News from Ireland - news from around the 32 counties

What's going on around Ireland

Thousands of County Kildare residents could be left literally in the dark this winter because of a county council decision to terminate public lighting services in their estates. The areas in question are classified as unfinished estates, not yet taken in charge by the council, and the council has confirmed that it will no longer pay for electricity supply to these areas.

The matter was raised last week by Naas area Fianna Fáil activist James Lawless, who submitted a request under the Freedom of Information Act after receiving complaints from residents that there was no basic street lighting maintenance in a number of areas.
[Source: Kildare Nationalist]

KILKENNY

It will take “quite a while” to provide flood relief works in Graignamanagh and Thomastown, a senior Kilkenny County Council official has predicted.

Giving members a review of flood relief works around the county at the council’s monthly meeting, Director of Services John Mulholland was asked by Graignamanagh-based Councilor. Tommy Prendergast (Labour) and Thomastown-based Clr. Sean Treacy (Fianna Fail) about the progress in their respective areas. Clr. Prendergast noted in particular that the town had nearly flooded the previous night.

The council had hoped that the two towns would be covered by funding from the Office of Public Works (O.P.W.) for small schemes, but it has since been determined that both schemes will probably exceed the funding threshold.
[Source: Kilkenny People]

LAOIS

No injuries have been reported following a series of crashes which forced Gardaí (police) in Laois to close one of the country’s motorways after a string of crashes following a night of hard frost.

On Wednesday morning, November 28, the Gardaí closed the M7 from junction 14 (Monasterevin) to Junction 15 (Ballybrittas) both southbound and northbound following a number of collisions on this part of the motorway.

Diversions are in place and motorists are asked to follow diversions.
[Source: Leinster Express]

LEITRIM

County Leitrim may have the smallest population in the country, but it’s determined to capture the attention of everyone with even a modest link to the county with the launch of the Leitrim Roots Festival 2013. Organizers are hoping to borrow a social media catchphrase to capture a world-wide tourist audience.

The letters “lol” are peppered across messages on social media and by mobile texts to mean “laugh out loud’ or “lots of love.”

But now the Leitrim Roots Genealogy Festival, taking place from September 20-28, 2013, has launched a tourism initiative that will try to persuade people of Leitrim Irish Heritage abroad to “lol” and “love our Leitrim.”
[Source: Leitrim Observer]

LIMERICK

Two years and ten million YouTube views since “Horse Outside” captured the public’s imagination, The Rubberbandits’ long-anticipated television pilot for Channel 4 was broadcasted last Friday night.

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Nster.com