More news in brief
Two women were killed in a three-car collision in Athlone last night.
The women died when the car they were travelling in collided with two other vehicles at approximately 6.30pm on the N6 Dublin Road at Fardrum.
The 20-year-old driver and her 24-year-old passenger were taken to Portinuculla Hospital but were pronounced dead on arrival. A passenger in one of the other cars was also taken to hospital.
€7.2m stolen over 10 months in 2005
More than €7.2 million in cash was stolen in the first 10 months of last year, figures from the Department of Justice reveal.
The figures were released to Bernard Durkan (FG) following a parliamentary question to Minister for Justice Michael McDowell.
The reply reveals that €7,254,328.02 was stolen in the 10 months to October 31st last. Of this sum €33,184.19 was recovered. The figures are for cash stolen from the person, from an establishment or institution and the robbery of cash in transit.
Man gets €190,000 in asbestos action
A man in his 80s who claimed to have a significant history of exposure to asbestos while working for many years in a cake mills in Drogheda has secured €190,000 in settlement of his High Court action for damages. The action was brought after Brendan Byrne (83), Yellowbatter, Drogheda, Co Louth, was diagnosed in April 2004 with terminal lung cancer.
The settlement was without admission of liability. Mr Byrne had sued Irish Oil and Cake Mills Ltd.
Explosives factory plans re-lodged
Plans are to be re-lodged with Clare County Council for a €6 million explosives factory on the Shannon estuary. The managing director of the Whelan Group, Paddy Whelan, confirmed the move yesterday following a Fianna Fáil-led move at this month's council meeting not to provide protected status to the 19th century Cahercon Pier that will serve the proposed development. The move paves the way for Mr Whelan to lodge the plans for the explosives plant and "other industries".
Man acquitted on rape charge
A Clare businessman has been acquitted by a Central Criminal Court jury of raping a man in a bar toilet after giving him two free glasses of vodka and calling him "a queer".