Other stories in brief.
Hunger strike prisoner in hospital
A hunger strike prisoner was rushed to hospital last night when his condition deteriorated after 52 days without food. Oswald Brown (38), a father of two from east Belfast, was taken by ambulance from Magilligan Prison, Co Derry, to the City Hospital in Belfast.
Earlier in the High Court Mr Justice Deeny said it was lawful and proper that Brown should be given intravenous nutrition through a cannula inserted in his arm. He directed that, if necessary, reasonable force could be used. Brown has threatened to starve himself to death but has been taking water throughout his hunger strike.
His case first came before the court last Friday when the Northern Secretary applied for a declaration that prison officials could lawfully abstain from giving him food. The court was told his hunger strike was in protest against his conviction for a rape for which he claims he was wrongly convicted.
Van collision victim named
Gardaí in Cork yesterday named the pedestrian killed when he was hit by a van on the main Cork-Macroom road on Monday evening as Frank Long (59) from Roches Buildings in Cork city.
Mr Long was crossing the road at Coolmakee Cross, Farnanes at around 5.25pm when he was hit by a van travelling in the Cork direction. He was rushed by ambulance to Cork University Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Mr Long's death brings to six the number of people to lose their lives on the N22 road this year.
Sailor airlifted by helicopter
An Irish Coast Guard helicopter rescued an injured French fisherman in a force nine gale yesterday following a Mayday alert off the northwest coast.
The 47-year-old man was working on board a French trawler some 40 nautical miles northwest of Tory island when he sustained head injuries. He was flown to Sligo Airport, where an awaiting ambulance took him to Sligo General Hospital for medical treatment.
GP practice shuts over water cut
A north Galway medical practice has been forced to turn away patients due to a cut in the local water supply which has already lasted three days.
Dr Mary Rogan, general practitioner in Annaghdown, said her clinic had been forced to close until restoration of the water supply for public health reasons. The two-doctor practice sees between 50 and 70 patients a day and has up to 700 medical card holders on its books.
The group water scheme at Annaghdown, near Lough Corrib, ran into difficulties at the weekend, and the supply was cut on Sunday.
"As doctors, we have to have water for hygiene reasons, and we can't see patients in this situation, which is really dreadful," she said.
Annaghdown is one of over 800 group water schemes in Co Galway and is privately administered. The local authority and the Department of the Environment are working towards upgrading supplies to ensure they meet EU drinking water standards, according to a local authority spokesman, and some group schemes have been offered direct links to an upgraded county council service.
Inquest on death of pope's cousin
A jury has returned a verdict of accidental death at the inquest into the death of a cousin of the late Pope John Paul II who died in a car crash near Carlingford, Co Louth, earlier this year. Yolek Whitcombe (54) died when the car he was a passenger in was struck by another car at Castletowncooley, Riverstown, on March 24th last.