theirishtimes--2020-02-28--Two Irish-born children lose appeals over asylum and protection process

Two Irish-born children are among 10 people who have lost their appeals over a system under which they were refused subsidiary protection here after being refused refugee status .
That joint system has since been replaced by a common procedure for examining refugee and subsidiary protection applications .
One of the children , a 10-year-old boy born here to a Nigerian mother , has been deported arising from the protection refusal .
The second , a 14-year-old boy born here to parents from two different African countries , later got permission to remain along with his mother , also an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who claimed fear of persecution by the Boko Haram group in Nigeria if returned there , have been deported while another appellant , a Nigerian woman , remains subject to a deportation order .
Three other appellants , men from Ghana , Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia , have since got permission to remain .
The status of the tenth appellant , a Bangladeshi man who claimed he was attacked there while working with a NGO , remains uncertain .
The three judge Court of Appeal , in a judgment on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over the High Court ’ s rejection of their challenges over subsidiary protection refusals , issued on dates between 2009 and 2011 , after they were refused asylum on dates between 2006 and 2010 .
Ms Justice Mary Faherty , giving the judgment , rejected the principal ground of appeal — that the lack of a parallel subsidiary protection application process when the appellants were seeking refugee status breached their rights under EU law arising from the Qualifications Directive .
That 2004 Directive provided for establishment of minimum standards for qualification for refugee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no basis for a reference of issues to the CJEU , the judge further held .
The cases arose in the context of a bifurcated system , governed by 2006 regulations transposing the 2004 Directive into law and in force here until 2013 , under which subsidiary protection could only be applied for by persons whose applications for refugee status had been refused .
That system was replaced by new procedures introduced via 2013 regulations , in turn replaced by the International Protection Act 2015 establishing a common procedure for examination of asylum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Faherty said the legal issues in all 10 appeals were identical .
She dismissed the principal argument concerning whether the absence of a process under which the appellants could apply for subsidiary protection at the same time as they applied for refugee status breached EU law .
The appellants were not entitled , as a matter of law , to relief solely on the basis the system under which their subsidiary protection applications were processed did not admit of the possibility of a subsidiary protection application at the same time as an asylum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might be said to have attached to the 2006 regulations , those regulations , as a matter of law , provided a mechanism for the enforcement of the right to subsidiary protection , she said .
It was undisputed the appellants had applied for subsidiary protection , their applications were considered by the Minister and , if dissatisfied , they had access to an effective remedy , judicial review , which they had pursued , she said .
Each of their applications was subject to a “ thorough ” decision by the Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment of their applications .
None had advanced evidence they were prejudiced by not being able to apply for subsidiary protection until their refugee applications were decided and nor was it suggested any had suffered prejudice due to the time frames involved in deciding applications .
She rejected additional arguments judicial review had not vindicated the appellants right to an “ effective remedy ” in regard to the subsidiary protection refusals .
Their right to be heard was not breached by failure to have any appeal process in place in respect of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Two Irish-born children are among 10 people who have lost their appeals over a system under which they were refused subsidiary protection here after being refused refugee status.
That joint system has since been replaced by a common procedure for examining refugee and subsidiary protection applications.
One of the children, a 10-year-old boy born here to a Nigerian mother, has been deported arising from the protection refusal. The second, a 14-year-old boy born here to parents from two different African countries, later got permission to remain along with his mother, also an appellant.
Two other appellants, young people who claimed fear of persecution by the Boko Haram group in Nigeria if returned there, have been deported while another appellant, a Nigerian woman, remains subject to a deportation order. Three other appellants, men from Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia, have since got permission to remain.
READ MORE
The status of the tenth appellant, a Bangladeshi man who claimed he was attacked there while working with a NGO, remains uncertain.
The three judge Court of Appeal, in a judgment on Thursday, dismissed appeals by all 10 over the High Court’s rejection of their challenges over subsidiary protection refusals, issued on dates between 2009 and 2011, after they were refused asylum on dates between 2006 and 2010.
Ms Justice Mary Faherty, giving the judgment, rejected the principal ground of appeal — that the lack of a parallel subsidiary protection application process when the appellants were seeking refugee status breached their rights under EU law arising from the Qualifications Directive.
That 2004 Directive provided for establishment of minimum standards for qualification for refugee status or subsidiary protection.
There was no basis for a reference of issues to the CJEU, the judge further held.
The cases arose in the context of a bifurcated system, governed by 2006 regulations transposing the 2004 Directive into law and in force here until 2013, under which subsidiary protection could only be applied for by persons whose applications for refugee status had been refused.
That system was replaced by new procedures introduced via 2013 regulations, in turn replaced by the International Protection Act 2015 establishing a common procedure for examination of asylum and subsidiary protection applications. Ms Justice Faherty said the legal issues in all 10 appeals were identical.
She dismissed the principal argument concerning whether the absence of a process under which the appellants could apply for subsidiary protection at the same time as they applied for refugee status breached EU law.
The appellants were not entitled, as a matter of law, to relief solely on the basis the system under which their subsidiary protection applications were processed did not admit of the possibility of a subsidiary protection application at the same time as an asylum application, she held.
Whatever defect might be said to have attached to the 2006 regulations, those regulations, as a matter of law, provided a mechanism for the enforcement of the right to subsidiary protection, she said.
It was undisputed the appellants had applied for subsidiary protection, their applications were considered by the Minister and, if dissatisfied, they had access to an effective remedy, judicial review, which they had pursued, she said. Each of their applications was subject to a “thorough” decision by the Minister and none had sought to challenge his treatment of their applications.
None had advanced evidence they were prejudiced by not being able to apply for subsidiary protection until their refugee applications were decided and nor was it suggested any had suffered prejudice due to the time frames involved in deciding applications.
She rejected additional arguments judicial review had not vindicated the appellants right to an “effective remedy” in regard to the subsidiary protection refusals. Their right to be heard was not breached by failure to have any appeal process in place in respect of their subsidiary protection applications, she further held.


theirishtimes--2020-02-28--Gardaí appeal for witnesses after shots fired at two dwellings in Dublin

Gardaí are appealing for information following reports of shots being fired at two separate dwelling in Co Dublin .
Gardaí @ @ @ @ @ bullet holes in the front windows at the two separate properties in the Fonthill Cottages @ @ @ @ @ 22 at about 8.50pm on Friday morning .
The dwellings were unoccupied during the incident @ @ @ @ @ the Garda said .
The scene was sealed off and a technical examination was carried @ @ @ @ @ of Crime Unit .
No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing .
Gardaí @ @ @ @ @ was in the vicinity at the time of the incident or to anyone who may @ @ @ @ @ particularly a black Audi or a Silver Volkwagen Golf ) to contact gardaí .
Gardaí @ @ @ @ @ road users who may have camera footage and were travelling in the area at the @ @ @ @ @ station on 01 666 7300 , the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 , @ @ @ @ @

Gardaí are appealing for information following reports of shots being fired at two separate dwelling in Co Dublin.
Gardaí observed a number of apparent bullet holes in the front windows at the two separate properties in the Fonthill Cottages area in Clondalkin, Dublin 22 at about 8.50pm on Friday morning. The dwellings were unoccupied during the incident and nobody was injured, the Garda said.
The scene was sealed off and a technical examination was carried out by the Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit. No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.
Gardaí are appealing for anyone who was in the vicinity at the time of the incident or to anyone who may have witnessed any vehicle (particularly a black Audi or a Silver Volkwagen Golf) to contact gardaí.
READ MORE
Gardaí are also appealing for any road users who may have camera footage and were travelling in the area at the time to contact Lucan Garda station on 01 666 7300, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.


theirishtimes--2020-02-28--Coronavirus advice: Wash your hands and avoid hugging, kissing and hand shaking

With the coronavirus spreading rapidly across the world and one case now confirmed on the island of Ireland , much of the focus is on how to deal with the illness and care for the sick .
But equally important , if not more important , in what is still a containment phase is how to minimise the odds of contracting the virus and stay safe as the illness spreads .
The first and best advice is not to panic .
Hysteria is a real enemy in a situation like this .
“ We are actually in a very delicate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in any direction based on how we handle it , ” World Health Organisation head Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said on Thursday night .
“ This is not a time for fear .
This is a time for taking action to prevent infection and save lives now , ” he added .
There has been a huge amount of speculation about the illness , much of which is ill-informed or speculative but what we know for certain now is that the Covid-19 coronavirus is new and scientists are assessing how it spreads .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread via cough and sneeze droplets .
That is why so-called “ social distancing ” will be important in the days ahead .
That means you should move at least a metre away from anyone who appears ill if you can .
Avoid shaking hands or hugging or kissing people as part of a greeting .
There has also been a lot of talk in recent days about face masks and alcohol based hand sanitisers but - by far - the most effective way to protect yourself is by regularly washing your hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obvious , a quick rinse under the tap doesn ’ t get rid of dangerous germs .
Hands need to be vigourously washed with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds or the length of time it takes to sing the Happy Birthday song twice .
Many people don ’ t dry their hands either which is why it is important to remember that damp actually can help germs to breed and allows them to spread more easily onto whatever you touch next .
According to advice from the HSE , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use alcohol based hand sanatisers if necessary .
It is also important to cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough and sneeze and to put used tissues into a bin and then wash your hands again .
People should not touch their eyes , nose or mouth if their hands are not clean The HSE advice also reminds people to clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces .
With regard to face masks the HSE advice is simple .
People who are well or have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
“ There ’ s no evidence that using masks is of any benefit if you are not sick , ” it says .
People who should use face masks if they have or may have coronavirus or if they are in close contact with someone who has or may have coronavirus or if they are are a healthcare worker in close contact with people who have or may have coronavirus .
According to the HSE people who work in a healthcare setting can best protect themselves by regularly washing their hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coughing and sneezing .
Health care professionals dealing with cases or suspected cases of the coronavirus are being advised to wear personal protective equipment which includes a surgical face mask , a face shield or goggles , gloves and a clean , non-sterile , disposable long-sleeved gown .
“ If this is not available , wear a plastic apron and roll up sleeves Irish people displayed a propensity to stockpile during the two or three days that the beast from the east made its presence felt two years ago .
Bread supplies dried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from supermarkets as supply chains displayed a worrying fragility .
Will something similar happen if panic about the coronavirus mounts ?
Possibly .
Certainly in other locations concerns over shortages have led some people to stockpile and there has been evidence of panic buying .
Already in this country all the face masks have disappeared from pharmacies and even hardware shops .
“ I don ’ t think it is necessary , and I certainly don ’ t advise it , ” Mark Woolhouse at the University of Edinburgh to New Scientist this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center for Health Security in Baltimore , Maryland told the same magazine that people should ensure they have at least three days ’ food supply to hand as they are advised to do during hurricanes .
“ I ’ m not saying it ’ s specifically necessary in this case , ” she said .
“ [ BUT ] don ’ t buy things you won ’ t eat later , don ’ t hoard and don ’ t buy more than you ’ ll need for a 2 week period , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not talking zombie apocalypse and we very probably won ’ t see power or water interruptions either.
” Certainly do not stock up on prescription medicines - not only will you almost certainly not need them but you may make it harder for those that do need them to access them .
Which takes us back to the start and the best advice which is don ’ t panic .

