Antrim

Almost 250 new jobs are being created at a major bio-technology company in Co Antrim.

Randox Laboratories in Crumlin is recruiting 242 new staff as part of a £15.8m expansion.

The investment is being supported by Invest Northern Ireland, which has offered £2.4m of assistance.

Randox specializes in the development of sophisticated chemical and biochemical diagnostic tests and devices, primarily targeted at hospital, clinical and veterinary laboratories.

The company currently employs over 850 people worldwide, including 620 in Crumlin.
(Source: rte)

Armagh

Police investigating the murder of a couple at their County Armagh home have appealed for a man to come forward to be eliminated from their inquiries.

Husband and wife, Hugh, 56, and Jacqueline McGeough, 44, were shot at their Legahory Court home, Craigavon, at about 1100 GMT on Monday 7 March.

Their bodies were found later that day by their son.

Police want to talk to a man who may have visited the house on the evening of Sunday 6 March.

A motive for the killings has not yet been confirmed but it is understood that police are investigating a possible drugs connection.

The house where the murders happened stands isolated in the middle of a field. It is fitted with security cameras and a number of security lights. The doors and windows are fitted with bulletproof glass.
(Source:BBC)

Carlow

A Priest is reaching out to parishioners by sending them Lenten 'tweets' on his iPhone.

Fr Paddy Byrne has jumped on the Twitter bandwagon and is using the social networking website to keep his flock up-to-date on his movements.

The 36-year-old curate, who works in Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, started 'tweeting' for Lent.

Fr Byrne gathered over 100 followers on his first day using Twitter, and now has 157 followers.

The priest, who was ordained 10 years ago, wanted to reach out to people who were not Mass-goers.

"There is a hunger out there for spirituality. Through social media we have a whole generation of people who are open to conversations about the question of God," he said.

While some dioceses are using Twitter to send out generic prayers, Fr Byrne is keeping his messages personal.

"Spent time with a recovering heroin addict yesterday (last Thursday) his story one of pain and yet great hope," he tweeted.
(Source: Irish Independent)

Cavan

Some 25,000 tons of Dublin’s household waste is to be sent to landfill sites in Louth and Offaly following the closure of a Cavan dump operated by private waste company Oxigen.

The company has decided to close its operations at the landfill in Corranure, Co Cavan, four months after being awarded a contract by Dublin County Council to dispose of the capital’s household waste at the site.

Landfill operations will cease within the next month. Dublin City Council said it understands the waste will instead go to landfill sites at Whiteriver, Dundalk, Co Louth, and Derryclure in Tullamore, Co Offaly.

The decision has been taken following signals from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) it intended to refuse a license for the operation of the Corranure site.
(Source: Irish Times)

Clare

The bodies of two women have been discovered on a beach in Co Clare last Friday morning.
The discovery was made at 10.30am at White Strand beach outside Miltown Malbay.Gardaí (Irish police) are at the scene, which is near Spanish Point, and a technical examination is under way.

Detectives do not suspect foul play. It is believed the two women, who were found fully clothed, were from  Wales. ??Their bodies have been removed from the scene and taken to the Mid Western

Regional hospital in Limerick for a postmortem by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis. A UK-registered car with a dog inside was found near the beach and gardaí believe the car may belong to one of the women.

Officials in the UK have been contacted in  a bid to trace the registered owner of the vehicle.
(Source: Irish TImes)

Cork

Two drivers were killed and a passenger left fighting for his life when their cars crashed in Co Cork last Friday morning.

The man and the woman both died after the two-car collision on the N25 at Courtstown in Glanmire, just after midnight.

The second man, a passenger in one of the cars, was taken to Cork University Hospital and is said to have critical injuries.

Gardai (Irish police)  said the road remained closed while the scene was examined by Garda forensic collision investigators. Diversions were in place.
Source: (Belfast Telegraph)

Derry

The PSNI is appealing for information about the suspected theft of a large number of lambs in Co Derry.

193 animals were reported as having been stolen from a livestock mart in Kilrea last Tuesday.
The lambs all had different markings and are of various breeds.

Police say it is unusual to see lambs with different colored body markings together.

The PSNI has asked anyone with information about the whereabouts of the missing lambs to get in touch with them.
(Source: rte)

Donegal

Three male members of staff at a bar in Strabane, Co Tyrone, and a customer were treated in hospital for slash wounds they sustained when they were attacked outside the premises late on St Patrick’s night.

It is believed a group from England were involved in the incident after they were refused entry to Joe’s Bar in the town’s Abercorn Square. Among those injured were the licensee, Joe Breslin.

One of his bar staff was seriously injured in the attack, and received 200 stitches to a slash wound to his stomach and back. Another bar staff member was also slashed, as was a customer who tried to intervene.

