Other News In Brief

Duke Of York Visits Royal Portrush

The Duke of York today visited Royal Portrush Golf Club for a tour of the course.

Prince Andrew made his appearance as his Young Champions Trophy tournament got underway this morning, Monday 09 September, before returning later in the afternoon to try out the course for himself.

The visit brought fears of negative attention for the club due to the royal's association with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Prince Andrew has continually denied knowing anything about the American financier's crimes.

The Stone Tapes To Launch In L'Derry

L'Derry and Strabane's Culture Night 2019 will see the official launch of four sound art pieces, collectively entitled The Stone Tapes, at the gates of the city walls on Friday 20 September.

The Stone Tapes are by four local artists from the Bishop Street Studios – Catherine Ellis, Janet Hoy, Stephen Lewis and Amanda Walker - and will be launched with a series of events at the city gates that inspired each artwork.

The pieces have been composed as part of the Walled City 400 celebrations, and seek to bring the concept of 'If Stones Could Speak' to life by drawing inspiration from the 19th Century theory of 'stone tapes'.

This concept is that some ghostly phenomena could be explained as just the sounds of life, that had been absorbed and trapped in the fabric of nearby rocks and buildings - only to be occasionally released and heard again, playing and replaying like a recording.

A soundscape has been created for each of the four original gates of the city walls – Bishop's Gate, Ferryquay Gate, Shipquay Gate and Butcher Gate.

Each piece speaks of the history that has unfolded around their arches, as if sounds of city life over the last 400 years have been captured, jumbled and compressed over time, only now to be released again.

Artist Janet Hoy said: "When developing this project we all hoped that visitors to the Walls would listen to our work, using their smartphones, and ideally headphones, while walking the circuit from one City Gate to the next. The intention is to transform that walk into more of an imaginative engagement with the location, helping to deliver a deeper cultural understanding."

The project will be launched on Culture Night with a chance to experience these site specific works in situ. The artists will introduce their particular work and give some insight into the history and heritage that inspired them.

Resurfacing Work Underway On Co Antrim Route

Work has begun to resurface a key road connecting to the seaside town of Ballycastle in County Antrim.

The Department of Infrastructure launched the scheme today, 09 September, which will see the Magheramourne Road improved between Armoy and Ballycastle.

These £230,000 works will run 2.5 kilometres from the Lagge Road Junction to the Islandarragh Road junction.

A road closure is now in place southbound between the hours of 7.30am and 6.30pm until Sunday 29 September.

A diversion will be in place via B67 Moyarget Road – B147 Carrowreagh Road/Main Street, Armoy and vice versa.

The project is expected to be completed by 29 September.



(JG/MH)