With the coronavirus spreading rapidly across the world and one case now confirmed on the island of Ireland, much of the focus is on how to deal with the illness and care for the sick.
But equally important, if not more important, in what is still a containment phase is how to minimise the odds of contracting the virus and stay safe as the illness spreads.
The first and best advice is not to panic. Hysteria is a real enemy in a situation like this.
"We are actually in a very delicate situation in which the outbreak can go in any direction based on how we handle it," World Health Organisation head Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said on Thursday night. "This is not a time for fear. This is a time for taking action to prevent infection and save lives now," he added.
READ MORE
There has been a huge amount of speculation about the illness, much of which is ill-informed or speculative but what we know for certain now is that the Covid-19 coronavirus is new and scientists are assessing how it spreads.
We also know that similar viruses tend to spread via cough and sneeze droplets.
’Social distancing’
That is why so-called “social distancing” will be important in the days ahead. That means you should move at least a metre away from anyone who appears ill if you can. Avoid shaking hands or hugging or kissing people as part of a greeting.
There has also been a lot of talk in recent days about face masks and alcohol based hand sanitisers but - by far - the most effective way to protect yourself is by regularly washing your hands.
At the risk of stating the obvious, a quick rinse under the tap doesn’t get rid of dangerous germs. Hands need to be vigourously washed with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds or the length of time it takes to sing the Happy Birthday song twice.
Many people don’t dry their hands either which is why it is important to remember that damp actually can help germs to breed and allows them to spread more easily onto whatever you touch next.
According to advice from the HSE, in addition to hand-washing people should also use alcohol based hand sanatisers if necessary.
It is also important to cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough and sneeze and to put used tissues into a bin and then wash your hands again. People should not touch their eyes, nose or mouth if their hands are not clean
The HSE advice also reminds people to clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
With regard to face masks the HSE advice is simple. People who are well or have no symptoms of illness should not use them. “There’s no evidence that using masks is of any benefit if you are not sick,” it says.
People who should use face masks if they have or may have coronavirus or if they are in close contact with someone who has or may have coronavirus or if they are are a healthcare worker in close contact with people who have or may have coronavirus.
Healthcare workers
According to the HSE people who work in a healthcare setting can best protect themselves by regularly washing their hands and covering their mouths and noses when coughing and sneezing.
Health care professionals dealing with cases or suspected cases of the coronavirus are being advised to wear personal protective equipment which includes a surgical face mask, a face shield or goggles, gloves and a clean, non-sterile, disposable long-sleeved gown. “If this is not available, wear a plastic apron and roll up sleeves
Irish people displayed a propensity to stockpile during the two or three days that the beast from the east made its presence felt two years ago.
Bread supplies dried up and fresh meat and dairy disappeared from supermarkets as supply chains displayed a worrying fragility.
Will something similar happen if panic about the coronavirus mounts? Possibly.
Certainly in other locations concerns over shortages have led some people to stockpile and there has been evidence of panic buying.
Already in this country all the face masks have disappeared from pharmacies and even hardware shops.
"I don't think it is necessary, and I certainly don't advise it," Mark Woolhouse at the University of Edinburgh to New Scientist this week.
Food suply
Jennifer Nuzzo at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore, Maryland told the same magazine that people should ensure they have at least three days' food supply to hand as they are advised to do during hurricanes. "I'm not saying it's specifically necessary in this case," she said.
Meanwhile virology blogger Ian Mackay recommended slowly building up a "pandemic stash".
“[BUT] don’t buy things you won’t eat later, don’t hoard and don’t buy more than you’ll need for a 2 week period,” he wrote. “We’re not talking zombie apocalypse and we very probably won’t see power or water interruptions either.”
Certainly do not stock up on prescription medicines - not only will you almost certainly not need them but you may make it harder for those that do need them to access them. Which takes us back to the start and the best advice which is don’t panic.


theirishtimes--2020-02-28--Murder in a crowded house: The full story of the Patricia O’Connor trial

