Magherafelt High School (from Google Maps) A school principal has branded comments concerning male members of staff which began circulating on social media as “extremely unfair” Magherafelt High School asked pupils to refrain from wearing tight leggings for an upcoming non-uniform day That led some on social media to speculate it was because the items of clothing were a “distraction” to male staff Principal Grace Anderson addressed the issue in a letter to parents on Wednesday She said that in a school assembly on Tuesday she had encouraged students to be mindful that “what they wear out with their friends when socialising is not always appropriate in a formal setting like school” She wrote that male colleagues were the subject of “defamatory comments” over the matter and that “not one of them ever initiated this or behaved in any way to deserve such a tirade” It was also clarified that “no male members of staff commented on any aspect of this at any stage” The letter stated that the matter has been “very distressing for all concerned” and also suggested that guidelines around what clothing is acceptable on non-uniform days are an “excellent suggestion” Mrs Anderson assured parents: “There are no safeguarding concerns around any members of staff at Magherafelt High School and my communication with our children was intended to ensure that they were more mindful about dressing appropriately in a formal setting such as school.” She added that she believed it is important to teach young people about “dignified presentation and how we dress differently in different settings” the principal stated that clothing on non-uniform days “should be suitable for a school environment and reflect the dignity of the student” going on to say that “Items that are overly revealing (e.g very short shorts/skirts low-cut tops or skin tight clothing including leggings) are not acceptable” she added: “Our goal is to create a day where students can express themselves while maintaining a sense of decorum and respect for themselves and others.” Magherafelt High School has been contacted for comment Receive today's headlines directly to your inbox every morning and evening Please check your inbox to verify your details https://www.derrynow.com/section/1245/advertise-with-us All the latest breaking local news from Derry and County Derry Keep up to date with the latest sports news Read all the latest crime & court news in Derry and County Derry Read all the latest Irish news and updates from around Ireland Catch up on all the latest business news in Derry and County Derry Find whats happening in and around Derry and County Derry Enjoy our award winning photos and picture galleries taken in Derry and County Derry Read about the latest properties available in Derry and County Derry Enjoy our latest and up to date motoring review and news in Derry and County Derry Derry and County Derry Met Eireann Weather Forecast Recent death notices and obituaries from Derry and County Derry Latest environmental and climate change news in County Derry Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter Support our mission and join our community now you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism Magherafelt held their Presentation Dinner Award at the weekend to celebrate another memorable year at the club Senior Camogie - Player of the Year - Orla McEvoy & Mollie O’Neill; Most Improved Player of the Year - Caiti Walls Senior Ladies Football - Player of the year - Dervla McGuckin; Most improved Player of the Year- Emma McLaughlin Senior Men’s football - Player of the Year - Giuseppi Lupari; Most Improved Player of the Year - Michael McEvoy Reserve Football - Player of the year - Paul O’Kane; Most improved Player of the Year - Oisín Quinn Minor Boy’s Football - Player of the year - Turlough Cartin; Most improved Player Of the Year - Cathair Kerr Minor Ladies Football - Player of the year - Anna Donnelly & Aoife Gormley; Most improved Player Of the Year - Aimee Murray U16 Boy’s Football - Player of the year - Kian Maynes; Most improved Player Of the Year - Tiarnan McGuckin Club Recognition Awards - Special Recognition Award - Sara Gribben; Outstanding Coaching Award - Enda Quinn; Club Person of the Year - Ursula Heron & Oisín Quinn; Top Lotto Seller - Christopher McSwiggan USE THE ARROWS OR 'NEXT' TO BROWSE THROUGH THE FULL GALLERY " + $(".testo_articolo").html().replace(//g please subscribe and support local journalism Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles To continue reading this article for FREE,please kindly register and/or log in Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news Derry BT redundancy payments capped at one year Derry - Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign The role offers an attractive package for the right candidate Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has introduced a 3km Captive Bird Temporary Control Zone (CBTCZ) around a nature reserve outside Magherafelt This follows preliminary positive results from the Agri Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in a small number of captive birds The premises is now closed to the public and the Chief Veterinary Officer has put in place a range of immediate restrictions around the site including the humane culling of the remaining captive birds A veterinary investigation is under way to determine the likely source of infection and surveillance will be conducted of poultry and other bird premises within the 3km CBTCZ The CBTCZ Declaration can be accessed on the DAERA website and lists the full extent of restrictions which must be adhered to by all poultry and captive bird keepers within the 3km zone around the affected premises DAERA Minister Andrew Muir has said: “The preliminary positive results of HPAI in captive birds is very disheartening  No captive bird site or poultry premises is immune from a potential incursion of this terrible disease and it is of paramount importance that all bird keepers take appropriate action now to review and enhance their biosecurity measures to protect their birds from this highly infectious disease.” Chief Veterinary Officer for Northern Ireland added: “I would urge all flock keepers in line with the requirements of the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone in place across Northern Ireland improve biosecurity in order to prevent further incursion of the disease.  