theirishtimes--2020-08-13--Look to lichens for dating with a difference

At a distance Charles Fort in Kinsale looms up from the landscape in shades of grey stone but once you get closer you can see that its surface is actually multicoloured .
Lichens crust the walls , including the bright yellow Caloplaca decipiens and the deep black Varrucaria maura .
The tops of the walls are home to flowering grasses , mosses and heathers .
Rather than a dead artefact it is a living habitat .
Of all the organisms now living among the 17th-century walls , the lichens have probably been there the longest .
Lichens are an organism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can live for thousands of years , growing very slowly and regularly .
Recognition of their age and their regular growth rate led to the science known as “ lichenometry ” , pioneered in the 1950s .
It uses the growth rate of lichens to determine the age of the surface that they grow on .
Roland Beschel , an Austrian scientist , first suggested the use of lichens for dating .
He had noticed that larger lichens appeared on older glacial moraine ( the rocks left behind when a glacier retreats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pattern could be used to date the movement of glaciers in the Alps .
Lichenometry continues to be an important way to study the retreat of glaciers , especially now in the context of climate changes observed at the poles .
Other geological events can be dated using lichens including volcanic eruptions and landslides .
Lichenometry has also been extended into the realm of archaeology where it can be useful when radio carbon dating is either not possible or not likely to prove especially helpful .
The technique is not without difficulty .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ weather changes and the same species will grow differently in different environments ( despite the fact that a single species of lichen may be found across the globe ) .
Lichens on a surface may merge with one another , making it difficult to determine the precise size of a single specimen .
Fire destroys lichen thereby “ resetting ” the lichenometric clock .
The technique further assumes that a lichen immediately colonised the rock in question , but this may not be true .
Nonetheless , lichenometry can be helpful in dating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other methods of dating prove difficult .
Unmarked or degraded gravestones are one useful example .
A study by Brandy Luthe et al in 2018 used lichen growth to date headstones in a cemetery in Arkansas that was associated with the advance of western settlement .
No documentary evidence existed about the establishment of the cemetery and some headstones were not dated .
Dated headstones could be used to establish a growth curve for the relevant lichens .
Lichenometry ( combined with other methods ) suggested that the cemetery was founded about 1800 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The fact that lichens need sunlight to grow is also helpful in dating .
For example , a rock that has lichens on a surface not exposed to the sun suggests that the rock has been recently moved .
For archaeologists studying Native American sites lichenometry can help to establish how much the form of a wall , for example , has been altered by 21st century hikers or campers moving the stones out of place .
In Ireland , lichens have been used by Eoin Halpin to make an argument about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the idea that the tombs were not fully covered with cairn stones by the observation of a lichen “ tide mark ” on the large stones forming the portal .
Lichens above the mark are different than those below , suggesting that the lower parts were originally covered with cairn stones .
Lichens only began growing below the tide mark after the cairn stones were disturbed .
Irish botanist Matilda Knowles dedicated many years to the study of lichens , identifying new species and publishing a book on them in 1929 .
Her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a compilation of her own diligent work and that of many Irish naturalists over more than a century and a half .
Lichens have born silent witness to thousands of years of Irish history , colonising new surfaces as they have become available from trees in the deer park of the Castlemartyr estate , to the sea wall in Sutton , to limestone walls at Tara , to the Fort Hotel in Greencastle , to mud walls on the Circular Road in Dublin and apple trees at Ardnacrusha .

At a distance Charles Fort in Kinsale looms up from the landscape in shades of grey stone but once you get closer you can see that its surface is actually multicoloured. Lichens crust the walls, including the bright yellow Caloplaca decipiens and the deep black Varrucaria maura. The tops of the walls are home to flowering grasses, mosses and heathers. Rather than a dead artefact it is a living habitat.
Of all the organisms now living among the 17th-century walls, the lichens have probably been there the longest. Lichens are an organism made up of fungus and algae and they can live for thousands of years, growing very slowly and regularly. Recognition of their age and their regular growth rate led to the science known as “lichenometry”, pioneered in the 1950s. It uses the growth rate of lichens to determine the age of the surface that they grow on.
Movement of glaciers
The fact that lichens need sunlight to grow is helpful in dating. Photograph: David Haskell
Roland Beschel, an Austrian scientist, first suggested the use of lichens for dating. He had noticed that larger lichens appeared on older glacial moraine (the rocks left behind when a glacier retreats) and proposed that a lichen growth pattern could be used to date the movement of glaciers in the Alps. Lichenometry continues to be an important way to study the retreat of glaciers, especially now in the context of climate changes observed at the poles. Other geological events can be dated using lichens including volcanic eruptions and landslides.
Lichenometry has also been extended into the realm of archaeology where it can be useful when radio carbon dating is either not possible or not likely to prove especially helpful.
READ MORE
The technique is not without difficulty. Lichen growth rates can be affected by weather changes and the same species will grow differently in different environments (despite the fact that a single species of lichen may be found across the globe). Lichens on a surface may merge with one another, making it difficult to determine the precise size of a single specimen. Fire destroys lichen thereby “resetting” the lichenometric clock. The technique further assumes that a lichen immediately colonised the rock in question, but this may not be true.
Gravestones
Nonetheless, lichenometry can be helpful in dating particular kinds of sites and objects when other methods of dating prove difficult. Unmarked or degraded gravestones are one useful example. A study by Brandy Luthe et al in 2018 used lichen growth to date headstones in a cemetery in Arkansas that was associated with the advance of western settlement.
A rock that has lichens on a surface not exposed to the sun suggests that the rock has been recently moved
No documentary evidence existed about the establishment of the cemetery and some headstones were not dated. Dated headstones could be used to establish a growth curve for the relevant lichens. Lichenometry (combined with other methods) suggested that the cemetery was founded about 1800, earlier than the dated headstones.
The fact that lichens need sunlight to grow is also helpful in dating. For example, a rock that has lichens on a surface not exposed to the sun suggests that the rock has been recently moved. For archaeologists studying Native American sites lichenometry can help to establish how much the form of a wall, for example, has been altered by 21st century hikers or campers moving the stones out of place.
In Ireland, lichens have been used by Eoin Halpin to make an argument about the shape of portal tombs. Halpin supports the idea that the tombs were not fully covered with cairn stones by the observation of a lichen "tide mark" on the large stones forming the portal. Lichens above the mark are different than those below, suggesting that the lower parts were originally covered with cairn stones. Lichens only began growing below the tide mark after the cairn stones were disturbed.
Matilda Knowles
Irish botanist Matilda Knowles dedicated many years to the study of lichens, identifying new species and publishing a book on them in 1929. Her list of lichen species found in Ireland is a compilation of her own diligent work and that of many Irish naturalists over more than a century and a half.
Lichens have born silent witness to thousands of years of Irish history, colonising new surfaces as they have become available from trees in the deer park of the Castlemartyr estate, to the sea wall in Sutton, to limestone walls at Tara, to the Fort Hotel in Greencastle, to mud walls on the Circular Road in Dublin and apple trees at Ardnacrusha.
Dr Juliana Adelman lectures in history at Dublin City University


theirishtimes--2020-08-13--A year after Nóra Quoirin’s body was found, her parents still believe she was abducted