Over seven weeks , the contrasts of Patricia O ’ Connor ’ s formidable personality were outlined for a Central Criminal Court jury .
The retired hospital worker was a “ straight shooter ” , according to her son , and “ a determined lady ” .
“ If you were in the wrong , she would tell you were in the wrong and if you needed a kick in the arse , she ’ d give you one , ” Richard O ’ Connor said .
The 61-year-old was described an active person who was “ handy in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” despite her small stature , he said .
Kieran Greene , the man who shared her home for 10 years before bludgeoning her to death and dismembering her body , however , told gardaí life with Patricia was “ a nightmare ” .
Greene told gardaí that his partner ’ s mother could be verbally abusive and had threatened to have his family killed .
He said the children in the house would hide under the kitchen table in fear of her and that she called them all “ leeches ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly-charged home life to open its case .
Nine people spanning three generations of the same family shared four bedrooms in the modest Rathfarnham house .
Patricia shared her home with her husband Gus , their daughter Louise , her partner Greene and their three young children .
Louise ’ s two older children , from her relationship with Keith Johnston , were also living there .
Senior counsel Roisin Lacey told the jury conditions in Mountainview Park were cramped and tensions were high with “ interpersonal conflicts ” bubbling .
Richard conceded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of friction ” in the house , which he said stemmed from Louise and her family living there and not helping out with the upkeep .
He said his mother , who had worked as a cleaner in Beaumont Hospital , “ hated laziness ” .
Richard told the court that when Patricia did not contact him on his birthday on May 30th , 2017 , he got in touch with Louise to check if everything was well .
She told him Patricia had “ stormed out of the house in anger ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suitcase in hand .
She told him that their mother shouted abuse and said “ I ’ ll be back when that old fella pops his clogs ” - a reference to their father .
Richard , having still not heard from his mother , called to Mountainview Park two days later and met Louise , Gus and Greene .
He and his father agreed that they should report the disappearance to gardaí .
He said Louise did not want them to , but despite her objections a missing persons report was made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On June 10th , 2017 , a family having a picnic close to the Sally Gap in Co Wicklow made a grim discovery .
Christine Murphy said she “ came across something ” over a bank at the side of the road at Old Boley .
It was a human torso , but she described it as looking like animal remains .
That same day , two walkers at Glenmacnass Waterfall saw what they thought were animal organs on a rock .
In all , the trial heard that 15 body parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30km range in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains between June 10th and 14th .
Gardaí initially believed the body parts belonged to a man in his 20s following initial measurements of the bones .
Former deputy State pathologist Dr Michael Curtis performed postmortems on the body parts recovered .
He found the deceased ’ s head was struck a minimum of three blows with a solid implement and gave a cause of death as being blunt force trauma to the head .
There were no defensive wounds .
On the evening of June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noticed a man “ of nervous disposition ” sitting alone in Rathfarnham Garda station ’ s waiting room .
The man came to the front desk and said he wanted to speak to someone .
He told Garda Foley the body parts found up in the mountains were Patricia ’ s .
He gave his name as Kieran Greene and described having a physical row with Patricia in the bathroom of their house .
She hit him with a hurley and he reacted by pushing her - and she fell back .
Det @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he had “ done something terrible ” to his partner ’ s mother .
“ The stuff up the mountains was me , ” he said .
Greene told Det Sgt Myles that he had cut the body into parts and then “ threw them all over the place up there ” .
When Greene was asked why he killed her , he replied : “ I was getting out of the shower when she came in and she started shouting and screaming at me .
“ She then picked up one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bathroom door and started hitting me .
I grabbed it and hit her back .
Next thing I remember is coming around and she was lying on the floor with blood everywhere , ” he said .
In several voluntary statements on June 12th and 13th , 2017 , Greene said Patricia became unresponsive and he carried her upstairs to her bedroom , something he described as a “ bleeding miracle ” as she was heavier than him .
An hour later he put her in the boot of her Toyota Corolla and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the body in a shallow grave .
Greene said he started panic a few days later that a farmer would find the body , so he returned to Wexford to “ cut her up ” and then scattered the body parts and tools in the mountains .
He said that what had happened “ was eating him up ” and he handed himself in as he could not live with the guilt .
Greene claimed he was the only one involved in the physical altercation and had acted alone in dealing with Patricia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2017 , the day Patricia ’ s remains were identified using dental records , Greene brought gardaí to the field near Blackwater , Co Wexford where he had buried the body .
He was asked to wait at the gate as gardaí went to observe the disturbed earth , where they found brown hair in the shallow grave .
Greene was arrested at 7.30pm for the murder .
In his interviews with gardaí , Greene described the “ nightmare ” of life in Mountainview Park and claimed Patricia wanted them all dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He believed she had tried to kill Gus by pushing him down the stairs .
Greene said he “ felt free ” after burying her as his kids would now be safe and their grandmother would no longer be able to pick on them .
When charged with the murder , Greene replied : “ It was self-defence ” .
During the trial , Richard O ’ Connor agreed with Greene ’ s counsel that he had prevously described the accused as “ a fool and a moron ” and said Louise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationship .
Greene ’ s mother , Joan gave evidence that her son was assessed at seven-years-old and found to be about “ two and a half years behind ” .
She also said he ’ d not had a girlfriend before meeting Louise .
As part of the investigation , gardaí examined CCTV footage from a neighbour ’ s house which became “ a central plank ” of the prosecution ’ s case .
The cameras covered the front and back of the O ’ Connor house .
When gardaí showed Louise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a view of the rear of her home , she expressed surprise .
“ Is that not against the law , recording into our house ?
Invasion of privacy or something ?
F**king disgraceful , ” she said .
In an interview with gardaí , Stephanie O ’ Connor claimed she was aware the neighbour ’ s camera covered their front and back garden .
It was the prosecution ’ s case that Patricia was murdered between 6.37pm and 6.57pm on May 29th , 2017 .
The footage showed Louise , Stephanie and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6.53pm and not returning until 9.04pm .
Other footage showed a female dressed in a hooded jacket leaving the front entrance at 9.34pm and walking quickly down the driveway with a suitcase .
At 10.05pm , a female with a suitcase appeared at the left-hand side of the house and went in the back door .
It was the State ’ s case that , in order to cover up the murder , Stephanie dressed up as her grandmother as “ a ruse ” to pretend she had stormed off .
The prosecution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dead at the time .
In September 2017 , Louise , Stephanie and Gus were arrested on suspicion of murdering Patricia .
Louise protested that she did not understand the reason for her arrest .
“ You have someone for murder , he put his hands up.
” Her mother , she said , had been “ extremely hard to live with ” since her retirement .
Louise said Patricia would tell her and Stephanie “ every day ” that they should have been “ aborted ” and that they were “ retarded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried to “ beat the head off her ” with a teapot on the day of the murder and there were arguments about Patricia smoking cannabis .
Nevertheless , at one point , Louise told gardaí : “ Despite everything , I really loved my mother and it ’ s really tough.
” Louise said that on the evening of May 29th , she went with her children and father to Nutgrove Park as she did not want to fight with Patricia .
She could not say when they all got home , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when she heard her mother leave .
She “ hadn ’ t a clue ” where Patricia was going .
She said Green told them two weeks later that he had killed Patricia .
He said he “ lost it ” after Patricia lashed out at him with a hurl .
Louise said Greene told her he had to hand himself in .
Asked why Greene was seen on CCTV footage closing the curtains when she and the children left for the park , Louise replied : “ Why you asking me ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shower .
“ If you are saying we left so he could do something , you ’ re sadly mistaken ” .
Louise denied that the person recorded walking out the front door at 9.34pm was Stephanie .
“ That ’ s my ma walking out , ” she said , adding that if her mother had been dead when she got home , she would have “ punched Kieran ’ s lights out ” .
Louise ’ s defence , led by Michael Bowman SC , argued that there was “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the prosecution reminded the jury : “ Louise is quite clear that it is her mother leaving the house , there is no equivocation , no ambiguity ... ” If the jury was satisfied the person leaving with the suitcase was Stephanie , then what Louise told gardaí was a lie and she was a “ vital link ” in the contrivance , the prosecution argued .
In a voluntary statement to gardaí in June 2017 , Stephanie O ’ Connor said Patricia had retired a year earlier and only rarely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good days she was great , when she had bad times she was terrible.
” Stephanie later told gardaí it was “ surreal ” when the “ truth came out ” and Greene confessed .
She said she felt “ confused , shocked and angry ” when she learned what had happened .
Stephanie told gardaí she was the person recorded going into the house with a suitcase at 10.05pm .
She said she was was bringing in a bag from the shed for Louise , but could not remember how she got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also identified Stephanie as the person going into the rear of the house .
Stephanie denied that she had killed or assisted anyone in killing her grandmother .
Her father , Keith Johnston said he was aware of a “ big blow up ” in Mountainview on May 29th and that he fixed a step and tiles in the bathroom .
“ I kind of thought when doing that , that I could be potentially cleaning up a crime scene .
There was a nagging thought in the back of my head but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnston told gardaí .
In the course of the trial , the jury viewed CCTV footage of Greene purchasing tools and other items , in the company of Johnston , in several shops on June 9th , 2017 .
Among these were 30 extra-strong black rubbish sacks , two pairs of builders ’ gloves , a tenon saw and two adjustable hacksaws .
He purchased two small axes and knife blades in Woodies , two pairs of size nine green wellington boots in Shoe Zone in Tallaght and a jerry can , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tape in Mr Price .
The prosecution argued that Patricia had not yet been dismembered when Johnston assisted Greene in purchasing these .
In his interviews , Johnston said he went on a “ shopping spree ” with Greene the day before the remains were found but he said he did not know why Greene wanted these items .
Johnston said he was in Mountainview Park on June 12th when Greene broke down and said he had killed Patricia .
“ I said to him he was going to have to hand himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Cloverhill Prison , Greene asked to speak to gardaí “ to get something off his chest ” .
The prosecution described this development as a “ sea-change ” in the case .
On December 12th , 2017 , six months after confessing , Greene alleged that what he had originally told gardaí was not correct and others were involved in the murder .
He recounted how Patricia had attacked him with a hurley .
“ We were grabbing and struggling with the hurl and I got it off her and hit her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She grabbed the hurl again and she was hitting me with the two of us holding it .
She got it back , winded me in the stomach and I went down on the ground , ” he said .
Greene then alleged that he heard Gus come down the stairs and admonish his wife .
He said Patricia swung the hurley at Gus , but missed .
Greene claimed Gus then hit Patricia twice on the head with a crowbar and she fell to the floor .
When she hit the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him : “ I ’ m defending you so you can take the rap for this.
” He said they panicked and he brought the body upstairs .
A few minutes afterwards , Greene said they told Louise what had happened .
“ She said ‘ we can ’ t leave her here ’ and we brought her back down the stairs and put her in the boot of the Corolla , ” he said .
Greene said he got a shovel and drove to Wexford , dug a hole and buried her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Louise was cleaning the bathroom and he told her Patricia had been buried .
Greene also told gardaí that Johnston was informed a day or two later and he asked him for help as he had “ never been in this predicament before ” .
After buying the various tools and items , he said he and Johnston drove to Wexford and dug up the body .
He alleged that Johnston then spent three to four hours dismembering the body with a saw before they disposed of the parts in the Wicklow mountains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tools in Dodder Valley Park in Tallaght and burnt the clothes they had worn .
Gardaí searched Dodder Valley Park on January 2nd , 2018 and found two hacksaws and a hatchet in the undergrowth .
One of the hacksaws had human hair caught in the blade , which was forensically linked to Patricia .
A day or two later , Johnston came to the house and scraped the grout off the tiles in the bathroom and painted walls in the house , Greene said .
He also said Stephanie had dressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look like Patricia had stormed off .
Greene told gardaí that he was persuaded to take the blame for killing and dismembering his partner ’ s mother .
He said he felt like he was “ set up ” as Louise subsequently started going out with Johnston again .
“ It ’ s not fair , I ’ m facing a murder trial .
They are out there and I ’ m taking the rap for it.
” The jury of six men and five women agreed with the prosecution that Greene attacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ did not hold any water ” .
The State argued that his December interview was not reliable and that he had changed his account as he was “ jealous ” of the “ growing relationship ” between Louise and Johnston .
The trial also heard evidence that Johnston ’ s mobile phone “ tallied ” with CCTV footage and had pinged off a mast near his house in Tallaght on the night of June 9th , when Greene alleged the dismemberment took place .
The jury were also told that Augustine ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the trial but pleaded guilty to reporting his wife as a missing person to gardaí on June 1st , 2017 , when he knew she was dead .
The jury heard that Mr O ’ Connor ( 75 ) , of Mill Close , Glasheen , Stamullen , Co Meath , had originally been charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of an offender in October 2018 .
A charge of refurbishing the bathroom in order to conceal evidence of the murder against Johnston was withdrawn from the jury by direction @ @ @ @ @ @

