Antrim

These are the amazing scanner images of the abdomen of a young Irishman caught smuggling cocaine at an airport in Brazil.

The man, identified only as P.B.B., was stopped as he tried to board a flight from Sao Paolo to Lisbon in Portugal and then connecting to Brussels in Belgium.

He was carrying 72 bags containing almost a kilo of cocaine inside his intestines.

The 20-year-old man, who was caught last Monday at Congonhas Airport, was taken to the Santa Misericordia Hospital where the capsules, containing 830g of cocaine, were removed from his body.

Police said it was his nervous behavior that tipped off the authorities.

The drugs would be worth approximately €150,000, police sources said.

He has now been charged with international drug trafficking which carries a sentence of up to 15 years.
Last week a Colombian woman, who flew from Argentina, died in a New Zealand hospital after a bag of cocaine burst in her body.

Sorlinda Vega (37) arrived from Buenos Aires carrying 26 packages weighing 1oz each.

More than 70,000 people a day are estimated to pass through San Paolo international airport and approximately five a day are arrested for drug smuggling.

The airport, which has connections to 53 countries, is known as the main exit point for drug mules bringing cocaine from South America to the rest of the world.

Drug mules are paid anything from €1,000 to €6,000 per trip.

The largest contingent of those arrested are from South Africa, where poverty makes the lure of easy money even more attractive, but San Paolo’s jails contain smugglers from all over the world.

Brazil’s penal system is notoriously slow and it can take up to six months after arrest for the first court hearing or 12 months for a sentence to be passed.

Prisoners are allowed parole after two-thirds of their sentences have been served, but have to stay in the country which can be particularly difficult for foreigners with no jobs or family support.
(Source: RTE News)

Armagh

A young woman who claimed she was raped in a County Armagh wood in front of her children has appeared in court.

Natasha Louise Doherty, 24, of College Square West in Bessbrook faced charges of wasting police time and perverting the course of justice.

She claimed she had been raped while out walking with her two children in March.

In a short appearance at Newry Court, Ms Doherty shook her head and denied the charges.

Her defense solicitor said her client had given a full account of what had happened and regarded herself as a victim of rape. Her request for anonymity for Ms Doherty was rejected by the magistrate.

A police constable said he could connect the accused to the charges as Ms Doherty had given several different accounts of what had allegedly happened.

The magistrate released the accused on bail. She is due to appear again on 12 October.
(Source: BBC News)

Carlow

The Irish Times' angling correspondent Derek Evans has good things to say about the new Southern County Fishing Resort in Bagenalstown, Co Carlow.

"Bowled over" by the "45 acres of beautifully landscaped surrounds", Evans was particularly taken by the resort's three lakes, "all stocked with high quality rainbow trout grown from the hatchery on site".

Big catches are plentiful for anglers of all ages and levels of experience. Novices are particularly welcome as bait and rod hire are available.

Speaking at the launch, Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan said: "This type of development is what we need in rural areas to develop a natural product, to love nature and to understand the value of our water resource."
(Source: Afloat News)

Cavan

The four-year-old twins of a woman who died after a dance festival last weekend had started primary school just days before their mother's tragic death.

Siobhan Kennefick-Aherne (23), from Cootehill, Co Cavan, died on the way home from Planetlove in Antrim last Saturday week. Ms Kennefick-Aherne was the mother of three children under the age of seven. She had four-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, and a six-year-old daughter.

The Cavan woman took ill on her way home from Planetlove at Shane's Castle, where her boyfriend Noel was a security guard. Ms Kennefick-Aherne left the festival at 9pm after her boyfriend's security shift ended. She was traveling home in a car with him when she took ill.

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said Ms Kennefick-Aherne was taken to Antrim Area Hospital where she was later pronounced dead. The PSNI said a post-mortem examination had been carried out, but the cause of death was undetermined.

They said further tests would be carried out.
(Source: Belfast Telegraph)

Clare

A librarian was ordered to pay a €400 fine after an air-rage incident last weekend during which three passengers had to restrain him intermittently over 90 minutes.

