It’s been another busy year in office… 365 days come and go in the blink of an eye!
Time flies by so quickly that, by the time we get to this stage, we often wonder what actually happened in that 12 month period?
At Armagh I we consistently aim to bring you an equal helping of the good and bad, the happy and sad… and everything in between.
Looking back over our headlines in the last year it’s clear that 2025 has been no different to any other year.
January proved to be a bit of a chaotic start with the arrival of Storm Éowyn. It left a trail of devastation that extended well beyond the county.
Wind speeds of up to 102 mph left some 283,000 homes without power across Northern Ireland in the aftermath. And perhaps most notably – on a local scale – Gosford Forest Park saw many hundreds of trees uprooted.
In August – eight months after the storm – Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council were told that the park could take up to ten years to fully recover from the devastating effects of the storm.
And while we are busy digging up the past, in February, the new owners of Milford’s Killynure House literally did just that, when they found a letter detailing its history hidden in floorboards during renovations!
The letter was written by the previous owners’ ten-year-old daughter with a level of foresight far beyond her years.
Killynure House’s claim to fame was that it was constructed in 1883 by the founding family of HSBC bank. Since then, new owner, Lisa believed there may have been four additional families to have lived in the property.
Amanda Knox wrote the letter and placed it inside a little bottle… it was dated 1969.
Lisa – the home’s current owner – said of Amanda: “She actually passed in 2015, because we looked into it. It was nice for us to find it. It was like, ‘We got your letter, kind and thank you for letting us know about the history because we are so intrigued by it’.
Fast forward slightly to April to one of our most well-read stories this year. Twenty-four-year-old Killylea man, Sam Murray captured the hearts of Co Armagh when he made the decision to start an inclusive sports group for children with disabilities after tiring of watching his younger brother miss out.
Watching his younger brother Henry being left out of rugby on a weekly basis really opened his eyes to a lack of disabled-access sports provision in the county.
His new club, called ‘Brave Buddies’ started life at Orchard Leisure Centre but was so well received that he was able to branch out to additional locations almost immediately.
Sam was also crowned Armagh I‘s Inspirational Young Person in the People of the Year Awards just months later, in August.
In May, DUP Communities Minister Gordon Lyons attended his first ever GAA match as Armagh beat Derry in the Athletic Grounds in their All-Ireland opener.
Mr Lyons – who is responsible for sport in Northern Ireland – watched the then current All-Ireland champions begin their defence of Sam Maguire with a nervy four-point win over their Ulster rivals.
Alas, it wasn’t to be a two-year title for the Orchard County side… Armagh were put out of the running by Kerry – who would then go on too lift the Sam Maguire Cup – in the quarter finals in June.
For the month that’s in it, July saw one of county Armagh’s newest flute bands enjoy its first ever twelfth of July parade.
The ‘blood and thunder’ [meaning a combination of flutes and drums] Cargans Memorial Flute Band were established in Tandragee in September 2024 and “proudly walks” with Cargans Memorial L.O.L 122.
For a band in its infancy it has had considerable intake, boasting over 40 members in its first year. It’s thought to be the county’s newest band and possibly the first in Tandragee town for approximately ten years.
One of the founding members, Don Redpath said: “The request to form this band has come from current members within Cargan Memorial LOL 122 as we had no band associated with the lodge and we had also considerable interest from the public to see a flute band return to the streets of Tandragee.”
They had a fabulous first Twelfth of July in Keady on what turned out to be a scorcher of a day – with temperatures reaching 30 degrees!
Then in August, the city was left shaken by a shocking and terrifying incident, when a man walked into the Toby Jug pub on Irish Street and threw a petrol bomb at patrons… with children present.
Two men were left badly injured during the attack. Thirty-eight-year-old John Patrick Nixon was arrested and charged with two counts of attempted murder, arson with intent to endanger life, possession of a blade or point, and three counts of criminal damage.
The Toby Jug, however, with incredible public support remained resolute in the face of adversity and managed to open their doors just days later… announcing proudly that it was “business as usual!”
Regrettably, September brought with it shock and sadness following the sudden passing of local undertaker and ‘absolute gentleman’ Ian Milne.
Mr Milne, who was a former police officer, passed suddenly at the age of 64 at his Banbridge home on September 28.
The funeral director established funeral homes in Portadown, Lurgan and Banbridge with the first established in 2000.
Many local representatives shared their condolences at the loss of such an influential local figure. Ulster Unionist Councillor Julie Flaherty – for one – regarded him as a “great source of help and advice” when she was working on the Children’s funeral Fund NI.
Then in November, readers responded en masse to the heart-warming and inspirational story of 70-year-old Ala Al-Janabi who took up the new sport of table tennis with such intensity, passion and ambition that his tale was nothing short of extraordinary.
Despite only picking up the bat little over a year ago, the Kilmore resident has become one of the most energetic advocates for the sport.
Ala is now also a qualified referee, responsible for entire events rather than a single table and his passion even took him to China… one of the most table-tennis centric countries in the world!
To round off the year, this December, we will highlight the inspirational story of young dog handler, Dearbhla Nugent.
Dearbhla has had what can only be described as a “phenomenal” year replete with achievements alongside her prize pooch, Didi.
Just this month, the St Catherine’s College pupil was crowned Ireland’s Junior Handler of the Year 2025 in Dublin and she’s now heading into a colossal 2026 with Crufts on the horizon!
A little birdy told us that – so impressive are her achievements – that she might even have an interview lined up with a broadcaster before the year is out!
From all of us here at Armagh I, thank you for yet another unforgettable year. As always, stay in touch and keep bringing us your stories… especially those of a more positive ilk!
A very Happy New Year to you all.
