Latest news with #BBCRadioFoyle
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Nun's family ask visitors to be respectful of grave
The sister of a nun, who has taken the first step towards sainthood, has appealed for people to be respectful when visiting her gravestone and her family home. Sister Clare Crockett, 33, died after the school she was teaching music at in Playa Prieta, Ecuador, collapsed during a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in April 2016. In November, Sr Clare was declared a Servant of God by the Catholic Church - the first step towards being canonised. Shauna Gill said: "There are days you come to that grave and you would have to queue and we love that people come to the grave, but they are disrupting other graves around it." The council, which owns the City Cemetery in Londonderry, is to consider installing paths and railings around the grave of Sr Clare to accommodate an influx of visitors to the site. "There are just so many people that come from everywhere, they are not just from Derry, they travel from afar," Shauna Gill told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today. "I totally understand other families' disappointment when they see other people are standing on graves. "They are touching Clare's gravestone and posing for photos with the headstone, so some people are just not thinking about their surroundings. "A lot of people are respectful, but there are some graves that are being damaged around it." Ms Gill said the narrow path makes it difficult for people to navigate the grave and believes removing hedging at the back of the grave and installing railings could help with access. "This could take all that congestion away from the front of the grave," she said. Ms Gill said she understands why people come to pray to Sr Clare, but they must understand their parents are also buried there. She said it can be hard for her family to visit the grave for a quiet moment of reflection knowing "you might not get near the grave". Sr Clare Theresa Crockett, from Brandywell in Derry, was previously an actor but turned down the chance to present on children's TV channel Nickelodeon to become a nun. Friends were said to be in disbelief after she announced her decision while holding a "beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other". She then took a vow with the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother order. Her motto in life was "all or nothing" and has previously been associated with fertility miracles. Sr Clare and another Irish nun injured in the quake, Sr Thérèse Ryan from County Limerick, had been teaching guitar and singing with five young women postulants - who were entering the religious order - when the earthquake struck. It is believed they became trapped on a stairwell as they ran out of the building. The 7.8-magnitude earthquake killed at least 480 people, injured more than 4,000 and left 231 missing. How does someone become a saint? Catholic Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown has said every grave is sacred and every family should have the right to pay their respects. He said the grave was "a major attraction" at the cemetery and a number of signposts had been erected to guide visitors to it. "Many people who have even come to visit me in Derry and have asked specifically to visit the grave," he said. "I just hope something can be done for all the family involved." He said long-term plans are being considered to manage the sheer volume of people arriving into the cemetery and sites linked to Sr Clare. Shauna Gill said they are also dealing with people arriving at Sr Clare's old house, which is currently occupied by a family member. "They can show up at any time of the day and can knock at the door," she said. "We have had people come and touch the walls or stand outside the house. "They have even asked for clothes or anything that Clare had, they just want a bit of Clare. "This is all new for everybody, so we are all trying to come to terms with it both as a town and as a family and we are just trying to find out what we can do about it." Ms Gill said it was difficult to navigate the many complexities associated with being the sister of a nun who is in the process of becoming a saint. Derry nun's family 'proud' as sainthood journey begins Funeral for nun killed in earthquake Sister Clare takes first step towards sainthood
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'I'm terrified of food - but I can't get specialist eating disorder treatment'
A woman whose wait for a diagnosis of a lesser known eating disorder left her feeling like a "problem that cannot be solved" has called for reform of how the condition is treated by Northern Ireland's health service. Sinead Quinn, from Londonderry, said binge eating compulsions had made her "a prisoner in her own home, afraid of food and afraid of herself". Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is not currently treated by eating disorder services in Northern Ireland - patients are instead referred to general mental health services. The Department of Health said regional adult eating disorder services were commissioned to treat anorexia, bulimia and atypical presentations of these conditions. BED is the second most common eating disorder in the UK, after atypical eating disorders, according to UK health assessment body NICE. The Department of Health said it did not collate data on how many people in Northern Ireland are living with BED. It also said there was no current review of the way the condition is treated. Experts say specialist care within the health service is urgently needed to help people get a formal diagnosis and recover from BED. Ms Quinn said her relationship with food had always been complicated. "Food either brings me great comfort or I am terrified of it and that's because I have carried weight for most of my childhood and my adult life," she told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme. "A lot of my days have been filled with either thinking about food, dieting or binging. It's exhausting." The 43-year-old said she experiences overwhelming compulsions to eat, which can lead her to consume up to 5,000 calories in less than 30 minutes. "My binge patterns can change but for me it's about going to a shop to buy certain food items and not the same shop regularly, as you don't want people judging you," she said. "I have a routine around it and, then, knowing the food is there - there is a feeling of release in that. "The minute I finish eating, the shame and self-hatred sets in and that is a really horrible place to be." Binge eating disorder involves regularly eating a lot of food over a short period of time until you are uncomfortably full. It is a serious mental health condition where people eat without feeling like they are in control. Symptoms include: eating when not hungry eating very fast during a binge eating alone or secretly feeling depressed, guilty, ashamed, or disgusted after binge eating Binges are sometimes planned but can be spontaneous. They are usually done alone, and may include "special" binge foods and create feelings of shame or guilt afterwards. Source: NHS After losing 7st (44kg) last year through what she described as "restrictive dieting", Ms Quinn found herself returning to binge eating and, in turn, regaining some weight. She decided it was time to ask for help. With "fantastic support" from her GP, who recognised Ms Quinn met the diagnostic criteria for BED, she was then referred to the Western Trust's eating disorder service. The referral was refused on the basis the service is not commissioned to care for BED - in line with all Northern Ireland's health trusts. Ms Quinn has since been referred to mental health services, but she is concerned that care will possibly not be administered by an eating disorder specialist. She described her feeling of being a "problem that cannot be solved", adding that it was a "very lonely place to be". "Eating disorder services in Northern Ireland should treat all eating disorders." According to the National Centre for Eating Disorders, one in two people in the UK who seek help for weight loss eat compulsively. Nicola Armstrong, who is the eating disorder charity Beat's national lead for Northern Ireland, said weight gain was a symptom of BED and that could lead to "shame and stigma". "This illness can be portrayed as someone being overindulgent or greedy and that is simply not the case," she said. "Often people find that their case can be treated as a weight management issue rather than an eating disorder. "What is needed in Northern Ireland is equitable access to evidence-based treatment for BED." Prof Laura McGowan, from the Centre for Public Health at Queen's University, hopes the recently announced roll-out of a regional obesity management service for Northern Ireland would include screening of eating disorders like BED. "BED is simply not widely recognised and the services for it not widely commissioned," she said. "For BED patients, especially those living with obesity, there is such an unmet need." NICE guidelines advise that children, young people and adults who have BED should be firstly offered guided self-help. Sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy are then offered if self-help treatment is found to not be enough. Ursula Philpot, a dietician and clinical lead for eating disorders with NHS England, described BED as the "forgotten eating disorder". She was instrumental in the roll-out of an online self-help BED pilot programme provided by the Republic of Ireland's health service. "BED is not well recognised either by people themselves who have it or by the medical professionals. "They can see someone as having a lack of willpower, rather than having an illness. "The work we have done in the Republic, we have found to be very effective - the expertise of the specialist workforce we have in the UK can be delivered to patients in Ireland online." For Sinead Quinn, she's "at a point in my life, I know this cycle of binging and restrictive dieting needs to stop". "I don't want to spend my days locked in the house in fear of food. "It's no way for anyone to live." If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, information about help and support is available via BBC Action Line. Anorexia made me hide in toilets at meal times - but it's OK to talk about it Rise in young teens seeking eating disorder help
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'I'm terrified of food - but I can't get specialist eating disorder treatment'
