News from around the 32 counties of Ireland

Galway

A Galway builder formed a new construction company in England – which specializes in rail contracts – less than three months after his luxury homes development business here collapsed with debts of €12 million. And the Connacht Tribune has learned that Tom McEvaddy Jr, whose Nexus Homes company went into liquidation in September 2009, is facing a High Court action next month to have him restricted from acting as a director of any Irish company for a period of five years. He now lives in a €1m detached house around 2.5km from the iconic Wembley Stadium in London.
(Source: GalwayBay Fm)

Kerry

Two guns have been discovered in the grounds of a primary school in Tralee. The weapons, an orthodox shotgun and a sawn-off shotgun, were discovered yards from the school playground where schoolchildren from the age of four had earlier been playing. The guns were recovered by gardai (police) during a planned search of the grounds of Scoil Mhic Easmainn in the Rahoonane estate, in Tralee at 5pm last Wednesday. It is understood that the weapons were being stashed at the school by a local criminal.
(Source: Evening Heard)

Kildare

Five people have lost their lives on Kildare roads so far this year. This compares with just one for the same period last year.  Kildare Co Council’s road safety officer Declan Keogh disappointed and disheartened at the figures. “These figures are alarming. Although there were six fatalities in the same period in 2009, there was just one last year, and this was a great improvement.”
(Source: The Kildare Nationalist)

Kilkenny

A target card bearing two bullseye hits and a .32 small Smith & Wesson handgun once owned by the Countess Markievicz will go under the hammer later this month as part of a cache of rare historical items associated with the 1916 Easter Rising. The quirky items are among hundreds expected to spark the interest of historians, collectors and museums when they go up for auction at the Independence sale on April 19 at Adam's Auction House, St Stephen's Green, Dublin. "The gun was given as a gift to Jim Babington just months after 1916 and (the countess's) involvement," explained George F Mealy, from Kilkenny-based Mealy's auctioneers, which is also involved in the sale.
(Source: Irish Independent)

Laois

Some offences were up while some down but overall, local crime levels were lower when compared to the same quarter last year, Superintendent Philip Lyons told a Mountmellick Joint Policing Committee meeting. Burglaries showed a 29 per cent rise while thefts were up 22 per cent. However, criminal damage dropped by almost 60 per cent while drug and alcohol offences were down 60 per cent. Public order offences went up by 30 per cent.
(Source: Leinster Express)

Leitrim

Leitrim County Council is taking steps to ensure the unchecked building boom of the past decade will never occur again with proposed rezoning of large tracts of land currently earmarked for residential development as part of the County Development Plan, writes Leonie McKiernan. A spokesperson for Leitrim County Council has confirmed the local authority is preparing a draft variation to the County Development Plan. The Council are legally required to change the County Development plan to bring lands zoned for housing developments into line with population targets set out in the Regional Planning Guidelines. The Draft variation will be presented to the Council members at the Council’s April meeting next meeting.
(Source: Leitrim Observer)

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