News from Ireland - news from around the 32 counties

The High Court was informed last week that the Australian authorities are seeking the extradition of Eamon Mark Driver with an address at Stanley Heights, Slane, Co Meath, on charges of causing the death of Colm Reilly (20), from Slane, Co Meath, and Kiara Duncan (20), from Kentstown, Co Meath, by dangerous driving.

Mr Driver is alleged to have been the driver of a Toyota Corolla hatchback which was involved in a fatal crash that occurred around 11.10pm on October 31, 2007 at Bedford, a suburb of Perth in Western Australia. At the time of the crash the car had six passengers, including Mr Reilly and Ms Duncan.

Mr Driver allegedly lost control of the car at a bend and careered across the road into an oncoming vehicle. It is alleged that Mr Driver had been traveling at excess speed at the time.

Mr Reilly died on impact, while Ms Duncan died three days later in hospital.

The other passengers in the car sustained various injuries.

A warrant for Mr Driver's arrest was issued by the Australian Attorney General's office last year after the 29-year-old failed to appear in Perth Magistrate's Court to face charges.

Detective Sergeant Jim Kirwan of the Garda Extradition Unit told the High Cour that he arrested Mr Driver at his home in Co Meath on foot of a warrant that had been previously endorsed by the High Court last Wednesday.
(Source: Evening Herald)

Monaghan

The disgraced former chief executive of Irish Nationwide, Michael Fingleton, failed to turn up to an Employment Appeals Tribunal hearing -- because he was in a foreign court.

The retired head of the now nationalized lender had been summoned to attend the tribunal to give evidence in the unfair dismissal case of branch manager and former Monaghan inter-county GAA star Brendan Beggan (48).

Chairman Dermot MacCarthy said Mr Fingleton informed the tribunal in a telephone call that he was willing and "eager" to appear.

But he said he was unable to do so last week because he was in court in Eastern Europe. It was unclear last week why Mr Fingleton was in court.
(Source: Irish Times)

Offaly

A man in his 20s was arrested last week following the death of a cyclist in a hit-and-run incident near the border between Offaly and Kildare last Tuesday.

A man named locally as Peter Farrell (61), Clonmullen, Edenderry, Co Offaly, died when he was struck by a vehicle while cycling at Carrick on the Kinnegad to Edenderry road shortly before 9pm last Tuesday.
(Source: Offaly Express)

Roscommon

Halloween is still more than one month away but archeologists working in Ireland have uncovered a couple of 8th century human skeletons that point to a ghoulish story.

The skeletons, dug up between 2005 and 2009 at Kilteasheen, near Loch Key in Ireland, were found with stones stuck into their mouths. Researchers examining the remains suggest this may have been related to a belief among the locals that this practice would prevent the dead from returning to walk the Earth as zombies.

​
Nster.com