A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Limerick murder trial jury retire
The jury in the Central Criminal Court trial of three men charged with the murder of a Limerick bouncer was sent to a hotel last night after deliberating for almost four hours.
Gary Campion (24), Pineview Gardens, Moyross, Limerick; Desmond Dundon (23), Ballinacurra Weston, Co Limerick; and Clare businessman Anthony Kelly (50) with an address at Killrush pleaded not guilty to murdering Brian Fitzgerald in the early hours of November 29th, 2002 at Brookhaven Walk, Mill Road, Corbally, Limerick.
Earlier the jury asked for CCTV footage showing Desmond Dundon in several locations on the night of the murder. They asked Mr Justice Peter Charleton to reread the evidence of the taxi driver who brought Mr Dundon to Burger King in Limerick City just before 4 am that night.
Mr Justice Charleton warned the 12-man jury they should treat chief prosecution witness James Martin Cahill's evidence with great caution, since it is categorised as accomplice evidence. The jury resumes its deliberations this morning.
Contractors fined after man's death
Fines were yesterday imposed on two contractors who pleaded guilty to breaches of safety regulations in a construction site accident in which one man died and another was injured in Kenmare, Co Kerry.
At the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee, Judge Carroll Moran warned the fines should not be seen as "a measure" of the loss of a life.
Michael Burns (57), a father of three from Tahilla, Sneem, was cleaning pipes in a deep trench on October 26th, 2005 when the side of the trench collapsed.
Tinal Electrical Limited, of The Atlantic Bar, The Square, Kenmare, were the main contractors on the site at Dromneavane, on the outskirts of Kenmare. Company director Sheelagh O'Sullivan pleaded guilty to five breaches of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 on the opening day of the case. The company was fined €40,000.
Subcontractor Tony O'Sullivan, a sole trader of Killaha West, Kenmare, who pleaded guilty to seven charges, was fined €15,000.
Mother of Labour Party leader dies
The death has taken place of Celia Keane, the mother of Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore.
Ms Keane, from Caltra, Co Galway, died yesterday at Beechfield Manor nursing home in Shankill, Co Dublin. She is survived by her two sons, Eamon and John, and her five grandchildren.
Ms Keane will repose at the Franciscan Oratory in Mountbellew, Co Galway, from 5.30pm today before her removal to Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Caltra at 8pm. The funeral Mass will take place at midday tomorrow.
Christmas welfare bonus announced
Some 1.3 million social welfare customers and their dependants will benefit from the Christmas bonus double payment which will be paid in the first week of December.
Eligible social welfare payments include the State pension; widow's and widower's pension; guardian's payment; invalidity pension; blind pension; deserted wife's benefit; carer's allowance and benefit; disability allowance; farm assist; long-term jobseeker's allowance and a number of other employment support payments. People on certain Fás, Vtos and community employment schemes will receive the double payment.