News from around the 32 counties of Ireland

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Judge Patrick McCartan described the death of Shane O'Farrell on a summer's night over two years ago as a tragic accident, which occurred because the deceased was not properly lit up.

Mr. O'Farrell (23) died on August 2, 2011 after his bike was struck by a car on the N2 Dublin to Derry Road between Carrickmacross and Castleblaney sometime after 10 p.m. that evening.
[Source: The Anglo Celt]

OFFALY

The owner of an Offaly bus hire company has pleaded guilty to failing to maintain a school bus that was later involved in a fatal crash.

A separate charge that alleged the owner’s failure had caused the death of school boy Michael White (15) has been dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The bus crashed on a bog road just outside Clara, County Offaly on April 4, 2006 when the back axle came away and the bus flipped over. Mr. White died as a result of “catastrophic injuries” suffered in the crash.

The owners of Clara Cabs, Raymond and Ruairi McKeown, both of River Street, Clara had pleaded not guilty to six counts of failing to maintain the 1989 Mercedes bus, two of which say this failure led to the death of the school boy on April 4, 2006.
[Source: Offaly Express]

ROSCOMMON

Progress has been made in compensation and relocation for turf cutters in Roscommon according to Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan T.D.

The minister confirmed that more than $1.4 million had now been paid to turf cutters on bogs that were in whole or in part located in the county and designated as Special Areas of Conservation. Approximately 950 applications have been received from turf-cutters on these bogs.

Of the 53 raised bogs nationally that have been nominated for designation as Special Areas of Conversation (S.A.C.), 14 of these sites are wholly or partly in Roscommon. Potential relocation sites have been identified for nine bogs located in the county.
[Source: Roscommon Herald]

SLIGO

The N4 Action Group is waiting to contact the family of the latest road fatality before erecting another white cross along the notorious route.

I.T. Sligo graduate Derek Bannon became the 30th person killed on the lethal road. The crash happened close to Lackagh Cross, an area that has now claimed eight lives.

Bernard Mulhern, from the N4 Action Group, said: "There was a fatal mini-bus crash a number of years ago. This latest fatality brings the number to eight in a short distance, less than [1.25 miles]. It's unbelievable, it's a horrible statistic."

TIPPERARY

Public Transport Minister Alan Kelly has welcomed the return of a morning bus service linking Nenagh, Roscrea and other villages to Dublin.

The 7:30 a.m. service leaving Limerick for Dublin had been withdrawn following Bus Eireann’s most recent timetable changes. However, Minister Kelly has been working with both Bus Eireann and the National Transport Authority to have the service restored.

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Nster.com