A round-up of other stories from around the country.
Jury retires in Shannon protest trial
The jury in the trial of five anti-war protesters accused of criminally damaging a US aircraft at Shannon airport was sent to an hotel last night after four hours. It is expected to resume deliberations this morning at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
The five accused have pleaded not guilty to causing damage to a naval aircraft, property of the US government, and to glass door panels, property of Aer Rianta, at Shannon airport in February 2003.
They are Ciarán O'Reilly (46), an Australian national, Nuin Dunlop (34), a US citizen and counsellor, Damien Moran (26), Karen Fallon (35), a Scottish marine biologist, all of Rialto Cottages, Rialto Dublin and Deirdre Clancy (36), a copy editor, Alverno apartments, Clontarf, Dublin.
The jury has been told that one garda was on duty in the hangar at 3.45am when five people came running in carrying hammers and an axe or mattock. Evidence was given that they were shouting "some words of God" and went to the front, side and rear of the aircraft using the items to hit it . They then knelt in a circle and prayed until gardaí arrived to arrest them.
Copies of the Bible and Koran, Rosary and Islamic prayer beads, candles, flowers, St Bridget's crosses and photographs of distressed children were among the items found at the scene in the form of a shrine at the doors to the hangar.
Irishman drowns off coast of Ibiza
An Irishman drowned off the coast of the Spanish island Ibiza on Saturday, the Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed. The department is offering consular advice to his family and Panorama Holidays is also assisting. The young man, who has not yet been named, was swimming in the afternoon when the drowning took place.
He is expected to be flown home in the coming days.
Weekend stabbing victims stable
Two men who were initially in a critical condition after being stabbed in separate incidents in Cork over the weekend were stable in hospital last night.
Gardaí are investigating the stabbing of a 20-year-old man in the chest after an argument in Gurranebraher, shortly after midnight on Sunday. He underwent emergency surgery in Cork University Hospital.
In the second Cork attack a man in his 20s was stabbed in the face in Maple Wood, Mallow, at about 3am on Sunday. The man, who has now been interviewed by gardaí, will require plastic surgery. His condition stabilised last night.
In a third incident at the weekend, a 26-year-old man was stabbed a number of times outside a house in Cashel Road, Crumlin, Dublin, in the course of a row at 4.30am on Sunday.
The man, who is from England, was recovering in St James's Hospital last night where he remained in intensive care. His condition was described as critical.
Merriman line-up launched
The programme for the 39th Merriman Summer School, Michael Cusack and his Time, was launched at Croke Park, Dublin, yesterday by its director, Dr Michael Griffin of the University of Limerick.
Offering lectures, classes in Irish and set dancing, poetry readings and nightly entertainment, it will run from August 19th-26th at Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare.
Garda killed in crash buried
A requiem funeral Mass was celebrated yesterday for a garda who was killed in a road traffic crash last week. Garda John Naughton (48), stationed at Cornamucklagh, Omeath, Co Louth, was killed last Thursday when his motorcycle collided with a car near Letterkenny, Co Donegal.
Garda Naughton is survived by his parents, his wife Marian and his son, Seán Fergus, aged seven.