theirishtimes--2020-12-11--Toy Show star’s ‘virtual hug’ to be used as postmark on Christmas mail

The little boy whose virtual hug went all over the country after he appeared on the Late Late Toy Show is set to see it travel all over the world in the form of a special Christmas postmark created by An Post .
Adam King , whose drawing of a virtual hug was shared with Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy as he talked of his dreams of space travel , was one of the stars of the recent toy show .
The six-year-old from Cork also said he dreamed of commanding a space mission with Nasa one day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ like to be an astronaut , he said : “ I can ’ t be an astronaut because I have brittle bones.
” Tubridy asked if he would instead like to “ be the guy with the microphone underneath , on the ground ?
” , prompting Adam to show him how to properly count down a space launch from 12 to one .
His appearance immediately attracted the attention of the global space community , most notably Canadian astronaut and former International Space Station commander Chris Hadfield .
He posted a video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twiter and addressed him personally .
“ Adam - I ’ ve been lucky enough to CAPCOM many spaceflights .
We should talk space together .
Take care , be good.
” Last week on the Late Late Show the former astronaut surprised Adam , who made a second appearance on the show via Zoom .
Tonight , for the third Friday in a row , Adam appeared on the show as An Post announced plans to share his virtual hug across the world by transforming it into a special Christmas postmark .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ applied to millions of Christmas cards and letters during the sorting process from Saturday 12th December , carrying a special message of love across Ireland and the World this Christmas and New Year , ” Richard Miley of An Post Mails & Parcels said .
“ We ’ re big fans of Adam and his virtual hug .
As we all send love this Christmas , this special hug on every envelope keeps us all connected , even if we can ’ t hug in person this year .
Thanks Adam , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this Christmas .
”

Adam King from Cork explained his drawing of a ‘virtual hug’ when he appeared on the RTÉ Late Late Toy Show recently. Photograph: Andres Poveda.
The little boy whose virtual hug went all over the country after he appeared on the Late Late Toy Show is set to see it travel all over the world in the form of a special Christmas postmark created by An Post.
Adam King, whose drawing of a virtual hug was shared with Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy as he talked of his dreams of space travel, was one of the stars of the recent toy show.
The six-year-old from Cork also said he dreamed of commanding a space mission with Nasa one day. However, when asked if he would like to be an astronaut, he said: "I can't be an astronaut because I have brittle bones."
Young Adam King stole our hearts when he appeared on RT’s @thelatelateshow Toyshow with his Virtual Hug Now An Post is helping Adam share his virtual hug across the world with a special postmark which will be applied to millions of Christmas post from Dec 12th #SendLove pic.twitter.com/bGl7NCLllo — An Post (@Postvox) December 11, 2020
Tubridy asked if he would instead like to “be the guy with the microphone underneath, on the ground?”, prompting Adam to show him how to properly count down a space launch from 12 to one.
READ MORE
His appearance immediately attracted the attention of the global space community, most notably Canadian astronaut and former International Space Station commander Chris Hadfield.
He posted a video clip of Adam’s appearance on Twiter and addressed him personally.
“Adam - I’ve been lucky enough to CAPCOM many spaceflights. We should talk space together. Take care, be good.”
Surprise
Last week on the Late Late Show the former astronaut surprised Adam, who made a second appearance on the show via Zoom.
Tonight, for the third Friday in a row, Adam appeared on the show as An Post announced plans to share his virtual hug across the world by transforming it into a special Christmas postmark.
"Adam's Hug will be applied to millions of Christmas cards and letters during the sorting process from Saturday 12th December, carrying a special message of love across Ireland and the World this Christmas and New Year," Richard Miley of An Post Mails & Parcels said.
“We’re big fans of Adam and his virtual hug. As we all send love this Christmas, this special hug on every envelope keeps us all connected, even if we can’t hug in person this year. Thanks Adam, for making the world a whole lot brighter this Christmas.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--Prisoner entitled to be considered for transfer to home country – court

