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Irish Independent
18-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Northern Ireland set for first new links golf course in a century as Galgorm reveals £30m development plans
The project, which will cost around £30million, will deliver a championship-standard links course between Portrush and Limavady to join the likes of Royal Portrush, which is currently hosting The Open, Portstewart and Castlerock on the north coast. Bellarena Golf Links is still subject to planning approval but the intention is for work to start as soon as possible, potentially as early as next year, with an eye on a 2029 opening date. The Galgorm Collection say that the project will create 300 new jobs in the area as well as increase the organisation's investment in the area to £65million after their acquisition of the Roe Park Resort in Limavady. The group purchased both it and Galgorm Castle Estate in a £50million deal last year and has pledged £22million to the redevelopment of the renamed Roe Valley Resort, which also boasts an 18-hole golf course. Economy minster Dr Caoimhe Archibald commented on the news: 'Golf tourism generated a record £86 million for the region last year and this month's Open at Royal Portrush will help to increase this impact even further. 'I commend the Galgorm Collection team for their confidence and ambition in supporting our drive to amplify the regional prosperity which the sport can bring.' Bellarena is conveniently located along the train line from Coleraine to Londonderry, which will aid with transport links for tourists, as well as being served by the main coastal road. 'With a rich heritage and stunning views, Northern Ireland is a highly sought-after destination for golfers from across the globe and our golf strategy focuses on maximising our strengths to continue to grow this crucially important part of our tourism offer,' said Ellvena Graham, Tourism Northern Ireland board chair. 'Galgorm Collection has been a pioneer in developing an outstanding, internationally acclaimed tourism product and I'm delighted that this key, experienced tourism stakeholder is further investing in this area.' The Galgorm Collection are perhaps best known for their chain of hotels, which includes the Galgorm Resort, The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat in Templepatrick, The Old Inn in Crawfordsburn, while they also operate the Fratelli and Parisien restaurants. Galgorm Golf Club famously hosted the innovative mixed-gender ISPS HANDA World Invitational on the DP World Tour and LPGA Tour, as well as the Irish Open during the Covid-19 pandemic, and is currently preparing to host an NI Legends event on the European Seniors Tour next month. Galgorm Collection managing director Colin Johnston added: 'Our exciting plans to develop a new 18-hole links golf course at Bellarena on Northern Ireland's stunning north west coast will deliver a once-in-generation opportunity to drive a new era of golfing and tourism success that will amplify our outstanding and award-winning credentials while also creating hundreds of jobs. 'Preparatory work is already well under way that could pave the way for development from next year before we welcome our first guests in 2029. We look forward to consulting widely on our plans and engaging stakeholders at every level to ensure collective, shared success for the local community, the north west region and Northern Ireland as a whole.' Welcoming the plans, East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell said: "Tourism is an important element in the economic development of the North West and an investment of this scale by Galgorm Collection will provide a major economic boost for the area and create new job opportunities while also helping to showcase the region's outstanding natural assets. 'This investment will also help ensure that the benefits of tourism are more widely spread, supporting local growth and prosperity. I'm delighted at the news and look forward to seeing these plans progress over the months ahead.'
Belfast Telegraph
18-07-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Northern Ireland set for first new links golf course in a century as Galgorm reveals £30m development plans
The project, which will cost around £30million, will deliver a championship-standard links course between Portrush and Limavady to join the likes of Royal Portrush, which is currently hosting The Open, Portstewart and Castlerock on the north coast. Bellarena Golf Links is still subject to planning approval but the intention is for work to start as soon as possible, potentially as early as next year, with an eye on a 2029 opening date. The Galgorm Collection say that the project will create 300 new jobs in the area as well as increase the organisation's investment in the area to £65million after their acquisition of the Roe Park Resort in Limavady. The group purchased both it and Galgorm Castle Estate in a £50million deal last year and has pledged £22million to the redevelopment of the renamed Roe Valley Resort, which also boasts an 18-hole golf course. Economy minster Dr Caoimhe Archibald commented on the news: 'Golf tourism generated a record £86 million for the region last year and this month's Open at Royal Portrush will help to increase this impact even further. 'I commend the Galgorm Collection team for their confidence and ambition in supporting our drive to amplify the regional prosperity which the sport can bring.' Bellarena is conveniently located along the train line from Coleraine to Londonderry, which will aid with transport links for tourists, as well as being served by the main coastal road. 'With a rich heritage and stunning views, Northern Ireland is a highly sought-after destination for golfers from across the globe and our golf strategy focuses on maximising our strengths to continue to grow this crucially important part of our tourism offer,' said Ellvena Graham, Tourism Northern Ireland board chair. 'Galgorm Collection has been a pioneer in developing an outstanding, internationally acclaimed tourism product and I'm delighted that this key, experienced tourism stakeholder is further investing in this area.' The Open at Royal Portrush: What happened in 2019? The Galgorm Collection are perhaps best known for their chain of hotels, which includes the Galgorm Resort, The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat in Templepatrick, The Old Inn in Crawfordsburn, while they also operate the Fratelli and Parisien restaurants. Galgorm Golf Club famously hosted the innovative mixed-gender ISPS HANDA World Invitational on the DP World Tour and LPGA Tour, as well as the Irish Open during the Covid-19 pandemic, and is currently preparing to host an NI Legends event on the European Seniors Tour next month. Galgorm Collection managing director Colin Johnston added: 'Our exciting plans to develop a new 18-hole links golf course at Bellarena on Northern Ireland's stunning north west coast will deliver a once-in-generation opportunity to drive a new era of golfing and tourism success that will amplify our outstanding and award-winning credentials while also creating hundreds of jobs. 'Preparatory work is already well under way that could pave the way for development from next year before we welcome our first guests in 2029. We look forward to consulting widely on our plans and engaging stakeholders at every level to ensure collective, shared success for the local community, the north west region and Northern Ireland as a whole.' Welcoming the plans, East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell said: "Tourism is an important element in the economic development of the North West and an investment of this scale by Galgorm Collection will provide a major economic boost for the area and create new job opportunities while also helping to showcase the region's outstanding natural assets. 'This investment will also help ensure that the benefits of tourism are more widely spread, supporting local growth and prosperity. I'm delighted at the news and look forward to seeing these plans progress over the months ahead.'