If avian influenza were to enter our Northern Ireland commercial flock it would have a significant and devasting impact on our poultry industry DAERA stresses the mandatory legislative requirement that all keepers of birds (except keepers of pet birds kept in the owners home) must be registered with DAERA.  If you have not already done so, please download a registration form on the DAERA website. Avian Influenza is a notifiable disease. Anyone who suspects an animal may be affected by a notifiable disease must, by law, report it to the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or your local DAERA Direct Office immediately.  Failure to do so is an offence The Department of Health can confirm that the GP practice at Fairhill Health Centre Magherafelt will proceed with closure on 31 October 2024 with patients transferring to neighbouring practices Having pursued and assessed all feasible options at length the Department has concluded that the assignment of patients is the best way to ensure continuity of GP services for those affected patients Letters have been issued to patients by post today detailing which of the 11 neighbouring GP surgeries in the Magherafelt and Mid-Ulster areas they will be allocated to with effect from 1 November 2024 Patients of Fairhill Health Centre should continue to access services there as normal until 31 October 2024 The current Fairhill Health Centre GP contractor submitted notice of intention to terminate contract - due to retirement - on July 31st 2024 That triggered an automatic three month period where either the practice would close or a new GP contractor agreed to take it over Significant efforts to find a new GP contractor were made but have proved unsuccessful These included advertising the contract extensively discussions with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and the local medical committee Departmental officials have engaged repeatedly in relation to a proposal to build a new health centre in the locality this proposal would have involved public funds being used to either pay rent significantly above market valuation or provide a capital grant to enable a Limited Company to develop and own the new premises Neither of these options would have been possible under the arrangements for taxpayer-funded support for GP premises development There are currently 2,394 patients registered at Fairhill Health Centre Alongside the letter to patients advising of their new GP practices 47 patients who currently live outside the practice boundary will also receive correspondence asking them to register with another practice within the boundary where they currently live The Fairhill contract was advertised in August and expressions of interest sought but no formal applications were received.  The GP Federation Support Unit did not submit an expression of interest in taking over this practice.  The patients will be assigned across 11 practices (there are 13 practices in total where patients could have been assigned however 2 of the 4 practices in Cookstown will not receive any patients) Assignments will proportional to the receiving practice size An additional payment is being provided to the receiving practices in addition to what they will receive ordinarily under their contract Priorities in the process include allocating families to the same practice In line with General Medical Services Contract regulations GP Practices are not permitted to refuse registration of assigned patients in these circumstances the Department remains willing to engage positively to identify workable outcomes The Department will continue to provide support to GP practices receiving patients 7. For media enquiries please contact the DoH Press Office by email pressoffice@health-ni.gov.uk 8. Follow us on X @healthdpt and linkedIn Department of Health NI | LinkedIn The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service For Media Enquiries Only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110 Magherafelt survived a storming comeback from reigning champions Dromintee to claim the Paul McGirr u16 Ulster title. It was a historic occasion for the Derry club as they won their club’s first ever Ulster club title. They were pushed to the pin of their collar in a pulsating second half by a Dromintee side who had trailed by 13 at one stage Playing with the aid of the breeze in the opening half Magherafelt looked sensational They carved open the Dromintee rearguard time and again Only some stoic defending from Tomas Fox and goalkeeper Patrick Rice prevented the game being over by half time Dromintee opened the scoring with a Ronan Martin free Magherafelt overcame early nerves to storm into the game with a great effort from captain Kian Maynes the resulting kick was brilliantly saved by Rice Tony O’Hagan and rampaging midfielder Ronan Conway put their side three ahead Lorcan Higgins was having an excellent first half causing all kinds of trouble with his direct running One such run set up Daultagh Donnelly for Magherafelt’s first goal One in reply from Dromintee’s Oisin Byrne left the half time score 2-06 to 0-2 At this stage the game looked all but over Dromintee were struggling to keep tabs on the Derry champions Higgins once again instrumental in the buildup things were to change in emphatic style with Fox Scott Harris and full forward Gavin O’Rourke in particular showing leadership beyond their years They drove at the Magherafelt rearguard as the game turned dramatically Martin pointed