A man found not guilty by reason of insanity on a charge of dangerous driving causing death is entitled to be considered for transfer back to his home country , the High Court has ruled .
The man is being held in the Central Mental Hospital ( CMH ) after the judge at his trial made a finding , following a jury verdict of not guilty but insane , he required in-patient care and treatment because he suffered from schizophrenia .
He subsequently applied under the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Act 1995 to the Minister for Justice to be sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a psychiatric institution there had agreed to treat him and he could be close to his wife and children , and his elderly mother .
He was refused by the Minister for Justice .
On Friday , Mr Justice Garrett Simons set aside that decision and ordered the Minister to reconsider the case on the basis that he represents a “ sentenced person ” for the purpose of 1995 transfer law .
The court heard the ambassador to Ireland from the man ’ s native country wrote to the Minister for Justice in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister refused , saying there was no legal provision for inter-European interstate transfer of patients detained under the Criminal Law ( Insanity ) Act 2006 , as the man was .
The man ’ s lawyers brought proceedings last July challenging the decision .
The director of the CMH , a notice party , said the institution he would be transferred to would provide detention facilities , treatment and reviews comparable to those in Ireland .
She argued , among other things , he was not a “ sentenced person ” under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Minister said the European Transfer of Sentenced Persons Convention could not assist in interpreting the terms of the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Act because the Oireachtas had not adopted the meaning given to the word “ sentence ” in the European Convention .
The Minister also contended the man could not be regarded as having been deprived of his liberty on account of the commission of the offence because his detention was as a result of findings made by the trial judge after the not guilty but insane verdict was delivered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent to the CMH ) .
Mr Justice Simons said the Minister ’ s decision was erroneous and based on the view that domestic legislation should be given a restrictive interpretation .
This was “ all the more surprising ” given the European Commission has publicly announced it intends to refer Ireland to the EU Court of Justice for failing to transpose into Irish law regulations giving effect to the European convention on transferring sentenced persons , he said .
The restrictive interpretation urged by the Minister would render the domestic legislation inconsistent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the regulations which were introduced under a 2008 European Council Framework Decision , he said .
Such an interpretation would be contrary to the interpretative obligation imposed upon a national court by EU law , he said .

The man is being held in the Central Mental Hospital after the judge at his trial made a finding, following a jury verdict of not guilty but insane, he required in-patient care and treatment because he suffered from schizophrenia. Photograph: Alan Betson
A man found not guilty by reason of insanity on a charge of dangerous driving causing death is entitled to be considered for transfer back to his home country, the High Court has ruled.
The man is being held in the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) after the judge at his trial made a finding, following a jury verdict of not guilty but insane, he required in-patient care and treatment because he suffered from schizophrenia.
He subsequently applied under the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Act 1995 to the Minister for Justice to be sent back to his native European country where a psychiatric institution there had agreed to treat him and he could be close to his wife and children, and his elderly mother.
He was refused by the Minister for Justice.
READ MORE
On Friday, Mr Justice Garrett Simons set aside that decision and ordered the Minister to reconsider the case on the basis that he represents a “sentenced person” for the purpose of 1995 transfer law.
The court heard the ambassador to Ireland from the man’s native country wrote to the Minister for Justice in support of the transfer application.
The Minister refused, saying there was no legal provision for inter-European interstate transfer of patients detained under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006, as the man was.
The man’s lawyers brought proceedings last July challenging the decision. The director of the CMH, a notice party, said the institution he would be transferred to would provide detention facilities, treatment and reviews comparable to those in Ireland.
The Minister opposed the application.
She argued, among other things, he was not a “sentenced person” under the Irish legislation governing transfer of sentenced people.
The Minister said the European Transfer of Sentenced Persons Convention could not assist in interpreting the terms of the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Act because the Oireachtas had not adopted the meaning given to the word “sentence” in the European Convention.
The Minister also contended the man could not be regarded as having been deprived of his liberty on account of the commission of the offence because his detention was as a result of findings made by the trial judge after the not guilty but insane verdict was delivered by the jury (that he be sent to the CMH).
Mr Justice Simons said the Minister’s decision was erroneous and based on the view that domestic legislation should be given a restrictive interpretation.
This was “all the more surprising” given the European Commission has publicly announced it intends to refer Ireland to the EU Court of Justice for failing to transpose into Irish law regulations giving effect to the European convention on transferring sentenced persons, he said.
The restrictive interpretation urged by the Minister would render the domestic legislation inconsistent with the requirements of both the convention and the regulations which were introduced under a 2008 European Council Framework Decision, he said.
Such an interpretation would be contrary to the interpretative obligation imposed upon a national court by EU law, he said.


