A round-up of today's other news stories in brief.
Carpenter dies on holiday in Gran Canaria
A building worker died in the Canary Islands just a day after arriving with friends for a holiday.
Pádraig Breslin (25), a carpenter from Aighe, Ardara, Co Donegal, drowned on Sunday in his hotel swimming pool at Playa des Ingles in Gran Canaria.
Local publican Stephen McCahill said word began to filter back to Donegal after Mass on Sunday about the tragedy. "It's very, very sad. Pádraig was a very popular member of the community."
The Irish Embassy in Madrid is providing assistance to the bereaved family and the man's friends.
Woman dies in fall from wall
A 69-year-old woman died in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, yesterday after she fell off a wall in the Speer's Lane area of the town. It is understood she sat down on the wall to rest but fell backwards, writes Chris Ashmore.
Although she was still alive when gardaí arrived at the scene, she died shortly afterwards.
It is understood the woman was from Monaghan and was visiting Letterkenny with her husband who was with her when the tragedy occurred.
The woman's name has not yet been released.
Crash driver yet to be interviewed
Gardaí in Co Kerry have yet to formally interview the driver of a BMW car involved in a fatal collision with two Polish motorcyclists on Sunday week last, writes Anne Lucey.
The driver, understood to be in his 20s and from Knocknagoshel near the scene of the accident, was discharged from Kerry General Hospital on Thursday last.
The bodies of the two men, Marek Olszowka (32), Moccas, Hertfordshire, England, and Kazimierz Kawa (31), Bromyard, Hertfordshire, England, have been returned to their native Poland.
Campaign to have jet-skis banned
A campaign to have jet-skis banned from Lough Muckno, Co Monaghan, has been initiated following representations from tourist angling groups and boating enthusiasts, writes Patsy McArdle.
The issue is to be discussed at a meeting of Monaghan County Council when officials will be asked to liaise with Castleblayney Town Council and local tourism and heritage interests in drawing up bylaws banning the use of jet-skis on the 900-hectare lake.
Nine fire stations to be built
Nine fire stations are to be built under a €25 million fire services capital programme for 2006. The approvals, including the procurement of new fire appliances and the upgrading of regional training centres, were announced yesterday in Macroom, Co Cork, by the Minister of State for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government Batt O'Keeffe.
The new stations will be built in Waterford City; Clonakilty and Macroom in Co Cork; Rathdowney, Co Laois; Stranorlor and Gweedore, Co Donegal; Cashel, Co Tipperary; Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim; and Belturbet, Co Cavan.
Extensions to existing stations in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, Killaloe, Co Clare, and Tallaght, Dublin have also been approved.
Man recovers after Jobstown shooting
A man in his 20s is recovering in Tallaght hospital after a shooting in Jobstown on Sunday night.
He was involved in an altercation in the garden of a house on Bawnlea Avenue when shots were fired at 12.40am. He was shot in the arm and chest, but his injuries are no longer thought to be life-threatening.
Gardaí have appealed for witnesses.
Cullen confident on road strategy Minister for Transport Martin Cullen has admitted that figures for road fatalities this year are very bad. He insists, however, that the Government's safety strategy will start to yield benefits, particularly with the introduction of mandatory breath-testing for drink-driving.
Mr Cullen said yesterday there would have to be a cultural change in attitudes to speed and drink-driving. He denied the Government was complacent about road deaths, which reached 203 at the weekend, and said the roll-out of the new traffic corps would result in a force of about 1,300 traffic police by 2008.
Murder trial jury sworn in
A jury of seven women and five men has been sworn in at the Central Criminal Court for the trial of a Nigerian man who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his Jamaican-born wife. Goodwill Uduchuckwu (32), Royal Canal Bank, Phibsboro, Dublin, has denied the murder of Natasha Gray (25) in February 2003.
Woman loses €38,000 fall claim
A woman who has spina bifida and who alleged she fell when her crutches slipped on a wet toilet floor, has lost a €38,000 personal injuries claim for damages against a Co Kildare publican.
Kathy Dunbar (30), Glenshane Drive, Tallaght, told Judge Jacqueline Linnane in the Circuit Civil Court yesterday that during a St Patrick's Day visit to The Kilteel Inn, near Saggart, Co Kildare, she had been unable to gain access to a toilet for the disabled.
Her sister had helped her to the general ladies toilet and, when she entered, her crutches slipped on a "wet and streaky floor". She fell on her right side injuring her hand, arm and neck. She said the tiled floor appeared to have been recently mopped.
Publican John Brennan said the toilet floor had been "perfectly dry" when he had inspected it about half an hour earlier. No accident had been reported to him.
Dismissing the claim and awarding costs against Ms Dunbar, Judge Linnane told Mr Murray she preferred Mr Brennan's evidence.
Five years for ferrying heroin
A cocaine addict who had heroin valued at nearly €190,000 strapped to her body before going to Wales on a ferry has received a five-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Michelle Cruise (35), Michael Collins Park, Clondalkin, thought she was transporting cannabis for a criminal to whom she was in debt. Judge Katherine Delahunt suspended two years of the sentence.
Cruise pleaded guilty to possession of 948g of heroin, valued at €189,680, in August 2004.
President to host garden parties
Over 2,000 guests are expected to attend a series of six garden parties to be hosted by President Mary McAleese at Áras an Uachtaráin during the next two weeks.
The parties are being organised along different themes. A family garden party for adults will take place today while a community groups party will take place on Thursday.
The other dates are: Saturday July 8th, family garden party (for children); Monday July 10th, community groups party; Wednesday July 12th, Twelfth of July party; and Friday July 14th, International Family Party.