Antrim

Pop princess Lady Gaga, famed for hits such as Poker Face, left scores of fans stony-faced at her Belfast gig recently when she brandished an Irish Tricolor on stage. Up to 10,000 music lovers packed into the Odyssey Arena for the high-tempo Halloween show, one of three she will perform in the city as part of her Monster Ball tour. Her decision to whip out the Republic of Ireland’s green, white and orange flag during the show left a bad taste among some revelers
(Source: Belfast Telegraph)

Armagh

An eight-year-old girl has died from swine flu. Her death has prompted health officials to urge parents whose children attend special needs schools to ensure they are vaccinated. The girl was a pupil at Ceara School in Lurgan, Co Armagh, which caters for children aged between three and 19 who have severe emotional, learning and physical difficulties or health complications.
(Source: Evening Herald)

Carlow

A scary tarantula has been discovered in a Carlow town store. The exotic hairy spider, believed to be from Peru, was unearthed last week by two local children, Molly and Jim Parmeter, who were rummaging around in Chic and Cheerful in Burrin Street. Luckily for Molly (aged 9) and seven-year-old Jim, whose mum Trish volunteers in the shop, the spider was dead! “We have no idea how it got here,” admitted Sam Poynter of Chic and Cheerful.
(Source: The Carlow Nationalist)

Cavan

Gangs are descending on rural areas with a view to cutting down long segments of telephone cable along the roads. Some 150 meters of Eircom cable was cut down in the Cashelbawn area of Dowra last weekend and removed from the scene. This new type of crime has been happening more frequently at various locations all over the country in recent times and a Garda spokesman from Ballyconnell Garda Station pointed out that it appears that the gangs are removing the copper wire from the cables.
(Source: The Angle Celt)

Clare

A large quantity of cocaine, which was intercepted in Gort last week after being smuggled through Shannon Airport, could have a street value of as much as €2 million, The Clare Champion has learned. This is a significant strike by the authorities against those involved in the drugs scene in the West of Ireland. The 7kg of cocaine seized in South Galway last Tuesday, originally valued in the region of €500,000, has been found to be “very pure” and could be worth closer to €2 million. The drugs were seized when a high end vehicle was stopped and searched at Ballinger’s Corner in Gort at 9.30am in a joint operation by the National Drugs Unit, Galway gardaí and Revenue’s Customs Service.
(Source: The Clare Champion)


Cork

Broadcaster and columnist Neil Prendeville has offered his “deepest apologies” for his behavior on a recent flight. The 49-year-old presenter of the weekday ‘Neil Prendeville Show’ on Cork’s 96FM said in a statement delivered on radio last week, he did not remember the incident and was “shocked” when he found out about his alleged actions on 19 October.
(Source: Cork Independent)

Derry

The leader of the SDLP on Derry City Council, Helen Quigley, has confirmed she's not going to contest the next Assembly elections and won't be seeking re-election to Derry City Council. The shock news that the former Mayor was considering her future as an SLDP public representative was broken in last week's Derry Journal. The SDLP confirmed that Councilor Quigley had resigned as party leader on the Council, but said she would remain a party member.
(Source: Derry Journal)

Donegal

The feeling of helplessness coupled with the inability to influence government policy is what prompted former Donegal North East Deputy, James McDaid, to resign his Dail seat last Tuesday morning. In an interview with the Donegal Democrat, the former government minister also rubbished any suggestion that he might contest the next general election following his shock departure from the political arena.
(Source: Donegal Democrat)

Down

Fifty jobs are to be lost in the local dairy industry with the closure of the Armagh Down creamery in Newry. The bottling plant has been in operation since 1935. Its owner, Fane Valley Co-op, blames competitive pressures for getting out of liquid milk. The Fane Valley brand has approximately a 5% share of the local milk market and the business has now been sold to the market leader, Dale Farm.
(Source: BBC News)

Dublin

A peaceful student demonstration outside the Dail turned bloody after it was hijacked by left-wing republican militants. The student march, which was organized to protest against a hike in student registration fees, turned ugly as they reached the gates of the Dail. Violence erupted at the Department of Finance after a group of people believed to be from left-wing republican group Eirigi and the Socialist Workers Party staged a sit-in.
(Source: The Evening Hearld)