‘A nightmare’
Over seven weeks, the contrasts of Patricia O’Connor’s formidable personality were outlined for a Central Criminal Court jury. The retired hospital worker was a “straight shooter”, according to her son, and “a determined lady”.
“If you were in the wrong, she would tell you were in the wrong and if you needed a kick in the arse, she’d give you one,” Richard O’Connor said.
The 61-year-old was described an active person who was “handy in the garden” and “physically very competent” despite her small stature, he said.
Murder victim Patricia O’Connor.
Kieran Greene, the man who shared her home for 10 years before bludgeoning her to death and dismembering her body, however, told gardaí life with Patricia was “a nightmare”.
READ MORE
Greene told gardaí that his partner’s mother could be verbally abusive and had threatened to have his family killed. He said the children in the house would hide under the kitchen table in fear of her and that she called them all “leeches”.
The prosecution used a description of a highly-charged home life to open its case. Nine people spanning three generations of the same family shared four bedrooms in the modest Rathfarnham house. Patricia shared her home with her husband Gus, their daughter Louise, her partner Greene and their three young children. Louise’s two older children, from her relationship with Keith Johnston, were also living there.
Senior counsel Roisin Lacey told the jury conditions in Mountainview Park were cramped and tensions were high with “interpersonal conflicts” bubbling.
Richard conceded there had been a “fair bit of friction” in the house, which he said stemmed from Louise and her family living there and not helping out with the upkeep. He said his mother, who had worked as a cleaner in Beaumont Hospital, “hated laziness”.
Richard told the court that when Patricia did not contact him on his birthday on May 30th, 2017, he got in touch with Louise to check if everything was well. She told him Patricia had “stormed out of the house in anger” on May 29th after an argument, suitcase in hand.
She told him that their mother shouted abuse and said “I’ll be back when that old fella pops his clogs” - a reference to their father.
Richard, having still not heard from his mother, called to Mountainview Park two days later and met Louise, Gus and Greene.
He and his father agreed that they should report the disappearance to gardaí. He said Louise did not want them to, but despite her objections a missing persons report was made at Rathfarnham Garda station on June 1st.
A grim find
On June 10th, 2017, a family having a picnic close to the Sally Gap in Co Wicklow made a grim discovery. Christine Murphy said she “came across something” over a bank at the side of the road at Old Boley. It was a human torso, but she described it as looking like animal remains. That same day, two walkers at Glenmacnass Waterfall saw what they thought were animal organs on a rock.
In all, the trial heard that 15 body parts were found at nine locations over a 30km range in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains between June 10th and 14th.
Gardaí initially believed the body parts belonged to a man in his 20s following initial measurements of the bones.
Former deputy State pathologist Dr Michael Curtis performed postmortems on the body parts recovered. He found the deceased’s head was struck a minimum of three blows with a solid implement and gave a cause of death as being blunt force trauma to the head. There were no defensive wounds.
‘Something terrible’
On the evening of June 12th, 2017, Garda PJ Foley noticed a man “of nervous disposition” sitting alone in Rathfarnham Garda station’s waiting room. The man came to the front desk and said he wanted to speak to someone. He told Garda Foley the body parts found up in the mountains were Patricia’s.
Kieran Greene, who was found guilty of murdering Patricia O’Connor. File photograph.
He gave his name as Kieran Greene and described having a physical row with Patricia in the bathroom of their house. She hit him with a hurley and he reacted by pushing her - and she fell back.
Det Sgt Lucy Myles said Greene told her he had “done something terrible” to his partner’s mother.
“The stuff up the mountains was me,” he said.
Greene told Det Sgt Myles that he had cut the body into parts and then “threw them all over the place up there”.
When Greene was asked why he killed her, he replied: “I was getting out of the shower when she came in and she started shouting and screaming at me.
“She then picked up one of the kid’s hurls outside the bathroom door and started hitting me. I grabbed it and hit her back. Next thing I remember is coming around and she was lying on the floor with blood everywhere,” he said.
In several voluntary statements on June 12th and 13th, 2017, Greene said Patricia became unresponsive and he carried her upstairs to her bedroom, something he described as a “bleeding miracle” as she was heavier than him.
An hour later he put her in the boot of her Toyota Corolla and drove to Wexford, where he put the body in a shallow grave.
Greene said he started panic a few days later that a farmer would find the body, so he returned to Wexford to “cut her up” and then scattered the body parts and tools in the mountains. He said that what had happened “was eating him up” and he handed himself in as he could not live with the guilt.
Greene claimed he was the only one involved in the physical altercation and had acted alone in dealing with Patricia’s body.
On June 13th, 2017, the day Patricia’s remains were identified using dental records, Greene brought gardaí to the field near Blackwater, Co Wexford where he had buried the body. He was asked to wait at the gate as gardaí went to observe the disturbed earth, where they found brown hair in the shallow grave.
Greene was arrested at 7.30pm for the murder.
In his interviews with gardaí, Greene described the “nightmare” of life in Mountainview Park and claimed Patricia wanted them all dead, “down to the kids”. He believed she had tried to kill Gus by pushing him down the stairs.
Greene said he “felt free” after burying her as his kids would now be safe and their grandmother would no longer be able to pick on them.
When charged with the murder, Greene replied: “It was self-defence”.
During the trial, Richard O’Connor agreed with Greene’s counsel that he had prevously described the accused as “a fool and a moron” and said Louise “wore the trousers” in the relationship.
Greene’s mother, Joan gave evidence that her son was assessed at seven-years-old and found to be about “two and a half years behind”. She also said he’d not had a girlfriend before meeting Louise.
The ruse
As part of the investigation, gardaí examined CCTV footage from a neighbour’s house which became “a central plank” of the prosecution’s case. The cameras covered the front and back of the O’Connor house.
When gardaí showed Louise clips from the footage, which offered a view of the rear of her home, she expressed surprise.
Louise O’Connor is pictured arriving at the Central Criminal Court during the trial over her mother’s murder. Photograph: Collins Courts.
“Is that not against the law, recording into our house? Invasion of privacy or something? F**king disgraceful,” she said.
In an interview with gardaí, Stephanie O’Connor claimed she was aware the neighbour’s camera covered their front and back garden.
It was the prosecution’s case that Patricia was murdered between 6.37pm and 6.57pm on May 29th, 2017. The footage showed Louise, Stephanie and the younger children leaving the house at 6.53pm and not returning until 9.04pm.
Other footage showed a female dressed in a hooded jacket leaving the front entrance at 9.34pm and walking quickly down the driveway with a suitcase.
At 10.05pm, a female with a suitcase appeared at the left-hand side of the house and went in the back door. It was the State’s case that, in order to cover up the murder, Stephanie dressed up as her grandmother as “a ruse” to pretend she had stormed off. The prosecution’s contended that Patricia was already dead at the time.
In September 2017, Louise, Stephanie and Gus were arrested on suspicion of murdering Patricia.
Louise protested that she did not understand the reason for her arrest. “You have someone for murder, he put his hands up.”
Her mother, she said, had been “extremely hard to live with” since her retirement. Louise said Patricia would tell her and Stephanie “every day” that they should have been “aborted” and that they were “retarded”.
She claimed her mother had tried to “beat the head off her” with a teapot on the day of the murder and there were arguments about Patricia smoking cannabis. Nevertheless, at one point, Louise told gardaí: “Despite everything, I really loved my mother and it’s really tough.”
Louise said that on the evening of May 29th, she went with her children and father to Nutgrove Park as she did not want to fight with Patricia. She could not say when they all got home, but claimed she was in the toilet when she heard her mother leave. She “hadn’t a clue” where Patricia was going.
She said Green told them two weeks later that he had killed Patricia. He said he “lost it” after Patricia lashed out at him with a hurl. Louise said Greene told her he had to hand himself in.
Asked why Greene was seen on CCTV footage closing the curtains when she and the children left for the park, Louise replied: “Why you asking me? Maybe he is dancing around naked after the shower.
“If you are saying we left so he could do something, you’re sadly mistaken”.
Louise denied that the person recorded walking out the front door at 9.34pm was Stephanie.
“That’s my ma walking out,” she said, adding that if her mother had been dead when she got home, she would have “punched Kieran’s lights out”.
Louise’s defence, led by Michael Bowman SC, argued that there was “no smoking gun establishing her guilt”, but the prosecution reminded the jury: “Louise is quite clear that it is her mother leaving the house, there is no equivocation, no ambiguity...”
If the jury was satisfied the person leaving with the suitcase was Stephanie, then what Louise told gardaí was a lie and she was a “vital link” in the contrivance, the prosecution argued.
Keith Johnston (43) and Stephanie O’Connor (22) are pictured leaving the Criminal Courts of Justice (CCJ) during their trial. Photograph: Collins
In a voluntary statement to gardaí in June 2017, Stephanie O’Connor said Patricia had retired a year earlier and only rarely ventured outside. “When she had good days she was great, when she had bad times she was terrible.”
Stephanie later told gardaí it was “surreal” when the “truth came out” and Greene confessed. She said she felt “confused, shocked and angry” when she learned what had happened.
Stephanie told gardaí she was the person recorded going into the house with a suitcase at 10.05pm. She said she was bringing in a bag from the shed for Louise, but could not remember how she got out there. Richard O’Connor also identified Stephanie as the person going into the rear of the house.
Stephanie denied that she had killed or assisted anyone in killing her grandmother. Her father, Keith Johnston said he was aware of a “big blow up” in Mountainview on May 29th and that he fixed a step and tiles in the bathroom .
“I kind of thought when doing that, that I could be potentially cleaning up a crime scene. There was a nagging thought in the back of my head but I thought nothing of it,” Johnston told gardaí.
In the course of the trial, the jury viewed CCTV footage of Greene purchasing tools and other items, in the company of Johnston, in several shops on June 9th, 2017. Among these were 30 extra-strong black rubbish sacks, two pairs of builders’ gloves, a tenon saw and two adjustable hacksaws. He purchased two small axes and knife blades in Woodies, two pairs of size nine green wellington boots in Shoe Zone in Tallaght and a jerry can, a tow rope, two knives and vinyl tape in Mr Price. The prosecution argued that Patricia had not yet been dismembered when Johnston assisted Greene in purchasing these.
In his interviews, Johnston said he went on a “shopping spree” with Greene the day before the remains were found but he said he did not know why Greene wanted these items.
Johnston said he was in Mountainview Park on June 12th when Greene broke down and said he had killed Patricia. “I said to him he was going to have to hand himself in.”
Story changes
While he was on remand in Cloverhill Prison, Greene asked to speak to gardaí “to get something off his chest”. The prosecution described this development as a “sea-change” in the case.
On December 12th, 2017, six months after confessing, Greene alleged that what he had originally told gardaí was not correct and others were involved in the murder. He recounted how Patricia had attacked him with a hurley.
“We were grabbing and struggling with the hurl and I got it off her and hit her about two times I’d say. She grabbed the hurl again and she was hitting me with the two of us holding it. She got it back, winded me in the stomach and I went down on the ground,” he said.
Greene then alleged that he heard Gus come down the stairs and admonish his wife. He said Patricia swung the hurley at Gus, but missed. Greene claimed Gus then hit Patricia twice on the head with a crowbar and she fell to the floor.
Augustine ‘Gus’ O’Connor, husband of the deceased. Photograph: Collins Courts.
When she hit the bathroom floor, Greene said Gus told him: “I’m defending you so you can take the rap for this.”
He said they panicked and he brought the body upstairs. A few minutes afterwards, Greene said they told Louise what had happened.
“She said ‘we can’t leave her here’ and we brought her back down the stairs and put her in the boot of the Corolla,” he said. Greene said he got a shovel and drove to Wexford, dug a hole and buried her.
When he returned, Greene claimed Louise was cleaning the bathroom and he told her Patricia had been buried.
Greene also told gardaí that Johnston was informed a day or two later and he asked him for help as he had “never been in this predicament before”.
After buying the various tools and items, he said he and Johnston drove to Wexford and dug up the body. He alleged that Johnston then spent three to four hours dismembering the body with a saw before they disposed of the parts in the Wicklow mountains.
He said Johnston later disposed of the tools in Dodder Valley Park in Tallaght and burnt the clothes they had worn.
Gardaí searched Dodder Valley Park on January 2nd, 2018 and found two hacksaws and a hatchet in the undergrowth. One of the hacksaws had human hair caught in the blade, which was forensically linked to Patricia.
A day or two later, Johnston came to the house and scraped the grout off the tiles in the bathroom and painted walls in the house, Greene said.
He also said Stephanie had dressed up as her grandmother to make it look like Patricia had stormed off.
Greene told gardaí that he was persuaded to take the blame for killing and dismembering his partner’s mother. He said he felt like he was “set up” as Louise subsequently started going out with Johnston again.
“It’s not fair, I’m facing a murder trial. They are out there and I’m taking the rap for it.”
The jury of six men and five women agreed with the prosecution that Greene attacked Patricia and that his claim of self-defence “did not hold any water”. The State argued that his December interview was not reliable and that he had changed his account as he was “jealous” of the “growing relationship” between Louise and Johnston.
The trial also heard evidence that Johnston’s mobile phone “tallied” with CCTV footage and had pinged off a mast near his house in Tallaght on the night of June 9th, when Greene alleged the dismemberment took place.
The jury were also told that Augustine ‘Gus’ O’Connor was originally part of the trial but pleaded guilty to reporting his wife as a missing person to gardaí on June 1st, 2017, when he knew she was dead.
The jury heard that Mr O’Connor (75), of Mill Close, Glasheen, Stamullen, Co Meath, had originally been charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of an offender in October 2018.
A charge of refurbishing the bathroom in order to conceal evidence of the murder against Johnston was withdrawn from the jury by direction of Mr Justice Paul McDermott.


