A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
€625,000 for boy in partial amputation
A boy who had to have part of his leg amputated after he fell under a ride-on mower, has secured €625,000 in settlement of his High Court action over the incident.
Paul Merriman, now 17, was six when the incident occurred on May 31st, 1999, near his home at Arden View, Tullamore, Co Offaly. He had sued Tullamore Urban District Council and the driver of the mower it employed.
Five years’ jail for having gun
A man who was shot by armed gardaí when he failed to drop a sawn-off shotgun in a Cork pub has been jailed for five years for possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.
Anthony O’Leary (37), Liam Healy Road, Fairhill, Cork, pleaded guilty to two firearms offences over an incident where he went with the shotgun to the Mo Chuisle pub in Blarney Street on the evening of May 21st last. The court heard O’Leary, who has made a good recovery, had a grievance against the pub owners, as his uncle, Anthony “Farmer” Hennessy (40), had died after his ejection from the pub on March 13th, 2008.
Trial over alleged IRA membership
A Dundalk man arrested during Garda investigations into dissident republican activity went on trial at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday for alleged IRA membership.
Barry O’Brien (38), Mountainview Court, Dundalk, Co Louth, pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful organisation.
Prosecuting counsel Gerard Clarke told the court the case was the subject of a Supreme Court decision in 2007 following applications by the defence.
Mr Clarke said a number of items were found during a search of Mr O’Brien’s home at the time of his arrest in April 2004. He said during an incident in September 2003 when gardaí stopped a Northern-registered car and recovered two rifles and ammunition, they found items on which fingerprints were found which matched Mr O’Brien’s, counsel added.
The trial continues today.