Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Inaction over UK Syria kids is ‘alarming’
Anglo-irish postmark to honour icon Boston pub boss recalls years of friendship with Big Jack
SAVE The Children has accused the Home Office of “alarming inaction” for failing to bring back British children trapped in Syrian camps after their parents joined Islamic State.
Last October, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said “unaccompanied minors or orphans” could be returned and three came back in November.
But it is now believed no British child has returned from Syria in eight months.
An estimated 60 are still trapped in north-east Syria, and the Government has repeatedly refused to say when any of them will be allowed to return home.
The charity says it has been stonewalled by Home Office officials and spokeswoman Orlaith Minogue said: “We are concerned at the alarming inaction.”
JACK Charlton is to be honoured with a special postmark on all letters sent in the UK and Ireland for the next three weeks.
The football hero, whose funeral takes place tomorrow, is being recognised for his contribution to soccer.
His brothers Bobby, 82, Gordon, 77, and Tommy, 74, hope to be reunited for the service in Ashington, Northumberland.
The town is expected to come to a standstill as Jack, who died 10 days ago at 85, makes his final journey.
The postmark is the first time the Royal Mail and An Post have worked jointly on a tribute which begins today.
An Post chief David Mcredmond said: “Jack Charlton will always have a special place in the hearts and minds of Irish people.
“He gave our nation many of our happiest and proudest moments.”
EVEN as time and illness was taking its toll on the famous razor sharp mind, the physical strength of Big Jack Charlton rolled back the years.
Frank Gillespie was locked in what would be a final embrace with the legendary Irish soccer manager and he had just been lifted off his feet.
He told the Mirror: “That was my last visit with him, he gave us a big hug and he still had his old strength.
“We said goodbye that day when we were leaving. He gave me a big squeeze and he lifted me up, that would be him saying to me, ‘I’m still alright and I will see you next year.’”
That next visit wasn’t to be. As Frank, a son-in-law of Brendan Grace, was rising last Saturday to mark the first anniversary of the comic’s death, his phone was lighting up with news of the loss of another icon. The Co Westmeath man and owner of one of Boston’s most famous bars was one of the loyal recruits to the band of brothers that became Jackie’s Army.
For more than two decades he soldiered alongside the Boys In Green and became a close friend of the boss.
He accompanied Jack on his travels, hosted his 60th birthday bash, made sure his players returned safe from many a session and even installed kegs of Guinness in the manager’s hotel rooms.
Today he is recalling that last embrace with the sporting giant at his home in Newcastle, England.
Frank said: “I used to go over every year to see him, and for the last few years I used to fly into Birmingham and Steve Staunton would pick me up.
“We went over last August and we were to meet them in this pub for lunch. He would be pretty clued in with me because he had seen me fairly often and
I would talk to him on the phone every two weeks but I was wondering what his reaction would be to Stan.
“And he just looked at Stan and he laughed and he said, ‘Stan, you got fat!’
“We had two pints each and he was in his glory. Jack’s famous song was the Blaydon Races, that was the only song he ever sang. I found it on my phone and played it and he sang most of the song. We got an amazing reaction from him. We all sang the song with him in the bar.”
Frank is calling on Irish people tomorrow to recreate the magic of those famous days when the tribe Jack led painted the stadiums and squares of the world’s great cities 40 shades of green.
He said: “I am just saying if someone could put on a little bit of green on Tuesday for the funeral or an Irish flag outside your door, in remembrance of a great man that did great things for a small country.
“He not alone loved the Irish, we loved him. Let it be known to the Charlton family and especially to Pat, that they won’t be forgotten about.
“He was a football manager but he was also an ambassador, he put us on the map and we went from strength to strength. He gave us great courage to go