News from around the 32 counties of Ireland

Antrim

The widow of a businessman shot dead at his home during an attempted robbery has said his killer's jail sentence was close to her "prayers being answered". Darren Kernohan, 35, of Moss Drive, Antrim, was given a life sentence for the murder of Geoff Kerr, 60, at his Templepatrick home in April 2009. Last Thursday he was told he would serve at least 22 years in jail for the killing. Mr Kerr's widow, Sally, let out a gasp in court when Kernohan was sentenced. Kernohan had admitted firing the fatal shot, but had claimed he had done so accidentally during a struggle with the victim.
(Source: BBC News)

Armagh

Politicians in Co Armagh have said the community is shocked at blast bomb attack on police last Thursday. The device was been thrown at a police foot patrol in the Meadowbrook area of Craigavon, Co Armagh. The PSNI said officers were on routine patrol at about 10.10pm on Wednesday when the bomb was thrown. While none of the officers - from the PSNI's neighborhood team - were injured, District Commander, Chief Supt Alasdair Robinson said it was "a mindless attack on police officers just trying to do their jobs". "It is by sheer good fortune that one of those officers was not killed or seriously injured," he added.
(Source: 4NI.co.uk)

Carlow

A father and son were viciously attacked by axe-wielding maniacs in a late night assault in Borris.?The local men were set upon by a gang of four men carrying a large axe, hammer and a hatchet. The incident happened shortly after midnight last Sunday morning on Main Street in Borris.?The father, in his late 40s, suffered serious head injuries after the gang of four men came at him with a large axe and a hammer, before turning on his son, who is in his 20s. ??The gang, who are believed to have been on a crime spree when the attacks occurred, fled the scene in a two-door car van – possibly a Citroen – according to a garda (police) source.
(Source: The Carlow Nationalist)

Cavan
Pre-Tax Profits at Lakeland Dairies more than trebled last year to €4.5 million, boosted by growing global demand for dairy products. Turnover at the Co Cavan co-operative increased by 23 per cent to €401 million, while the company made an operating profit of €5.3 million – double the €2.65 million posted in 2009. Chief executive Michael Hanley described 2010 as a “very positive” year for the company following an extremely challenging 2009 for the dairy industry.
(Source: Irish Times)

Clare

The average cost of maintaining Traveler (gypsy) accommodation group scheme units in Clare is seven times higher than the unit cost of standard local authority accommodation, it emerged last week. For the current year, Clare County Council has budgeted €910,288 providing maintenance of its standard 1,550 local authority housing units across the county, compared to over €492,019 looking after just 65 Traveler accommodation units. In 2009, the county council spent €565,000 on maintenance and management of Traveler accommodation sites and this figure increased to €628,000 in 2010. ?Additional expenditure on refurbishment resulting from vandalism in 2010 at Beechpark, Ballymaley and Ballymurtagh amounted to €90,000.
(Source: The Clare Champion)

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Nster.com