“It’s just a fantastic space as well – there’s so much under one roof”

Belfast’s historic weekend market is embracing the spirit of the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann as traders celebrate a week-long opening.

Located in the heart of Belfast City Centre, St George’s Market is combining a fantastic selection of local and international traders with a full live trad music programme until August 9.

Three days into Fleadh celebrations at the market, Belfast Live headed down to chat to vendors about what it means to be able to trade during the landmark event for Belfast and soak up the buzzy atmosphere on Tuesday afternoon.

1to1 Music is combining showcasing its locally made guitar straps and music gear with its own mini sessions right in front of its stall.

Co Tyrone musician Finn McGinn encouraged visiting musicians and locals alike to come down to St George’s Market and avail of the “coolest guitar straps you’ve ever seen” while out celebrating the Fleadh.

His colleague added: “The city centre’s buzzing – there’s all the streets are closed and there’s loads of bars ticking about in different stands.

“But there are a lot of local people in here actually selling stuff that they’ve made. Our guitar straps are all made by us and the whistle cases, they’re hand stitched and designed by us as well.

“It’s good fun in here as well, I like talking to all the people. It’s nice talking to them and seeing what they are doing here and what else they’ve enjoyed.”

Melting Pot Fudge is a well-known presence at the market every week and is delighted to be able to show off its locally made treats for the entire week.

With their fudge being made only one mile from St George’s Market, General Manager Jack McAdorey said the Fleadh celebrations at the market have only “levelled-up” what the market is offering every weekend.

“It’s amazing every weekend anyway – it’s a good atmosphere, it’s a great part of Belfast and it’s a good part of Belfast heritage,” he explained.

Jack added that the extra opening hours have allowed more tourists and visitors to experience the market, bringing “more energy”, which has been exciting for guests and traders alike.

“Come down and see the amazing selection of products that we have – food, art, everything really. Come down yourself, see it, listen to some music, try some products, get a free sample of fudge and get some fudge ice cream.

“Come down and have a laugh.”

Amy’s brand, Sage and Soul, specialises in handmade resin jewellery, trinkets, gifts and more. She has said the Fleadh has allowed her to chat to some brilliant people and has enjoyed meeting the people who are taking home her creations.

Amy said: “I think it’s great because obviously a lot of the city centre is pedestrianised, so I think it’s an amazing opportunity for people from the country and tourists alike to get down, have a wee nosey, come try lots of really yummy foods and shop lots of local crafts.

“It’s just a fantastic space as well – there’s so much under one roof.”

Lydia, a Co Fermanagh native who now runs her independent Irish fashion and graphic apparel brand from Dublin, said it was amazing to be able to have a stall at St George’s Market all week during the Fleadh.

“We’re a small Irish-owned brand called Deluly, and we screen print on t-shirts – so all the designs are inspired by Irish culture and the iconography and everything like that.

“All the stalls here are great, there’s such a wide variety. For us, we’re just so happy to be here in Belfast – hopefully people like our bits and support small businesses.”

She added that there has been “such a buzz” at St George’s Market, a sentiment felt by the market’s new and more established traders alike.

SporeShore Mushrooms have been trading at the market for over six years – they sell speciality mushrooms grown in Ballywalter and are at St George’s Market every weekend.

Suzanne, whose son Connor founded the business, is a musician herself and said the atmosphere surrounding the Fleadh at the market has been great.

“It’s been great having all the different performers in and the Irish dancers too- the atmosphere has been great.

“We’ve had people from Brazil, from Italy, from France and from Germany at the stall so please come and meet international people.”

St George’s Market is open for business from 10am to 5pm on Wednesday, then 10am to 10pm on Thursday to Sunday.

Find out more about Fleadh celebrations at the market here

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“For trans, intersex and gender non-conforming individuals, as well as those men and women who do not fit normative social representations of gender, these guidelines present the danger of discrimination and prejudice in the spaces where we should be prioritising care, support and service provision,” she added.

Man Utd would love to sign Lewis Hall from Newcastle, but the deal has been unlikely since the start of the transfer window.

Manchester United have been linked to more players than usual in this transfer window. It’s nothing new for an agent to claim England’s biggest club is interested in their client to drum up interest but, of course, some of the players linked have been legitimate.

United now have a long shortlist of potential signings for each position, compiled by the data department, which has received significant investment over the last 18 months.

Michael Sansoni was lured from the Mercedes F1 team to join United as their director of data. Sansoni has overseen the transformation of the data department, which now plays an even greater role in recruitment.