Moments after discovering that her daughter , Nóra , had disappeared from a holiday chalet in the Malaysian jungle , Meabh Quoirin was sure that she had been abducted .
A year on , she believes the same .
“ I felt this within two minutes of discovering that she wasn ’ t there , ” Meabh said .
“ This was before I could even absorb what was really happening .
I just knew.
” One year ago – Thursday , August 13th – Nóra ’ s body was found in the jungle about 2km from the Dusun resort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents and two younger siblings .
The Franco-Irish teenager had been missing for 10 days .
Meabh and Nóra ’ s father , Sebastien , hope now that a hard-won inquest in Malaysia , which will start later this month , will finally answer some of the family ’ s questions .
Poignantly , Thursday is also the day the Malaysian coroner and her team are visiting the Dusun and inspecting the place where Nóra ’ s body was found by a group of hikers who had volunteered to join the search .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ times during a massive search-and-rescue operation .
Sixty-seven people , including the Quoirins , will give evidence at the inquest , scheduled to start on August 24th .
“ What we want is that no family would ever go through what we ’ ve had to go through , ” Meabh told The Irish Times .
“ What we ’ re looking for is an acknowledgement of the numerous possibilities , and a far greater emphasis on who Nóra was and why it is just impossible to believe certain theories about what might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sebastien remain convinced that their 15-year-old daughter , a vulnerable girl with special needs , who would not go outside her own front door alone , could not have reached the spot where she was found on her own .
They say that crucial time and evidence was lost because the Malaysian police insisted on treating her disappearance as a case of a missing person , not a crime .
“ The first two days were catastrophic , ” Sebastien said .
“ It was utter chaos.
” Forensic tests were only done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three days after their daughter had disappeared .
A year on , the Quoirins are coping : “ We ’ ve had a lot of support from family , friends , professionals and strangers who continue to write to us and visit Nóra ’ s grave , but , in the end , I ’ m still absolutely devastated , ” Meabh said .
“ We miss her every minute of every day .
It ’ s my little girl ; you can ’ t get past that .
It feels like it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Quoirins say they do not want foul play to be ruled out by the coroner .
The lack of evidence that there was foul play does not mean that that there was not any , Meabh says .
“ For us it ’ s important that the case stays open in case someone speaks up in the future , ” Sebastien said .
One question that has not yet been answered is whether Nóra died where she was found , or whether her body was moved there .
There were no marks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nor was there evidence of violence .
However , this does not prove that she was not abducted , Meabh says .
“ Nóra would never have struggled ; that wasn ’ t her nature , ” she said .
Nóra ’ s body was found naked .
“ We have asked many times if the briefs she was wearing were ever found and we have had no response , ” Sebastien said .
The way in which cases like Nóra ’ s disappearance are handled in Malaysia needs to be changed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The morning after Nóra ’ s body was found , our police liaison officer was taken off the case , and very quickly the case was classified as ‘ no further action ’ , ” Meabh said .
The Malaysian postmortem was completed in November , but the report was not released to the Quoirins until May .
A second postmortem was carried out in Britain , but this shed no new light .
“ They were really only able to agree with the conclusion of the Malaysian report on the cause of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to a duodenal ulcer complicated with perforation , ” Meabh said .
The Malaysian pathologists dated Nóra ’ s death to two or three days , and no more than four days , before her body was found .
Sebastien says police from France , Britain and Ireland offered help : “ We don ’ t know to what extent those offers of assistance were taken up , ” he said .
“ We know that there was a very rudimentary campsite very near to where Nóra was found and the French @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for DNA testing .
We don ’ t know if those samples were ever obtained.
” The campsite looked like it had been occupied recently , the Quoirins say , with rubbish and evidence of a fire .
Nóra ’ s body was not sunburned , and there were no mosquito bites .
“ There were only a few abrasions visible on her feet , ” Sebastien said .
“ This doesn ’ t fit the argument that she was out in the jungle by herself for seven days.
” Sebastien points out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was repeatedly and very thoroughly searched and every river and stream near the resort was scoured , but Nóra ’ s body was found by volunteers , near to a stream .
“ We wonder how it is the search-and-rescue teams didn ’ t find her , ” he said .
“ As we see it , it is likely that she simply wasn ’ t there , and at some point was brought there.
” The Quoirins say they believe someone gave Nóra water .
“ We don ’ t believe that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; we don ’ t believe Nóra would have easily made it to a stream , ” Meabh said .
“ While someone with survival instincts would know to travel downwards , and to try to find water , Nóra would never have wanted to leave a known path and suddenly go into the jungle in the hope that she would find water or food .
She wouldn ’ t have known she needed to do that to survive.
” According to the Malaysian postmortem report , no organisms from the water in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were present in her body .
The terrain next to the Dusun is incredibly steep , Sebastien says .
“ If she had taken the main path , she would have been spotted and , if she had crossed the abandoned palm oil plantation , she would have been seen during the search.
” Even if Nóra had , by mistake , gone outside of the Dusun chalet by herself , there is no way she would have gone far , Sebastien says .
“ Had she gone three metres , she would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There was total darkness .
There was not even any moon that night .
“ Normally , when there was an element of uncertainty , Nóra would just freeze .
It is totally impossible to conceive of her going further than just a few metres.
” The lounge window in the chalet was found to be ajar when Nóra went missing .
The latch on the window was broken , so somebody could have pulled it open from outside and got in .
“ Somebody opened that window , ” Meabh said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Meabh says Nóra brought a very unique contribution to family conversations .
“ She rarely left my side .
Having her innocent chatting through every situation was always wonderful , always different .
“ It is wonderful how a little girl as fragile as Nóra was has touched the world .
I believe her gifts to us will live on through us .
We are determined that the world will know that you don ’ t give up just because somebody doesn ’ t have the strongest voice.
” Children with special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an agenda , Meabh says .
“ They just accept people as they are .
I really miss that deep love and affection , and her companionship .
“ I ’ ve been fighting to get Nóra what she needed from the day she was born and I ’ m not going to stop that now , but the pain is huge .
It ’ s immeasurable really.
” Meabh says Nóra ’ s siblings – Maurice , aged nine , and Innes , aged 13 – are very resilient .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our best memories of Nóra .
The children look back and think of all the ways in which Nóra made them smile .
She was funny and quirky with them and they remember and cherish that .
“ She is very much alive as part of our family .
We ’ ll always be a family of five .
”

Meabh Quoirin with Nóra. The 15-year-old, who had learning difficulties, had been on a family holiday at the Dusun resort when she went missing. Photograph: Family Handout
Moments after discovering that her daughter, Nóra, had disappeared from a holiday chalet in the Malaysian jungle, Meabh Quoirin was sure that she had been abducted. A year on, she believes the same.
“I felt this within two minutes of discovering that she wasn’t there,” Meabh said. “This was before I could even absorb what was really happening. I just knew.”
One year ago – on August 13th – Nóra’s body was found in the jungle about 2km from the Dusun resort where she had been staying with her parents and two younger siblings. The Franco-Irish teenager had been missing for 10 days.
Meabh and Nóra's father, Sebastien, hope now that a hard-won inquest in Malaysia, which will start later this month, will finally answer some of the family's questions.
READ MORE
Poignantly, Thursday is also the day the Malaysian coroner and her team are visiting the Dusun and inspecting the place where Nóra’s body was found by a group of hikers who had volunteered to join the search. The location had already been scoured many times during a massive search-and-rescue operation.
Sixty-seven people, including the Quoirins, will give evidence at the inquest, scheduled to start on August 24th. “What we want is that no family would ever go through what we’ve had to go through,” Meabh told The Irish Times.
“What we’re looking for is an acknowledgement of the numerous possibilities, and a far greater emphasis on who Nóra was and why it is just impossible to believe certain theories about what might have happened to her.”
Meabh and Sebastien remain convinced that their 15-year-old daughter, a vulnerable girl with special needs, who would not go outside her own front door alone, could not have reached the spot where she was found on her own.
Time and evidence lost
They say that crucial time and evidence was lost because the Malaysian police insisted on treating her disappearance as a case of a missing person, not a crime.
“The first two days were catastrophic,” Sebastien said. “It was utter chaos.” Forensic tests were only done in the chalet occupied by the Quoirins three days after their daughter had disappeared.
A year on, the Quoirins are coping: “We’ve had a lot of support from family, friends, professionals and strangers who continue to write to us and visit Nóra’s grave, but, in the end, I’m still absolutely devastated,” Meabh said.
“We miss her every minute of every day. It’s my little girl; you can’t get past that. It feels like it happened yesterday,” she added.
The Quoirins say they do not want foul play to be ruled out by the coroner. The lack of evidence that there was foul play does not mean that that there was not any, Meabh says. “For us it’s important that the case stays open in case someone speaks up in the future,” Sebastien said.
One question that has not yet been answered is whether Nóra died where she was found, or whether her body was moved there.
There were no marks of struggle on Nóra’s body. Nor was there evidence of violence. However, this does not prove that she was not abducted, Meabh says. “Nóra would never have struggled; that wasn’t her nature,” she said.
Nóra’s body was found naked. “We have asked many times if the briefs she was wearing were ever found and we have had no response,” Sebastien said.
The way in which cases like Nóra’s disappearance are handled in Malaysia needs to be changed completely, the Quoirins say.
“The morning after Nóra’s body was found, our police liaison officer was taken off the case, and very quickly the case was classified as ‘no further action’,” Meabh said.
The Malaysian postmortem was completed in November, but the report was not released to the Quoirins until May. A second postmortem was carried out in Britain, but this shed no new light.
“They were really only able to agree with the conclusion of the Malaysian report on the cause of death, which was upper gastrointestinal bleeding due to a duodenal ulcer complicated with perforation,” Meabh said.
Date of death
The Malaysian pathologists dated Nóra’s death to two or three days, and no more than four days, before her body was found.
Sebastien says police from France, Britain and Ireland offered help: "We don't know to what extent those offers of assistance were taken up," he said.
“We know that there was a very rudimentary campsite very near to where Nóra was found and the French police suggested taking samples from the area for DNA testing. We don’t know if those samples were ever obtained.”
The campsite looked like it had been occupied recently, the Quoirins say, with rubbish and evidence of a fire.
Nóra’s body was not sunburned, and there were no mosquito bites. “There were only a few abrasions visible on her feet,” Sebastien said. “This doesn’t fit the argument that she was out in the jungle by herself for seven days.”
Sebastien points out that a wide radius around the Dusun was repeatedly and very thoroughly searched and every river and stream near the resort was scoured, but Nóra’s body was found by volunteers, near to a stream.
“We wonder how it is the search-and-rescue teams didn’t find her,” he said. “As we see it, it is likely that she simply wasn’t there, and at some point was brought there.”
The Quoirins say they believe someone gave Nóra water. “We don’t believe that she would have drunk from a stream; we don’t believe Nóra would have easily made it to a stream,” Meabh said.
“While someone with survival instincts would know to travel downwards, and to try to find water, Nóra would never have wanted to leave a known path and suddenly go into the jungle in the hope that she would find water or food. She wouldn’t have known she needed to do that to survive.”
According to the Malaysian postmortem report, no organisms from the water in the specific stream where Nóra was found were present in her body.
The terrain next to the Dusun is incredibly steep, Sebastien says. “If she had taken the main path, she would have been spotted and, if she had crossed the abandoned palm oil plantation, she would have been seen during the search.”
Even if Nóra had, by mistake, gone outside of the Dusun chalet by herself, there is no way she would have gone far, Sebastien says. “Had she gone three metres, she would have tripped and seriously hurt herself. There was total darkness. There was not even any moon that night.
“Normally, when there was an element of uncertainty, Nóra would just freeze. It is totally impossible to conceive of her going further than just a few metres.”
Open window
The lounge window in the chalet was found to be ajar when Nóra went missing. The latch on the window was broken, so somebody could have pulled it open from outside and got in.
“Somebody opened that window,” Meabh said, “and it wasn’t us.”
Meabh says Nóra brought a very unique contribution to family conversations. “She rarely left my side. Having her innocent chatting through every situation was always wonderful, always different.
“It is wonderful how a little girl as fragile as Nóra was has touched the world. I believe her gifts to us will live on through us. We are determined that the world will know that you don’t give up just because somebody doesn’t have the strongest voice.”
The last family photograph the Quoirin family have with Nora at Maurice’s first communion on June 16th, 2019. Photograph: Supplied
Children with special needs do not have an ego or an agenda, Meabh says. “They just accept people as they are. I really miss that deep love and affection, and her companionship.
“I’ve been fighting to get Nóra what she needed from the day she was born and I’m not going to stop that now, but the pain is huge. It’s immeasurable really.”
Meabh says Nóra’s siblings – Maurice, aged nine, and Innes, aged 13 – are very resilient. “We are making a memory log of all our best memories of Nóra. The children look back and think of all the ways in which Nóra made them smile. She was funny and quirky with them and they remember and cherish that.
“She is very much alive as part of our family. We’ll always be a family of five.”


