Ireland's Eye: What's going on in the old sod this week

A look at news from around Ireland

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Hat Thief Pays

A MAN who stole another man's Munster rugby hat and then bit him on the nose when he asked for it back has been ordered to pay €1,000 to his victim.

Thomas Barrett of Castleisland appeared before Castleisland District Court where he pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at Main Street, Castleisland, on December 19, 2010.

The court heard that Barrett's victim had been standing in a crowd outside a nightclub at around 2: 30 a.m. waiting for a taxi he had called earlier.  Barrett then approached him and grabbed a Munster Rugby hat from his head.

When the man asked for his hat back Barrett laughed at him and then "lunged at him" and bit his nose leaving teeth marks.

Inspector Donal Ashe said that the victim told Gardai that Barrett had "bit me like a bear.”

Defense solicitor Dave Ramsay said the offense was on the "lower end of the scale" when compared with other offenses under same act.

He added that his client, a 30-year-old father-of-two, came from a very good family and had not come to Garda attention recently.

Judge James O'Connor adjourned the case until May 30, and Barrett was told to have at least €1,000 in compensation for his victim.
- The Kerryman
 
Small Schools Protest

MORE than 2,000 teachers, parents and children attended a recent protest march in Castlebar last against cuts to small rural schools.

The demonstrators marched from the Mall to the constituency office of Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny on Tucker Street, where a letter of protest was handed to Councilor Ger Deere, who is also assistant to the taoiseach. During the march, which closed off the town center for over an hour, the protestors chanted, “Enda Kenny, shame on you.”

The march was organized by the Save Our Small Schools Group and comprised pupils, teachers and parents who traveled from all areas of the province. A second march was held in Gweedore in Co Donegal where 500 people took part.

Catriona Carty, principal of Glenmore National School in Crossmolina, promised that further protests would be held in the main towns in every county over the coming weeks.

"We have planned an 'occupy each town' day where protests will be held which will shut down the town for an hour at 2 p.m. on a Saturday until we get a result,” she said.

She said the protest gathered momentum when larger primary schools became involved after realizing the possible effects of the cutbacks to their general teacher allocation hours.

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Nster.com