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--Judge praises bravery of garda dragged by car outside Dundrum Town Centre

A judge has praised the bravery of a garda who was dragged by a car which then drove over his legs as he attempted to stop it .
Clive Sweeney ( 37 ) was recklessly attempting to make a getaway from Dundrum Town Centre when his car dragged Garda Fergus Holly for 10 metres down a ramp before running over his legs .
Sweeney , who has 85 previous convictions , was on bail and disqualified from driving at the time .
Sweeney , of Drumcairn Avenue , Tallaght , Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to endangerment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centre on January 5th , 2020 .
Garda Holly sustained bruising to his legs and a permanent disfigurement to one of his fingers which he is now unable to straighten .
Judge Pauline Codd said it was an aggravating factor that Sweeney knew it was clearly a garda directing him to stop and that the offence occurred against a member of the force acting in the course of his duties .
She commended Garda Holly for his “ bravery and courage ” .
Judge Codd said she accepted that Sweeney drove in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to get away rather than driving at the garda .
She took into account Sweeney ’ s guilty plea , his remorse and early admissions , as well as his family and personal circumstances .
She noted his life had been “ plagued by drug addiction ” .
Judge Codd imposed a four-year sentence and suspended the final year on condition he place himself under probation supervision for one year .
She imposed a 10-year driving ban .
Sgt Seamus Ryan told Siobhán Ní Chúlacháin BL , prosecuting , that a blue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a theft from Snow and Rock at Dundrum Town Centre on January 3rd , 2020 .
On January 5th staff at Snow and Rock alerted security that the same people were in the store again .
The security supervisor made his way towards the store and met with Garda Holly who had stopped two people .
As he stopped the two men , the blue Fiat Bravo noted previously pulled up on a ramp alongside the railing where the men were standing .
The car , driven by Sweeney , revved up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the engine .
As the car turned to drive off down a ramp Garda Holly was caught at the side of the car , fell and was dragged along the ground for about 10 metres before he extricated himself and the car went over his legs .
The car left the scene and drove off towards the M50 .
Garda Holly said he had no doubt the driver knew he was a garda and he had instructed him a number of times to turn off the engine .
On January 21st , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He admitted driving the car and said he had agreed to collect people but did not know what they were planning .
He said when security tried to stop him he panicked .
He said he was sorry for what he had done to the garda .
Sgt Ryan agreed with Sarah Jane O ’ Callaghan BL , defending , that the guilty plea was of assistance as the windows of the car were tinted and the garda was unable to see through them .
Ms O ’ Callaghan submitted when her client @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could not have predicted that Garda Holly would “ so bravely ” try to stop the moving car .
She said Sweeney acknowledged that in driving so fast and not paying attention to his surroundings he behaved with an extreme degree of recklessness , but he did not intend to injure Garda Holly or drive over him .
She said his main aim was to get away and get away quickly .
She said the period he has spent in prison has been an “ eye opener ” for him and he now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has to change .
She handed in letters from Sweeney , his partner and father .

