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| THE IRISH EMIGRANT :: November 3, 2008 | | Print | |
| Sunday, 02 November 2008 | |
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THE IRISH EMIGRANTNovember 3, 2008 Issue No.1,135The free news service for the global Irish communityEditor: Liam Ferrie ©2008 Irish Emigrant LtdContentsSummaryDamned if you do, damned if you don't Belfast marches pass off peacefully Strike threat at Aer Lingus Government agrees €290 fee to GPs Tourists trapped in early Wicklow snow Bits and Pieces
Northern News
The Courts
Employment & Industrial Relations
Politics & Politicians
Health
Travel & Tourism
The Irish Abroad
Conservation & The Environment
Education
Deaths
Business News
WeatherS P O R T
SummaryThe fallout from the Budget is causing problems for the Government and dominating the news media. For the past week it was the teachers who staged the biggest protests and received all the publicity, but Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe gave as good as he got, questioning the motives of the unions and ridiculing their prophecies of catastrophe. In doing so he made it very clear that he had no plans to make any concessions on the Budget provisions.Farmers have also been making a case for changes to the Budget but have had no more success than the teachers. The Government did make one further concession on the Budget. A decision to treat teenagers with a disability as dependents of their parents until they reach their 18th birthday rather than their 16th has been reversed. The decision is worth almost €500 per month to each eligible teenager. There was potential for unrest in Belfast yesterday when members of the Royal Irish Regiment marched through the centre of Belfast in a homecoming parade, after a tour of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sinn Féin staged a rival parade and dissident republicans also protested in another part of the city. Winter came early, with snow falling and lying before the end of October in some parts of the country. Where the snow didn't fall we had frosty nights and we had to get up early to scrape the ice off the car windscreen. In Australia Ireland triumphed, but only just, in the International Rules series. Damned if you do, damned if you don't
The Government discovered during the week that responding sympathetically to pleas to change Budget provisions brings as much criticism from the Opposition as refusing to give ground.
On television he pointed out that all that is being asked of teachers is to revert to the position that pertained in the 2006-2007 school year. He argued that the catastrophic situation being forecast by the unions did not exist in 2006-2007. Those who said his action was a rejection of the part the primary school sector played in creating the Celtic Tiger were reminded of the far larger class sizes experienced by the Celtic Tiger generation.
While the Government is holding firm on education spending, Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin announced on Thursday that she was not proceeding with the plan to delay payment of a disability allowance until those eligible reach the age of 18. She had originally been acting on a recommendation from an independent review body which considered the payment a disincentive to those who might otherwise seek employment.
This about turn was welcomed by disability lobby groups who had held a series of meetings with Minister Hanafin since the Budget. It was also welcomed by Opposition TDs but they spent more time focusing on what they saw as the third about turn on budget issues. It was argued that the Government was out of touch with the people and had made a mess of the Budget process, having already given ground on the 1% levy and medical cards for the over 70s. Belfast marches pass off peacefully
There had been fears that rival marches in Belfast yesterday could have resulted in violence but in the end they passed off peacefully. There were a few minor incidents and one youth was arrested. Strike threat at Aer Lingus
Talks between SIPTU and Aer Lingus, aimed at finding an alternative to 1,300 redundancies at the airline, have collapsed without agreement. Aer Lingus is now proceeding with the plan to outsource the work that was being undertaken by the 1,300 ground staff whose jobs are at risk. Tenders have been received and the airline will shortly decide which company will be awarded the contract. The new regime should be in place by the end of November. Government agrees €290 fee to GPsThe Government has agreed to accept the recommendation that GPs should receive a standard annual payment of €290 in respect of each registered patient over the age of 70 who qualifies for a medical card. For historical reasons doctors have been receiving €161 per year in respect of some elderly patients and €640 for others.
