A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Golf club's discrimination case delayed
The Supreme Court hearing involving Portmarnock Golf Club and the Equality Authority has been deferred until December 18th due to the illness of a judge.
The court was due to hear an appeal yesterday by the Equality Authority against a 2005 High Court ruling which found that the north Dublin golf club was within its rights to bar women from becoming full members of the club.
The High Court ruling overturned a District Court decision that suspended the club's liquor licence for seven days after finding the ban on women members was discriminatory.
Sex offender's sentence cut
The Court of Criminal Appeal has reduced from 11 to nine years the jail sentence imposed on a young Co Kerry man for aggravated sexual assaults on two women which occurred within weeks of each other.
The three-judge appeal court said it would suspend the final two years of the 11 year sentence imposed on William Taylor (20) who attacked the women while he was still a schoolboy.
Taylor, Fieries, Farranfore, had pleaded guilty last year to aggravated sexual assault of the first woman and admitted sexually assaulting and threatening to kill the second victim.
Anthony Sammon SC said the sentencing judge had erred by not fully taking into account the "phenomenal" youth of his client.
He said Taylor was in secondary school at the time of the offences and was arrested while waiting for the school bus. He was co-operative with gardaí, was very immature and had been receiving medical treatment since entering custody.
The appeal court found that the trial judge had not given adequate regard to Taylor's young age and to the possibility of rehabilitation.
The court said it would suspend the final two years of each of the sentences.
'DNA link' to alleged rapists
A jury has heard that DNA evidence led to the arrest of two Wexford men accused of forcing their way into the home of a Waterford mother and taking turns to rape her as she was restrained by a rope around her neck.
A 25-year-old man has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to three counts of raping the woman at her Waterford home on August 31st, 2006. The 22-year-old co-accused also denies raping her.
Det Garda John Shorthall said both men were arrested in September 2007 after DNA samples were taken from them and sent to the forensic laboratory for analysis.
Both had been arrested earlier for questioning but had denied the rape.
A doctor who had treated the complainant in the sexual assault unit in a Waterford hospital on the day of the alleged rape, told the court that he found horizontal marks on her neck, bruising around her eye, on her right thigh and her hand.
He agreed that the marks on her neck, which stretched across her throat from ear to ear, were consistent with someone holding a rope around her.
The trial continues.
Shooting in Finglas investigated
Gardaí are investigating an attack on a 24-year-old man in Finglas, north Dublin, just after midnight on Sunday. He was shot in the lower body in a car park at Barry shops on Barry Road. Two men wearing hooded tops attacked him. They escaped on foot. The injured man was treated at Connolly hospital, Blanchardstown.
Death caused by fall, say gardaí
Gardaí investigating the discovery of a man's body in Bray, Co Wicklow, yesterday believe he died as a result of an accidental fall. The body of a man believed to be in his 30s was discovered at about 11am on Strand Road in Bray town. A forensic examination was carried out and the State Pathologist was contacted. Gardaí are not treating the death as suspicious, and confirmed no one was being sought over the death.
Rush-hour rail service disrupted
Rush-hour rail services were disrupted for a short time yesterday evening after a lorry struck a railway bridge in Dublin city centre. The truck hit the bridge at Amiens Street near Connolly train station in the north city centre at about 5.55pm.
Dart and commuter train services were stopped for 15 minutes.
Man (61) dies in house fire
A 61-YEAR-OLD Co Wexford man has died as the result of a fire in his home. Peter Kehoe, Lower Shannon, Enniscorthy, who lived alone, died from smoke inhalation.
Neighbours noticed smoke coming from the house at 6.30am yesterday. Firemen gained entry to the house, where they found Mr Kehoe on the floor. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Foul play has been ruled out.
Papal honour for broadcaster
The pope has bestowed the honour of Knight of the Order of St Gregory the Great on Wexford broadcaster Frank Flanagan, who has produced and presented the programme Sounding Out on South East Radio for 17 years, writes Patsy McGarry. The pope grants the order after a recommendation from a diocesan bishop.