The theory is that the data boffins can crunch numbers on players and provide depth to traditional scouting methods. The numbers should also help United to identify alternatives to targets they may miss out on.

Mateus Fernandes wasn’t far behind Elliot Anderson on key midfield metrics in the Premier League last season, so it wasn’t a surprise that United attempted to sign him from West Ham after missing out on Anderson.

Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans were identified as market opportunities once it became clear Tottenham would win the race for Fernandes, with the data department offering context at every turn.

It looks like United will have to put faith in their algorithms again to sign a left-back this summer. The pursuit of Lewis Hall was unlikely to be successful from the start of the window, given the other players Newcastle had earmarked to sell, and United may have to give up the chase.

Newcastle do not want to sell Hall, who has three years remaining on his contract at St. James’ Park. That stance could be tested with a large financial offer, perhaps around £70million, but that is a huge sum.

United turn to the longlist of targets compiled by the data department in such scenarios. Is there a suitable alternative out there? Could they be signed for a value fee? Those are the types of questions asked.

Jorge Salinas is an interesting name that has cropped up. The defender plays for Racing de Santander, who were crowned the La Liga 2 champions last season to secure promotion to the Spanish top flight.

The 19-year-old made 34 appearances in an impressive campaign for Racing, and he caught the eye of British scouts when he starred at the Under-19 European Championship, which was played in Wales earlier this summer.

United have decided to sign players from similar tournaments in the past. It was Sekou Kone’s performances at the Under-17 World Cup that convinced United, while a deal was submitted for Cristian Orozco after he helped Colombia reach the final of the U17 South American Championship.

The difference is that both of those players were signed for the academy, and Salinas has been tipped as a possible alternative to Hall, but he is further ahead in his career after already excelling at senior level.

Salinas is said to have a €16m (£13.7m) release clause at Racing, so he would be available for a fraction of what Hall would cost and would be a clear deputy to Luke Shaw, who has shown no signs of decline.

Shaw was excellent last season, starting all 38 Premier League games. The problem is that his body cannot cope with two games per week, although his performances indicate he does not need to be replaced outright.

Hall is seen as the perfect heir to Shaw, the dream long-term successor, but United would have two starting left-backs if they somehow agreed a deal with Newcastle, which could cause some friction.

Salinas would not expect the lion’s share of starts in comparison. There are plenty of minutes to go around, and he could stake a claim over time to be first choice, but Shaw would continue to be the No.1 in his position.

Barcelona have also been linked to Salinas, who seems destined for a big move. Maybe United should try to lure him to Old Trafford.

They’re everywhere. Crawling on the worktops, buzzing against the windows, hovering around food, humming and clustering near the bins and the fruit bowls. Britain is suffering a plague of flies.

Some towns are so badly affected that desperate residents in the worst affected places, such as Congleton, Cheshire, are putting their homes up for sale. More than 1,250 locals there have signed a petition begging the council to take some kind of action.

‘The flies are more than just an annoyance; they contaminate food and can carry diseases,’ pleads 27-year-old mother Francesca Davies, who launched the petition. ‘The toll on our daily lives is tremendous.’

One neighbour calls it ‘unbearable’. Another says: ‘Imagine never being able to open your doors or windows for more than a few seconds. No eating outside. Every action you take has to be considered in terms of how many flies it’ll let into your home.’ A third says her children can no longer play in the garden because of the swarms.

In Llanelli, west Wales, locals say they are prisoners in their own homes, unable to open a window without dozens of flies rushing in. And in Sileby, Leicestershire, residents say the fly infestations make their lives ‘intolerable’. One fed-up homeowner, Colin Readwin, told the BBC last month: ‘We’ve had candles going, we’ve had fly spray, we’ve been flicking them with dusters and they’re buzzing around your head. It’s awful.’

So what are the causes – and the cures? When candles and fly spray don’t fix the problem, what can you do? And what are the old wives’ tips to avoid?

Why is it so bad this year?

The heatwave that hit Britain in June, with temperatures rising to 37.7C (99.8F), breaking previous records for the month by more than two degrees Celsius, has created perfect conditions for flies to breed.

Dr Cameron Webb, a clinical lecturer at Sydney Medical School, says: ‘An old-school fly swat works a treat’

Flies of all kinds are coldblooded or ‘ectotherms’, meaning they are unable to regulate their own body temperature. In winter they are sluggish but are highly active in hot weather. Their metabolisms accelerate and larvae develop into adults far faster, in less than a week, so that their breeding cycle speeds up exponentially.

