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A medieval silver ring dating back more than 800 years has been unearthed on a farm in Northern Ireland. The 12th century artefact was found by 17-year-old Conor Sandford as he was putting up a fence post at the edge of one of his father's fields near the village of Kilmore, Co Armagh. The teenager told a treasure trove hearing in Belfast today he initially thought the engraved finger ring was a ring pull from an old fizzy drink can. "Only when I was putting the soil back into the hole did I notice this wee thing sticking out," he...

A County Tyrone family could be in line for a reward after finding a rare Bronze Age gold bracelet on their land. Farmer Gary Sproule accidentally unearthed the precious artefact while ploughing over a field at Castlegore near Castlederg last April. The intricate item is believed to date from almost 1,000 years before the birth of Christ. An inquest was held yesterday in Belfast at which the item, which would have belonged to an important warrior or priest, was officially classified as treasure. Under the law, a ‘treasure trove’ inquest must be held by the coroner to determine the significance...

Security sources in Northern Ireland fear the next attack by Republican dissidents is likely to involve a bomb, Sky News has confirmed. It follows reports that the Real IRA has smuggled a large device into the province from the South. Sky's Home Affairs correspondent Mark White says the focus of investigations is now on a 300lb car bomb left at Castelwellen at the end of January. That bomb was diffused after a warning call was received. It caused a security alert outside the town for five days. Security sources suggest that whoever put the "sophisticated" device together was an experienced...

The officer was killed after being called out to the predominantly Catholic area of Lismore Manor in Craigavon, County Armagh. A spokesman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said: "We can now confirm that one police officer has died following a shooting incident that occurred shortly before 9pm in the Lismore Manor area of Craigavon." The attack is reported to have happened as the officer and a colleague were sitting in a car. The officer was pronounced dead in a nearby hospital, the PSNI added. The shooting comes two days after Real IRA dissidents shot and killed two...

A policeman was murdered in Northern Ireland last night days after two British soldiers were killed by republicans. The unnamed officer was shot dead in a patrol car in the Lismore Manor area of Craigavon, Co Armagh, 30 miles away from Belfast. Some reports suggest the policeman was shot in the head. The incident, which happened less than 48 hours after two British soldiers were shot dead by the Real IRA, has fuelled concerns that sectarianism has returned to Northern Ireland. Last night a leading Northern Ireland politician warned that 'we were staring into the abyss'.

The attack took place while the officer was investigating suspicious activity David Sharrock, Ireland Correspondent A police officer died tonight after being shot in an attack in Northern Ireland, the third member of the security forces to die in the last 48 hours. It marked a dangerous and sudden escalation in violence in the province which threatened to draw a counter-reaction from loyalist paramilitaries. “We are tonight staring into the abyss,” said Dolores Kelly, a member of the nationalist SDLP who sits on the province’s policing board. “I would appeal to people to pull back. “I certainly would want to...

A police officer has died following a shooting incident in Craigavon, County Armagh. The incident is understood to have happened near Lismore Manor in the Brownlow area as police investigated reports of suspicious activity. The attack follows the weekend murder of two soldiers outside an Army base in Antrim. The Real IRA said they were responsible for that shooting. Politicians have condemned the latest killing of a security force member. DUP assembly member David Simpson described the attack as an "outrage" and said those behind it were "vermin". "What we have seen over the last 36 hours is a deliberate...

Environment Minister Sammy Wilson has banned government television adverts in Northern Ireland warning of the effects of climate change, it emerged today. The DUP man said he was not prepared to allow “insidious New Labour propaganda” about the impact of climate change which would have been screened on UTV. “It was the sheer arrogance of them saying ‘we are doing this’ and yet they have had no consultation with my Department whatsoever. This is a devolved responsibility so they were also wrong constitutionally,” he said. Mr Wilson said the adverts attempted to tell people that simple measures like changing their...

The Northern Ireland woman who contracted the rabies virus while working with abandoned animals in South Africa has lost her fight for life. Lisa McMurray had spent weeks in the Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Victoria Hospital after contracting the deadly disease.

