News from around the 32 counties of Ireland

Antrim

An Antrim mother has spoken of her disgust after local people ignored her unconscious daughter when she collapsed at Fountain Street and shattered her ankle.

Anne Wilkinson spoke to the Antrim Guardian after her daughter spent a week in the Royal Victoria Hospital to get two pins put into the ankle which had been broken in two places.

Anne said she had been left 'speechless' when she heard that passers-by had left her daughter lying on the ground, even when she had regained consciousness and could see them walking past.

Janice Talbot had been doing her groceries in Tesco on Monday July 18 before walking home to Corbally Park around 4pm but the 43-year-old began to feel faint and sat down on the wall outside the Top of the Town bar to rest.

However, when she got to her feet to walk the rest of the way home to her flat, she fainted and doesn't remember how long she was lying before she came round.

“I just can't believe people could walk on past her when she was lying there," Anne said. “She saw them walking on past when she came to but goodness knows how many more ignored her when she was out of it."

(Source: Antrim Guardian)


Armagh

A 26-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving whilst unfit after a car crash in County Armagh last Saturday.

The crash happened at Drumintee Road in Meigh in the early hours of the morning.
A woman was taken to hospital for treatment for serious leg injuries.

Two other men and a woman was also hospitalized. Their injuries are not believed to be serious.

(Source: BBC News)


Carlow

Irish police swooped in on three local members of the Real IRA in a major clampdown on dissident republicans in the county.

The major garda operation took place last Wednesday morning, arresting the three local men at various locations around the county.

The men were arrested under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and held at Carlow and Thomastown garda stations last Wednesday for a period of 12 hours and, in some cases, longer.

During the raids, gardaí recovered a quantity of drugs, a substantial sum of cash and suspected firearms.

“The suspected firearms have been sent off for ballistic examinations and the results will be known shortly,” stated Sgt John Foley of Carlow Garda Station. He confirmed that the three men were arrested separately at both urban and rural locations in the county. The men are aged in their twenties, thirties and forties and are known to be actively involved in dissident republican activities.

A file is being sent to the DPP relating to all three men

(Source: The Carlow Nationalist)


Cavan

There has been an appeal for calm following the latest act of vandalism on one of the Quinn plants now under receivership. The latest attack last Saturday night, which saw valuable plant machinery and other vehicles set ablaze at the tarmac plant in Ballyconnell, is estimated to have cost hundreds of thousands of euro of damage. Three electricity poles near Kinawley were also cut down.

There have been more than a dozen serious incidents of vandalism connected to the businesses, formerly owned by Sean Quinn, since they were taken into receivership.
The ongoing vandalism is being investigated by the Gardaí at Ballyconnell and the PSNI in Fermanagh.

Vandals threatening jobs

A spokesman for the Quinn Group said: "The Quinn Group abhors the activities at the weekend which amount to an attack on the commercial interest of the company and therefore the security of jobs and employment in the area. It is incredible to think at this time of economic challenge there are some people who would deliberately set out to undermine the security of jobs of the employees of Quinn Group. We call on the perpetrators to immediately stop these actions."

The company is calling on anybody with knowledge of the perpetrators to report them to the authorities.

This wanton vandalism also been strongly condemned by local Sinn Féin councillor Damian Brady, who is also a member of the Ballyconnell Fire Brigade. He stressed that any continuation of this activity will lead to job losses. He has called on those responsible to desist immediately.

Operations were continuing at the tarmac plant last week, as normal, despite the attack.

(Source: The Anglo Celt)


Clare

After 102 years in existence, McInerney builders, founded by Clare farmer Thomas P McInerney, looks set to go into liquidation last week.

McInerney Holdings PLC is to hold an extraordinary general meeting last week where it is expected to ask shareholders to place it into liquidation.

In 2009, the company celebrated its centenary marking a long history in the trade that began with Thomas P McInerney building a house for a neighbor in O’Callaghan’s Mills.
Described as a farmer that was keen to provide a future for his family of five boys and three girls, Thomas P decided to go into house building and this led to a long-standing tradition that followed his “passion for excellence”.