theirishtimes--2020-08-12--An Post puts alternative arrangements in place after fire damages Midleton Post Office

An Post has begun putting postal and social welfare arrangements in place for people in Midleton after a fire damaged the post office in the town in early hours of Wednesday morning .
Two people , a woman in her 80s and her daughter managed to make their way from an apartment over the post office on the Main Street after fire broke out in the building at around 1.30am .
According to Midleton Fire Brigade station officer , Mark Sinclair , the pair had a lucky escape after they were alerted by smoke alarms which activated .
“ Smoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exactly what they did - this woman and her elderly mother were alerted when fire broke out and they managed to get out with help from gardaí , ” he said .
Mr Sinclair said the Midleton and Cobh units of the Cork County Fire Service managed to bring the blaze under control within 30 minutes but spent almost seven hours dampening down hotspots .
Gardaí were waiting for the building to be made safe before carrying out a technical examination but early indications suggested there was nothing pointing to the fire being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman confirmed that Midleton Post Office will be out of service for “ the foreseeable future ” as a result of the fire which caused considerable damage to the building .
He confirmed that An Post was making arrangements for general post office services to be made available in both Carrigtwohill and Castlemartyr Post Offices which are 9kms or less away .
“ All Department of Employment Action and Social Protection customers will be catered for at Castlemartyr post office .
“ Midleton is a busy post office and once we have dealt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and assess the damage done we will begin the work of restoring a full service to Midleton .
“ Fortunately all our mails and parcels processing for the Midleton area is carried out at our delivery service unit at a separate location and so was not impacted by the fire , ” he said

Mail processing for the Midleton area is carried out at a separate location and so was not impacted by the fire. Photograph: Cork County Fire Service/Twitter
An Post has begun putting postal and social welfare arrangements in place for people in Midleton after a fire damaged the post office in the town in early hours of Wednesday morning.
Two people, a woman in her 80s and her daughter managed to make their way from an apartment over the post office on the Main Street after fire broke out in the building at around 1.30am.
According to Midleton Fire Brigade station officer, Mark Sinclair, the pair had a lucky escape after they were alerted by smoke alarms which activated.
“Smoke alarms save lives and that’s exactly what they did - this woman and her elderly mother were alerted when fire broke out and they managed to get out with help from gardaí,” he said.
READ MORE
Mr Sinclair said the Midleton and Cobh units of the Cork County Fire Service managed to bring the blaze under control within 30 minutes but spent almost seven hours dampening down hotspots.
Gardaí were waiting for the building to be made safe before carrying out a technical examination but early indications suggested there was nothing pointing to the fire being started deliberately.
Meanwhile an An Post spokesman confirmed that Midleton Post Office will be out of service for “the foreseeable future” as a result of the fire which caused considerable damage to the building.
He confirmed that An Post was making arrangements for general post office services to be made available in both Carrigtwohill and Castlemartyr Post Offices which are 9kms or less away.
“All Department of Employment Action and Social Protection customers will be catered for at Castlemartyr post office.
“Midleton is a busy post office and once we have dealt with the immediate aftermath of the fire and assess the damage done we will begin the work of restoring a full service to Midleton.
“Fortunately all our mails and parcels processing for the Midleton area is carried out at our delivery service unit at a separate location and so was not impacted by the fire,” he said


theirishtimes--2020-08-12--Sniffer dog key to finding 44,000 cigarettes being smuggled into Dublin Port

A Dublin Port sniffer dog called Kelly was key to finding almost 50,000 cigarettes and 2.6kg of tobacco which were being smuggled into the State on Wednesday morning .
Through a combination of routine profiling and the detector dog Revenue officers seized 44,000 cigarettes which were branded ‘ Marlboro ’ , ‘ Rothmans ’ , ‘ King ’ , ‘ Sobraine ’ , and ‘ Dunhill ’ while the loose tobacco was branded ‘ Old Holborn ’ , ‘ Golden Virginia ’ and ‘ George Karelias & Sons ’ .
Revenue officials said the find had a combined estimated value @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a loss to the exchequer of €19,630 had it entered the country undetected .
As part of the same operation , Revenue officers also seized 308 litres of smuggled alcohol with an estimated retail value of €6,700 , representing a loss to the exchequer of €3,938 .
The seized products were discovered when Revenue officers conducted an examination of two vans , driven by men originally from Bulgaria , which had arrived in Dublin Port via Hollyhead .
The investigations are ongoing .
These seizures are part of Revenue ’ s on-going operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of alcohol and cigarettes in the shadow economy and businesses or members of the public with any information regarding smuggling or the sale of illegal cigarettes or tobacco , have been urged to contact Revenue in confidence on 1800 295 295 .

The seized products were discovered when Revenue officers conducted an examination of two vans which had arrived in Dublin Port via Hollyhead. Photograph: Revenue
A Dublin Port sniffer dog called Kelly was key to finding almost 50,000 cigarettes and 2.6kg of tobacco which were being smuggled into the State on Wednesday morning.
Through a combination of routine profiling and the detector dog Revenue officers seized 44,000 cigarettes which were branded ‘Marlboro’, ‘Rothmans’, ‘King’, ‘Sobraine’, and ‘Dunhill’ while the loose tobacco was branded ‘Old Holborn’, ‘Golden Virginia’ and ‘George Karelias & Sons’.
Revenue officials said the find had a combined estimated value of almost €23,000 and would have represented a loss to the exchequer of €19,630 had it entered the country undetected.
As part of the same operation, Revenue officers also seized 308 litres of smuggled alcohol with an estimated retail value of €6,700, representing a loss to the exchequer of €3,938.
READ MORE
The seized products were discovered when Revenue officers conducted an examination of two vans, driven by men originally from Bulgaria, which had arrived in Dublin Port via Hollyhead. The investigations are ongoing.
These seizures are part of Revenue’s on-going operations targeting smuggling and the supply and sale of alcohol and cigarettes in the shadow economy and businesses or members of the public with any information regarding smuggling or the sale of illegal cigarettes or tobacco, have been urged to contact Revenue in confidence on 1800 295 295.


theirishtimes--2020-08-12--Boris Johnson to meet Taoiseach during Northern Ireland visit

Two new bodies are to be created to mark next year ’ s centenary of the creation of Northern Ireland , British prime minister Boris Johnson will announce during a visit to the North on Thursday .
During his visit Mr Johnson as prime minister will hold his first face-to-face meeting with Micheál Martin since he was appointed Taoiseach .
“ They are expected to discuss the shared fight against coronavirus and work on a sustainable economic recovery , and the UK ’ s negotiations with the EU , ” Downing Street said in a statement on Wednesday night .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O ’ Neill .
Downing Street said discussion would focus on “ how we can build the UK ’ s economy back stronger and better than ever ” .
Speaking ahead of the visit , Mr Johnson laid great emphasis on the theme of the union .
During the visit he will also announce plans to establish a Centenary Forum and Centenary Historical Advisory Panel to work alongside the British government to mark 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland .
“ As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Northern Ireland it is important that we celebrate its people , culture and traditions , along with its vital contribution to the United Kingdom , ” he said .
Downing Street said the 2021 centenary programme would “ celebrate the people , places and products of Northern Ireland , with its rich sporting , cultural , entrepreneurial and academic talent ” .
While this is a sensitive matter with obvious differing views on the matter from unionists and nationalists , Northern Secretary Brandon Lewis said this was a “ fantastic opportunity for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Northern Ireland and its integral place within our union ” .
“ We will use the centenary next year to promote it on the world stage , ” he said .
Mr Lewis said the forum and the advisory panel “ will offer us the opportunity to work with a broad spectrum of people , including those from across the political parties , business , tourism and the voluntary and community sectors , to deliver an ambitious and exciting programme of events to mark this significant national anniversary for the UK ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ demonstrated the strength of the UK , and how Westminster and Stormont had worked closely together to get through the crisis .
He said these close ties would continue .
“ As the country begins to get back on its feet in the wake of coronavirus , we can not simply strive to rebuild , but we must commit to building back stronger than ever .
I can not overstate how important the close co-operation that we have seen between central and devolved government will continue to be to this , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make sure Northern Ireland is ready to take full advantage of the many opportunities that lie ahead , and that no part of Northern Ireland is left behind.
” Downing Street said that over the course of the pandemic the British government had protected more than 316,000 jobs in the North and granted thousands of businesses loans .
“ The UK ’ s armed forces transported critically ill patients to where they could receive the required treatment .
This is on top of £2.2 billion additional funding the Northern Ireland Executive will receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” it added .
“ This close collaboration can also be seen through the government ’ s UK-wide PPE strategy , which made sure that front line workers in England , Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland had the equipment they needed to stay protected.
” It added that the British government had delivered 4.7 million pieces of PPE to Northern Ireland , which in turn provided 250,000 medical-grade gowns to England .
It also said that Westminster and Stormont also jointly funded a £5.7 million support package for City of Derry and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This kept these airports going during the incredibly challenging peak phase of the pandemic , protecting key routes and safeguarding air connectivity between Northern Ireland and Great Britain – meaning key workers could still travel , repatriation flights could continue and people could access healthcare services.
” The Johnson visit was due to take place last week but was postponed due to the death of John Hume .

