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DUBLIN

Mom Candice Gannon said that she cried all Christmas morning for her missing child, who has just turned eight.

Ellie celebrated her birthday on December 25 but has not been returned to her mother since she went on a holiday with her Portuguese father more than five months ago.

Candice (28) hasn't seen her daughter since she waved goodbye at Dublin Airport in July and she now fears something may have happened to her.

Ms. Gannon's former partner, Filipe de Silva (35), failed to return the little girl to her mother after the holiday in the Algarve in July.

She said that the last week has been a "nightmare" for the family without her "Christmas baby."
[Source: Evening Herald]

FERMANAGH

Environment Minister Alex Attwood has extended the period in which archaeologists can continue excavations at the Crannog in Enniskillen.

Discoveries made during the first ever substantial excavation of a crannog in Northern Ireland – an artificial island in a lake – in County Fermanagh continue to shed new light on life in medieval Ireland. The site was due to close at the end of 2012, but a decision has to be taken to allow for further insight to be gained.

In extending the time period to end of March 2013, Alex Attwood said: “The excavation is a once in a century opportunity. It will reshape national and international thinking on crannogs and the lives of people stretching back 1,300 years at least. A unique moment requires a unique approach. That is why the dig is being extended another three months. This is the first substantial, scientific excavation of a crannog in Northern Ireland. What has been found will ultimately lead to a reassessment of life in Ulster in Early Christian and medieval times. It is of international importance. Given all of that, it is important that we maximize the opportunity to unveil as much of our rich heritage here as possible. That is why I am extending the period in which archaeologists can dig. That is why I held an open day for the public to visit the site, and I hope to hold further open days for the general public and local schools before the end of the excavation.”
[Source: Fermanagh Herald]

GALWAY

A “hermaphrodite puppy” that was abandoned in County Galway by its owners because it had both male and female genitals has been rescued by the Galway Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (G.S.C.P.A.) and spent Christmas in foster care.

The eight-week old lurcher puppy, who has been christened “He-She” by its new foster family, was found shivering under a car near a town in East Galway two weeks ago.

It was rescued, brought to the G.S.P.C.A. animal sanctuary and treated by vets before being rehomed two weekends ago.

The animal welfare group said hermaphrodite dogs are extremely rare. The condition, of having both male and female organs, is considered taboo in some cultures and this is the most likely reason it was discriminated against and abandoned, G.S.P.C.A. said.
[Source: Galway Bay FM]

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Nster.com