A judge has praised the bravery of a garda who was dragged by a car which then drove over his legs as he attempted to stop it.
Clive Sweeney (37) was recklessly attempting to make a getaway from Dundrum Town Centre when his car dragged Garda Fergus Holly for 10 metres down a ramp before running over his legs.
Sweeney, who has 85 previous convictions, was on bail and disqualified from driving at the time.
Sweeney, of Drumcairn Avenue, Tallaght, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to endangerment and failing to stop at Dundrum Town Centre on January 5th, 2020.
READ MORE
Garda Holly sustained bruising to his legs and a permanent disfigurement to one of his fingers which he is now unable to straighten.
Judge Pauline Codd said it was an aggravating factor that Sweeney knew it was clearly a garda directing him to stop and that the offence occurred against a member of the force acting in the course of his duties. She commended Garda Holly for his “bravery and courage”.
Judge Codd said she accepted that Sweeney drove in a way that was “highly reckless” trying to get away rather than driving at the garda.
She took into account Sweeney’s guilty plea, his remorse and early admissions, as well as his family and personal circumstances. She noted his life had been “plagued by drug addiction”.
Judge Codd imposed a four-year sentence and suspended the final year on condition he place himself under probation supervision for one year. She imposed a 10-year driving ban.
Sgt Seamus Ryan told Siobhán Ní Chúlacháin BL, prosecuting, that a blue Fiat Bravo was identified as being involved in a theft from Snow and Rock at Dundrum Town Centre on January 3rd, 2020.
On January 5th staff at Snow and Rock alerted security that the same people were in the store again.
The security supervisor made his way towards the store and met with Garda Holly who had stopped two people. As he stopped the two men, the blue Fiat Bravo noted previously pulled up on a ramp alongside the railing where the men were standing.
The car, driven by Sweeney, revved up and Garda Holly instructed him to turn off the engine.
As the car turned to drive off down a ramp Garda Holly was caught at the side of the car, fell and was dragged along the ground for about 10 metres before he extricated himself and the car went over his legs. The car left the scene and drove off towards the M50.
Garda Holly said he had no doubt the driver knew he was a garda and he had instructed him a number of times to turn off the engine.
On January 21st, 2020 Sweeney was arrested and interviewed. He admitted driving the car and said he had agreed to collect people but did not know what they were planning. He said when security tried to stop him he panicked. He said he was sorry for what he had done to the garda.
Sgt Ryan agreed with Sarah Jane O’Callaghan BL, defending, that the guilty plea was of assistance as the windows of the car were tinted and the garda was unable to see through them.
Ms O’Callaghan submitted when her client made the decision to drive off he could not have predicted that Garda Holly would “so bravely” try to stop the moving car.
She said Sweeney acknowledged that in driving so fast and not paying attention to his surroundings he behaved with an extreme degree of recklessness, but he did not intend to injure Garda Holly or drive over him. She said his main aim was to get away and get away quickly.
She said the period he has spent in prison has been an “eye opener” for him and he now knows what he wants and that he has to change. She handed in letters from Sweeney, his partner and father.


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--Couple win challenge over rates on Sandymount property

A couple who last year fought an attempt to repossess their bed and breakfast in Sandymount , Dublin , have won a High Court challenge to a decision to impose commercial rates on the property they say is primarily their family home .
Ann Keane and Patrick Halpin came to public attention last year when a receiver got a possession order over the 16-bedroom Aberdeen Lodge at Park Lane over default on a €25 million debt which had been acquired by Kenmare Property Finance .
It followed seven years of litigation , ending up in the Supreme Court which found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the repossession and a case over that is pending .
In the meantime , in May last year , the couple were told their property was liable for commercial rates .
They say it should be exempt as it is mainly their family home for them and their two children .
Earlier this year , in a separate case against them by a Dublin City Council rate collector , the High Court found the couple were liable for a €75,000 rates bill for 2013-17 despite their contention the property was not rateable .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ proceedings seeking to quash the decision to revoke a previous decision making the premises exempt .
It was claimed the Valuations Office initially said it should be exempt but that a manager in that office decided some months later that decision was a “ clerical error ” as a result of a misunderstanding .
The Commissioner of Valuation opposed the challenge .
In his judgment on Friday , Mr Justice Charles Meenan said there was clearly no clerical error .
The removal of the property from the valuation list was not incorrect and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” circumstances as the commissioner had claimed .
He was satisfied the couple were entitled to succeed and said he would hear later from the parties concerning the appropriate orders to be made .

A couple who last year fought an attempt to repossess their bed and breakfast in Sandymount, Dublin, have won a High Court challenge to a decision to impose commercial rates on the property they say is primarily their family home.
Ann Keane and Patrick Halpin came to public attention last year when a receiver got a possession order over the 16-bedroom Aberdeen Lodge at Park Lane over default on a €25 million debt which had been acquired by Kenmare Property Finance. It followed seven years of litigation, ending up in the Supreme Court which found against the couple.
The couple resisted the repossession and a case over that is pending.
In the meantime, in May last year, the couple were told their property was liable for commercial rates. They say it should be exempt as it is mainly their family home for them and their two children.
READ MORE
Earlier this year, in a separate case against them by a Dublin City Council rate collector, the High Court found the couple were liable for a €75,000 rates bill for 2013-17 despite their contention the property was not rateable.
The couple had separately brought judicial review proceedings seeking to quash the decision to revoke a previous decision making the premises exempt.
It was claimed the Valuations Office initially said it should be exempt but that a manager in that office decided some months later that decision was a “clerical error” as a result of a misunderstanding.
The Commissioner of Valuation opposed the challenge.
In his judgment on Friday, Mr Justice Charles Meenan said there was clearly no clerical error.
The removal of the property from the valuation list was not incorrect and it followed there were no “exceptional” circumstances as the commissioner had claimed.
He was satisfied the couple were entitled to succeed and said he would hear later from the parties concerning the appropriate orders to be made.


