| Last month was wet in NI, and recent days too but even so I had not realised, as this farmer says, the entire year has been so.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Rory McIlroy's first round at the Masters was delayed by rain, then impacted by wind. But yesterday he scraped the cut in blustery conditions.
The forecast for Belfast is sunny this afternoon, and - on Grand National Day - mixed cloud and sun in Liverpool. Here is a story about a horse that went from pulling a grocery cart in Co Londonderry to winning the national! I will email out more on those sport and other stories tomorrow. But after years of what we feel at the News Letter have been lopsided investigations into state forces and their actions in the Troubles, this week a coroner found that lethal force was justified by the SAS at Coagh against three IRA terrorists. Rev Clements, whose dad was murdered by a brutal IRA gang later stopped by the SAS, writes here of his revulsion at republicans complaining to 'shoot to kill'. The Kingsmill inquest has issued a raft of devastating findings about republicans, blaming the IRA for the overtly sectarian massacre. The coroner slammed the IRA and Sinn Fein for their silence over 10 years. He said Dublin showed reluctance to recognise the role of the border. He dismissed as "utter fantasy" claims about the role of Robert Nairac. But relatives are disappointed that suspects were not named.
Enjoy grand national day!
Ben | 