ireland.com - The Irish Times

Grenade attack 'revenge' for jail killing
Gardaí believe a grenade attack on a house in south Dublin this week was a revenge attack for the killing of an inmate in Mountjoy Prison on Monday. Conor Lally , Crime Correspondent, reports. p

Explosive devices now more widely used in minor feuds
Hand grenades and pipe bomb devices have recently featured in seven different disputes, writes Conor Lally , Crime Correspondent p

Victim's brother is asked about cut on hand
Rachel O'Reilly's birth brother yesterday told a jury in the Central Criminal Court that he did not see or speak to Rachel on the day of her killing. p

Chernobyl helper who took porn photos is jailed
A 52-year-old Co Waterford man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for having child pornography including photographs and videos he had made of Chernobyl children from Belarus who had been on holidays in his home. p

Other Stories

Volunteers for Chernobyl group not vetted by Garda
Families or volunteers who host children for the Chernobyl Children's Appeal are not vetted by the Garda. Carl O'Brien , Social Affairs Correspondent, reports. p
Seanad university elections erupt into FF 'power grab' row
The normally-sedate election for six university seats in Seanad Éireann has erupted into sharp controversy over allegations by Independent Senators that Fianna Fáil is seeking to undermine the electoral process for party political purposes. Deaglán de Bréadún , Political Correspondent, reports. p
SF fails to agree vote pact for Seanad election
Sinn Féin is to issue voting instructions for the upcoming Seanad election to its councillors and TDs in coming days, following its failure to agree a voting pact with any other party, write Mark Hennessy , Political Correspondent p
National minimum wage goes up to €8.65 an hour
The national minimum wage is to be increased to €8.65 per hour from tomorrow. Martin Wall , Industry Correspondent, reports. p
Huge turnout in Knock for Madeleine vigil
A vigil for missing Madeleine McCann attracted so many to Knock shrine, Co Mayo, last evening that the event was held in the basilica instead of the old parish church as planned, writes Tom Shiel. p
Nearly half of appeals to welfare office successful
Close to half of the appeals made to the Social Welfare Appeals Office last year were successful. Mark Rodden reports. p
Judge says law review helping to erode rights
Criminal justice conference: A Supreme Court judge yesterday strongly criticised the make-up of an expert review group set up by former minister for justice Michael McDowell to examine if the law needs to be changed in order to rebalance criminal justice. He said it was part of a sustained process which was eroding individual rights in the criminal justice system. p
Call for appeal court to get more crime trial judges
The most senior judge in the criminal courts, Mr Justice Paul Carney, yesterday called for more judges with experience in criminal cases to serve on the Court of Criminal Appeal, writes Barry Roche in Cork p
Irish climber set to make new world record
The Irish climber bidding to set a new world record for the fastest ascent of the seven highest summits on all seven continents, looked set yesterday to smash the current record by as much as 21 days. p
Talks with consultants to resume as filling of 68 posts is deferred
Talks on a new contract with hospital consultants are expected to resume shortly after the Health Service Executive (HSE) confirmed yesterday that it had agreed to postpone the filling of 68 new hospital consultant posts controversially advertised on terms not agreed with doctors' unions. p
McGrath gets school guarantee
Minister for Education Mary Hanafin has given a written guarantee to Independent TD Finian McGrath about the future of a school building on Dublin's north side. p
Body in Tangiers may be Irish man
The authorities in Morocco have confirmed that they believe the remains of a man found buried in an industrial suburb of Tangier are that of an Irish man who went missing almost two months ago. p
Rain is unlikely to dampen weekend ardour
There will be showery and humid weather for much of today and tomorrow but it is unlikely to dampen the spirits of those looking forward to a big weekend of music and sporting events. p
Northbound lanes of M50 to be separated today
From this morning the two northbound lanes on Dublin's M50 will be separated as part of the development work on the motorway. p
In Short
A round-up of today's other stories in brief. p

In the Courts

Friend says accused told of marital difficulties
A friend of Joe O'Reilly told the trial that the accused man confided to him about his marital difficulties with Rachel. p
Jury told of family joys and troubles
The jury in the O'Reilly murder trial saw brief flashes of happiness yesterday as they heard about Rachel O'Reilly's life before she was murdered in 2004. They heard how she was reunited with her birth mother, Teresa Lowe, in 1991 and was nurturing a relationship with her second family. p
Man (18) gets six years for storing arms
A Limerick teenager who stored guns and ammunition in a hole in the base of his bed has been jailed for six years. p
Two-year sentence for possessing child porn
A Dublin man who absconded before his trial in England for possession of child pornography in 2002 has received a two-year sentence for possession of more than 3,000 similar images at the "upper end of the spectrum". p
Pharmacists lose challenge to minister on payments
The Irish Pharmaceutical Union (IPU) has essentially lost a High Court bid aimed at compelling the Minister for Health to continue making advance payments to pharmacists under the General Medical Services (GMS) scheme. Such payments were stopped by the Minister on foot of a government decision in 2002. p
Leech judge gives more leeway to media on libel defence
A High Court judge has set out a more liberal interpretation of the law in relation to the circumstances in which the media may defend the publication of certain material, even if that material is incorrect, on grounds that publication was in the public interest. p
Prisoner gets 6 months more for death threat
A convicted robber currently serving eight years in jail for slashing a young man's face, leaving him permanently scarred, has received a further six months for issuing a threat in court to kill his victim. p
In Short
A round-up of today's other stories in brief. p

In the North

Conlon still not free 16 years after his release
Gerry Conlon still wakes up in the night, drenched in sweat and filled with dread, his mind ablaze with images of prison, writes Carl O'Brien , Social Affairs Correspondent p
SF attacked after police trauma ruling
The DUP has rounded on Sinn Féin over republican criticism of a High Court ruling yesterday that many of the 5,500 police officers who suffered mental anguish arising from their service during the Troubles had the right to claim millions of pounds in compensation. p
Paisley's remarks on gays 'a disgrace'- CoI paper
An influential Church of Ireland voice has called on Ian Paisley jnr to resign from the Northern Ireland Executive, or apologise, following his recent remarks on homosexuality. Patsy McGarry , Religious Affairs Correspondent, reports. p
PSNI urges protesters and Orangemen to ensure peaceful march
The PSNI has urged Orangemen, their supporters and nationalist protesters to ensure that this afternoon's Whiterock parade in west Belfast passes off peacefully. p

Mahon Tribunal

Dukes did not query alleged bribe offerto FG councillor
Former Fine Gael leader Alan Dukes said he did not act on an allegation that a Dublin councillor had been offered a bribe of £100,000 (€139,000) in relation to the Quarryvale development, the tribunal heard yesterday. p

Regional News

Two out of 12 remaining one-teacher schools shut
Two of the 12 remaining one-teacher primary schools in the State have closed following the end of the current school year. p
Father in US tragedy buried in Cavan
More than 450 people attended the funeral in Castlerathan, Co Cavan, yesterday of Tommy Reilly, who died in tragic circumstances in Montclair, New Jersey, last weekend. p
Stone Age knife found in Killarney valley
The earliest artefact yet found in the Killarney valley has been uncovered on Ross Island on the shores of the lower lake by archaeological field-trippers. p

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