theirishtimes--2020-02-28--Baby names 2019: Emily and Jack retain top spots

Jack and Emily were the most popular baby names registered last year , according to the Central Statistics Office ( CSO ) .
Jack retained the title as the most popular baby boy ’ s name , a position it has held since 2007 , except for 2016 when James claimed the top spot .
Jack was followed by James , Noah , Conor and Daniel as the five most popular names for baby boys in 2019 .
Emily retains the top spot for girls , followed by Grace , Fiadh , Sophie and Hannah in the top five names @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been the most popular name for baby girls since 2011 .
Fiadh and Hannah were new entrants to the top five in 2019 .
Amelia dropped out of the top five last year , having been there since 2015 .
The latest publication by the CSO is the second year in a row it has recognised the síneadh fada .
New entrants into the top 100 names for boys included Odhrán , Eli , Ruairí and Joey while Doireann and Méabh entered the top 100 names for girls .
Odhrán was also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most in popularity between 2018 to 2019 , moving up from 138th place to 97th .
Alexandra , Heidi and Hollie were the girls ’ names growing most in popularity last year .
Alexandra moved up 25 places and Heidi and Hollie both moved 20 places in the rankings between 2018 and 2019 .
There was a wider variety in the names registered with girls , with 4,184 girls ’ names in 2019 compared with 3,725 for boys .
The CSO ’ s Baby Names of Ireland lets you track how many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Ireland between the years 1964 and 2018 .
The CSO has also provided a breakdown of the most popular baby names by county for 2019 .
Rían was the most popular name for baby boys in Cavan , for example , while Jamie was the most popular boy ’ s name in Donegal .
James was the most popular boy ’ s name in Dublin city and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown , while Jack was the most popular in Fingal and south Dublin last year .
Charlie , Fionn and Thomas were the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carlow while Luke was the most popular in Roscommon .
Ella was the most popular name for baby girls in Monaghan last year while Caoimhe was the most popular girl ’ s name in Sligo .
Ava was the most popular girl ’ s name in Clare while Anna was the most popular in Offaly .
Sophie was the most popular girl ’ s name in Fingal and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown last year , Ellie was the most popular in south Dublin and Emily in Dublin city .
The top ten surnames of babies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the CSO ’ s publication .
Of the 59,795 live births registered in 2019 , 20,356 had unrepeated surnames .
These unique surnames included some double-barrelled surnames – for example Driscoll-O ’ Shea .
The top three surnames for births registered were Murphy at 683 ( 1.1 per cent ) , Kelly at 567 ( 0.9 per cent ) and Ryan at 450 ( 0.8 per cent ) .
The CSO has published babies ’ forenames since 1998 and receives this data from the General Registration Office ( GRO ) .
Carol Anne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the less popular names for boys included Teidí , Saul , Dexter and Ruán and for girls ’ included Féile , Jorja , Kyrah and Constance .
“ Back in 1969 , John , Patrick , Michael , James and Thomas were the names most favoured by parents of new-born baby boys .
There were 209 male new-borns named John in 2019 , just over 7 per cent of the number of boys given the name John in 1969 , ” she said .
“ Interestingly , not one of the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top 100 names a half century earlier .
Mary , Catherine , Margaret , Ann and Elizabeth were the most popular names for baby daughters in 1969 , with 2,182 baby girls named Mary in that year .
“ In 2019 , there were 452 baby girls named Emily , 20.7 per cent of the number of girls given the name Mary in 1969.
” If you are reading this on The Irish Times app , check the full baby name list here .

Alexandra, Heidi and Hollie were the girls’ names growing most in popularity last year
Jack and Emily were the most popular baby names registered last year, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Jack retained the title as the most popular baby boy’s name, a position it has held since 2007, except for 2016 when James claimed the top spot.
Jack was followed by James, Noah, Conor and Daniel as the five most popular names for baby boys in 2019.
Emily retains the top spot for girls, followed by Grace, Fiadh, Sophie and Hannah in the top five names for baby girls last year.
READ MORE
Emily has been the most popular name for baby girls since 2011. Fiadh and Hannah were new entrants to the top five in 2019. Amelia dropped out of the top five last year, having been there since 2015.
The latest publication by the CSO is the second year in a row it has recognised the síneadh fada.
New entrants into the top 100 names for boys included Odhrán, Eli, Ruairí and Joey while Doireann and Méabh entered the top 100 names for girls.
Odhrán was also the boy’s name that increased the most in popularity between 2018 to 2019, moving up from 138th place to 97th.
Alexandra, Heidi and Hollie were the girls’ names growing most in popularity last year. Alexandra moved up 25 places and Heidi and Hollie both moved 20 places in the rankings between 2018 and 2019.
There was a wider variety in the names registered with girls, with 4,184 girls’ names in 2019 compared with 3,725 for boys.
The CSO's Baby Names of Ireland lets you track how many babies were registered under any given name in Ireland between the years 1964 and 2018.
The CSO has also provided a breakdown of the most popular baby names by county for 2019.
Rían was the most popular name for baby boys in Cavan, for example, while Jamie was the most popular boy's name in Donegal. James was the most popular boy's name in Dublin city and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, while Jack was the most popular in Fingal and south Dublin last year.
Charlie, Fionn and Thomas were the most popular baby boy’s names in Carlow while Luke was the most popular in Roscommon.
Ella was the most popular name for baby girls in Monaghan last year while Caoimhe was the most popular girl’s name in Sligo. Ava was the most popular girl’s name in Clare while Anna was the most popular in Offaly.
Sophie was the most popular girl’s name in Fingal and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown last year, Ellie was the most popular in south Dublin and Emily in Dublin city.
The top ten surnames of babies registered in 2019 is also included in the CSO’s publication. Of the 59,795 live births registered in 2019, 20,356 had unrepeated surnames. These unique surnames included some double-barrelled surnames – for example Driscoll-O’Shea.
The top three surnames for births registered were Murphy at 683 (1.1 per cent), Kelly at 567 (0.9 per cent) and Ryan at 450 (0.8 per cent).
The CSO has published babies' forenames since 1998 and receives this data from the General Registration Office (GRO).
Carol Anne Hennessy, CSO statistician, said some of the less popular names for boys included Teidí, Saul, Dexter and Ruán and for girls' included Féile, Jorja, Kyrah and Constance.
“Back in 1969, John, Patrick, Michael, James and Thomas were the names most favoured by parents of new-born baby boys. There were 209 male new-borns named John in 2019, just over 7 per cent of the number of boys given the name John in 1969,” she said.
“Interestingly, not one of the top five names for girls appeared in the top 100 names a half century earlier. Mary, Catherine, Margaret, Ann and Elizabeth were the most popular names for baby daughters in 1969, with 2,182 baby girls named Mary in that year.
“In 2019, there were 452 baby girls named Emily, 20.7 per cent of the number of girls given the name Mary in 1969.”
If you are reading this on The Irish Times app, check the full baby name list here.


