News from Ireland - news from around the 32 counties

Antrim

Police in Antrim have renewed their appeal for information after the body of a popular local fisherman was pulled from the waters he had loved since he was a boy.


Robert Patterson, or Rab to his many friends, was a familiar figure in the town but as he exchanged cheery greetings last Tuesday morning no-one could have believed that a life already touched by tragedy was drawing to a close.


The 48-year-old, who lived in Briarhill Flats, was spotted shortly before 10.30am at the Dublin Road shops. Minutes later he was at Market Square, waving to pals before heading towards Hall's Bridge.


From this point on details become more sketchy, but it is understood that by 11am he was sitting on a bench overlooking the river - and he was in the company of another man.


What happened next is shrouded in mystery, but by 11.30am Robert Patterson - who as a young man had served at sea for several years - was in the shallow but murky waters. And there he lay for just over an hour until men working yards away on the other bank spotted what appeared to be the face of a man peacefully looking skywards from the rushing eddies.
(Source: Antrim Guardian)

Armagh

The spate of robberies in the locality continued unabated last week with several break-ins reported in Forkhill, Silverbridge and Culloville areas.

More than twenty items of jewellery were stolen from houses in the Carrive Road and Ballsmill Road areas of Silverbridge on Tuesday September 27th, police have revealed.

Police believe one of the houses on the Carrive Road was robbed sometime between between 10.20am and 11.30am or 12.55pm and 1.30pm while the second break-in on Carrive Road and the burglary on Ballsmill Road occurred sometime during the day.

Police are investigating a possible link between these incidents and are appealing to anyone who witnessed any activity around these homes or has information in relation to these incidents to contact them.

The stolen items of jewellery included a gold chain and fob, a Celtic brooch, two men’s Seiko watches with gold straps and a Raymond Weil watch, a sapphire and diamond engagement ring, a man’s gold wedding ring, earrings, bracelets and chains.

On Saturday night September 24th the takeaways in Forkhill and Silverbridge were robbed by thieves armed with a knife while earlier on Saturday the Belleek home of a bride and groom was robbed as the couple celebrated their wedding day.

And some time between 6pm and 7.20pm on Sunday September 25th thieves entered a house on the Concession Road in Culloville and stole a television.
(Source: Crossexmainer.co.uk)

Carlow

Gardai were tipped off to almost €20,000 worth of cannabis plants being grown in the grounds of Dr Cullen Park because the grower wouldn’t sell the drugs “to various people around the town”, Carlow District Court heard last week.



Peter Reilly, Caretaker’s House, Dr Cullen Park, Dr Cullen Road, Carlow was charged with unlawful possession and cultivation of cannabis plants and opium poppy at his address on 7 October 2010. 

The court heard that gardaí entered the property at 10am on the date in question, on foot of a warrant, and found 77 cannabis plants, valued at €19,500.

Gda Philip O’Sullivan told the court that the defendant was “growing them for his own personal use”, before adding that he was “100% confident he was not supplying”.

“He only had three contacts in his phone and we found no cash,” added Gda O’Sullivan.

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Nster.com