Rory’s rough round and Tyrone bus update

Rory’s rough round and a harbour tragedy are among the stories on the front pages of Northern Ireland’s papers on Friday.

A struggling Rory McIlroy is pictured on the front of The Irish News, Belfast Telegraph and News Letter.

“Rory gets it really rough at Portrush” is the headline in the News Letter.

The paper says it was a nightmare day for “Northern Ireland superstar” McIlroy as he finished his first round at The Open on 8+.

“He now faces a monumental battle just to make the cut for the final two rounds,” the paper says.

It adds: “The success of the tournament, though, meant it was a great day for Northern Ireland.”

Former Ireland rugby captain Brian O’Driscoll, who was among the spectators, said it was “brilliant that Northern Ireland is showcasing what it’s capable of in hosting world class events”.

A video of players singing an Irish rebel song as a Protestant band parade passed their bus was being investigated by the PSNI.

The Irish News says that police have now said that “following enquiries, no offences have been detected in relation to a video that was circulated online”.

However, the paper says that someone on the bus has accepted a fine over behaviour unrelated to the video.

“A male on the bus has been issued with a fixed penalty notice for disorder in relation to a public order offence,” police said.

It says the man, named locally as Kevin McGeough, was in his 50s and from Rostrevor.

It quotes Councillor Mark Gibbons, who says: “He was an absolute gentleman. It’s dreadful, devastating for his family,

“He was a good family man.”

The paper says that while the exact circumstances of the incident are not yet known, it is believed the man may have been crushed by a piece of machinery.

An investigation is under way.

The Daily Mirror features an interview with Newtownabbey man Alan Drennan, four years after the death of his son, Alan Jnr, in Ibiza.

Mr Drennan’s body was found in a hotel room less than 24 hours after arriving on the island on holiday.

His son’s friends say he told them he had been beaten by Spanish police after he was escorted from the plane on arriving in Ibiza.

“There will be a day that the person who hurt our Alan will have to face up to what they did to him,” Alan Snr tells the Mirror.

“Alan will be waiting for them when the day comes and there’ll be no rest for them – ever.”

The photographer behind some of the most iconic images of the Troubles is featured in The Irish News.

Perhaps Clive Limpkin’s most famous picture is that of a teenage rioter holding a petrol bomb and wearing a World War Two gasmask.

Mr Limpkin said the picture, taken during the “Battle of the Bogside” in August 1969, “simply fell into my lap”.

“I was shooting Bernadette Devlin, who was one of the few names I knew, and he just appeared – I got one shot and then he was gone,” he said.

“Years later I traced him and made contact to see if he’d let me photograph him. He begged me not to identify him because of his business.”

The News Letter reports that eight people died in farm accidents in Northern Ireland last year.

The Health and Safety Executive figures were up one from the previous year, but down from 12 in both 2011 and 2012.

Finally the Belfast Telegraph says that two members of a group of sea swimmers from Helen’s Bay are celebrating a “landmark” achievement after swimming every day for the last 100 days.

Gillian Armstrong and Rob Brown are both members of the fabulously named Helen’s Baywatch group.

The pair began their challenge on 8 April and completed it on Tuesday night.

One of the group, Wendy Brown, tells the Telegraph: “Being at one with nature has so many benefits, physically being active and exercising so many parts of your body. Mentally it is so calming and relaxing.”