theirishtimes--2020-02-28--Coronavirus: North’s health chief ‘confident’ virus can be contained

Northern Ireland ’ s chief medical officer has said he is confident health authorities in Northern Ireland will be able to contain the spread of coronavirus .
The first case on the island of Ireland was confirmed on Thursday in a woman who had flown to Dublin from northern Italy and then travelled on to Belfast .
She followed the advice from the Public Health Agency ( PHA ) and contacted her GP and then “ self-isolated ” at home while awaiting the results of tests .
The “ presumptive positive ” result has been sent to laboratories in England @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she is receiving “ specialist care ” .
Dr Michael McBride said at a press conference in Belfast on Thursday that a “ small number ” of those in contact with the patient had been identified as at risk .
Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster on Friday , he said he was “ confident that the steps that the individual took upon return to Northern Ireland , based on advice that was relayed , and indeed the prompt and rapid action by PHA colleagues , will ensure that we ’ re able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This individual , when [ SHE ] developed symptoms , contacted [ HER ] GP , [ AND ] received the appropriate advice , self-isolated , and indeed tests were carried out appropriately and in a timely way .
“ What we do not have in Northern Ireland at this point in time , and this is really crucially important , we do not have cases in Northern Ireland that have occurred in Northern Ireland , ” he said .
“ We don ’ t have community transmission in Northern Ireland.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health protection with the PHA , said “ the measures this lady took , quite sensibly , staying at home and calling her GP has helped reduce the risk of spread to others , and [ SHE ] can be commended for that .
“ Basically speaking , that has enabled the authorities to put in step everything that has been planned and prepared for to limit spread of the virus to the wider community , ” he said .
On Friday , Dr John Cuddihy , the director of the Health Protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ each of the stages of this person ’ s journey have been identified and all relevant contacts in all of those stages of transport have been contacted ( and ) traced.
” People who sat within two rows of the woman on the plane have been contacted .
It is not clear whether she travelled from Dublin to Belfast by public transport , but both Iarnród Éireann and Translink have carried out a “ sanitising clean ” of the Dublin to Belfast Enterprise trains as a “ precautionary measure ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast .
Travellers who have recently returned from high risk areas , including specific parts of northern Italy , should self-isolate at home and contact their GP by phone , the PHA has advised .
“ Washing your hands regularly will help prevent flu and other viruses spreading , ” the PHA said .
Anyone who becomes unwell and suspects they may have been exposed to coronavirus should stay at home and phone their GP for advice .
Full information and guidance is available at www.publichealth.hscni.net

Minister for Health Simon harris has visited Dublin Airport where he met with HSE staff providing information about the coronavirus to people as they arrive in Ireland. Video: Bryan O'Brien
Northern Ireland's chief medical officer has said he is confident health authorities in Northern Ireland will be able to contain the spread of coronavirus.
The first case on the island of Ireland was confirmed on Thursday in a woman who had flown to Dublin from northern Italy and then travelled on to Belfast.
She followed the advice from the Public Health Agency (PHA) and contacted her GP and then "self-isolated" at home while awaiting the results of tests.
The "presumptive positive" result has been sent to laboratories in England for verification. The PHA has said she is receiving "specialist care".
READ MORE
Dr Michael McBride said at a press conference in Belfast on Thursday that a “small number” of those in contact with the patient had been identified as at risk.
Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster on Friday, he said he was "confident that the steps that the individual took upon return to Northern Ireland, based on advice that was relayed, and indeed the prompt and rapid action by PHA colleagues, will ensure that we're able to contain this," he said.
“This individual, when [SHE]developed symptoms, contacted [HER]GP, [AND]received the appropriate advice, self-isolated, and indeed tests were carried out appropriately and in a timely way.
“What we do not have in Northern Ireland at this point in time, and this is really crucially important, we do not have cases in Northern Ireland that have occurred in Northern Ireland,” he said. “We don’t have community transmission in Northern Ireland.”
Dr David Irwin, a consultant in health protection with the PHA, said "the measures this lady took, quite sensibly, staying at home and calling her GP has helped reduce the risk of spread to others, and [SHE]can be commended for that.
“Basically speaking, that has enabled the authorities to put in step everything that has been planned and prepared for to limit spread of the virus to the wider community,” he said.
On Friday, Dr John Cuddihy, the director of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, told journalists in Dublin that "each of the stages of this person's journey have been identified and all relevant contacts in all of those stages of transport have been contacted (and) traced."
People who sat within two rows of the woman on the plane have been contacted.
It is not clear whether she travelled from Dublin to Belfast by public transport, but both Iarnród Éireann and Translink have carried out a "sanitising clean" of the Dublin to Belfast Enterprise trains as a "precautionary measure".
A special isolation unit has been established at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.
Travellers who have recently returned from high risk areas, including specific parts of northern Italy, should self-isolate at home and contact their GP by phone, the PHA has advised.
“Washing your hands regularly will help prevent flu and other viruses spreading,” the PHA said.
Anyone who becomes unwell and suspects they may have been exposed to coronavirus should stay at home and phone their GP for advice.
Full information and guidance is available at www.publichealth.hscni.net


theirishtimes--2020-02-28--Patricia O’Connor trial: Keith Johnson guilty of helping murderer buy tools

A “ trusted member ” of Patricia O ’ Connor ’ s extended family has been convicted of helping her murderer to buy tools , which he knew were to be used in the dismemberment of her remains .
Keith Johnston ( 43 ) was on Friday found guilty of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Kieran Greene ( 35 ) , knowing or believing him to have murdered Mrs O ’ Connor ( 61 ) on May 29th , 2017 .
Johnston had denied assisting Greene in the purchase of various implements at Woodie ’ s , Mr Price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Tallaght , Dublin 24 on June 9th , 2017 , which were to be used in the concealment of the remains of Mrs O ’ Connor .
Greene was on Tuesday found guilty of murdering the retired hospital worker and inflicting “ catastrophic injuries ” on her in a sustained attack in the bathroom of her Rathfarnham home .
Mrs O ’ Connor ’ s daughter Louise O ’ Connor ( 41 ) and granddaughter Stephanie O ’ Connor ( 22 ) were found guilty of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have murdered Mrs O ’ Connor on May 29 , 2017 .
Johnston of Avonbeg Gardens , Tallaght , Dublin 24 is the ex-partner of Louise O ’ Connor and is father to two of her five children , including Stephanie O ’ Connor .
The jury of six men and five women took 12 hours and four minutes over four days of deliberations to come to their final unanimous verdict in the case .
Following the final verdict , Mr Justice Paul McDermott thanked the jury members for their dedication to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exempted them from jury service for the rest of their lives .
“ This has been a very long trial and it is very difficult for people coming in from their daily lives to deal with facts of this kind , which are unusual to say the least and traumatic .
I want to express the thanks of the court for the diligence and work you put into this , ” he said .
Johnston was remanded on continuing bail until April 20th , when he will be sentenced along with Stephanie O @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Patricia ’ s husband Augustine ‘ Gus ’ O ’ Connor .
Kieran Greene will receive the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment on that date .
The jury heard during the case that Augustine ‘ Gus ’ O ’ Connor was originally part of the trial but shortly before it began , he pleaded guilty to reporting his wife as a missing person to gardai at Rathfarnham Garda station on June 1st , 2017 , knowing she was already dead .
The seven-week trial heard that the body of Mrs O ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Dublin 14 was dismembered into separate parts that were found at nine different locations in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains between June 10th and 14th , 2017 .
Former deputy State pathologist Dr Michael Curtis , gave evidence that Mrs O ’ Connor ’ s head was struck a minimum of three blows with a solid implement and the cause of death was blunt force trauma .
In her closing address , prosecution counsel Roisin Lacey SC said Johnston had been vague and “ silent as a tomb ” in his voluntary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 about his trips with Greene to various DIY stores and had not mentioned being in B & Q , Woodies , Mr Price or Shoe Zone six days previously .
“ If these purchases were legitimate , why the secrecy ?
” Ms Lacey asked the jury .
Counsel said the stance adopted by Johnston of knowing absolutely nothing about buying these “ highly specialised tools ” which included two axes , 30 extra-strong black rubbish sacks and two hacksaws was “ unbelievable to its core ” .
Johnston also told gardaí @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ nagging thought ” that he could potentially be cleaning up a crime scene when he was doing work in the bathroom of Mrs O ’ Connor ’ s home after she went missing , The prosecution said this was important because it preceded the shopping trip that he went on with Greene .
Johnston accepted going on the “ shopping spree ” with Greene but told gardai that he had not “ put two and two together ” at the time .
Gardaí put it to Johnston in his interviews that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tools ” needed to chop up a body but he told them to stop twisting his words .
It was the State ’ s contention that Johnston had forged a friendship with Greene and had described his former “ good buddy ” as being “ worse than useless ” with a shovel and buying his tools in the pound shop .
In his closing speech , Johnston ’ s defence counsel James Dwyer SC , with Kieran Kelly BL , said the prosecution ’ s case against his client was “ clutching at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of “ concealment , lies or secrecy ” .
Johnston had a charge of refurbishing the bathroom in order to destroy or conceal evidence withdrawn by direction of the trial judge Mr Justice McDermott in the fifth week of the case .
The court heard he had fitted Mrs O ’ Connor ’ s bathroom about 10 years previously and was adamant he had not taken it apart in the days after she went missing .
“ I know it looks bad but that ’ s just the way it is , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only replaced three tiles in the bathroom .
He said he was trying to do a good thing for the O ’ Connor family by doing the work and did it to help them .
In a written statement delivered after the final guilty verdict , Patricia O ’ Connor ’ s sisters said “ justice has been served for our beautiful sister , who met her demise through tragic circumstances ” .
Rita Slevin , Valerie Slevin and Anne O ’ Sullivan , said Mrs O ’ Connor was the “ most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sister and mother ” .
“ She was a hard working woman who loved to share her care and kindness with all , ” they said .
“ It has been a very tough seven weeks sitting in that courtroom looking at the people that took our sister for their own selfish reasons.
” They apologised to the people who found the first body parts in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains .
“ We are so sorry you had to endure part of our pain and we thank you for cooperating and helping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” They wished to thank “ all the legal teams and witnesses , gardaí , Army and Civil Defence ” for their “ help and participation ” .
Rita Slevin told reporters that it was “ disgusting to think that someone could put down their own mother like that ” .
The daughter-in-law of Patricia O ’ Connor , Martina O ’ Connor , also said the outcome of the trial was “ a relief and we hope the sentences reflect the crime ” .
Martina O ’ Connor is the wife of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ O ’ Connor , who gave evidence during the trial .

