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At Westport District Court on Thursday last, Judge Mary Devins described the harassment as an “evil” act.
[Source: The Mayo News]

MEATH

Thousands of mourners were joined by government ministers, farm leaders and sporting figures for the removal on Sunday night, December 23, of the Minister for State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Shane McEntee, from his home to the Church of St. John the Baptist in his Meath East constituency.

Earlier plans to hold the funeral in his parish church of Castletown were changed to Nobber, where his father Tony's funeral took place last year, to facilitate the huge numbers expected.

The Irish Tricolor, Meath and Nobber flags flew at half-mast outside the church as the cortege arrived at the church to be received by Fr. Martin McErlean, P.P., Castletown, and Fr. Seamus Houlihan, P.P., Nobber, and seven other priests from the diocese.
[Source: Meath Chronicle]

MONAGHAN

A man has received a three-year sentence at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin for the possession of a car bomb that was left outside Crossmaglen Police Station over two years ago.

Paul Maguire, with a last address at Drumleek South, Castleblayney, County Monaghan, had pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of an improvised explosive device with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property in the State or elsewhere at Culloville, Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland, on April 3, 2010.

The court heard that the device was loaded in to a stolen Peugeot 406 car and left outside the Crossmaglen P.S.N.I. station where it failed to detonate.
[Source: Irish Independent]

OFFALY

Connecting cycle lanes are on the way for Portarlington, as part of a shift to environmentally friendly ways of transport.

A strategy for the town has now been completed, paid for by the Department of Transport, including joined-up cycle lanes and walking routes.

The council hopes to get more money next year to start work.

“We are trying to make sure we have enough links for a joined up plan linking schools, shops and the swimming pool. We can apply for funding in 2014 but maybe this will be brought forward to 2013,” says senior council engineer Orla Barrett.
[Source: Offaly Express]

ROSCOMMON

Four men who appeared at Longford District Court on Friday, December 21, charged in connection with a drugs find in Longford and Roscommon, believed to be worth an estimated $2.8 million, were remanded in custody and appear back in Longford last Friday.

The men, three of whom are Chinese and the other a Malaysian national, appeared before Judge Seamus Hughes charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Dai Zhi You (31), Li Cheng Chen (31), Mao Song Yu (25) and Soon Hock Hoo (33), all of whom are of no fixed abode, were charged with possession of cannabis and possession of cannabis for sale or supply, following the execution of a number of search warrants under Operation Nitrogen on Thursday.
[Source: Longford Leader]

SLIGO

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