The Irish Medical Organisation has yet to comment on the figure although it has met to discuss it. Media reports suggest that the IMO will put the matter to a ballot of its members. The Competition Authority has remained silent on this although it could be argued that holding a ballot is part of the collective bargaining process and as such would be illegal as the IMO is deemed a trade association rather than a trade union. Quite separate from that the Central Statistics Office revealed that last year people over the age of 70, who since 2001 have all been entitled to medical cards, visited their GPs on average five times, nearly twice the adult average for the same period. In 2001 79% of those over 70 held a medical card, while for 2007 the figure was 95%. Tourists trapped in early Wicklow snow
What was described as the coldest October weather since 1934 brought snow to a number of parts of the country. On Tuesday there was light dusting on the upper slopes of Slieve Sneacht in Donegal's Inishowen Peninsula but it was the North that had the problems. Glenshane Pass was closed for a time and other roads had to be treated with care. Photographs of children making a large snowball in the Newtownabbey area of Co. Antrim appeared in many newspapers on Wednesday. That night television news footage showed farmers in south Armagh using shovels on their tractors as snow ploughs. Bits and PiecesRoofs blown off Sandyford apartments
Last Saturday's stormy weather resulted in part of the roofs being torn from two apartment blocks in the Sandyford area of south Dublin. The residents of ten top-floor apartments had to spend the night in a hotel. Army bomb disposal unit kept busy
Pipe bombs and other improvised explosive devices have become part of the armoury of Dublin's drug gangs. Last weekend the Army bomb disposal unit was called out five times, dealing with four devices and arriving after the fifth had exploded. No one was injured in any of the incidents. Man taken from water beside burning boats
A man in his 20s received serious but non-life-threatening burns when a number of boats were damaged in an arson attack at the marina in Killaloe, Co. Clare last Sunday night. When gardaí responded to a call relating to fire they found two boats ablaze and two others damaged. They also spotted a man in the water and rescued him. The man was formally arrested before being taken to hospital in Limerick and later to the burns unit at Cork University Hospital. Ukraine athlete wins Dublin City MarathonMost of the 11,700 runners who took part in the Dublin City Marathon enjoyed fine weather. The later finishers were told to expect rain but all were advised to wear hats and gloves as it would be very cold.
First home this year was Ukrainian Andriy Naumov (2:11:6) who had an 83-second lead over Thomas Omwenga from Kenya in second place. Michael O'Connor of Galway was the first Irish runner to cross the line in a time of 2:20:49.
Larissa Zousko of Russia won the women's race in a time of 2:29:55. Leading Irish woman was former Olympic athlete Maria McCambridge who finished what was her first ever marathon in 2:36:33. Galway bookseller Des Kenny successfully climbed his own mountain and completed the course in just over six hours as part of his fundraising for charity. http://www.mycharity.ie/event/desikenny Limerick regeneration plan published
The two Limerick Regeneration Agencies, covering the Northside and Southside, have submitting to Limerick City Council a combined plan aimed at transforming the most disadvantaged areas of the city.