Police investigating the incident believe that the crowd of between 20 and 30 people involved fled across the Border into Donegal.
(Source: Irish Times)

Down

A second person has died as a result of the road crash in Co Down last weekend.

The 39-year-old woman was a passenger in one of three vehicles involved in the crash on the Armagh Road near Newry.

A 20-year-old man, Matthew Watson from Richhill, Armagh, was also killed in the crash.
 (Source: rte)

Dublin

YouTube, the Google-owned video sharing website, has bought a Dublin-based company for an undisclosed sum.

Green Parrott Pictures specializes in technology which improves the technical quality of video and it is that which has attracted YouTube.

Jeremy Doig, the Director of Google video technology, said the firm had been looking for a way to improve the quality of videos while they are being uploaded to the site.

He gave the example of videos of protests in Libya which although "emotionally captivating" can be jerky or blurry.
(Source: BBC news)

Fermanagh

A convicted paedophile has had his sentence added to after he was found guilty of sexually abusing two sisters.

Former Guinness Book of Records strong man David Parkinson, 68, from Main Street, Brookeborough in County Fermanagh, is currently serving 15 years for the rape and sexual abuse of three girls aged between six and 11.

On two new charges of indecent assault and one of gross indecency, he was ordered to serve a total of 3 years 6 months consecutive to his current 15-year sentence.

(Source: BBC news)

Galway

A 47-year-old man is to be sentenced at the Central Criminal Court next month for a series of sexual assaults at a house in Co Galway.??The man, who can not be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty after a jury had been sworn in for his trial, to seven counts of sexual assault against a female at the house on dates between June 2005 and April 2009.??Mr Justice McCarthy ordered a victim impact report and registered the man as a sex offender.??He was remanded in custody to be sentenced on April 11.
(Source: Irish Examiner)

Kerry

Three international pharmaceutical organizations have announced almost 300 new jobs for Kerry, as part of the first phase of the development of a proposed Global Pharmaceutical Centre of Excellence (GPCE) in Tralee.

The GPCE is a €4.7 billion project aimed at establishing a campus of more than 50 small to medium-sized pharmaceutical interests in Tralee, mixing business and academic experiences and skills.

The promoters of the centre believe it has the potential to employ over 4,500 people in the next four years.
(Source: RTE)

Kildare

Newbridge Greyhound Stadium in Co.Kildare has confirmed that it is to close at the end of the month.
Management says there has been a reduction in attendances, race sponsorship and secondary business activity over the past couple of years.

Talks have taken place with Bord na gCon but no way of keeping the facility open has been found.
It will close on March 26. It is not clear how many jobs will be lost or what arrangements will be made for staff.
(Source: Breaking News)

Kilkenny

Somebody will be celebrating in Borris this week after a winning ticket for the Lotto Plus 2 top prize, worth €250,000 was purchased in Cosgrave’s shop in Borris, Co. Kilkenny on Saturday last, the day of the draw. The lucky ticket was a €4 QuickPick selection.

The lucky winner(s) has not yet come forward to National Lottery offices in Dublin to collect their win of €250,000. ‘The champagne is on ice and we are waiting to hear from the lucky winner or winners’, said a National Lottery spokesperson.
(Source: Kilkenny Advertiser)

Laois

Three-bedroom houses for less than €100,000 are going on sale at Kilnacourt Woods, Portarlington, Co Laois.

Buyers will have a choice of three-bedroom semis extending to 96.6sqm priced at €99,999 or three-bedroom townhouses of 81sqm which are priced at €89,999. In addition, there are a choice of apartments starting at €59,999 for one-bedroom units of 46.4sqm, while two bedroom apartments of almost 66sqm are asking €69,999. The properties are presented with a half red brick exterior and a knapp render plaster finish exterior. House buyers will benefit from leveled and seeded back gardens and living rooms with open fireplaces. Each house has a downstairs wc, and an en suite with the master bedroom.
(Source: Irish Independent)

Leitrim

A dispute involving part-time firefighters in Co Leitrim has been resolved following the intervention of the Labour Relations Commssion.

A settlement was announced last week after discussions between Leitrim County Council and SIPTU under the auspices of a senior official from the commission.

Mandatory breathing apparatus training will be completed by all fire-fighters and 12 part-time retained fire-fighters have been restored to operational duties with immediate effect.
(Source: RTE)

Limerick
.
The mother an Irish student who drowned in Ibiza has said she is “devastated” following the failure of her appeal to have a ship captain convicted of manslaughter.

Brazil Bourke (21) from Hospital, Co Limerick, a nephew of former minister for defense Willie O’Dea, died after jumping from the deck of a party boat in July 2006.

