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Iconic Swedish furniture chain to open in Ballymun
An Bord Pleanála has granted planning permission for the country's first Ikea furniture superstore, paving the way for the construction of the largest retail outlet in the State. p
Body found in freezer in Galway
The State Pathologist, Prof Marie Cassidy, is to carry out a post- mortem examination today on the body of a man which was discovered yesterday in a cold storage unit in Galway city. p
Sargent steps down as party leader
Leadership: Dublin North TD Trevor Sargent has stepped down as head of the Green Party in line with his pledge to give up the leadership if the Greens decided to enter coalition with Fianna Fáil. p
Other Stories
Warning to financial firms on misleading advertising
Financial services companies have been warned against misleading and incomplete advertising when new regulations to protect consumers are introduced next month. pPetrol prices have risen by 15% since February
Petrol prices have risen for the fourth consecutive month and the average cost of unleaded is now 117.3 cent per litre, according to the Automobile Association. pUnder-age drink sale case dismissed
Tesco Ireland was cleared yesterday of selling drink to a 15-year-old schoolboy. The Terenure College student later got so drunk that he narrowly avoided being hit by a car. pM&S appealing against rejection of Tralee store
The retailer Marks and Spencer (M&S) has appealed a decision by Tralee Town Council not to grant it a material contravention which would allow it set up in an existing retail park alongside the town. pStudy says young men put greatest pressure on A&E
Young men are placing the biggest demands on hospital emergency departments, a new study presented yesterday suggests. pChristian survey may have had agenda, say bishops
A survey on Christian knowledge, published last April, has been criticised strongly by two Catholic bishops, who also suggested that those who commissioned it may have had an agenda. pESB union calls for debate on nuclear power
A new report to be published today on behalf of engineers in the ESB will urge that nuclear power be considered in a debate on future energy provision. pNew Catholic trust to oversee 112 schools
A total of 112 Catholic secondary schools, including schools in every county in the Republic, have come under the control of a new trust set up by five religious congregations. pHSE seeks tender for 7th co-located private hospital
Tenders were invited by the Health Service Executive (HSE) yesterday from developers willing to build another private hospital on a public hospital site. pTrade unions in drive to recruit vulnerable workers
Five trade unions are to participate in a new-style recruitment system aimed at attracting workers who are currently without any form of union representation. pFamily of autistic boy in final move to avoid deportation
The family of a six-year-old autistic boy, facing deportation tomorrow, is this morning making an emergency application for subsidiary protection. pInShort
A round-up of today's other news stories in brief. p
Salad days over for Greens, it's time to bite the bullet
The message from the top was clear: Time to leave behind the salad days, when they were green in judgment and believed they could change the world on their own. pGreen Party paid high price for keys to new cabinet
Analysis: Greens have had to put a lot of their policies into cold storage in order to get the reins of power, writes Liam Reid , Environment Correspondent. pAhern says Green deal will give five years of stability
FF parliamentary party meeting: Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told Fianna Fáil TDs yesterday that the joint government programme agreed with the Green Party would provide for a sound and stable administration over the next five years. pCrucial debate at conference described as emotional
Green Party convention: The crucial debate at last night's Green Party conference was described as "emotional" and at times tearful. Supporters of the coalition deal stressed the opportunity to achieve practical results in government. pOverwhelming majority sweeps Greens into power
Green Party press conference: Green Party members voted last night by an overwhelming 86 per cent majority to enter into government with Fianna Fáil after a lengthy and sometimes emotional debate at the party conference in the Mansion House. pActivists picket Greens convention
Anti-war protest: Several dozen anti-war and environmental activists protested outside the Green Party conference at the Mansion House yesterday, urging members to vote against the proposal by the leadership to enter coalition with Fianna Fáil. pFF finalises deals with McGrath, Lowry
Independents: Fianna Fáil yesterday finalised deals valued at hundreds of millions of euro with Independent TDs Finian McGrath and Michael Lowry in exchange for their support for the new government over its five-year term. pTaoiseach to reduce back-room staff in departmental shake-up
Government advisers: The Taoiseach is to reduce the number of his advisers from six to four as part of a back-room shake-up in his department, it is understood. pFormer TD feels betrayed over decision
Green dissent pCommitment on carbon tax is Green flagship while FF essentials dominate
Key policy areas: Commitments on carbon taxes, greenhouse gas reductions, private hospitals and roads are among more that 800 separate pledges and promises contained in the draft programme for government. pWarm tribute paid to outgoing Attorney General
Attorney General: The Taoiseach yesterday paid a warm tribute to the outgoing Attorney General, senior counsel Rory Brady, who announced last week that he would not be seeking reappointment to the position. p
