Ah here.
Our Northern brethren are being tapped for money too.
Good luck with that, muckers.
Bishop of Down and Connor Noel Treanor has defended spending an estimated seven-figure sum on refurbishing his residence at a time when the Pope is promoting a simpler life for Church leaders. Dr Treanor is to move back into the luxurious 15,000 sq ft Lisbreen House next month after two years of building work on the property.
The Irish News has learned:
- Stormont provided more than £300,000 of taxpayers’ money for the refurbishment
- other funds came from two private benefactors
Dr Treanor said the work was done for “future generations” and was a “contribution to the economy in a difficult time” however Dr Treanor was unable to provide a total cost for the building project
“It’s my job for whatever number of years I am spared, if I’m spared for another 12 or 13 years to maintain two things – the quest for faith and at the same time to keep the fabric of the diocese, you could call it, the parishes up to scratch.”
However, a victims campaigner has criticised the extravagance of the renovations saying the amount spent on it was a “disgrace”.
Bishop defends massive spend on upgrading his luxury 15,000 sq ft house (Suzanne McGonagle, Irish News) [behind paywall]
Shocking details of the heroin-related death of a north Belfast grandmother have emerged. Fra Stone from the Community Drugs Programme of Falls Community Council said he believed Ms Fitzpatrick’s death was the first heroin-related fatality in the city in about a decade.
Granny (49) found dead with heroin syringe by her side (Marie Louise McConville, Irish News) [behind paywall]
Been posted pics of dead foetuses again, I said in my column they should save the 1st class stamp, was sent 2nd class pic.twitter.com/jW3wjZtlhJ
— Allison Morris (@AllisonMorris1) August 27, 2014
I also got posted this in relation to last week’s column such effort and in two different colours of ink as well pic.twitter.com/f4CLSamqTk — Allison Morris (@AllisonMorris1) August 27, 2014
Irish News journalist Allison Morris receives fan mail correspondence from the righteous in response to this column.
Previously: Kitty Litter
A Catholic man savagely beaten by a loyalist gang wielding hatchets and iron bars last night told how he thought he “was going to die”. Dee Sturgeon (22) described the terrifying moment when up to 10 men burst into the home he shares with his Protestant girlfriend and their 11 week-old daughter in a loyalist area of west Belfast.
“They said ‘you will never be back here again you dirty Fenian bastard.’ Mr Sturgeon said he feared for his life during the brutal assault in Ballygomartin Drive around 9:30pm on Friday. The victim, originally from the Markets area of south Belfast said he was in no doubt that he was targeted because of his religion.
‘I will never feel safe in a Protestant area again’ (Connia Young, Irish News) [behind paywall]
NI First Minister Peter Robinson claims his party [DUP] represents Catholic values better than Sinn Fein or SDLP do and that “many from the Catholic community…will be voting for the DUP.”
He says his party’s stance on moral issues would also appeal to many conservative Catholics.
Hmm.
Robinson: DUP serves Catholics better than Nationalist parties (John Manley, Irish News) (behind paywall)
Via Donal Lyons