ireland.com - The Irish Times

Doctor to raise role of three Masters
The role of the Masters of Dublin's three main maternity hospitals in relation to the forthcoming citizenship referendum is to be raised at today's meeting of the Medical Council. p

Alliance Party member is new mayor of Belfast
Belfast City Council has elected an Alliance councillor to succeed the SDLP's Mr Martin Morgan as lord mayor. p

Protests at one-year terms for senior UCD posts
In a radical break with tradition, all newly appointed heads of departments at UCD have been given one-year appointments. The decision, endorsed by the new president, Dr Hugh Brady, has enraged some senior academic staff. p

Gardai to investigate drugs link in fatal stabbing
Gardaí investigating the murder of a 35-year-old man in Dublin are examining his links to the drugs world as a possible motive for the killing. p

Other Stories

Department of Justice offices may fetch €40m
The offices of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform on St Stephen's Green, Dublin, are to be offered for sale as part of the Government's policy of disposing of surplus properties. p
Luxury liner's guests take in Dublin sights
The world's only luxury residential liner, measuring 643 feet and weighing 43,524 tons, docked in Dublin Port yesterday bringing its tightly-guarded millionaire clientele for a one-night stay. p
Fingal rezones excess of 300 hectares
Fingal county councillors have signed off on proposals to rezone enough land to accommodate about 40 per cent more than the projected 2011 population of a quarter of a million people. p
Roads agency calls for more planning flexibility
The National Roads Authority wants to be granted discretion in altering the routes of the State's major roads when planning issues arise during construction. p
Growing opposition to sale of Dublin harbours
Opposition is growing in north Co Dublin to controversial plans by the Dublin Port Company to sell Skerries and Balbriggan harbours. p
Talks start today on new pay deal
Talks on a new national pay deal for private sector workers are to begin today with a meeting between union and employer representatives. p
White tipped for ASTI post
Mr John White, acting general secretary of the ASTI, is now widely expected to replace Mr Charlie Lennon as general secretary. p
Rail staff donate pay to charity
A group of Irish Rail workers who received €25,000 in a pay settlement with the company are to donate the entire sum to charity. p
Pickets placed at Tara mine
About 240 miners at the Tara mine in Navan, Co Meath, last night placed pickets on all entrances to the site as attempts failed to prevent a strike in a nine-month dispute about working conditions underground. p
Police hunt for DNA as criminal confesses to killing Jimmy Hoffa
Detroit police are searching for DNA samples of murdered union boss Jimmy Hoffa after an Irish-American criminal confessed to the killing in a book published in the US yesterday. p
Award for 'Irish Times' journalist
The industrial correspondent of The Irish Times , Chris Dooley, yesterday won the Connacht Gold/John Healy National Print Award. p

Elections2004

Confusion over what Yes or No vote means
VOTER AWARENESS: Voters are confused about what a Yes vote and a No vote will mean in the referendum, according to research carried out for the Referendum Commission. p
RTE asks EU parliament to re-edit advert
RTÉ has asked the European Parliament to re-edit its advertisement promoting voting in the European elections, asking it to eliminate Yes and No images. p
McKenna challenges Lord Mayor
The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr Royston Brady, was invited yesterday to a debate on European issues by Green Party MEP Ms Patricia McKenna. p
Sinn Fein and DUP accused of EU 'gibberish'
SDLP'S MANIFESTO LAUNCH: The SDLP, in launching its European Parliament election manifesto, has described Sinn Féin as "duplicitous", and both the DUP and Sinn Féin as uttering "gibberish" on EU matters. p
SDLP faces massive battle to hold on to Hume's seat
SDLP/Analysis: The SDLP hopes voters will focus on "real issues" and turn away from an Orange versus Green tussle, writes Gerry Moriarty, Northern Editor p
Adams wants an EU devoted to 'peaceful resolution of conflicts'
SINN FEIN'S MANIFESTO LAUNCH: The European Parliament elections in June will determine the future of the European Union for "many years to come", Sinn Féin has said. p
Saying No proves a better strategy
SINN FEIN/Analysis: Sinn Féin's policy on Europe has evolved from "No" to "critical engagement", writes Mark Hennessy , Political Correspondent. p
Greens stress link to EU-wide group
GREENS' MANIFESTO LAUNCH: The Greens published their pro-EU and anti-war manifesto yesterday in Belfast, stressing the election was not just about Northern Ireland in the EU, but also about the EU in the North. p
Immigrant vote could be key in local polls
VOTER REGISTRATION: Immigrants could be key voters in the forthcoming local elections, with local authorities reporting that up to six out of 10 people seeking to get on the supplementary register were non-national. p
Roscommon contenders try to appeal to county's Brazilians
IMMIGRANT VOTERS: Candidates are aiding integration by making serious efforts to get out the immigrant vote, writes John Downes. p
Non-national candidates blaze new trail
CANDIDATES: Around 19 candidates born abroad are contesting the local authority elections. Kitty Holland talked to some of them. p
Councillor denies pressurising staff
A Fianna Fáil councillor has rejected suggestions that it was inappropriate for him to ask his foreign-born employees to vote for him. p
Gregory leads Independents' joint appeal for support
THE INDEPENDENTS: Voters should back independent candidates with long records of service in community organisations, Independent TDs said yesterday. p
'Baltic Tiger' wants to follow Irish model
COUNTRY PROFILE/Lithuania: Lithuanians will be looking to move on from a few dramatic months of political triumph and turmoil when they go to the polls in June. p
Waste management and roads key issues
COUNCIL PROFILE/Cork: Fine Gael-Labour should maintain their control, writes Barry Roche , Southern Correspondent. p
Election briefing
In short p

