The following poem is by Alana Hughes, a friend of the McIlwaine family, who will start secondary school in the fall.  If only everyone thought this way…

Flags of Friendship by Alana Hughes

Why can we not all get along,

I don’t know what is wrong.

Can’t we get together and be friends with one another?

Why do we all fight I don’t know why we bother?

From the 4 August 2008 edition of the Belfast Telegraph:

Burcombe admits role in double killings

The Attorney General has backed a plea bargain deal that frees Northern Ireland’s first murder case supergrass in decades, released after admitting his role in a pair of horrific murders.

Baroness Scotland says she is satisfied with an arrangement that saw Mark Burcombe sentenced to 30 months in jail — time he had already served on remand — in return for giving evidence against another man accused of the murders.

Download the British Attorney General’s response to Gerry Adams’ letter about the Burcombe sentencing here.

From David’s National Record of Achievement:

In my time at Brownlow College I have achieved a lot and have become an asset to the school with reference to Sport.  I have become very confident because I am good at a lot of things and have become very popular as a result of this.  I am Captain of my Sports House in school and I am the school Football Team Captain which means the rest of the pupils who are involved in football and athletics look up to me for support and inspiration.

Because I am good at art I was chosen for the position of Marketing Director in the school Business Studies Mini Company.  Art has also had me entered into competitions outside school and I was awarded £50 for designing Lurgan United’s badge for their football strip.

In my first year I sang in the school Variety Concert and was quite good.  In my last year of Brownlow I have found that even though I don’t know everyone in school, everybody knows me and people will speak to me who I don’t even know.  I am in that category of people who are the life of the school, who are always joking, cheering people up and just having a good time.  I get on with all the pupils, teachers and caretakers and am very rarely in trouble.

I am interested in lots of things, music, sport, art, television, hanging out with mates, going out with girls, going to discos and even school.

I am very keen on continuing on at school, completing my GCSE’s and going on to do further education and University.

I am confident I can make my way into the Smirnoff Irish League with a football team because at the moment I am doing well with the team I am playing for now.

Outside school I have been involved in a few activities.

I have played for a few football teams including Lurgan Town Under 13’s, Portadown Boys Under 14’s, Sunnyside Under 16’s and at the moment I am playing for Lurgan Institute Colts Under 16’s.

I have been involved with a Cross-Community group witih Drumgor Youth Club co-operating with Tagnaven.

In school I have achieved a lot over the years.  In Primary school I was the Overall sports day winner every year.  I was the only P5 pupil to play for the football team and when I got to P7 I was named Captain.

In Brownlow College I won the medal for Overall Sports Person in my year and a Shield for Overall winner in the school.  I won it the following year as well.

I entered the Variety Concert with three other boys this year and sang.