I wrote the music for this campaign, featuring the incredible Múlú on vocals. A lot of people have been asking who or what it is. It’s part of a larger 3 minute piece, commissioned by the BBC, which hasn’t been released yet. Thanks for all the interest! 🙂

Garth McConaghie (Instagram: garthyb0y)

So much for the 2500, there is less than 100

Edit:

All the images of the racists.

https://postimg.cc/gallery/rxjD8k8

https://www.irishnews.com/news/business/losses-grow-at-hinch-distillery-as-co-down-irish-whiskey-maker-suffers-28m-hit-PC32FMGFCFAFNHQPVAJNDA5P5A/



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Business

Losses grow at Hinch Distillery as Co Down Irish whiskey maker suffers £2.8m hit

Turnover falls and costs rise at Terry Cross-owned drinks operation during challenging year for Irish whiskey sector

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The Hinch Distillery officially opened in 2021 following a £15m investment, led by Dr Terry Cross (inset).

By Ryan McAleer

April 04, 2026 at 6:00am BST

The Irish whiskey and gin operation launched by Belfast entrepreneur Terry Cross has recorded another year of significant losses following a 35% slump in sales last year.

A new financial disclosure from Hinch Distillery Limited, reveals the Co Down spirit business posted a £2.77 million loss for the year to June 2025.

It followed a year when the distillery’s turnover dropped by around £1.8m to £3.2m, while cost of sales more than doubled from £1.1m to £2.5m.

The Hinch Distillery officially opened in 2021 on a site between Carryduff and Ballynahinch following a £15m investment, backed by Invest NI.



Live: Autumn Budget 2024



Losses grow at Hinch Distillery as Co Down Irish whiskey maker suffers £2.8m hit

Invest NI’s support included £1.9m toward the construction of the distillery as well as plant, machinery and equipment.

The inaugural single malt whiskey releases launched by Hinch Distillery last year.

Accounts published by the whiskey business indicate it has been running at a loss since 2020.

The latest annual loss came during a challenging period for the island’s whiskey industry.

Rising production costs, increased competition and tariff uncertainty in the all-important US market, heaped pressure on many whiskey operations, with some of the biggest manufacturers opting to scale back or even pause production.

The 2025 accounts filed by Hinch Distillery suggest a reduction in output over the year, with its stock inventory dropping from £10.2m in 2024 to £9.2m last year.

That included £7.04m in ‘raw materials and consumables’ (down from £7.6m) and £2.2m in finished goods (down from £2.6m).

‘This is a landmark moment for us’ – Hinch launches first whiskey made entirely in its Co Down distilleryOpens in new window

Hinch Distillery posts £2m operating loss for 2023, but the value of its whiskey stock continues to grow year-on-yearOpens in new window

Terry Cross proves again that he's the complete package...Opens in new window

The annual report also revealed the company has £21.9m falling due to creditors within one year, up from £12.9m the previous period.

However, the document suggests around £21.3m of that it owed to group undertakings.

That left the business with a £10m deficit in its profit and loss account.

Irish whiskey is considered one of the most capital-intensive and time-delayed business models in the drinks industry.

Spirit produced by distilleries must rest in wooden casks for a minimum of three years before crossing the legal threshold of becoming Irish whiskey.

Dr Terry Cross.

Despite the losses, Hinch has earned a growing reputation within the industry for producing award-winning whiskey at a competitive price point.

Last year saw Hinch launch its first widely distributed range of Irish whiskey entirely produced in its own Co Down distillery.

Alongside its own distillate, Hinch sells sourced Irish whiskey and produces Ninth Wave Gin.

Terry Cross (75) built his fortune by launching the Delta Print and Packaging company in Belfast during the 1980s before selling it Finnish packaging giant Huhtamaki in 2016 in a deal worth around £80m.

Dr Cross re-entered the packaging world in 2023 by investing around £47m in new Belfast packaging firm Biopax.

Hinch Distillery investing £500,000 in new maturation warehouseOpens in new window

Eating Out: Great surroundings but uneven courses at Hinch BrasserieOpens in new window

Hinch Distillery plans to ramp up whiskey production

Street preacher allegedly subjected Belfast’s deputy Lord Mayor to foul-mouthed rant | Belfast Live

Mr Justice Fowler heard he became disorderly and struggled as attempts were made to arrest him and two officers were injured

A street preacher allegedly subjected Belfast’s deputy Lord Mayor to a foul-mouthed rant outside City Hall, the High Court heard today.