He was joined in the business by his sons, Frank and Vincent, initially and his other sons, Ambrose and Dan, later came on board, the latter two being responsible for bringing the company to the stock market in 1971, where it has remained as a publicly listed and owned company.
Among its noted contracts over the years was its contract to build the first jet runway at Shannon Airport in 1949. In the 1970s, it won contracts in the Middle East, building 25 houses in Bahrain for Gulf Air in 1975 and 100 houses for Shell Oil in Doha thereafter. During 1980, it was operating in five Gulf countries developing office blocks, government housing, banks and even a palace. 

They then branched out to Spain and Portugal and in 1984, pioneered the exclusive high-quality Four Seasons country club. The 1990s saw it become a strong presence in the UK housing market.
In its 100 years of existence, it was estimated to have supplied almost 90,000 homes throughout Ireland.

(Source: The Clare Champion)


Cork

A Cork mother, whose son was shot dead in front of his fiancée in 2002, has once again called for justice.

Monica Butler from Knocknaheeny told the Cork Independent that she "felt like the criminal" last week during an appeal hearing against a man sentenced for perjury in her son’s murder case.

On Tuesday, 26 July Thomas Morey (30) Gerald Griffin Street, Blackpool was given a three-year sentence for perjury at the Court of Criminal Appeal, with the last two years suspended.

Through the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Monica had appealed the original two-year term, which had one year suspended, and the appeal was granted, with the Court stating that the sentence had been too lenient.

John Butler (20) was shot on 7 October 2002 after a night out with his fiancée and mother of his three year old son. Nobody has ever been convicted for his death.

Cecil Lynch and Jerry Ross, were arrested in Boston on 1 February 2005 and both were charged with the murder the following April.

However, on 9 February 2006, the case collapsed as the key witness, Morey, claimed to have had memory loss over an 18-month period. The judge directed the jury to enter a not-guilty verdict due to a lack of evidence.

Morey was scheduled to give prosecution evidence at the Central Criminal Court trial in Dublin in February 2006 regarding the two men charged with the murder of John Butler.
A year later, on 2 February 2007, John’s inquest jury returned a narrative verdict, and not one of ‘unlawful killing’.

Source: (Cork Independent)


Derry

When Ballykelly man Don McCloskey headed off for a quiet day trip fishing in Donegal last Sunday he never imagined his day would end up like a scene from the famous ‘Jaws’ movies.
The long time fisherman hooked a monster Porbeagle shark, which weighed up to a whopping 300Ibs, during a trip off Fanad Head with the Glens Community Association from Limavady.
Don was on the Rathmullan Charter Boat Swilly Explorer skippered by Niall Doherty.
“I knew it would be a good fish and there were a few times that I didn’t think I was going to land it,” he told the ‘Journal’.

The female fish took almost an hour and a half to land after putting up a massive fight.
“It put up some battle and we didn’t see it for 20 minutes. It took about and hour and 20 minutes to get it in and it took four of us to lift it in the boat. It was such a hot day too. It gave a good fight.

“The others on the boat couldn’t believe it and dived for cover when they saw it. It was like a miniature ‘Jaws’.”

Don, who has been fishing for 25 years, has caught plenty of big fish over the years, but never any the size of the one on Sunday.

Don estimates the shark weighed around 299lbs.

(Source: Derry Journal)


Donegal

As Garda investigations continue into an arson attack at a house in Letterkenny, the Nigerian family who had been resident there claim they have been the victims of racially motivated incidents since they moved into the dwelling three years ago.

Gerry Obi had, hours before the attack last Monday evening, just been released from hospital where he had spent two weeks after having suffered a heart attack brought on, his wife Francesca insisted, by the ongoing spate of incidents.

He was asleep in the house when he heard a loud rapping on the front door at around 7 p.m. with neighbours and fire personnel informing him of a fire at the rear of the property. His wife and three children were out at the time of the incident.

The blaze destroyed a shed and its entire contents and also caused damage to the back of the house. “We had an oil tank which was only half full - had it been full the whole house could have burnt down.

