Violence erupted in Belfast last night as members of the Orange Order made their way home from July 12 celebrations. Several hundred PSNI officers were on duty as masked youths threw petrol bombs and other missiles, with one officer being treated in hospital after being hit on the head by a missile. An attempt had been made by local residents and dissident republicans to block a road in the Ardoyne area and the police fired plastic bullets at the rioters.

In Derry police reported that five shots were fired at a Land Rover in the early hours of this morning after it had been set on fire by petrol bombs. The incident took place in the Bogside area of the city but no one was injured.

Irish woman among those killed in Uganda

It is reported that an as yet unnamed Irish woman was among the estimated 74 people killed in explosions in two bars in Kampala, Uganda on Sunday night. Formal identification has yet to be made on the woman, believed to be in her 50s.

Armagh student home for surgery

Co. Armagh student Natasha McShane, who was seriously injured after a mugging in Chicago in April, has been brought home to undergo surgery at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. The 22-year-old will have part of her skull remodelled before beginning a rehabilitation programme in a specialised unit in Belfast. Natasha and her friend Stacy Jurich were both struck on the head with a baseball bat in the attack, during which their purses, containing just $45, were stolen.

Inishowen in shock after crash

Prayers were said at Mass in St Mary's Church in Buncrana yesterday morning for the eight victims of what was the worst road accident ever to occur in Ireland. Parish priest Fr John Walsh and curate Fr Rafal Januszewski had gone to Letterkenny Hospital during the previous night to offer what comfort they could to the up to 60 relatives of the dead who had gathered there. Yesterday hearses began leaving the hospital, every hour on the hour, taking coffins to three Inishowen parishes.

The roads claimed another fatality with the death yesterday of Amy St John from Newcastlewest in Co. Limerick. The 16-year-old was critically injured when the car in which she was a passenger collided with another vehicle near the village of Feohanagh. There were no other serious injuries reported.

No decision yet on match replay

No decision has been made as yet by Meath County Board as to whether the controversial match against Louth should be replayed. A last-minute goal scored by Meath player Joe Sheridan, which should have been disallowed, resulted in the referee being attacked by a Louth supporter. Referee Martin Sludden has since acknowledged that he made a wrong decision but Meath footballers are believed to be almost unanimous in their opposition to a replay.

House prices down again

According to property website Daft.ie, the asking prices for homes nationally fell by 4.2% during the second quarter and are now down by 37% from their peak. The average asking price for a house is now €220k.

Over the April to June period Dublin prices were down by 5%, Cork was down 3%, and Limerick 2%. The biggest fall for a city was reported from Waterford where prices were down 7% but even larger falls were recorded in rural areas.

Engineers strike to hit shopping centres

Some 65 engineers who are members of the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union are holding a number of pickets at shopping centres today as part of their industrial action against the Otis lift company. The dispute, which began yesterday, concerns redundancies after 17 lift engineers lost their jobs last month. At Dublin Airport's almost completed Terminal 2 yesterday up to 500 contractors refused to pass the picket staged by the engineers.

Today's Papers

The three Southern papers all carry pictures related to the car crash in Donegal but only the Irish Examiner leads with the story, with the headline "CARNAGE: Victim's mother tells of heartbreak".

The Irish Independent stays with Sean FitzPatrick and has "Bankrupt FitzPatrick to rely on wife's €3.6m", while the Irish Times focuses on comments by the Health Information and Quality Authority, with "HSE accused of potential 'dereliction of duty' over foster care".

The Irish News headline reads simply "Police hurt in riots", referring to the violent disturbances in Belfast last night.

The Weather in Galway

We are promised some sun today but there has already been at least one shower and rain will become widespread by this evening. Temperature 17C.

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