A round-up of today's other regional stories in brief
Pipe-smoking patient died from burns
A resident at a geriatric hospital in Co Wexford mistakenly set himself alight while smoking a pipe in the hospital's smoking room, an inquest has heard.
Anthony Murphy (75), who suffered from Parkinson's disease and was wheelchair-bound, died from extensive burns he sustained when his clothes caught fire as he smoked a pipe in the hospital smoking room.
He died of multiple organ failure on March 18th last year, five days after the fire.
Since the man's death last year, St John's Geriatric Hospital, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, has changed its policy and now assess all patients' ability to smoke safely independently.
Firm steps in to avert bin crisis
A crisis over mounting rubbish in Limerick has been averted after a refuse collection company agreed to collect the bins of a rival company which was liquidated last week, writes Karl Hanlon.
Mr Binman - the largest waste company in the Mid-West - has agreed to collect up to 3,000 outstanding bins over the next two weeks as a goodwill gesture.
It is also understood that Mr Binman has bought the customer database of Limerick Waste Recycling from the liquidator.
The company was wound up last week after the High Court heard it had debts in the region of €300,000.
Up to 3,000 householders and businesses were left without a refuse collection service after the liquidator was appointed.
Tipperary peace award for Hariri
The assassinated Lebanese leader Rafic Hariri is to posthumously receive this year's Tipperary International Peace Award, writes James Hayden.
Mr Hariri, who was instrumental in the Lebanese peace process, will be remembered at a three-day festival to mark the awarding of the honour in Tipperary town from April 21st to 23rd next.
Mr Hariri, a Sunni Muslim, was assassinated in February 2005 in an explosion, which targeted his motorcade in Beirut and also killed seven of the Lebanese leader's bodyguards.
Guy Jones, a representative of the Irish Lebanese Cultural Foundation, said the award was a great honour and paid tribute to over 20,000 Irish soldiers who have served on peacekeeping duties in the Lebanon.
The award will be presented to a member of the Hariri family in the Aherlow House Hotel on Friday, April 21st.
Man and children escape flat fire
A fire broke out in a Limerick city centre flat yesterday. A father and his three children escaped.
However, around a ... dozen rabbits were left in hutches in a cellar area of the flat.
The alarm was raised shortly after 1.20pm when a fire started at a basement flat on Upper Cecil Street in Limerick city centre.
Seven rabbits were rescued but others died in the fire, according to a fire service spokesman.
"It seemed a lot worse when we first got the call because we were told that there were people trapped inside the building. Luckily the father did a good job and managed to get his three children out safely," said the spokesman.