Antrim

The cost of catering for police officers at the Ardoyne riots in north Belfast over the Twelfth of July was £68,000, it has been revealed. Last month it was revealed the total bill for policing the disturbances came to £1.1m. Exact figures were not available last night, but on average about 400 officers were stationed in Ardoyne at any one time over the four days of the riots. At up to 1,200 a day, that comes to a minimum of £14.16 on each meal.
(Source: Belfast Telegraph)

Armagh

The site of a former Army watchtower which became a symbol of the Troubles is to be replaced by a housing development including a children's playground.

The hilltop base at Forkhill in South Armagh was one of a series of military posts which once dominated the skyline. Now Social Development Minister Alex Attwood has announced a major regeneration project for the eight-acre hilltop site.
(Source: Belfast Telegraph)

Carlow

Random assaults carried out at a Carlow nightclub were recorded and then shockingly uploaded onto Facebook for the depraved amusement of the culprits. The footage shows innocent victims being targeted indiscriminately by the gang, two of whom were punched so hard into the face that their jaws were broken. While the two male victims were viciously attacked, another member of the gang recorded the assault on their mobile phone, then put it up on their Facebook page to boast to their online friends.
(Source: The Carlow Nationalist)

Cavan

A woman living in West Cavan has called for paramedic cars to be made available locally in the case of an emergency and as a backup to the ambulance service in the county. Alison Swift from Altnadarragh in Swanlinbar made the call after her daughter sustained a serious knee injury recently and the family waited anxiously for 50 minutes for an ambulance to arrive.
(Source: The Angle Celt)

Clare

The Clare Shout reverberated throughout Westbury on Sunday last as people from various parts of Clare participated in a demonstration to oppose the controversial proposed boundary extension.Dressed in the Clare colours of saffron and blue, people from North, West and East Clare joined people from South-East Clare parishes on the protest march from St Nicholas’ Church, Westbury to Athlunkard Bridge. The rally organisers, Clare against the Boundary Extension (CABE) erected a large blue banner with this slogan at the entrance to Shannon Banks Housing Estate and residents carried placards with messages such as “Westbury Says No to Boundary Extension” and “Parteen GAA Says No to Boundary Extension”.

(Source: The Clare Champion)

Cork

Cork has recorded a 12 per cent drop in burglaries in the past year, despite making up 5.5 per cent of burglaries nationwide. Cork is currently fourth of the list of top five burglary hotspots, with Dublin, Kildare and Meath experiencing a higher rate. The figures came from the 2010 eircom PhoneWatch Burglary report, which tracked burglaries between June 2009 and June 2010 - also revealed that October was the busiest month for burglaries in Cork. €700 million has been stolen from Irish homes nationwide over the past ten years.
Source: (Cork Independent)

Derry

The former road manager for The Beatles and head of Apple Records, Tony Bramwell, last week announced that he is to co-organize Moville's Beatlefest in 2011. It marks a significant development for the festival and perhaps brings an appearance from Paul McCartney or Ringo Starr on Moville's Square that little bit closer. Mr. Bramwell made the announcement on The Sarah Brett Show on BBC Radio Foyle.
(Source: Derry Journal)

Donegal

Hollywood star, Jennifer Grey, has spoken out about a fatal car accident which she was involved in with Matthew Broderick as they travelled home from his holiday home in Kilcar 23 years ago. In an interview in America’s People magazine the Dirty Dancing star describes how that fateful journey from Donegal with her then boyfriend, Broderick, has affected her life to this day.(Source: Donegal Democrat)

Down

A Newry woman is tantalizingly close to taking part in the trip of a lifetime after making it into the final four of a nationwide search to find Ireland’s ultimate volunteer. Thousands of people applied for RTE’s Do The Right Thing, however a series of rigorous challenges have whittled the numbers down to four boys and four girls. Only one person from each group can claim the prize, an all expenses paid year volunteering abroad, and Down’s Fiona Byrne can count herself amongst the lucky few.
(Source: Newry Democrat)

Dublin

Work on reinventing Ballymun may grind to a halt over spending cuts. Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said he could not reassure anyone that money would be available to complete the regeneration of the north Dublin area. More than e800m from the public purse has already been poured into pulling down the infamous flats, which became symbols of social deprivation and drug abuse, and rehousing the residents in new developments.
(Source: Evening Hearld)

Fermanagh

The row over the dinner lady who gave a child a biscuit has been branded “political correctness gone mad”. Pat Lavery was working in the kitchen at St Mary’s Primary School in Brookeborough, Co Fermanagh, when a child, who was also a relative, asked for a biscuit. Mrs Lavery instructed a colleague who was serving biscuits at the time to give one to the child. However, a day later a teacher approached the catering supervisor and said her actions could be interpreted as “grooming” under Child Protection legislation.
(Source: Irish Times)

Galway

A Galway student was so touched by the poverty of Nepal that on her return home she decided to do something about it – she set about raising money to open an orphanage.