Ennis District Court in Co Clare was told last week that that, at one stage, Harald Albrecht (32) made a lunge for a female flight attendant, but did not make contact.

The Austrian Airlines flight from Washington to Vienna was forced to divert to Shannon airport at 7.05am last Saturday week.

Garda Noel O'Rourke told the court Mr Albrecht "had to be forcibly removed from the aircraft".

"This was an incident out of character for Mr Albrecht but I can't conceive of a greater danger to people than what Mr Albrecht engaged in," Judge John O'Neill said.

Gda O'Rourke said that Mr Albrecht had taken a sleeping tablet along with some wine and became agitated when refused more alcohol by the flight attendants.

"He became abusive towards the flight attendants," the garda said.

The flight attendants then required the assistance of male passengers to restrain the librarian, the court heard.

Gda O'Rourke said Mr Albrecht was intoxicated when gardai came on board and later, when he sobered up, "was severely remorseful and embarrassed".

Mr Albrecht told Judge O'Neill he would like to apologize to Austrian Airlines, the cabin crew and the passengers. He said he took the tablet because he was afraid of flying over the ocean.

"I feel deeply sorry and ashamed for what I have done," he said.

Judge O'Neill imposed a fine of €400 and Mr Albrecht walked free after paying.
(Source: Irish Independent)

Cork

The plans for the new jobs were announced by the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, at the opening of a new office by the company in Ballincollig.

The company already employs over 550 people across two sites. Most of the new jobs will be for high value customer support and sales specialists, the company said.

''The expansion reflects the success we're experiencing at a time when virtualization and cloud computing has moved to the top of the business agenda,' commented VMware's Maruizio Carli, the company's general manager for its Europe, Middle East and Africa operations.

''The availability of the required skill-sets and languages in Ireland, along with the strong work ethic, has proved to be invaluable for our business,'' he added,

IDA Ireland chief executive Barry O'Leary said VMware's decisions to expand here further boosts the country's growing reputation as a location of choice for cloud computing.

''Cork has a vibrant ICT sector with about 8,000 technology employees working in IDA Ireland client firms in the country. Today's job creation announcement demonstrates Ireland's continuing ability to attract leading edge foreign direct investment,'' he added.
Source: (RTE News)

Derry

A Sandown man has been indicted for seven residential burglaries in Derry, Londonderry and Hampstead between October 2009 and March 2010.

A grand jury indicted Joshua Fowler, 32, with a last known address of 149 Hampstead Road, on seven counts of felony burglary in Rockingham County Superior Court.

Prosecutors say Fowler broke into the first home in October 2009 then carried out the other six between February and March.

In the first two burglaries, prosecutors have not given the exact dates of the break-ins.

The first one at a Pleasant Lane home in Hampstead happened in October 2009. The next one, on Autumn Lane in Londonderry, happened in February 2010, according to indictments made public last Thursday.

Court documents say that Fowler may not have acted alone in the burglaries, but so far he is the only one charged in the case.

Another burglary in Hampstead — at Sarah's Way — was on Feb. 22. It was followed by four others between March 3, 2010 and March 16, 2010, indictments say.

Fowler is accused of committing two burglaries in Hampstead — on Collette Drive and Craine Road — on March 6 and 16, indictments say. He also broke into a pair of houses in Derry — on Drew Road and North Shore Road — on March 3 and 9, according to indictments.

Court documents do not say whether Fowler actually took anything from the homes.
(Source: Union Leader)

Donegal

An estate agent is offering a unique house deal: buy one house and get the one next door free.

Estate agent Brendan McGlynn has a number of houses on his books in various parts of Co Donegal.

Now the businessman is selling houses for €100,000 and is throwing in the keys for the house next door as part of each deal.

The Letterkenny-based estate agent says the offer is an attempt to move houses on and allows builders to move on to their next project.

The offer relates to three different properties in Letterkenny and Milford.