Wasps, which are one of the most effective predators of flies, have also been affected by this year’s unusual weather. Their numbers are down, thanks to the intense wet weather during spring followed by late frosts in May that killed off many wasp queens.

The subsequent heatwaves meant flowers dried up, starving the wasps of their nectar supply. Wasps are the apex predators in insect populations and even their larvae are carnivorous. Without them, flies will multiply unchecked – and they can mate on their first day of adult life.

Adults can live for up to a month and females will lay up to 100 eggs in a batch within two days of mating, several times during a lifetime.

Are they really a health hazard?

The common house fly carries so many germs that in Australia they are known as ‘filth flies’. Their feet and bodies become crusted in particles from anything they touch, from faeces to rotting animal carcases, which they use as beds for laying eggs.

When they land on food, they regurgitate a toxic sludge rich in bacteria which produces enzymes that help break it down so they can then suck it into their guts. They also excrete frequently.

In other words, if a fly lands on food even briefly, it is likely to be contaminated with their vomit and faeces, as well as ordure brought from other sources. They spread many serious types of disease and infection, including salmonella and E. coli, as well as bacteria that are increasingly resistant to antibiotics such as some strains of staphylococcus.

A 2023 study for the US National Library Of Medicine warned: ‘As gregarious and indiscriminate feeders, house flies bridge the gap between filth or other sources of bacteria (manure, feed waste, sick animals) and areas of human habitation.’

What can you do?

As Dr Cameron Webb, a clinical lecturer at Sydney Medical School, says: ‘An old-school fly swat works a treat.’

Locals in Llanelli have also been posting pictures of flypaper strips, coated with the bodies of hundreds of flies. You can buy ten rolls online for less than a fiver. They are effective, attracting insects with a sweet scent and trapping them on the sticky surface.

Strong scents can deter flies, such as coffee and cinnamon, as it confuses their sensitive odour receptors

But killing them doesn’t solve the problem. At best, it only keeps them at bay – and by the time you smack one with a rolled-up Daily Mail, it might already have transferred microbes to your kitchen surfaces. Instead, follow these tips to keep your family safe:

Put a fan on: Strong air currents make it difficult for flies to settle. An electric fan won’t keep them out of the kitchen but should keep them away from food.

Have a brew: Flies hate the smell of coffee. Biologists suspect the strong aroma confuses their sensitive odour receptors. They also avoid smoke, from an instinct to stay away from fire.

One effective remedy combines both these repellents. Take a couple of scoops of used coffee grounds and empty them into a baking tray. Place it in a hot oven for 15 minutes and leave the smouldering tray on a heatproof kitchen worktop. The fumes will keep flies away for around three hours, even if you leave your doors and windows open.

Use perfume: Burnt coffee isn’t everyone’s favourite smell. Rolls of cinnamon, roasted on the stove, can also be effective, if you don’t mind your home smelling like Christmas during the height of summer.

But other strong scents can work wonders. Boiled orange and lemon peel releases limonene, a fruity air freshener that flies dislike. Lavender is also a natural fly deterrent, thanks to its high linalool content – a natural form of terpene alcohol. Linalool also occurs in mint and citrus plants.

If you’re unable to grow these in your garden or window boxes, try using a cheap plastic spray bottle filled with water and about a dozen drops of essential oil of lavender, added to a teaspoonful of witch hazel to help the oil and water mix.

Another method is to add drops of eucalyptus or peppermint oil to white wine vinegar. Spray this liberally around doors and windows, as well as bins and drains. It’s important to empty your bins regularly, of course – and never put liquid in a bin. That makes any food waste rot faster, attracting more flies.

Go a bit mad: Flies detest vodka, though spraying this is not recommended unless you want your home to smell like the morning-after in a student bar. Bizarrely, they are also averse to cucumber. Chopped or sliced, and left on the windowsill, it might help to keep them away.

If you recycle food waste but find flies are buzzing around the tub, try putting it in a carrier bag instead – and keep the bag in the freezer until it’s time for the bin lorry to collect it.

You could try setting a trap too. Flies love the sugary smell of sweet apple cider vinegar, so pour some into a glass, cover it with clingfilm, and poke a few holes in the lid. The flies can get in… but they can’t get out.

What doesn’t work is filling a clear plastic bag with water, dropping in a few shiny coins and tying it up by the window.

The theory is that flies, which have fragmented, kaleidoscopic vision, will see multiple glittering images and buzz away with a headache.