Britain’s PM Boris Johnson: ‘Together we will make sure Northern Ireland is ready to take full advantage of the many opportunities that lie ahead, and that no part of Northern Ireland is left behind.’ Photograph: Getty Images
Two new bodies are to be created to mark next year's centenary of the creation of Northern Ireland, British prime minister Boris Johnson will announce during a visit to the North on Thursday.
During his visit Mr Johnson as prime minister will hold his first face-to-face meeting with Micheál Martin since he was appointed Taoiseach.
“They are expected to discuss the shared fight against coronavirus and work on a sustainable economic recovery, and the UK’s negotiations with the EU,” Downing Street said in a statement on Wednesday night.
Mr Johnson is also scheduled to meet First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill.
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Downing Street said discussion would focus on “how we can build the UK’s economy back stronger and better than ever”.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Mr Johnson laid great emphasis on the theme of the union.
During the visit he will also announce plans to establish a Centenary Forum and Centenary Historical Advisory Panel to work alongside the British government to mark 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland.
"As we mark 100 years since the creation of Northern Ireland it is important that we celebrate its people, culture and traditions, along with its vital contribution to the United Kingdom, " he said.
Downing Street said the 2021 centenary programme would “celebrate the people, places and products of Northern Ireland, with its rich sporting, cultural, entrepreneurial and academic talent”.
While this is a sensitive matter with obvious differing views on the matter from unionists and nationalists, Northern Secretary Brandon Lewis said this was a "fantastic opportunity for people right across the UK to celebrate Northern Ireland and its integral place within our union".
“We will use the centenary next year to promote it on the world stage,” he said.
Opportunity
Mr Lewis said the forum and the advisory panel “will offer us the opportunity to work with a broad spectrum of people, including those from across the political parties, business, tourism and the voluntary and community sectors, to deliver an ambitious and exciting programme of events to mark this significant national anniversary for the UK”.
Mr Johnson said the coronavirus pandemic had demonstrated the strength of the UK, and how Westminster and Stormont had worked closely together to get through the crisis. He said these close ties would continue.
“As the country begins to get back on its feet in the wake of coronavirus, we cannot simply strive to rebuild, but we must commit to building back stronger than ever. I cannot overstate how important the close co-operation that we have seen between central and devolved government will continue to be to this,” said Mr Johnson.
“Together we will make sure Northern Ireland is ready to take full advantage of the many opportunities that lie ahead, and that no part of Northern Ireland is left behind.”
Downing Street said that over the course of the pandemic the British government had protected more than 316,000 jobs in the North and granted thousands of businesses loans.
“The UK’s armed forces transported critically ill patients to where they could receive the required treatment. This is on top of £2.2 billion additional funding the Northern Ireland Executive will receive this year for its Covid-19 response,” it added.
"This close collaboration can also be seen through the government's UK-wide PPE strategy, which made sure that front line workers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland had the equipment they needed to stay protected."
Support package
It added that the British government had delivered 4.7 million pieces of PPE to Northern Ireland, which in turn provided 250,000 medical-grade gowns to England.
It also said that Westminster and Stormont also jointly funded a £5.7 million support package for City of Derry and Belfast City airports.
It added: “This kept these airports going during the incredibly challenging peak phase of the pandemic, protecting key routes and safeguarding air connectivity between Northern Ireland and Great Britain – meaning key workers could still travel, repatriation flights could continue and people could access healthcare services.”
The Johnson visit was due to take place last week but was postponed due to the death of John Hume.


theirishtimes--2020-08-12--Case of Covid-19 confirmed at community creche on UCD campus

There has been a confirmed case of Covid-19 at a community crèche on the grounds of the UCD campus , The Irish Times has learned .
Parents with children at the Oakmount Creche were officially informed of the development on Wednesday evening in a letter from the HSE although they had been told about it by creche management days earlier .
Children and staff in one of the Montessori rooms were deemed to be close contacts of a person with the illness and will have to self-isolate and be tested for the virus as a result .
The Irish Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members have been impacted .
The crèche first informed parents of the case on Sunday evening and management took the decision to close the impacted room immediately .
The rest of the crèche , which can cater for up to 100 children at full capacity , remains open .
The letter from the HSE informing them of the case was not sent to parents until Wednesday evening .
“ The Department of Public Health ( East ) in conjunction with management at the crèche have done a risk assessment on this matter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this assessment it has been decided that children and staff in Montessori Room 1 are close contacts , ” it continued .
“ This means they will have to restrict their movements for 14 days from the date of the contact with the case which was August 5th ” , adding that “ as a precaution ” Covid testing will be required .
“ We were told about it on Sunday and our child has been home with us since then , ” one parent whose child was in Montessori Room 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ management sent to parents said a staff member had tested positive on Sunday adding that they had not been in the creche since the previous Wednesday .
“ As a precautionary measure I have made the decision to close the Montessori 1 room down for the moment , until we receive further clarification from the HSE , ” the letter from creche management said .
“ All staff , support staff and children and their siblings from this room will remain at home for now.
” It expressed the hope that it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transmission from outside the facility .
The parent who spoke to this newspaper expressed concern about the delay in the HSE making contact and sympathy for the management who had had to make early decisions without input from the health authorities .
“ The crèche manager emailed 16 parents last Sunday but we only got the HSE letter on Wednesday evening and the authorities have still not be in touch with us to arrange testing .
We are in a limbo and don ’ t know if we also need to self isolate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ child to his crèche.
” Attempts to contact creche management on Wednesday night were unsuccessful .

Children and staff in one of the Montessori rooms were deemed to be close contacts of a person with the illness and will have to self-isolate and be tested for the virus as a result. File photograph: iStock
There has been a confirmed case of Covid-19 at a community crèche on the grounds of the UCD campus in south Dublin, The Irish Times has learned.
Parents with children at the Oakmount Creche were officially informed of the development on Wednesday evening in a letter from the HSE although they had been told about it by creche management days earlier.
Children and staff in one of the Montessori rooms were deemed to be close contacts of a person with the illness and will have to self-isolate and be tested for the virus as a result.
The Irish Times understands that 16 children and two staff members have been impacted.
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The crèche first informed parents of the case on Sunday evening and management took the decision to close the impacted room immediately. The rest of the crèche, which can cater for up to 100 children at full capacity, remains open.
The letter from the HSE informing them of the case was not sent to parents until Wednesday evening.
“The Department of Public Health (East) in conjunction with management at the crèche have done a risk assessment on this matter,” it said.
“On foot of this assessment it has been decided that children and staff in Montessori Room 1 are close contacts,” it continued.
“This means they will have to restrict their movements for 14 days from the date of the contact with the case which was August 5th”, adding that “as a precaution” Covid testing will be required.
“We were told about it on Sunday and our child has been home with us since then,” one parent whose child was in Montessori Room 1 told The Irish Times.
The letter management sent to parents said a staff member had tested positive on Sunday adding that they had not been in the creche since the previous Wednesday.
“As a precautionary measure I have made the decision to close the Montessori 1 room down for the moment, until we receive further clarification from the HSE,” the letter from creche management said.
“All staff, support staff and children and their siblings from this room will remain at home for now.”
It expressed the hope that it was an isolated case and said it involved transmission from outside the facility.
The parent who spoke to this newspaper expressed concern about the delay in the HSE making contact and sympathy for the management who had had to make early decisions without input from the health authorities.
“The crèche manager emailed 16 parents last Sunday but we only got the HSE letter on Wednesday evening and the authorities have still not be in touch with us to arrange testing. We are in a limbo and don’t know if we also need to self isolate or if we should send our other child to his crèche.”
Attempts to contact creche management on Wednesday night were unsuccessful.


theirishtimes--2020-08-12--Make a Day of It: Get back into your favourite city centre, Dubs urged

Dubliners are being encouraged to return to the capital ’ s city centre to support local businesses in a new campaign launched by Dublin City Council .
The city centre has often been next to deserted in recent months due to the coronavirus pandemic , with most office workers working remotely from home .
The council ’ s Make a Day of It campaign is aimed at encouraging people to visit the city centre , in an effort to boost the retail and hospitality sectors , which were hit hard by the economic fallout from Covid-19 .
Even as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy reopened from lockdown , footfall in the city centre has remained low .
The advertising campaign will promote attractions such as the Hugh Lane Gallery and the Little Museum of Dublin , as well as city centre restaurants and shops .
Speaking on Wednesday , Lord Mayor of Dublin Hazel Chu said “ Dublin has so much to offer and yet all the tourists who come here get to see more of it than we do .
“ My message to all Dubliners is , ‘ Get out , enjoy your city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you never get a chance to visit during normal times , and Make A Day Of It while you ’ re at it ’ , ” she said .