“There is absolutely no catch: you buy one and you get the house next door free.

“These are not houses on a ghost estate – far from it.

“We think it’s a really good deal and the idea is to get the last of houses on established residential estates sold,” he said.

“We have houses in two different estates in Letterkenny and one in Milford which are the last houses on each estate.

“If we can sell the houses we can move on to the next estate and try and keep things going,” he added.
The properties are three-bedroom semi-detached houses that are almost finished.

Some of the houses have kitchens and fireplaces fitted.

Another house in Letterkenny has also been put on the market for €120,000 and the house next door has been thrown in for free.

Mr McGlynn says the houses are a perfect opportunity for young people to get on the housing ladder.
He also says the offer is an attempt to fill up vacant houses on the estates.

“There is nothing worse than seeing a few vacant houses on an estate when the rest of the area is looking well and people are living happily together.

“It brings the tone of the area down and [to avoid] that is part of the idea for doing this offer.

“Even if two young families come together, this could be the perfect opportunity for two young families.

“People are finding it difficult to get money but people don’t need a huge amount of a deposit to get a house – or even two,” he said.
 (Source: Irish Times)

Down

A High Court judge has ruled that a County Down woman has the right to half the equity in a house despite not being the registered owner.

The case concerned the sub-prime lender Swift Advances which is repossessing the house in Warrenpoint.

Swift claimed that the woman had no legal stake in the house.

However, a judge ruled that she, in fact, owned half the house and had not been told by her partner that he had re-mortgaged it with Swift.

Swift had hoped to repossess the home without considering her interests.

The judge has ordered that the house be sold and the original mortgage paid off. The remaining proceeds will have to be split between Swift and the woman.

The Swift borrower was a man who had an address at Carrogs Road in Warrenpoint.

The court heard how in 2006 the company gave him a £36,000 second mortgage on the property which was already in arrears on the original mortgage. The interest rate was 12%.

Within a year Swift had secured a repossession order.

However, in September 2009, as the repossession became imminent, his partner applied to the court to have it blocked.

She said he had only just told her that the house was on the verge of being repossessed.
(Source: BBC News)

Dublin

Irish police were forced to use a Taser gun to subdue a man who was armed with a knife when he threatened and lunged at officers.

The drama started to unfold in the Carrickmines Manor estate in Sandyford at around 8am last Friday morning when gardai arrived at a house to execute a bench warrant for the man’s arrest.

After gardai broke into the property, the Algerian man armed himself with a knife and lunged at a female officer.

The suspect, who was behaving erratically, then threatened officers and a two hour stand-off ensued with dozens of officers being called.

Eventually the man was arrested after being targeted with a Taser gun.
(Source: The Evening Hearld)

Fermanagh

A teenager jailed for the murder of a traveler hacked to death in front of his wife is to face a retrial, the Court of Appeal has ordered.

Senior judges allowed 18-year-old Martin Stokes' appeal against being convicted of killing John Mongan.

This was due to conflicting witness descriptions and a sense of unease about the safety of the verdict.
Appeals by Christopher Stokes and Edward Stokes, who were also both found guilty of the murder, were dismissed.

Mr Mongan, 30, was attacked with hatchets and other bladed weapons after intruders broke into his home at Fallswater Street, west Belfast in February 2008.

The father-of-three was killed in front of his heavily pregnant wife Julia, suffering up to 50 wounds, some possibly inflicted by a sword or machete.

The killers had smashed through a barricaded bedroom door to get at their target.

The accused, all from Londonderry, were jailed by a judge who told them they had taken the law into their own hands in setting out to "slay" the victim.

All three were found guilty of murdering Mr Mongan and sentenced to a combined total of at least 58 years in prison.

Edward Stokes, 39, was told he would serve at least 22 years of a life sentence, while Christopher Stokes, 35, was given a minimum 20-year tariff.

Martin Stokes, who was just 15 at the time of the murder, was handed a minimum 16-year term.

