News from around the 32 counties of Ireland

Published Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 10:10 AM

Updated Tuesday, December 15, 2009, 10:15 AM

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News from the 32

ANTRIM

Police in Northern Ireland have launched a murder inquiry after a 15-month-old toddler injured in an alleged assault at a house died last week. The girl was under intensive care at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast after being hurt in Co Fermanagh. Police arrested a 30-year-old man as part of the investigation. Detectives from the PSNI's serious crime unit are involved and searched a house at Glebe Park in the Chanterhill area of Enniskillen. The child was first admitted to the Erne Hospital in Enniskillen last Wednesday night and then transferred to Belfast. Western Health Trust staff are assisting police.

(Source: The Belfast Telegraph)

CARLOW

A Capuchin monk has defended the order’s housing of a convicted pedophile in its Carlow premises.   Fr Paul Murphy said that while Fr Dominic Savio, whose real name is John Boland, can leave the premises alone, there is no question of him being a danger to children in the area as was suggested by a tabloid newspaper recently.   Mr. Boland was convicted of nine counts of indecent assault on young boys in 2001.  “Is he out prowling the streets? No,” said Fr Murphy. “There are different kinds of pedophiles and, as was revealed by the Murphy Report, his modus operandi was to befriend a family and move in to groom people.   There is no danger whatsoever to someone walking down the street.   ”

(Source: The Carlow Nationalist)

CAVAN

The unique Church of the Holy Family in Lough Gowna is nearing the end of a €200,000 refurbishment and Fr. PJ Fitzpatrick, PP, hopes to celebrate Mass there shortly. Fr. PJ Fitzpatrick points out that the Church of the Holy Family is unique as it belongs to the parish of Gowna/Colmcille East, which is half in Ulster and half in Leinster. "I've heard of parishes being divided by county boundaries but not provincial," said the PP. The church was built in 1906 by Fr. Michael Corcoran from Ardagh. "These are the first major renovations that have taken place since the church was established just over 100 years ago," said Fr. Fitzpatrick.