before Dromintee got their first major Jack Casey palmed to the net after great work from Oisin Byne and O’Rourke This gave the Dromintee support a lift as the noise levels in the Canon Breen stand reached a crescendo Constant waves of attacks reigned in on the Magherafelt goal as the 2023 champions gave their all in Martin lofted one over from distance and then Casey powered through several tackles before finding the top corner The only saving grace for Magherafelt was their highly talented forward line who nicked the odd score at the other end Points from Maynes and Tony O’Hagan provided temporary relief as the pressure never relented and then full back Fox lifted the crowd even further overturning an attack and storming the full length of the field before being upended for Bryne to convert another free The inspirational Jarlath O’Neill knocked a point from outside the 45 as the comeback of all comebacks looked on With the lead reduced now to just three-points Magherafelt needed leaders to step up Michal Higgins and Tobias Beattie all found the answers A converted O’Hagan free from the wing relieved the pressure slightly before Conway notched another score for the Armagh champions Magherafelt looked set to put the final nail in the coffin with Leacock going through But he was denied by a diving save from Rice with Conway knocking the rebound over the bar Dromintee needed a goal and came so close to getting it Full forward O’Rourke gathered the ball at the 45 A dummy left two Magherafelt defenders reaching for thin air but his rasping shot went just over the bar Maynes and Donnelly got the insurance points in the dying seconds before Sean Hurson’s final whistle signaled unadulterated joy as the red army invaded the field It was a game that will be remembered for a long time Football played at its best with scores from the top drawer there is doubt some of the talent on the field for both teams will go on to represent their counties soon A historic occasion for the Magherafelt club and an elated Magherafelt manager Kevin Purvis was understandably proud of what it meant to his club “I have been involved with them since U12 and some of the management team has been taking them from they were 5 or 6 years old to get to this stage as Ulster champions its just unbelievable but it’s all down to the boys and everything they have put into it,” said Purvis fair play to Dromintee they have some excellent players they have won seven out of seven trophies these last two years “We are gutted for Emmett Spiers who lost out on today through injury “The club and the players will take a massive boost from this going forward the first Magherafelt side to win an Ulster Club title no one can ever take that away from them.” Deserving winners of the Paul McGirr Ulster U16 Club Championship Paul’s U18 tournament in the coming weeks with six of this team featuring in the starting lineup.                Hundreds of people are expected to descend on Magherafelt on Monday March 17 when the town hosts the annual St Patrick's Day parade AOH members from all over Ireland and Scotland are set to take part in the celebrations which was last held in Magherafelt in 2013 Hosted by Desertmartin AOH Division 30 and Derry Co a whole weekend of entertainment has been planned to celebrate the feast of St Patrick The programme of events will begin on Saturday March 15 with a traditional music concert at 8pm in St Mary's Parish Hall in Desertmartin Featuring the Crawley family and Patricia Maguire Aoíbheann Devlin and Déaglán Ó Doíbhlín will give a brief history of the Downhill Harp which was made in 1702 in Ballinascreen by Cormac Ó Ceallaigh and will then play a few airs on a replica of it Irish dancers and other local traditional musicians will also showcase their talent on the night the festivities will begin in Magherafelt at 1pm with Irish dancers from a number of local dancing schools and traditional musicians performing in the parish centre at King Street Tea and coffee will be served in the centre the main procession will commence at 2.30pm from King Street and proceed through the town centre with marching bands from throughout the country and a wide range of groups from the local community participating Patrick’s Day parade will be lead by the National Board Members of the A.O.H - Liam McCarthy President of the National Board of Ireland and Scotland Secretary of the National Board of Ireland and Scotland Assistant Secretary of Ireland and Scotland Gabriel Dillon Trustee for the South of Ireland and Patrick Devlin Sarsfield Accordion Band and Division 30 Desertmartin would like to thank Mid Ulster Council for the grant funding to help with the weekend celebrations the PSNI have advised motorists that there will be some disruption to traffic in Magherafelt on St Patrick's Day A spokesperson said: “In Magherafelt participants and supporters are set to assemble at the Parish Centre Car Park on King Street at 2pm the parade will leave Parish Centre Car Park and travel along King Street to Church Street completing a u-turn and heading back up Broad Street to The Diamond Fair Hill and into Kind Street to finish at Parish Centre Car Park in King Street The parade will then disperse at around 4pm “Officers will be on the ground to accommodate the flow of traffic however road users may wish to seek another route if not attending a parade to avoid any unnecessary There will also be some parking restrictions along the main parade routes and organisers have asked that people respect any area identified for blue badge holders or where 'No Parking' cones are placed “Police also wish to advise Street Traders wishing to trade along the route that they must have a valid Street Traders License issued by Mid Ulster District Council and should ensure that their stall does not encroach onto the road “We hope everyone enjoys the festivities and has a safe and enjoyable day.” There will be some disruption to traffic in