A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Man killed, six injured in Kildare crash
A car passenger in his 20s was fatally injured and another six people, including three children, were taken to hospital following a road crash in Newbridge, Co Kildare, yesterday evening.
Two adults, who were understood to be in a stable condition, were last night being treated in Naas General Hospital. Another adult and three children were being treated in separate hospitals.
Two cars were involved in the crash which took place at 5pm at Martinstown.
Meanwhile, the man and woman injured in a collision at Cartymore Cross, on the main Galway to Monivea road, at 8.40am yesterday were described as being in a stable condition last night.
Court told of 4m cigarettes on lorry
A Latvian lorry driver on his way to Ireland was remanded in custody at Lewes Magistrates Court in East Sussex yesterday after pleading not guilty to evading duty at Newhaven Ferryport on 4.3 million L&M cigarettes.
Aleksandrs Yunga (36), Kuldiga, Latvia, was stopped by Customs officers as he drove a lorry off a ferry that had arrived from Dieppe. The lorry was carrying pallets of Bratwurst sausages destined for an address in Newbridge, Co Kildare. A search of the trailer revealed cigarettes hidden in the sausages.
The cigarettes, sausages, lorry and trailer were seized by Customs officials. Mr Yunga was arrested and charged with duty evasion.
Customs spokesman Bob Gaiger said: "Customs vigilance has prevented these cigarettes from reaching their destination. Cigarette smuggling is not a victimless crime. The revenue evaded on the cigarettes totalled over £760,000 - money that should be going towards funding public services rather than lining the pockets of smugglers."
An application for bail was refused and Mr Yunga was remanded in custody.
Judge criticises Finucane inquiry
Canadian Judge Peter Cory, who carried out the initial investigation into the killing, has expressed concern that the truth into how and why Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane was murdered may never emerge under the terms of the inquiry laid down by the British government.
He said in Belfast yesterday that the Finucane family was correct not to co-operate with the inquiry, as currently constituted, because it would not be properly independent and public.
Under the Inquiries Act, information that could threaten British national security or endanger life would not be disclosed in public at the inquiry and would be excluded from the final published report of the inquiry into Mr Finucane's murder by loyalist paramilitaries, allegedly with British security force collusion.
Fears over Ryanair pull-out report
Concern was expressed yesterday over reports that Ryanair is considering withdrawing from Cork airport over proposed fee increases to cover the cost of the airport's new terminal which could cost over €163 million.
Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Deirdre Clune, said she was concerned that Ryanair may be reviewing its position at the airport amid reports that the Cork Airport Authority is planning to increase charges at the new terminal.
If the authority was saddled with the debt of the new terminal and was forced to increase charges, then Ryanair's decision to review its services out of Cork could prove disastrous, Ms Clune said.
Fianna Fáil Cork North Central TD, Billy Kelleher, urged Minister for Transport Martin Cullen to resolve the debt impasse.
There have been reports that desk charges could increase from €3,000 to €28,000 per annum and passenger charges could go up from €9 to €13.
Dublin heroin dealer jailed for 15 years
A drug dealer who had heroin valued at €65,000 has been jailed for 15 years by Judge Donagh McDonagh at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Harry Melia (52) of Park Place, Chapelizod, Dublin, was convicted by a jury on four charges arising out of having the heroin at Conyngham Road, Islandbridge, on August 28th, 2004.
Melia had 33 previous convictions including a 10-year sentence. The jury returned its guilty verdict on day eight of the trial. Judge McDonagh imposed two terms of 15 years and two of seven years on the various charges, all to run concurrently.
Six years for stabbing brothers
A man who stabbed two brothers after he "snorted" five lines of cocaine and drank a huge amount of beer and vodka has been given a six year sentence by Judge Frank O'Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Kevin Lynch (21), McKee Park, Blackhorse Avenue, Dublin, was found guilty by a jury in December last of causing serious harm to Seán and Robert O'Hora on January 1st, 2003. The court heard the brothers were left with potentially life- threatening injuries after a mob including Lynch stabbed them on St Joseph's Road near where they all lived.
Man acquitted on assault charge
A jury has acquitted a man who said he hit another man over the head with a full vodka bottle in self-defence because he was in fear for his life. Robert Murtagh (26), The Mall, Malahide, Dublin, was found not guilty after just one hour of deliberations by the jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Mr Murtagh had pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to Donal McGrath on Main Street, Malahide on August 17th, 2002.
Guilty on €1.6m drugs charge
A single mother who allowed her boyfriend to hold drugs valued at €1.6 million in what was described as "love's young dream gone wrong" may face community service in lieu of a prison sentence. Simone Boyle (25), Hazel Road, Donnycarney, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to permitting the preparation of cannabis resin at her then home at Lissadell Grove, Seabury, Malahide.
Stephen Maher (33), Ardbeg Drive, Artane, her boyfriend, pleaded guilty to possession of the cannabis resin for sale or supply and possession of €1,937 worth of cocaine on March 22nd, 2005. He was remanded in custody, at his own request, pending sentence.
Death of Dublin airport worker
Inspectors from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) are attempting to establish the circumstances surrounding the death of a young male worker at Dublin airport in the early hours of yesterday morning.
The Irish man, in his mid twenties,was employed by aircraft maintenance company SR Technics Ireland at an airport hangar.
He was working a night shift when he was found in a dazed state by colleagues near the hangar doors.
It is thought he may have become trapped in the doors but there was some uncertainty about this, as the doors are understood to open and close extremely slowly. The name of the dead man has not been released.
Law Library crier of 50 years retires
Pat McDonald, crier to the Law Library in Dublin's Four Courts, will retire tomorrow breaking a family association with barristers going back more than a century. Mr McDonald, Thomond Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin, has been Law Library crier for 50 years. When he was "called to the bar" in 1956 he joined his grandfather, Patrick Geraghty, who had been robing master in the library from 1892.