In the Dail

Taoiseach says claims of ex-AIB executives are 'hard to believe'
DAIL REPORT: The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said he did not understand how former senior bank executives did not know how they had become implicated in the current controversies. p
Ahern fails to look on bright side of 'Monty Python' banking
DAIL SKETCH/Michael O'Regan: The president of Europe stared downwards at his brief on the Taoiseach's bench, and listened as a possible explanation for the current bank controversies was put forward. p
Curtin solicitors to pursue action against State
The Government has received a letter from solicitors to Judge Brian Curtin saying that they have been instructed to commence legal proceedings against the State, the Taoiseach has told the Dáil. p
Curtin letter
Text read into Dáil record. p
Justice Minister defends release of data to journalist
The Minister for Justice has staunchly defended his decision to release information to a journalist who had made a Freedom of Information request four weeks earlier before issuing it to Fine Gael. p
Colombia case a consular matter, says Ahern
The Taoiseach said that the Government considered the "Colombia three" to be a consular case. p
Radar speed guns law 'impossible'
Gardaí are forced to break the law instead of upholding it because of the Government's failure to enact appropriate road traffic legislation for speeding, the Dáil was told. p

In the North

PSNI defends operations after 'dirty war' claim
The PSNI has stated that its intelligence gathering operations are closely regulated after Sinn Féin accused Chief Constable Mr Hugh Orde of waging a "dirty war" against nationalists. p
DUP takes issue with Kerry on NI stance
US Presidential candidate John Kerry was challenged yesterday by unionists in Northern Ireland to make it clear that the IRA is blocking political progress in the province. p
Catholic Primate to attend Belfast synod
The Archbishop of Armagh, Most Rev Dr Seán Brady, will be the first Catholic primate of All-Ireland to attend an opening session of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, which takes place in Belfast from Monday evening. p

In The Courts

State to get €12m gangland cash
The Criminal Assets Bureau is preparing to go to the High Court to complete confiscation actions against the assets of some of the State's best known gangland figures. p
Attempt to stop Tyrone men's trial fails
At Belfast Crown Court yesterday Mr Justice Girvan, who last week cleared four Tyrone men of "Real IRA" membership after declaring it was not a banned paramilitary group, rejected defence demands for their trial to be aborted. p
Two men who assaulted gardai get 10 months
A district court judge has warned that any person who knowingly assaults a garda can be assured of an automatic prison sentence. p
Dublin man is fined €1,000 for supplying ecstasy
A man caught pushing ecstasy in a Dublin nightclub was fined €1,000 yesterday. p
Two sent forward for trial
Two men charged with an assault in which a 35-year-old librarian was seriously injured have been sent for trial. p

Regional News

Four beaches fail EU water quality test
Four Irish beaches failed to meet basic bathing water quality standards last year, according to a new report by the European Commission writes Liam Reid . p
Evidence concludes in Limerick violence case
Evidence has concluded in the trial of five Limerick men who deny a charge of violent disorder following a row outside a fast-food restaurant. p
Three people who were found dead in Kerry farmhouse after fire are named
The three people found dead on Monday evening after a house fire near Ardfert, Co Kerry, were named yesterday, and their bodies removed to Tralee General Hospital for post-mortem examination. p
Survey is hot on the tail of shy and elusive Irish lizard
We all know that St Patrick banished snakes from Ireland but many people are unaware that he missed the lizard, which is alive and well and living in most parts of the country. p
Hotel guests turn to bottles after water supply runs out
Hotel guests in Glencolmcille, Co Donegal, were forced to brush their teeth using bottles of mineral water and had to flush toilets with buckets following a water shortage at the weekend. p
Experts to examine guns found in Cork
Gardaí will today send a number of firearms discovered in north Cork to ballistics experts to establish if the weapons have been used in robberies or in incidents involving subversives. p
Safety body acts against non-compliant farms
Enforcement action was taken by the Health and Safety Authority against 16 per cent of Irish farms inspected during Farm Safety Week earlier this year, it has emerged. p
Meath children take the 'walking bus' to school
Children from a Co Meath national school yesterday launched the county's first "walking bus". p
Priests warn parishioners of Lourdes water 'scam'
Priests in Strabane, Co Tyrone, have warned parishioners to ignore the contents of a chain letter which offers drops of water from Lourdes for £14. p

Sections

Search for

Services

Most popular stories

Property

Jobs

Motors

Dating