News from Ireland - news from around the 32 counties

What's going on around Ireland

Longford

The 90 jobs in Flancare Longford are safe for now after a significant investment in a newly-formed company which has acquired the trade and certain assets of Flancare Distribution Limited.

Total Produce, one of Europe’s largest fresh produce providers, announced last Friday it had become a 50 per cent shareholder in a new company, which takes over Flancare’s business from the provisional liquidator, Mr Declan McDonald of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

In a statement, Total Produce said they expected “this transaction will secure employment for 200 people as well as ensuring the continued provision of high levels of service to customers.”
(Source: Longford Leader)

Louth

An Irish woman is to be sentenced next month in New Zealand after being found guilty of offences relating to a $1.4m banking fraud.

It is understood that Susan Bourton, who is originally from Dundalk, left Ireland 20 years ago with her parents and siblings but returned in the late 2000s and set up a number of businesses in the Dundalk area.

However, the 36-year-old from Barleyfield, Kilcurry, was arrested by the New Zealand authorities when she returned to be with her father Gerard who died from cancer in July 2010. She was charged with a number of fraud offences.

She pleaded guilty last November to 25 charges and after months of deliberation, the judge in the New Zealand case found her guilty of the remaining 56 counts of fraud.
(Source: Dundalk Democrat)

Mayo

A man was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a pensioner in Co Mayo last weekend.

The 71-year-old victim was shot at around 2.15pm at Wallpark, Glencorrib.

He was taken to Galway Regional Hospital where he later died.

Gardai (police) have arrested a man in his early 30s, who is being held at Claremorris Garda Station.
(Source: Evening Herald)

Meath

The Ashbourne father who last week made a desperate plea for the life-saving cancer drug Ipilimumab (Ipy) had his wish granted when Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny announced last Thursday that the drug would be made available to cancer patients here.

Martin McMahon (44), from St John's Wood in the town, is suffering from advanced malignant melanoma and believes the revolutionary new drug is his only hope to save his life. However, the drug has not been available here as it had not been licensed though it is available in the United States.

He made an emotional appeal last week for the drug to be made available here and his family had been launching a fundraising campaign to finance his treatment with Ipy.
(Source: The Meath Chronicle)

Monaghan

This year's Flat Lake arts festival has been cancelled due to circumstances beyond the control of organizers, it has emerged.

The cancellation of the popular arts festival based in Scotshouse, County Monaghan, scheduled for the June bank holiday was announced on the website.

This year's festival headliners were expected to include film director Neil Jordan (the Crying Game) and musicians Glen Hansard (The Frames) and Donal Lunny (ex-Planxty).
(Source: Irish Times)

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Nster.com