Patricia O’Connor’s sisters Rita Slevin,Valerie Slevin and Anne O’Sullivan pictured leaving the murder trial on Friday after the jury returned its final verdict. Photograph: Collins Courts
The sisters of Dublin grandmother Patricia O’Connor’s said “justice has been served” at the conclusion on Friday of the seven-week trial into her murder.
In a written statement after the jury delivered its final verdict in the trial, convicting a “trusted member” of Mrs O’Connor’s extended family for his role in the crime, Rita Slevin, Valerie Slevin and Anne O’Sullivan, said their sister Patricia was the “most kind, caring and loving grandmother, sister and mother.
“She was a hard working woman who loved to share her care and kindness with all.”
Mrs O'Connor's siblings said they apologised to the people who found the first body parts of their sister Patricia in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains. "We are so sorry you had to endure part of our pain and we thank you for cooperating and helping the gardaí in every way you could."
READ MORE
They wished to thank “all the legal teams and witnesses, gardaí, army and civil defence”, adding: “We thank you for all your help and participation, we can’t thank you enough.”
The daughter-in-law of Patricia O’Connor, Martina O’Connor, also said the outcome of the trial was “a relief and we hope the sentences reflect the crime”.
Martina O’Connor is the wife of the deceased’s son, Richard O’Connor, who gave evidence during the trial.
Keith Johnston (43) was on Friday found guilty of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Kieran Greene (35), knowing or believing him to have murdered Mrs O'Connor (61) on May 29th, 2017.
Keith Johnston (43), of Avonbeg Gardens, Tallaght, Dublin 24, pictured during the trial. Photograph: Collins
Johnston had denied assisting Greene in the purchase of various implements at Woodie's, Mr Price, B&Q and Shoe Zone, Tallaght, Dublin 24 on June 9th, 2017, which were to be used in the concealment of the remains.
Greene was on Tuesday found guilty of murdering the retired hospital worker and inflicting “catastrophic injuries” on her in an attack in the bathroom of her home.
Mrs O’Connor’s daughter Louise O’Connor (41) and granddaughter Stephanie O’Connor (22) were found guilty of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Greene.
Johnston of Avonbeg Gardens, Tallaght, Dublin 24 is the ex-partner of Louise O’Connor and is father to two of her five children, including Stephanie O’Connor.
The jury took more than 12 hours over four days of deliberations to come to their fourth unanimous verdict in the case.
Difficult case
Following the final verdict, Mr Justice Paul McDermott thanked the jury members for their dedication to this “long and difficult” case and exempted them from jury service for the rest of their lives.
Johnston was remanded on continuing bail until April 20th, when he will be sentenced along with Stephanie O’Connor, Louise O’Connor and Patricia’s husband Augustine ‘Gus’ O’Connor. Greene will receive the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment on that date.
The jury heard during the case that Gus O'Connor was originally part of the trial but pleaded guilty to reporting his wife as a missing person to gardaí at Rathfarnham on June 1st, 2017, knowing she was already dead.
The trial heard the body of Mrs O'Connor, of Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, was dismembered into parts that were found at nine locations in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains between June 10th and 14th, 2017. Former deputy State pathologist Dr Michael Curtis gave evidence that her head was struck a minimum of three blows with a solid implement and the cause of death was blunt force trauma.
Charge withdrawn
Johnston had a charge of refurbishing the bathroom in order to destroy or conceal evidence withdrawn by direction of the trial judge Mr Justice McDermott.
He told gardaí in his voluntary statement that he had a “nagging thought” that he could potentially be cleaning up a crime scene when he was doing work in the bathroom of Mrs O’Connor’s home in the days after she went missing.
The prosecution said this was important because it preceded the shopping trip that he went on with Greene.
“I know it looks bad but that’s just the way it is,” he told gardaí of the work, adding that he had only replaced three tiles in the bathroom.


theirishtimes--2020-02-28--Coronavirus: People in close contact with Belfast patient identified

People who were in close contact with a woman who flew from northern Italy to Dublin and then travelled on to Northern Ireland before testing positive for coronavirus have been identified .
At a media briefing in Dublin on Friday , John Cuddihy , director of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre , said those people who came into contact had been notified and those who have not been contacted have no need to be concerned .
Mr Cuddihy said people who were in “ close contact ” with the individual have been advised by health officials to self-isolate and will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health doctors .
“ If they develop symptoms , then that ’ s picked up very early and appropriate measures are then taken which means testing , ” he added .
The woman flew to Dublin on an Aer Lingus flight , and the airline said it is “ co-operating fully ” with the relevant authorities “ as required ” .
“ Aer Lingus will continue to assess the situation based on the guidance received , ” a statement said .
Northern Ireland ’ s chief medical officer , Dr Michael McBride , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patient travelled by public transport from Dublin to Northern Ireland .
However , the Enterprise train that services the Dublin-to-Belfast route was sanitised overnight as a “ precautionary measure ” .
“ We ’ ve had no confirmation at this time that the person travelled by Enterprise , but both Iarnród Éireann and Translink undertook a sanitising clean of the Enterprise fleet as a precautionary measure , ” Irish Rail spokesman Barry Kenny said .
He said the company was “ working internally on contingencies in the event of cases of Covid-19 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our workplaces ” .
Iarnród Éireann would “ engage and be guided by the relevant health and other government agencies – including the NTA and other transport operators - to inform decisions while the Covid-19 issue continues.
” Mr Kenny encouraged customers and staff to “ also follow the guidance of the HSE at all times ” .
The patient is the first known case of the virus on the island of Ireland as it spreads around the world causing thousands of deaths and concern that it may spiral out of control .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ care and Public Health Agency personnel are working rapidly to identify any contacts the patient had with the aim of preventing further spread ” , Northern Ireland ’ s Public Health Agency said .
A sample from the patient has been sent to the UK for verification but it has been described at this stage as a “ presumptive positive test for coronavirus ” .
The announcement was made at a briefing by the agency in Belfast on Thursday evening .
The Department of Health ’ s chief medical officer , Tony Holohan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely ” that another case or cases would be imported into Ireland as the virus spread .
“ We ’ ve seen a growth in the number of countries who had importation of cases from some of the infected areas that have been identified , ” Mr Holohan said .
“ We ’ ve seen over the course of the week , a number of countries appearing in countries across Europe .
We anticipate that ; that ’ s a likely situation here.
” Mr Holohan reiterated there are no confirmed cases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cancellation of events , Mr Holohan said they were working on criteria around gatherings that might “ create of constitute a specific risk given their nature ” .
“ We don ’ t anticipate a situation where cancellations of mass gatherings form a significant part of our management of this , ” he added .
On Friday morning , the Department of Justice and Equality confirmed that the citizenship ceremonies scheduled for the 2nd and 3rd of March in the INEC Killarney will proceed as planned .
There were fears that the @ @ @ @ @