The city centre has often been next to deserted in recent months due to the coronavirus pandemic, with most office workers working remotely from home. File photograph: iStock
Dubliners are being encouraged to return to the capital's city centre to support local businesses in a new campaign launched by Dublin City Council.
The city centre has often been next to deserted in recent months due to the coronavirus pandemic, with most office workers working remotely from home.
The council’s Make a Day of It campaign is aimed at encouraging people to visit the city centre, in an effort to boost the retail and hospitality sectors, which were hit hard by the economic fallout from Covid-19.
Even as the restrictions on movement were lifted and the economy reopened from lockdown, footfall in the city centre has remained low.
READ MORE
The Hugh Lane Gallery on Parnell Square in Dublin city is a registered charity. Photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times
The advertising campaign will promote attractions such as the Hugh Lane Gallery and the Little Museum of Dublin, as well as city centre restaurants and shops.
Speaking on Wednesday, Lord Mayor of Dublin Hazel Chu said "Dublin has so much to offer and yet all the tourists who come here get to see more of it than we do.
“My message to all Dubliners is, ‘Get out, enjoy your city, visit some of the great attractions you never get a chance to visit during normal times, and Make A Day Of It while you’re at it’,” she said.


theirishtimes--2020-08-12--Gardaí find potential breaches of Covid-19 rules in 14 pubs over past week

The number of pubs where potential breaches of Covid-19 health regulations or licensing laws were detected following Garda inspections is continuing to fall , fresh figures show .
The latest official data indicates there were question marks raised over 14 premises across six days last week compared with 24 a week earlier and 22 in the week before that .
In a statement released on Wednesday evening , the Garda said the force ’ s ongoing Operation Navigation had found widespread compliance by licensed premises over the last seven days .
The 14 potential breaches uncovered between August 4th and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of no evidence suggesting food was being served or consumed on the premises , a key condition for pubs being allowed to re-open .
Since the commencement of the so-called Operation Navigation on July 3rd the authorities have recorded 126 potential breaches of the rules .
Files are now being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions in each of the latest 14 new cases .
Separately , there were a total of 374 checkpoints put in place across Kildare , Offaly and Laois and surrounding counties last Saturday and Sunday following the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area .
The Garda , stressed the checkpoints were focused on supporting public compliance with the travel restrictions .

Files are now being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions in each of the latest 14 new cases.
The number of pubs where potential breaches of Covid-19 health regulations or licensing laws were detected following Garda inspections is continuing to fall, fresh figures show.
The latest official data indicates there were question marks raised over 14 premises across six days last week compared with 24 a week earlier and 22 in the week before that.
In a statement released on Wednesday evening, the Garda said the force’s ongoing Operation Navigation had found widespread compliance by licensed premises over the last seven days.
The 14 potential breaches uncovered between August 4th and August 9th were largely as a result of no evidence suggesting food was being served or consumed on the premises, a key condition for pubs being allowed to re-open.
READ MORE
Since the commencement of the so-called Operation Navigation on July 3rd the authorities have recorded 126 potential breaches of the rules.
Files are now being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions in each of the latest 14 new cases.
Separately, there were a total of 374 checkpoints put in place across Kildare, Offaly and Laois and surrounding counties last Saturday and Sunday following the announcement of temporary restrictions on movement in area. The Garda, stressed the checkpoints were focused on supporting public compliance with the travel restrictions.


theirishtimes--2020-08-12--Q&A: Could Scottish exams debacle happen here?

What is the exams debacle in Scotland and why does it matter here ?
The furore over the use of calculated grades in Scotland – a system similar to that being used in Ireland – may well be a warning shot of what to expect when results are provided to Leaving Cert students here in the coming weeks .
In Scotland , the downgrading of almost 125,000 students ’ results based on teachers ’ predictions sparked controversy in Scotland .
Pupils in the poorest areas were marked down the most .
This prompted a public outcry , an apology from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reversal of all downgrades earlier this week .
All eyes are now on how these issues will play out in Ireland .
Many Leaving Cert students and their families are understandably anxious about what will happen .
Are there problems brewing elsewhere in the UK ?
Yes .
A-level results in England , Wales and Northern Ireland are due to be published on Thursday , which are also on the basis of calculated grades .
In England , about 40 per cent of teachers ’ grades are reported to have been downgraded by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which relies heavily on the previous results of students and their schools ’ performance .
After seeing what happened in Scotland – and fearing a similar outcome – the British government announced a last-minute change to allow students appeal the results based on their past performance in mock exams .
Could the same happen here when Leaving Cert students get their results ?
There ’ s every chance .
While the models of calculated grades used in Scotland , England and the Republic are different , the core principles are the same : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national standardisation process or “ bell curve ” .
This process is aimed at ensuring results are similar to previous years .
It helps avoid grade inflation and maintains the integrity of end-of-school exam grades .
But that is what also happened in Scotland and it backfired spectacularly when applied to individuals .
Politically , there is little appetite for a system where algorithms , rather than humans , determine how students succeed .
Why not use teachers ’ grades and forget about standardising results ?
There is plenty of research in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less reliable than other forms of assessment .
The biggest research study to date on their accuracy is by Dr Gil Wyness of University College London .
She found the vast majority – 75 per cent – were overpredicted by teachers .
Worryingly , among high-achieving students , applicants from low-income homes were more likely to have their grades underpredicted compared with those from high-income backgrounds .
What has Minister for Education Norma Foley to say about all this ?
She has sought to reassure thousands of Leaving Cert students that the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , reliable and fair to all students ” .
A spokesman for the Department of Education said the Irish system was developed in close consultation with representative bodies of students , parents , teacher unions , school management and the higher- and further-education and training sector .
But Opposition parties say similar assurances were given to students in Scotland prior to the issuing of results .
What will happen now ?
The process of standardising student grades is being worked through by a unit within the Department of Education .
Officials say there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensure this is done fairly .
For example , they say students will not be penalised by their school ’ s track record .
This is because it will recognise if groups of students taking a subject in a school are academically stronger than previous years based on their Junior Cert results .
Is there any solution ?
This is tricky , complex territory .
One possible path forward is to dial down the standardisation process , even if it means students ’ grades will be higher than normal .
Students who sat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower grades by comparison – could then be treated as a separate group , with a proportion of CAO places set aside for them .
Whether there is enough time to devise such a solution is another question .

Pupils return to St Paul’s High School in Glasgow, Scotland, as the fallout continues from the government’s decision to upgrade exam results. Photograph: Getty
What is the exams debacle in Scotland and why does it matter here?
The furore over the use of calculated grades in Scotland – a system similar to that being used in Ireland – may well be a warning shot of what to expect when results are provided to Leaving Cert students here in the coming weeks.
In Scotland, the downgrading of almost 125,000 students’ results based on teachers’ predictions sparked controversy in Scotland.
Pupils in the poorest areas were marked down the most.
This prompted a public outcry, an apology from Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon and swift reversal of all downgrades earlier this week.
READ MORE
All eyes are now on how these issues will play out in Ireland. Many Leaving Cert students and their families are understandably anxious about what will happen.
Are there problems brewing elsewhere in the UK?
Yes. A-level results in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are due to be published on Thursday, which are also on the basis of calculated grades.
In England, about 40 per cent of teachers’ grades are reported to have been downgraded by an algorithm – or standardisation process – which relies heavily on the previous results of students and their schools’ performance.
After seeing what happened in Scotland – and fearing a similar outcome – the British government announced a last-minute change to allow students appeal the results based on their past performance in mock exams.
Could the same happen here when Leaving Cert students get their results?
There’s every chance. While the models of calculated grades used in Scotland, England and the Republic are different, the core principles are the same: combining teachers’ estimated grades with a national standardisation process or “bell curve”.
This process is aimed at ensuring results are similar to previous years. It helps avoid grade inflation and maintains the integrity of end-of-school exam grades.
But that is what also happened in Scotland and it backfired spectacularly when applied to individuals. Politically, there is little appetite for a system where algorithms, rather than humans, determine how students succeed.
Why not use teachers’ grades and forget about standardising results?
There is plenty of research in the UK to suggest that teacher assessments are less reliable than other forms of assessment.
The biggest research study to date on their accuracy is by Dr Gil Wyness of University College London. She found the vast majority – 75 per cent – were overpredicted by teachers.
Worryingly, among high-achieving students, applicants from low-income homes were more likely to have their grades underpredicted compared with those from high-income backgrounds.
What has Minister for Education Norma Foley to say about all this?
She has sought to reassure thousands of Leaving Cert students that the new calculated grades system will be “accurate, reliable and fair to all students”.
A spokesman for the Department of Education said the Irish system was developed in close consultation with representative bodies of students, parents, teacher unions, school management and the higher- and further-education and training sector. But Opposition parties say similar assurances were given to students in Scotland prior to the issuing of results.
What will happen now?
The process of standardising student grades is being worked through by a unit within the Department of Education. Officials say there are several safeguards and validation processes to ensure this is done fairly.
For example, they say students will not be penalised by their school’s track record. This is because it will recognise if groups of students taking a subject in a school are academically stronger than previous years based on their Junior Cert results.
Is there any solution?
This is tricky, complex territory. One possible path forward is to dial down the standardisation process, even if it means students’ grades will be higher than normal.
Students who sat their exams in previous years – with lower grades by comparison – could then be treated as a separate group, with a proportion of CAO places set aside for them. Whether there is enough time to devise such a solution is another question.


theirishtimes--2020-08-12--Michelle O’Neill appeals for information over death of Noah Donohoe

