ANTRIM

Reinstated Crumlin Integrated College principal Dr. Annabel Scott must be given a chance to show she has improved her performance, the North Eastern Education and Library Board has said.

In a statement released by Chief Executive Shane McCurdy to the Antrim Guardian last Wednesday, he said the Board of Governors at the school were “required by procedure” to provide Dr. Scott with training and support during her two-and-a-half-year suspension.
[Source: Antrim Guardian]

ARMAGH

Staff and pupils at St. Joseph’s High School in Crossmaglen are celebrating after the school was placed in the top 10 non-grammar schools where pupils achieved the best GCSE results.

St. Joseph’s came a very impressive sixth place in the Irish News poll of schools with the highest percentage of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C.

The results are based on the 2010/2011 school year when St. Joseph’s enjoyed its best ever results with 88% achieving at least five top grades.
[Source: Examiner Newspaper]

CARLOW

A bride-to-be was tragically killed in a two-car collision as she traveled home from work, just weeks before her wedding.

May Kelly from Oak Tree Heights, Castlebridge, Wexford was a student psychiatric nurse who worked in St. Dymphna’s Hospital on the Old Dublin Road, Carlow.

On June 14, Ms. Kelly, aged in her early thirties, was driving from Carlow along the N80 when the accident happened at Leagh, Rathoe, between Glynn’s Garage and Carlow town.

The weather was particularly bad on the day in question and roads were very wet in the area. Gardaí (police) believe the slippery road conditions led to the fatal accident, which claimed the life of the promising young nurse.
[Source: Carlow Nationalist]

CAVAN

West Cavan will be amalgamated into neighboring Leitrim-Sligo, while Cavan-Monaghan would lose a TD, if the recommendations of a report published by the Constituency Commission are approved.

These are just some of a host of proposed changes at a nationally, contained within the report submitted to the Dáil (Irish Parliament) June 21. Aside from the boundary changes, the net result would see a reduction in the number of TDs in the Dáil reduced by eight from 166 to 158.
{Source: The Anglo Celt]

CLARE

Ryanair will treble its passenger numbers into Shannon Airport to one million annually under a proposed new deal that it claims would deliver 1,000 jobs.

The low fares’ airline has claimed its ambitious plan would generate an overall expenditure of $565 million in the Shannon region, based on ACI projections that 300,000 tourists generate a corresponding spend of $188 million and 2,500 tourist jobs.

The sting in the tail is the carrier wants a free deal on the 635,000 extra passengers it brings into Shannon.

It insists this deal has to be made available to other carriers who are prepared to bring in the same numbers to Shannon on an annual basis.

Speaking to The Clare Champion, Ryanair chief operating officer, Michael Cawley, estimated Shannon could get $11 or $12 per passenger from ancillary revenue, such as car parking and goods sold in shops, making a net profit of $6 per passenger without any extra cost.
[Source: Clare Champion]

CORK

The Cork Academy of Music set up 18 years ago by Bob Seward has finally found a permanent home with the financial backing of Cork City Council. Lord Mayor Clr. Terry Shannon did the honors at the official launch of The Music House, a new music resource center based in the North Monastery Technical School.

Speaking at the launch Clr. Shannon praised the new venue that is based in the steep and hallowed grounds of the North Mon which is steeped in education and music.
[Source: Cork Independent]

DERRY

A 30-year-old man accused of breaking a man’s jaw with a pool cue handed himself into police after his photo was published in the local media, a court has heard.

Sean Farrelly, of Cuthbert Street, Waterside is charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of an offensive weapon.

The charges relate to an alleged incident in the Ritz Bar, Spencer Road on January 30, last year.
[Source: Derry Journal]

DONEGAL

Investigating gardaí (police) have made two arrests as part of the investigation into the murder of Seamus Doherty.

A male aged in his 40s was arrested last Wednesday evening and a female in her 50s was arrested last Thursday morning. They are both detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at Letterkenny Garda Station.

At approximately 1:50 a.m. on Sunday, June 17, gardaí and emergency services were called to a house at Drumacnoo near the village of Churchill where the body of 67-year-old Seamus Doherty was discovered. He was pronounced dead at the scene and removed to Letterkenny Hospital.
[Source: Donegal Democrat]

DOWN

North Down Irish and ballroom dancers recently surprised Belfast shoppers with a flash mob dance spectacular, organized to raise awareness of the Children's MRI Scanner Appeal for the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.

