ireland.com - The Irish Times

25,000 in Croagh Patrick climb
If proof was needed that God is a Mayo man it was provided definitively yesterday as the sun shone shamelessly all day on Croagh Patrick and as though no explanation was required for an absence filled by rain for the 50 days (and 50 nights) since June 8th last. p

Couples will be free to marry at venues of choice
Couples will be able to get married at venues of their choice, such as hotels, public buildings or country houses, under new laws due to come into force later this year. p

Inquiry after man killed by off-duty garda's car
The Garda Ombudsman is to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of a man who was struck by a car in Co Galway in the early hours of yesterday. p

Other Stories

Ireland's first in-utero surgery a great success
The first operation in Ireland to be performed on babies while they were still in the womb has been reported by the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin. p
Two men stabbed as groups of youths fight in Carrick-on-Suir
Two men were in hospital last night suffering from stab wounds they sustained in a street fight early yesterday morning when a number of groups clashed in Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary. p
Ictu urges Taoiseach to increase mortgage relief
The general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) has written to the Taoiseach seeking significant increases in mortgage interest relief to offset the recent rise in inflation. p
Stranded Russian crew to fly home on Wednesday
The Russian crew members of the MV Lillian, who have been stranded in New Ross, Co Wexford, since May 13th, are planning to fly home on Wednesday. p
Endangered bird of prey to be protected
Measures to protect the habitat of an endangered bird species and avoid European Commission fines of up to €40 million are to be introduced by Minister for the Environment John Gormley in September. p
Pilot as aircraft crashes during display at Kerry festival
A man in his 50s died yesterday when the light aircraft he was piloting crashed in farmland north of Ardfert village in Co Kerry. The accident occurred shortly after 4.30pm during an aerial display as part of the annual Ardfert summer festival. p
Learner drivers to face new curbs
The State's 400,000 provisional licence holders may be prevented from driving without a qualified driver accompanying them, under a new clampdown proposed by the Road Safety Authority. p
Law body to back anonymity changes
The Law Reform Commission will recommend changes to rules protecting the anonymity of people before the courts, when it launches its consultation paper on the reform of the courts Acts this evening. p
Missing diver feared drowned
A diver searching for wartime wrecks was missing, feared drowned, 26km off the northwest Donegal coast yesterday. p
Brother of gang leader wants longer sentences
The brother of Shane Coates, the former leader of Dublin's Westies gang who was buried last week, has called for "much longer" jail terms for those involved in the drugs trade and gun crime. p
Final curtain at Dublin's Andrews Lane
The final curtain has fallen on Dublin's Andrews Lane Theatre, which held its last performance on Saturday night. With fitting poignancy, the closing play, 84 Charing Cross Road told the story of a bookshop that plays a vital role in the lives of the two protagonists, before its doors shut and they are forced to move on. p
Restaurant receives warning for sending unsolicited texts
The Data Protection Commissioner has issued its first warning to a restaurant for sending unsolicited mobile phone text messages to customers. p
Witness intimidation hampers crime detection
One of Dublin's most experienced Garda detectives has said the fight against organised crime is being seriously hampered by witness intimidation and that many crime black spots are under-policed. p
Leaving Cert timetable set for shake-up
More than 50,000 Leaving Cert students appear set to sit their first exam paper in English on a Saturday morning next May. p
Centre to trace lineage of Traveller families
The Pavee Point Travellers' Centre is planning to trace the lineage of every Traveller family in the State to identify if cousins who marry each other are at a higher risk for certain diseases or disorders. p
Organisation set up for Indians in Ireland
An organisation for the Indian diaspora in Ireland has been launched at Dublin Castle. Up to 10,000 people of Indian origin live in Ireland and the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (Gopio) has now set up an all-Ireland section. p
IFA leader wants EU to recall Territt
President of the IFA Pádraig Walshe has called for Martin Territt, director of the European Commission Representation in Ireland, to be recalled to Brussels because of what the IFA sees as his "partisan" and "prejudicial" position regarding the IFA's objection to the sale of Brazilian beef in Europe. p
Solicitor seeks drink driving judicial review
A solicitor from Co Louth is seeking a judicial review of a drink driving conviction and believes that if he is successful that it could impact on many other drink driving prosecutions. p
'Grandparents' Day' campaign launched
A campaign to have the fourth Sunday in September designated as a national "Grandparents' Day" has been launched by the Friends of the Elderly group. p
Cannabis seized in Co Limerick
Gardaí have seized a large quantity of cannabis resin and cannabis herb following the search of an open area in the town of Rathkeale, Co Limerick. Some 98kg of cannabis resin and 2kg of cannabis herb were discovered during the search on Saturday, which was co-ordinated by the Limerick drugs unit. p

The Real Deal

Consumers fight back against rivalry and planning logjams
For years James O'Neill didn't get it. He went for the special offers, scrimped and saved, tried to make do, yet he always ended up short of money. Things just ended up costing more than he could afford, writes Consumer Affairs Correspondent Paul Cullen . p
Secretive retail chains refusing to publish their profit figures
Nothing is more revealing about the profitability of retailers in Ireland than their refusal to publish profit figures. p
Online shopping holds promise
Tired of paying over the odds in your neighbourhood store? Looking for a broader range of goods than are typically available locally? Of all recent innovations in retailing, internet shopping holds the greatest promise for cutting prices and expanding choice for the consumer. p
My consumer life: Ben Dunne
You would expect entrepreneur and former supermarket tycoon Ben Dunne to be consumer savvy, and it turns out that he is. p

In the North

Operation Banner ends after 38 years of NI strife
A clock ticks down the final hours of Operation Banner on the wall behind Col Wayne Harber at British army headquarters near Lisburn. p
'Little or nothing that we did was well received'
Dick Rafferty commanded soldiers on the streets of 1970s west Belfast at the age of 19. He told Dan Keenan of life and loss under Operation Banner p
Criminal asset recovery hits £1m
Police and customs officers have taken more than £1 million (€1.48 million) from criminals in Northern Ireland in the first financial quarter of the year, the Northern Ireland Office has revealed. p
PSNI clears O'Loan's office of leaking information
Nuala O'Loan's office has been cleared of leaking confidential details concerning the investigation into RUC/loyalist collusion which she published in January. p

Law Report

Court entitled to have regard to concept of reasonable and distributive justice in recoverability of damages
Bridget Byrne (plaintiff) v John Ryan (defendant); Daniel Byrne (plaintiff) v John Ryan (defendant) p

Regional News

Inspectors concerned over safety of children at centre
Social services inspectors have expressed concern over the safety and welfare of children at a crisis intervention service in Galway for homeless young people. p
Plans in place to publish John McGahern yearbook
Plans are being finalised for publication of a John McGahern yearbook, which will commemorate the writer's work and be published annually. p
Final stretch of M1 at Border to open
The final stretch of the upgrading of the M1 between Dublin and the Border opens to traffic this week four months ahead of schedule. p
Trawler finds €85,000 worth of cannabis by accident
Some €85,000 worth of cannabis was trawled up off the seabed west of the Aran islands in a joint operation involving the Naval Service, Customs and a Donegal fishing vessel over the weekend. p

Angling Notes

A catch in Kerry
Angling Notes: Charlie Chaplin had a love affair with Waterville in Co Kerry. Megastar of the silent movies, the man with the cane and bowler hat regarded Waterville as his second home due to the fact that his mother came from the area. p

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