The total capital cost of the ten-year plan is €3.1bn and while joint CEO Brendan Kenny accepts it is a difficult time to approach the Government for money he argues that it is imperative that the project go ahead as planned. The State is being asked to contribute €1.7bn over the ten-year period with the balance coming from the private sector. The plan is focused on the estates of Moyross, Southill, Ballinacurra Weston and St Mary's Park. Mahon Tribunal ends public hearings
Judge Alan Mahon said that Wednesday formally marked the end of hearings at the "Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments", originally referred to as the Flood Tribunal and later the Mahon Tribunal. The tribunal, which was told in 1997 to "urgently inquire into" planning issues and was supposed to last a few months, has now dragged on for 11 years. Its final report is not expected for another year. The latest estimate of the total cost of the Tribunal is €300m. Crime levels rise by 5%Drug dealing, robbery, property-related crime and public order offences are behind the 5% increase in the number of recorded crimes in the State over the past year, according to data released by the Central Statistics Office. However some more serious offences have seen a reduction, with homicide down 45%, and sexual offences down by 6%. There was also an 8% decrease in the numbers found drink-driving, though this was offset by a 148% increase in those driving under the influence of drugs; this however was put down to greater enforcement by the Gardaí. Former Ambassador to Washington to retireSenior civil servant Dermot Gallagher, secretary general of the Department of Foreign Affairs, is to retire in January. Mr Gallagher was a key figure in both the negotiations leading to the Good Friday Agreement and the establishment of the power-sharing administration in the North. During his career the Carrick-on-Shannon native also served as Ambassador in Washington; holding that post from 1991 to 1997. Hallowe'en night ends in arson and violence
When the 9:00pm television news was broadcast on Friday night a spokesman for Dublin's fire service spoke of a relatively quiet Hallowe'en night and hoped it would continue that way. It didn't. Saturday morning's news bulletins were dominated by stories of arson and violence. Up to 50 cars had been destroyed around the city and fire officers had to deal with fires in three buildings, all of which were thought to have been started deliberately.
Two gardaí required hospital treatment after being attacked by a gang of youths in Dorset Street; ten arrests were made in that incident. On Sherriff Street a fireman received an eye injury and the windscreen of a fire engine was smashed when the fire service arrived to deal with an out of control bonfire. Elsewhere four gardaí were injured in an incident in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, and a fire at a tyre depot in Derry is thought to have been started deliberately. Snippets:
Ireland Today - A Menlo welcome for LorcanThe residents of the Galway village of Menlo turned out in force on Saturday to welcome Larry and Lucy Carter as they returned from Russia with their newly-adopted son Lorcan. Bonfires were lit at the foot of the hill and another at the top, balloons were strung on the roadside and all over the garden of their home, a Russian flag and banners of welcome held aloft were there to greet the new Carter family. Larry's colleagues at Galway Fire Station provided a colourful touch when they arrived on the Monument Road on a fire engine, lights flashing and siren blaring, where they presented Lorcan with a toy fire engine. To round off the welcome, and literally to keep the spirit of Russia alive, a neighbour then produced a tray of vodka shots, and glasses were raised to the health and happiness of 19-month-old Lorcan and his proud parents, Larry and Lucy. - Pauline National Lottery Winning Numbers:
Northern NewsNew style bonfires for the eve of Twelfth?Belfast City Council is looking at ways to ensure that Orange communities in the city can enjoy their eleventh night bonfires in a more environmentally friendly way. A recent experiment involved a metal beacon, essentially a large pyramid-shaped metal cage which is filled with wood. The council is trying to establish how often the beacons, which cost £12k each, can be reused. New evidence prompts reopening of RUC deaths caseNew evidence discovered in top secret police files, compiled by the then Deputy Chief Constable of Manchester John Stalker, has prompted coroner John Leckey to reopen the inquest into the deaths of three RUC officers