A woman whose wait for a diagnosis of a lesser known eating disorder left her feeling like a "problem that cannot be solved" has called for reform of how the condition is treated by Northern Ireland's health service. Sinead Quinn, from Londonderry, said binge eating compulsions had made her "a prisoner in her own home, afraid of food and afraid of herself". Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is not currently treated by eating disorder services in Northern Ireland - patients are instead referred to general mental health services. The Department of Health said regional adult eating disorder services were commissioned to treat anorexia, bulimia and atypical presentations of these conditions. BED is the second most common eating disorder in the UK, after atypical eating disorders, according to UK health assessment body NICE. The Department of Health said it did not collate data on how many people in Northern Ireland are living with BED. It also said there was no current review of the way the condition is treated. Experts say specialist care within the health service is urgently needed to help people get a formal diagnosis and recover from BED. Ms Quinn said her relationship with food had always been complicated. "Food either brings me great comfort or I am terrified of it and that's because I have carried weight for most of my childhood and my adult life," she told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme. "A lot of my days have been filled with either thinking about food, dieting or binging. It's exhausting." The 43-year-old said she experiences overwhelming compulsions to eat, which can lead her to consume up to 5,000 calories in less than 30 minutes. "My binge patterns can change but for me it's about going to a shop to buy certain food items and not the same shop regularly, as you don't want people judging you," she said. "I have a routine around it and, then, knowing the food is there - there is a feeling of release in that. "The minute I finish eating, the shame and self-hatred sets in and that is a really horrible place to be." Binge eating disorder involves regularly eating a lot of food over a short period of time until you are uncomfortably full. It is a serious mental health condition where people eat without feeling like they are in control. Symptoms include: eating when not hungry eating very fast during a binge eating alone or secretly feeling depressed, guilty, ashamed, or disgusted after binge eating Binges are sometimes planned but can be spontaneous. They are usually done alone, and may include "special" binge foods and create feelings of shame or guilt afterwards. Source: NHS After losing 7st (44kg) last year through what she described as "restrictive dieting", Ms Quinn found herself returning to binge eating and, in turn, regaining some weight. She decided it was time to ask for help. With "fantastic support" from her GP, who recognised Ms Quinn met the diagnostic criteria for BED, she was then referred to the Western Trust's eating disorder service. The referral was refused on the basis the service is not commissioned to care for BED - in line with all Northern Ireland's health trusts. Ms Quinn has since been referred to mental health services, but she is concerned that care will possibly not be administered by an eating disorder specialist. She described her feeling of being a "problem that cannot be solved", adding that it was a "very lonely place to be". "Eating disorder services in Northern Ireland should treat all eating disorders." According to the National Centre for Eating Disorders, one in two people in the UK who seek help for weight loss eat compulsively. Nicola Armstrong, who is the eating disorder charity Beat's national lead for Northern Ireland, said weight gain was a symptom of BED and that could lead to "shame and stigma". "This illness can be portrayed as someone being overindulgent or greedy and that is simply not the case," she said. "Often people find that their case can be treated as a weight management issue rather than an eating disorder. "What is needed in Northern Ireland is equitable access to evidence-based treatment for BED." Prof Laura McGowan, from the Centre for Public Health at Queen's University, hopes the recently announced roll-out of a regional obesity management service for Northern Ireland would include screening of eating disorders like BED. "BED is simply not widely recognised and the services for it not widely commissioned," she said. "For BED patients, especially those living with obesity, there is such an unmet need." NICE guidelines advise that children, young people and adults who have BED should be firstly offered guided self-help. Sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy are then offered if self-help treatment is found to not be enough. Ursula Philpot, a dietician and clinical lead for eating disorders with NHS England, described BED as the "forgotten eating disorder". She was instrumental in the roll-out of an online self-help BED pilot programme provided by the Republic of Ireland's health service. "BED is not well recognised either by people themselves who have it or by the medical professionals. "They can see someone as having a lack of willpower, rather than having an illness. "The work we have done in the Republic, we have found to be very effective - the expertise of the specialist workforce we have in the UK can be delivered to patients in Ireland online." For Sinead Quinn, she's "at a point in my life, I know this cycle of binging and restrictive dieting needs to stop". "I don't want to spend my days locked in the house in fear of food. "It's no way for anyone to live." If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, information about help and support is available via BBC Action Line. Anorexia made me hide in toilets at meal times - but it's OK to talk about it Rise in young teens seeking eating disorder help
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Traders welcome street reopening after eight months
