News from Ireland - news from around the 32 counties

What began as a survey of medieval churches in Co. Roscommon, Ireland, has since turned into one of Ireland's largest research excavations. Indeed, the project has so far turned up more than 120 skeletons in a cemetery which dates between the 7th and 14th centuries. The site has revealed traces from the Neolithic, Bronze Age, Early and later Medieval eras.
(Source: CBS News)

Sligo

A 38-year-old woman died in a fire last week in her bedroom at a house in Ballymote, Co Sligo.
She was named as Aoife Dalton, who lived at Marren Park in the town.

Neighbors were awakened when they heard her boyfriend, John Walsh, who lives at another address, banging at the front door of the end-of-terrace two-storey house shortly before 5.50am.

One neighbor said: “He could see smoke smoldering and he was calling out ‘Are you in there, if you are, get out’.”

Mr Walsh, who is in his 40s and has his own accommodation opposite the town’s Garda station, smashed the door glass in as he desperately tried to save Ms Dalton, who lived in Ballymote for six years but was a native of the Tralee area of Co Kerry.

Mr Walsh told gardaí he was driven back by thick smoke. He told them he was forced by the smoke to jump 20ft from a top-floor window.

Mr Walsh, a native of Sligo town who has lived in Ballymote for a number of years, was in Sligo General Hospital last week under treatment for smoke inhalation and cuts to his head.
(Source: Irish TImes)

Tipperary

Locals in Bansha, Co Tipperary, have failed in a last-minute attempt at the High Court to prevent the closure of their local post office.

The court was told An Post gave just one day's notice of the closure of the post office which will cause hardship to sick and elderly people in the town.

Members of the Save Bansha Post Office Committee sought a High Court injunction forcing An Post to keep the post office open.

However the court refused the injunction and adjourned the case to this week to allow An Post respond to the case.

The court was told Bansha Post Office operates from a petrol station in the town which was recently sold.

Locals understood the new owners would also take over the agency for the post office.
(Source: Tipperary Star)

Tyrone

A man conned a pastor out of £300 by claiming he was a convicted murderer whose bail would be revoked if he did not get home to Scotland, the High Court has been told.

The man was arrested in County Tyrone two years later when the same clergyman spotted him making inquiries about other local churches, prosecutors said.

Gordon Ferguson, 52, of Asbury Court, Linwood, Paisley, denies a charge of fraud by false representation.

Mr Ferguson was refused bail.

A judge told the high court that whoever carried out the swindle was guilty of "a particularly cowardly and despicable act".

The court heard the alleged fraudster went into a church in Dungannon in November 2009 and asked for the pastor.

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Nster.com