“The friendships formed and memories made within these walls will stay with us forever.”

The owners of an iconic West Belfast pub have thanked staff and customers for their support over the years as they close their doors.

The Rock Bar has been a staple on the Falls Road for decades, well-known over the years for its live music offering, including the famous Rebel Sunday event.

Its doors closed for the final time on Monday, June 1, after the expiry of their lease. The pub’s owners confirmed the news in an emotional statement on social media on Saturday, June 6.

They said: “As many of you now know, our doors closed for the final time on Monday following the expiry of our lease.

“It is difficult to put into words what this place has meant to us over the years. What started as a bar became a home away from home for so many people, filled with laughter, music, friendship and unforgettable memories.

“We want to sincerely thank every member of staff, past and present, who played a part in our journey. Your hard work and dedication helped create the welcoming atmosphere that made this place so special.

“To our customers, thank you for your support throughout the years. Whether you joined us for a quiet drink, celebrated life’s milestones with us, enjoyed our famous Rebel Sunday sessions or came along every week to support our live singers and musicians, you made this bar what it was. The friendships formed and memories made within these walls will stay with us forever.”

The statement added: “A special thank you goes to all the talented singers and musicians who brought the place to life week after week. The music was at the heart of so many great nights and we were privileged to share them with you all.

“While we are saddened that this chapter has come to an end, we leave with immense pride and gratitude. The support we received from our community over the years was incredible and we will never forget it.

“Thank you for every pint poured, every song sung, every story shared and every memory made. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being part of our journey. Though our doors have now closed, the memories will live on forever.”

Earlier this week, the future of the pub came into question after it was listed for sale on PropertyPal. This prompted many people to take to social media to express sadness at the loss of the much-loved bar, while sharing memories of time spent at the West Belfast venue.

The Rock Bar, located at 491-493 Falls Road, was built back in 1901 by Frank O’Neill and has survived significant conflict including a rocket attack during The Troubles.

The traditional pub has many of its original features, including five snugs. It is located in a Grade B2 listed building, reflecting its architectural and cultural significance.

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“My appeal would be directly to them to come forward, anybody that may have any information with regard to what happened to Jerry and Ben on that day on June 7, please contact us, to any Garda station, our confidential number, reach out to us, give us that information and we will assist in bringing this matter to a close for Ann.

The annual triathlon saw thousands of athletes pushing themselves to the limits as they swam, cycled and ran through the streets which were lined with spectators who cheered on the competitors.

The race began in the freezing water of Pennington Flash in Leigh just after 6am for a 1.2 mile swim, before cycling 56 miles through Leigh, Atherton, Westhoughton, Horwich and Bolton and ending in a half marathon around the town centre, Queens Park and Chorley New Road.

The first athlete to cross the finish line was Levin Veale, who remarkably achieved a sub-four hour time.

Speaking after the race, Levin said it was “pretty spectacular” to win his first ever IRONMAN 70.3 and praised the support from those watching on.

AS IT HAPPENED: All the action as IRONMAN 70.3 returns to Bolton

Levin Veale was the only athlete to finish in under four hours (Image: Phil Taylor)

Levin, from Devon, said: “I’ve had a few friends say it’s a hard course but it wasn’t as bad as they made it out to be.

“I don’t think they can make the run much tougher though – running in the park is pretty horrible.

“Running up some of them ridiculously steep hills, that blew me up.”

Levin grabs some water while running through Bolton town centre (Image: Phil Taylor)

When asked about the atmosphere, he said: “It was great – there was great support out on the bike, especially around the flash.

“On the first lap on the run, I think most people were still either in bed, but when the second lap came around it was great.”

While Levin was a first-time winner, the first female to cross the line was certainly not, with Katie Walker retaining her title as the female winner in Bolton with a second consecutive win.

Elation from Katie Walker at the finish line (Image: Phil Taylor)

Speaking at the finish line, she said: “I think it actually suits me really well as a course and I think that’s why I want to come back because I like the hills.

“I honestly don’t think the main hill is that bad and I honestly enjoy going up it.

“People might say I’m crazy but I just love this course.”

Katie Walker is the back-to-back female champion in Bolton (Image: Henry Lisowski)

She also praised the Bolton crowds, saying: “The support here is always incredible, there’s nothing like it, not in any other race.”

Asked if she planned to return next year to try and defend her title again, she replied: “Maybe, I’m definitely tempted, it’s such a good race.”

Both winners recalled when they felt confident they would win their respective categories, with Levin saying: “I think it was when I got to the very top of the run on the main road [I] turned around and saw how much of a lead I still had and I was like ‘ok, I’ve got this’. I mean there was still a long way to go so I had to keep it within myself.”

Katie, from Cornwall, said: “I think when the lead opened up to like a minute-and-a-half and I just thought ‘if I at least stay at the pace I’m running then I should hopefully be able to hold them off.’”