Mr Mongan's wife, who was due to give birth the day after the killing, described how she had pleaded with the intruders not to attack him.
(Source: BBC News)

Galway

The funeral has taken place of Polish diver Artur Kozlowski in Kiltartan, Co Galway.

The body of the 34-year-old was recovered from a cave in the area last weekend.

Tributes were paid to the extensive work he had done mapping out the underground cave system in south Galway.

The church of St Attracta's in the rural area of south Co Galway was packed to capacity with members of the Polish and Irish communities.

His mother, Yola, and sisters Agatha and Margaret were joined by relatives and friends for the ceremony, which was conducted in Polish and English.

Fr Tommy Marrinan, Parish Priest of Gort, said this was a celebration of the life of an adventurer, who probed great heights and depths.

He said the caves in the area - that Artur loved to explore - were permanently filled with water.

He said it was ironic that his funeral mass was being held in that particular church in Kiltartan, which was submerged four feet in water during last year's floods.

Tributes were paid to the underground mapping carried out by the Polish diver to assess future flooding problems.

Margaret Kozlowski said her brother had always followed his heart and cave exploration was his great passion.

She said it would be very difficult for the family to get over this tragedy.
(Source: RTE News)

Kerry

A twelve-year search for ' Kerry's Queen of the Ballad' ended in a jubilant reunion last week, when Tralee historian Peter Locke finally met Eileen Sheehan of Abbeydorney.

Peter's quest to find Eileen ( now Flaherty) began after he came across her ads in old editions of The Kerryman while compiling his own CD ' Dance Halls and Dance Bands.'

Having trawled dozens of editions of The Kerryman from the 1960s, one name kept popping up in the entertainment section — Eileen Sheehan, Kerry's Queen of the Ballad. Eileen, a well known face on the music scene at the time, not only performed in Kerry but throughout the country.

Despite numberos enquiries on Peter's part, no one seemed to know the whereabouts of Eileen, until he was put in touch with Ballymac man Gerry Savage, a relative of Eileen's husband.

" Thanks to Gerry I made contact with Eileen and we had a great time catching up this morning," Peter told The Kerryman after last Tuesday's meeting.

"It was wonderful to finally meet the lady who I had been searching for the past 12 years. Several people I asked didn't know who she was, others told me she had imigrated, but when I spoke to Gerry she told me she's alive and well in Abbeydorney. She'a s wonderful woman and I got a huge welcome when I arrived."

Peter explained that Eileen, now in her mid 80s, recorded an LP and EP during her heyday, and was runner up in the national Queen of the Ballad competition in 1962.

" When the music scene changed and the big acts like Dickie Rock and the showbands took over, Eileen unfortunately faded from the scene, as did the old Irish ballad, so it's great to bring her into the public eye again. She was huge in her day."

Eileen's LP and EP — featuring songs like Ballyseedy Cross, A Brave Boy From Tralee and Dan O'Hara — will now be transferred to CD by Peter's friend John Quinn in Coventry.
(Source: Kerryman)

Kildare

The new confidence in the agricultural sector will be evident at the National Ploughing Championships in Athy, Co Kildare, this week where there has been a huge rise in the machinery section.

“There has been an enormous demand for space for machinery on the site and as you know machinery sales are a barometer of the wellbeing of the sector,” said Anna Marie McHugh, the public relations officer for the ploughing association.

“We are expecting a record attendance here, but we have been astonished at the demand for machinery space.”

She confirmed Taoiseach Enda Kenny would be attending on Thursday, while other Ministers would also attend. “The Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney, has indicated he will be here on at least two of the days, and the Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan, will also be here.”

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin will also attend the event, which is expected to attract 180,000 people over the three days from Tuesday.

The championships will be formally opened by President Mary McAleese on Tuesday, her last time to do so as President.

The event will be a major hustings for those who wish to replace her in the park, and all presidential candidates in the field – Michael D Higgins, Gay Mitchell, Mary Davis and Seán Gallagher – have signaled their intention to be at the championships. Ms Davis will have a stand.

