r/northernireland

Just feeling very sorry for myself. Today was my birthday and I spent the majority of it alone. And I’ve just over thought myself into a major spiral of what is the point of any of this??

I am eternally single but tbh at this stage I’m not sure I crave a relationship. I do crave connection though and I try to get this through friendships, which I think just puts too much pressure on them cos you will never be anyone’s priority as just a friend.

Called in with the person I would see as my best friend this afternoon. I would honestly do anything for them. They’ve had a v difficult year with family stuff but I have gone out of my way to help….i have been available day and night to help out and always at the end of the phone to listen at all hours.

They told me they didn’t have a card as they had thought my birthday was actually tomorrow until they realised this morning it was today. They had a family funeral this morning (and I get that, it’s been upsetting but honestly not a v close relation)…..but they didn’t even stop at the corner shop and pick me up a random card??

And I just smiled and said it was fine, but inside I was crushed. I have already bought their card for their birthday next month, present ordered and I would never ever forget it. They really like cards, they always talk about how they mean a lot to them so I always make an effort to get a nice one with a meaningful verse.

But me, nope I don’t get that. And I want to say how would you feel if your partner forgot your birthday/didn’t get you a card, but I can’t cos I’m not a partner, so I just try to keep going but I’m so lonely and feel like I am never on anyone’s priority list.

Anyway, I felt like shit for being on a downer with them so ended up apologising for being hard work, which I guess I am……I’m learning you really should not expect anything from anyone it just leads to disappointment, but fuck me it’s lonely.

The only person in history to leave the DUP because they weren't bigoted enough for his liking.

https://preview.redd.it/wyon8pn2js2h1.png?width=225&format=png&auto=webp&s=98df68ef2079289baec71c6a2f70c471ddb589d4

>Belfast Telegraph:

An activist hailed as a champion of LGBTQIA+ rights after dying last week was a sexual predator and a danger to both men and women, a leading counselling expert said.

>Former soldier Tina McCombe – who was previously known as Thomas Alison McCombe - once pleaded guilty to procuring a teenage schoolgirl McCombe met by chance to work in a brothel.

>McCombe had once been a sibling-in-law of the late UUP leader David Trimble.

>Eileen Calder, who had been a director with the Belfast Rape Crisis Centre for more than 20 years, revealed she had counselled McCombe, who was a founding member of the hugely successful Belfast Pride Week.

>And she said she eventually concluded that McCombe was, in fact, a danger to men as well as women.

>Ms Calder said: “McCombe called at our offices in the city centre and said he would like to undergo a course of counselling.

>“Realising he was a man dressed in female clothes, I told him that the Rape Crisis Centre was a strictly female-only zone, but he insisted that as he intended to become a woman, she should be able to avail of our counselling services.

>“Tina, as he wanted to be known, was very insistent and eventually I agreed to comply with his request. He explained how he had been brought up as a man and he had even served in the British army and travelled abroad into war zones.

>“But he also said that despite his macho exterior, he knew that deep inside he was a woman. Of course, he never mentioned his involvement in the brothel in east Belfast, where women were exploited on a daily basis.

>“As time passed, McCombe confessed to me that although he had undergone medical procedures, he was in fact incapable of ever becoming a woman.

>“He also told me that despite having a number of relationships with men, he eventually realised he was a lesbian,” said Ms Calder.

>“I eventually came to the conclusion that Thomas Tina McCombe was a sexual predator and an exploiter of vulnerable young men and women. And I also felt he was a danger to males as well as females.”

>Ms Calder added: “In short, he was a complete fraud as a so-called champion of minority rights.”

>Last week, Belfast Pride paid tribute to McCombe in a statement after the death was announced.

>“It is with deep sadness that we have learned of the passing of Tina McCombe,” it read.

>“Tina played an important role in our community, helping organise and marching in Belfast’s first Pride Parade in 1991, before later serving as Co-Chair of Belfast Pride in 1999.

>“She was a truly wonderful person who always made time for others and was a passionate advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community across Northern Ireland.”

>However, Sunday World was present at Belfast Magistrates Court when Thomas Alison McCombe pleaded guilty and the court heard how McCombe met the schoolgirl on a bus and before it reached its destination in the city centre. McCombe had then talked her into working as a prostitute.

>Standing alongside McCombe that day were two accomplices, a man originally the Shankill area, as well as a woman.