Irish Times
16-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
A-rated four-bed in the heart of Raheny for €1.05m
Address : Lisadelle, 1a St Assam's Road West, Raheny, Dublin 5 Price : €1,050,000 Agent : Karen Mulvaney View this property on In 2020, a new infill development was launched that comprised a trio of three-storey detached properties in Raheny in north Dublin . Located in the heart of the village on a corner site at the Howth Road and St Assam's Road West, it could be said that the scheme was locally sourced, as the builders behind it were Castlerock – run by brothers Brian and Richard Flood, who grew up in Raheny. One of the houses at the St Assam's Road scheme, Lisadelle, is back on the market for €1.05 million through agent Karen Mulvaney. The owners bought it during the Covid pandemic and were delighted to have all the work finished by the builders before they moved in. With their sons now grown up, they feel the four-bedroom 174sq m (1,873sq ft) house is too big for them, so are looking to right-size for their next life stage. The A2-rated house is in walk-in condition, still looking as fresh as it did five years ago. Lisadelle benefits from being located on St Assam's Road, so it is in the centre of the village, but owners don't have to contend with passing traffic on the Howth Road to get in and out of the driveway. The house is set back from the road, with the mature trees from the original site adding to the privacy. The impressive double-height hallway is extremely bright, with light coming from a rooflight at the top of the house as well as from a side window in the hall. There is a cloakroom under the stairs and a guest loo across from it. To the left is the livingroom at the front of the house, with a box bay window and custom-built TV unit. READ MORE Hallway Livingroom Kitchen/dining area The back of the house is open-plan and includes a dining area that is neatly set between two windows. The kitchen is fully fitted, with an island in the centre. Behind it is a door out to a utility room with extra storage, washing machine and dryer. There is a living area in front with sliding doors that open out to the garden. The back has a patio just outside the doors and a lawn with well-planted borders. On the first floor there are three bedrooms and two bathrooms. One of the bedrooms is set up as a home office, while the largest of the rooms on this level has an en suite shower room. The staircase follows around to the top floor, which houses the principal bedroom. This room is lit up by a large dormer window and has an en suite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe. There is extra storage space in a press on the other side of the walk-in area, as well as in the eaves. Principal bedroom Patio Rear view Garden The house comes with an A rating and has underfloor heating throughout the ground floor. With the village on the doorstep, Lisadelle is a short stroll to restaurants, bars, cafes and Supervalu. The H-spine bus network runs along the Howth Road and the Dart station is five minutes away on foot.
