ireland.com - The Irish Times

Harney tells FF not to take PDs for granted
The Tánaiste, Ms Harney, has warned that Fianna Fáil should not take the PDs for granted in the wake of the implicit attack on the junior Coalition partner by the Minister for Communications, Mr Dermot Ahern. p

Missing Traveller girl returns home
An 11-year-old girl - who had been missing from her home in Co Cork since Friday night - was reunited with her parents last night. p

Lawyer says Bush could be quizzed here over Iraqi torture
President Bush should be arrested by gardaí when he lands on Irish soil if it emerges in the coming days that he had knowledge of the torture of prisoners in Iraq, according to a leading senior counsel. p

Other Stories

Ahern for child abuse inquiry next month
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, will give evidence next month before the investigation committee of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse concerning his May 1999 apology to people who were in residential institutions as children. p
Appointment of more judges sought
The Minister for Justice will ask the Cabinet at its meeting today to authorise the appointment of more judges, The Irish Times has learned. He is doing so in response to the latest report from the courts' Committee on Court Practice and Procedure, chaired by Ms Justice Denham, which is being published today. p
Labour reconsiders running candidate for presidency
The Labour Party is reconsidering whether it should run a candidate in a presidential election this autumn. The party leadership feels that a bad performance against the incumbent, Mrs McAleese, could hand Fianna Fáil a much needed morale boost. p
Two men die in car crash in Co Cork
One man was killed and a second man was fatally injured in a collision involving a lorry and two cars on the main Cork-Mallow road about six miles from Cork city early yesterday. p
Enforcement key, says expert
People need to believe that if they break the law in relation to road safety they will be caught, and if they are caught they will be punished, an international conference on road safety will be told in Dublin tomorrow. p
Gardai begin murder hunt after man's body found
Gardaí were treating as murder the death of a man whose body was found dumped in undergrowth near the Meath/Dublin border on Sunday afternoon although they were not releasing details of how he died. p
Proposed monuments Bill is 'reprehensible' and 'primitive'
The proposed National Monuments (Amendment) Bill 2004 amounts to an act of vandalism, that is "reprehensible if not indeed sinister", a conference against the legislation was told yesterday. p
Department to assess damage done to pre-historic fort
The heritage section of the Department of the Environment and Local Government yesterday ordered an assessment of the damage done to a major pre-historic coastal promontory fort on the Dingle peninsula, Co Kerry, after some of the series of linear fortification earthwork was flattened during what is believed to be land reclamation activities. p
New Bill to strengthen rules on jet-ski use
New legislation to control use of jet-skis in Irish inland and coastal waters is to be brought before Cabinet today by the Minister for the Marine, Mr Dermot Ahern. p
Almost half of welfare ruling appeals upheld
Almost half of some 15,000 appeals against decisions relating to social welfare payments last year were upheld, a report published yesterday shows. p
Sentry fires warning shot to stop attack on officer
Gardaí are investigating an alleged assault at an Army barracks in Dublin, during which a warning shot was fired. p

Bush Visit

Protest groups plan security with gardai
Leaders of the Stop Bush campaign are to meet senior members of the Garda Síochána in Portlaoise today to finalise arrangements for a large protest in Co Clare during the visit of US President, Mr George Bush, this weekend. p
Protesters call for an end to ban on anti-war posters
A crowd of about 40 members of the Irish Anti-War Movement protested outside the inaugural meeting of the new City Council at Dublin's City Hall last night. p
President urged to inform Bush of anti-war views
Prominent Christian church figures have called on the President, Mrs McAleese, and the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, to inform President Bush of the Irish people's opposition to the war in Iraq when she meets him during his visit to Ireland this weekend. p
Iraqi writer appeals to Government
An Iraqi writer and former political prisoner has appealed to the Government to lobby for a staged withdrawal of troops from Iraq. p
Anti-Bush statement: signatories
Lawyers (including): p

Mayoral Elections

Dublin elects Labour lord mayor
Dublin City Council last night elected a Labour councillor, Mr Michael Conaghan, as the captital's lord mayor. p
New Cork mayor is brother of Minister
Fianna Fáil councillor Mr Seán Martin was elected Lord Mayor of Cork last night, following a mayoral pact between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Labour. p
Galway elects left-wing mayor
Galway city has elected its first left-wing mayor in 14 years with the appointment of Labour Party alderman Ms Catherine Connolly to the post of first citizen. p
First citizens around the country
Limerick: Fine Gael secured its first mayoralty in 14 years in Limerick last night when local election poll-topper Cllr Michael Hourigan was elected the city's first citizen. p

