News from around the 32 counties of Ireland

Antrim

Plans for Belfast to host MTV's European Music Awards (EMAs) have been hailed as a major boost for the city. Northern Ireland political leaders welcomed the announcement as further proof that the once troubled location had entered a new era. Belfast's Odyssey Arena, which regularly plays host to international stars, will now be the platform for the major awards ceremony scheduled for early November. The 2011 MTV EMAs will be broadcast live from the venue and will feature A-listers who will perform to a global audience stretching across 160 countries.
(Source: Belfast Telegraph)

Armagh

A major regeneration project has been unveiled last Wednesday with news of a £3m town centre public realm scheme in Lurgan. The NI Social Development Minister Alex Attwood said that the project created a high quality, modern urban environment in the heart of the Co Armagh town centre.  He said the public realm improvement work includes new user friendly pedestrian environment; new street furniture and improved ornate lighting; town centre landscaping and planting of lime trees and new stone paving with extensive lifespan.
(Source: 4NI.co.uk)

Carlow

Swans and ducks in Bagenalstown are being attacked by a gang of youths using stones and catapults, a local woman has told The Nationalist. The woman, who did not wish to be named, said she witnessed a gang of eight or nine teenagers throwing stones at the birds as she made her way home from work on Monday (21 February). “There was quite a group of them, about eight or nine. They were all boys and all over 16 years of age anyway. It’s absolutely disgusting. Some of them were throwing stones and some of them had catapults.”
(Source: The Carlow Nationalist)

Cavan

Bailieboro man and his family have survived the 6.3 scale earthquake that almost destroyed the city of Christchurch in New Zealand recently and claimed the life of 41-year-old Owen McKenna from Emyvale, County Monaghan. Martin Kirk, his wife Jackie and their 12-year-old daughter Chloe have been living in Halswell, a suburb of Christchurch, since February 2007. The Kirks only suffered minor damage with a few burst water pipes around the house. Thankfully, they managed to escape what appears to be the worst NZ natural disaster in living memory.
(Source: The Angle Celt)

Clare

As emigration continues to hit GAA clubs across Ireland, two Clare clubs have been forced to withdraw teams from this season’s hurling competitions. Both Wolfe Tones and Clooney-Quin have withdrawn from the intermediate hurling grade, citing emigration as the main reason for their drop in numbers.
Last year, Wolfe Tones had three adult hurling teams competing at senior, intermediate and junior grades.
(Source: The Clare Champion)

Cork

The way has been cleared for Neil Prendeville’s return to Cork’s 96FM but it is not certain if and how this will happen. What is certain is the broadcaster will not face a criminal prosecution for an alleged lewd act on board an Aer Lingus flight last October. Having interviewed a number of people, including an Irish Examiner journalist, who are alleged to have witnessed the incident, Gardaí (police) forwarded a file to the DPP.
Source: (Cork Independent)

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