The Sinn Féin Deputy First Minister Michelle O ’ Neill has urged anyone with information about the death of Belfast teenager Noah Donohoe to bring it forward .
Ms O ’ Neill said on Wednesday that she was supporting 14-year-old Noah Donohoe ’ s mother Fiona and family in “ their search for the truth about his death ” .
Noah ’ s body was found in a storm drain in north Belfast on Saturday , June 27th .
He had been missing since he cycled from his home in south Belfast across the city to north Belfast on Sunday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that while cycling he fell off his bicycle and may have hit his head .
He was also seen discarding his clothes and continuing to cycle naked , an action his family said was “ completely out of character ” .
A post mortem found that he died as a result of drowning .
His mother Fiona , however , wants to find out how and why he died .
She also wants more information on how the PSNI investigated his disappearance and death .
Ms O ’ Neill said Noah ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us all and touched the hearts of everyone ” .
“ I have met with Fiona and with her legal team and have told them I will leave no stone unturned to help them find the truth , ” she said .
“ Understandably , people are now looking for answers around the circumstances which surrounded Noah ’ s tragic death .
In particular , the role of the PSNI in investigating Noah ’ s disappearance and his death has been questioned by some , ” she added .
An inquest into his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
Ms O ’ Neill appealed to anyone with any evidence or information in respect of Noah ’ s disappearance to bring this immediately to the PSNI , info @ justicefornoah.co.uk , Fiona Donohoe ’ s Belfast solicitor , Niall Murphy of KRW Law , Belfast or Relatives for Justice in Belfast .
“ I would also reiterate the family ’ s plea to the householders in the relevant Shore Road area , to secure any private CCTV from June 21st at around 6 pm and bring it to the police , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she said .
“ All families are entitled to know the truth surrounding the deaths of their loved ones and this must be the case for the family of Noah Donohoe , ” added Ms O ’ Neill .

Michelle O’Neill: ‘In particular, the role of the PSNI in investigating Noah Donohoe’s disappearance and his death has been questioned by some.’ Photograph: PSNI/PA
The Sinn Féin Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill has urged anyone with information about the death of Belfast teenager Noah Donohoe to bring it forward.
Ms O’Neill said on Wednesday that she was supporting 14-year-old Noah Donohoe’s mother Fiona and family in “their search for the truth about his death”.
Noah’s body was found in a storm drain in north Belfast on Saturday, June 27th. He had been missing since he cycled from his home in south Belfast across the city to north Belfast on Sunday, June 21st.
It is believed that while cycling he fell off his bicycle and may have hit his head. He was also seen discarding his clothes and continuing to cycle naked, an action his family said was “completely out of character”.
READ MORE
A post mortem found that he died as a result of drowning. His mother Fiona, however, wants to find out how and why he died. She also wants more information on how the PSNI investigated his disappearance and death.
Ms O’Neill said Noah’s death “was a tragedy which stunned us all and touched the hearts of everyone”.
“I have met with Fiona and with her legal team and have told them I will leave no stone unturned to help them find the truth,” she said.
“Understandably, people are now looking for answers around the circumstances which surrounded Noah’s tragic death. In particular, the role of the PSNI in investigating Noah’s disappearance and his death has been questioned by some,” she added.
An inquest into his death has been set for January next year.
Ms O'Neill appealed to anyone with any evidence or information in respect of Noah's disappearance to bring this immediately to the PSNI, info@justicefornoah.co.uk, Fiona Donohoe's Belfast solicitor, Niall Murphy of KRW Law, Belfast or Relatives for Justice in Belfast.
“I would also reiterate the family’s plea to the householders in the relevant Shore Road area, to secure any private CCTV from June 21st at around 6 pm and bring it to the police, the coroner or Noah’s representatives,” she said.
“All families are entitled to know the truth surrounding the deaths of their loved ones and this must be the case for the family of Noah Donohoe,” added Ms O’Neill.


theirishtimes--2020-08-12--Annual bus and Luas passes to be automatically extended by six months

Annual travel passes covering the State ’ s main public transport operators will be automatically extended by six months in recognition of the extended period when commuters could not use them as a result of Covid-19 restrictions .
The move benefits all customers with annual TaxSaver tickets for Public Service Obligation ( PSO ) public transport services provided by Dublin Bus , Luas , Iarnród Éireann , the Dart , Bus Éireann and Go Ahead Ireland .
The National Transport Authority ( NTA ) said the extension “ effectively gives customers back the portion of the ticket that they could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Government ’ s Covid-related travel restrictions.
” It also “ acknowledges the changes in travel and work that have come about since ” when a significant number of employees have been working from home .
Customers will not have to fill in forms or supply any details and commuters whose tickets expire and who have not already sought a refund , will automatically be provided with a new ticket on their existing Leap card , which extends validity for six months from the date of expiry of their original ticket .
The NTA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ straightforward for the customer and is identical to the process already in place for TaxSaver tickets ” .
Bus customers can collect it using their Leap Top-Up App or in a Leap Card retailer , while Luas and Iarnród Éireann customers collect it automatically as they travel .
Bus Éireann Point to Point ticket holders will receive a new ticket to include the six-month extension .
Customers who have renewed their annual TaxSaver ticket since April 1st will also benefit from the measures announced today .
If customers want a refund rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be open to them if they make a request through their employer under existing terms and conditions .
These measures do not apply to customers of commercial bus operators who are making their own arrangements .

The move benefits all customers with annual TaxSaver tickets for Public Service Obligation (PSO) public transport services provided by Dublin Bus, Luas, Iarnród Éireann, Bus Éireann and Go Ahead Ireland. Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins
Annual travel passes covering the State’s main public transport operators will be automatically extended by six months in recognition of the extended period when commuters could not use them as a result of Covid-19 restrictions.
The move benefits all customers with annual TaxSaver tickets for Public Service Obligation (PSO) public transport services provided by Dublin Bus, Luas, Iarnród Éireann, the Dart, Bus Éireann and Go Ahead Ireland.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) said the extension "effectively gives customers back the portion of the ticket that they could not use as a result of the Government's Covid-related travel restrictions."
It also “acknowledges the changes in travel and work that have come about since” when a significant number of employees have been working from home.
READ MORE
Customers will not have to fill in forms or supply any details and commuters whose tickets expire and who have not already sought a refund, will automatically be provided with a new ticket on their existing Leap card, which extends validity for six months from the date of expiry of their original ticket.
The NTA said collecting the new tickets would be “straightforward for the customer and is identical to the process already in place for TaxSaver tickets”. Bus customers can collect it using their Leap Top-Up App or in a Leap Card retailer, while Luas and Iarnród Éireann customers collect it automatically as they travel. Bus Éireann Point to Point ticket holders will receive a new ticket to include the six-month extension.
Customers who have renewed their annual TaxSaver ticket since April 1st will also benefit from the measures announced today.
If customers want a refund rather than the extension, that option will be open to them if they make a request through their employer under existing terms and conditions.
These measures do not apply to customers of commercial bus operators who are making their own arrangements.


theirishtimes--2020-08-12--Investigation into garda’s murder will continue despite conviction

The Garda investigation into the murder of Det Garda Adrian Donohoe would continue despite the conviction of south Armagh man Aaron Brady and would be “ relentless ” in pursuit of other criminals involved , Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said .
The Minister commended the Garda force for their “ determined , persistent and painstaking investigation ” that resulted in the conviction on Wednesday of Brady ( 29 ) for the capital murder of Det Garda Donohoe during an armed robbery at Lordship Credit Unit , Bellurgan , Co Louth , in January 2013 .
Ms McEntee added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-operation ” from the PSNI and law enforcement in the US during the murder investigation .
“ My hope , now that a person has been brought to justice for an unspeakably callous act committed against a decent and honourable garda , working in the course of his duty to protect his community , is that this can bring some element of comfort to Det Garda Adrian Donohoe ’ s wife and family , his many friends and loyal colleagues , ” she said .
“ I know too that the investigation will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dreadful events that night may also be brought to justice.
” The Garda Representative Association ( GRA ) , which represents rank and file gardaí and counted Det Garda Donohoe as a member , welcomed the verdict against Brady .
“ Our first thoughts are with the family of Adrian Donohoe .
No verdict and no sentence can ever replace the life taken from them , ” said GRA president Jim Mulligan .
“ Adrian ’ s two children , who are still young , will never get their father back .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will never get her husband back .
“ We can only hope that today ’ s verdict begins the process of bringing healing and closure to Adrian ’ s family.
” He and his colleagues were very hopeful others would now also be brought to justice for the murder , Mr Mulligan added .
“ Adrian was a detective garda from a family steeped in Garda tradition .
Our thoughts are with them and with Adrian ’ s Garda colleagues who lost a great workmate and a great friend on that fateful night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garda Sergeants and Inspectors ( Agsi ) said Det Garda Donohoe had made “ the ultimate sacrifice ” in serving the State , adding its first thoughts were with his wife Caroline and two children .
“ While some justice has been served with today ’ s conviction for murder , no sentence will ever return Adrian to his family – the ultimate injustice is to have your life taken away , ” said Agsi general secretary Antoinette Cunningham .
“ Adrian was a man of distinction who served his community as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but also as a volunteer .
He will never be forgotten .
“ We would like to pay tribute to the entire investigation team who worked on a transnational basis to secure today ’ s conviction .
We also want to thank our international colleagues whose involvement was central to this case .
“ We are mindful that the case is still a live one and we wish our colleagues well in progressing their investigations .
”