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--Covid-19 delays push number waiting for hospital treatment to almost 850,000

The number of people waiting for hospital care continues to climb sharply as a result of delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic , with close to 850,000 people now waiting for some form of treatment .
Figures published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund ( NTPF ) on Friday evening suggest there were 612,576 patients waiting for a first hospital outpatient consultation at the end of November .
This compares with 601,362 people on the outpatient waiting list at the end of July .
At the start of the year , just over 553,000 patients were on the list .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ problems who visit the hospital for diagnosis or treatment , but do not require a bed or to be admitted for overnight care .
The NTPF figures also show that at the end of last month there were 72,843 patients waiting for an appointment for an inpatient or day case treatment , with 33,411 people waiting to receive an appointment for a GI Endoscopy .
In addition , the NTPF also publishes data on pre-admissions and planned procedures .
The pre-admit data shows that 19,298 people have been given a date for in-patient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total of 88,984 patients are recorded in the planned procedure category , with 63,584 of these patients having been given indicative dates in the future or a scheduled appointment .
These are patients who have already had treatment and require more at a future date .
Indicative dates are determined by a clinician and treatment before these dates would not be appropriate .
As more patients are initially seen and given a follow-up appointment for ongoing treatment or surveillance , the numbers on the planned procedure list increase .
The Covid-19 pandemic forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the spring and although activities have resumed across the health service , capacity is reduced to about 80 per cent or less due to the requirement for infection control .
“ Today ’ s NTPF waiting list figures again highlight the impact of hospital consultant shortages and capacity constraints on those waiting for an outpatient appointment and related surgery and treatment , ” said the Irish Hospital Consultant Association ’ s president Prof Alan Irvine .
“ Each statistic represents a person waiting for the care they desperately need , while potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The IHCA called on Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to engage with it to agree practical plans to address the waiting lists and end the consultant recruitment and retention crisis to provide timely care to patients .
Prof Irvine said the figures highlighted “ the impact of hospital consultant shortages and capacity constraints on those waiting for an outpatient appointment and related surgery ” .
He said the “ continued failure of the Government since 2012 to address the hospital consultant recruitment and retention crisis and other capacity deficits is the root cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some form of NTPF waiting list , an increase of 75,993 ( 10 per cent ) since the start of the year .
”

The figures show that at the end of November there were 72,843 patients waiting for an appointment for an inpatient or day case treatment, with 33,411 waiting to receive an appointment for a GI Endoscopy. Image: iStock.
The number of people waiting for hospital care continues to climb sharply as a result of delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, with close to 850,000 people now waiting for some form of treatment.
Figures published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) on Friday evening suggest there were 612,576 patients waiting for a first hospital outpatient consultation at the end of November.
This compares with 601,362 people on the outpatient waiting list at the end of July. At the start of the year, just over 553,000 patients were on the list.
Hospital Report
An outpatient department treats people with health problems who visit the hospital for diagnosis or treatment, but do not require a bed or to be admitted for overnight care.
READ MORE
The NTPF figures also show that at the end of last month there were 72,843 patients waiting for an appointment for an inpatient or day case treatment, with 33,411 people waiting to receive an appointment for a GI Endoscopy.
In addition, the NTPF also publishes data on pre-admissions and planned procedures.
The pre-admit data shows that 19,298 people have been given a date for in-patient, daycase or endoscopy procedures. A total of 88,984 patients are recorded in the planned procedure category, with 63,584 of these patients having been given indicative dates in the future or a scheduled appointment.
More treatment needed
These are patients who have already had treatment and require more at a future date. Indicative dates are determined by a clinician and treatment before these dates would not be appropriate.
As more patients are initially seen and given a follow-up appointment for ongoing treatment or surveillance, the numbers on the planned procedure list increase.
The Covid-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of all non-urgent hospital work in the spring and although activities have resumed across the health service, capacity is reduced to about 80 per cent or less due to the requirement for infection control.
"Today's NTPF waiting list figures again highlight the impact of hospital consultant shortages and capacity constraints on those waiting for an outpatient appointment and related surgery and treatment," said the Irish Hospital Consultant Association's president Prof Alan Irvine.
“Each statistic represents a person waiting for the care they desperately need, while potentially deteriorating clinically or living in pain.”
Unacceptable
The IHCA called on Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to engage with it to agree practical plans to address the waiting lists and end the consultant recruitment and retention crisis to provide timely care to patients.
Prof Irvine said the figures highlighted “the impact of hospital consultant shortages and capacity constraints on those waiting for an outpatient appointment and related surgery”.
He said the “continued failure of the Government since 2012 to address the hospital consultant recruitment and retention crisis and other capacity deficits is the root cause of the record 844,757 people now on some form of NTPF waiting list, an increase of 75,993 (10 per cent) since the start of the year.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--Irish priest pepper-sprayed during break-in at Pontifical Irish College in Rome

