News from Ireland - news from around the 32 counties

Janet Devlin has missed out on a place in the X Factor semi-final after her lacklustre performance failed to win her votes.

The Co Tyrone teenager forgot some of the words to 90s hit Mmm Bop last Saturday night's show, later blaming the mistake on feeling like she was "going to throw up" after eating something funny.

Her second song, Red Hot Chili Peppers' Under the Bridge, was marginally more successful but not enough to save her from Sunday's sing-off with Mancunian Misha B.

Janet, 17, hoped singing Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol would be enough to win over the judges, but they preferred her rival's version of Out Here On My Own from the musical Fame.

Mentor Kelly Rowland was unable to choose between her two acts and abstained from voting, having admitted "feeling sick" when both girls ended up in the bottom two.

Louis Walsh had already decided to save Misha B however, saying: "I'm going to pick the person who's going to give the most to this competition."

He was followed by Tulisa, who voted for Misha B after saying she wanted to save the person "who's going to sell records, who's going to sell out arenas".
(Source: Belfast Telegraph)

Waterford

A male was tied up and threatened with a baseball bat after four males burst into his home at Lower Grange after he opened the front door.

The man in his 40s was taken away in an ambulance on Monday morning at approximately 8.30am following his ordeal at the hands of four men wear wearing balaclavas.

The man was not injured in the incident but a small amount of cash was handed over in the burglary.
Gardaí were notified of the incident after passers-by noticed the front door was open.

One resident in the area was shocked at the turn of events which had befallen the man, saying he didn’t put in or out on anyone.

An occupant of a house in Kilcaragh, Grantstown also endured a terrifying incident at the hands of criminals.
(Source: Waterford News & Star)

Westmeath

A new report into the handling of child abuse allegations in the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois has commended Bishop Colm O'Reilly on his response to such cases.

The report, which was carried about by the Catholic Church's own child protection watchdog, found that the diocese "performed well" by promptly reporting abuse allegations to the statutory authorities, such as the Gardai and HSE.

A total of 13 priests based in the diocese had an abuse allegation, or allegations, made against them between January 1975 and April of this year. Four of the priests were alive and nine were dead at the time the allegations were made.

Just one of the priests who is alleged to have committed abuse was still living at the time of the report's completion. This person is no longer in ministry. Two other priests, who are not of the diocese but are residing within it, are known to be the subject of an allegation arising from their past ministry.
(Source: Westmeath Independent)

Wexford

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Nster.com