News from Ireland - news from around the 32 counties

Fast food wrappers, cans and other litter remained scattered over the grass and paved areas at the Bull sculpture, and on the ground near a litter bin at the former ACC building.
[Source: Meath Chronicle]

MONAGHAN

Malachy O’Rourke has been ratified as the new Monaghan football manager.

The Farney’s county board confirmed on their website that a committee meeting last Monday night had supported the installation of the former Fermanagh boss.

The Derrylin man was in charge of his native Fermanagh from 2007 to 2010.
[Source: RTÉ News]

OFFALY

Ireland’s disastrous “summer” has been a boon for a select group of Irish agricultural machinery manufacturers – namely, those selling zero-grazing machines to farmers aiming to beat the conditions and keep a fresh supply of grass in front of their stock.

“A bad summer, believe it or not, is good for us,” said Michael Gavin of Belmac Engineering, near Ferbane, Co. Offaly. Mr. Gavin and his son David have seen sales of their zero-grazing wagons quadruple this year, as a combination of poor grazing conditions and expansionary pressures on fragmented units forced many farmers to invest in the concept.

Sales of many pieces of zero-graving machines have doubled over the past year.
A zero-grazing machine capable of feeding at least 50 cows starts at $26,000 but can range up to $76,000 for a unit designed to cater for 250-cow herds.
[Source: Offaly Express]

ROSCOMMON

The equivalent of seven teams, 105 male GAA players, has emigrated from County Roscommon in the last 12 months, a special Herald survey can reveal. The survey highlights the devastating impact the economic crisis is having on communities and clubs throughout the county.

As the economic crisis, which began in 2008, continues to bite, the impact is being felt among GAA clubs throughout the county, with North West Roscommon the area hardest hit.
[Source: Roscommon Herald]

SLIGO

Councils across the country are running out of money while continuing to pay former members tens of thousands of dollars in generous retirement packages.

The latest council to hit a cash crisis is Sligo, which was forced to ask for a government grant early because it ran out of money, the Irish Independent has learned.

And more than half our city and county councils are being forced to rely on borrowings to pay day-to-day expenses.

But new figures show that former councilors elected to the Dail (Irish parliament) and Seanad (Senate) will be paid as much as $1.4 million in "retirement gratuity" payments before the next general election.
[Source: Sligo Champion]

TIPPERARY

Tipperary motorists are now faced with the highest fuel prices ever. Some fuel stations are charging an average of $2.20 per liter of petrol and $2.07 per liter of diesel. These are expected to rise by another 10 cent in the coming weeks. Government taxes are the main reason for the high prices followed closely by uncertainty in the market and also the weak euro against the dollar.

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Nster.com