News from Ireland - news from around the 32 counties

A woman who was giving a lift to friends "the morning after" was arrested for drunk driving and was found to be over the limit, Sligo District Court was told.

Charged with drunk driving at Mail Coach Road was Ceolin Devanney, Carrowkeel, Ballisodare. A sample showed a reading of 48 mgs of alcohol per 100 mls of breath. Mr. Fergal Kelly, solicitor (defending), pleaded that the defendant (21) did not have any previous convictions. She was giving a lift to her friends "on the morning after."

"Is there any difficulty in treating it as a 44?", Judge Kilrane asked Inspector Sean McGinty (prosecuting). "No," replied the Inspector. Judge Kilrane fined the defendant €200 and banned her from driving for one year.
(Source: The Sligo Champion)

Tipperary

Two men were taken to hospital after a small plane crashed in Co Tipperary.

The two-seater Pegasus Quantum Microlite came down in a field at Ballyduggan, near the Tipperary-Kilkenny border at about 11.30am last Wednesday.

The craft, registered in the UK, departed from Kilkenny Airfield on a training flight last week.

Two men, aged in their 40s and 50s, a pilot and student, were on board the craft.

The man in his 40s sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to Waterford Regional Hospital by an Irish Coast Guard helicopter.

The second man suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

(Source: Irish Times)

Tyrone

The family of a missing Co Tyrone teenager say they are afraid to build up their hopes that a new police search will find her body.

The PSNI said it will launch fresh searches for the body of Castlederg schoolgirl, Arlene Arkinson, who disappeared in 1994.

Arlene was 15 years old when she disappeared after a night out in Bundoran, Co Donegal.
It is widely believed she was abducted and murdered. This past Saturday, August 13, marked the 17th anniversary of her disappearance.

“Investigations into Arlene’s murder are continuing. We intend to mount further searches in the coming months,” a police spokesman said.

“Arlene’s family have been kept up to date with the plans for a new search,” he added.

Speaking to the News Letter, Arlene’s sister, Kathleen – who met with police last week to find out more details about the planned search operations – expressed her fear, that any fresh hope could again be dashed.

“We have to be hopeful, that maybe this time they will find Arlene after all these years,” she said.
“But we cannot get our hopes up too much, we have had so much disappointment over the years, the comedown is very hard on all of us.
(Source: Newsletter.co.uk)

Waterford

A man who clung onto the bow of his sinking boat in cold water for an hour was rescued and brought to safety after members of the public called for help.

The incident occurred near Garrarus last Tuesday evening at approximately 6pm.

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Nster.com