News from around the Irish counties

Source: The Kildare Nationalist

KILKENNY

Thieves who broke in to Gowran's Reptile Village Zoo early last Tuesday morning are contenders to be named Kilkenny's 'thickest thieves'. The intruders smashed their way into the zoo, which houses man-eating crocodiles and a dazzling array of dangerous animals including pit vipers, Nile Monitor lizards and boa constrictors. They then stole three worthless creatures, raided a charity box and smashed through a door - despite the fact the one right next to it was open - all of which was caught on video camera.

Source: The Kilkenny People

LAOIS

Portlaoise Town Council heard last week that putting the name ‘Bellingham’ on a roundabout on the Mountrath Road was akin to a suburb of Paris being called ‘Hitlerville’ after the Nazi occupation of France. Cllr Brian Stanley (SF) told the council that neither the councilors nor the people of Portlaoise were happy with the label ‘Bellingham’, which, although claimed to be historically appropriate, was the name of the commander of an army of occupation of the town. The name had been given to the estate adjoining the roundabout and then to the roundabout itself, which is on the main road.

Source: The Laois Nationalist

LEITRIM

A junior doctor who admitted he pretended to give a crucial antibiotic to an elderly women to "placate" a nurse was found guilty of professional misconduct at a public hearing by the Medical Council on July 6. Malaysian-born Lee Sengh Khoo, who worked at Sligo General Hospital, was censured, fined €2,500 and suspended from the medical register. The Medical Council's Fitness to Practice Committee found he was dishonest in pretending to administer the drug.

Source: The Leitrim Observer

LIMERICK

The much anticipated report from An Bord Snip Nua, which was discussed by the Cabinet this Wednesday, recommends that Shannon Development should be amalgamated with other state agencies including the IDA and Enterprise Ireland.

Shannon Development, which was established in 1959, is the only regional development agency in the country and has operations across Limerick, Clare, Kerry, North Tipperary and South West Offaly. It employs over 130 people and has an annual turnover of around €33 million. At the end of 2008 the company had assets and land worth over €250 million. If the recommendations go ahead it is still not clear how many people, if any, would loose their jobs.

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