A round-up of today's Irish news stories in brief
Two women die in Dublin house fires
Two people have died in separate house fires in Dublin.
A woman in her 60s was killed after a fire broke out in a house in Ranelagh early yesterday.
Gardaí are investigating the cause of the fire on Ranelagh Road. No one else was in the house at the time.
A woman in her 50s died after a house fire in Ballymun on Sunday night. The fire broke out at a house in Balbutcher Lane shortly before 10pm.
The woman was taken to the Mater University Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Both houses were sealed off for technical examination to determine the cause of the fires.
Lithuanian case heard in private
The case of Co Louth man Michael Campbell, suspected of trying to buy weapons for the Real IRA, has been heard behind closed doors in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Officers of Lithuania’s state security department testified in the case yesterday and the court has ruled that all 10 witnesses would be questioned in closed hearings.
Mr Campbell (36), from Dundalk, is charged with attempting to smuggle arms and explosives from Lithuania for the dissident republican group.
Prosecutor Gedgaudas Norkûnas alleges that from November 2006 to January 2007, Mr Campbell made a pact with his brother Liam and two other suspects, Seamus McGreevy and Brendan McGuigan, to aid the Real IRA by purchasing weapons.
Mr Campbell was detained in January 2008 while meeting an undercover Lithuanian agent posing as an arms dealer.
If he is convicted of the charges, which include attempted smuggling, possession of firearms and an attempt to aid a terrorist group, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
He denies the charges.
The next court session, also behind closed doors, is planned for October 19th.
Public hearings are expected only in December.
EBS sues over 11m hotel loan
Former Fianna Fáil councillor Gerard Killally, who has been adjudicated bankrupt, and former Co Offaly GAA manager Richie Connor are being sued with others over an alleged failure to repay an €11 million loan.
The EBS building society claims it advanced the loan in 2006 for a hotel development at Edenderry, Co Offaly, and to refinance existing facilities advanced to companies.
Mr Justice Peter Kelly yesterday transferred to the Commercial Court the action by EBS against Footprint Properties Ltd; Coneybro Business Park Ltd; Mr Killally; Mr Connor; Frank Lawlor, Clonmullen Lodge, Edenderry; Declan Guing, Carrick Road, Edenderry; and Adrian Daly, Racefield House, Capincur, Offaly. The judge was told Mr Killally had been adjudicated bankrupt. Mr Connor was not in court.
The other defendants agreed to the case being admitted to the court.
Man could face life for club shooting
A drug addict who shot a bouncer in the face before assaulting two arresting gardaí faces up to life imprisonment when he is sentenced later this month at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Wayne McNally (24) shot the bouncer after he was refused entry into Hush Nightclub in the Red Cow Inn. He escaped in a stolen car and was later seen by two gardaí on patrol in Dolphin’s Barn. They chased him and he pulled a clothes line down on one and punched the other before he was arrested.
CCTV footage showed a young boy standing within 200 yards of McNally when he fired the shot.
The court heard McNally had 55 previous convictions. Seán Gillane SC said his client was apologetic and asked Judge Frank O’Donnell to note his early plea and difficult childhood.
Judge O’Donnell called it a “very serious offence” and remanded McNally in custody until the end of the month.