In Short

A round-up of today's other stories in brief.

A round-up of today's other stories in brief.

Wexford man dies in building site accident

A Wexford man has died following an accident on a building site in Waterford City.

Trevor Furlong (20), of St James Drive, Tomhaggard, Kilmore, south Wexford, died in a fall yesterday while working on a building development in the city.

READ MORE

The accident occurred at Railway Square in the city centre where he had been working on a hotel and apartment complex. He was rushed to Waterford General Hospital but died.

The youngest of a large family, Trevor played soccer with the local All Blacks Club and GAA with his native Kilmore.

Two shootings in Limerick estate

Gardaí are investigating two shootings at a Limerick housing estate which took place within hours of each other.

Shots were fired at the front door of a house on Colmcille Street in St Mary's Park at 11.10pm on Tuesday. No one was injured, but the house was occupied at the time.

At around 2am, more shots were fired at a group of people standing in front of the same house. Again nobody was injured. It is understood a handgun was used in the shooting, which gardaí believe is linked to a local dispute.

These latest shootings in Limerick are not connected to a separate incident at the weekend where an 18-year-old was shot in the back during a high-speed car chase. The teenager suffered pellet wounds to his back when he was shot at while driving in the Clare Street area of the city at 11.30pm on Saturday.

Three youths arrested in connection with the incident were released from Garda custody this week, and a file is being prepared for the DPP.

Body of missing man recovered

The body of a Co Wexford man missing for over a week was discovered off the southeast coast yesterday morning.

Ron O'Connor (44), from Duncormick, was missing since last Sunday week when he failed to return following a fishing expedition from Cullenstown Strand, Co Wexford.

Mr O'Connor had put to sea earlier that day in the company of his brother, but went back out on his own after his brother decided to go home. The alarm was raised early the following morning when Mr O'Connor failed to return.

His body was located by a local man at around 7am yesterday halfway between the shore and the Keeragh Islands in an area known as Ballyteigue Bay.

Strong growth in construction

Growth in the building and construction sector remained strong in 2003 with the annual turnover of all firms with 20 or more employees increasing by €1.5 billion to €10.3 billion, a new bulletin from the Central Statistics Office reveals.

The 2003 census of building and construction, published yesterday, also revealed the number of firms with 20 employees or more increased to 682 from 646. Some 56,556 people were employed by these companies in 2003, compared to 51,738 in 2002.

Woman remanded in custody

A 30-year-old woman charged with ill-treating her daughter who died from head injuries was further remanded in custody when she appeared in Limerick District Court yesterday.

Monika Paczkowska, a member of the Polish Roma community, is charged with wilfully ill-treating and causing unnecessary suffering and injury to her three-year-old daughter at her home in Tralee, Co Kerry, on dates between August 2nd and August 3rd last.

Judge Leo Malone consented to a Garda application to remand the accused in continuing custody to appear before Tralee District Court on Wednesday