ANTRIM

The outraged Mayor of Antrim has challenged top brass of the Northern Trust to join him at the A&E Department of the Area Hospital on a Saturday night so they can see for themselves the 'horrific strain' already put on staff.

Adrian Watson made the ultimatum just hours after the Trust confirmed that casualty services at neighboring Whiteabbey and Mid-Ulster were to be slashed.

The scale of the problems that may lie ahead was underlined on Sunday night last, when 18 patients were left languishing on trolleys at Antrim A&E - some for 12 hours or more.
(Source: The Antrim Guardian)   

ARMAGH

More than 150 solar energy jobs will be created by a multimillion-pound investment from a Co Armagh company.

Kingspan Renewables’ products include solar panels and solar water heating systems.

NI enterprise minister Arlene Foster said the jobs boost was part of a £47 million expansion at the Portadown firm.

She said: “The solar products now being manufactured in Portadown are some of the most technologically advanced in the world.
(Source: The Irish Times)

CARLOW

Prostitutes are selling sex from a network of brothels in the heart of Carlow Town.
The women are advertised on various websites and as recently as last Monday two of them were available for sex within ten minutes.
After investigations, four premises in the centre of Carlow town have been identified as working brothels with other venues also being used by the sex workers when required.
The sex dens are located at an apartment on Castle Street, apartments on Centaur Street and Bridewell Lane, and on Pollerton Road, close to Shamrock Square.
(Source: The Carlow Nationalist)

CAVAN

Tickets are selling well for Ireland's biggest ever tribute festival, ShamRock at Cavan Equestrian Centre, with 40% of those sold so far being to festival-goers from outside the county according to organizers.
Swellan native festival founder, Brian Greenan, said that ShamRock has gained national and international exposure on radio stations including Today FM and 2FM.
(Source: The Anglo Celt)

CLARE

More than five years after Emer O’Loughlin’s body was found in a burnt-out caravan on the Clare/Galway border, gardaí (police) last week confirmed the young artist was murdered.
Emer’s remains were found on April 8, 2005 in the caravan in a field at Ballybornough near Tubber and since then, gardaí in Gort have been investigating her death.

A murder investigation is now underway. The breakthrough came last Wednesday when the body of the 23-year-old North Clare woman was exhumed and brought to Galway University Hospital. There, following an examination and tests by Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis and forensic anthropologist Dr Lorraine Buckley, gardaí confirmed that Emer was murdered.
(Source: The Clare Champion)

CORK

Thank God for the ombudsman — these were the words of Judge Michael Pattwell on hearing that a concerned citizen who failed to get an "active response" from Mallow Town Council went a step further and contacted the ombudsman.
(Source: The Corkman)

DERRY

He's fooled a Sky news team, signed autographs for adoring fans and mixed in the world of celebrities.
And now Fabio Capello lookalike Michael McElhinney has backed Derry's bid to become the City of Culture 2013.
There's no doubt that Derry-born Michael is the spitting image of England football manager Fabio Capello.
And, as the World Cup draws closer, Michael, aka Fabio, has given Derry the thumbs-up in its city of culture bid.
(Source: The Derry Journal)

DONEGAL

Labour Leader Eamon Gilmore is predicting that his party will win two seats in Donegal in the next general election.
Speaking in Dublin at the Donegal Live event, which he attended in the company of the party's newest member, Cllr Jimmy Harte, Gilmore said he sensed a "huge mood for change within Donegal" and with strong candidates in both constituencies, he believed Labour can win two seats here.
(Source: Donegal Democrat)

DOWN

A nurse found strangled to death in her bath was in a relationship with a man 25 years younger than her, the High Court has heard.
Pauline Haveron (53) began seeing her son's friend Andrew Jones after he briefly went out with her daughter, a judge was told.
(Source: (The Belfast Telegraph)

DUBLIN

Wedding bells are set to ring around Leinster House after two sitting politicians became engaged.
Well-known Dublin TD Lucinda Creighton is to marry her Fine Gael partner in politics and love Senator Paul Bradford from Cork East.
The pair is set to steal the title of the Oireachtas' golden couple from their party colleagues Olwyn Enright and Joe McHugh, who walked down the aisle in 2005 and had their first child last November.
Ms Creighton (30) is said to be extremely happy about the engagement although it is unclear whether a date has been set for the big day.
She is one of Fine Gael's big hopes for the future having commanded a significant electoral victory in Dublin South East on her first attempt three years ago.
(Source: The Evening Herald)