Magherafelt this St Patrick's Day In Magherafelt participants and supporters are set to assemble at the Parish Centre Car Park on King Street at 2pm The parade will then disperse at around 4pm.A PSNI spokesperson said: "Officers will be on the ground to accommodate the flow of traffic however road users may wish to seek another route if not attending a parade to avoid any unnecessary The appointment comes a month after the Northern Ireland-native stepped down as the creative director of Spanish luxury fashion house Loewe following 11 years in the role Anderson (40) has become renowned for his innovative styles and boundary-pushing designs which have been sported by some of the biggest stars in the world He takes over from Kim Jones who stepped down from the position in January after seven years Anderson will present his first collection at Paris Fashion Week in June More: Northern Ireland fashion designer appointed to top role at Dior Although Anderson was born in Magherafelt he also spent a lot of time in Ibiza where his parents owned a house He has previously said that the contrasting environments played a significant role in shaping his sensibilities as a designer he moved to America in a bid to become an actor attending the prestigious Juilliard School in New York during this time he developed more of an interest in costume design which led to him moving back to Ireland and securing his first fashion-based job in Dublin department store Brown Thomas He later moved to London and graduated from the London College of Fashion in 2005 In an interview with the Sunday Times his father and former Irish rugby captain Willie Anderson said that his son was always determined to succeed and revealed he had to re-mortgage the family home to help him on his rise to stardom a year after graduating from fashion school Anderson launched his own menswear collection under the eponymous label JW Anderson which received critical acclaim In 2012 the JW Anderson label collaborated with high-street retailer Topshop to create a series of limited-edition items known as the JW Anderson x Topshop collection It featured clothing and accessories ranging from mini-kilts and paisley prints to Halloween motifs and included a range of stationery The collection sold out within hours of it launching More: What are ‘touch tours’? How designers are now engaging blind fashion lovers with their creations Donatella Versace enlisted him to replace Christopher Kane at Versace’s diffusion line Versus where he showcased his first collection in June at New York’s Lexington Armoury LVMH took a minority stake in JW Anderson and named Anderson as the new creative director for Spanish luxury house Loewe he created 18 different collections each year — six for his own label 10 for LOEWE and two for his ongoing collaborations with retail company Uniqlo During his time at Loewe Anderson transformed the brand from a niche Spanish leather goods house into a global luxury label which she used to announce her second pregnancy during her half-time Super Bowl performance and more recently dressed pop star Sabrina Carpenter at the Grammy’s More: Derry designer JW Anderson wins top fashion awards He also served as costume designer for Luca Guadagnino’s 2024 romance drama Queer which starred former James Bond actor Daniel Craig. Anderson previously worked with Guadagnino in 2022, during the production of his film Challengers. His film work has led him to being signed by Beverly Hills global talent agency UTA. Highly regarded within the industry, Anderson was named Designer of the Year for the second year running at the UK Fashion Awards in December. There has been speculation that following his appointment as artistic designer of menswear at Dior that he could eventually take over both Dior’s men’s and women’s collections, which some have described as needing a facelift. Facebook pageTwitter feedRSS feed@2025 The Irish News Ltd The Magherafelt team which faced Four Masters Magherafelt’s wait for a first Ulster minor title goes on after their comeback fell short in Wednesday’s final against reigning champions Four Masters It also ended hopes of an Ulster minor and U-16 double after their recent win in the final of Dromore’s Paul McGirr Cup Rossa were without injured playmaker Caolan Higgins with a hamstring injury from their semi-final win over Clann Éireann and lost Michael Higgins before half time The Derry champions were out the blocks in the first 11 seconds a ball to Cathir Spiers led to a point for Jude Beattie on the run Spiers notched a free and Magherafelt looked to have settled Michael Higgins stopping Kevin Muldoon’s initial run was another gain but Rossa didn’t make use of the wind dropping efforts short and rushing other chances A high ball to Tiarnan McBride made a score for Gallagher McCahill before a Karl Campbell 45 had Magherafelt 0-4 to 0-1 ahead after 15 minutes Gallagher McCahill converted a free before a Tomás Carr 45 into the teeth of the wind reduced the gap to a single point as Four Masters found their feet A move involving Callum McCrea and Tomás Carr opened the door for an Oisin Doherty shot he blazed over with a glimmer of a goal chance on It was one of three first half goal chances Four Masters failed to take Gallagher McCahill pulled one wide with Muldoon having one clawed to safety by Ronan Conway the wind died in the second half and the Donegal side scored the game’s only goal Tomás Carr’s first involvement after being moved out to midfield was to send a high ball to the Four Masters’ square where McBride’s touch was finished to the net by Darragh Griffin Gallagher McCahill added a sweet score to open a four-point gap Lorcan Higgins replied with a first Magherafelt point for 24 minutes It was their last until the final push late on The Carr brothers added scores to put Four Masters firmly in the driving seat Incorrect shot selection from Gallagher McCahill and Muldoon – trying for goal when a