News from around the 32 Irish counties

DONEGAL
Hotels and bed and breakfast providers in Donegal are losing out on potential business because 'out of town' wedding parties can't find a church or priests here for their big day.
One hotel has claimed prospective brides and grooms are wanting to come to Donegal from the larger urban areas of Dublin and Belfast to celebrate their wedding - but many are being put off because they can't book a suitable church or available priest in this county.
(Source: Donegal Democrat)

DOWN
One-in-three Irish language schools in Northern Ireland are failing to provide satisfactory education for their pupils, it can be revealed.
Calls have now been made for an inquiry into the provision of Irish language education after it emerged that seven schools were forced to put urgent action plans in place after being rated unsatisfactory by inspectors are in the Irish medium (IM) sector.
(Source: The Belfast Telegraph)

DUBLIN
Ryan Tubridy has broken his silence on reports that he's due to step into his late pal Gerry Ryan's shoes on his radio show.
The RTE star told the Herald it was still 'too soon' since his friend's tragic death on April 30 to become involved in any speculation regarding the 9am to 12pm slot on 2FM.
(Source: The Evening Herald)

FERMANAGH
Police in Fermanagh last week acknowledged that the overall crime rate for Fermanagh for the year ending March 31st last is up on the previous year, with drugs trafficking and fraud and forgery leading the way.
The number of crimes reported to police in the Fermanagh area in the 2009/2010 financial year increased by 5.1 per cent, up from 2,808 to 2,952.
(Source: The Fermanagh Herald)

GALWAY
An area of Zambia, which has the highest level of recorded violence against young girls traveling to and from school, can now offer 40 of them a safe house thanks to money raised in Loughrea.
Emma Gilchreest (30), from the Coorheen area of the town, spent a year working voluntarily in the country for FAWEZA (Forum for African Women Educationalists of Zambia).
(Source: Galway News)

KERRY
Fossa based Kerry Biomass — a division of Kerry Die Products Ltd — last week celebrated the culmination of six years of hard work when they shipped the world's first integrated wood pellet system to a client in Sweden.
(Source: The Kerryman)

KILDARE
Kildare Co Council and residents of Athy are poles apart when it comes to the town’s latest controversial landmark.

 The erection of a CCTV mast in Athy’s Emily Square has also been sharply criticized across the political divide.

 Cllr Mark Dalton said the fact that the local council had not been consulted was arrogance on the part of Kildare Co Council; Cllr Richard Daly called the new structure ‘corporate vandalism’ and Cllr Thomas Redmond called it ‘grotesque’.

 Cllr Daly said the structure is distasteful and clashes with the tree lined, cobbled square.

(Source: The Kildare Nationalist)
   
KILKENNY
Kilkenny's controversial head shops were closed last Tuesday evening following a ban on a large number of products sold in the shops.
A number of customers remarked to each other that they were ‘stocking up’ after hearing news of the ban. Staff at the shop had ‘no comment to make’ when asked if they were aware that they were selling banned substances.
(Source: The Kilkenny People)

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Nster.com