Fact or fiction? Horse stabbed by dart during 'local' burglary!
Fact or fiction? Horse stabbed by dart during 'local' burglary!
If local was 12,000 miles away...and last year
Welcome to the Armagh I newsletter. Great to have you here! This newsletter lands in your inbox every Tuesday and Friday morning. Help us to connect with others by sharing this edition. If you have received this newsletter and haven’t already subscribed, you can subscribe here
Good morning! We just wanted to use today’s newsletter to highlight the important role we play at Armagh I – and yes, it sounds all a bit self-congratulatory, but bear with us while we finish clapping ourselves on the back.
Last weekend we were sent a link to a post on a local community Facebook page – a fairly reputable and respected page. The post itself read:
"A robbery from a yard in the area last night is bad, but attacking an animal like this crowns it. To those in a white Audi; you were spotted. Please be vigilant in the area as suspicious activities in the past week have been prevalent."
Of course the incident, accompanied with a pretty graphic image, was quite shocking. This naturally would cause alarm. At this juncture, we contacted the page in question to ascertain a more accurate location and time of the incident in order to check with the police, first and foremost. The page responded:
"We do [have the details requested] but the owner of the property and animal wanted us to be vague so not to draw attention to his property."
This was a bit of a strange response given the nature of the incident and the fact the page highlighted it in the first place but we didn’t challenge it. In hindsight, why would a farmer not want this information made public when one of his horses was stabbed and his farm robbed/burgled?
So, we checked it out with police the following morning. To our surprise, no incident of this nature was reported in that general area in the previous week. With suspicions raised, we did a reverse image search on Google and voila, there was the same image – not zoomed in – used by a New Zealand newspaper back October 27, 2022. The incident happened at an equestrian centre in a place called Whanganui – not exactly on our doorstep.
We have a big social media following and we appreciate – and rely on – tips, but we always check them out. This was social media at its worst. We aren't naming the page in question because they removed the post when we informed them of our findings. Whether it was a genuine mistake, or an attempt to whip up hysteria, we don't know so it would be unfair to point fingers.
While we don't claim to be perfect all the time we do check out tips with the relevant authorities, and whether or not they lead to anything is another thing, but please do keep them coming in – we will check them out!
Headlines
Book lovers rejoice as Waterstones confirm plans to open at Rushmere
Belfast Giants fundraising to send ‘remarkable’ Tandragee teen Blake to Boston
Newry Canal oil spill culprits not yet named but NIEA following ‘a definite line of enquiry’
No objections as extension plans for Gilford Health Centre get thumbs-up
Armagh Taekwondo fighter shines with Bronze Medal at 2023 World Championships
Lurgan man told mother she had ‘ruined his life’ and he was there to ‘finish her off’
Social housing boost for Keady as ‘up to 50’ homes planned as part of £5m contract
Firefighter of 42 years ditches retirement party to rescue 28 calves from Cullyhanna slurry tank
North Street in Lurgan still open for business following partial collapse of Foresters building
Department will not engage with Republic over proposed £50m Newry bridge design
£1 for five hours rate for off-street car parking in ABC scrapped
Giveaways
Congratulations Angela Jordan! You are the winner of this week’s Omniplex Cinema giveaway, winning a pair of tickets “to the flicks”. Contact our office to arrange collection on 02837443043.
Don’t forget you can enter every week, as many times as you like!
Lookback
Few may remember the Beresford Arms Hotel but in 1970 a little of London’s cosmopolitan-living arrived at reception in the form of a new, fresh-faced Hotel manager.
According to The Armagh Observer, Mr. William Carmody had received his training with the prestigious Savoy Hotel Company in London and, at the tender age of 24, was declared to be one of ‘the youngest in the business’.
Mr. Carmody was additionally recognised as ‘an expert’ in wines and cuisine and intended to bring some big city flavour to the people of Armagh.
His plans didn’t stop there! The enthusiastic new manager had expressed his ambitious vision for a new foyer, the development of big and better functions, dinner parties and dancing.