Fermanagh

A man accused of murdering a 15-month-old baby in Enniskillen last December, has again been refused bail. Millie Martin suffered fractured ribs and a blow to the stomach days before she died last December. Barry McCarney, 31, denies murdering the child. The third application on behalf of Mr McCarney was made in "substantially changed circumstances" as the baby's mother is now a suspect in the case.
(Source: BBC News)

Galway

Up to 1,000 construction and retail jobs will be created by the €200 million redevelopment of the Galway Shopping Centre, after the developers insisted last week the project will go ahead. The owners of the shopping centre on the Headford Road told the Galway City Tribune that the retail development is creating ‘lively interest’ among potential anchor tenants, and said the figure of 1,000 jobs was realistic. There had been fears for the future of the proposed development, after it emerged that Harcourt currently has debts in the region of €700m.
(Source: GalwayBay Fm)

Kildare

Robertsown is coming to terms with the death of one of the most active members of its community, just as she was to be honored as one of Kildare’s People of the Year.

Kay Murphy moved to Robertstown just five years ago and with her husband Liam got involved in many activities in her new home town, despite her poor health. Kay Murphy died on Friday 29 October, she will be remembered at the gala awards ceremony for the REHAB People of the Year.
(Source: The Kildare Nationalist)

Kilkenny

A Trinity college researcher has estimated that Kilkenny is in the midst of a heroin epidemic and that there are at least 170 heroin addicts in Kilkenny. Professor Catherine Comiskey, a researcher with over 20 years experience in statistics and mathematics applied to health care has estimated that Kilkenny and the whole of the South East region has an emerging heroin problem.
(Source: Kilkenny People)

Laois

The HSE has downplayed fresh fears over the future status of the Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise, amidst claims that surgical and maternity facilities are to close.One concerned patient told the Leinster Express that nurses at the hospital believe that surgical services will cease before Christmas. Fears for a reduction of services at the hospital have been rampant in recent weeks.
(Source: Leinster Express)

Leitrim

Leitrim was the only county in the North West which actually saw an increase in the number of people made redundant last month. The figures come as nationally there has been a drop in the numbers joining the dole queues. It’s the first time the Live Register has fallen for two consecutive months in over three years. These statistics from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment are released on the same day as figures show the number of people signing on the dole last month fell by 6,600.
(Source: Ocean FM)

Limerick

A heroin addict who threatened to stab a security guard with a blood-filled syringe has been sentenced to 10 months in jail. Mr Hannon of Whitecross Gardens, Moyross, pleaded guilty to charges under the Non-Fatal Offences against a Person Act and to trespassing at the apartment block. The 27-year-old, who has 71 convictions, also pleaded guilty to a number of public order charges relating to street begging on dates in June and August, and to possession of a knife at Steamboat Quay in May.
(Source: Limerick Leader)

Longford

A house in Kenagh was sealed off last Tuesday following an assault which left a man requiring hospital treatment and which led to the discovery of a suspicious device. The victim, a 34-year-old man, is believed to have suffered stomach wounds during an incident at a house just outside the village at around 5am. He was subsequently brought to the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar. It's understood that the victim was assaulted by a man armed with what is believed to have been an improvised firearm.
(Source: Longford Leader)

Louth

Louth County Councilors made 110 trips to conferences in the past 13 months, new information released by Louth County Council has revealed. A breakdown of which councilors attended which conferences has been released which shows that 14 members of the 26 person council (including Senator James Carroll) made trips since the last local elections in August 2009.
(Source: Dundalk Democrat)

Mayo

A Ballina man who went into Ballina social welfare office to claim the dole bizarrely ended up sprinkling petrol in the foyer because his payment was late on Tuesday last week. The man had tried to get his welfare claim and when he was told there was a delay he became irate and poured the flammable liquid inside the office.

