News from around the 32 counties of Ireland

The closure of about 100 beds in the hospital due to staff shortages has taken its toll on the Emergency Department in the past year especially, and though there are about 3,500 babies born a year in the Galway hospital, reports of overcrowding in the Maternity Unit are rare.
(Source: GalwayBay Fm)

Kerry

An 18-year-old man, who has been identified by gardaí as a suspect into the death of another teenager in Killarney in 2009, died after a fall down a stairs in a house in Tralee, the inquest into his death has heard.

Shane Regan, of Dromkerry, Fossa, Killarney, Co Kerry, had been attending a FÁS course in Tralee and was staying in a house in Caheranne Village, Tralee, the inquest in Tralee Coroner's Court heard.
On 24 August 2010, after leaving his course early because of a difficulty, he and friends had been partying.

They drank vodka first in the house in Caheranne and then later in Pearse Park in the town, where Shane Regan had fallen asleep.

He returned with his friends by taxi to his accommodation, appeared to sober up, but fell after backing out of his bedroom down the stairs. His friends checked him and believed him to be asleep, as he was snoring heavily and his pulse was good.

He appeared to have no injuries. They covered him with a duvet and left him asleep at the end of the stairs.

However he was still in the same position the next morning and his parents arrived from Killarney after being told about his fall the previous night.

He was taken by ambulance to Kerry General Hospital where he died next day.
(Source: Irish Times)

Kildare

The Kildare Village outlet centre has been told that selling up-to-the minute fashions is in breach of its planning permission, planning sources have confirmed.

The determination from An Bord Pleanála was sought by rival retailer David Jones, who operates a number of shops at the Whitewater Shopping Centre in Newbridge, Co Kildare.

The board’s decision, taken at a meeting at the end of May, effectively ruled that Kildare Village centre had only planning permission to sell out-of-season clothes at discount rates and that sales of new products and in-season merchandise in the centre “would constitute a change of use”.

The board said the original permission for the outlet centre had been contingent on it not introducing new products which would be in competition with high street locations.

This was in the interest of protecting existing retail cores in towns and villages, in compliance with traffic management and retail planning guidelines.

Kildare Village is home to some of the best-known fashion brands and regularly offers discounts in the order of 60 per cent. Brands include Polo Ralph Lauren, Furla and DKNY, while internationally renowned Irish fashion designer Louise Kennedy has also opened a unit there.
(Source: The Kildare Nationalist)

Kilkenny

A Kilkenny nursing home director once again failed to appear at an Employment Appeals Tribunal in Kilkenny to offer any defense in a case involving staff at the home.

​
Nster.com