People were urged to leave their homes as explosives specialists descended on the scene

A backpack sparked a major emergency response with bomb disposal units called out to the scene in Fallowfield, the M.E.N understands. Residents were evacuated from their homes amid the incident on Abram Close on Saturday night (June 6).

The residential street was taped off and became a scene busy with emergency services, including fire crews, ambulances and army bomb disposal experts, following the report made at around 6pm.

Around 20 neighbouring properties were advised to evacuate, with residents not allowed to return home until around 11pm. One resident described seeing a bomb disposal robot being sent into the property with investigations focussed around a front garden.

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A cordon remained in place into the early hours of Sunday morning. It’s now understood this followed reports of a backpack containing bottles filled with an unknown substance. Investigations into the incident remain ongoing.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed on Sunday that the scene had been stood down with a full investigation underway. No further details have been released.

One resident described seeing a bomb disposal robot being sent into the property. He said: “I’m a bit nervous about what’s going on right now. This is quite a peaceful neighbourhood. This community is really tiny.”

Another eyewitness told the Manchester Evening News: “I was going to my sister’s and they were telling everyone to evacuate out of the streets. They would not let us through and they started to put a cordon up. Everybody was told to go back. They pushed everyone back. There are loads of fire crews and ambulances here.”

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police confirmed officers were called to a ‘suspicious item in a front garden’ shortly after 6.05pm. One eye witness told the Manchester Evening News: “I was going to my sister’s and they were telling everyone to evacuate out of the streets. They would not let us through and they started to put a cordon up.

In an update on Sunday, the force added: “The scene has been stood down, package safely removed and an investigation is ongoing into the full circumstances.”

EXCLUSIVE: The Scottish Greens will not vote for a Labour plan for a Scottish Parliament probe.

Plans for a Holyrood inquiry into Peter Murrell’s corruption appear to be dead due to Scottish Green opposition to an MSP probe.

The Greens will vote against the plan this week after claiming an investigation would turn the Parliament into a “political circus”.

Crooked Murrell is facing jail time after he admitted embezzling over £400,000 of funds from the SNP when he was married to Nicola Sturgeon.

Rival parties say the scandal raises huge questions about SNP governance failings and whether public money was stolen.

Delays to the case and the length of time spent by the police investigating the theft have also come under scrutiny.

Scottish Labour want a Holyrood inquiry into the scandal and will force a vote on Wednesday.

With the SNP opposed to a probe, the Scottish Greens are have the power to green light or block an investigation.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Greens said they will vote against the inquiry proposal:

“Peter Murrell’s crimes were a terrible breach of the trust of SNP members and supporters. He will now face the consequences of that.

“If further investigations are needed, they should be led by the independent Electoral Commission or Police Scotland, not political parties.

“There is an obvious conflict of interest in parties ‘investigating’ each other like this, not to mention the cost on top of the millions already spent on the police investigation.

“Scottish Green MSPs will focus on delivering policies that save people money and protect our planet. That is what all parties should focus on, rather than trying to turn our justice system into a political circus.”

If Holyrood refuses to launch a probe, Westminster’s Scottish Affairs committee is ready to embark on its own investigation.

It is understood the committee has already begun a scoping exercise on a potential probe.

“We have never raised our prices since opening, we keep things really affordable, so to call us disgusting just baffles me.”

A Stockport restaurant’s response to a one-star review has received a flood of support after they spoke out following a visitor’s one-star review, which was ‘edited and reposted’ six months after they dined there.

The Mekong Cat, an Asian restaurant located on Lower Hillgate, took to Facebook to give feedback on a one-star Google Review. In the post the restaurant explained that it doesn’t focus on negative reviews, with a “4.8 rating on Google”. But after a review was edited and reposted, The Mekong Cat said it would “publicly shame” them.

In the review posted on Google, the customer had complained about how cold the restaurant was, saying they couldn’t “take their coat off”. They also took issue with the fact “mains came out at different times” and said that paying £2.50 for a can of Diet Coke was “disgusting”.

The Mekong Cat, which serves Southeast Asian cuisine inspired by countries along the Mekong River, responded to the review and explained its food costs. In a Facebook post shared on Saturday, June 6, the venue wrote: …”the average plate at our establishment is about £11-12 for homemade noodles and broths that take hours to make. Our portions are generous, and our profit margins are low.

“We are able to do this because we’re always busy, perform at a high volume, and even though Stockport thinks it’s bougie, we are still located around a food pantry, and the economy is tough, so we keep prices low so the people of this town can enjoy food from a faraway place.”