Minister for Health Simon harris has visited Dublin Airport where he met with HSE staff providing information about the coronavirus to people as they arrive in Ireland. Video: Bryan O'Brien
The cabin crew on an Aer Lingus flight to Dublin from northern Italy on which a woman travelled before testing positive for the coronaviurs have been placed in self-insolation for 14 days as a "precautionary measure".
In an internal memo sent to staff, the airline confirmed the step and said it was “clearly a stressful time for the cabin crew involved and their families”.
It added that the company would continue to provide support to the crew and said it was “taking every step to protect their identity and privacy”.
The statement concluded by saying the airline would not be confirming the flight date or number.
READ MORE
Passengers who were in close contact with the woman who flew to Dublin before travelling on to Northern Ireland where she tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday have also been identified.
At a media briefing in Dublin on Friday, John Cuddihy, director of the State's Health Protection Surveillance Centre, said those people who came into contact with the patient had been notified and those who have not been contacted have no need to be concerned.
Mr Cuddihy said people who were in “close contact” with the individual have been advised by health officials to self-isolate and will receive “active-daily monitoring” by community health doctors.
“If they develop symptoms, then that’s picked up very early and appropriate measures are then taken which means testing,” he added.
The airline has said it is “co-operating fully” with the relevant authorities “as required”.
“Aer Lingus will continue to assess the situation based on the guidance received,” a statement said.
Northern Ireland's chief medical officer, Dr Michael McBride, would not confirm some reports yesterday the patient travelled by public transport from Dublin to Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland's Public Health Agency (PHA) said on Friday evening it has completed the contact tracing process associated with the person who tested positive for Covid-19 and those requiring appropriate advice have been provided with it.
“In addition, the agency will be moving to providing twice-weekly updates on the number of tests completed on individuals who meet the case definition. As of today, 93 tests have been completed, with 92 confirmed as negative and one as presumed positive,” it said.
A man wearing a facemask in the arrivals hall of Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport on Friday. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA
Dr Jillian Johnston, consultant in health protection at the PHA, said: "All stages of the individual's journey were identified and those who came into closest contact have been traced and contacted with public health advice and guidance. I would emphasise that members of the public who have travelled between Dublin and Belfast using public transport need not be concerned".
Train sanitised
However, the Enterprise train that services the Dublin-to-Belfast route was sanitised overnight as a “precautionary measure”.
"We've had no confirmation at this time that the person travelled by Enterprise, but both Iarnród Éireann and Translink undertook a sanitising clean of the Enterprise fleet as a precautionary measure," Irish Rail spokesman Barry Kenny said.
He said the company was “working internally on contingencies in the event of cases of Covid-19 in Ireland or on our services and in our workplaces”. Iarnród Éireann would “engage and be guided by the relevant health and other government agencies – including the NTA and other transport operators - to inform decisions while the Covid-19 issue continues.”
Mr Kenny encouraged customers and staff to "also follow the guidance of the HSE at all times".
The patient is the first known case of the virus on the island of Ireland as it spreads around the world causing thousands of deaths and concern that it may spiral out of control.
Religious services
The sign of peace is to be suspended at Masses in the diocese of Down and Connor in response to the coronavirus.
The diocese includes Belfast and most of counties Antrim and Down.
On Friday advice was circulated to all clergy in the diocese outlining measures to be implemented within parishes.
According to the guidelines, holy communion should be administered into the hands only and not directly onto the tongue, and only the celebrant should receive from the chalice during Mass.
Ministers of the eucharist should wash their hands with particular care before and after distributing holy communion
Holy water fonts should be drained and not used.
Parishes have also been asked to consider providing alcohol-based hand sanitiser gels or facilities at all entrance and exit doors to the church, and to ensure the regular cleaning of surfaces such as door handles and tables.
“These measures are preventative and should not in any way raise any existing levels of concern,” the guidance stated.
The diocese said the decision had been taken in light of advice from the Public Health Agency and communication from the Irish Episcopal Conference Secretariat.
The Archdiocese of Dublin has also said if members of the congregation, religious leaders or others involved in religious services feel ill and may have Covid-19, even if their symptoms are mild, they should stay at home.
Skype
The Church of Ireland issued guidelines to all its parishes which stipulate that physical interaction during services, including the sign of peace, should be suspended. “Clergy may choose to give the congregation permission to carry out an alternative sign of peace that does not involve hand contact (eg a smile, nod or bow) if so wished,” the guidelines state.
“Shaking hands on greeting and departure at religious services/gatherings should be suspended.”
Everyone administering holy communion should wash their hands or use alcohol-based hand gel before beginning.
“Holy Communion should be administered only in one kind (bread) and placed into the hands only and not onto the tongue. Only the celebrant should drink from the chalice,” it added.
The church’s duty of care “extends to members of the clergy,” the guidelines state. “If you have influenza-type symptoms, do not call the clergy for pastoral visitation. Pastoral support for parishioners who are unable to attend church services should be provided by telephone or online (eg Skype).”
Meanwhile the list of countries hit by Covid-19, the coronavirus that originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, is edging towards 60 with Mexico, Belarus, Lithuania, New Zealand, Nigeria, Azerbaijan and the Netherlands reporting their first cases.
A patient diagnosed with coronavirus in England has become the first to catch the illness within the UK. Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said it was not yet clear if the virus had been passed on from somebody who had recently travelled abroad. It marked the 20th confirmed case in the UK - 18 of which were in England, one in Northern Ireland and one in Wales.
HSE staff who are activating the public awareness campaign for Covid-19 (coronavirus) in the baggage hall of Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA
The news came after a British man became the first UK citizen to die from coronavirus. The man, who was on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship was the sixth person from the vessel, which has been quarantined off the Japan’s coast amid the outbreak, to have died.
Director general of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has said the outbreak "has pandemic potential".
Recession
Stocks have fallen and in Italy, where the count of 650 cases is growing, hotel bookings are dropping and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has raised the possibility of recession.
Some have attempted to exploit the crisis for financial gain, with 20 people in Italy arrested for selling masks they fraudulently claimed provided complete protection from the virus. Police said they were selling them for as much as €5,000 each.
Japan’s schools are closing and the country’s Hokkaido island has declared a state of emergency, with its governor urging residents to stay at home over the weekend.
The Swiss government has banned events with more than 1,000 people, while at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany, basins of holy water have been emptied amid concerns it could spread germs.
Globally, more than 85,000 people have fallen ill with Covid-19. China, though hardest hit, has seen lower numbers of new infections, with 327 additional cases reported on Friday, bringing the country's total to 78,824. Another 44 people died there on Friday bringing the total to 2,788.
South Korea has recorded 2,337 cases, the most outside of China.
France and Germany are also seeing increases, with dozens of infections.
Contacted
The Minister for Health Simon Harris said everything that can be done from a public health point of view in Ireland to deal with the corona virus is being done.
He said protocols in place for handling a positive coronavirus case including contact tracing and links between health authorities on both sides of the border had worked very well after confirmation of a test result was received on Thursday evening.
The Minister said he wanted to give an assurance that if people had been in close contact with the person at the centre of the positive coronavirus case, they would already have been contacted by public health authorities.
He said anyone who had not been contacted did not need to be concerned.
Asked at a press conference on Friday as to why more information was not available about the person with coronavirus who had travelled through Dublin airport in recent days, Mr Harris said it was not his job to feed the curiosity of people in relation to a journey made by a patient.
“We are following best public health practice in this regard. We are protecting patient confidential and operating in accordance with World Health Organisation guidelines.”
If health authorities were concerned that people who had been in close contact with the person in Northern Ireland could not be contacted “we would have issued a public notice” .
“There is no need to refresh your Twitter feed to find out if there is a case of Covid 19 in Ireland.”
Scaled up
The head of the HSE Paul Reid said the health service was making significant preparations to deal with the virus. He said the HSE had purchased 4.5 million gloves and 5 million masks. The HSE was also looking at increasing intensive care facilities across the health system.
Minister for Health Simon Harris meets HSE staff manning the public awareness campaign for coronavirus in the baggage hall of Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA
It was also looking at arrangements to test people at home for the corona virus.
The Mater Hospital in Dublin was the main national ICU facility in the first instance, he said, but the HSE was also looking across the system at how ICU facilities could be scaled up.
“If we do, we would move towards our high dependency units . If it is scaled up further (we would look at) operating theatres or even private room capacity. There is plenty of scale up and we are currently looking at surge capacity should that be needed,” he said.
Mr Reid said in the last few days its call centre had dealt with about 2,500 enquiries and around 300 of those had been referred to public health authorities.
He said about 110 people had been tested for the virus so far and there had been no confirmed cases in the Republic.
Imported
Northern Ireland’s Public Health Agency said on Thursday night that the patient diagnosed with coronavirus there is “receiving specialist care” and staff are working rapidly to identify any contacts the patient had with the aim of preventing further spread”.
A sample from the patient has been sent to the UK for verification but it has been described at this stage as a “presumptive positive test for coronavirus”.
The announcement was made at a briefing by the agency in Belfast on Thursday evening.
The Department of Health's chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, on Friday said it is "likely" that another case or cases would be imported into Ireland as the virus spread.
"We've seen a growth in the number of countries who had importation of cases from some of the infected areas that have been identified," Dr Holohan said. "We've seen over the course of the week, a number of countries appearing in countries across Europe. We anticipate that; that's a likely situation here."
Dr Holohan reiterated there are no confirmed cases in the Republic. With regard to the cancellation of events, he said they were working on criteria around gatherings that might “create of constitute a specific risk given their nature”.
“We don’t anticipate a situation where cancellations of mass gatherings form a significant part of our management of this,” he added.
On Friday morning, the Department of Justice and Equality confirmed that the citizenship ceremonies scheduled for the 2nd and 3rd of March in the INEC Killarney will proceed as planned.
There were fears that the ceremonies would be cancelled.


theirishtimes--2020-02-28--PSNI investigates claim woman sexually assaulted by seven men in Derry

Police in Derry are investigating an allegation that a woman was sexually assaulted by up to seven men at the @ @ @ @ @ the alleged attack happened in a house in the city and that the men were @ @ @ @ @ .
A PSNI spokesman said : “ Detectives from PSNI Public Protection Branch are investigating @ @ @ @ @ of a female at a property in the city centre of Derry/Londonderry during the early @ @ @ @ @ 23rd .
“ Seven males aged between 18 and 20 were arrested and later released @ @ @ @ @ .
There are no further details at this time ” .

The PSNI is investigating an allegation that a woman was sexually assaulted by up to seven men. Photograph: EPA
Police in Derry are investigating an allegation that a woman was sexually assaulted by up to seven men at the weekend.
It is understood the alleged attack happened in a house in the city and that the men were aged between 18 and 20.
A PSNI spokesman said: “Detectives from PSNI Public Protection Branch are investigating a report of the rape of a female at a property in the city centre of Derry/Londonderry during the early hours of Sunday, February 23rd.
“Seven males aged between 18 and 20 were arrested and later released on bail pending further inquiries. There are no further details at this time”.