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A Croom man who crashed his car into a hedge was found to be over the drink driving limit, Kilmallock court heard.

Anthony Fitzgerald (48) of Caherass, Croom pleaded guilty to the offense at Shandrum, Charleville on December 23, 2011.

Inspector Edward Golden said at around 10 p.m. Garda (Police Officer) Gerard Dillon attended the scene of a single-vehicle collision.

“A blue Volvo was crashed into a hedge on the right hand side of the road.

“The Garda spoke to a man standing beside the car whose speech was slurred and the Garda got a strong smell of intoxicating liquor.

“The defendant admitted to the Garda that he had a few pints and had been driving the car at the time of the accident,” said Inspector Golden.
[Source: Limerick Leader]

LONGFORD

A piece of art devised by Longford artist Shane Cullen is to remain in place following a meeting of Athlone Arts and Heritage Ltd. last Wednesday.

Members of its board held talks to discuss a motion for the removal of Mr. Cullen’s “Fragmens sur le Institutions Republicaines IV” from the town’s Luan Gallery.

That plea had earlier been made by Athlone Town Clr. Mark Cooney, son of former Fine Gael Justice Minister Paddy Cooney, on the grounds it was “offensive to so many people.”

As reported by the Leader in last Wednesday’s newspaper, the artwork has so far managed to attract viewings from around 1,200 people, with just three complaints being made.
[Source: Longford Leader]

LOUTH

Musician Duke Special was caught speeding at up to 116 miles per hour on the M1 motorway, Dundalk district court heard two weeks ago.

The singer-song writer with an address at Lomond Avenue in Belfast, appeared under his real name Peter Wilson.

The 42-year-old was originally charged with dangerous driving arising out of the incident at Gibstown, Dundalk on August 22, 2012, but the court heard on Wednesday, January 9, he was willing to plead guilty to careless driving if it was acceptable to the court.
[Source: Dundalk Democrat]

MAYO

There are too many groups working in the area of suicide prevention and suicide awareness. That was the strident view of Pontoon-based Dr. John Connolly, the secretary of the Irish Association of Suicidology, who was speaking when he launched the Mayo Be Well campaign last Monday at the Mayo County Council.

The well-being campaign is an initiative of the Mayo Suicide Prevention Alliance, a partnership group set up in 2009, which has brought together many organizations and groups working in the areas of mental health and suicide awareness and prevention in Mayo.

Dr. Connolly outlined at the launch how too many organizations working independently of each other can be a problem, and explained how the Irish Association of Suicidology (I.A.S.) are in the midst of developing an accreditation procedure for such groups.
[Source: The Mayo News]

MEATH

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