in 1982. Sean Quinn (37), Allan McCloy (34) and Paul Hamilton (26) died when the police car in which they were travelling was blown up in a massive explosion while answering a hoax robbery call. The family of Sean Quinn, a Catholic, have expressed surprise at the development. House fire claims life in Co. FermanaghA 35-year-old man died in a fire at a house at Tamlaght, near Enniskillen, in Co. Fermanagh, early today. The victim has been named as Colin Faulkner. Three other people were in the house at the time; his mother is in a critical condition in hospital but his father and brother escaped with minor injuries. Ombudsman recommends disciplinary proceedings against officerThe Police Ombudsman has recommended that disciplinary procedures be taken against two police officers who failed to respond appropriately to an emergency call in June of last year. A member of the public, who took mobile phone footage of the incident, had reported an armed man attempting to hijack cars on the Falls Road in Belfast. A local community worker managed to disarm the would-be hijacker. The police took 45 minutes to respond to the call, attended the scene in an unmarked car in which they remained, and did not identify themselves to potential witnesses. Movilla school strike is settledThe Labour Relations Agency has brokered an agreement between the teachers' union, the NASUWT, and the South Eastern Education and Library Board to bring to an end a three-week strike at Movilla High School in Newtownards, Co. Down. The teachers had taken the action after the SEELB suspended their pay when they refused to teach a 15-year-old boy who had allegedly assaulted a teacher. The boy is to appear in juvenile court next month. Stolen church items recoveredA number of items stolen on Tuesday from two churches in Co. Down have been recovered by the PSNI. A monstrance with a Host were taken from St Peter's Church in Warrenpoint while a book of gospels, a missal and other prayer books were removed from the altar of Newry Cathedral; these were replaced by pagan scripts. A man was arrested on Wednesday and was released on bail. Shoppers told Woolworth's don't sell anything IrishWhen civil servant Ciarán Girvan and his wife went into the Armagh branch of Woolworth's to buy a copy of the tribute DVD to The Dubliners, they were told by an assistant that the shop was British and didn't sell Irish goods. The response was compounded by the assistant giving her opinion that the Dubliners weren't very famous so there was no point in stocking them. A Woolworth's spokesman later offered his apologies and said that staff were now receiving appropriate training. Judge tells man convicted of murder he may never be freeAfter William Stevenson (44) was convicted of the murder and subsequent sexual abuse of Elizabeth Smyth (66) in October 1988, he was told by Justice McLaughlin at Belfast Crown Court that he might never be released from prison. Sentencing was adjourned to a later date. Stevenson, from Ballygally, Co. Antrim, had been living opposite the victim in south Belfast at the time of the attack. He had been arrested at the time but was released without charge. Stevenson was rearrested last year after the case had been reopened by the PSNI's Serious Crime Review Team. Advances in DNA evidence played a major part in his conviction. Judge refuses to ban use of Taser gunsAn application in the High Court in Belfast to ban the use of Taser guns by the PSNI, taken on behalf of an unidentified Belfast child, was dismissed by Justice Morgan pending a judicial review in January. In making his decision the judge said that a Taser has been fired only once in the eight months since its introduction. Other News:
The CourtsHomeless man jailed for violent sexual assaultsPatrick Fogarty (43), originally from Wolverhampton in England, was jailed for 12 years and his name added to the sexual offenders' register when he pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday to aggravated sexual assaults on two women. The court heard that Fogarty, who has been homeless for almost half his life, attacked a woman in Malahide in April 2007 and subsequently attacked a schoolteacher on Portmarnock Strand. Justice Paul Carney also directed that Fogarty receive ten years of post-release supervision. Drug seizure brings ten-year sentenceCocaine addict George Keogh (28), from Cootehill, Co. Cavan, was given a ten-year sentence by Judge Frank O'Donnell after pleading guilty to possession of cannabis, with a value of €1m, for sale or supply. The drugs were seized by gardaí from Keogh's flat in Clontarf which he shared with his brother, Thomas (36); the latter is due to be sentenced in November for the same offence. Suspended sentence and disqualification for driver in fatal crashColm Mee (19), of Oran, Co. Roscommon, was given a two-year suspended sentence and disqualified from driving for six years at Roscommon Circuit Court on Thursday. He was the driver of a car which went out of control in September this year causing the death of his two passengers, Padraic McHugh (17), Mr Mee's first cousin, and Kieran Kelly (17), two miles outside Roscommon town. 18-year-old guilty of manslaughter