A senior member of the Pontifical Irish College in Rome was pepper-sprayed after encountering intruders during a break-in recently , it has emerged , A spokesman for the college said Fr John Coughlan , vice-rector at the college , encountered three masked men who broken in on November 30th last .
After challenging the intruders verbally as they made their way up the main stairs , they turned back to make their escape .
But “ one of the men used a form of pepper-spray on Fr Coughlan ’ s face as they left the building , ” said a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paramedics attended to Fr Coughlan , who did not require hospitalisation .
Fr Coughlan declined to comment when contacted on Friday , but a spokesman said he has since made a full recovery .
Local police are investigating the break-in .
Nothing was stolen from the property , although there was small damage done to the entrance gate .
Fr Coughlan is a native of Co Sligo and was previously a curate at St Joseph ’ s Parish , Boyle , in the Diocese of Elphin .
He has served as chaplain at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He moved to the Pontifical Irish College in 2017 after being appointed director of formation .
Founded in 1628 , the college is the last of the many Irish seminaries that were once scattered over Europe when it was not possible to educate priests in Ireland .
Today , the college is home to two seminarian communities , one Irish the other American , as well as a sizeable international post-graduate community .
Latest figures show the college has just over 30 resident seminarians and 16 non-resident seminarians in formation , along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff .
The number of Irish seminarians studying at the college has been falling over recent years .
Last summer the college ’ s trustees announced that no Irish seminarians are being sent there during the current academic year .
The college is located in Via dei Santi Quattro in the centre of Rome and is well known by many Irish couples who have married in the chapel .

The college is located in Via dei Santi Quattro in the centre of Rome and is well known by many Irish couples who have married in the chapel.
A senior member of the Pontifical Irish College in Rome was pepper-sprayed after encountering intruders during a break-in recently, it has emerged,
A spokesman for the college said Fr John Coughlan, vice-rector at the college, encountered three masked men who broken in on November 30th last. After challenging the intruders verbally as they made their way up the main stairs, they turned back to make their escape. But "one of the men used a form of pepper-spray on Fr Coughlan's face as they left the building," said a spokesman.
An ambulance was called and paramedics attended to Fr Coughlan, who did not require hospitalisation.
Fr Coughlan declined to comment when contacted on Friday, but a spokesman said he has since made a full recovery.
READ MORE
Local police are investigating the break-in. Nothing was stolen from the property, although there was small damage done to the entrance gate.
Fr Coughlan is a native of Co Sligo and was previously a curate at St Joseph's Parish, Boyle, in the Diocese of Elphin. He has served as chaplain at Sligo IT and curate in Athlone.
He moved to the Pontifical Irish College in 2017 after being appointed director of formation.
Thirty resident seminarians
Founded in 1628, the college is the last of the many Irish seminaries that were once scattered over Europe when it was not possible to educate priests in Ireland.
Today, the college is home to two seminarian communities, one Irish the other American, as well as a sizeable international post-graduate community.
Latest figures show the college has just over 30 resident seminarians and 16 non-resident seminarians in formation, along with a number of Irish priests on the staff.
The number of Irish seminarians studying at the college has been falling over recent years.
Last summer the college’s trustees announced that no Irish seminarians are being sent there during the current academic year. The college is located in Via dei Santi Quattro in the centre of Rome and is well known by many Irish couples who have married in the chapel.


