ANTRIM

The mayor of Antrim has led the outpouring of sympathy, which followed the tragic death of a one-year-old child in a road traffic accident last Monday morning.

The child died following a one vehicle collision on the Dublin Road between the Old Stone Hill and Dungovel Road junction at around 9:50 a.m.

A second young child and two adult females were also taken to hospital for treatment for their injuries.
[Source: Antrim Guardian]

ARMAGH

Newry City Center is set to undergo a major facelift with a $485,000 revitalization scheme for the newly-completed Newry Public Realm Areas in Hill and Monaghan Streets.

Newry City Center Management, in conjunction with Newry and Mourne District Council and local traders, two weeks ago announced their success in making a funding application to the Department of Social Development for the scheme, which is part of a three-year investment proposed through the city’s master-plan, launched by DSD and Newry and Mourne District Council last year.

Social Development Minister, Nelson McCausland spoke about the further injection of funding during a recent visit to Newry to launch the completed Public Realm Scheme in Monaghan and Hill Streets.
[Source: Examiner Newspaper]

CARLOW

A local man appeared before a special sitting of Carlow District Court on Thursday evening, September 20 charged in connection with a late-night shooting incident in the town two days earlier.

James “Scatter” Doyle of Staplestown Road, Carlow was charged with possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition for an unlawful purpose at Mill Race, Burrin Road, Carlow on Tuesday, Sept. 18.

Mr. Doyle, aged in his 40s, was remanded in custody to Cloverhill Prison to appear before Cloverhill District Court again last Tuesday.
[Source: Carlow Nationalist]

CAVAN

A team of the Army Bomb Disposal squad were last Wednesday evening called to a Cavan Town school to make safe a quantity of lab chemical that was suspected of having become "unstable.”

The bomb disposal team, attached to the Defence Forces in Custume Barracks, Athlone arrived to St. Patrick's College at about 6:45 p.m. after a call from Gardaí (police). They removed the lab chemical, known as 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH, Brady's reagent) to a safe location before carrying out a controlled explosion – and the area was declared safe shortly before 8 p.m.
[Source: The Anglo Celt]

CLARE


Ennis will be, quite literally, put on the “app” next month. The county capital is set to become one of the first towns in Ireland to have its very own mobile application as part of moves by Promote Ennis to boost tourism and business.

Promote Ennis chairman and president of Ennis Chamber, Brian O’Neill, revealed, “The app is currently being worked on by local company Acton BV and it will operate as a multi-functional shopping and visitor directory. We are trying to give people something useful and it will be launched in November. This will be for the benefit of the town and will help improve the visibility of the town.”
 [Source: Clare Champion]

CORK

"It's a very worrying situation."

That's how campaigns and communications manager of Cork Simon Community Paul Sheehan has described the significant increase in numbers sleeping rough in Cork. A new report released by the Simon Community shows that by the end of May 2012, numbers had exceeded the number of people recorded as sleeping rough in all of 2010 with a peak of 54 people in August 2012.

"One of the last effects of the recession is homelessness," said Mr. Sheehan. "The worst position a person can find themselves in is to be homeless which is why we are only experiencing this increase now rather than one the recession first hit. It's coming to a head now and people are finding it more difficult to afford housing."
[Source: Cork Independent]

DERRY


A court has heard claims that Marian Price “cannot effectively participate in any legal proceedings” as a result of her illness.

The claim was made by defence solicitor Peter Corrigan at Derry Magistrates Court in her absence.

Price, who appeared on court papers as Marian McGlinchey, of no fixed abode, had been due to appear in court last Thursday for a preliminary inquiry. She had been accused of aiding and abetting addressing a meeting in support of the I.R.A.

However, a letter was provided to the court to state she was unable to attend.
[Source: Derry Journal]

DONEGAL

Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Justice, Pádraig MacLochlainn, has described as “outrageous” a directive from the Garda (Police) Commissioner, Martin Callinan to Gardaí that they should not attempt to use influence concerning closures or perceived closures of stations.

The circular forbade Gardaí from communicating (directly or through someone else) with any public representative in order to lobby or influence the decision of the commissioner, Deputy MacLochlainn said.

He was speaking in support of a High Court challenge to the directive by the Garda Representative Association (G.R.A.).