FERMANAGH

The average UK household had £143 a week disposable income in January 2009, two per cent lower than a year earlier, according to the latest income tracker report from ASDA.
The average UK household had £143 a week disposable income in January 2009, two per cent lower than a year earlier, according to the latest income tracker report from ASDA.
As a result the average family is now £3 a week worse off. Across the regions, the South West and Northern Ireland have taken the biggest proportional hit to discretionary income compared with a year earlier (January 08 vs January 09).
(Source: The Fermanagh Herald)

GALWAY

The State is to provide a Salthill teenager with a rare life threatening genetic disorder with 20 hours of tuition per week, the High Court heard last week.
However, the family of Blu O'Carroll Cassidy, Dalysfort Road, Salthill Galway who was born with a rare metabolic disorder known as Propionic Acidaemia (PA) which means her body cannot break down proteins, dismissed an offer from the HSE for the provision of care as inadequate.
(Source: Galway News)

KERRY

Fears that the future of broadband in Kerry is far from bright are heightened by Eircom's new TV advert for its Next Generation Broadband (NGB) — in which the Kingdom is the only part of the country excluded from a satellite vision of NGB on the island.
 (Source: The Kerryman)

KILDARE

The owner of the controversial Kerdiffstown dump has warned that it could cost €600 million to clean up the site if it is closed down.
Tony Dean made the statement in the High Court on Friday two weeks ago during a hearing at which Mr Justice Sean Ryan granted an order temporarily closing the landfill.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) more than 200 complaints have been lodged about the dump, making it the target of more complaints than any other landfill in Ireland.
The EPA was in court to ask for the injunction to be granted. The landfill is connected to one of Dublin’s largest waste firms, A1 Waste, and is run by Neiphin Trading.
(Source: The Kildare Nationalist)
   
KILKENNY

Graffiti on buses and billboards. Late-night cans of spray paint at bus stops. Underground art battles. It's all legitimate business for Kilkenny-born artist Mick Minogue.
One good thing is leading to another for Kilkenny-born artist Mick Minogue.
This year alone, he finds himself in a team that's top of the league in a European art competition, and that in turn has led to him designing ads for a Bulmers campaign that has his work displayed across Dublin.
(Source: The Kilkenny People)

LAOIS

Government TD Sean Fleming has accused a Government Department of "discrimination" in its provision of social welfare services in Portlaoise through a contractor.
Despite plans for a new large office to be provided in the town, the Fianna Fáil TD is not satisfied with the level of service being provided for people signing on.
Recently released figures show that there are just under 8,000 people signing on in Laois.
(Source: The Leinster Express)

LEITRIM

Ballinamore Secondary School, Meanscoil Fatima has been the victim of a second arson attack.
An alarm was raised last Thursday, May 20 at approx 6.30am by a visitor who spotted smoke. The Ballinamore Fire Brigade was dispatched and brought the building to safety.
It is understood that the fire was caught on time by the fire service and that the smoke damage is confined to two classrooms.
(Source: The Leitrim Observer)

LIMERICK

A University of Limerick student who is in a critical condition after he jumped into a fountain on campus has been transferred to Dublin.
Cian Cleary, 22, from Kildysart, Co Clare, suffered neck injuries after he jumped into a shallow fountain in front of the Schuman building on campus early last Wednesday morning.
The incident, which took place shortly before 5am, has been described by gardai as a "tragic accident."
(Source: The Limerick Leader)

LONGFORD

The Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois has had his letter of resignation accepted by Pope Benedict.
Bishop Colm O'Reilly, who turned 75 on January 11 and therefore automatically submitted his resignation letter to the Vatican, will remain in office until a successor has been found, which could take as long as 18 months.
(Source: The Longford Leader)

