News from around the 32 counties of Ireland

What's going on in your home county in Ireland

As reported in the Meath Chronicle last year, the home of the Book of Kells will host the three-day festival from June 28 to 30.

The festival will bring together the best of Irish, English-speaking and international authors and thinkers to celebrate the sharing of stories and ideas.
[Source: Meath Chronicle]

MONAGHAN

Two men being sued over the Omagh bombing have no case to answer, the High Court has been told.

Lawyers for Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly claimed the lawsuit against them should be thrown out due to lack of evidence.

Both men are defending an action over allegations they played central roles in the Real I.R.A. attack in August 1998.

Relatives of some of the 29 people killed in the atrocity brought proceedings against them in an attempt to have them held liable.

Murphy, a Dundalk-based contractor and publican, and former employee Seamus Daly, from Culaville, County Monaghan, were ordered to face a civil retrial after their appeals against being found responsible for the bombing were upheld.
[Source: BBC News]

OFFALY

Four Offaly students have been named as finalists in the fifth annual Doodle 4 Google competition.

They are now amongst 75 Irish students in with a chance of having their doodle displayed on the Google Ireland homepage for millions of people to see. Everyone in Offaly is now being urged to visit www.google.ie/doodle4google and vote for Conor, Darrell, Annie and Caoimhe.

The following students are among 75 regional finalists in with a chance of winning the competition: Conor Ryan (Group 3) from Scoil Bhride, Kilcormac; Darrell Lally (Group 4) from St. Brendan’s Community School, Birr; Annie Nichols (Group 4) from St. Brendan’s Community School, Birr; Caoimhe Mahon (Group 5) from Banagher College Collaiste Na Sionna, Banagher.
[Source: Offaly Express]

ROSCOMMON

This was posted on the Off the Ball Facebook page recently, but just in case you missed it, it’s worth another look.

Chris O'Dowd commented on the St. Brigid’s man of the moment and all-around goalkeeping sensation, Shane Curran.

"He could save a penalty and he could score a 45, but at the same time he'd be just as happy to ride a bull into a church."
[Source: Newstalk]

SLIGO

It’s bad enough for hard-pressed shoppers in the center of Sligo to have to pay for parking.

But if An Taisce has its way, shoppers using out of town car parks will also have to cough up.

The proposal is part of an effort to protect town centers.

But Sligo's mayor, Clr. David Cawley, is not impressed.

His solution: rather than penalizing people for shopping in out-of-town outlets, make town centers attractive enough to draw people in.
[Source: Irish Independent]

TIPPERARY

Gardaí (police) are appealing for witnesses following a two-car collision in Thurles, County Tipperary on Friday, February 15.

At about 10:40 p.m. a 22-year-old man was seriously injured when the car he was driving collided with a second car on the N75 at Rathmanna, Thurles. He was taken by ambulance to South Tipperary General Hospital with serious injuries, and later transferred to Cork University Hospital where he was pronounced dead late on Saturday night, Feb. 16. The driver of the second car (22) was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and later discharged.
[Source: Tipperary Star]

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Nster.com