Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Breaking barriers
Steelrailings Minister’s go at interface joy at move Fighter Leah makes the cut..
A POST-CEASEFIRE steel interface fence is set to be removed this summer.
The 2.4metre-high steel railing fence and gates were erected at Margretta Park in Lurgan in 1999 – one year after the Good Friday Agreement.
It cuts across a pedestrian access route from an area of housing to the Tandragee Road, and runs along the side of the garden of a property.
The Co Armagh barrier is owned by the Department of Justice, and is one of dozens of which separate unionist and nationalist communities across Northern Ireland.
The structures vary from tall walls, steel gates to fences and were erected at different stages from 1969 to the 2000s to stem disorder.
Justice Minister Naomi Long was briefed about efforts to transform and remove barriers last month when she took up office following the restoration of the Stormont Assembly.
In her first day briefing document, she was told her department took on responsibility for 59 physical interface structures in 2010 while a further 21 were owned by the Housing Executive. Ms Long
was
AN MMA fighter cut her hair to make the weight requirement for a historic fight in Dublin.
When Leah Mccourt finally hit 10st 6lbs she jumped from the scales to celebrate before dispatching off opponent Judith Ruis in Saturday’s main event at the 3Arena.
After the fight, the Belfast mum said: “I think there’s going to be a video released of my weight cut this week, which was a told 46 Doj-owned interface structures and 14 NIHE structures remain with work ongoing at many to reduce the size, remove, reclassify or reimage in consultation with the community.
She was also told that transformation was imminent over two barriers.
This included the demolition of one of the oldest peace walls in Belfast which took place at
the tough 36 hours. My body just stopped losing water. We were cutting weight for 36 hours and when it came down to weighing in I was .8 over.
“I had hair extensions in, so I cut my hair. We ran into the bathroom and everyone started cutting my hair out – there was like 18 minutes to go.
“I was running on the treadmill for six minutes and we ran back into the toilet and everybody kept cutting my hair – I just made weight with five minutes to go.” end of last month. The barrier on Duncairn Gardens at a former flashpoint in the north of the city is being replaced with a smaller barrier, with work due to start in the summer.
Work at the steel fence at Margretta Park in Lurgan is also due to start in the summer.
A spokeswoman for the department told how the gate has not been closed in almost a decade.
A spokesman for the department said: “This area would not now be considered as an active interface.
“DOJ believe the existing structure is no longer needed for ‘the preservation of peace and the maintenance of order’; the legal basis for keeping such structures in place.
“Departmental officials have a working partnership with colleagues in Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council to progress interface reduction and removal work across the district. “Following engagement with local residents, support for the removal of the current structure has been achieved. “Council and DOJ officials are currently working towards getting the necessary approvals to progress the removal project.
“It is expected the fence will be removed by the end of the summer 2020.” The steel barrier is now set to be replaced with a small decorative fence.
Ms Long hailed the move and said: “I welcome the work that has taken place around the security structure at Margretta Park and the fact that one more interface structure is due to be removed.”