The mother of former Dublin train driver, Mr Garry Mulligan, broke down in tears in court yesterday when she spoke of the pain her son still suffered as a result of his tragic swimming accident in Australia.
Mrs Agnes Mulligan told the New South Wales Supreme Court, sitting in Dublin, that Garry moaned a lot when in pain and it was very distressing. She said that after hearing of the accident, in which Garry broke his neck while diving in Coffs Creek, near Sydney, in January 1999, she and members of her family had flown there to be with him.
She lived in accommodation in the grounds of the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney until he returned home three months later.
Mr John Mulligan, Garry's father, also told the court of the costs of refurbishing their Donneycarney home to facilitate Garry's wheelchair.
The 33-year-old man, who was paralysed from the neck down in the swimming accident, is suing government and local authorities in Australia for an estimated €2.7 million damages. Mr Mulligan claims he dived into what he believed was clear water but hit his head against a sandbank and broke his neck.
Archbishop-elect in Dublin today
The Archbishop-elect of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is to preach in Dublin today for the first time since his appointment in the Church of England was announced.
He is to give the address in Christ ChurchCathedral at an ecumenical service for the Order of St Lazarus, which is holding a three-day conference in Dublin. The order's spiritual protector, his beatitude Gregorios III, Melkite Patriarch of Antioch, will take part.
Two remanded in Cork assault case
Two men appeared before Cork District Court yesterday in connection with a serious assault on a man in the city earlier this year, writes Olivia Kelleher.
Mr Ross Stapleton (20), of no fixed abode, and Mr Paul Sheehan (19), The Glen, Cork, were charged with assault, causing harm to Mr Christian Scully. Mr Scully (28), Togher, Cork, has been on a life-support machine since January 28th last after being set upon by youths at Sober Lane in the city centre.
Mr Sheehan was remanded in custody with consent to bail.
Bail was set at €1,000 and an independent surety of €3,000. Judge Uinsin McGruairc remanded Mr Stapleton in custody. Both men are to reappear in court next Wednesday.
Non-nationals remanded in Tralee
Eight non-nationals, arrested in July in Killarney under Operation Hyphen, a crackdown on illegal immigrants, were remanded on continuing bail at Tralee District Court yesterday.
The eight, including three men and five women of Malaysian and Chinese nationality, are to appear before Killarney District Court on November 5th next. All reside at the same address in Killarney.
Gardai seek to identify body
Gardaí are seeking assis-tance in identifying a Caucasian man whose body was taken from the Royal Canal, beneath the Canal Stand at Croke Park, last Tuesday morning.
Described as 5ft 5in, in his mid-20s, with dark hair, he was wearing a denim jacket and jeans, Adidas runners without socks, a pink/red check shirt and white T-shirt with the logo "Preference", which included a Union Jack emblem.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Fitzgibbon Street gardaí at 01-668-4000.