point would’ve kept the scoreboard ticking – left Magherafelt with a chance Four Masters were lucky not to concede a goal when Theo Colhoun’s crossfield ball was incepted by Lorcan Higgins who danced forward before being hauled down by Eoghan O’Neill It was three Conall Higgins points than eventually pulled Magherafelt back into the game Conall Higgins and Cathir Spiers missed late chances to force a draw before Four Masters survived the late goal scare to retain their title Four Masters: Conor Gallagher McCahill 0-3 (1f) Oisin Doherty (1f) 0-2 each and Turlough Carr 0-1 Four Masters: Lewis McCaughan; Daniel McGinty Darragh GriffinSub: Alan McHugh for Griffin (52)Magherafelt: Karl Campbell; Turlough Cartin Ronan Conway; Michael Higgins; Michael McKenna Kian MaynesSubs: Michael Lavery for M Higgins (22) Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Home | Magherafelt Cruise Into Paul Mc Girr Final Magherafelt O‘Donovan Rossa 3-13 v Four Masters 0-07 Championship favourites Magherafelt O’Donovan Rossa produced a masterclass of running football in the second half of this Paul McGirr Ulster U16 Club Championship Semi Final to secure their place in the provincial final in Gardrum Park on Saturday evening the Derry champions were facing into a stiff breeze in the second half and it looked very much like the game would go down to the wire however Magherafelt stepped on the gas after the break with some mesmerizing running football to run out convincing winners Already facing a tough task playing in the wind in the first half Four Masters suffered an early blow with a black card and Magherafelt took immediate advantage with points from their captain Kian Maynes and the dangerous Tony O’Hagan  They then struck a hammer taking advantage of the extra man when Maynes split the Four Masters defence with a raking pass that found centre back Colm Leacock who dispatched coolly to the net The versatile Leacock had earlier in the day appeared for Linfield in the Irish league Four Masters struck back with excellent scores from Finn Gillespie and Thomas Lenehan who was having a terrific battle with Tobias Beattie Daultagh Donnelly and one from distance from the Lorcan Higgins stretched the Magherafelt lead to six the diminutive Higgins was superb throughout with his searing runs causing untold problems for the Donegal town side  A pointed free and one from play from Lenehan reduced the arrears but Magherafelt finished the half strongly with efforts from Finn Grimes Fabian O’Neill from MFC presents Michael Higgins with Man Of the Match sports wear Four Masters needed a strong start to the second half but it was the oak leaf men who dictated proceedings with their towering midfield partnership of Michael Higgins and Ronan Conway gaining a foothold and the strong running of the Magherafelt middle eight consistently punched holes in the Donegal champions defence Emmett Spiers and Maynes who led by example throughout all hit early scores into the breeze  The Four Masters rearguard was then exposed again this time in devastating fashion when a brilliant team move involving a series of fifteen or twenty passes carved them open to find MFC Sports man of the match Michael Higgins at the back post where he finished to the net it was truly a goal worth the admission fee alone  To their credit Four Master kept battling  Carr led the charge with a massive score from sixty yards but this was only a temporary reprieve  Four Masters keeper Fintan James pulled off an incredible save to deny Ronan Lennox unfortunately for him though the alert Daultagh Donnelly was on hand to bury the rebound  With time running out Lenehan and Carr both notched scores Carr’s effort an unbelievable point from a forty five yard sideline ball as the underlined his quality  Team captain Haynes took his tally to five as time ran out We were really pleased with our performance tonight against a strong Four Masters team in real tricky conditions Thankfully we won the toss and we were able to build a good lead going into half time The start to the second half was probably even more impressive we were able to get the first couple of scores which led to their heads dropping a little We will get to take in the rest of the games now and look forward to see who we will meet in the final Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value" Website by WebsiteNI A group that represents GP practices in Mid Ulster has said it won’t accept patients from a Magherafelt surgery that is closing will close its doors on October 31 after no new GP could be found to fill a vacancy The Department of Health had said “patients will be allocated to one of 13 nearby GP surgeries in the Magherafelt and Mid-Ulster areas to ensure that patients continue to have access to a GP” But last night the Mid Ulster GP Federation said it “will not accept patients being dispersed from the recently closed Fairhill Surgery” "This decision follows extensive discussions regarding the safety and sustainability of patient care in the area,” it said in a statement "The Federation has expressed significant concerns about the proposal to disperse Fairhill Surgery’s 2,300 patients into already overstretched local practices with only three weeks' notice "Despite Fairhill Surgery handing back its contract over two months ago local practices were not informed until just three weeks before the planned dispersal.” "We believe that the sudden influx of patients would not only compromise the care of new patients but would also put our existing patients at risk we simply cannot accept this dispersal,” the group said Previous Fairhill GP Dr Richard Hunter informed the Department of his intention to resign from the position several months ago chair of the British Medical Association’s Northern Ireland GP Committee said: “The news that another practice in Northern Ireland is handing its contract back is no surprise "The pressure GPs are under is unrelenting meaning there is