The man believed to be in his 50s left the office without lighting the liquid and sat outside until the gardai arrived at the scene.
(Source: The Mayo News)

Meath

Gardai estimate a crowd of 10,000 attended the rally in support of the Save Navan Hospital Campaign last Saturday. The rally was protesting at the continued downgrading and stripping of services at Our Lady's Hospital, Navan. The march took a route from the Trim Road, down by the Fair Green and Church Hill, up Ludlow Street and Trimgate Street to Brews Hill. There was a 25 minute stream between the beginning and the end of the march.
(Source: The Meath Chronicle)

Offaly

The Byrne brothers walked free last week after both were cleared at the Central Criminal Court of murdering cattle farmer Edward Dempsey in a row over a stray animal. Daniel-Joseph 'DJ' Byrne was acquitted last Friday, while his younger brother Jason was acquitted last Wednesday by unanimous verdict. Both men had pleaded not guilty to the charge. The jury of ten men and two women returned their verdict on DJ Byrne just after 4pm last Friday, after almost 11 hours of deliberations.
(Source: Offaly Express)

Roscommon

Plans for a new six-screen cinema in Roscommon town may be delayed until December, but are to definitely go ahead. John Earley of Property Partners Earley, Roscommon has rubbished claims made by the Roscommon Cinema Committee that it was unlikely that plans for the cinema would come to fruition. In a statement issued by two members of the committee they said that” the multimillion euro venture quite frankly looks like never happening”.
(Source: The Roscommon Champion)

Sligo

Over 1,100 people in Sligo last weekend signed invitations asking Minister for Health Mary Harney to come to Sligo to explain her long-term policies for the region's health services. The invitation day was organized by Susan O'Keeffe, Labour candidate for Sligo North Leitrim. In O'Connell Street last weekend in just two hours over 950 people queued to sign the letter of invitation. The letter read: “We have no idea what the plan is for Sligo or the wider region. I am asking you to come to Sligo in person to talk to us about the future of our hospitals”.
(Source: The Sligo Weekender)

Tipperary

Thurles has entered the Guinness Book of Records as having had the largest Halloween gathering in the world following festivities last weekend which have been described as " an outstanding success." The ten day long festival, which has been almost nine months in the planning, came to a close on Sunday the 31st with a spectacular fireworks display in the grounds of Thurles Rugby Club after a huge crowd of children and adults had taken part in the fancy dress parade through the Cathedral Town.
(Source: Tipperary Star)

Tyrone

A 36-year-old Polish woman accused of stabbing her lover to death during a drunken row the day following their son's christening has pleaded guilty to his manslaughter. Aneta Sadowska was to have gone on trial at Enniskillen Crown Court accused of the murder 37-year-old Marek Seweryn at their Rathronan House flat on the Hospital Road in Omagh, on December 15, 2008.
(Source: BBC News)

Waterford

Sentimental and irreplaceable chalices have been stolen from the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Fenor, much to the upset of the local clergy and parishioners. Thieves broke into the Church on Halloween night and took a safe containing two chalices, two ciboriums used to hold the host and a monstrance, all of which have been in the church for hundreds of years.
(Source: Waterford News $ Star)

Westmeath

An Athlone resident who was left wheelchair-bound after a medical procedure told the Westmeath Independent last week that she is virtually a prisoner in her own home as she is unable to get transport in Athlone to accommodate her power wheelchair. Margaret McHale also said she is limited in where she can go due to several footpaths in the town being inaccessible to her wheelchair.
(Source: Westmeath Independent)

Wexford

The children's court in Wexford has heard how a 15-year-old broke into the grounds of a secondary school in Wexford town and pointed a gun at its vice-principal when he went to investigate. The teenager in question, who cannot be named, broke into Wexford Vocational College in the early hours of Saturday August 14, having spent the evening drinking and taking LSD tablets, the court was told.
(Source: thejournal.ie)

Wicklow

Drug dealers in Wicklow were dealt a massive blow last week as gardai swooped in and shut down a cannabis growing operation at a rented house in Ashford. In a joint venture between gardai from Wicklow and the Garda National Drugs Unit cannabis plants with a street value of €500,000 were found during a search in the Courtfoyle area of Ashford.
(Source: The Wicklow People)