Ms McHugh said the preparations on the 700-acre site near Athy were almost complete.

“The Army has been on the canal all morning constructing the pedestrian bridge which allows access from that side of the town to the site, and it is expected to be complete by the weekend.”

A traffic plan which will cover an area 30 miles around the site has been prepared by the Garda. Traffic will be funneled into regional car parks – 400 acres have been set aside for cars.
(Source: Irish Times)

Kilkenny

Champion Irish horse trainer Aidan O'Brien has been hit with a bill for more than half a million euro for unpaid tax.

The director of Carriganog Stud in Piltown, Co Kilkenny, was among the top 10 biggest settlements on the latest defaulters' list.

He settled a bill for 526,077 euro with Ireland's Revenue Commissioners following an investigation into tax evasion on offshore assets.

Former champion amateur rider O'Brien - now master at the famous Ballydoyle stable - has trained a winner in almost every major Flat race in Ireland and Britain, and celebrated successes in France and the United States.

He is enjoying another fine season, with his standard bearer being Australian import So You Think. The giant five-year-old has won the Tattersalls Gold Cup, Eclipse Stakes and Irish Champion Stakes, and is the current favorite for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp next month.

The settlement, made under the name of Whisperview Trading Ltd, included unpaid tax of almost 177,640 euro and interest and penalties of nearly 348,500 euro.

A total of 114 businesses were named and shamed on the latest defaulters' list. They made 26.25 million euro of payments between April and June.


The largest amount - for more than 3.6 million euro - was made by Co Antrim-based property developers Eassda Ireland Ltd. It included nearly 2.6 million euro for unpaid tax and fines and penalties of just over a million euro.


Two other defaulters also exceeded the million euro mark - with company director Kieran Kenny of Duncarrig Road, Sutton, Co Dublin, paying 1.2 million euro and Spanish engineering firm Felguera Montajes y Mantenimiento handing over 1 million euro.

Revenue Commissioners said the total yield from audit and investigation programs settled in the period over the three months was 113.1 million euro.
(Source: Belfast Telegraph)

Laois

Gardai seized cannabis plants and specialist growing equipment with a combined value of almost €1 million in separate raids against two criminal networks in Co Laois and Co Louth.

Garda sources said the arrest of two Irish men is significant in that it adds to growing evidence Irish crime gangs are becoming involved in cannabis cultivation, which had been dominated here by Asian gangs until recently.

In the latest raid, at a house in Co Laois, members of the Garda National Drugs Unit discovered one of the largest growing operations ever found here.

An estimated 1,500 cannabis plants were found in the house in Kyletalesha, near Portlaoise, at 1am last Thursday.

The cannabis, which has an estimated street value of €600,000, was found growing in rooms in the rented house, kitted out with specialist intensive growing equipment.

Gardaí confiscated large high-wattage lamps which emit the intense light and heat the plants require.

n irrigation system made up of a network of hoses running into each plant from the bathroom had also been set up, and the house had been fitted with ventilation units to pump the pungent air from the plants out of the house.

Gardaí have arrested three men and a woman in their 20s – two from Vietnam and two from Ireland.

hey were taken to Tullamore Garda station for questioning under section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act.

The seizure of the cannabis and the arrests were part of Operation Nitrogen, an ongoing dedicated investigation by the drugs unit into gangs running cannabis grow-houses nationwide.

In an earlier search under Operation Nitrogen, members of the drugs unit arrested a 43-year-old Vietnamese man at a property in Co Louth when a cannabis crop valued at €250,000 was found.

The estimated 500 plants were found in a house just outside the village of Collon that had been turned into a sophisticated growing operation.
(Source: Irish Times)

Leitrim

The oldest rowing club in Ireland is at the forefront of an exciting new development for the sport in Ireland.

A brand-new international-class rowing course is being planned for Lough Rinn in Co Leitrim, with Carrick-on-Shannon rowing club, which is 175 years old this year, playing a big part in its development.