The other two pleaded not guilty and McCombe’s case was set aside for sentencing when their trial concluded.

>But months later, the Public Prosecution Service withdrew the charges against McCombe’s co-accused. And around a year later, the PPS brought McCombe back to court, where the procurement charge – to which McCombe had already pleaded guilty – was also withdrawn.

>A magistrate said McCombe was free to go. But everyone present in court that day – knew McCombe was guilty.

>And later, an investigation revealed McCombe had been in partnership with the other two, running a brothel in the Woodstock area of east Belfast.

>A hand-picked team of RUC officers based at Willowfield Station on the Woodstock Road a ran an undercover operation with 24-hour surveillance on the property, which was an end-terraced house in a quiet cul-de-sac near My Lady’s Road.

>Police had been tipped off by locals living in the respectable loyalist area, who were appalled at what was going on in their midst. And after raiding the premises, McCombe and the two others were arrested.

>For around eight years, McCombe – before he became Tina – was the brother-in-law of David Trimble, who was to become the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party.

>Trimble also signed the Good Friday Agreement and as a result was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with SDLP leader John Hume.

>In an interview, McCombe appeared to blame his mother for mixed-up emotions experienced during childhood in north Down.

>“My mother wanted a baby girl,” McCombe said. “That’s why she gave me a girl’s middle name and dressed me up in frocks.”

>But McCombe was detained by police in Donaghadee on a number of occasions after parents complained of ‘flashing’ at schoolchildren.

>Some teachers took to spending their dinner hour in the playground with the children as a result.

>Eventually, McCombe signed up for the army.

>In 1975, McCombe was injured in a bomb blast and was discharged from the army on medical grounds. After leaving the army, McCombe worked as a mercenary in a number of wars around the South African borders. And it later emerged other soldiers refused to serve alongside McCombe.

>Scars on McCombe’s right arm served as a reminder of three suicide attempts.

>And McCombe later landed in serious trouble in Dublin after being accused and later jailed over stabbing a man in a gay sauna.

Bryson posted trying to justify UDA flags in East Belfast because of the Irish signage being forced on them.

Claiming that 15% of people would vote for UDA flags for historical reasons! Should be also have a vote for IRA flags too?

Even comparing the Irish language to a UDA flag is ridiculous. Just like it would be stupid to compare a IRA flag to the Orange Order.

All he does is whip up hate, focusing on such small narrow minded topics.

He thinks he is fighting the corner for Unionism but he is making you look like fools. Being pro Union is a perfectly acceptable opinion to have, but this really doesn’t help you cause.

The anti Irish is so transparent, nothing but sectarianism.

Does anyone remember this shop in Church Lane, Belfast? David Holmes shopped there for his vinyl back in the day. I spent many an hour rummaging through the dance music section stocking up on records for bedroom mixes on my Technics 1210s lol. Pure 90s dance music heaven.

Always wondered what happened to the owner Robin?

Match is on ITV4 - KO 8pm

On The Nolan Show yesterday, Green Party councillor Brian Smyth suggested redirecting funding away from the A5 dual carriageway project and instead spending £300 million on safety upgrades to the existing road, beginning a Portadown to Derry rail corridor and using the remaining money to plug Translink’s operational deficit.

On the surface, that may sound reasonable, but in reality it completely misunderstands the problem.

Firstly the A5 is not dangerous because it lacks cat’s eyes or slightly wider verges. It is dangerous because it is a single carriageway strategic route carrying heavy freight, agricultural traffic, and huge volumes of regional transport through dangerous junctions and countless crossing points. You cannot safety upgrade a road that is fundamentally unsafe by design and minor safety upgrades will not solve the problem, and the only credible long term solution is full dual carriageway segregation.

Brian Smyth also pointed to Europe to support his argument while ignoring the fact that most European countries invest heavily in both public transport and strategic road networks, while also treating modern road safety standards and grade separated dual carriageways as basic infrastructure requirements rather than optional extras.

Having travelled through parts of Eastern Europe with significantly better strategic road infrastructure than large parts of the West, it is hard to ignore just how neglected our roads have become. Anyone who regularly travels west of the Bann can see that large parts of the region remain connected by roads that are decades behind modern European standards and upgrading key strategic routes to dual carriageway standard should be viewed as the bare minimum, not some extravagant “vanity project”.

Fellow millennials, how are you all dealing with ageing parents and trying to get them to take their health a bit more seriously?