Traders in Londonderry have welcomed the reopening of one of city's busiest streets after it was closed for eight months. Foyle Street closed in August 2024 to allow for a £4.2m major upgrade to the water and sewerage infrastructure. It is due to reopen to traffic later on Friday, five weeks ahead of schedule. Record store owner Lee Mason said he was delighted to see the street returning to normal after a tough time for businesses. For five months late last year, and with the work ongoing, he said his business was hidden behind huge hoardings. "The barriers from August to December were awful, we had no visibility, the shop wasn't visible," he told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme. "As I have said many times, we were down 50% at weekends, and probably about 40% Monday to Thursday. "I am just glad it is done and dusted." He has now called for traders to be compensated over the disruption. "The work was essential work and we all understand that, but at the same time we need to be compensated if the work has affected our business, and it has without doubt affected our business," he said. When work got underway in August last year traders said they were concerned about the long-term impact of the closure. There was a temporary reprieve over Christmas before the street was closed off to allow NI Water to continue with the upgrade work. Olive McEleney works in her family-run hair salon on Foyle Street. She told BBC Radio Foyle that, like most traders, she totally understands the need for the work the past eight months had been tough. "Needs must, the work had to be done, but business has suffered these last eight months," she said. "We are small businesses, small family businesses, not multi-million pound companies. We were trying to keep the staff we have, keep the flow of business." She agrees that some form of financial support, possibly a rates relief scheme, would help support the Foyle Street traders. "The loss of business, especially in the run up to Christmas, the businesses were badly impacted and the rates definitely should have been considered," she said. Manager of Derry's City Centre Initiative Jim Roddy said local traders were to be commended "for their patience and understanding since work started last summer". He also said they should be compensated, if they have lost money. "Absolutely, and what needs to happen there, the loss needs to be evidenced and then that put to Northern Ireland Water and then let Northern Ireland Water consider if compensation should be paid." But he said the work was essential for the future of the city. "Anbody who knows what's going on with Northern Ireland Water at the moment and any future developments, capacity is a major, major issue for all planning applications," he said. "We were literally at full capacity within our walled city, so developments within our walled city would not have been able to happen without this work. "This now allows those developments to do ahead." In a statement, NI Water said Foyle Street would reopen to most traffic on Friday but buses would not return until the end of June. The upgrade of the 100-year-old water and wastewater infrastructure has included the installation of 400 metres (1,312 ft) of dedicated stormwater sewer as well as 170 metres (557ft) of new watermain. Work on the upgrade's final phase, which includes the reinstallation of footpaths and during which the street will be fully accessible during business hours, will be completed by the end of next month, NI Water added. Traders worry over long-term Foyle Street closure
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
'We're terrified to live at home after arson attack'
A mother has said her family is terrified to live in their home following an arson attack. Courtney McFadden said those responsible for setting fire to her car - just outside her home in Shantallow, Londonderry - could have seriously injured or even killed someone. Ms McFadden said she only discovered her car was on fire after checking on her baby in the early hours of Friday. She said she now feared for the safety of her one-year-old daughter and her mother, who has dementia and lives with her. "We had gone to bed that night as usual," Ms McFadden told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme. "I then saw that the baby monitor was flashing, saying the room was too warm, so I got up to go and open her window." It was then Ms McFadden said she heard loud banging at their front door. "I went and checked and saw on the video doorbell that my car was up in flames - the whole vehicle was just engulfed," she said. A neighbour called the fire service while Ms McFadden contacted the police. She said emergency crews were on the scene immediately and described them as "phenomenal" for getting the fire under control so quickly. Police said the car was completely destroyed and confirmed they were treating the incident as arson. Enquiries are ongoing. They are urging anyone who was in Drumleck Drive area at the time and witnessed anything suspicious - or who may have relevant information, CCTV, dashcam, or other video footage - to come forward. "The car was parked just outside the house, very near to where my daughter sleeps," Ms McFadden said. The young mother said she dreaded to think what could have happened had they not spotted the fire when they did. "I was terrified for my mummy and for Aoibhí," she said. "They're both obviously very vulnerable." Ms McFadden said her mother suffered a stroke in October 2022 and lives with her full-time. She said the whole family had been badly shaken by the ordeal. "You have left a family terrified to live in their own home," she said. "The flames engulfed the car - it actually blew up right in front of us. "The fumes, the burning, the smell—it was horrendous. I can't even describe it." She said the attack posed a risk to her own family and others living nearby. "This could have caused serious harm—or even killed someone," she added. Ms McFadden thanked her neighbours for their support and appealed for anyone with information to contact the police. "I have lived here all my life, I have grown up here, we live in a really tight-knit community, and we all look out for each other," she said.