“Somebody could have been killed,” Mr. Obi maintained.

(Source: Donegal Democrat)


Down

A man in his early 20s is fighting for his life in hospital following a three vehicle road accident in Co Down.

The Banbridge Road in Rathfriland was closed following the serious collision.
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service had earlier received a call containing an initial report that one person was trapped in a car which was on its roof.

A spokesman for the Southern Trust said the driver of one of the cars was being treated for serious injuries at Daisy Hill hospital.

He described the man's condition as "critical" and said it was likely he would be transferred to a Belfast Hospital.

The passenger from the injured man's car is understood to be shocked by the crash but otherwise unhurt.

(Source: Belfast Telegraph)


Dublin

The only female New York Police Department officer killed on 9/11 will be honored at a special exhibition in Dublin.

Irish American Moira Smith (nee Reddy) helped save hundreds of lives before she was killed in the collapse of Tower 2.

The 38-year-old was the child of Irish emigrants, John Reddy from Dublin and Mary Finn, and was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1963.

She was survived by her husband James, also a police officer and their two-year-old daughter, Patricia.

Now her radio and cap will be artefacts in an exhibition of exclusive photographs in the National Museum of Ireland in Collins Barracks to mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11, along with previously unreleased audio from Ground Zero.

Moira, was one of 23 NYPD officers killed in the Towers, was among the first officers to report that a plane had flown into the World Trade Centre and never backed off even for a moment.

"Honor and duty required it, Moira's personal faith demanded it," her husband said.
Because of her commands, people kept moving where otherwise they might have frozen in terror. She is credited with saving hundreds of lives.

(Source: The Evening Hearld)


Fermanagh

The Fermanagh GAA board has set up a review committee to look into the county's senior football team which has had a hugely disappointing 2011 season.

Manager John O'Neill's first year in charge has seen a number of players making themselves unavailable for the county squad for a variety of reasons.

An Ulster SFC hammering by Derry was then followed by an embarrassing qualifier defeat against London.

News of the review will increase doubts over O'Neill's future in the job.

A Fermanagh GAA committee said that the review committee would report back to the county board in "due course".

Last week, it was revealed that Fermanagh GAA fund-raising body Club Eirne had withdrawn its support from the county's football team.

The fund-raising body was set up by Fermanagh supporters after the county's surprise run to the All-Ireland Football semi-finals in 2004.

Most counties now have a similar fund-raising body, which while not necessarily part of county boards, invariably has links with counties' official structures.

Club Eirne has provided around £400,000 of support to the county team since it was set up.
Meanwhile, Liam Bradley looks set to stay on as Antrim football manager.

Antrim county chairman Jim Murray has said that Bradley has agreed to remain in the job for another year.

The Antrim board also want senior hurling boss Dinny Cahill to stay on for a third season.

(Source: BBC News)


Galway

Eleven women have so far been convicted of running brothels in Galway City, Salthill and Rahoon last week, as part of the Garda crackdown on Race Week prostitution.

Ten were fined €300, while a Romanian woman was given a two-month suspended sentence because she has a previous conviction.

More arrests are expected in the coming days as part of the Garda ‘pro-arrest’ policy – the Galway City Tribune understands that further search warrants have been obtained.

And undercover officers will continue surveillance on brothels around the city, as well as on a gang of Roma gypsies touting for business on the city’s streets at night, who are ‘preying’ on drunken men and stealing their wallets.

Already, eleven women were arrested in four separate raids last week and were convicted with assisting in the management of a brothel and fined €300 each. One was given a two-month suspended sentence at Clifden District Court.

One of the warrants executed last week was for a raid on a city centre brothel last Monday evening, in which four Romanian women were arrested, charged and pleaded guilty to acting or assisting in the management of a brothel.

(Source: GalwayBay Fm)


Kerry

Two men who were caught 30 minutes after a botched attempt to steal an ATM because they were still wearing their balaclavas have been jailed for six years.

