-earned cash.”

THIS is the nerve-wracking moment a Ryanair plane is forced to abort landing in Storm Amy’s 90mph winds.

The dramatic footage shows the pilot unable to land the aircraft at Dublin Airport on Friday.

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It comes as Storm Amy swept in on Friday with wind speeds of over 90mph, sparking widespread travel chaos for millions.

Video footage shows the Ryanair plane descending as it approaches the runway at Dublin Airport.

The aircraft can be seen buffeted by strong winds on its way down, knocking it of course as it nears the tarmac at speed.

Just moments before it is due to touch down, the pilot suddenly aborts the landing.

They then pull the plane back up as its forced to go around the airport before it attempts to make another landing.

A plane spotter posted the footage to social media on Friday, alongside the caption: “Ryanair plane has to do a go around because of the high winds.”

Hundreds of users flocked to the comments with some claiming they were on the flight itself.

“I was on that plane, was a very hairy land,” one posted.

Others claimed that it was the “worst flight of my life” and that this was one of two failed landing attempts before the plane diverted to Manchester.

“That plane was like being on the worst roller coaster ride ever, what you see in that video, doesn’t do justice to what went on onboard,” stated another.

According to them, other passengers were panicking and an “elderly gentleman had to be taken from Manchester Airport straight to the hospital”.

Storm Amy is expected to cause further travel disruption across the UK and Ireland on Saturday with flights, rail and ferry services cancelled.

Belfast International Airport said it was expecting delays on Saturday and advised passengers to check with their airlines.

Due to winds reaching up to 100mph in some areas, “risk to life” warnings have been issued too.

Irish Police confirmed on Friday that a man in his 40s had died following a “weather related incident”.

While over 234,000 homes were also left without power across Ireland with thousands in Scotland also facing continued power outages.

The Scottish island of Tiree has recorded the highest wind speeds at 96mph while a provisional October record for Northern Ireland was set with 92mph gusts in County Londonderry.

An amber wind warning has been issued for the north of Scotland until 9pm on Saturday with yellow warnings covering the whole of Scotland, the north of England and north Wales until the end of the day.

A yellow wind warning will run until 7pm for the rest of England and Wales.

Additionally, yellow warnings for rain are in place in north and west Scotland until midnight and in Northern Ireland until noon.

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TENS of thousands are without power as Storm Amy’s 90mph gusts and torrential rain lash Britain leaving one dead.

The first named storm of the season has swept into the country with yellow weather warnings covering the whole of Britain on Saturday.

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Irish Police confirmed on Friday that a man in his 40s had died following a “weather related incident”.

While 234,000 homes were also left without power across the island of Ireland as Storm Amy brings widespread disruption.

The highest wind speeds so far have been recorded in the Hebrides Islands, Scotland, at 96mph with 92mph gusts recorded in Co Londonderry in Northern Ireland, say the Met Office.

An amber wind warning has been issued for the north of Scotland until 9pm on Saturday with yellow warnings covering the whole of Scotland, the north of England and north Wales until the end of the day.

A yellow wind warning will run until 7pm for the rest of England and Wales.

Additionally, yellow warnings for rain are in place in north and west Scotland until midnight and in Northern Ireland until noon.

Travel chaos has also been sparked across the country with road closures and disruption to public transport.

Train operator, Avanti West Coast, warned of “short notice changes” on Saturday and “strongly recommended” customers making journeys north of Preston to check updates before travelling.

In Scotland, ScotRail suspended services on Friday night and anticipated the disruption would extend in Saturday and possibly Sunday.

Network Rail Scotland route director Ross Moran said more than 60 incidents of flooding, fallen trees and debris on the tracks were reported across the network in the first two hours of the storm.

“Storm Amy has hit parts of the country much harder and more quickly than expected,” he said.

National Rail is carrying out safety checks for obstructions on the line and damage to infrastructure, warning of possible disruptions throughout the UK on Saturday.

Elsewhere, CalMac Ferries also said it expect many services to be disrupted on Saturday into Sunday with many routes already cancelled.

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The iconic Severn Bridge between Gloucestershire and Wales was also forced to close overnight due to strong winds.

While parts of the A19 Tees Viaduct, the A66 in Cumbria and the A628 near Manchester were all closed to high-sided vehicles.

Traffic Scotland has also reported a long list of road closures with Forth Road Bridge closed in both directions.

The Skye Bridge, Queensferry Crossing and Clackmannshire Bridge were also closed to high-sided vehicles.

They also reported a number of road closures due to falling debris and overnight flooding including the M9 eastbound near Stirling.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency had 30 flood warnings in place on Saturday with the Environment Agency issuing six in the north of England one in north Wales from Natural Resources Wales.

Belfast International Airport said it was expecting delays on Saturday and advised passengers to check with their airlines.

All eight of London’s royal parks, including Hyde Park and Richmond Park, will also be closed on Saturday due to the strong winds.

In a statement on its website, the Royal Parks said: “Due to severe wind gusts caused by Storm Amy, all of the royal parks, plus Brompton Cemetery and Victoria Tower Gardens will be closed on Saturday October 4.

“This closure includes all park roads and cycleways, cafes and kiosks, parks sports venues, the Serpentine lido and boating lake, and the royal parks shop.”

“The safety of visitors and staff is our top priority,” the Royal Parks added.

“We’re sorry for any inconvenience that these closures may cause.”

It said opening times on Sunday will be delayed because of safety inspections.

The Met Office said wind and rain was expected to ease throughout the evening for much of the country, but severe gales are forecast to continue in north east Scotland with a yellow warning for wind in place from midnight until 9am on Sunday.

Sunday is expected to turn dry and less windy with sunny spells for most areas, but outbreaks of rain developing in the north west.

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A U.K. judge has thrown out a terror charge against a member of the rap group Kneecap.

Kneecap’s Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, a 27-year-old Belfast artist who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, had been charged with allegedly displaying a flag supporting terror group Hezbollah at a show in London last year. (Ó hAnnaidh denied the charges, and said the band doesn’t support Hezbollah.)

At this Friday‘s hearing — one to determine proper jurisdiction — chief magistrate Paul Goldspring said, “I find that these proceedings were not instituted in the correct form, lacking the necessary [attorney general or director of public prosecutions] consent within the six-month statutory time limit,” adding that “this court has no jurisdiction to try the charge.”

“These proceedings against the defendant were instituted unlawfully and are null,” Goldspring said, releasing Ó hAnnaidh to raucous cheers from Kneecap supporters — including the rapper’s parents — in the courtroom.

The decision came as relief for Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill, who posted on social media: “These charges were part of a calculated attempt to silence those who stand up and speak out against the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Kneecap have used their platform on stages across the world to expose this genocide, and it is the responsibility of all of us to continue speaking out and standing against injustice in Palestine.”

Kneecap had recently canceled a U.S. tour, citing the court hearing as an obstacle to performing in the U.S.

Addressing the public outside the courtroom, Ó hAnnaidh said, “This entire process was never about me, never about any threat to the public, never about terrorism. A word used by your government to discredit people you oppress. It was always about Gaza. About what happens if you dare to speak up.”

Relating his Palestinian activism to Ireland’s own history of colonization, he added, “As people from Ireland, we know oppression, colonialism, famine and genocide. We have suffered and still suffer under your empire. Your attempts to silence us have failed, because we’re right and you’re wrong.”