In reality, the flies will just ignore the device – so it’s back to the rolled-up newspaper.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is aiming to reach 30 million registered donors by the end of the year, up from the current total of around 29 million.

The campaign, called “One in a Million,” comes in response to declining family consent rates.

Across the UK, family consent has dropped from 69 per cent in 2020/21 to just 57 per cent in 2025/26.

NHS Organ Donor Card (Image: Supplied)

Anthony Clarkson, director of organ and tissue donation and transplantation at NHSBT, said: “Family support for organ donation has been in steady decline over the last few years, and we need to reverse that trend.

“We understand that when families are approached about organ donation, they may be expected to make difficult decisions at an already tragic time.

“That’s why we are asking people in the North East and Yorkshire to be ‘One in a Million’ and drive up the number of people on the NHS Organ Donor Register to 30 million by the start of 2027.

“It gives your family that certainty that you want donation to go ahead and it’s expected that they honour that decision.”

NHS Organ Donor vehicle (Image: Supplied)

Mr Clarkson said even when the wish to donate is recorded, families do sometimes override the decision, leading to lost opportunities for transplants.

He said: “I would urge people who haven’t already done so to express your decision to donate via the Organ Donor Register and for families to remember that decision and honour it should the time come.

“It’s the final act you can do for them to honour their memory and leave a lasting legacy to be proud of.”

3.6 million residents in the North East and Yorkshire are already registered donors.

However, the gap between those willing to donate and those in need remains significant.

Last year in the region, 302 people donated organs after death, an increase from 254 the year before.

Despite this rise, 1,132 patients in the North East and Yorkshire remain on the waiting list for a life-saving transplant.

Nationally, the situation is even more stark.

As of March 31, 2026, there were 8,296 patients on the active UK transplant waiting list, including 241 children.

Last year alone, 434 patients died while waiting for a transplant—63 of them in the North East and Yorkshire.

A further 899 patients were removed from the list due to deteriorating health, and many of them are also believed to have died soon afterwards.

Last year across the UK, 1,428 people donated organs after death, and 4,666 patients received transplants—a two per cent increase from the previous year.

The number of living donors also rose by two per cent to 1,017, making up 42 per cent of all donors.

There was a six per cent rise in corneal transplants, restoring sight to thousands of people.

While public support for organ donation remains high, there is a growing gap between that support and the number of people formally recording their decision.

NHSBT said it is working to modernise systems and invest in new technologies to make more transplants possible.

Earlier this year, the Organ Donation Joint Working Group (ODJWG) released a report calling for a “bolder, braver approach to organ donation.”

The group was formed after the transplant waiting list reached a record high and nearly 5,000 people died without a transplant over the past decade.

The report sets out three key ambitions:

Increasing formal registrations and consent to match public support, Creating a positive clinical culture that prioritises the donor’s wishes and supports families through specialist nurses, Improving how performance is monitored and providing ethical guidance on new and emerging issues.

NHSBT continues to encourage people to talk to their families about their wishes and to formally record their consent on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

And despite turning 70 later this year, retirement is not yet on her agenda!

This Margaret McCracken who is celebrating an extraordinary milestone. She is marking 52 years in nursing and a long career dedicated to caring for countless patients.

Margaret began her nursing career in 1974 at the Royal Victoria Hospital, gaining invaluable experience on the wards during the Troubles before going on to hold a number of senior leadership roles within the voluntary sector, including Directorships with Mencap.

Despite her success outside frontline care, Margaret found herself drawn back to nursing.

She explained: “I missed the clinical side of nursing and I had started bank shifts at the Ulster Hospital. One of the permanent staff was going off on holidays and I was asked to cover for two weeks, 27 years later, I am still here!”

Now a valued member of the South Eastern Trust Fracture Clinic Team, Margaret says it is the people and the team spirit that have made her career at the Trust so rewarding.

Margaret said: “I just love the department and the whole set-up. I have made so many friends and this is a great place to work and we all work together as a team.

“The doctors, physiotherapists and nursing staff, everyone works together and we are friends as well as colleagues.”

Nursing has become a family tradition, with both Margaret’s daughter and son also choosing careers within the South Eastern Trust.

With thousands of students preparing to receive their exam results over the coming weeks, Margaret encouraged anyone considering a career in nursing to pursue their ambitions.

Margaret added: “It is great that nurses now qualify with a degree. It was not like that when I trained. I am a great believer in learning the basics first and always follow a career path and go as far as you think you are capable of.

“You have to care about people, enjoy what you do, be able to make decisions and work as part of a team.”