The appeal aims to raise $3m for a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) facility dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of sick and injured children in Northern Ireland.

The Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children is currently the only children's hospital in the UK and Ireland that does not have its own MRI Scanner.
[Source: Belfast Telegraph]

DUBLIN

Dublin Castle should be raking in $25m a year from tourism instead of acting as a civil servants' car park, a city business leader has insisted.

The castle should contain six or seven museums rather than being used as a parking area for Revenue Commissioners staff, Dublin City Business Association (DCBA) chief executive Tom Coffey said.

He was speaking ahead of his presentation with economist Felim O'Rourke to Dublin city councilors.
They are expected to argue that Dublin City Council should be in charge of tourism in the capital, rather than the Government and Failte Ireland.
[Source: Evening Herald]

FERMANAGH

While Sinn Fein has still to make up its mind on whether to allow its elected representatives to meet the Queen when she comes to Enniskillen this Tuesday, and, if so, will they shake her hand, others can’t wait.

Ulster Unionist MLA, Tom Elliott said he was “delighted” that she will visit Enniskillen on her two-day visit to Northern Ireland and give the people of Fermanagh-South Tyrone an opportunity to show their gratitude to her.

For its part, Sinn Fein, locally, are adopting a “wait and see” approach. The chairman of Fermanagh District Council would normally be expected to be invited along to one or more of the functions the Queen will be attending, among them a morning ecumenical service in Enniskillen and, it is thought, a visit to the new South West Acute Hospital.
[Source: Fermanagh Herald]

GALWAY

An elderly woman was killed in a road traffic pile-up on the N17 in County Galway last Wednesday evening.

Gardaí (police) are investigating the crash which occurred at 4:45 p.m. and involved four cars.
The incident occurred at what’s known locally as Cloonmore near the Headford Road junction, three miles from Tuam on the Galway side.
[Source: Galway Bay FM]

KERRY

Kerryman journalist Marisa Reidy has been honored by the Law Society of Ireland for a colorful court report that involved a famous whistling donkey.

The story was chosen from scores of court reports from national and regional print media to win a Justice Media Merit Award in the Court Reporting category of this year's awards.

The “whistling donkey” case made national and international headlines following Marisa's coverage of Dingle District Court last November. The case concerned a well-known Dingle busker who was stopped by gardaí (police) for driving with bald tires on his Hiace van. In the back of the van was the talented donkey.

Dingle District Court broke down in laughter when a garda told Judge James O'Connor that the donkey played the tin whistle as part of the defendant's busking act on the streets of Dingle.
[Source: The Kerryman]

KILDARE

Hundreds of Kildare families who are caught in the debt trap, are turning to moneylenders as a last resort.

Last week the Kildare Nationalist learned that in some council housing estates in the county 100% of households are having dealing with moneylenders, both legal and illegal. This shocking statistic was revealed by Paddy Lavery from the

Newbridge office of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) who said that the money lending practice has spread like a cancer.

“The practice is so ingrained in the lifestyle of many people that people think nothing of it and just accept it. Every week they make a payment of $10, $25, $60 or whatever it is and it continues from one week to the next.”
[Source: Kildare Nationalist]

KILKENNY

Gardaí (police) have found yet another cannabis grow house in County Kilkenny. This time it was the turn of the sleepy village of Kells about eight miles from the city. Gardaí have discovered 200 cannabis plants growing at a detached house close to the village.

The seizure was made at about 2 p.m. on the Haggard Road. The seizure is estimated to have a street value of $200,000 (subject to analysis). There were no arrests and the investigation is ongoing.
[Source: Kilkenny People]

LAOIS

Gardai (police) have seized an estimated $175,000 worth of Cannabis at a grow house in Ballacolla, Co. Laois.

As part of an ongoing investigation into the cultivation of Cannabis, Gardai carried out at search at a house near the south Laois village, on June 19. During the search a cultivation site was discovered and Cannabis plants with an estimated street value of $175,000 (pending analysis) were seized.
[Source: Leinster Express]

LEITRIM

The Minister of State at the Department of Finance with responsibility at the Office of Public Works (OPW), Brian Hayes, has announced flood relief funding for north in the region of $98,000.