The men managed to rip the ATM from the wall of AIB on Main Street, Castleisland, Co Kerry -- but the bucket of an excavator they used was too small to lift the ATM on to the back of a pick-up truck and they had to abandon the early-morning raid.
The ATM held €234,000 at the time.

The operation, which took place at 5am on November 13, 2010, was meticulously planned.
The pair stole an excavator, valued at €100,000, and conducted a trial run weeks in advance of the heist.

Mechanic Thomas Wilson (30), from Banbridge, Co Down, and construction worker Christopher Murney (25), from Mayobridge, Co Down, pleaded guilty to the theft of an ATM, criminal damage to the front wall of the bank, criminal damage of an excavator and arson of an excavator.

The men were forced to flee the scene but were spotted by gardai in a pick-up truck 30 minutes later, still wearing balaclavas. A high-speed garda chase ensued and the truck eventually crashed in a farm yard.

The culprits then tried to escape on foot, and were eventually apprehended by two gardai who used pepper spray and batons to subdue them.

(Source: Irish Independent)


Kildare

A sun holiday ended in tragedy for an Athy family when a father of two collapsed and died while enjoying a break on Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands.

Jim Prendergast from Whitecastle Lawns in Athy, who was aged just 50, is understood to have collapsed just as the family was preparing to travel home.

He had been holidaying with his wife Siobhán and teenage son and daughter, Seán and Orla.
A relative told the Kildare Nationalist last Monday that the death had come as a huge shock to the extended family and friends. She added that Mr Prendergast had not been ill and that the cause of his sudden collapse had yet to be confirmed.

“They were due to travel home today and as yet, we really don’t know what is happening.
A post mortem will be carried out in Lanzarote,” she said last Monday afternoon, adding that Mr Prendergast’s wife Siobhan was dealing with consul officials on the island and it would probably be some days before funeral arrangements could be made.

Mr Prendergast, who worked at the Wyeth Medica plant in Newbridge, was well known in the Athy area and deepest sympathy is extended by the local community to his wife, son, daughter, parents Jim and Mary Prendergast and brother Kenneth, all of whom live in Athy.

(Source: The Kildare Nationalist)


Kilkenny

A number of Massgoers walked out of church during Mass on Saturday evening when a priest described the Minister of Justice as‘Jewish and non practising’.

Fr Eddie Conway preached at three Masses at the Black Abbey over the weekend. One Massgoer contacted the Kilkenny People to express his digust at the content of the priest’s sermon.
“At the start of his sermon he said that the church had been in the news over the sex abuse scandals and that it had been a bad week for the church. He said that the scandal was a bad thing but that there was a bigger agenda that would become obvious in the next short while.

He said that the agenda was been set by people who have a vested interest against the church including the Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, who he described as Jewish and non practising and an athesist Minister and that child sex abuse was been used to get at the church. He said that the sex abuse scandal was bad but that there was a lot more going on.

I was digusted by his remarks. They were bizarre and off the wall. I was not having any of it so I walked out and brought my children with me,” he said. He added that at least two other adults also walked out.

(Source: Kilkenny People)


Laois

A Durrow man narrowly escaped being caught up in Norway’s carnage after a massive bomb shattered the building opposite his workplace last Friday afternoon.

34-year-old Padraic Woods from Carrigaline Street in Durrow has been working and living in Oslo for the past 11 years.

Padraic works in the building directly across from where the bomb tore its way through the busy street.

Fortunately, Padraic and most of his fellow workers at VG Norway’s largest newspaper, were not in the building when the massive bomb went off.

The car bomb, which occurred about 3.30pm local time, left at least seven people dead and many injured.

The bomb blast tore at the facade of the 17-storey central government building, blowing out most of the windows and scattering, shards of metal and other debris for hundreds of metres.

Speaking to the Laois Nationalist, Padraic said: “I’ve been working for the newspaper for about six months. I returned from holidaying in Albania on Sunday night last. My office is right across the street from the government buildings. The entire glass in the front of the office was blown out.

