Ireland’s Eye - a round of top Irish news stories

A look at news from around Ireland

"We want to give people the wedding of their dreams, and this survey is so useful in identifying that for an incredible 53 percent of brides-to-be surveyed, bad weather is a real wedding worry" said Elisabet Diaz, general manager of Dunboyne Castle Hotel and Spa.

The survey also found that over half of respondents said the reputation of wedding venues was a primary factor in choosing a location, more specifically those with great surroundings and photo opportunities. Over 70 percent choose the weekend to get married for guest convenience, with Saturday being the most popular day.
 
Meath Chronicle

Puppies Rescued
SEVEN little Lurcher puppies found abandoned at Ballybrittan Bridge are being transferred for further care to an Offaly Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) foster carer.

he OSPCA's Colette Coates said she has been minding the puppies since passersby got in touch with the organization after stumbling on the secret seven, thought to have been thrown into or close to the canal. A lady driver on her way to see her father initially came across six weak little Lurcher puppies on the road, while a male good samaritan who then came on the scene helped to uncover a seventh puppy in the ditch nearby.

Though estimated to be approximately 12 weeks old by a vet, all of the puppies are severely underweight and are suffering from mange. The weakest of the lot weighs under two kilos, while the others weigh approximately three and a half kilos. 

Treatment for mange would have initially cost something in the region of €16 according to Coates, but because the problem has been allowed to escalate and the puppies' skin is now infected their medical bill is in the hundreds instead. All puppies are on antibiotics for the skin condition and must be washed with special shampoo.

Coates said when found the puppies were suffering greatly from the cold. Lurchers feel cold more than other breeds, she explained, and the situation was worsened by the mange that meant the puppies had hardly any hair left to keep them warm.

Coates urged dog owners to neuter female dogs to avoid the arrival of puppies, and said that if puppies are born and are unwanted contact should be made with the OSPCA.

Offaly Independent

Rampant Thuggery
CONCERNED Castlebar parents say that children are living in fear of robbery and violence by a gang of youths terrorizing the town.  Councilor Michael Kilcoyne chaired a recent meeting of 27 angry and worried parents.

“These children are being beaten for money and their mobile phones,” said Kilcoyne. He said that a gang of thugs is targeting students on their way to and from school. “One parents also told me that her child is afraid to go into town on a Saturday and Sunday,” said Kilcoyne.

The meeting heard that the bulk of the gang is made up of teenage members of the traveling community, but that settled youths are also involved in the bullying and harassment. “They’ll approach a child take the phone of him and you can now text credit from one phone to another. They are also making kids hop up and down to see if any change jingles in their pockets,” said Kilcoyne.

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Nster.com