The Minor Flood Mitigation works scheme has awarded funding directly to Leitrim County Council for several areas.

The funding includes$28,000 for the construction of an embankment between the Bonet River and R289 at Stonepark Dromahair; $31,000 for channel cleaning at Greyfield; a further $25,000 for similar works on the R280 at Killargue and $13,700 for channel cleaning at Ballinagar/Carrowcrin.
[Source: Leitrim Observer]

LIMERICK

A teenager has died after suffering an asthma attack after playing in a hurling match last Wednesday evening.

The 13-year-old who had just finished first year at Colaiste Iosaef in Kilmallock is understood to have taken ill on Wednesday night after returning home from the U14 hurling game against Patrickswell.
According to sources the boy appeared to be well after the game and suffered the attack during the night. It is understood he was rushed to the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick.
[Source: Limerick Leader]

LONGFORD

The Longford-Westmeath Constituency would be left intact as a four-seater but Leitrim, Roscommon and parts of Cavan will be affected by changes if proposals from the Constituency Commission are implemented. Under the proposals, the number of TDs in Dail Eireann (Irish Parliament) would be reduced to 158.
[Source: Longford Leader]

LOUTH

An Bord Pleanala held meetings last week in the Four Seasons in Carlingford as part of its process to determine whether Narrow Water Bridge should receive planning permission.

Sinn Féin Louth TD Gerry Adams has expressed his support for the construction of the Narrow Water Bridge linking south Down and County Louth.

Gerry Adams said: “The Narrow Water Bridge makes economic and commercial sense. It would provide a vital infrastructure connection linking north and south which would assist economic, and especially tourism development in an area which desperately needs new investment for jobs and growth.”
[Source: Dundalk Democrat]

MAYO

A Ballina man has been sent to jail for six years, with two suspended, following a high-speed car crash which left a Leitrim woman unable to move, eat or talk.

Judge Tony Hunt said he could not recall anyone being “so seriously and tragically maimed as a result of a road accident.”

Martin Kearney (31) of Faranoo, Ballina was driving a high-powered BMW 3 series car with a 3.2-litre engine at more than 94 mph at 12:30 a.m. on September 30 at Drumiskabole (near Ballisodare), Sligo. He lost control turning off a main road and onto a slip road and the car skidded for 114 meters, the court heard.
[Source: The Mayo News]

MEATH

Tara's Natalya Coyle was officially confirmed as the first Irish female athlete to qualify for the Olympics in modern pentathlon when she will represent her country at the London 2012 Games.

The 21-year-old Meath athlete, who only started competing in the sport on an international level in 2009, will compete in modern pentathlon's centenary Olympic competition, but she will have to wait for her moment to shine as the women's modern pentathlon medals will be the last ones awarded at the London Games on Sunday August 12.
[Source: Meath Chronicle]

MONAGHAN

A Co. Monaghan man already serving a prison sentence for possession of firearms was charged with a new offence of having explosives in Northern Ireland in 2010.

Paul Maguire (26) of Drumleek South, Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan was charged with possession of an improvised explosive device with intent to endanger life or to cause serious damage to property at Culloville, Co. Armagh on April 3, 2010.
[Source: Irish Independent]

OFFALY

A father of six has apologized to the community for stealing a priceless artifact from Boher Church.
Thomas Roche, Boyne Meadows, Edenderry was one of two men to appear before Judge Catherine Staines at Tullamore District Court last Wednesday morning charged with the theft of the irreplaceable shrine on June 1.

“I’m sorry for the distress I caused the community. It was a spur of the moment thing, If I could turn back time, I wouldn’t do it again,” said the 39-year-old when he was charged by Tullamore Garda (police officer) Linda Walsh with stealing the priceless item from the Church of St. Manchan earlier this month.
[Source: Offaly Express]

ROSCOMMON

A man has been jailed for 13 years for killing a five-year-old girl who died after he set fire to her house in Co. Roscommon.

John Lynch, originally from Sligo and with an address at Church View in Boyle, Co. Roscommon, also received two eight-year concurrent sentences for arson and causing serious harm.