(Source: Leinster Express)


Leitrim

Funding of more than €200,000 has been announced for new facilities at Lough Rynn in the hopes of bringing a major angling tourism boost to Co Leitrim.

The funding, allocated by Fáilte Ireland and announced by Roscommon/South Leitrim TD Frank Feighan, will provide new fishing pontoons on the lake, as well as a new rowing facility and upgrades to the existing caravan and camping site.

“I’m delighted to confirm this new funding, which will help to make our county even more attractive to tourists," said Depty Feighan. "Co Leitrim is already popular with visiting anglers but we are only just tapping into the potential. These new facilities will help to put us more firmly on the map."

(Source: Afloat.ie)


Limerick

Up to a quarter of the 1,300 staff working in Limerick’s City and County Councils could be cut in the next three years, Environment Minister Phil Hogan has said.

The two offices – at Merchant’s Quay and Dooradoyle – are major employers in Limerick, despite the public sector recruitment freeze.

However, answering questions from Mayor Jim Long on the new single authority, Minister Hogan said the job losses when the two authorities come together will be “somewhere in the region of 20 to 25 per cent”.

He said he hopes to find these savings from retirements and the non-replacement of staff, however, while the cuts would come from staff at both County Hall and City Hall.
However, Mayor Long has played down the impact of the reduction.

“People will be leaving and retiring so we would not be making 400 people redundant. This will be looked at very carefully,” Cllr Long said.

But Cathaoirleach Mary Harty did concede there are likely to be some redundancies.
“I would hope they would take place over a long period of time, and handled sensitively,” she said.

But Minister Hogan disclosed to Mayor Long that the city would remain the “urban driver seen as the generator of growth and focus for development for the entire region."

(Source: Limerick Leader)


Longford

A number of properties in Co Longford have been put up for sale by NAMA as part of the agency’s sell-off of property announced last week, Thursday. NAMA announced details of the sale of 847 properties which includes five star hotels, crèches, a movie theatre and an airport early in a bid to find buyers and the agency was reported to be swamped with queries by the end of the day.

In Longford the following properties are on the NAMA list : Longford Shopping Centre, Longford; a mixed use multiple development at Fisherstown Clondra; a mixed use multiple development at Rathcronan, Granard; a development (not commenced) at Rathcronan, Granard; agricultural land at Ballymacross Granard, a development (not commenced) at Carragh, Granard.

Inclusion of an address on the list does not mean that all properties at that address listed, or all of every property listed is in receivership or subject to enforcement.

(Source: Longford Leader)

Louth

A mother of two from Dundalk who was killed while on holiday is featured in a new book entitled ‘Slain Abroad’.

The book by Michael O’Toole, Crime correspondent for the Irish Daily Star - and co author Fiona Hynes, news reporter from the Irish Daily Star - recounts the tragic story of Kelly Anne Corcoran.

Dermot McArdle from Heynestown is wanted by Spanish authorities to serve a two-year sentence for causing the death of his wife, Kelly-Anne, over ten years ago.

She died from injuries sustained when she fell from a hotel balcony while on a family holiday in Marbella on the Costa del Sol on February 11, 2000.

McArdle was handed a suspended two-year jail term in October 2008 for the manslaughter of his wife. Under Spanish law, jail sentences of two years or less for first-time offenders are usually suspended.

The court in Malaga also ordered him to pay e220,000 in compensation to Kelly-Anne’s family. McArdle attempted to overturn his 2008 conviction and sentence but the appeal failed. Last year, Judge Fernando Gonzalez ordered McArdle to serve his jail term for failing to pay the compensation.

He was due to hand himself in to the Spanish authorities to begin his jail sentence in September of last year, but failed to do so and was arrested in January on foot of a European Arrest Warrant issued by a Spanish judge.

(Source: Dundalk Democrat)


Mayo

Gardaí at Castlebar Garda Station are investigating a burglary which took place at a house in the village of Breaffy, Castlebar between 1.45pm on Sunday, July 24 and Monday morning, July 25 at 9.30am.

Jewellery and a substantial sum of money which included €100 and €500 notes were stolen.