Prosecutors claimed Councillor Paul Doherty had to retreat amid fears Colin Houston would assault him during last week’s confrontation.

Houston, 61, is also accused of swearing at council security staff who asked him to take down a Jesus flag and then injuring two PSNI officers.

The Christian pastor, of Forthriver Way in Belfast, faces charges of common assault, three assaults on police, disorder behaviour and resisting arrest over the incidents.

He was granted bail but barred from returning to the city centre.

Houston allegedly became abusive while standing at the gates of City Hall with a loud speaker and flag on March 23.

It was claimed that he initially shouted at an elderly member of the public: “Shut your mouth you f***ing c**t’.”

Mr Doherty, an SDLP councillor and current deputy Lord Mayor, alleged the street preacher then directed his aggression at him during a confrontation in the grounds.

“He shouted at him in an aggressive manner ‘it’s your f***ing fault things are happening in Belfast, you and the rest of them, you’ll get your comeuppance you f***ing c**t’,” Crown counsel submitted.

“Mr Doherty feared he would be assaulted by Mr Houston so he moved away to his place of work within City Hall.”

Photographs were taken from inside the building and shown to police who identified the defendant.

Two members of the city Council’s security staff also made claims he verbally abused them following a request to remove his flag from the railings.

“They alleged he called them ‘c**ts’, ‘d***heads’ and other slurs like ‘SDLP sodomites’,” the prosecutor disclosed.

By the time officers arrived Houston had left the area, but he was located later that day at Cornmarket in the city centre.

Mr Justice Fowler heard he became disorderly and struggled as attempts were made to arrest him.

“As a result of his actions three officers were assaulted and two were injured,” counsel said.

“He stated ‘you wouldn’t be doing this to Muslims, you wouldn’t be doing this to Hare Krishna, but you do it to a Christian’.”

During interviews Houston accepted having an interaction with the deputy Lord Mayor, but denied assaulting or abusing him.

He maintained that he had called the security guards nothing more abusive or threatening than “assholes”.

Turlough Madden, defending, argued Houston should not be kept in custody on charges expected to remain at magistrates court level.

Stressing he was not attempting to downplay the seriousness of the allegations, the barrister said: “The height of the prosecution is disorderly behaviour where foul language was used and a common assault against the deputy Lord Mayor.”

Mr Madden added that his client was seeking release to help care for his elderly mother.

Despite expressing concern over the number of incidents allegedly involving Houston, the judge decided to grant him bail.

Mr Justice Fowler ordered him not to contact the deputy Lord Mayor and confirmed: “There will be an exclusion zone from the city centre.”

Need advice on protecting ourselves with a contractor for a £26k landscaping job

My husband and I have borrowed £30k against our mortgage to renovate the landscaping around our home, so naturally I’m very anxious about getting this right.

We hired a surveyor/architect to produce design drawings so the scope of work would be clearly defined. I’ve included the design. The plan is to:

•	extend the driveway up the left-hand side of the house

•	re-turf the front garden

•	redesign the rear garden layout

•	build a retaining wall and create a new grass area

•	add a small front patio

•	redo the drainage to fix ongoing flooding issues

So this is a fairly substantial project, and you can probably see from the photos that the garden needs a lot of work.

The contractor we’re currently planning to go with is Apex Building and Joinery in Ballynahinch, Co. Down, Northern Ireland. I found them through Rated People. They have 40 reviews, with 35 being excellent, although not all of those reviews are for landscaping work.

The owner, Paul, came out to see the site, talked through our ideas, and said that because of the scale of the job he’d prefer proper design drawings before pricing it. He recommended the architect we ended up using. Once the drawings were completed, he gave us a quote over Christmas.

His original quote was £72k for the full project, including clearance, fencing, paving, retaining walls, planting, electrics, etc. To be fair, the quote was very detailed and broken down clearly by section, including VAT and overheads/profit.

After going through it with him, we removed several elements because we simply couldn’t afford everything at once. We took out the fencing, paving, and planting, and agreed that he would focus on the main groundwork and structural elements, leaving the site ready for us to do the paving and fencing later when we can afford it.

That brought the total down to around £26k, which includes the driveway, retaining walls, drainage, turfing, reshaping the garden, and a section of feature fence, (shown in the drawing)

He’s said he can start on 13 April and expects the work to take around 4–5 weeks.

