A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Exhibition details stories of emigrants
A new exhibition detailing the stories and identities of early Irish emigrants to Europe opens in Dublin today, writes Steven Carroll.
Strangers to Citizens: The Irish in Europe 1600-1800 also commemorates the 400th anniversary of the Flight of the Earls. The exhibition takes place at the National Library of Ireland throughout 2008.
"Among the items on display are The Wild Geese Registers, which contain genealogies and coats of arms of people of Irish descent living in European cities such as Bordeaux, Malaga and Vienna. The National Library has assembled images and information from museums, galleries and archives all over Europe to assist in telling the stories of the exiles.
Catherine Fahy, of the National Library of Ireland, said: "Following the wars at the end of the 16th century, the Irish began to migrate to continental Europe. Many people left in search of fame and fortune and were successful, while others disappeared into the woodwork."
The exhibition also features a digital database, which visitors can use to search for specific people or their family in the records.
The original manuscript of Tadhg Ó Cianáin's diary of the Flight of the Earls is also featured.
A gold medallion featuring Louis le Brocquy's portrait of WB Yeats was presented to the National Library of Ireland yesterday. The library is currently home to the exhibition The Life and Works of William Butler Yeats.
Louth man remanded on bail
A Co Louth man whose trial on an IRA membership charge was prevented from going ahead by the Supreme Court last month was remanded on bail until January 15th at the Special Criminal Court yesterday.
Barry O'Brien (35), Oaktate, Stonetown, Dundalk, was charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Óglaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the IRA on April 6th, 2004.
Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that the failure to charge Mr O'Brien "immediately" after his arrest on April 8th, 2004 meant his subsequent detention for more than 15 hours prior to his being charged before the non-jury Special Criminal Court was unlawful.
The Supreme Court found Mr O'Brien was therefore unlawfully before the Special Criminal Court and it did not have the jurisdiction to try him. It quashed the Special Criminal Court's decision of December 14th, 2005 that he was lawfully before it on a charge of membership of an unlawful organisation.
Yesterday Mr O'Brien was released on an independent surety of €9,000. He must sign on daily at Carrickmacross Garda station.
Sentenced for drugs offence
A man caught with cocaine and heroin who fled to Spain under a threat but later surrendered to gardaí after a notorious criminal was killed, has been given a four-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Paul Barnwell (21), Greenfort Crescent, Clondalkin had a €16,000 debt to the criminal and pleaded guilty to possession for sale or supply of heroin and cocaine valued at just over €25,000 in Saggart, Co Dublin on October 21st, 2004.
Barnwell has been in custody since he returned from Spain last January and was granted compassionate bail in October to attend the funeral of his murdered cousin, Amanda Jenkins, who he said had persuaded him to come home and face the drugs charge.
Judge O'Donnell said he felt in all the circumstances the mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment for this type of offence would be unfair and imposed a four-year sentence which he backdated to January to reflect time in custody.