(Source: The Mayo News)


Meath

It was a happy case of 'second time around' for a very lucky Ashbourne couple who collected a €500,000 EuroMillions Plus top prize last week, six years after winning the jackpot of over €6 million in a National Lottery draw.

The couple won last Tuesday night's EuroMillions Plus draw and collected their winnings last week. Their winning ticket was purchased in JR's First Stop in Ashbourne Town Centre on the day of the draw. It was a €9 Quickpick selection.

The greater Ashbourne area certainly seems to be one of the luckiest places in the country as it is believed a mother and son from the area both won lottery jackpots within a few years of each other a number of years back.

The recent lucky couple, who have chosen to remain anonymous, lived in Dublin for many years, but they now live "in their dream house in Meath".

Back in 2006, they struck lucky in the Wednesday Lotto draw on 6th December. The man had the winning ticket for the entire Lotto jackpot on that night, which was €6,548,759. The couple collected the check together and shared the win between them within a week of winning on that occasion.

(Source: The Meath Chronicle)


Monaghan

An Irish judge is threatening to sue a hotel for damages after drinking chemicals from a mineral water bottle.

District Court judge Sean MacBride claims he became violently ill when he drank the substance -- thought to be cleaning fluid or anti-freeze -- after ordering a bottle of water at the popular Hillgrove Hotel in Co Monaghan.

The judge, who oversees court sittings in the Cavan/Monaghan area, received medical treatment following the incident.

The incident sparked an investigation by gardai and was also referred to the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and the Health Service Executive (HSE).

The Irish Independent has learned the National Forensic Science Laboratory analysed the water bottle and it was found to contain a number of different chemical substances.
A file was subsequently sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who concluded no charges should be brought.

However, Judge MacBride is now threatening to sue the hotel over the incident.

(Source: Belfast Telegraph)


Offaly

Aslan will perform on Friday, August 5 as part of Hugh Lynch’s 40th anniversary celebration on the outside stage at the street party.

The band, who took their name from the heroic lion in CS Lewis’s series of books chronicling the fictional land of Narnia, (Aslan is the Turkish for ‘Lion’), emerged from the working class areas of Finglas and Ballymun in Dublin’s Northside, in the mid 1980s.

They released a demo single, ‘This Is’, in the Spring of 1986, which was a huge hit and became the longest ever play-listed single on Ireland’s pop radio station, RTÉ 2fm.

(Source: Offaly Express)


Roscommon

The family of a woman who died after she was struck by a motorbike origionaly from Roscommon have paid tribute to her.

Nora Higgins, 88, from Sale Moor, Greater Manchester, was hurt in the collision in Dane Road last weekend.

She was taken to hospital with head and leg injuries but died shortly afterwards.
Her family said she was a devoted mother of three and had five grandchildren.

"Nora was a devoted mother to Rosaleen, Mary and Thomas and a dearly loved grandmother to Catherine, Elizabeth, Joseph, Clare and Theresa," they said.

"Born in County Roscommon in the west of Ireland, Nora spent many years in retirement helping Irish Community Care after a busy working life.

"During her long and active life, she loved to cycle and was a keen gardener.

"She was a regular at the Holy Family church in Sale Moor and will be sadly missed by family and friends alike."

(Source: BBC News)


Sligo

A Sligo solicitor has brought a defamation action over comments posted about him on the website 'rateyoursolicitor.com'

Damien Tansey, a partner in the firm Callan Tansey Solicitors, has taken proceedings against Mr John Gill, Drumline, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co Clare and Ans Vogelaar, Bohea, Liscarney, Westport, Co Mayo, who he claims are the website's operators.

Mr Tansey is also suing Dotster Inc, a US based firm which it is claimed provides internet services to the first-named defendants, including hosting the website. In an affidavit to the court Mr Tansey, a solicitor based in Sligo, said that since July 2007 the website, which is widely read among legal consumers, has published materials which are false and defamatory of him.