The part I’m struggling with is the payment structure. He said his usual arrangement is:

•	one third on day 1

•	one third halfway through

•	final third on completion

I didn’t agree to that straight away. I explained that I recently had a bad experience with a painter who took £2k, did poor work in the first week, and then never came back. He seemed understanding and said I could propose a payment structure that I’d be more comfortable with.

So my concern is this: how do I protect myself without coming across as unreasonable?

The things making me nervous are:

- the business has no website

- the reviews are positive, but not all are for the kind of work we’re hiring him for

- he hasn’t proposed any contract but said if I do one he is happy to sign but that he doesn’t think they’re worth much.

- this is a huge amount of money for us and will take years to repay

I’d really appreciate advice from anyone who has been in a similar position. Maybe you know the business or maybe have used Rated people before?

What checks would you do before proceeding?

What payment structure would be reasonable for a job like this? I was thinking a weekly payment on Friday or £2k, so by end of week 4 he will have 8k (30%) and on week 5 we pay the remainder on completion. Do you think that is unreasonable?

And are there any red flags here, or am I just being paranoid because of a previous bad experience?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62jw8xgv0lo

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62jw8xgv0lo Nine police officers have been injured and a child was hit by a bottle before a football match in south Belfast on Friday night.

The disorder, which happened before the Irish Cup semi-final at Windsor Park, where Cliftonville lost to Dungannon Swifts, saw fireworks, flares and bottles thrown. A 19-year-old man has been arrested.

It happened during an approved public procession ahead of the match, which involved about 250 people.

Police said most people behaved peacefully but they saw "provocative conduct and the heavy use of pyrotechnics and fireworks - despite various warnings being issued against this".

The Parades Commission determination had placed conditions on a procession, applied for by some Cliftonville supporters,, external before it went ahead.

'Besmirched the good name of the club'

Jim Boyce, Honorary Life President of the IFA and patron of Cliftonville F.C said he was "disgusted" by the behaviour seen on Friday night.

"I have been at Cliftonville for 75 years and have had a lot of messages from good Cliftonville fans who are disgusted that a small element has, once again, besmirched the good name of the club," he told BBC News NI.

A white haired man in a black overcoat

Image caption,

Jim Boyce says it is a small element of people who are causing problems

"I haven't missed a game this year and watch them every Saturday. Once we get to a final or semi-final there is an element that comes out and causes problems for Cliftonville FC," he added.

"They're doing it in the name of Cliftonville FC but they aren't supporters. The next couple of games we play they won't be there.

"I would appeal to them to stay away as they aren't true supporters," he added.

'Unacceptable behaviour' before and after match

Police said there was "completely unacceptable behaviour from a proportion of fans both before and after the match"

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) South Belfast District Commander, Supt Fiona Dornan said the majority of football fans attending Friday evening's match behaved in a "peaceful" manner but a number of people "chose to engage disorderly behaviour and provocative conduct".

Police said most fans behaved in a peaceful manner at the pre-match procession

"There was completely unacceptable behaviour from a proportion of fans both before and after the match, at what should have been an enjoyable and safe event for all attending," she said, in a statement.

"Police will not tolerate disorder or criminal behaviour of any kind and, as always, we will continue to work with football clubs to address any inappropriate behaviour linked to people attending matches and ensure that the local community is kept safe.

"We will therefore be conducting a thorough evidence-gathering operation in the wake of last night's occurrences."

The man was arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour, doing a provocative act, possession of fireworks/flares at a regulated match, indecent behaviour and attempted criminal damage.

He remains in police custody at this time.

Two other people were also reported for offences including the use of flares.

There were a number of potential breaches of the Parades Commission determinations in relation to the procession, which will now be investigated, police said.

https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/were-not-going-anywhere-belfast-33715934

The owners of a Belfast coffee shop say they have been left frustrated and disheartened after their business was targeted for the fourth time in weeks.

Dilly and Dolly's on Ann Street in the city centre was broken into on Friday night with cash taken and damage caused to the premises.

The business took to social media to share news of the incident, which they say is one of a series over recent weeks.

They said: "Tonight, Dilly & Dolly’s was broken into. Money was taken and there was some damage done and to be honest, it’s been a tough one to process.

"It’s already been a difficult year, watching so many businesses around us close their doors, leaving us surrounded by empty buildings. It’s hard not to feel like that makes things like this easier to happen."This is the fourth incident in just a few weeks, and the police have been called out 3 times in the last two weeks alone. It’s frustrating, and at times, disheartening, when we are so proud and determined to bring a little colour and vibrancy to what can sometimes feel like a very grey city."