The fourth year medical student has spent four summers in the mountains of Nepal and the orphanage and school is noe supported by its own NUIG society, DraÍocht.
(Source: GalwayBay Fm)

Kildare

Kildare has recorded a 15% increase in the incidence of burglary and for the second year in a row is ranked as the second most targeted county in Ireland with only Dublin experiencing more burglaries this year. The shocking statistics are contained in the 2010 Eircom PhoneWatch Burglary report which also revealed that January was the most targeted month for burglaries in the county.
(Source: The Kildare Nationalist)

Kilkenny

Kilkenny and surrounding counties are in line for a welcome €4 million plus boost next summer as the 2011 All Ireland and International Sheep Shearing Championships comes to the city. The state-of-the-art Cillín Hill indoor arena has been confirmed as the venue for the national festival event which is expected to draw 15,000 plus visitors from across Ireland and abroad to the city over the June Bank Holiday Weekend.
(Source: Kilkenny People)

Laois

One the best known and most respected businessmen in Laois is facing financial ruin following a ruling against him of nearly €90 million this week. The €89.9 million summary judgment order entered against builder and hotelier Tommy Keane last Monday in favour of Anglo Irish Bank is believed to represent the largest judgment against an individual issued by the Commercial Court to date.
(Source: Leinster Express)

Leitrim

It has been confirmed that fresh from the success of her 'Single Ladies' programme, Mohill's Katherine Lynch will host a new chat show on RTE Two.The show will air on Tuesday evening's, after Desperate Housewives from mid November. Speaking about her new show Katherine said: "There will be all sorts of shenanigans with Sheila's hilarious view on things."
(Source: Leitrim Observer)

Longford

Keenan's of Tarmonbarry has received the prestigious 'Taste of the Waterways Award', it was announced earlier this week. The award, which is run in conjunction with 'The Taste of the Waterways' booklet, highlights the excellent hospitality on the Irish waterways and is organised in conjunction with legendary Irish hospitality connoisseur Georgina Campbell.
(Source: Longford Leader)

Louth

The local authorities can do nothing to prevent farmers spreading chicken manure in urban areas. A number of complaints have been made about the process in the past few weeks after a large area of Dundalk, particularly areas close to the Inner Relief Road, were engulfed with the smell of the excrement last weekend.
(Source: Dundalk Democrat)

Mayo

A Facebook page re-naming Ballina as ‘gridlock capital of Ireland’ has been set up to campaign against the town’s new traffic system.Ballina, Gridlock Capital of Ireland, the social networking site webpage, is serving as a platform for retailers, shoppers and drivers all voicing their views against the controversial system. The webpage also features photographs of the town’s main streets taken at prime shopping times with little or no shoppers visible – as drivers are experiencing difficulties accessing the town centre due to severe delays on outlying routes.
(Source: The Mayo News)

Meath

The community-based, volunteer organisation Navan Facelift has set its sights on winning national recognition in the 2011 National Tidy Towns Competition. The group founded local man Paddy Pryle has lifted over 50 tonnes of rubbish throughout the town despite the fact that it was set up less than a year ago.
(Source: The Meath Chronicle)

Offaly

The asking price for a residential property in Offaly have fallen by 38% since the property peak.
The average price is no €193, 459 in the county representing a 16% drop in prices from this time last year.However figures show no change whatsoever in the last quarter. In Offaly you can expect an asking price of n88,000 for a one bedroom house, n136,000 for a two bedroom, n176,000 for a three bedroom, n240,000 for a four bedroom and n344,000 for a five bedroom house
(Source: Offaly Express)

Roscommon

Make way for the Boyle Celtic Legends, Boyle’s Calendar Boys, who have decided to bare all in the name of charity. A total of 19 members of the Legends, including the Roscommon Herald’s Financial Controller, Paul Connolly, agreed to ‘get their kit off’ for the calendar, which is aimed at raising funds for Brothers of Charity Services.
(Source: The Roscommon Champion)

Sligo

A woman has been awarded €7,394 in compensation after a manager at the Sligo hardware shop where she worked made “entirely inappropriate” sexual comments leading to an “intolerable” situation in the workplace. The woman, who was working as a showroom manager, was awarded the sum against Homebase House and Garden Centre Ltd, Santry, Dublin 9.
(Source: The Sligo Champion)

Tipperary

A Tipperary news reporter has won a prestigious national award for journalism for a second year in a row.RTE radio reporter Cian McCormack was named as named News Reporter of the Year in the PPI Radio Awards 2010 last weekend.Cian who is from Nenagh, worked as a freelance reporter with the Tipperary Star, and later as a senior staff reporter with the Nenagh Guardian.
(Source: Tipperary Star)

Tyrone

The widow of a former republican prisoner shot dead in a revenge attack hours after Billy Wright's murder is to be asked whether she wants his inquest to proceed, a court has heard.Seamus Dillon, a 45-year-old father of three from Stewartstown, Co Tyrone, was gunned down outside the Glengannon Hotel in Dungannon by the LVF in December 1997. His widow Martina believes the security forces colluded in her husband's murder but a subsequent investigation by the Police Ombudsman said there was not sufficient evidence to back her claim.
(Source: Belfast Telegraph)

Waterford

A new Garda initiative to combat the misuse of alcohol, aimed at pub owners and staff, was launched in Dungarvan Garda Station last week.The ‘Glasses Programme’ is a free education seminar for all those involved in the licensed trade and will kick off in the Dungarvan district on October 21 in the Park Hotel at 9.30am.
(Source: Waterford News & Star)

Westmeath

St Mary's Church in Athlone has been upgraded to a Cathedral, on a temporary basis. At a Mass in the Church on Sunday last it was announced that it would now act as the “interim Cathedral” for the Ardagh and Clonmacnois Diocese while work is carried out to restore St Mel’s Cathedral. The Longford building was destroyed by fire last December and Bishop Colm O’Reilly said this week that it would be approximately four years before the Cathedral would reopen.
(Source: Westmeath Independent)

Wexford

Semtex was among the items seized from a suspected Real IRA bomb factory in the Barntown area when Gardaí carried out a massive swoop on dissident Republican activity last Friday. Officers from the Garda Technical Bureau learned on Monday that the explosive was contained in detonators taken from the Barntown premises.
(Source: The Wexford People)

Wicklow

The HSE has confirmed that it is to close the residential section of Wicklow District Hospital.The facility currently accommodates 20 long-stay elderly patients. A spokeswoman said the decision was communicated to patients, their families and to staff last week, but the closure would not happen immediately.
(Source: The Wicklow People)