ireland.com - The Irish Times

Secretary to tell of cash in Ahern's safe
A former private secretary to the Taoiseach is expected to tell the Mahon tribunal he saw money in a safe in the Department of Finance when Bertie Ahern was minister there. Colm Keena , Public Affairs Correspondent, reports. p

Burton claims FF focus is on leadership succession
Labour Party conference: Fianna Fáil Ministers are more interested in jockeying for position to replace Taoiseach Bertie Ahern than carrying out their duties, Labour's deputy leader Joan Burton has charged. p

First civil wedding outside registry office
Being able to say "I do" in a venue of their choice and surrounded by their friends and family made "a huge" difference to the first couple in Ireland to hold their civil marriage outside a registry office, writes Anne Lucey . p

Other Stories

€250,000 pay claim by senior doctors rejected
Health service management has rejected claims by hospital consultants for a basic salary of €250,000 a year. Martin Wall , Industry Correspondent, reports. p
Bono praises Government on aid
U2 singer Bono yesterday spoke of his pride at the work of the Government in tackling poverty in Africa, saying it was an intrinsic part of the Irish psyche arising out of our experience of the Famine. p
Special Labour Court talks in bus dispute
Management and unions at Dublin Bus will today attend a special session of the Labour Court aimed at resolving the dispute which has left 60,000 passengers without services for the last five days. p
Widow to get fireman's pay
The widow of a fireman who died on duty in Bray, Co Wicklow, last September has said she is hopeful that a financial dispute with Wicklow County Council will be resolved. Fiona Gartland reports. p
Pipe bombs may have been made for gangs
The Army's bomb disposal teams made safe three pipe bombs yesterday. Two of the devices were found in a north Dublin park while another was found during a search of a house in the west of the city late on Thursday. Fiona Gartland and Conor Lally report. p
Law Society writes to Pakistan's envoy
The Law Society of Ireland, the representative body for solicitors, has written a strongly worded letter to the ambassador of Pakistan denouncing its government for its recent actions, in particular its treatment of judges and lawyers. Carol Coulter , Legal Affairs Editor, reports. p
Rally leader crashes out in Leitrim
Tens of thousands of motor enthusiasts lined remote country roads yesterday as the Irish stage of the World Rally Championships went into top gear. p
Arrests follow major drugs seizure
Gardaí believe they have disrupted the activities of an international drugs gang whose members were importing illicit drugs into the State from Africa. Conor Lally and Steven Carroll report. p
Man dies in fire in thatched cottage
An elderly man has died following a fire in a thatched cottage in Co Laois. Fiona Gartland and Niamh O'Donoghue report. p
Europe never so good, President tells youths
The European Union has drawn the continent's peoples into "the most exciting adventure in democratic partnership ever undertaken by humankind", President Mary McAleese has said. p
Launch of Susie Long hospice appeal
Kilkenny woman Susie Long, who died of cancer last month, gave an interview shortly before her death in which she described a seven-month delay in her treatment as a "disaster". p
Taoiseach denies tribunal law has sinister agenda
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has denied there was any sinister motive behind the Government's plan to introduce new legislation which would allow the legislature to shut down tribunals and control their length. p
Mayor denies deal on Donegal home quota
Sinn Féin Senator Pearse Doherty has launched strong attack on proposals by the two main political parties in Donegal to increase the number of holiday homes in the county by another 50 per cent. p
Galway ruling may cost council 'millions'
An interim ruling in relation to the controversial redesign of Eyre Square in Galway has found in favour of the construction company which walked off the project. Lorna Siggins and Enda Cunningham report. p
South Dublin becomes cooler as skating rink opens to the public
Life became considerably cooler in south Dublin yesterday as the ice was broken on a newly erected skating rink in the suburb of Booterstown. p
Wicklow councillors fear 300% rise in water charges
Wicklow County Council has called an emergency meeting after it emerged that water charges due to Dublin City Council could increase by 300 per cent once new legislation takes effect. p
Youths view obesity as a disability
Teenagers feel awkward in the company of fat people, the first study of adolescents' attitudes towards obesity has found. p
All-party health move ruled out
Labour health spokeswoman Jan O'Sullivan firmly ruled out an all-party approach to health issues, and announced that her party will consider the issues involved at a national forum in January. p
Labour Party leader's mother buried
The funeral took place yesterday of Celia "Sadie" Keane, mother of the leader of the Labour Party, Eamon Gilmore. p
Miriam Lord's Week
Chequebooks out for Hillary; Michael D tops bill at Labour bash; Dunlop defies dodgy memory to graduate in law; Cowen eulogised at Andrews' book launch; anoraks a wait Dáil guide; web surprise for Dara Calleary; Greens silent on salary hikes p
Foreign students up 170% in decade
The number of foreign students in third-level colleges here has increased by 170 per cent in the past decade, according to a new report. p
New schools announced but no construction dates
Minister for Education Mary Hanafin has unveiled a list of schools planned for north Dublin including Portmarnock, Malahide, Rush, Lusk, Swords, Skerries, Donabate/Portrane and Balbriggan. Seán Flynn , Education Editor, reports. p
Gaelscoileanna petition signed
More than 200 delegates attending the annual education conference of Gaelscoileanna Teoranta have signed letters of petition to the Minister for Education urging her to carry out a full research programme before implemented changes to the early immersion education system at all-Irish schools. p
Pöttering says wise Irish want EU reform
European Parliament president Hans-Gert Pöttering has said he is confident Irish people will vote in favour of the EU reform treaty in next year's referendum and he has made no plans to visit Ireland to push for a Yes vote. Olivia Kelly in Strasbourg p
In Short
A round-up of today's other stories in brief. p
Gormley to direct Shell on habitat
Minister for the Environment John Gormley is to order Shell consultants to restore a protected habitat in north Mayo where unauthorised drilling took place last month for the Corrib gas project. p