My parents are heading into their late 60s, but still carry on like they’re in their 50s. My mum has a really stressful job, and both of them are constantly on the go. My dad, in particular, almost never goes to the doctor, I think he’s been once in the last five years, and that was only because my mum practically dragged him there after a chest infection that just wouldn’t shift.

Has anyone been through something similar or found a good way to talk to their parents about their health without it turning into a lecture or being shut down? Is there such a thing as a general “body MOT” or health check you can arrange for them? And honestly, how do you deal with the emotional side of it all...realising your parents are getting older and that ageing eventually catches up with everyone?

Last few weeks I've been getting pins and needles off and on down my right arm and hand. Starting to annoy me now. I've not contacted a GP yet as they're a nightmare to get through to and would rather not have to if it could be resolved by stretches/massage or any other means.

I've no other symptoms of poor health so I'm hoping it's nothing serious. Have done the usual googling but a wide range of what it could be.

Has anyone suffered anything similar? How did you resolve it and can you recommend anything that helped cure it? If by massage/physio can you recommend someone in Belfast/Ards/Bangor areas?

Thanks in advance for any advice/info.

Bit of a stupid question.

Young lad is 6 years old and at school they are all starting to get into Pokemon cards and collecting / swapping etc.

What is the story with this, obviously expensive and I heard talk of fake cards and all the rest.

I know nothing about this, has anyone been down this road with children?

Seems like everything is designed as collections nowadays and must complete the set (likely never possible in a consumer society......)

The authorities were all over it today and have a large section beside the Good Shepherd school closed off, there was a lot of police cars and people dressed in forensic gear hanging around the area. This is the first time I haven't seen any information from residents on Facebook or anything regarding an incident. Does anyone know what is going on?

Poleglass is a lovely area with a lovely community so whenever incidents happen residents are quick to speak their mind and discuss but it seems oddly quiet today.

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/sex-offences-cases-against-jeffrey-donaldson-and-his-wife-to-run-together/a/152365016.html

The trial of former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and the trial of the facts of his wife Lady Eleanor Donaldson in a historical sexual offences case will proceed simultaneously, a judge has ruled.

Judge Paul Ramsey made the ruling at Newry Crown Court on Thursday when he confirmed that both sets of proceedings will begin on May 26.

The judge had earlier ruled that Eleanor Donaldson is unfit to be tried after hearing medical evidence.

She is now set to face a trial of the facts – a process that tests the evidence in the case but cannot result in her being criminally convicted.

The judge had previously heard legal submissions on whether that trial of the facts should run alongside the trial of Jeffrey Donaldson or as separate proceedings at a different time.

Delivering his ruling, the judge said: “The interests of justice require that this case be progressed in a manner that is fair to all parties, but also as expediously as such fairness permits.

“Accordingly I rule that the trial of Jeffrey Donaldson and the trial of the facts of Eleanor Donaldson be held simultaneously and the case will commence on Tuesday next, the 26th of May.”

Neither Jeffrey or Eleanor Donaldson were present in court for the ruling.

They were not required to attend.

Prior to Thursday’s proceedings, the trial of Jeffrey Donaldson, 63, had been listed to start on May 26.

He has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences.

The charges include one count of rape and allegations of indecent assault and gross indecency, and span a time period between 1985 and 2008, involving two alleged victims.

Eleanor Donaldson, 60, of Dublinhill Road, Dromore, has denied charges of aiding and abetting.

Proceedings had already been delayed twice due to medical issues related to her.

Prosecuting barrister Fiona O’Kane KC told the court on Thursday that it was hoped that a jury could be sworn on May 26 and the proceedings commenced the following day.

Jeffrey Donaldson, a former long-standing MP for Lagan Valley, was arrested and charged at the end of March 2024.

He resigned as DUP leader and was suspended from the party after the allegations emerged.

Weeks before his arrest, he had led the DUP back into devolved government at Stormont after a two-year boycott of the powersharing institutions.

anyone know where I can get large, allotment style garden planter’s/raised beds?

will have the garden finished in about a month or so and we’re gonna try growing some food. but I haven’t been able to find any decent sized planters locally.

I can order online, but I think shipping will eat it up. we tried B&Q and Dobbies and and a few other places.

Anyone any suggestions?

Just moved into a house in Co Down with oil central heating.

How do I know when to order a refill for the tank, please?