no will for those nearing retirement to stay on a bit longer and there is no appetite for younger GPs to take on a practice with all of the problems associated with trying to run a financially stable business across other practices in the area is also very risky as many of these practices are already under pressure with huge patient lists "Patients have been given no choice as to what practice they would like to be allocated to and there are many outstanding issues in terms of transferring medical records across different practices and IT systems in a very short timeframe “GPs are facing a complete log-jam in terms of moving people into secondary care to get timely treatment that so they do not have to keep coming back to see their GP for some of those practices who have been given no option but to take on more patients this will also be the final straw in terms of deciding if they can stay open “We need to see some action from the Department of Health quickly to help stabilise general practice including a proper long term solution to the indemnity issue and a commitment to increasing funding for general practice right across Northern Ireland.” The Department of Health said that since the contractor at Fairhill submitted notice to the Department on July 31 of their intention to terminate their contract “the Department has worked extensively to identify a new GP contractor to take over the practice” despite the best efforts of all parties involved a new GP contractor has not been secured and it is anticipated Fairhill Health Centre will close on October we have concluded that allocation to neighbouring practices is the only feasible option to ensure continuity of GP services for patients “There are currently 2,334 patients registered at Fairhill Health Centre Patients will be allocated to one of 13 nearby GP surgeries in the Magherafelt and Mid-Ulster areas to ensure that patients continue to have access to a GP which is a priority for the Department,” the Department continued “Patients of the practice should continue to access services at Fairhill as normal.” It’s understood all affected patients will now receive letters over the next week informing them of the new arrangements which will begin on November 1 “The Department acknowledges that this is not the preferred outcome for many patients and would like to reassure them that all options were considered in trying to sustain a GP surgery in Magherafelt town centre,” it continued we have considered the continuation of care of the registered patients and have recommended the best approach to limit the impact on their ongoing needs for access to GP services “General Practice plays a crucial role in our health and social care system and stabilisation of GP practices remains a key priority The Department continues to support General Practice with the aim of ensuring people can access high-quality sustainable services now and in the future “The Department will continue to work with GP representatives to support the continued sustainability of General Practice and the GP workforce.” has previously warned that dozens of practices in Northern Ireland are at risk of closure Mid-Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone said it was now essential that all affected patients are made aware of new arrangements as quickly as possible “People need to know that their access to GPs will not be affected that any ongoing treatment will continue uninterrupted and that clinics will still be available,” the SDLP MLA said I have asked the Health Minister what measures are being taken to ensure the safety and care of patients from Fairhill Health Centre following its closure “Despite the Rural Needs Act and other legislation there appears to be little real protection for rural services “The Minister needs to ensure that any solution he implements does not further destabilise the remaining GP practices or compromise the overall stability of primary care services in the region.”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Sinn Féin MLA Emma Sheerin called on the Department of Health to ensure patients from Fairhill Health Centre in Magherafelt have access to a GP “With Fairhill Health Centre set to close in two weeks’ time it is now incumbent on the Department of Health to work alongside patients and GPs to ensure local people can continue to access vital health services,” she said “This must include supporting GPs to care for additional patients ensuring already-stretched practices are not placed under additional strain “General practice is a vital pillar of community health care and we all must work together to guarantee key services can continue to be delivered to local people in Magherafelt and beyond.” A man has been remanded in custody at Derry Magistrates' Court charged with a number of serious domestic and drug offences John Quinn (39) of Gorteade Road in Swatragh in Magherafelt was charged with a number of offences against his former partner including sending her a sexual image without consent He was also charged with obstructing and assaulting police and possession of cocaine and cannabis The offences were said to have occurred between October 2024 and April this year and Quinn was arrested after his former partner told police on April 20 that she had been receiving unwanted messages from him Police objected to bail as they fear that Quinn would commit further offences and may possibly interfere with the witness in the case Bail was refused and he will appear again on May 14 A woman who crashed her friend’s van into the wall outside a Magherafelt school had decided to drive as she was ‘less intoxicated’ than the vehicle’s owner was found to be over twice the legal drink drive limit when police attended the scene of the crash outside Rainey Endowed School at Tobermore Road Magherafelt Magistrates' Court heard that the Vauxhall Vivaro van which was being driven by 35 year-old Moore collided with an external