A round-up to today's other stories in brief
Five appeal assault convictions
Five Limerick men have appealed against their convictions and sentences arising from what a detective garda described as a "pitched battle" in a car park outside a fast-food restaurant in the city.
At the Court of Criminal Appeal yesterday, Ms Justice Fidelma Macken, presiding over the three-judge court, said it would give its decision within 10 days.
Patrick McCarthy (34), College Avenue, Moyross; Kieran Ryan (22), Pineview Gardens, Moyross; Edward McCarthy (26), O'Callaghan Avenue, Kileely; and David Sheehan (22), Cliona Park, Moyross, were all jailed for six years after being convicted of violent disorder outside Supermacs restaurant on the Ennis Road, Limerick, on May 27th, 2003.
A fifth appellant, David McCarthy (27), O'Callaghan Avenue, Kileely, was jailed for five years and three months after pleading guilty to the same charge.
Lawyers for the appellants argued their clients should have received separate trials. It was also submitted the five men were not the aggressors. Opposing the appeals, counsel for the DPP denied arguments that a detective garda was exaggerating the situation by describing the incident as a "pitched battle".
Plan for estuary complex blocked
Plans for a luxury hotel and apartment complex overlooking the estuary of the river Moy near Enniscrone, Co Sligo, have been blocked by the North Western Regional Fisheries Board.
An Bord Pleanála upheld an appeal against a decision of Sligo County Council to grant planning permission for an 80-bedroom hotel, 20 hotel apartments and a leisure centre at Scurmore, Enniscrone.
An Bord Pleanála ruled the plan would endanger a "visually vulnerable area" and detract from an important tourism asset.
Horticultural projects get €1.3m
Grant aid totalling €1.3 million for three major horticultural projects in Co Monaghan was announced yesterday by the Minister of State for Agriculture, Brendan Smith.
The funding was allocated under the department's capital investment scheme for the marketing and processing of certain agricultural products.
It complements an investment of over €3.7 million in marketing and processing facilities by the vegetable sector in the county.
Mr Smith said: "The National Development Plan 2000-2006 provides a range of support measures for the food industry, and these awards bring the total aid approved under the department's capital investment initiative to €43 million in respect of 116 projects, of which €9 million is in respect of 32 projects in the horticulture sector."
He said he was delighted the horticultural sector had been given priority by the Government as a potential growth area.
Farmed trout found in lake
The discovery of an escaped rainbow trout from a fish farm on Lough Corrib, Co Galway, is being investigated by fisheries experts. According to the Western Regional Fisheries Board, there may be other "escapees" on the waterway which are feeding on native fish and competing for food.
Case against bricklayers is adjourned
Legal proceedings against three unemployed bricklayers who were freed from prison at the weekend after they gave an undertaking not to picket a South Dublin building site have been adjourned by the High Court for a week.
Mr Justice John MacMenamin also continued the interim order granted to Collen Construction Ltd restraining picketing at three of its Dublin sites.
Andrew Clarke, Cromlech Fields, Ballybrack; Keith Kelly, Ashlawn Park, Ballybrack, and William McClurg, Sallynoggin, were jailed on February 10th on the application of Collen after the company complained they had breached orders restraining picketing of a Collen site at Ballybrack.
On Friday, they again appeared before Ms Justice Mary Laffoy and undertook that they would not picket the site or block access to it.
The judge said the men had learned the lesson that court orders must be obeyed. In court yesterday, counsel for the Building and Allied Trades Union (Batu) undertook on behalf of the union not to picket or sanction the participation of its membership in industrial action against Collen Construction.
He said the heat had been taken out of the protest. The proceedings against the union were adjourned for four weeks.
The court has also granted an injunction restraining picketing at Collen sites at UCD, Belfield and the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery, Dublin.
Journalist Patsy Dyke dies
The former Sunday Press journalist Patsy Dyke has died in Dublin. The wife of broadcaster Cathal O'Shannon, she died in the Blackrock Clinic on Sunday. Her funeral service will take place at the crematorium chapel in Glasnevin at 2.30pm tomorrow.
Inquiry after shots fired in Derry
A local man appeared before the Magistrates Court in Derry yesterday charged in connection with an incident outside a commercial premises on the outskirts of the city last Friday evening.
During the incident, a police officer fired several shots into the air from his legally held firearm. The circumstances surrounding the shooting are being investigated by the office of the Police Ombudsman.
Kevin Barry McClintock (22), unemployed, from the John Street Hostel in Derry, is charged with the possession of a firearm or an imitation firearm at Drumahoe with intent to commit a robbery.
He was remanded in custody until March 16th.
Students design wheelchair ramp
Students at NUI, Galway, have designed a simple mobile ramp for wheelchair users and a device which enables children with physical impairment to close buttons.
The projects are part of an initiative which aims to engage the students in the wider community.
The university's mechanical and biomedical engineering programme includes a "service learning module" which is designed to develop academic skills through "self-directed projects", while also encouraging a sense of commitment to local communities.
The portable wheelchair ramp is not the first of its kind, but may be simpler than other prototypes, according to its co-designer John Joe Finn (19) Athenry, Co Galway. Mr Finn is a third-year mechanical engineering student at NUI Galway, and worked with Athenry neighbour and third-year colleague Alan Divilly (21) on the design.
Prof Abhay Pandit, co- ordinator of the module at mechanical and biomedical engineering department, said participation should make a lasting impression on the students. "As a university, we have a duty to engage students with the community and to create students that give to the community."