Other News In Brief

Family Home Of Lisa Dorrian Destroyed By Fire

The family of Lisa Dorrian – who disappeared and is believed to have been murdered in 2005 – have been left homeless following a fire at their home in Conlig, Co Down.

The house was destroyed in a blaze in the early hours of Tuesday morning. It is understood that the family, Lisa's father and sister, had no house insurance and are therefore unable to meet the costs of repair or rebuild.

Lisa Dorrian disappeared from her family home in 2005, aged 25. A large scale police search was launched but Lisa has never been found and no arrests were ever made.

Lord Mayor's Day Announced For 28 April

The grounds of Belfast City Hall will be packed with free family fun activities on Saturday, 28 April to celebrate Councillor Nuala McAllister's Lord Mayor's Day.

Belfast's First Citizen is inviting everyone to join in the festivities and celebrate 'Global Belfast' on the front lawns of City Hall between 12noon and 5pm.

Looking ahead to the exciting day of events, Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Nuala McAllister said: "My Lord Mayor's Day celebrations are shaping up to be an action packed afternoon of exciting activities for all the family to enjoy.

"The theme for my year in office has been 'Global Belfast' and I have experienced first-hand the amazing work the people of Belfast are doing to showcase our great city to the World. We may be small but we punch well above our weight in competing with other major cities across the Globe.

"I want to celebrate Belfast as an amazing place to live, work and visit and my Lord Mayor's Day will showcase the best our truly vibrant, hardworking, multi-cultural city has to offer."

She added: "So I call on everyone to join me at City Hall to enjoy some fun and laughter as we celebrate our great city."

Tropical Ravine Reopens Following £3.8m Refurbishment

The Tropical Ravine in Belfast's Botanic Gardens reopen to the public following a £3.8 million refurbishment.

Councillors, local residents, and a number of invited guests got a sneak peek of the new facility to see first-hand how the listed building has been restored to its former glory thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Belfast City Council also invested £1.5m in the project and a contribution was made by the Friends of Botanic Gardens.

Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Nuala McAllister officially reopened the Tropical Ravine by unveiling a plaque alongside HLF chair, Sir Peter Luff.

Councillor McAllister said: "This was a mammoth task and was more than three years in the making but I think when people come and see it for themselves, they will agree it has been well worth the wait.

"The Tropical Ravine is a unique asset for Belfast and has always been a popular visitor attraction. Thanks to this spectacular makeover I have no doubt that it will continue to attract new visitors and will be a fantastic addition to our tourism offering."

(MH/LM)