brick wall at 11.20pm on November 21 2024 they spoke to a male passenger who confirmed ownership of the van and stated that he was the only person insured to drive the vehicle was arrested on suspicion of driving with excess alcohol She was asked to provide a sample of breath which returned an alcohol reading of 74mg Moore’s solicitor Stephen Atherton described the incident as an ‘absolutely foolish escapade’ He explained that Moore and her friend were in a bar drinking that evening and she had decided to drive his van as ‘she was less intoxicated than him’ Mr Atherton said the loss of the mother-of-two’s licence will not only have an impact on her but also her family District Judge Oonagh Mullan disqualified Moore from driving for 15 months and fined her £450 for the offences of driving with excess alcohol and using a vehicle without insurance Share your opinions on Alpha Newspaper Group A young Niall McGinn playing for Dungannon Swifts Stay connected to us to get the latest news and updates Councillor Eugene McConnell launches the 10p reduced parking available in Dungannon and Magherafelt from Saturday This month sees the return of the Christmas parking promotion at Council owned pay and display car parks in Magherafelt from Saturday Magherafelt: Rainey Street and Union Road will be reduced to 10p for the first three hours in a special price reduction running to Saturday The offer will also run in the following car parks in Dungannon: Castlehill Perry Street West and Anne Street East.  said the promotion will benefit both shoppers and town centre traders at one of the busiest times of the year “It is always hoped that Christmas is by far one of the busiest times of the year for town centres With 10p parking we want to make Christmas shopping easy accessible and affordable for those who are supporting our local economy Reduced parking will help our residents take time and enjoy what our town centres have to offer this Christmas without the worry of costly parking,” he said The 10p for the first three hours parking applies in Council owned pay and display car parks and normal parking charges will apply after the three hours Off street car parking in Cookstown town centre is free of charge Northern Ireland’s journey towards a cleaner more sustainable energy future has taken a significant step forward with the Department for the Economy’s (DfE) latest commitments in the newly-published Energy Strategy Action Plan 2025 Among the most notable developments is the Department’s focus on biomethane – an indigenous fully renewable gas that has the potential to transform the region’s energy landscape As the gas network operator for Magherafelt which reinforces the critical role biomethane will play in reducing carbon emissions and securing a long-term Evolve achieved a historic milestone by overseeing the first-ever direct injection of biomethane into the gas grid on the island of Ireland marking the start of a transformative journey by the company to fully decarbonise its gas network by 2030 Evolve has also been a strong advocate for a just transition calling for strategic collaboration and coordinated efforts across all facets of the energy industry to ensure the path to net zero is affordable and equitable for everyone in Northern Ireland The Energy Strategy Action Plan 2025 outlines key measures that intend to further drive biomethane’s integration into the energy system The Department has committed to progressing financial support mechanisms consulting on options to reduce gas network connection costs and developing industry standards to ensure a sustainable supply chain These steps seek to create a stable policy environment for producers and investors accelerating the growth of biomethane production across the region (pictured above) commented: “This latest action from the Department for the Economy reinforces what we at Evolve have already been working towards – the full decarbonisation of our gas network scalable solution that can be delivered through our existing infrastructure reducing emissions while maintaining energy security and affordability and producers – we can create a sustainable resilient energy future that benefits the consumers and businesses within our network area.” said: “Delivering on this year’s Action Plan will require commitment across Government business and academia to ensure that we deliver a just transition This Plan is a roadmap to focus that transition and will bring the Department and its partners closer to meeting our decarbonisation targets.” Alongside the commitments outlined in the Action Plan DfE has already completed a Call for Evidence on ‘Developing Biomethane Production in Northern Ireland’ gathering input from stakeholders across the energy The insights gained will inform the next phase of policy development with a response report expected in mid-2025 and a full framework set to follow by the end of this year The latest research indicates that Northern Ireland could produce over 6.12 TWh of biomethane per year – equivalent to more than 80% of the current gas demand in the distribution network For more information on Evolve’s plan to decarbonise their network, visit Evolve Network Mark BainThu 6 Mar 2025 at 17:00A young girl who died in an accident in Co Londonderry was an outgoing Caitlin-Rose McMullan (11) was struck by a car after exiting her school bus near Castledawson The schoolgirl was rushed to hospital in Belfast following the accident on Wednesday afternoon Caitlin-Rose was a first year pupil at St Pius X College in Magherafelt The school said: “It was with profound sadness that we were informed this morning about the loss of one of our pupils "Our thoughts and prayers are with Caitlin-Rose’s mother and father and the wider family circle during this incredibly difficult time “Caitlin-Rose was a very popular pupil who was always smiling "Her form teachers described her as ‘a joy to teach due to her kind and fun-loving