In The Courts

Woman claims abuse at Goldenbridge
A woman has claimed before the High Court that, as a child, she was abused first in Goldenbridge industrial school and then by her father and stepmother after she was wrongly taken from Goldenbridge by him. p
Accused denies raping woman
A 35-year-old English man has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with raping a woman in Bandon, Co Cork. p
Sentence on rapist, aged 15, upheld
The Court of Criminal Appeal has said it will not interfere, for reasons to be given later, with a decision to impose a three-year suspended sentence on a man who was aged 15 when he raped a 50-year-old man. p
Cafe manager with cannabis worth €625,000 is jailed
A restaurant manager who was found with cannabis resin worth €625,000 has been jailed for eight years by Judge Desmond Hogan at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. p
Student who hid drugs gets five years
A civil engineering student who hid drugs valued €136,000 at Kilbarrack DART station has been sentenced to five years by Judge Desmond Hogan at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. p
Woman awarded €7,700 for Roly's Bistro accident
The popular restaurant Roly's Bistro has been ordered to compensate a customer who fell and injured her ribs. The woman had claimed that staff had pressurised her group to leave after a birthday luncheon. p
Abbeyleix bank raider gets sentence reduced on appeal
A man involved in an attempted raid on an Allied Irish Bank branch at Abbeyleix, Co Laois has had two years of his 10 year sentence suspended. During the raid, a garda was accidentally killed by a colleague. p
Forecaster gets driving ban
RTÉ weather presenter Ms Evelyn Cusack has been convicted of drink-driving after she was found to have driven with more than double the legal alcohol limit in her system. p
Travellers jailed for disturbances
Prison sentences were imposed on three Travellers yesterday after disturbances in Co Wexford over the June Bank Holiday weekend p

In the North

Parties look ready to deal on restoring institutions
The Northern Secretary, Mr Murphy, has said a deal to restore the Stormont institutions can be agreed by the political parties. p
Survey finds tolerance of direct rule
A public attitude survey has pointed to tolerance of direct rule from London and disenchantment with the Assembly's record among the electorate in Northern Ireland. p
Kerry urges Bush to exercise leadership on NI during visit
Senator John Kerry has called on President Bush to exert "presidential leadership" on Northern Ireland during his visit to Ireland on Friday and Saturday. p

Regional News

Roads are safer due to penalty points - Brennan
The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, yesterday insisted that the penalty points system was having an effect on road safety despite a spate of recent fatalities. p
English villagers visit Limerick to find out why Travellers have settled in their area
Residents of an English village have visited the town of Rathkeale in Co Limerick to try to find out why Irish Travellers have moved into their area. p
CIE accused of holding up Waterford development
Waterford Port has accused CIÉ and Iarnród Éireann of holding up a €100 million redevelopment at the city's North Quays. p
New Irish Box deal 'good for fishermen'
The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Ahern, has secured final agreement on the new Irish Box, which he hailed as a "very good deal for Irish fishermen". p
Call to suspend Athy CPO hearings
An Taisce has called for the suspension of compulsory purchase order (CPO) hearings in relation to the Athy relief road scheme in Co Kildare. p
Bishop apologises for priest's child sex abuse
A senior bishop issued a public apology from the pulpit at the weekend for the sexual abuse of children by a deceased parish priest. p
Nine arrested over car dealer's murder
Nine people, including two women, were arrested in Limerick city yesterday in connection with the murder of a car dealer in 2002. Seán Poland (39), was shot dead at his home in Blackwater, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, on New Year's Eve. p
Limerick group hopes to rebuild community spirit with French trip
Residents of a Limerick city housing estate blighted by crime and drug problems have set off on a bus for France as part of an integration programme aimed at building trust in the community. p
Woman tried to open door on aircraft
Gardaí are to send a file to the DPP after questioning a woman who triggered an emergency when she attempted to open a door on board an aircraft flying from Heathrow to Cork. p

Exam Times

'Bad news' for students not keen on maths
Leaving Cert Physics: Yesterday's Leaving Cert physics paper was described as "bad news" for students who are not keen on maths. p
Students 'delighted' with plenty of choice
Verdict - Leaving Cert Art: The Book of Kells , Caravaggio's The Taking of Christ and the Sony Discman were just three of the works of art up for discussion in yesterday's higher level Art History and Appreciation exam. p
Strong emphasis on design pleases pupils
Junior Cert Technology: Spatial awareness was the order of the day for yesterday's Junior Certificate students, with a strong emphasis on design in both the morning and afternoon papers. p

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