It then went on to break down the costs involved in serving customers a can of coke. The restaurant said: “We do make our profits on our drinks, and £2.50 for a can of Coke is a lot more than the 24-pack in a can you get at your local Aldi’s. However, we hire staff to serve you that can of Coke, a pot washer to wash it after, and pay electricity on where the can of Coke is stored. So I apologise that we are trying to profit about 50p from that can of Coke you were served.”

The Mekong Cat explained that due to the nature of the food it serves it comes out when its ready. It added: “We don’t have a heat lamp to keep things warm. Noodles get sticky and soggy when they sit around. In Asian cuisine, food is served when it’s ready; we are not a pub serving Sunday roast.”

Commenting on the temperature, the restaurant added: “If we turn the heat up any higher, we’re going to significantly increase our prices, so yeah, keep your coat on.”

The post has amassed more than 800 likes and 231 comments, the majority in support of the restaurant. One user wrote: “What a fantastic negative review because now I know where you are, I’m gonna come and try your food!! And when I’m eating out, I don’t object paying £2.50 for a coke because every business needs to make a profit.”

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Another added: “This is a great response to a negative review and probably explains a lot to people who don’t understand how Asian food works. “ However one person did say that the response was “unprofessional”, which would “put them off more than one bad review.”

The Mekong Cat posted a follow up comment which read:” This review was posted months ago during the winter, it got edited to be reposted which brings it to the very top. Which is very vindictive/damaging to a small business like ours. Should we be more professional in our response? Write some generic apology? Sure.

“However if we want to give customers free speech to rate, and criticise any business publicly, the business has the right to respond. If those who choose to not come to our restaurant because they think we’re rude, this only opens up more seatings to a fully booked out place.

“We are not arrogant, we are trying to do something good, and something different in Stockport. This is a small business and people who are not happy with the most minor thing will leave a 1 Star as oppose to telling the owners, staff what the problem is.

“We have happily compensated every meal when people are not happy. Anyone who has dined with us and have spoken to us knows this. We have never raised our prices since opening, we keep things really affordable, so to call us Disgusting just baffles me. “

The Mekong Cat is not the only business to deal with the fallout of one-star reviews. Last year the Riverbank coffee shops and cafe, located on the banks of the River Mersey between Urmston and Sale, caused a stir online when its owners called out a reviewer.

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Gus Atkinson continued his love affair with Lord’s, wrapping up England’s 115-run victory over New Zealand in the first Rothesay Test with yet another appearance on the famous honours board.

Atkinson took the last three wickets on day four to seal figures of five for 30, his fourth five-for in just three appearances to go alongside an unexpected century in 2024.

The Surrey seamer hurried the hosts over the line by sweeping aside tailenders Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson and Matt Henry, taking his Test record at the home of cricket to 26 wickets at just 9.5 apiece.

The result never looked in doubt despite a counter-punching 44 not out from Glenn Phillips, with New Zealand all out for 138 chasing 254 on a sub-standard batting surface.

The win gets England back to winning ways following their 4-1 Ashes thrashing in Australia, with Atkinson adding to strong performances from debutant Emilio Gay and new-ball partner Ollie Robinson.

Gay’s second-innings 57 was the innings of the match, the highest score and longest innings on a bowler’s paradise, while Robinson’s first appearance in more than two years yielded seven wickets.

New Zealand’s position was already perilous as they started out on 55 for five, with any hopes built around their overnight pairing.

Both have enjoyed memorable days at Lord’s in the past, Devon Conway making a double century on debut five years ago and Tom Blundell playing his part in a 195-run stand in 2022.

But conditions this week have been stacked firmly against the batters and it took just a couple of minutes for England to snare a sixth wicket.

It came in predictable fashion off Tongue’s fourth delivery of the morning, with significant seam movement and low bounce proving a lethal combination for Blundell. For the 11th time in the match, the umpire’s finger was raised for lbw.

A swift conclusion looked on when Robinson welcomed Phillips by taking his outside and inside edge with successive deliveries, the all-rounder narrowly surviving on both occasions. Harry Brook then dropped Conway at second slip on 24 in Tongue’s next visit.

With clinging on doing New Zealand no favours, Phillips initiated a brisk gear change with three boundaries in seven deliveries. Better known for his white-ball game, Phillips’ counter-attack injected some jeopardy with a stand of 53 coming off less than 12 overs.

For the first time, English eyes were beginning to be drawn to the scoreboard, but it fell to Stokes to calm any nerves. With two batting failures and no first-innings wickets, the captain was striving to make his first real mark on the game when he squared up Conway and had him well caught by Jacob Bethell at gully.

With that glimmer of resistance overcome, Atkinson topped up his figures at the Pavilion End. Smith lasted just three balls before edging behind and Jamieson lingered only slightly longer before flicking straight to mid-wicket.

Needing one more to secure his five-for, Atkinson could not have wished for a more willing opponent than Henry, bowled for his second duck of the match and the ninth in total.