At the Central Criminal Court on Friday a jury found Finn Colclough (18), of Waterloo Road, Dublin, not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of Seán Nolan (18) of Fairview in May last year. The court heard that Colclough had stabbed the victim with a kitchen knife after Mr Nolan and two friends had approached the house looking for a corkscrew to open a bottle of wine. One witness claimed that Colclough had drunk between eight and 14 rounds of drink at a 21st birthday party prior to the incident and that he had also smoked cannabis. Evidence was also given of Colclough's significant psychiatric problems. This was a case that received in depth media attention. Colclough was remanded in custody for sentencing on December 19. A second no-show for disgraced solicitorFugitive solicitor Michael Lynn has once again cited illness as his reason for being unavailable to provide evidence by video-link in a case brought against First Active by Galway developer Brian Cunningham. Mr Lynn would be liable to arrest were he to return to Ireland as an arrest warrant has been issued in relation to an investigation into his property dealings. He had agreed to give video evidence from London. Other cases:
Employment & Industrial RelationsJudgement reserved in workers' dispute caseJudgement has been reserved in the appeal against Employment Appeals Tribunal awards to two maintenance workers at St Vincent's Centre on the Navan Road in Dublin. Michael Shadlow and Tony Casey, both employed by the Daughters of Charity and St Vincent de Paul, had an altercation in which Mr Casey bit off part of Mr Shadlow's nose. The two men were both sacked but had subsequently been awarded of €28k and €20 respectively. The tribunal ruling had been appealed by St Vincent's Centre to the Circuit Civil Court CAG calls for end to army Border allowanceThe Comptroller and Auditor General, John Buckley, has said that the allowance paid to soldiers and support personnel assigned to Border areas should be ended, since there have been no patrols, checkpoints or searches carried out in the area since 2002. Reporting to the Public Accounts Committee Mr Buckley said that last year the total cost of the Border allowance was €5.38m. A spokesman for the Department of Defence responded by saying that the phasing out of the payments would need negotiation between the department and the Army representative bodies. Flextronics to shed 100 jobs?Contract electronics manufacturer Flextronics is reported to be planning up to 100 redundancies from its 290 strong workforce in Limerick. It is also reported that Dell has let several hundred temporary staff go, although this is a normal feature for the company at quarter end. Media reports suggest, however, that the numbers involved on this occasion are far greater than normal. Politics & PoliticiansSocial Welfare bonus retainedMinister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin announced on Monday that, despite the current economic difficulties, the Government will continue the practice of making an additional weekly payment to all social welfare recipients prior to Christmas. Payments will be made in early December. The cost to the Exchequer is put at €200m. 1,000 farmers heckle Agriculture Minister
When Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith attended an IFA sheep farmers' conference in Tullamore, Co. Offaly on Thursday he was met by hissing, jeering, booing sheep farmers who also used foghorns to express their displeasure. The farmers were protesting at Budget cuts, their low incomes and poor future. In response the Minister told them he was fighting on their behalf at EU level and hoped to get them a €30 premium for ewes, with an extra €20 for hill farmers. Britain overtakes Ireland in anti-smoking actionFrom being ranked first in the EU in a survey three years ago with regard to anti-smoking measures, Ireland is now in second place behind Britain which scored 93 out of a possible 100; Ireland scored 74. According to Professor Luke Clancy, director general of the