LOUTH

Civic-minded activists in Drogheda are beginning a campaign to have the town officially recognized as a city. If successful, the campaign would first have to persuade the Government to bestow city status on a town for the first time in the history of the State.
(Source: The Drogheda Independent)

MAYO

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to spend €10,000 in one day’s shopping.
Westport’s Doreen Mulroy didn’t have to be asked twice when Today FM offered her the winning prize in the Blow Me competition last Friday.
The only real condition was she could only spend €2,000 in any one shop, Today FM clearly following the old motherly advice of ‘don’t spend it all in the one shop’.
All weekend Doreen (35) and her husband James worked out what they needed and what they wanted, no doubt with some help from kids Ciara (7) and Dylan (6).
(Source: Mayo News)

MEATH

The payment of €2 million to an eight-year-old Kells girl, who is paraplegic after her spine was unintentionally injured during a surgical procedure at Crumlin Children's Hospital, Dublin, three years ago, will mark a new trend in making 'staggered' payments instead of lump sums to accident victims, two Meath solicitors claimed last week.
Gemma Meehan, daughter of John and Joan Meehan, is to be paid the €2 million as part-settlement of her High Court action against the hospital. Under the terms of the settlement, she may return to the court when she reaches 18 to seek further compensation on the grounds including future loss of earnings.
(Source: The Meath Chronicle)

OFFALY

A woman who bought her ticket in Birr is celebrating after picking up a cheque for €250,000, her Lotto Plus 2 top prize from last Saturday's draw
The delighted winner bought her €4 ticket in Patti Nees, Main Street, Birr.
While wishing to remain anonymous, the lucky Lotto winner did express her delight at scooping the substantial sum.
(Source The Offaly Express)

ROSCOMMON

Two Roscommon entrepreneurs have taken a unique approach to beating the recession by launching an innovative flood solution product, the Big Bag System. Castlerea native Shane Curran and Gerard Brennan from Kilteevan recently established Global Flood Solutions, a 100% Irish owned company that specializes in proven and cost-effective flood defense products.
(Source: The Roscommon Champion)

SLIGO

After 47 days the High Court case in Dublin about alleged rights of way at the Lissadell estate has concluded hearing evidence and will resume on June 3rd to hear final submissions from both sides.
(Source: The Sligo Champion)

TIPPERARY

North Tipperary County Council is getting tough on developers who have left housing developments unfinished throughout the county by calling in bonds to the tune of 1.6 million Euro.
(Source: The Tipperary Star)

TYRONE

Hillary Clinton’s Northern Ireland representative has been challenged to deliver US money to help one of the most deprived areas of Belfast.
Imposing loyalist murals and boarded up shops formed the backdrop for a visit by US Economic Envoy Declan Kelly last week to Sandy Row in the south of the city.
Former UDA boss Jackie McDonald was there to meet the envoy and told him: “If people think they are living in a ghetto, they will have a ghetto attitude.”
(Source: Belfast Telegraph)

WATERFORD

The management of Waterford City Council is to pursue the city’s first ever lady mayor for thousands of euro she spent on a trip to New York for herself and her husband during her mayoralty.
An audit of council accounts in 2008 found that former Fine Gael councilor, Mary O’Halloran, who lost her seat in the local elections last June, booked the trip which cost €7,200, to the big apple without receiving the approval of her fellow councilors or following the normal procedures for such trips.
(Source: Waterford News & Star)

WESTMEATH

Athlone Town could be on the verge of a sensational coup by bringing Spanish and European giants Real Madrid to Lissywoollen for a friendly match in early August.
National newspapers reported last Monday that Athlone Town were seeking to entertain the nine-times European champions at the Midlands' venue on Monday, August 9.
(Source: The Westmeath Independent)

WEXFORD

Wexford woman Rosaleen Molloy got to rub shoulders with Bono in New York last week after being appointed director of a new National Music Education Program partly funded by U2
 (Source: The Wexford People)

WICKLOW

Two Greystones' men got a hero's welcome as they returned to their home town on Saturday afternoon last after completing the final leg of the first Irish circumnavigation of the world by bicycle. Simon Evans and Fearghal Ó Nualláin have cycled some 30,000 km through 26 countries since leaving Greystones 18 months ago.
(Source: The Wicklow People)