In the Courts

IRA man jailed for four years
A Carlow man convicted of membership of the IRA has been jailed for four years at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin. p
'Ros na Rún' actor settles case
A case of unfair dismissal taken by actor Mairéad Ní Ghallchóir against the co-producers of the TG4 soap Ros na Rún was settled yesterday outside the Employment Appeals Tribunal in Dublin. p
Inquest into girl's death adjourned
The inquest into the death of schoolgirl Rebekah Kiely (15), who died after she was struck by a baseball bat, has been adjourned at Dublin City Coroner's Court. The adjournment was sought pending the outcome of a court case next January in relation to the incident in which the teenager suffered fatal injuries. p
Rider died after fall from galloping horse
An experienced horseman died after he sustained serious head injuries when he fell from a galloping horse he was exercising, an inquest heard yesterday. p
Family tells inquest of hospital concerns
An inquest into the death of a man who died two days after he was admitted to hospital after a fall was adjourned at Dublin City Coroner's Court yesterday following concerns raised by his family about his medical treatment. p
In Short
A round-up of today's other stories in brief. p

In the North

Postmortem results on family may be out today
Results of postmortems on Arthur McElhill and Lorraine McGovern and five children who died in the Omagh fire tragedy may be known today. p

Morris tribunal

Former garda says absence of witness not his fault
A former detective sergeant has said it was not his fault that Raphoe publican Frank McBrearty snr would not testify before the Morris tribunal. p

Regional News

Rail corridor on track - Dempsey
There are no plans to alter commitments in Transport 21 to extend the western rail corridor service to Sligo, according to Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey. Lorna Siggins , Western Correspondent, reports. p

ScienceWeek

Understanding of forensic science frustrated by TV shows like 'CSI'
All partners in the criminal justice system need to reach a shared level of understanding with regard to the role of forensic science, director of the Forensic Science Laboratory Sheila Willis said in a Science Week lecture yesterday. p

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