In Short

A round-up of today's other stories.

A round-up of today's other stories.

Gardaí find guns, drugs in Limerick

A massive search operation involving more than 30 gardaí uncovered firearms, ammunition and drugs in a Limerick housing estate.

A pump-action shotgun, a handgun, silencers and quantities of ammunition for both weapons were seized during searches of houses in O'Malley Park in Southill on Thursday.

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Four people were arrested following the searches at up to eight homes. All have since been released without charge.

More than 5,000 ecstasy tablets were discovered on waste ground near one of the houses while the weapons and ammunition were recovered on the grounds of another house.

The searches involved members of the drugs unit.

The firearms and drugs found have been sent for technical examination.

The seizures in Southill took place just 24 hours after gardaí in Limerick city seized €120,000 worth of drugs following three search operations in Limerick city.

Cannabis factory found in Louth

A large cannabis-growing factory and evidence of what may be a cocaine- mixing operation were uncovered in a raid on a disused pub in Drogheda yesterday, writes Elaine Keogh.

In the search of the premises, on the Termonfeckin road out of Drogheda, gardaí found the elaborate cannabis cultivation operation, including a water sprinkler.

Plants were found in function rooms and along corridors. The area was sealed off and will be examined this morning.

Legal bills to raise Eyre Square costs

Further legal action may now add more to the cost overrun on Galway's controversial Eyre Square, writes Lorna Siggins.

Galway City Council has sought a High Court hearing over the interim findings of an arbitrator in a "breach of contract" hearing.

The arbitration involves the city council and Samuel Kingston Construction Ltd, the company that quit the project in late June 2005 before its completion.

A new contractor was hired to finish the landscaping, which had already aroused environmental opposition when first planned.

Legal representatives for the council have been instructed to question some of the findings of an interim report from the arbitrator.

The project is already estimated to have cost about €11 million - multiples of an original estimate of almost €2 million in 1995.

Fine Gael councillor Pádraig Conneely predicts this will now rise further as a result of the legal expenses.

Man exposed himself to gardaí

A man who used abusive language and exposed himself to gardaí was jailed for a year yesterday.

Glenties District Court heard that Jonathan Baskin (22) was convicted of assaulting Garda Catherine Beirne's colleague, Garda Damian Mulkearns, resisting arrest and for possession of an ecstasy tablet. He was also fined €1,200.

Honorary CBE for Ireland Funds chief

The chief executive and president of the Ireland Funds has been awarded an honorary CBE by Queen Elizabeth for services to British-Irish relations and for promoting philanthropy.

Kingsley Aikins will be presented with the award by British ambassador David Reddaway in Dublin on Monday.

The ambassador said Mr Aikins had made a major contribution to the success of the Ireland Funds over a 20-year period, noting that the charitable group had raised over $200 million in the last 10 years.

The money had been used to help young people on the island of Ireland, particularly through educational and skills development and cross- community work in Northern Ireland.