Today's other Irish stories in brief
Man convicted of possessing ammunition
A 51 year old man has been convicted by a jury of possessing 220 rounds of assault rifle ammunition which were discovered by gardaí in a dresser in his attic during a search of his house after neighbours reported finding burnt northern sterling notes in their gardens.
Don Blaney, Cnoc Abhainn, Old Church Road, Passage West, Co Cork, had denied a charge of possessing the ammunition at his home on February 18th, 2005.
But yesterday a jury at Cork Circuit Criminal Court found Blaney guilty of the charge by a 11-1 majority and Judge Con Murphy remanded him on bail for sentence on February 25th.
Lowry assured on staff move plan
North Tipperary TD Michael Lowry said yesterday he has gained assurances from the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern, that 15 additional staff from the Equality Authority will now transfer to Roscrea.
This will bring the staff serving in Roscrea up to 30.
The target date for the transfer of staff is the first week of January 2009.
Mr Lowry welcomed the move as an "important boost for Roscrea".
IFA to lobby TDs over Budget cuts
TDs and Senators will be lobbied by members of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) on the fringes of the two-day Dáil debate on the Budget cuts next week.
IFA president Pádraig Walshe said it would mount an intensive lobby on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"The Budget inflicted income cuts of over 10 per cent on 60,000 low-income farm families. No other sector has seen individual family incomes cut by € 2,500, but low-income livestock farmers have been disproportionately hit," he said.
Courts moved due to renovations
The court in Killarney, Co Kerry, is to convene in the function room of a hotel while urgent renovation works are carried out to the town's courthouse.
A site for a new courthouse is being sought, a spokesman for the courts service also confirmed yesterday.
The "ageing building," some of which is no longer used, was now being refurbished, furnished and painted and it was hoped the court would be back there in the first quarter of the New Year, the spokesman said.
Sittings of the Circuit Civil Courts, as well as the District Courts and appeals to the Circuit Court will remain at The Heights Hotel, Killarney, until Christmas.
Boy was wearing bulletproof vest
A 14-year-old boy was wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a knife when gardaí stopped the car he was driving because he was at grave risk of being shot, a court has heard.
The boy was sentenced to six months detention at the Children's Court in Limerick where he pleaded guilty to possession of the knife on April 2nd last.