Spanish captain Jose Ribas (46) was cleared of manslaughter following a trial at Ibiza’s Criminal Court in June of last year.
(Source: Limerick Leader)

Louth

A man and a woman arrested in the North after four children went missing from Co Louth were released last week without charge.

The 30-year-old man and 28-year-old woman were arrested in Newcastle, Co Down, by the PSNI. The four children -- three girls and one boy -- were later found safe and well. Aged between 12 and one, the children had been reported missing last Thursday.
(Source: Irish Independent)

Mayo
A man appeared in court last week charged with the murder of his 46-year-old mother.

Celyn Eadon, 19, appeared before Swinford District Court after being charged last week in connection with the murder of his mother Noreen Kelly-Eadon, 46, who was found dead in her home last Wednesday, RTE reports.
(Source: RTE)

Meath

Five people have been arrested after gardaí (Irish police) discovered the biggest cannabis grow house ever found in Ireland.

Officers from the Garda National Drugs Unit, along with local units in Meath, raided a shed in a rural area of Grange in Bective at about 2pm.

Gardaí found 1,720 cannabis plants compartmentalized at different growth stages - from incubation to drying - worth over €680,000.

220 of the plants were in a drying room ready for street sale within three days.
(Source: RTE)

Monaghan

Irish customs officers and Irish police have seized 40,000 liters of laundered diesel, a lorry, four cars and a van during a raid on a diesel-laundering plant in County Monaghan on Friday.

The planned raid began at 0500 GMT at a farm near Tyholland on the Armagh/Monaghan border.

A customs spokesperson said the oil laundering plant "had the capacity for about 10m liters of fuel a year".

Equipment was also dismantled and taken away for further examination.

Four men, two in their 50s and two in their 20s, are being questioned in relation to the find.
(Source: Irish Times)


Offaly

More than 50 jobs are to be created at a firm supplying the medical devices sector.

Kelcourt Plastics is to expand operations in Tullamore, Co Offaly, over the next five years, allowing it to target more European markets.

Patrick Mickle, Kelcourt president, said: "We are very excited to establish a manufacturing facility in Tullamore and we look forward to finding the right caliber of staff to ensure our success here.
(Source: Google News)

Roscommon

Ten acres of roadside land on the outskirts of Frenchpark, Co Roscommon, made €115,000 (€11,500/ac) when auctioned over the telephone recently.

Ballyjamesduff-based auctioneer Padraig Smith, along with joint agents John Earley of Roscommon, handled the sale.

The land consists of 10ac in two divisions with a piped water supply and cattle handling facilities.

According to Mr Smith, the land had been bought during the boom years for a much higher price but the current owner now wished to dispose of it.
(Source: The Roscommon Champion)

Tipperary

A woman in her 70s has died in a crash in Thurles, Co Tipperary last week.

The woman died when her car collided with another vehicle at Holycross last week.

The two other occupants of the other vehicle were uninjured.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene and her body has been removed to Limerick Regional Hospital.
(Source: Tipperary Star)

Tyrone

The house where a convicted sex offender burnt his partner and five children to death has been demolished.

Arthur McElhill killed his family in a house fire in Omagh, County Tyrone in 2007, because his partner, Lorraine McGovern threatened to leave.

The subsequent inquest heard a phone call made by Lorraine's daughter, Caroline, 13, in which she pleaded for help from her burning home.

The boarded-up property at Lammy Crescent was demolished last Wednesday.
(Source: Belfast Telegraph)

Waterford

Michael Cronin, the former boss at Newmarket Co-op, has been appointed the interim chief executive of Wexford Co-op and replaces Eamon Murphy, who had held the position since 2005.

Mr Murphy, a trained accountant, has left the co-op to pursue other non-agri-business interests.

Wexford says that a recruitment process to find a permanent appointment for the role will be on-going over the coming months.
(Source: Waterford News)

Westmeath

An 86-year-old man was killed after being struck by a tractor in a town centre last week.

He had just parked his car in the centre of Athlone, Co Westmeath, and was walking along a road near the eastern approach to the River Shannon bridge when the accident happened shortly after 3.15pm.

The man, who is from Athlone, was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim, who has not been formally identified by gardai, is survived by his wife and son.
(Source: Westmeath Independent)


Wicklow

A man found guilty of dangerous driving causing the death of a former inter-county hurler has been sentenced to five years in prison, with the last 18 months suspended.

At Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court in Bray, Co Wicklow, Anthony Leahy, an unemployed man of Vartry Heights, Roundwood, Wicklow, was taken into custody after Judge Michael O’Shea handed down the sentence.

The maximum prison term under the offence is 10 years.
(Source: The Wicklow People)