nature’ who will be greatly missed by fellow pupils and staff alike Caitlin-Rose earned numerous accolades for excellent effort and outstanding classwork approaching every assignment with interest and enthusiasm “Caitlin Rose’s friends and classmates are heartbroken by her untimely passing and they are receiving support from our staff and relevant professional services.” said the community has been left “distraught” “I haven’t been speaking to the family yet but the community has once again been left devastated and distraught by a terrible family tragedy,” he said “The thoughts and prayers of everyone in this community are with the family.” Education Minister Paul Givan said he was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the news when we set our children off to school in the morning none of us ever expect to receive such devastating news,” he said “My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of this young girl and the wider school community following this tragic incident "I have spoken to the principal at St Pius X College and assured him of my support.” A spokesperson for the Education Authority (EA) said staff were “deeply shocked and saddened” “Our sincere condolences are with the family and all those affected by this tragic incident,” they said “The EA’s critical incident response team are supporting the school during this difficult time and will provide emotional support to both students and staff.” school and wider community will need “time and space to grieve this unimaginable loss” The accident happened on the Hillhead Road shortly before 4pm on Wednesday The PSNI has appealed for witnesses to the accident to come forward Inspector Adair said: “There was a large number of people in the vicinity at the time who may have recorded video footage of the scene "I would ask anyone with footage not to share it on social media but instead forward it to police through the Major Incident Public Portal This footage will be of great assistance to officers investigating the collision “The Hillhead Road in Castledawson has reopened following this serious collision and our investigation continues.” The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said it received a 999 call just before 4pm The charity air ambulance with HEMS on board were also tasked to the incident “Following assessment and initial treatment at the scene one patient was taken to Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children by Ambulance.” Local SDLP councillor Denise Johnston said it was the second tragedy to hit the Castledawson community in recent weeks “The community is in absolute shock at this tragedy,” she said This is every parent’s worst nightmare and I cannot even imagine what they are going through at this time “My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of this girl and everyone who knew her I know the good people of Castledawson will rally around them in the days and weeks ahead to support them as they come to terms with this devastating loss.” At the start of February Imogen Cleary-Vong (15) a pupil at St Mary’s Grammar School in Magherafelt passed away in hospital after being reported missing in the water of Moyola River in Castledawson Ms Johnston added: “Just a few weeks ago this community was learning of the death of another young schoolgirl "To be here again in the midst of another family tragedy is hard to believe.” Local Sinn Fein councillor Ian Milne said the community has been left in a “state of shock” family and friends of the young schoolgirl,” he said “The local Castledawson community are completely devastated at the loss of life of the young girl and I know the community will rally to support the bereaved family in whatever way they can.” Aine TonerSun 29 Dec 2024 at 18:00An elevated site in an exclusive setting of Mount Royal makes number 5 a very special proposition in Magherafelt the property has private grounds and spacious mature gardens — alongside what has been called an exciting and exceptional home It has been finished to a high specification to include Special features include a double height light filled entrance hall with floor to ceiling glazing with baby Grand Piano with a feature curved staircase to first floor with glass balustrade and stainless steel handrail There is access to a downstairs toilet with Laufen Alessi suite Home cooks will love the open plan kitchen dining and living area with feature island unit (there is a dining area for entertaining accessed via sliding glass door) The kitchen is by The Design Yard Dungannon and features Corian worktops and splashbacks in linen Wenge stained oak and magnolia high gloss lacquer units from Nextline and handless range by Schuller Integrated appliances include NEFF microwave LG ThinQ vision fridge freezer and Frankie sink with feature multifunction mixer tap The utility room is plumbed for washing machine with space for tumble dryer and freestanding freezer Multiple storage cupboards ensure everything has a place There is a reception room with south facing aspect to provide a light filled space feature high ceilings and gas fire as well as a games room for nights of family entertainment The family room has corner floor to ceiling triple aspect windows and corner feature Aperture Line log gas fire by Lamont Fireplaces TV point and wired wall-mounted surround sound Kef speakers The principal bedroom suite has a walk-in dressing room power shower and large balcony which offers great views There’s a feature ‘bridge’ over entrance hallway to the bedroom at first floor level Bedroom two has a south facing private balcony and ensuite with bath power shower and porcelain tiles from Regan Design The third and fourth bedrooms both have ensuite facilities thanks to a Jack and Jill offering A fifth bedroom also has an ensuite while the sixth has multiple power outlets and could be used as a possible study or TV room For more information contact Paul Birt on 028 7930 1116