Anyone in Belfast, or able to be in Belfast, this Friday - 1st July, 2022? Support needed at Langanside Courts for Noah Donohoe's Inquest. 💙

[MNettersForNoahAndFiona]

Some Mumsnetters will have heard, or seen my threads and those of other Mumsnetters, about young Noah Donohoe. Noah was a much-loved and loving, bright, beautiful, bi-racial, gentle, funny, kind, musical, sporty and innocent 14 year old child. On 21st June 2020, Noah set off on a cycle ride to meet his schoolfriends to work on his Duke of Edinburgh Award. Tragically, Noah never arrived and his naked body was found in a drain 6 days later, exactly two years ago today.

Noah's mummy Fiona and his auntie Niamh Donohoe are still - yes, two years later - having to fight very hard for the truth about his death and for justice for Noah.

💙This Friday, 1st July, 2022, Noah's Inquest is to be held at Langanside Courts, Belfast - time to be confirmed, but likely to be midday. Fiona and Niamh will be attending in person, alongside the legal team, and very much need - and would very much welcome - your support outside court. If you can attend, please do.💙

Whether or not you can offer your support in person on Friday, if you haven't already signed, a link to Fiona's petition so far with 307,822 signatures can easily be found in the OP of this thread here, together with more information about Noah's story. The police have applied for four files from their faulty investigation into Noah's disappearance and death to be kept secret:
www.mumsnet.com/talk/petitions_noticeboard/4573833-noah-donohoe-his-mothers-fight-for-the-truth-and-justice-please-help-stop-the-police-coroner-and-brandon-lewis-from-keeping-investigation-files-into-the-death-of-a-child-secret-thread-3

All help to keep posting and bumping this thread and the petition thread into Active gratefully received.

Thank you 💙

Noah Donohoe's family releases statement ahead of Belfast city centre protest
www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/noah-donohoes-family-release-statement-24742546
"I'd like to firstly reiterate our complete gratitude at the swell of support around the worrying use of PII," Noah's aunt Niamh Donohoe said.
"The fact we are not screaming into the abyss alone is a huge comfort and support to us. People finally see the injustice of a lot of decisions being made in Noah's Case.
"Tomorrow is a gathering of Noah's Army from all across the globe, people have extended trips from NYC to be here, are travelling from across the pond and from all counties of our beautiful island. Each and every one of you are making a difference and impact. You are Noah's Voice.
"To all our friends in Noah's Army who can't be with us, we know you will be in spirit and will watch with pride as a community of amazing humans send out a strong message to those who need to see it.
"Please remember this is not a march. We are asking people to stand with us at Belfast City Hall at 1pm. There will be a few key speakers talking about the PII issue and because of time constraints on a gathering of that size we will ask the crowd to disperse safely and quickly at the end.
"We hope to keep you all no longer than an hour, it's the solidarity and the volume of people coming together that will have the impact, not the duration of the stand. Saturday's weather will be warm again so please be aware and take precautions.
"Thank you to everyone involved over the past two years especially Noah's Army you all make the difference."

Thinking of you today
💙

An absolutely shocking and tragic story. That poor child.
My children are half Northern Irish … close to home.

I hope Fiona gets answers. Nothing will bring her boy back but she deserves justice for him. The authorities clearly know who did this from the cctv and laptop evidence etc.

Final call from Belfast this morning. Those who cannot be there at City Hall in person, please be there in spirit between 1pm and about 2pm today. Thank you. 💙

💙

Thread with photos and news report from today - all welcome
www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4610749-to-show-you-what-a-few-traffic-stopping-mumsnetters-got-up-to-in-the-sun-today

More updates posted on the quoted thread.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4622344-will-you-be-in-belfast-this-thursday-afternoon-1st-september-2022-for-noah-donohoe

💙 The Noah Donohoe Bridge 💙

Lagan Gateway bridge to be named after Noah Donohoe following Belfast City Council agreement
www.itv.com/news/utv/2022-09-01/lagan-gateway-bridge-to-be-named-after-noah-donohoe-following-council-agreement

From Fiona: 'A beautiful legacy...and so humbled for Noah as he would be...but Noah would still say NO deflection. Right now will not deflect from what is important.'
From Niamh: 'It is a huge honour for this bridge to be named after Noah. A positive way of ensuring his legacy lives on for many years. This bridge is symbolic of what we hope for Noah's Foundation in the future, a bridge for all the communities & people of Belfast to access & enjoy.'

Noah Donohoe: Enniskillen protest planned in support of schoolboy's family
"We want people to see that Fermanagh is supporting Noah's family just like many other counties across Northern Ireland."
www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/noah-donohoe-enniskillen-protest-planned-24885226

Enniskillen to stage protest for Noah Donohoe
fermanaghherald.com/2022/08/enniskillen-to-stage-protest-for-noah-donohoe/

Noah campaign needs support from ‘all of Fermanagh’
fermanaghherald.com/2022/08/noah-campaign-needs-support-from-all-of-fermanagh/

Update from Niamh Donohoe:
'On Thursday Fiona & myself will attend court for the long-awaited Preliminary Hearing. These court sessions deal with important issues leading up to Noah's Inquest. Submissions for a Jury-led Inquest will be thrashed out.

On days where we attend court, it may just be a "job" to the respected & learned legal professionals that debate alongside us in support & against. For us it's about LIFE. Noah's life, Fiona's life, our lives, our babies, the right to life, this is our lives. Noah's life was ended suddenly on the 21st of June 2020, that day changed our lives FOREVER. It's hard to look back & remember life before that & these days it's best not to as those days are unrecognisable to us now. We have come put up against horrendous abuse, threats, intimidation from people & reps in all walks of life.