Tobacco-Free Research Institute, the drop is due to a failure to raise the price of cigarettes in 2005, which left the price in Britain higher than here, and less effective information campaigns and anti-smoking services. At present it is estimated that in Ireland some 23.6% of those over the age of 15 are smokers, a drop of 1.3 percentage points on the previous year's position. EU supports free fruit and vegetable schemeFollowing the support of EU farming ministers, the EU free fruit and vegetable scheme for schools is expected to be implemented next year. The €90m scheme is modelled on the Irish Food Board's pilot scheme, already underway, which will see fruit and vegetables reaching 1,000 children by the end of this year. The move has been taken to fight obesity in the EU, where it is estimated that 22 million children are overweight, with five million clinically obese. Interaction of drugs the cause of Cork woman's deathAn inquest into the death in 2006 of Breda Dunlea (69) of Carrignavar, Co. Cork returned a verdict of medical misadventure due to the interaction of antibiotics and a blood-thinning drug. In the wake of the findings Cork city coroner Dr Myra Cullinane called for greater communication between GPs and blood-monitoring clinics. Mrs Dunlea, who was taking warfarin at a clinic, was prescribed antibiotics for a respiratory infection and subsequently died from a brain haemorrhage. New mental health law enacted
Minister for Health Mary Harney on Thursday rushed the Mental Health Act 2008 through the Dáil and Seanad and had the Bill signed by President Mary McAleese. The new law was therefore in place before the High Court issued a ruling on Friday, which could have led to the freeing of 209 people being held in psychiatric institutions for their own protection or for the protection of others. Cork A&E to open in DecemberThe new A&E department at the Mercy University Hospital in Cork, completed since March 2007, is to open at the beginning of December. However it will open without the full range of additional services it had hoped to provide. The hospital has been in dispute over funding with the HSE but still hopes to introduce services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and an advanced nurse practitioner on a phased basis. The Health Service Executive recently argued that the provision of additional staff was not a prerequisite to the opening of the unit. Travel & TourismTaxi driver wants to be allowed to pick up additional faresDublin taxi driver John Timmons has offered a solution which should go some way to solving Dublin's traffic problems. He wants taxis to carry multiple fares on their way to the city centre during the morning rush hour. Taxis designated to offer the service would be clearly marked and anyone hailing such a taxi would know that they are likely to have company for part of the ride. In return passengers would pay a flat rate for the journey, giving some savings over the cost of a normal cab. The idea has Green Party support. Undisclosed settlement in bus company caseA High Court action taken against the Minister for Transport in relation to his decision to allow Dublin Bus to use an altered route between Swords and Dublin Airport was settled out of court on Tuesday; the amount of the settlement was not disclosed. The action had been taken by Swords Express, who accused the Minister of allowing unfair competition by giving leave to Dublin Bus to use the same route through the Port Tunnel; as a subsidised company it could charge a lower fare. Aer Lingus cuts fuel surcharge marginally
Despite the dramatic falls in the price of a barrel of crude oil, Aer Lingus has only responded with a modest cut in its fuel surcharge. The reduction on flights to and from New York and Boston is €15, to €60.
Washington, which was aligned with the northeast, is now in the same category as Chicago and carries a surcharge of €70. The surcharge for the west coast is now €99, down from €110. The reductions only apply to flights booked from Wednesday. Work to begin on Gort-Crusheen bypassWork is expected to begin in the coming weeks on the next phase of the Atlantic Corridor, with a 23km dual carriageway from Ennis to just north of Gort, bypassing both Crusheen and Gort. The new stretch of road is expected to be completed by 2011 but the next section, from Gort to Oranmore, has been deferred for at least a year due to budgetary cutbacks. The Irish AbroadIrish Diaspora Forum planned for Dublin on November 10