The Donegal North East Deputy stated: “This directive is outrageous. It is an attempt to silence rank-and-file Gardaí from giving their testimonies on the impact of government cutbacks. In a democracy, it is the role of the opposition to hold the government to account and this attempt by the Garda Commissioner to deny us the ability to communicate with front-line Gardaí about cutbacks is an affront to democracy.”
[Source: Donegal Democrat]

DOWN

A Bangor man has spoken of his shock after a staff member at North Down council asked him to effectively police dog foulers in Ward Park.

The resident, who regularly visits the local park, contacted the council to complain about the quantity of dog dirt found across the park grass, which is used daily by local dog-walkers, football and cricket teams and families.

He said he was shocked when he was told to confront the dog owners and to request their names and addresses. The local ratepayer said he was further surprised, when he said he would not be prepared to do that, he was told to surreptitiously photograph the drivers' cars in order to get their registration numbers.
[Source: Belfast Telegraph]

DUBLIN

A Real I.R.A. spying operation at a Dublin hotel was busted by Gardaí (police) last Thursday.

High-tech surveillance cameras were trained on the Garda Headquarters in the capital, the Herald can reveal.

Two men, aged 32 and 41, were then followed by Gardaí and later arrested on nearby Grafton Street.

It is believed the suspects were spying on senior anti-terrorism detectives based at Harcourt Street.
[Source: Evening Herald]

FERMANAGH

A man who had been reported missing in Co. Fermanagh last Tuesday night has been found dead near his farmhouse home.

Shortly after midnight on Tuesday a man living at Upper Tully, Kinawley, reported to police that he had not seen an elderly neighbor for several days and he was concerned for his whereabouts.

Police searched the area during darkness for the 89-year-old, and were assisted by the fire service, using thermal imaging equipment. Nothing was found overnight and on Wednesday morning a police helicopter was brought in.
[Source: Fermanagh Herald]

GALWAY

A mother-and-son duo of kick-boxers from County Galway won medals at the World Kickboxing Championship in the United States last week.

Gina Casey and her 14-year-old son Cathal from Gort scooped bronze medals at the World Kickboxing Association’s World Championship finals in Orlando, Florida on Monday.

Gina, a special-needs assistant at Gort Community School, and Cathal, a second-year pupil at the South Galway Secondary School, both won medals for Ireland competing in the “Light Contact Sparring” category.
[Source: Galway Bay FM]

KERRY

Concern has been expressed about the closure Tuesday, September 25 of the last remaining ward in St. Finan’s Hospital in Killarney, a 19th-century psychiatric facility that once housed 1,000 patients.

The last seven residential patients were transferred to a separate unit on the hospital grounds to await a more modern facility.

The move from the Victorian-era building was welcomed by the Psychiatric Nurses’ Association. However, the union strongly criticized the lack of infrastructure for mental healthcare in Kerry.
[Source: Irish Times]

KILDARE

Athy town councilor Aoife Breslin has been called on to resign her position on a local school’s board of management Athy resident who represents a right-wing Catholic group called Catholics United for the Faith.

Mr. Anthony Murphy, who along with this wife Kim, publishes The Catholic Voice newspaper, said Clr. Breslin, who is a member of the board of management at Scoil Phadraig Naofa, should “consider her position and conclude that the only honorable thing to do is to step down from her position.”

He claimed her expressed views that gay people should be allowed to marry were “in conflict with the ethos of the school.”
[Source: Kildare Nationalist]

KILKENNY


A father and daughter have been remanded in custody in relation to the discovery of $1.9 million worth of cocaine and cannabis and $510,000 of cannabis, respectively, at two addresses in Kilkenny city.

Leo Hayden (50) of Assumption Place, Kilkenny, (opposite Nowlan Park G.A.A. grounds) was charged on Saturday, September 22 with possession of $1.9 million worth of cocaine and cannabis, for sale or supply, after he was arrested on Thursday night. The offense is alleged to have occurred at Mill Road, Gowran.

His daughter, Melissa Hayden (20) of Ayrfield, Lord Edward Street, (The Butts) Kilkenny, is charged with possession of cannabis resin worth $510,000 at Assumption Place in Kilkenny.
[Source: Kilkenny People]

LAOIS

The perpetrators of last Wednesday’s gangland-style execution in Portarlington need to be caught and brought to justice.

That’s according to Fine Gael Deputy Charlie Flanagan. “I urge members of the local community to be vigilant and report any information they may have to the Gardaí (police). These people are not wanted in Laois and they are not wanted in the area.”