The Independent
25-06-2025
- The Independent
Double killer Hazel Stewart fails in bid to have sentence reduced
Double murderer Hazel Stewart has been refused leave to appeal against the length of her sentence for killing her policeman husband and the wife of her ex-lover. A panel of judges at the Court of Appeal in Belfast ruled that the sentence imposed on Stewart, 62, a former Sunday school teacher, was 'neither wrong nor manifestly excessive'. Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan told the court that Stewart's latest attempted appeal would have caused 'stress and upset' to the families of those she killed. Stewart's lawyer described the ruling as disappointing, but said it 'doesn't end the quest to highlight that she was a victim of coercive control'. She is serving a minimum 18 years behind bars for the killing of Constable Trevor Buchanan, 32, and 31-year-old Lesley Howell, the wife of her former lover Colin Howell. Both were found in a fume-filled garage in Castlerock, Co Londonderry, in May 1991. Police originally believed they had died in a suicide pact, after discovering that their partners were having an extra-marital affair. Instead, they had been drugged and murdered and their bodies arranged to make it look as though they had taken their own lives. Nearly two decades passed before dentist Howell, 65, confessed to both killings. He implicated Stewart and she was ordered to serve at least 18 years, at her trial in 2011. Stewart launched her appeal against the length of her sentence on the basis of fresh psychiatric evidence that suggested she was suffering from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder at the time of the murders and had been coercively controlled by Howell. Stewart, wearing a pale blue T-shirt and a cross necklace, watched the court of appeal ruling via a videolink from Hydebank Prison. Dame Siobhan said the fresh psychiatric evidence had been presented 'well after the event' and 'places reliance on prison records to contradict the case made by all other experts'. She said: 'Even if there were any traction in the points now made, which we do not find, the trial judge also made allowance for Howell's control in the sentence he passed. 'No injustice arises in refusing to reopen this long-concluded appeal on these facts.' The Lady Chief Justice added: 'We record this was a double murder of spouses in the cruellest of circumstances. 'Our overall view is that the sentence was neither wrong nor manifestly excessive. 'We refuse leave to admit the new evidence or to extend time as we are not convinced the new evidence establishes a valid ground of appeal. 'We are similarly not convinced that a fulsome enough explanation why this evidence was not produced earlier has been provided. 'In reaching our conclusion we reiterate the need for finality in criminal proceedings, we must deduce from this appeal that the applicant does not fully appreciate that. 'What must be self-evident is the stress and upset this latest appeal attempt will have caused to the families of the deceased.' Dame Siobhan said the original trial judge had been cited on the issue of Howell's control of Stewart and he altered her sentence accordingly. She concluded: 'We find no merit in any of the points raised on appeal.' Stewart's lawyer, Kevin Winters of KRW Law, said: 'Today's decision of the Court of Appeal to refuse leave is disappointing but in many ways not unexpected given the very high bar we had to reach to convince the court to look at this relatively new issue after so many years.' He added: 'Today's ruling doesn't end the quest for Hazel Stewart to highlight that she was a victim of coercive control. 'She engaged with the criminal justice agencies in an open and transparent manner to present as a victim of criminality. 'She made her case to a specialist abuse unit of the PSNI to allege that she was drugged, sexually and mentally abused and raped by Colin Howell. 'For that she is to be commended in taking the decision to come forward. It wasn't taken lightly.' Mr Winters said: 'It shouldn't be lost on any one that Hazel Stewart has the full backing and support of her family which includes Trevor Buchanan's two children. 'That support has been with her ever since her conviction for her role in the double killing of her husband and Colin Howell's wife over 20 years ago. 'That support has been here as well throughout the criminal investigation against Colin Howell and right up until today's appeal ruling.'
Telegraph
23-05-2025
- Telegraph
Double murderer Sunday school teacher blames her PTSD, court hears
Double murderer Hazel Stewart may have been suffering from mental illness when she killed her policeman husband and the wife of her ex-lover, a court heard on Friday, Stewart is serving a minimum of 18 years behind bars for the killing of Constable Trevor Buchanan, 32, and Lesley Howell, 31, the wife of her ex-lover Colin Howell. Both were found in a fume-filled garage in Castlerock, Co Londonderry, in May 1991. Police originally believed they had died in a suicide pact after discovering that their partners were having an extramarital affair. Instead, they had been drugged and murdered and their bodies arranged to make it look as though they had taken their own lives. Nearly two decades passed before dentist Howell, 65, confessed to both killings and went on to implicate Stewart at her trial in 2011. She is making a fresh bid to have her sentence reduced by arguing that she was suffering from PTSD at the time of the murders. Representing Stewart, Brendan KC said: 'This application was created by the discovery of fresh evidence.' He said a series of reports from a psychiatrist in 2024 had said Stewart was 'suffering from two forms of mental health, depression and PTSD, at the time of the murders'. Mr Kelly said 'coupled with coercive behaviour' from Howell, these were factors that should have been taken into account during her sentencing. The barrister said the new evidence was 'cogent and admissible'. He said her mental illness had been caused after she had an abortion in 1990, adding that her condition 'simply wasn't identified or recognised' at the time of her trial. Pointing out that the diagnosis had been made only last year, Mr Kelly said 'it was difficult to see how we could have moved more quickly'. The barrister said the application to give leave for appeal should be granted, the new evidence submitted to the court and the psychiatrist called as a witness. The Court of Appeal in Belfast also heard submissions that Stewart, 62, a former Sunday school teacher, was being coercively controlled by Howell at the time of the killings in 1991. However, a barrister for the Public Prosecution Service said that more than 30 years after the murders, Stewart had 'finally found a doctor who will say something sympathetic'. Representing the Public Prosecution Service, Philip Henry KC said Stewart's barrister was trying to create an 'exceptional scenario'. He said the appeal judges were being invited to 'feel so uncomfortable' about the new medical evidence that a 'sense of injustice is provoked'. Mr Henry said the psychiatrist was first instructed in 2023 and was initially given some, but not all, of the relevant medical material. He added that after the new psychiatric report, the court was 'nowhere near' the point where it could allow an appeal over the sentence to proceed. Mr Kelly denied that Stewart's legal team had been 'shopping for a psychiatrist'. Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan said the court would rule on the application next month.