Fáilte Ireland has made a large amount of funding, believed to be €225,000, available for the development, and it is understood Leitrim County Council will add funding up to €300,000 to develop the course.

The initial plan is for a six-lane, 2,000-metre course; starting pontoons and retractable starting equipment; the extension of car-parking facilities and a campsite already on the lake to include changing facilities; and a raised viewing area.

“We will have an elevated site on the side of the lake. On the other side we have Lough Rynn castle and hotel with its walled gardens. There is a viewing area there as well,” said Sinead McDermott, the tourism officer of Leitrim County Council.
(Source: Irish Times)

Limerick

This is the 33-unit housing estate in Co Limerick owned by one of the Irish travelers living on the controversial and illegal Dale Farm camp in England.

The substantial detached houses, which could sell for over €400,000 each, have been under construction since 2004.

Irish travelers living on England’s largest illegal halting site at Dale Farm in Essex face eviction this week.

The traveler, who can’t be identified because he shares the same name with five other travelers on the Dale Farm site, became the title holder of the ‘ghost’ estate in Rathkeale, Co Limerick last year.

It is one of the few estates in the country where construction has continued -- albeit at a slow pace -- since the collapse of the Celtic Tiger.

A prior applicant successfully lodged planning permission with the local authority for the houses in Rathkeale, where there is a large traveler population.

Work is still continuing at the housing estate at Ballywilliam North on the outskirts of Rathkeale after Limerick County Council granted the traveler permission to extend the planning application when he applied through a separate agent last year.
(Source: Irish Independent)

Longford

Former Longford County Councilor Peter Murphy died suddenly last Monday. A jovial and good-natured character, he was a very popular member of his local community and there was deep shock in Newtownforbes last Monday at his sudden death, which occurred while he was out shopping with his wife, Emer, last Monday.

A resident of Moneylagan, Newtownforbes, Peter Murphy was a member of Longford Co Council for over 20 years until he lost his seat in 2009. An independent councilor, Mr Murphy was also farmer and he was particularly vocal on agricultural issues. He also campaigned strongly on local issues and in particular, education. An independent candidate all his political life, Mr Murphy also ran for the Dáil in the 1987 General Election.
(Source: Longford Leader)

Louth

Coca-Cola Company announced it would create 100 new jobs at its shared services facility in Drogheda, Co Louth.

Forty positions have already been filled, involving IT, supply chain, legal and human resources functions.

The announcement was made following the opening of a $300 million (€218m) flavorings manufacturing facility in Wexford. This facility will employ 65 staff.
(Source: Dundalk Democrat)

Mayo

A pensioner living alone died in a house fire at his detached home in Newport, Co Mayo, last week. The victim was named as Denis Cartron (69) of Seaview Road.

The alarm was raised by a neighbour who spotted flames just before 9am. Two units of Mayo fire brigade responded to the outbreak, but were unable to save Mr Cartron.

Although the exact cause of the fire has not been determined, gardaí do not believe there was anything suspicious about the outbreak.

Mr Cartron’s body was taken to Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar, where a postmortem was to be carried out.
(Source: The Mayo News)

Meath

Australia is seeking the extradition of a 29-year-old Meath man on charges of dangerous driving causing the deaths of two Irish backpackers near the city of Perth almost four years ago.

The High Court was informed last week that the Australian authorities are seeking the extradition of Eamon Mark Driver with an address at Stanley Heights, Slane, Co Meath, on charges of causing the death of Colm Reilly (20), from Slane, Co Meath, and Kiara Duncan (20), from Kentstown, Co Meath, by dangerous driving.

Mr Driver is alleged to have been the driver of a Toyota Corolla hatchback which was involved in a fatal crash that occurred around 11.10pm on October 31, 2007 at Bedford, a suburb of Perth in Western Australia. At the time of the crash the car had six passengers, including Mr Reilly and Ms Duncan.

Mr Driver allegedly lost control of the car at a bend and careered across the road into an oncoming vehicle. It is alleged that Mr Driver had been traveling at excess speed at the time.

