News from Ireland - news from around the 32 counties

A woman in her 60s was killed when she was hit by a car while walking in Co Cavan.
The accident happened at 7.50pm last night at Coronea, Arva, Co Cavan.

The woman was taken to Cavan General Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
(Source: Irish Independent)

Clare

Clare County Council has recommended that Shannon not be privatized and has instead identified a preferred option of the airport being run by local public sector agencies.


The Government has appointed Booz & Co as consultants to identify alternative models of control and operation for Shannon and last Monday, the council agreed a submission to be given to the consultants, which argues against privatizing Shannon or offering a long-term lease without public sector involvement.


In its submission, the council also acknowledges, “the option of retaining the status quo is not a realistic option”.


With regard to privatization, the submission states, “Divesting ownership of the airport and the transfer of the airport and its assets to private, profit-driven operators would be a matter of serious concern for the region. 


“In the event that the airport and property were transferred to the private sector, there would be the danger that asset stripping would occur and that the operation of the airport and the development of the airport land bank would be driven solely on the basis of maximizing short-term profit, rather than ensuring the sustainable development of the airport and land bank as a strategic asset for the region.”
It also states that terms and conditions attached to any disposal of the airport “would be critical”. The submission also states that enforcing any such terms and conditions would be very difficult.
(Source: The Clare Champion)

Cork

A second murder investigation has begun in West Cork after the post-mortem of a 43 year old Englishman, taken from the River Bandon last Tuesday, determined that he died in violent circumstances.

In a tumultuous few days in Bandon, the body of John ‘Johnny English’ Forrester was the second to be taken from the river by Gardaí following the earlier discovery of murdered Jonathan Duke (27) around midnight last Sunday night.

Two people, Catherine O’Connor (35) from Bandon and Ciprian Grozavu (37) from Romania were formally charged with the murder of Mr Duke at Bandon Court House only hours after a joint Gardaí and civil defense team found Mr Forrester’s body downstream of Bandon town bridge.

The double murder has shaken the town of Bandon to its core, leading to a protest of around 200 people outside the courthouse last Tuesday night. “People feel that the guards haven’t done enough to stop random acts of violence around the town,” said one local resident who asked not to be named.

“It has been building up to this for a long time now. It's common knowledge around town who the people are committing these acts of violence, but there hasn’t really been anything done about it. The protest is about this non-action by the Gardaí, people don’t feel safe.”

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Nster.com