Deputy Flanagan described the incident as quite shocking and that it brought home to the people of Laois that gangland criminality is no longer a Dublin phenomenon.

He added, “I understand that the Garda serious crime unit are in the town of Portarlington investigating and I urge anyone in the area that saw anything to make it known to the Gardaí.”

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin Deputy Brian Stanley said local people were concerned and appalled that a man would be shot in broad daylight in front of his two children. “There has been a certain amount of gangland activity around Portarlington in recent years and this is a very serious escalation.”
[Source: Leinster Express]

LEITRIM

The tragic news which emerged last Wednesday, September 19 that 15-year-old Dromahair schoolgirl Ciara Pugsley had taken her own life has left a community in deep shock and the fact that she is believed to have been “driven” to such action as a result of online bullying makes the tragedy all the sadder.

The sight of students in their school uniforms, players and officials from the Leitrim Ladies football community, the Dromahair ladies football team, as well as members of the equestrian, sub-aqua and karate clubs, of which she was a member, gave an indication of how popular and well-regarded Ciara Pugsley was.
[Source: Leitrim Observer]

LIMERICK


A Limerick student whose wheelchair was cruelly stolen from outside his home on Sunday, September 23 has returned to school at St. Nessan’s after St. Gabriel’s School in Dooradoyle stepped in with a replacement.

A number of people contacted the Limerick Leader with offers to loan or pay for a wheelchair for 16-year-old Thomondgate lad Shane Dundon, having read that he was housebound after a gang of youths smashed up his means of getting around town.

Roger Beck, manager at the Parkway Shopping Centre, said Shane was free to use one of the complimentary wheelchairs his business makes available for disabled shoppers for as long as he needed.
[Source: Limerick Leader]

LONGFORD

The Longford woman in charge of one of the county’s biggest new arts and music venues is hoping a diverse range of shows will encourage people back to the arts.

Louise Donlon, originally from Moydow, has been appointed manager of the Lime Tree Theatre in Limerick. Situated on the grounds of Mary Immaculate College, this new 510-seat theater opens officially in late October, with events scheduled to begin last week.

The venue will host a wide range of performers, with everything from Tom Barry’s “Guerrilla Days in Ireland,” Brendan Grace, and the Kilfenora Céilí Band booked in for the coming months.
[Source: Longford Leader]

LOUTH


Sinn Féin Deputy Gerry Adams has rejected claims by former I.R.A. prisoner Dolores Price that he was her commanding officer in the I.R.A. during the 1970s.

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph newspaper, Ms. Price made several allegations about Mr. Adams including a claim that he was a central figure in the I.R.A. when it launched its bombing campaign in the early 1970s.

Mr. Adams has rejected her claims and has also denied that he was in the I.R.A.
[Source: Dundalk Democrat]

MAYO

As he looked out on McHale Park as the rain lashed down on the nearby ring road, Mayo star Barry Moran couldn’t but marvel at the supporters who had turned out to welcome Mayo home last Monday evening.

The management and players returned to Castlebar after losing Sunday’s All-Ireland Final to Donegal and well over 1,000 people turned out despite horrible weather to welcome the county’s heroes back into their embrace.

“This means so much to see your support here,” Barry Moran told the supporters. “To see the support ye gave us here and welcome us back makes me proud to be a Mayo man.”
[Source: The Mayo News]

MEATH

Consideration will have to be given in future to moving all of Kells' stone crosses, including the Market Cross, indoors to prevent further erosion and deterioration of their carved images, Kells Town Council was told two weeks ago.

The National Monuments Service (N.M.S.) – which is attached to the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht – has opened the way to the town council to discuss a joint conservation plan for all the national monuments in the town.

The N.M.S. has expressed its opposition to the idea that the Market Cross be transferred back to its original site at Cross Street, saying that it was not convinced its safety from traffic or vandalism could be secured there.
[Source: Meath Chronicle]

MONAGHAN

One of New Zealand's wealthiest businessmen has died at his horse stud in Kentucky.

Eamon Cleary was born in 1960 in County Monaghan, Ireland, and was a fixture in the top-10 of New Zealand's Rich List.

Earlier this year the National Business Review estimated he was worth $1 billion, with a range of assets across four continents.