Mr Reilly died on impact, while Ms Duncan died three days later in hospital.

The other passengers in the car sustained various injuries.

A warrant for Mr Driver's arrest was issued by the Australian Attorney General's office last year after the 29-year-old failed to appear in Perth Magistrate's Court to face charges.

Detective Sergeant Jim Kirwan of the Garda Extradition Unit told the High Cour that he arrested Mr Driver at his home in Co Meath on foot of a warrant that had been previously endorsed by the High Court last Wednesday.
(Source: Evening Herald)

Monaghan

The disgraced former chief executive of Irish Nationwide, Michael Fingleton, failed to turn up to an Employment Appeals Tribunal hearing -- because he was in a foreign court.

The retired head of the now nationalized lender had been summoned to attend the tribunal to give evidence in the unfair dismissal case of branch manager and former Monaghan inter-county GAA star Brendan Beggan (48).

Chairman Dermot MacCarthy said Mr Fingleton informed the tribunal in a telephone call that he was willing and "eager" to appear.

But he said he was unable to do so last week because he was in court in Eastern Europe. It was unclear last week why Mr Fingleton was in court.
(Source: Irish Times)

Offaly

A man in his 20s was arrested last week following the death of a cyclist in a hit-and-run incident near the border between Offaly and Kildare last Tuesday.

A man named locally as Peter Farrell (61), Clonmullen, Edenderry, Co Offaly, died when he was struck by a vehicle while cycling at Carrick on the Kinnegad to Edenderry road shortly before 9pm last Tuesday.
(Source: Offaly Express)

Roscommon

Halloween is still more than one month away but archeologists working in Ireland have uncovered a couple of 8th century human skeletons that point to a ghoulish story.

The skeletons, dug up between 2005 and 2009 at Kilteasheen, near Loch Key in Ireland, were found with stones stuck into their mouths. Researchers examining the remains suggest this may have been related to a belief among the locals that this practice would prevent the dead from returning to walk the Earth as zombies.

What began as a survey of medieval churches in Co. Roscommon, Ireland, has since turned into one of Ireland's largest research excavations. Indeed, the project has so far turned up more than 120 skeletons in a cemetery which dates between the 7th and 14th centuries. The site has revealed traces from the Neolithic, Bronze Age, Early and later Medieval eras.
(Source: CBS News)

Sligo

A 38-year-old woman died in a fire last week in her bedroom at a house in Ballymote, Co Sligo.
She was named as Aoife Dalton, who lived at Marren Park in the town.

Neighbors were awakened when they heard her boyfriend, John Walsh, who lives at another address, banging at the front door of the end-of-terrace two-storey house shortly before 5.50am.

One neighbor said: “He could see smoke smoldering and he was calling out ‘Are you in there, if you are, get out’.”

Mr Walsh, who is in his 40s and has his own accommodation opposite the town’s Garda station, smashed the door glass in as he desperately tried to save Ms Dalton, who lived in Ballymote for six years but was a native of the Tralee area of Co Kerry.

Mr Walsh told gardaí he was driven back by thick smoke. He told them he was forced by the smoke to jump 20ft from a top-floor window.

Mr Walsh, a native of Sligo town who has lived in Ballymote for a number of years, was in Sligo General Hospital last week under treatment for smoke inhalation and cuts to his head.
(Source: Irish TImes)

Tipperary

Locals in Bansha, Co Tipperary, have failed in a last-minute attempt at the High Court to prevent the closure of their local post office.

The court was told An Post gave just one day's notice of the closure of the post office which will cause hardship to sick and elderly people in the town.

Members of the Save Bansha Post Office Committee sought a High Court injunction forcing An Post to keep the post office open.

However the court refused the injunction and adjourned the case to this week to allow An Post respond to the case.

The court was told Bansha Post Office operates from a petrol station in the town which was recently sold.