Mr Tansey said that the words published on the site wrongly mean he had committed criminal acts, engaged in dishonest appropriation of client's property, lied to clients, engaged in corrupt conduct, engaged in unprofessional conduct, and failed to act in accordance with the highest standards. As a result of the publication his character, reputation and business have been "greatly injured" resulting in him suffering embarrassment loss and damage, he said.

When the matter was mentioned before the High Court, counsel for Mr Tansey, Richard Humphreys SC, said that it was his understanding that Mr Gill intends to defend the proceedings.

Counsel was granted an extension of time by Mr Justice Michael Peart to bring proceedings against the defendants in relation to the allegedly defamatory remarks which were posted in the period between January 2010 and July 2010.

Mr Gill who did not consent nor oppose the motion to extend time. In response to Mr Justice Peart, he told the court he had very little to say other than the only thing he was interested in is the truth. He also said that he since he had returned from Canada his livelihood had been ruined "by these people".

The matter was adjourned.

(Source: The Sligo Champion)


Tipperary

It was very clear that there were huge commercial interests involved in the plan to pump water from Lough Derg to serve Dublin and its hinterland, according to the River Shannon Protection Alliance.

The alliance was formed to campaign against the E450m plan by Dublin City Council to siphon 350 gallons of water daily from Lough Derg and the River Shannon at the northern end of the lake. The proposal would see an eco-park and reservoir being built at Garryhinch on the Offaly / Laois border and would see 1,000 people employed in its construction, with 70 to 100 permanent jobs at the park once the project was complete.

The proposal was discussed over two days by the Oireachtas Committee on the Environment when Bord na Mona made a presentation to the committee on the plan.

“Bord na Móna bussed some of the Oireachtas committee members for a day-out in the beautiful Midland bogs. They promised gifts for everyone – 350 million litres of water a day for the Dublin Region and places along the way; a lake for water sports with a nature reserve for the Midlands; and 1,000 construction jobs to build it.

“But beware Bord na Móna bearing gifts – this massive scheme is being driven by huge commercial interests.

“Chief executive Gabriel D’Arcy let the cat out of the bag – with turf running out he plans to transform Bord na Móna into a highly profitable water utility, selling the water they take from the Shannon to consumers in the East.

“They are already in discussion with consultants appointed by the Minister of the Environment about setting up a national water board to run the entire country’s water supply,” said alliance spokesperson Joc Saunders in a press statement.

(Source: Tipperary Star)


Tyrone

A man allegedly murdered his second cousin by driving straight at him as the victim raised his arms for the car to stop, the High Court has heard.

Declan Quinn was flung into the air and sustained fatal injuries in the hit-and-run collision in Coalisland, County Tyrone, prosecutors said.

The 37-year-old died two days after the 16 July incident

Anthony Quinn, 21, of Maplebrook Hill in the town, is charged with his murder and driving while disqualified.

The court heard the incident was linked to an ongoing dispute between factions of his family.

The accused denies deliberately driving at his cousin.

Anthony Quinn claims he ducked behind the wheel because the victim was standing in the road with a claw-hammer while another man brandished a gun at him.

He was granted bail but banned from entering Coalisland or driving any car.

Declan Quinn suffered brain injuries, a severed spinal chord, broken neck and two broken legs after being hit by a Vauxhall Corsa on the Gortgonis Road.

(Source: BBC News)


Waterford

Waterford is mourning the tragic death of a well-known motor mechanic who fell into the River Suir as he tended his motor boat, which was moored at the marina adjacent to the Clock Tower in the heart of the city on Friday evening last.

Tomas (Tom) McGrath, a father of two, from Claremount, Cork Road, was swept under the water shortly after 7pm despite a frantic effort by an unnamed man to come to his rescue just feet from the marina.

In a desperate dash the brave man dived into the water and swam to the rescue of Tom McGrath but just as he reached him Tom was pulled under, the Waterford News & Star has learnt.

As we went to print on Monday flowers, paying poignant tribute to the death of mechanic, Tom, were fixed to the door of his garage and laid on his boat at the marina.