Spending billions on trying to reduce carbon emissions is one giant con that is depriving third world countries of vital funds to tackle famine, HIV and other diseases, Sammy Wilson said. The DUP minister has been heavily criticised by environmentalists for claiming that ongoing climatic shifts are down to nature and not mankind. But while acknowledging his views on global warming may not be popular, the East Antrim MP said he was not prepared to be bullied by eco fundamentalists. “I’ll not be stopped saying what I believe needs to be said about climate change,” he said. "Most of the...

Police have recovered a so-called 'coffee jar bomb' following a security alert in west Belfast on Wednesday....

Draconian rules imposed by the Chinese authorities mean that flags of any non-competing nation are likely to be confiscated from fans, who could be barred from venues if they refuse to comply. Athletes could even be disqualified from competing if they break the rules. Because Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland are not individually represented at the games, only the Union Flag of Great Britain will be allowed inside the stadiums. The regulation is widely believed to be aimed at preventing supporters of an independent Tibet from making political statements by waving its flag, but it will be enforced...

It has become fashionable to look to the lessons of the peace process in Northern Ireland as holding insights for other areas of conflict in the world. However, this has been done in an uncritical way, often more focused on contemporary agendas than on the core realities unique to the region, which do not necessarily translate elsewhere.

The President and First Lady continued their visit to United Kingdom today spending part of the day in London and then travelling to Northern Ireland before departing for Washington. There were some serious meetings where the Presdent was assure that Britain would continue their support and in fact would increase troops in Afganistan. The relationship between Gordon Brown and the President seemed more relaxed than at any of their previous meeting. On a lighter level the President and First Lady visited an integrated primary school in Belfast and the First Lady also visited the British Museum earlier in the day...

A complaint has been made to police about comments made by a Northern Ireland DUP MP about gay people. Iris Robinson, the chair of the Stormont health committee, called homosexuality an "abomination" and urged gay people to seek counseling. John O'Doherty, a member of the South Belfast District Policing Partnership, said he has complained to police. "People like Mrs. Robinson need to learn that their comments have consequences," he said. This is the second complaint in relation to the Strangford MP's remarks. Mrs Robinson made her comments on BBC Radio Ulster's Nolan Show on Friday. She said she would defend...

'Gay counselling' call rejected Iris Robinson said gay people should seek counselling A gay rights campaigner has rejected a Northern Ireland assembly member's call for homosexuals to seek psychiatric counselling.David McCartney from the Rainbow Project was responding to comments from Iris Robinson, who is the chair of the Stormont health committee. Mrs Robinson said with help, gay people could be "turned around". Mr McCartney said there was "no body of evidence" to support this and asked to meet the MP. Mrs Robinson made her comments on BBC Radio Ulster's Nolan Show on Friday. She said she would defend her...

Key players in the negotiations which led to the Good Friday agreement have been reunited in Belfast today, to mark 10 years since the deal was signed. The Irish taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, will join other politicians such as Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams and former US senator George Mitchell for a conference celebrating the agreement. But other major players in the negotiations will be absent from today's celebrations. Bill Clinton, the former US president, has pulled out, while Tony Blair has other commitments. Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland's deputy first minister, is on an official visit to the US and Ian...

Obama's camp: Hillary's Ireland claims are blarney WOOING IRISH | He says she exaggerates her role in peace process March 16, 2008 BY ABDON M. PALLASCH Political Reporter/apallasch@suntimes.com Marching in Scranton and Pittsburgh, Pa.'s, St. Patrick's Day parade Saturday seemed a perfect time for White House hopeful Hillary Clinton to release her Northern Ireland position paper. Irish Catholics will be a sizable part of the electorate in Pennsyvania's April 22 Democratic presidential primary. As a regular part of her stump speech, Clinton cites what she says is her role in helping to bring peace to Northern Ireland as evidence of...

Finally some examination and some information about this vast experience Hillary Clinton claims - like helping to bring peace to Northern Ireland: Hillary Clinton had no direct role in bringing peace to Northern Ireland and is a "wee bit silly" for exaggerating the part she played, according to Lord Trimble of Lisnagarvey, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and former First Minister of the province. But to hear Hillary Clinton, she was right in the middle of it: "I helped to bring peace to Northern Ireland," she told CNN on Wednesday. However, the real players disagree: But negotiators from the parties...

Hillary Clinton had no direct role in bringing peace to Northern Ireland and is a "wee bit silly" for exaggerating the part she played, according to Lord Trimble of Lisnagarvey, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and former First Minister of the province.