Locals understood the new owners would also take over the agency for the post office.
(Source: Tipperary Star)

Tyrone

A man conned a pastor out of £300 by claiming he was a convicted murderer whose bail would be revoked if he did not get home to Scotland, the High Court has been told.

The man was arrested in County Tyrone two years later when the same clergyman spotted him making inquiries about other local churches, prosecutors said.

Gordon Ferguson, 52, of Asbury Court, Linwood, Paisley, denies a charge of fraud by false representation.

Mr Ferguson was refused bail.

A judge told the high court that whoever carried out the swindle was guilty of "a particularly cowardly and despicable act".

The court heard the alleged fraudster went into a church in Dungannon in November 2009 and asked for the pastor.

It was claimed that he told the clergyman he had been in prison for murder and if he did not get back to Scotland his bail would be revoked.

He allegedly requested £300, which was given to him after contact was made with a church trustee.
(Source: Belfast Telegraph)

Waterford

SuperValu has announced that it has signed a new agreement with Waterford supplier Dunhill Cuisine, to supply a new range of superior products, worth €1.5 million. Based in Co. Waterford, Dunhill Cuisine is one of Ireland's leading producers of fresh ready meals to the retail and catering sectors.

This new contract sees Dunhill Cuisine supply SuperValu stores nationwide with a new range of Supreme Meals including pork fillet with caramelized apple, steak diane, chicken and pesto and haddock mornay. It will also provide a new range of Supreme side dishes including creamy mash, ratatouille, mixed green vegetables, potato gratin and roast root vegetables.
(Source: Waterford News $ Star)

Westmeath

A 22-month-old toddler knocked down by a car at a children’s birthday party died of multiple injuries, an inquest has heard. Dylan Murray-Finneran was playing outside his home in the Coillin Bui estate in Moate, Co Westmeath, on September 25th, 2010, when the incident occurred. His injuries were sustained when a car was reversed over him, which was seen by his mother Catriona Murray.

The toddler, a grandnephew of former minister for housing Michael Finneran, was rushed to the Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar before being transferred by helicopter to Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin. He died at Temple Street two days later. A postmortem carried out by Dr Deirdre Devaney gave the cause of death as multiple injuries which were mainly head injuries.
(Source: Westmeath Independent)

Wexford

A gang of teenagers tied an eight-year-old boy to a chair and marked his face with a broken bottle, it's reported.

Gardai in Co Wexford are now investigating the alleged assault after the schoolboy reported his ordeal.
The teenagers held the broken bottle to his cheek and marked Xs into his face.

The boy's father said his son has provided statements to detectives about the incident which happened in Monageer, Co Wexford, on Friday, September 2.

The dad, who does not wish to be named to protect his son's identity, said his child was on his way home from a friend's house when a group of teenagers approached him at the Gleann na gCaor estate.

"At first they were messing but then they tripped him and picked him up and carried him 400 yards away to a grotto," he said.

The child said he had his hands and feet tied to an old office chair with a heavy rope.

The youths then smashed a bottle and one held it to the child's face.

The boy came home with cuts in the shape of Xs on his cheeks.
(Source: The Irish Times)

Wicklow

A notorious criminal -- who was lucky to escape with his life after being shot last month -- has been forced to go into hiding after his father's home was riddled with bullets.

Gardai say that tensions in a bitter drugs feud in Bray, Co Wicklow, are threatening to spiral out of control after the latest gun attack which happened at the home of Philip 'Philly' O' Toole's father Brendan last weekend.

At least 14 shots were fired at the house in Ard Chualann in Fassaroe as the dangerous turf war intensifies.

'Philly' O' Toole was lucky to escape with his life when he was targeted in a feud-related shooting in leafy Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, last month.

The gangster was shot in the stomach but escaped with his life when he wrestled the gunman to the ground. He spent a number of days being treated in hospital after the incident.

Gardai have arrested the 29-year-old drug addict who they believe was "paid a pittance" by O' Toole's rivals to shoot the criminal, but he was later released without charge.
(Source: The Herald)