As the alarm was raised a massive search involving Gardaí, the Irish Coastguard, the Search & Rescue helicopter, City Fire Service and the Waterford Marine Search & Rescue Service was instigated.

The 57-year-old mechanic, who conducted business at Gaffney’s Lane, off O’Connell Street, had walked a short distance to his boat moored close to the Clock Tower after work on Friday. His intention is understood to have been to prepare the boat ‘ES PE AY’ for a weekend pleasure trip with his family.

(Source: Waterford News $ Star)


Westmeath

An Athlone man recently addressed the European Parliament in Brussels after being elected chairman of a non-governmental organisation focusing on the issues of fatherhood and child relations across the continent.

Joe Egan, a native of Summerhill, was recently elected to the role with the newly-formed 'Platform for European Fathers'.

The Athlone IT lecturer has been involved in groups campaigning for parental equality for the last two and a half years. He is a father of two whose marriage broke up four and a half years ago. After the break-up Mr Egan had to travel to Navan to attend support group meetings, and this influenced his decision to start a voluntary support group closer to home. In 2009 he set up the Irish Men's Network, which meets in Athlone every Monday evening and has been attended by 230 fathers since its inception.A year later he helped found Men's Support Groups of Ireland, a national umbrella organisation for support groups of this kind. He also became chairman of Parental Equality, which is a group campaigning for legislative change.

(Source: Westmeath Independent)


Wexford

The strategy that will shape the future of the development of Co Wexford received submissions that amounted to the size of a ' telephone directory', according to County Manager Eddie Breen.

Wexford County Council held a special meeting last Friday afternoon, where the submissions on the proposed County Wexford Development Plan 2013-2019 were presented to the members.
From the ESB to An Taisce and the Irish Wind Energy Association to Rosslare Europort, many organizations made submissions on a wide range of issues, as did several individuals from the Model County.

Those submissions are hugely varied and range from commercial rates to 'ghost' estates and the provision of tennis courts to the provision of charging points for electric cars. County Manager Eddie Breen responded to each of the detailed submissions.

Mr Breen told the councilors on Friday that the submissions combined were 'as big as a telephone directory' and he praised his planning staff for their work.

The planning staff compiled a summary of the submissions and responses for the councillors, who now have 10 weeks to issue 'directions' to Mr Breen on the plan as it currently stands, taking the submissions from the various interested parties into account.

(Source: Newrossstandard)


Wicklow

A pluky chef has defied death for the third time after being fitted with a new kidney 16 years after undergoing a heart transplant.

Wicklow Town's Maurice Kavanagh is currently recuperating under the care of his family having waited for a new kidney for a year and a half. Two previous attempts had to be aborted because the kidneys weren't a match.

'After the heart transplant I had to take anti-rejection tablets and one of the side effects is the negative impact they have on your kidney. I noticed a gradual decline.'
It's Maurice's third brush with death. Aged 12 he was diagnosed with cancer, and the treatment he received to battle the disease caused his heart to deteriorate.

'Basically the cancer killed the heart and then the heart killed the kidney. They say things come in threes but I really pray this is the last of it,' says a hopeful Maurice.
He adds that he wouldn't be able to cope were it not for the help of his parents, Gretta and Jim, brother Edward, and sisters Diane, Mairead, Jackie and Bernie. A NATIVE OF WICKLOW TOWN is making a speedy recovery after undergoing a kidney transplant 16 years after being fitted with a new heart.

Maurice Kavanagh was on the waiting list for his new kidney for a year and a half. Two previous attempts had to be postponed after it was found the kidneys weren't a match.
Maurice's battling spirit has served him well, and despite his ordeal he still chooses to reflect on the positives in his life.

His first brush with death came at age of just 12 when he was diagnosed with cancer. Eleven years later he underwent a heart transplant and in July he went under the surgeon's knife again to receive his new kidney.

'After the heart transplant I had to take anti-rejection tablets and one of the side effects is the negative impact they have on your kidney. I noticed a gradual decline and I wasn't passing as much water as I should,' explains Maurice, a chef by trade.

(Source: The Wicklow People)