Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Tributes paid after death of popular businessman
TRIBUTES have poured in for a popular businessman who died suddenly on Saturday.
Dean Wright, owner of Ballylisk of Armagh, has been described as an “absolute gentleman”.
A spokesperson for Food NI said: “We are deeply saddened to hear Dean has passed away.
“Dean was a passionate producer, enthusiastic team member and great friend.
“He will be so sadly missed. Deepest condolences to Dean’s family and loved ones at this very sad tim.”
Political representatives from Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon District Council paid tribute to the 48-year-old, who is the fifth generation of his family to work the land – and the first generation to make cheese.
Councillor Kyle Savage, Deputy Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon District Council, said Dean was “never slow in helping others out”.
He added: “His company supplied me with Christmas food hampers which in turn I gave out to local community groups.
“Dean contacted me at the start of lockdown about a order that was cancelled and wanted me to help him deliver it to a local foodbank as he didn’t want it going to waste.”
DUP leader Arlene Foster has urged the Government to deal with the “rupturing” of the east-west relationship caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol.
A debate at Westminster today triggered by her party’s e-petition will ask the Tories to take action to replace this “flawed and deeply damaging” Protocol.
The DUP has vowed to overthrow the post-brexit trade mechanism which has disrupted trade from the rest of the UK to Northern Ireland.
Mrs Foster said: “There is no question of the public anger towards the Protocol. The petition demonstrated that.
“Brussels and London must work for a permanent solution. Temporary measures will not work.”
More than 140,000 have signed the petition, with the 100,000-signature threshold for a debate surpassed in just over 24 hours.
Meanwhile, a group of DUP members have engaged senior legal counsel to prepare for a series of challenges against the Protocol.
It is understood a senior member, supported by a number of others in the party, has sought the legal opinion experts ahead of several potential High Court challenges in both Belfast and London against the Government.
Last night SDLP leader Colum Eastwood urged political leaders to work together.
He said: “The DUP’S legal action against the Ireland Protocol is ill-judged and will only further entrench the febrile political environment as well as creating further uncertainty for people and businesses.”
DOWNING Street reportedly drew up plans for a “giant roundabout” under the Isle of Man to realise Boris Johnson’s dream of bridging the Irish Sea.
The PM has previously revealed his desire for a 25-mile tunnel linking Stranraer in Scotland with Larne, to boost trade post-brexit.
But according to the Sunday Times, officials decided linking the two would be both impracDREAMER tical and expensive. Instead, they suggested three starting points – Stranraer, Heysham, Lancs, and near Liverpool – meeting at the Isle of Man. A source said: “Everyone knows Boris wants to do this so people were asked to look at how.”
But Tory Simon Hoare, chairman of the Northern Ireland Committee, said: “Let’s concentrate on making the protocol work and put the hallucinogenics down.”
AN ARMY veteran blinded by sniper fire during the Iraq War is set to virtually walk the length of Britain in aid of the charity that helped him rebuild his life.
Simon Brown, 42, was a corporal with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers when he was shot in the face in Basra.
He had to perform his own first aid but lost his left eye and most of the vision in his right in 2006.
However, he says he is indebted to the “invaluable” help of Blind Veterans UK, for whom he will trek the 874 miles from Land’s End to John o’groats, albeit near his home in Morley, West Yorkshire.
Simon said: “I want to show people what’s possible with a bit of hard work and dedication, even in difficult circumstances.”