Someday we will have our chance to tell the real story. For now, our hands are tied & we will always remain respectful for Noah's sake. The documentary process is ongoing & relentless also & final edit stage isn't far off.

Since our brother's death in August, we have taken time to breathe & gather ourselves. We are strong & well able to continue the #GoodFight✊ in Noah's name, sorry to disappoint those in authority if you thought we had tapped out😬. Onwards & upwards together #NoahsArmy⚡💙 . We're never tapping out. Just respecting the passing of our brother & gathering strength for the next battle. 👊👊👊👊👊'

Update from Niamh Donohoe:
'Today's Preliminary Hearing was firm & fair, & respect is due to all parties involved including Coroner Mr Joe McCrisken. Submissions put forward on Noah's behalf by Brenda Campbell QC leave no doubt that Noah is in the best hands possible. Jury decision due in 2 weeks.'

What really happened in and around this residential street - Northwood Road in Belfast - on Sunday, 21st June, 2020 and the six days after? A child was seen, running naked, distressed and exhausted. Think about what happened, what really happened, to that innocent child. Imagine that happening to you or to somebody you love. Look carefully at his grieving mother's face. Look very carefully. Examine your heart and your conscience. Break the silence. Please.

Update from Niamh Donohoe on the awaited Coroner's decision about a jury for Noah's inquest:

'We were assured that by close of business on Thursday we were to be informed of the long-awaited decision on a Jury Led or Coroner Led Inquest for Noah. That day has come and gone and true to form no communication has been directed to us on this important decision.

We turn up to court, we do what is asked of us in this process, we show respect when respect is due & we expect the same in return. Yet again a display of disdain and blatant disrespect not only for us but for beautiful Noah💙.It seems we are the only party that sticks to our word. There is no level playing field in this so we will continue to use everything at our disposal to ensure Noah gets the justice he deserves. BE NOAH'S VOICE, SILENCE IS NOT AN OPTION!!!'

Update:
The coroner will today give his decision on whether or not a jury will be present for Noah's inquest later this month.

All supporters and media reporters welcome to attend:
Thursday 27th October, 2022 at 3pm
Langanside Courts, Belfast

I'll be there.💙

Thank you @TooBigForMyBoots 💙

From Niamh Donohoe:
'We are reluctantly preparing ourselves for court (an ordeal in itself). No one will ever understand the toll these days take, on Fiona especially. At the moment we both feel battered and exhausted, we already feel defeated in our fight for a jury and fear the coroner has made his decision to refuse Noah's inquest this opportunity. We will not spend a minute longer than we have to in courts allowing Noah's life & memory to be decimated. We will give you your stage momentarily and then we are done listening to you. Over 2yrs we have given our whole lives to Noah's fight & have got nowhere. Fighting everyone to listen to us & to help.

On Fiona's birthday yesterday instead of celebrating we both cried down the phone because we feel so helpless against this corrupt system at times. However, one thing we both agree, my sister and I won't ever stop fighting for Noah💙 & our babies. Noah's death must be the catalyst for change; no family can ever be allowed to suffer like this again & a child's life can never be sacrificed at the altar of the peace process. Our beautiful boy's life mattered, all children's lives matter.

Noah's Army, we need you now more than ever...Be Noah's voice...shout his name.

I hope at court the right decision regarding a jury is delivered. I promise we will take to the streets in our thousands again & again until we get what Noah deserves & justice. We will bring Belfast to a standstill repeatedly until the truth comes out.

Sitting back waiting on this farcical legal process to evolve has got us nowhere.
We are Noah's voice; we will make noise. Noah will be heard, and the truth will come out.'

'WE HAVE BEEN ALLOWED A JURY FOR NOAH'S INQUEST. We are so grateful to Noah's legal team & the coroner. We went in defeated & have left grateful beyond words. Such an unexpected victory for Noah. Emotional, exhausted & feeling able to fight on knowing the right decision was made.'
Niamh Donohoe

Well done.

Summary of Ruling:
www.judiciaryni.uk/sites/judiciary/files/decisions/Summary%20of%20Inquest.pdf

Yes - well done to every single person who has used their voice in any way at all, large or small, to speak up for justice for Noah and the truth for his mummy Fiona. There is still a long way to go - I can't emphasise that enough - but I firmly believe we wouldn't have reached this point without this campaign, led by Fiona and Niamh, and the legal team, and supported by so many people from all walks of life, all communities, all backgrounds, all faiths and none, in NI, Ireland, the UK and around the world. 💙

Noah's full inquest with a jury will be held next year, although another short preliminary hearing is scheduled for December.

Today is Noah's 17th Birthday. 💙

Please join us in remembering, celebrating and giving thanks for bright, beautiful and kind Noah today. If you can, do a good deed in honour of Noah, no matter what it is or how small.

The Noah Donohoe Foundation is run by The Community Foundation of Northern Ireland, carrying on Noah's beautiful legacy and keeping his spirit alive by helping other children from all communities across Northern Ireland. For example, 500 breakfasts for children have just been funded to help struggling families amid the cost-of-living crisis. In honour of Noah's birthday this year, individual grants totalling £16,000 are being awarded to schools and to music, sport and community groups for children and young people, following cross-community nominations. If you would like to support the work of The Noah Donohoe Foundation, you can do so via Just Giving. I'm not allowed to link to it, but to ensure any donations go to the right place, if you add /campaign/noahdonohoefoundation after justgiving then you should find it ok.

If you are on Twitter and other social media, in future please use the hashtags #JusticeForNoahDonohoe #TheNoahDonohoeFoundation and #NoahsArmy.

Thank you. 💙

Thinking of Noah, his mummy Fiona, his auntie Niamh and all his family and friends today. 💙