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee: Commended the Garda force for their “determined, persistent and painstaking investigation” that resulted in the murder conviction of Aaron Brady. Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins
The Garda investigation into the murder of Det Garda Adrian Donohoe would continue despite the conviction of south Armagh man Aaron Brady and would be "relentless" in pursuit of other criminals involved, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said.
The Minister commended the Garda force for their "determined, persistent and painstaking investigation" that resulted in the conviction on Wednesday of Brady (29) for the capital murder of Det Garda Donohoe during an armed robbery at Lordship Credit Unit, Bellurgan, Co Louth, in January 2013.
Ms McEntee added that investigating gardaí had received “crucial co-operation” from the PSNI and law enforcement in the US during the murder investigation.
“My hope, now that a person has been brought to justice for an unspeakably callous act committed against a decent and honourable garda, working in the course of his duty to protect his community, is that this can bring some element of comfort to Det Garda Adrian Donohoe’s wife and family, his many friends and loyal colleagues,” she said.
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“I know too that the investigation will continue relentlessly so that others responsible for the dreadful events that night may also be brought to justice.”
Verdict welcomed
The Garda Representative Association (GRA), which represents rank and file gardaí and counted Det Garda Donohoe as a member, welcomed the verdict against Brady.
"Our first thoughts are with the family of Adrian Donohoe. No verdict and no sentence can ever replace the life taken from them," said GRA president Jim Mulligan. "Adrian's two children, who are still young, will never get their father back. Caroline, Adrian's wife, will never get her husband back.
“We can only hope that today’s verdict begins the process of bringing healing and closure to Adrian’s family.”
He and his colleagues were very hopeful others would now also be brought to justice for the murder, Mr Mulligan added.
“Adrian was a detective garda from a family steeped in Garda tradition. Our thoughts are with them and with Adrian’s Garda colleagues who lost a great workmate and a great friend on that fateful night seven-and-half years ago.”
The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (Agsi) said Det Garda Donohoe had made “the ultimate sacrifice” in serving the State, adding its first thoughts were with his wife Caroline and two children.
"While some justice has been served with today's conviction for murder, no sentence will ever return Adrian to his family – the ultimate injustice is to have your life taken away," said Agsi general secretary Antoinette Cunningham.
“Adrian was a man of distinction who served his community as a Garda, as an inter-county footballer, but also as a volunteer. He will never be forgotten.
“We would like to pay tribute to the entire investigation team who worked on a transnational basis to secure today’s conviction. We also want to thank our international colleagues whose involvement was central to this case.
“We are mindful that the case is still a live one and we wish our colleagues well in progressing their investigations.”


theirishtimes--2020-08-12--Annual Michael Collins commemoration at Béal na Bláth cancelled due to Covid-19

The annual Michael Collins Commemoration at Béal na Bláth in Co Cork has fallen victim to the Covid-19 pandemic with the organisers deciding to cancel this year ’ s event on foot of health advice regarding public gatherings .
Chairman of the Michael Collins Commemoration Committee , Cllr Garret Kelleher confirmed to The Irish Times that the commemoration , which would have marked the 98th anniversary of Collins ’ s death in an ambush at Béal na Bláth , will not go ahead .
“ In adherence with the most recent public health advice and guidelines relating to the Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has taken the decision not to hold our annual commemoration at Béal na mBláth this year .
“ We look forward to welcoming supporters of the commemoration back to Béal na mBláth in 2021 and most importantly for the centenary anniversary commemoration in August 2022 , ” said Cllr Kelleher , a member of Cork City Council .
Collins was killed on August 22nd , 1922 by republicans who ambushed his army convoy at Béal na Bláth as he returned to Cork city from meeting Free State commanders in his native west Cork @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home its advantage against anti-Treaty forces in the Civil War .
A monument was unveiled to Collins at Béal na Bláth in 1925 by then president of the executive council WT Cosgrave and although there were a few years in the 1920s when there were no commemorative ceremonies , there have been annual commemorations at the site since the 1930s .
This year ’ s cancellation marks the first time in over 50 years that there has been no commemoration at Béal na Bláth .
In recent times both taoiseach , Enda Kenny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the oration at the event which is usually held on the Sunday nearest August 22nd .
Meanwhile , nearby Kilmurry Independence Museum is launching a special exhibition on Sunday , August 23rd to mark the 100th anniversary of the Lissarda ambush in which local IRA volunteer , Michael Galvin was fatally wounded in a firefight with a party of RIC from Bandon on August 22nd , 1920 .
The exhibition , which is organised by Kilmurry Historical & Archaeological Association , is being launched on Sunday along with a book about the ambush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Béal na Bláth .
The book , titled Lissarda Ambush , is by local historian Mary O ’ Mahony .
According to Kilmurry Independence Museum , which was officially opened by President Higgins in 2016 , the exhibition will educate the audience about those involved in the ambush , while the book gives an in-depth account of the ambush and those who participated on both sides .
Museum opening times are Thursday to Sunday , 2-5pm but can be visited at other times by prior request .
Contact kilmurry.historical @ gmail.com or @ @

The annual Michael Collins Commemoration at Béal na Bláth in Co Cork has fallen victim to the Covid-19 pandemic with the organisers deciding to cancel this year's event on foot of health advice regarding public gatherings.
Chairman of the Michael Collins Commemoration Committee, Cllr Garret Kelleher confirmed to The Irish Times that the commemoration, which would have marked the 98th anniversary of Collins's death in an ambush at Béal na Bláth, will not go ahead.
“In adherence with the most recent public health advice and guidelines relating to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Michael Collins Commemoration Committee has taken the decision not to hold our annual commemoration at Béal na mBláth this year.
"We look forward to welcoming supporters of the commemoration back to Béal na mBláth in 2021 and most importantly for the centenary anniversary commemoration in August 2022," said Cllr Kelleher, a member of Cork City Council.
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Collins was killed on August 22nd, 1922 by republicans who ambushed his army convoy at Béal na Bláth as he returned to Cork city from meeting Free State commanders in his native west Cork as the Free State began to press home its advantage against anti-Treaty forces in the Civil War.
A monument was unveiled to Collins at Béal na Bláth in 1925 by then president of the executive council WT Cosgrave and although there were a few years in the 1920s when there were no commemorative ceremonies, there have been annual commemorations at the site since the 1930s.
This year's cancellation marks the first time in over 50 years that there has been no commemoration at Béal na Bláth. In recent times both taoiseach, Enda Kenny and President Michael D Higgins have given the oration at the event which is usually held on the Sunday nearest August 22nd.
Meanwhile, nearby Kilmurry Independence Museum is launching a special exhibition on Sunday, August 23rd to mark the 100th anniversary of the Lissarda ambush in which local IRA volunteer, Michael Galvin was fatally wounded in a firefight with a party of RIC from Bandon on August 22nd, 1920.
The exhibition, which is organised by Kilmurry Historical & Archaeological Association, is being launched on Sunday along with a book about the ambush, which happened less than five miles from Béal na Bláth. The book, titled Lissarda Ambush, is by local historian Mary O'Mahony.
According to Kilmurry Independence Museum, which was officially opened by President Higgins in 2016, the exhibition will educate the audience about those involved in the ambush, while the book gives an in-depth account of the ambush and those who participated on both sides.
Museum opening times are Thursday to Sunday, 2-5pm but can be visited at other times by prior request. Contact kilmurry.historical@gmail.com or 021 7336932


theirishtimes--2020-08-12--Gardaí treating death of a man in Cork as suspicious

Gardaí in Cork are treating as suspicious the death of a man whose body was found with an injury , near the entrance to a city centre car park on Wednesday morning .
Investigators have requested the services of the State Pathologist ’ s Office to carry out a post mortem on the body of the 35-year-old man found near Parnell Place at around 11.30am .
It is understood the man ’ s body was discovered on Merchant Street , a cul de sac off Parnell Place , near the entrance to the Merchant ’ s Quay car park and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were on Wednesday remaining tight-lipped but it is believed the man had a head injury that they found of concern and they say that they are treating the death as suspicious pending a post-mortem examination .
Gardaí say the course of their investigation will be determined by the findings of the post mortem which is scheduled to be carried out by Assistant State Pathologist , Dr Margaret Bolster on Thursday .
The man ’ s body was examined by Dr Bolster at the scene near the entrance to the car park before his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the post-mortem examination .
Garda technical experts also carried out a forensic examination of the scene as investigators began trying to piece together the man ’ s last known movements .
Gardaí say that the man , who availed of homeless services in the city , may have been dead at the scene for a number of days .
Investigators have identified the man , who previously lived in both Blackpool and Mayfield on Cork ’ s northside , but they are not disclosing his name until all next of kin have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ footage from the area and have started interviewing those availing of homeless services to try to establish when they last saw the man alive .
It is understood Merchant Street is a fire escape route from the Merchant ’ s Quay car park but it is often frequented by those availing of homeless services from Cork Simon less than 300 metres away .