Natalie Lennon opened Dilly and Dolly's on the Upper Lisburn Road in June 2021 after losing her job during the pandemic.

The Hannahstown woman previously told Belfast Live she wanted to bring something different to Belfast and since their opening, the Dolly and Dolly's name has grown - with a second location on Ann Street following a year later.

Despite this latest setback, Dilly and Dolly's said it would be business as usual on Saturday: "But we’re still here. And we are not going anywhere. I want to say thank you to my team, who continue to show up, work hard, and care so much about this place every single day. So tomorrow, we will dust ourselves off and open our doors as usual.

"Thank you to all our lovely customers who continue to support and encourage us, we will see you tomorrow! Team Dilly & Dolly’s & Natalie x."

When contacted, police said they are appealing for information and witnesses in relation to a report of a burglary at commercial premises in the Ann Street area of Belfast yesterday evening, Friday, April 3.

A PSNI spokesperson added: “At around 8.45pm, it was reported that entry had been forced to the premises, and a sum of money taken from the till.

“Enquiries are ongoing, and we are appealing to anyone who might have been in the area at the time and saw any suspicious activity, or who has any information which could assist, to get in touch. The number to call is 101, quoting reference number 1560 of 03/04/26.”

East Belfast: 'No hate element' behind HMO attacks - BBC News

There is "no hate element" behind criminal attacks on houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in east Belfast, the Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said.

The attacks, which took place at around 00:45 BST on Tuesday 31 March in the Templemore Avenue and Paxton Street areas, targeted a number of properties.

The police said the incidents are being treated as criminal damage.

Windows were broken and graffiti was daubed on the outside of the houses. Police said a family who were in one of the homes at the time were not injured but were left badly shaken.

BBC News NI understands two young girls were in one of the homes at the time of the attack.

Meanwhile, a Belfast city councillor has described the incident as racially motivated.

The Green Party's Brian Smyth said HMOs have become the "new battleground for several known online racist agitators to stir up anti-immigrant sentiment".

Brian Smyth told The Nolan Show many of the "issues arising with HMOs in the last number of months" are racially motivated.

"HMOs have become the new battleground for several known online racist agitators to stir up anti-immigrant sentiment," he said.

Smyth added that the attacks need to be "quickly curtailed because it's going to spiral out of control".

"What we're seeing here is online race-baiters digging into this and using it as an excuse because they simply do not like people who have brown skin.

"There are a number of well-known racist accounts driving this."

Smyth said the local community would be "utterly disgusted" by the attacks.

However, Smyth also added that there exist serious issues with the use of HMOs.

"HMOs are symptomatic of the failure of the Stormont Executive to build enough social housing," he said.

"There is a wider issue here. We need rent caps and we need social housing to be rapidly expanded."

Alliance Party councillor Fiona McAteer condemned what she described as "absolutely disgusting" attacks.

"Everyone is allowed a roof over their head, everyone deserves a home," she said.

"East Belfast is an inclusive, diverse community and we're a welcoming community."

She said the graffitti was "not acceptable" but added the issue was "not new".

"I think there is a sinister underbelly from social media about people riling things up," she said.

"It's something that we need to get a handle on."

What is a HMO?

The legal definition of a HMO is a property lived in by three or more people from three or more separate households who share facilities like a kitchen.

A house which is currently used as a single family home needs planning permission before it can be operated as a HMO.

All HMOs in Northern Ireland must also be licensed by their local council. Running an unlicensed HMO is a criminal offence.

Planning rules also restrict the number of HMOs, generally a maximum of 20% of houses in designated areas and 10% everywhere else.

HMOs have traditionally been used by students but have become a source of controversy across the UK as the government shuts asylum hotels and disperses people into HMOs.

Hey r/NorthernIreland 👋

Someone in r/Belfast suggested I post here, so here I am.

A few days ago I launched PostcodeDeals — a free app that surfaces deals near your actual postcode. Shops, supermarkets, restaurants — whatever’s on near you. Yellow sticker in the local Spar? Flash sale in town? Chuck it on and your neighbours get alerted instantly.

Still very early days but the Belfast response was class — so wanted to bring it here too.

Would mean a lot if any of you gave it a go. Still very much building this with the community in mind, so if you’ve got thoughts I’m all ears.

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/postcodedeals/id6760195516