A Diaspora Forum, following on from one which attracted 1,00 0delegates in New York last year, is scheduled to take place in UCD on November 10. The purpose of the event is to explore and to stimulate discussion on issues that are of significance to people in Ireland and to people elsewhere who identify with Ireland and with Irishness. Dublin architects win global awardDublin-based Grafton Architects, owned by Shelley McNamara and Yvonne Farrell, have won the overall award – the World Building of the Year award – at the inaugural World Festival of Architecture for their new faculty building at Bocconi University in Milan. Grafton had earlier scooped the top award in the “learning” category for their Milan project. The jury, chaired by Robert Stern, Dean of Yale School of Architecture, said Grafton has succeeded in “distilling the essence of the city” of Milan into a contemporary form with a “magical subterranean realm”. A total of 224 buildings in 17 categories were shortlisted. Donegal man dies in UK road accidentShane McGonagle (23) from Culdaff, Co. Donegal was killed on October 22 when his motorcycle collided with a truck close to his home in the town of Didcot, in Oxfordshire in England. Anti-Irish sentiment again an issue in Scottish soccerAnti-Irish sentiment, never far from the surface in parts of Scotland, is again in the news with some supporters of Glasgow Rangers singing the "Famine Song", which encourages the descendants of those who arrived in Scotland during the Famine to return to live in Ireland. A particular target of fans of a number of football clubs is teenager James McCarthy, who plays for Hamilton Academicals. Although born in Scotland he has opted to play for Ireland. The matter appears to be being taken seriously by the football authorities, politicians and the police. More than meets the eye to robbery of four Irishmen in New Zealand?It was reported from New Zealand that four Irish brothers were robbed at gunpoint at a caravan park at Dargaville, more than 100 miles north of Auckland. The robbers escaped with the hired van used by the "tourists". It later emerged that the van was packed with generators and water blasters, leading New South Wales Office of Fair Trading to suspect that the four are linked to a group of conmen operating in Australia for the last few months. The 50-strong group has been going from door-to-door in rural areas selling equipment which turns out to be substandard. The four brothers, who have not been named, left New Zealand soon after the incident. Ireland-Argentina visa exchange programme now operationalMinister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin announced on Thursday that the Working Holiday Agreement with Argentina, signed by the two Governments in March, is now fully operational. Applications are being accepted to participate in the Working Holiday Programme, which will enable 100 Irish citizens, between 18 and 30 years of age, to travel and work in Argentina for up to 9 months. It will also enable 100 young Argentines to spend up to 12 months travelling and working in Ireland. Newry man dies in French car accidentJohn Cranney (49), originally from Newry, Co. Down, died in a car accident more than a week ago in Brittany where he and his wife had made their home. Mr Cranney moved to England with his parents when he was 18 but lived briefly in Newry again in the 1980s. Conservation & The Environment
Where there's muck, there's brass Consultants propose new plan for Dublin water supplyConsultants RPS Veolia have proposed a new method of using the Shannon as a source for supplying Dublin with water, following protests organised by the Shannon Protection Alliance last month. The latest proposal involves taking water from Lough Ree and Lough Derg during the winter months, when the River Shannon is in flood, and storing it in a reservoir at Derrygreenagh Bog between Rochefortbridge and Rhode. Waste companies facing crisisThe country's waste processing companies are said to be facing a crisis which has appeared out of the blue as part of the current global economic situation. In the past three or four weeks the market for recyclable waste material, such as cardboard, paper, plastic and metal, has collapsed. Prices being offered are around 25% of what was being paid in September. EducationUCC governors endorse stem-cell research
By a margin of one vote the governors of University College Cork voted to endorse a code of practice on the issue of embryonic stem-cell research, becoming the first third-level institution in the State to do so. Among those who opposed the move was Dr Dermot Clifford, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, who said it went against the fifth Commandment, "Thou shall not kill".