Lynch, who has 17 previous convictions, including assault and possession of a shotgun, pleaded guilty to the three charges.

Mari Keane-Connolly (5) from Termon Road in Boyle died in the early hours of October 3, last year.
[Source: Irish Times]

SLIGO

Two 26-year-old men have been given until next October to come up with more money for a woman they assaulted in her car.

Sligo Circuit Court heard that the incident occurred in the middle of the day when the two men, Colm Morris, Knockarush, Boyle, and Thomas O'Connor, Arden Street, Edinburgh, both former students of IT Sligo, were drunk and abusive at Ballinode on September 23, 2009. The woman was in the area monitoring student behavior and was bringing them to a nearby housing estate.

Prosecuting Counsel Ms. Dara Foynes, B.L., told the court that O'Connor, before getting into the woman's car, had smashed a bottle on the ground by throwing it over his shoulder.
[Source: Sligo Champion]

TIPPERARY

Gardai (police) and emergency services attended the scene of a helicopter “hard landing” at Borrisoleigh, County Tipperary last Tuesday afternoon when the air ambulance was forced to come down in a field just off the main Thurles-Nenagh road.

Nobody was injured in the manoeuvre although the crew were said to be shaken after the traumatic incident which occurred at approximately 3 p.m.

It is understood that the helicopter may have clipped a power line which resulted in the hard landing having to be made in the field. Air Corps helicopters were soon on the scene with three helicopters parked in the field as investigators began looking into the causes of the incident.
[Source: Tipperary Star]

TYRONE

A row over CCTV footage in the trial of two men accused of murdering Michaela McAreavey in Mauritius has been resolved.

The trial was adjourned June 15 after CCTV footage was requested as the prosecution and defense in Michaela McAreavey murder trial argued over the identification of a couple in the hotel reception.
However, defense lawyers in the trial of two men accused of murdering Michaela McAreavey, last Monday, said they will not press the issue of CCTV footage of a couple in the hotel reception.
[Source: Tyrone Courier]

WATERFORD

A longstanding business owner in Tramore has been up to her knees in sewerage from the town, because of a glitch in the Council’s sewerage system, as waste water flooded into her premises twice in the past two weeks. Councilor Joe Conway told the members of the Co. Council at this month’s meeting that Margaret Kelly of Kelly’s Classics in Summer Hill has been forced to consider the future of her business due to unbearable flooding in the shop following recent heavy rainfall.

He said that her business has been seriously damaged, as a “mountainous flow of sewerage” came into the premises after a very wet night.
[Source: Waterford News & Star]

WESTMEATH

While Athlone town councilors have agreed to continue to seek a meeting with the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) on the status of Custume Barracks, opposition members have blamed Fine Gael for the town losing its brigade status.

Fianna Fail member Clr. Aengus O'Rourke called on Mayor Alan Shaw to resign over the issue, but he was the only member who pursued that approach.

An emergency meeting of Athlone Town Council had been called last Monday evening to discuss the loss of the 4th brigade headquarter status from Custome Barracks, as announced the previous week, by the Junior Minister for Defense, Paul Kehoe.
[Source: Westmeath Independent]

WEXFORD

The Queen of England sent a letter to a Wexford couple celebrating their 60th Jubilee Wedding Anniversary recently, congratulating them on their milestone achievement.

While celebrating her own forthcoming Diamond Jubilee Queen Elizabeth took the time to write a personal letter to Norman and Sheila Hunt of Hollymount, Mulgannon, after their daughter Alison Harvey of Epsom & Surrey used her contacts to organize the special surprise for her parents.
[Source: Wexford Echo]

WICKLOW

A family who reside in various structures including a chalet and a mobile home at Lough Dan, Co Wicklow, have appealed against a decision of Wicklow Circuit Court requiring the structures to be demolished or removed.

Katie Fortune and her brother Johnny Fortune, who live with their families at lands at Carrigeenshinnagh, Lough Dan, in Roundwood, claim the buildings are exempt from planning permission and their rights under the European Convention on Human Rights have not been considered.

The case arises after Wicklow County Council initiated proceedings in 2009 against the Fortunes under section 160 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000, in which the council claimed the structures were unauthorized.
(Source: Irish Times)