Gardaí have begun harvesting CCTV footage from the area and have started interviewing those availing of homeless services to try to establish when they last saw the man alive. Photograph: Eric Luke / The Irish Times
Gardaí in Cork are treating as suspicious the death of a man whose body was found with an injury, near the entrance to a city centre car park on Wednesday morning.
Investigators have requested the services of the State Pathologist’s Office to carry out a post mortem on the body of the 35-year-old man found near Parnell Place at around 11.30am.
It is understood the man's body was discovered on Merchant Street, a cul de sac off Parnell Place, near the entrance to the Merchant's Quay car park and the emergency services were alerted.
Gardaí were on Wednesday remaining tight-lipped but it is believed the man had a head injury that they found of concern and they say that they are treating the death as suspicious pending a post-mortem examination.
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Gardaí say the course of their investigation will be determined by the findings of the post mortem which is scheduled to be carried out by Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster on Thursday.
The man’s body was examined by Dr Bolster at the scene near the entrance to the car park before his remains were removed to Cork University Hospital for the post-mortem examination.
Garda technical experts also carried out a forensic examination of the scene as investigators began trying to piece together the man’s last known movements.
Gardaí say that the man, who availed of homeless services in the city, may have been dead at the scene for a number of days.
Investigators have identified the man, who previously lived in both Blackpool and Mayfield on Cork's northside, but they are not disclosing his name until all next of kin have been notified
Gardaí have begun harvesting CCTV footage from the area and have started interviewing those availing of homeless services to try to establish when they last saw the man alive.
It is understood Merchant Street is a fire escape route from the Merchant’s Quay car park but it is often frequented by those availing of homeless services from Cork Simon less than 300 metres away.


theirishtimes--2020-08-13--Nine tenants evicted from north Dublin property by men in masks and dark clothing

Nine tenants have been evicted from a house they were renting in Phibsborough , north Dublin with a number of men repossessing and boarding up the property on Wednesday morning .
Eight of the tenants are foreign nationals and many of them had been living in the Berkeley Road property for a number of years .
They said several men wearing all black , face coverings , caps and sunglasses entered the house on Wednesday morning , instructed the tenants inside to leave and then boarded up the front door and windows .
The tenants spent several hours afterwards outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bin bags full of clothes on the pavement .
Speaking outside the property , Theresa Chimamkpam ( 45 ) said she had been living in the house since 2011 , and had not been served an eviction notice to vacate the home .
“ This morning we were inside , I was in bed , they broke the door , they entered into our home … I was so terrified , ” she told The Irish Times .
“ This is our home , in the middle of the pandemic you threw us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this home nearly nine years , within seconds I am homeless now , ” she said .
It was “ very difficult to get accommodation ” and Ms Chimamkpam said she had approached Dublin City Council about housing .
Ms Chimamkpam said she had been working but was currently on the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment .
The landlord , Gerry Ward , said he had been involved with the property since around 2004 .
He has been involved in a legal dispute over it since 2017 with a property fund , Beltany Property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ That has not been finally resolved , that has not been fully resolved , ” he said , adding he had not been aware of the property ’ s repossession until he was contacted by the tenants .
A spokesman for Goldman Sachs , which controls Beltany , said the fund sold the property on June 2nd to an individual .
Elias Niyi Adbo Jegede ( 47 ) was another tenant at the house , who came to Ireland from Nigeria in 2005 , and had been living in the home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here is someone that has lived here for several years was evicted within 10 minutes … I don ’ t see how this is happening in Ireland , ” he said .
“ Whatever is happening with the landlord , which is the defendant , and the plaintiff , it ’ s not my business , I ’ m just a tenant here , ” he said .
As Mr Adbo Jegede was physically removed from the property , a number of gardaí watched on from the street outside the front door , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evening , a number of activists from the Dublin Central Housing Action group were outside the house to support the tenants .
Two Garda public order units were called to the scene after the activists arrived , but were not deployed .
The housing group was previously involved in several high-profile occupations of vacant Dublin city properties in 2018 , protesting over the housing crisis .
Emergency accommodation had been sourced for a number of the tenants on Wednesday night by a voluntary group , Inner City Helping Homeless .
The Government recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the coronavirus pandemic , and limited the protection to renters who had lost income as a result of the Covid-19 .

Nine tenants have been evicted from a house they were renting in Phibsborough, north Dublin with a number of men repossessing and boarding up the property. Video: Enda O'Dowd
Nine tenants have been evicted from a house they were renting in Phibsborough, north Dublin with a number of men repossessing and boarding up the property on Wednesday morning.
Eight of the tenants are foreign nationals and many of them had been living in the Berkeley Road property for a number of years.
They said several men wearing all black, face coverings, caps and sunglasses entered the house on Wednesday morning, instructed the tenants inside to leave and then boarded up the front door and windows.
The tenants spent several hours afterwards outside the house, with their belongings and bin bags full of clothes on the pavement.
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Speaking outside the property, Theresa Chimamkpam (45) said she had been living in the house since 2011, and had not been served an eviction notice to vacate the home.
“This morning we were inside, I was in bed, they broke the door, they entered into our home … I was so terrified,” she told The Irish Times.
“This is our home, in the middle of the pandemic you threw us on the road … I lived in this home nearly nine years, within seconds I am homeless now,” she said.
It was "very difficult to get accommodation" and Ms Chimamkpam said she had approached Dublin City Council about housing.
‘Legal dispute’
Ms Chimamkpam said she had been working but was currently on the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment.
The landlord, Gerry Ward, said he had been involved with the property since around 2004. He has been involved in a legal dispute over it since 2017 with a property fund, Beltany Property Finance, he told The Irish Times.
“That has not been finally resolved, that has not been fully resolved,” he said, adding he had not been aware of the property’s repossession until he was contacted by the tenants.
A spokesman for Goldman Sachs, which controls Beltany, said the fund sold the property on June 2nd to an individual.
Elias Niyi Adbo Jegede (47) was another tenant at the house, who came to Ireland from Nigeria in 2005, and had been living in the home for several years.
“What happened here is someone that has lived here for several years was evicted within 10 minutes … I don’t see how this is happening in Ireland,” he said.
“Whatever is happening with the landlord, which is the defendant, and the plaintiff, it’s not my business, I’m just a tenant here,” he said.
As Mr Adbo Jegede was physically removed from the property, a number of gardaí watched on from the street outside the front door, according to video footage.
Supporting tenants
On Wednesday evening, a number of activists from the Dublin Central Housing Action group were outside the house to support the tenants.
Two Garda public order units were called to the scene after the activists arrived, but were not deployed. The housing group was previously involved in several high-profile occupations of vacant Dublin city properties in 2018, protesting over the housing crisis.
Emergency accommodation had been sourced for a number of the tenants on Wednesday night by a voluntary group, Inner City Helping Homeless.
The Government recently lifted a blanket ban on rental evictions during the coronavirus pandemic, and limited the protection to renters who had lost income as a result of the Covid-19.
A Garda spokesman said legal representatives of the property’s owner attended Mountjoy Garda station on Wednesday “to inform Gardaí that they intended to secure their premises”.
Gardaí “noted the proposed activity but did not attend the premises at the time”, he said.
During the eviction a tenant made an emergency call to gardaí at 11am, and a number of units attended the scene, but “the majority were quickly stood down”, the spokesman said.
“Subsequently a number of Garda personnel remained at the scene with the primary function to prevent breaches of the peace and ensure the safety of all persons involved,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-08-13--Several roads impassable after torrential rain overnight

Gardaí have urged motorists to exercise caution on Cork roads today after torrential rain overnight left several roads in the @ @ @ @ @ flooding .
According to Met Éireann at Cork Airport , 27.5mm of rain fell between @ @ @ @ @ bulk of it falling between 2am and 4am as Cork also experienced thunder and lightning @ @ @ @ @ particularly badly hit by the heavy rain with the main artery west from Cork city @ @ @ @ @ at Rosscarbery , Connonagh and Leap between Clonakilty and Skibbereen .
Cork South West TD @ @ @ @ @ from Rosscarbery which showed a business premises near the turnoff for Glandore surrounded by flood @ @ @ @ @ .
Diversions were put in place by gardaí through Rosscarbery village while diversions were also @ @ @ @ @ and Leap further west after flood waters made the N71 impassable .
The local R579 @ @ @ @ @ also impassable due to heavy flooding while there were also reports of minor landslides on @ @ @ @

After a night of torrential rain, the river Roury broke its banks at 4am causing flooding in Rosscarbery and causing parts of the N71 to close. Photograph: Andy Gibson
Heavy downpours and thunderstorms on Thursday night are expected to result in localised flooding in the south of the country, Met Éireann has warned.
The weather warning came after heavy flooding in Cork on Thursday morning left several roads in the county impassable following a torrential downpour.
A new status yellow thunder warning for Munster was issued from 3pm on Thursday to midnight.
The main N71 road at Rosscarbery right now by the turn off for Glandore. pic.twitter.com/Y1kjCzLwF6 — Jim Daly (@jimdalyclon) August 13, 2020
The forecaster said that thunderstorms could be expected in parts of the province during this period, bringing torrential downpours and possible hail, and the risk of some spot flooding.
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On Thursday morning, the very heavy rain occurred between midnight and 4am, and there were very heavy downpours, thunder and lightning in some parts of the country.
According to Met Éireann, there was 35mm of rain between midnight and 3am at Thomastown in Kilkenny and 22mm in one hour at Cork Airport at 3am.
There was flooding in Rosscarbery in Co Cork and also there was heavy rain around in Galway as well.
West Cork was particularly badly hit by the heavy rain, with the main artery west from Cork city, the N71, impassable at Rosscarbery, Connonagh and Leap between Clonakilty and Skibbereen.
Former Cork South-West TD Jim Daly tweeted video footage from Rosscarbery which showed a business premises near the turnoff for Glandore surrounded by flood waters up to window-sill level.
Cork County Council put its staff on standby on Thursday night in anticipation of further flooding. A spokeswoman said that while flood waters from the first bout of torrential rain may have abated, road edges may have been undermined or eroded and care was necessary.
There is extensive damage to roads and property in west Cork and motorists and all road users are advised to exercise extreme caution on roadways that have been affected, added the spokeswoman.