On Sunday, September 23, Barry Robinette, farm manager at Clear Sky Farms, a horse stud in Lexington, Kentucky, which Mr. Cleary established in 2009, confirmed the Irishman had died the previous day.
[Source: The Dominion Post]

OFFALY

Offaly men are more likely to remarry than their female counterparts.

Nearly 35.1 percent of ever-divorced men remarried compared with only 27.5 percent of women.

Census 2011 showed that a total of 604 people in the county were remarried following dissolution of their marriage.

The proportion of the population (aged 15 years and over) who were divorced was 2.3 percent (1,340 people) in 2011 compared to 2.4 percent for the State, while 3,314 people (5.6 percent) were widowed in the county.
[Source: Offaly Express]

ROSCOMMON

Roscommon County Council has been criticized for not taking seriously the health and safety of the people of Tibohine, after its decision to grant another waste facility permit at a site in the area.

Last month, the Council granted Biocore Environmental AD1 Limited a waste facility permit for 19,000 tons of waste. This was despite of objections raised by Tibohine residents, Tibohine Action Group, Tibohine Community Friends, AWN Consulting and the Inland Fisheries Ireland.
[Source: Roscommon Herald]

SLIGO


These anti-Zionist slogans have appeared along one of Sligo's busiest roads.

In green and red ink, they were daubed on a wall at the entrance to steps beside Markievicz Road.

The steps lead up to Barrack Street, which overlooks the town.

The slogans call for a "Free Palestine" and "Zion Out."
[Source: Sligo Champion]

TIPPERARY

Work is continuing on the revamped town square in Templemore following a protest two weeks ago by residents and traders in the area. Traders and residents Peter O’Connor, John Walsh and Francis Murphy had parked their cars in The Square, preventing contractors from moving on to phase two of the work.

The protest came to an end following talks between the protesters and Templemore Town Council, during which Mr. Walsh took ill and was brought to hospital.

At last Monday’s Templemore Town Council meeting, Mayor Maura Byrne said she was “delighted to see work on The Square continuing following talks and that the work is going to continue without protest.”
[Source: Tipperary Star]

TYRONE


A Dungannon man with a passion for writing saw his work go on the shelves last week.

Matthew McKernan, from Viewfort in the town, is one of the writers of an exciting new comic style detective magazine called Pulp Detective.

It is a monthly short-story magazine based on the pulp fiction magazines popularized in the first half of the 20th Century.
[Source: Tyrone Courier]

WATERFORD

As part of the ongoing operation Diversity, Customs Officers and Waterford Divisional Drugs unit have seized a further 9.5 kilograms of synthetic drugs that had been destined for Waterford City.

The drugs had originated in China and were intercepted prior to arrival in Waterford City.

The value of the drugs seized today has a street value of $427,365 bringing the total value of the seizures in this operation to $1.5 million, with $1 million seized last week.
[Source: Waterford News & Star]

WESTMEATH

Westmeath T.D. Willie Penrose has described Róisín Shortall's resignation as "a warning shot" to the government and to Fine Gael, in particular.

Ms. Shortall last Wednesday resigned as Minister of State at the Department of Health, saying she could no longer continue in the role because of a "lack of support for the reforms in the program for government and the values that underpin it."

Deputy Penrose, who himself resigned as a Labour Party Minister of State last year, over the closure of Columb Barracks in Mullingar, discussed Ms. Shortall's decision on Midlands 103 last Thursday morning.

"This is a warning shot across the bows of Government, and especially to the Fine Gael element therein, that we are not there to be walked upon or to roll over," he said.
[Source: Westmeath Independent]

WEXFORD


A popular young man who drowned while diving near the Saltee Islands was laid to rest last Friday in Castledockerell, Enniscorthy.

Vincent O’Brien (25) late of Greenville Lane, Enniscorthy and 1, Maple Court, Mortarstown, Carlow, died on Saturday morning during a deep-sea dive near a wreck off the Saltee Islands, with Wexford Sub Aqua Club.
 [Source: Wexford Echo]

WICKLOW


“Black Widow” Catherine Nevin, who is embroiled in a legal battle for half her late husband's $1.3 million fortune, is set to walk free from prison after her application for parole was accepted.

The 62-year-old will first be let out for days and weekends before being granted permanent release. It is expected that she will be back on the streets within the next eight weeks.

She was convicted 12 years ago with the murder of her husband, Tom, in Jack White's Pub in 1997.
[Source: Wicklow People]