The code of practice requires that each research project in which it is planned to use human embryonic stem cells be submitted for review to the University Research Ethics Board. Mayoman makes top song-writing listBrendan Graham from Co. Mayo has been awarded Million-Air status by being included in the American Performing Rights Society's top songwriters. Mr Graham, who is also an author, wrote "You Raise Me Up" which, over the past six years, has been recorded more than 300 times by such artists as Westlife, Il Divo, Celtic Woman and Paul Potts. Sales have reached over 80 million and the song featured at the opening of the Stormont Assembly and at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. DeathsDeath of well-known ballad singerThe death has taken place at the age of 78 of ballad singer Eileen Donaghy, who was at the height of her popularity in the 1950s and 1960s with her recordings of songs such as "The Ould Lammas Fair" and "A Mother's Love's a Blessing". During her career Ms Donaghy, originally from Coalisland, Co. Tyrone, toured the world giving concerts and retired from singing when her husband died in 1991. She is survived by three daughters and six sons, one of whom, Plunkett, gained fame as captain of the Tyrone football team. Plane crash victims namedThe victims of last Saturday's plane crash in the Wicklow Mountains were named as property developer Sharif Booz, his wife Margaret O'Kennedy Booz (both in their 50s), their son Aymon Booz (14), and Charles Froud (14), all from Bristol in England. The plane had been in contact with Dublin air traffic control until it was handed over to the airfield at Kilrush, Co. Kildare, at 12:17pm. It was the pilot's responsibility to then contact Kilrush but this didn't happen and it is likely the crash took place at this time although no problems had been reported to Dublin. Road accidents in Counties Galway, Donegal and Louth
Business NewsForeign bank not to join guarantee scheme
HBOS, which trades in Ireland as Bank of Scotland (Ireland) and Halifax, announced that it will not be joining the Government's bank guarantee scheme. A spokesman said that joining would restrict the bank's ability to offer higher interest rates to depositors. The bank is, through its parent, guaranteed by the British Government's scheme. The Danish-owned National Irish Bank had earlier made a similar decision, preferring to rely on the guarantees given by the Danish Government. Another possible change of ownership for EircomIt is possible that a fifth change of ownership in ten years for Eircom might take place following the news that LIT plc has made a preliminary approach to buy out the Australian fund that controls the telecoms company. The Isle of Man based company has informed the Alternative Investment Market in London that it has approached Babcock & Brown Capital, which took control of Eircom two years ago. CIF reports 35,000 unsold homes
Following a survey the Construction Industry Federation has reported that there are at present 35,000 unsold new homes in the Republic, and not the 50,000 quoted in recent estimates. Director Tom Parlon reported that there is now less than an 11-month supply of new homes nationally, and less than eight months in Dublin, while the price of new homes has fallen by 30% in the last year. IN&M reviews Australian holdingsIndependent News & Media has begun a review of its holding of more than 39.1% in the Australian APN News & Media as a means of reducing the net debt from €1.4bn to €600m. The review resulted in the Tony O'Reilly-controlled company's shares rising by 28% to 64 cent. Weather
Sunny spells, heavy showers and overnight frosts were features of the past week here in Galway. The worst of the rain came on Wednesday morning when it continued for two or three hours. After that I can't recall any further rain. The sun shone for much of the time since then although it remained cold with day-time temperatures not getting above 8C until the weekend. S P O R TG.A.A.Compromise Rules First Test
Australia 53 Ireland 57 Interprovincial Hurling FinalMunster 1-12 Leinster 1-15 Interprovincial Football FinalMunster 1-9 Connacht 0-7 SoccerSetanta Sports Cup FinalCork City 2 Glentoran 1 Eircom Premier Division
Bray 3 Cobh Ramblers 2 RugbyAIB Cup Second Round
UCC 37 Portadown 0 Sports ShortsGreen Dragon fourth in Volvo Ocean RaceAt 120 miles from Cape Town, Green Dragon looked almost certain to finish Leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race in fourth place. It should arrive in port in the early hours of Monday. The Galway-based yacht trailed Ericsson 3 by 37 miles. The Leg was won by Ericsson 4 with Puma in second place. Ger O'Rourke's Delta Lloyd is lying in seventh position, a situation which is unlikely to change. http://www.traclive.dk/events/event_20081011_VORLeg1/ Golf:
At the season-ending Volvo Masters in Valderrama in Spain, Pádraig Harrington was going for the European Order of Merit of title but opened with a 76, which was then followed by two 71s and a 68. This wasn't enough to overhaul Robert Karlsson. Harrington finished on two-over, sharing 13th place, and although Karlsson finished on nine-over he took the title as the Irishman would have required a top-two finish to overhaul the Swede.
The tournament itself was won by Soren Kjeldson on –8. The best of the Irish was Graeme McDowell on –1, in joint 8th place, while Darren Clarke was on one-over, tied for 11th place. Peter Lawrie and Rory McIlroy finished on 11-over, Paul McGinley was on 16-over with Damien McGrane a shot further back.
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