Court halts Esat phone licence actions
The State has won a High Court order halting legal challenges by two unsuccessful bidders for the State's second mobile phone licence to the manner in which the licence was allocated in 1995 to Esat Digifone. pPrisoner may serve more than average life term, court told
A Portuguese man serving a life sentence in Ireland for the murder of a female trainee manager in Limerick's Jurys Inn hotel would be as "free as a bird" after a maximum 25 years if he is transferred to a Portuguese jail, the High Court was told yesterday. pCourt seizes assets over use of park
The Circuit Civil Court has seized the assets of a tile company whose owner disobeyed court orders relating to the unauthorised use of a two-acre park in Dartmouth Square, Dublin. pAction seeking schooling for deaf girl (11) settled
A High Court action aimed at compelling the State to provide for a young deaf and mute girl to be taught the curriculum through the medium of Irish Sign Language (ISL), described as "the natural sign language of deaf people in Ireland", has been settled. pSimon director says manager did not refer to bias until resignation
A black woman manager in the homeless charity Simon had never officially complained about racial or sexual discrimination, a former director of services for the Dublin Simon Community has told a court. pFerns sex abuse action struck out
A long-running action in which three men had alleged that they were sexually abused by a priest in the Diocese of Ferns was struck out mid-hearing with no order at the High Court yesterday. pInjunction sought to stop 'super' prison plan
A man who lives across the road from the proposed new prison at Thornton Hall in north Co Dublin has applied to the High Court for an injunction to stop works on the site. p
Polish dictionary not much help on business language
Exam diary: In her final diary entry, Miroslawa Gorecka reflects on the 'horrible' experience of Leaving Cert 2007 and her new-found 'fame'. pPaper is criticised as 'sneaky' as well as 'tough'
Leaving Cert history: "Tough" and "sneaky" were among the comments on yesterday's Leaving Certificate higher-level history paper, which saw students writing up to 20 pages on a range of topics from European marriage patterns to second World War poetry. pSome tricky parts but fair and accessible
Leaving Cert business: Aside from a few tricky sections, higher-level Leaving Cert business was seen as relatively straightforward and fair by most experts. An expected question on taxation was welcomed, but some teachers felt questions were more specific than in previous years. pA wake-up call forced me to concentrate and start cramming
I thought I was a steady worker but really I was daydreaming, writes Pauline McLynn pFew complaints about both levels
Junior Cert business studies: There were few complaints about the Junior Cert business studies exams, with papers at both higher and ordinary level described as being "predictable" and "along familiar lines." p
NI must be 'less dependent on public sector'
Northern Ireland needs to move away from an economy which is heavily dependent on the public sector, Dr Martin McAleese said yesterday. pBelfast parade expected to pass off peacefully
The first major loyal orders parade of the marching season is expected to pass off peacefully in Belfast tomorrow night, sources in the area have said. pSF leadership meet Blair for 'last time'
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams and NI Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness held probably their final meeting with departing British prime minister Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street yesterday afternoon. pNew policing ombudsmanto be named
Interviews to appoint a successor to Policing Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan are expected to be completed before the weekend. pMurray set for starring role in Belfast film
Hollywood star Bill Murray is to fly to Belfast later this year to star in a Tom Hanks-produced science fiction movie. p
Gilmartin tells of threatening encounter with Sinn Féin councillor
Property developer Tom Gilmartin told the Mahon tribunal that he was sure a man who threatened him in a Clondalkin pub was Sinn Féin councillor, Christy Burke. p
Boy acted as look-out for petrol bombers, jury hears
A 16-year-old boy acted as a "look-out" for two other teenagers who have admitted petrol bombing a car with two young children inside, a jury has heard. pBlunt-force trauma caused death
The remains of a man murdered in his Enniskillen home by his wife and her lover were discovered 10 months later in a Leitrim forest, an inquest heard yesterday. pTwo charged over attack on tourists
Two men from Co Down charged with the attempted murder of an English couple, who were attacked in their campervan within hours of arriving for a holiday in the Republic last Monday, are denying the charges, Newry Magistrate's Court was told yesterday. pShell apologises for landowner's distress
Shell E&P Ireland has apologised for distress caused to a north Mayo landowner during this week's preparations for a Corrib gas marine survey. pShell to Sea man remanded on bail
A leading member of the Shell to Sea campaign was remanded on continuing bail when he appeared at Belmullet District Court yesterday on assault, public order and obstruction charges. pSix prison officers hospitalised after riot in Cork
More effective measures to prevent violence against prison officers have been called for following a brutal attack yesterday at Cork Prison which resulted in six officers being taken to hospital for treatment. p