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--Downing Street says nothing new in EU’s reassurance on ‘ratchet clause’

Downing Street has rejected as “ nothing new ” Ursula von der Leyen ’ s reassurance that a proposed “ ratchet clause ” to maintain equivalence in standards into the future would not impinge on Britain ’ s sovereignty .
The European Commission president said Britain would remain free to decide whether or not to follow EU standards but the EU would adjust access to its market accordingly , adding that the measure would apply “ vice versa ” .
“ I would say there isn ’ t anything new here , because they still say they would adapt the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and our position on sovereignty remains unchanged , ” a Downing Street spokesman said .
Talks between Britain and the EU about their future relationship remain deadlocked on fisheries , level playing field guarantees of fair competition and how to enforce any agreement .
But the focus has narrowed in recent days on to the ratchet clause , which would allow the EU to impose tariffs on British goods if it raised its environmental , employment or consumer standards and Britain did not follow suit .
The negotiating teams will continue talking until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Northumberland town of Blyth on Friday , Boris Johnson said he thought no deal was “ very , very likely ” to be the outcome .
“ If there is a big offer , a big change in what they are saying , then I must say that I ’ ve yet to see it .
Unfortunately at the moment , as you know , there are two key things where we just can ’ t seem to make progress and that ’ s this kind of ratchet clause they ’ ve got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to whatever they want to do in terms of legislation , which obviously doesn ’ t work , ” he said .
“ And then there is the whole issue of fish where we ’ ve got to be able to take back control of our waters .
So there is a way to go – we ’ re hopeful that progress can be made .
But I ’ ve got to tell that from where I stand now , here in Blyth , it is looking very , very likely that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that I think would be wonderful for the UK , and we ’ d be able to do exactly what we want from January 1 – it obviously would be different from what we ’ d set out to achieve but I have no doubt this country can get ready and , as I say , come out on World Trade terms.
” Downing Street did not deny a report from Brussels that Mr Johnson had requested that Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron join him and Ms Von der Leyen on a call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ahmad Khan , the Conservative MP for Wakefield , condemned Dr Merkel for her decision .
“ I stand with millions of Britons that are deeply insulted at the shocking news that the German chancellor has refused the British prime minister ’ s request for a telephone call .
This is an insult to every Briton , whether they support our PM or not .
Have our EU ‘ friends ’ no regard or respect for the UK and our nations ’ sacrifices that permit them to live in freedom and prosperity today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totalitarianism ?
The EU ’ s contemptuous treatment of the UK makes it clear there can not be a deal until it accepts the UK as a sovereign equal and awards us the respect and regard we merit , ” he said .

British prime minister Boris Johnson in Northumberland on Friday. Asked during the visit about the Brexit negotiations he said: ‘If there is a big offer, a big change in what they are saying, then I must say that I’ve yet to see it.’ Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
Downing Street has rejected as “nothing new” Ursula von der Leyen’s reassurance that a proposed “ratchet clause” to maintain equivalence in standards into the future would not impinge on Britain’s sovereignty.
The European Commission president said Britain would remain free to decide whether or not to follow EU standards but the EU would adjust access to its market accordingly, adding that the measure would apply "vice versa".
“I would say there isn’t anything new here, because they still say they would adapt the conditions they place on us for access and our position on sovereignty remains unchanged,” a Downing Street spokesman said.
Talks between Britain and the EU about their future relationship remain deadlocked on fisheries, level playing field guarantees of fair competition and how to enforce any agreement. But the focus has narrowed in recent days on to the ratchet clause, which would allow the EU to impose tariffs on British goods if it raised its environmental, employment or consumer standards and Britain did not follow suit.
READ MORE
The negotiating teams will continue talking until Sunday but during a visit to the Northumberland town of Blyth on Friday, Boris Johnson said he thought no deal was "very, very likely" to be the outcome.
“Big offer’
“If there is a big offer, a big change in what they are saying, then I must say that I’ve yet to see it. Unfortunately at the moment, as you know, there are two key things where we just can’t seem to make progress and that’s this kind of ratchet clause they’ve got in to keep the UK locked in to whatever they want to do in terms of legislation, which obviously doesn’t work,” he said.
“And then there is the whole issue of fish where we’ve got to be able to take back control of our waters. So there is a way to go – we’re hopeful that progress can be made. But I’ve got to tell that from where I stand now, here in Blyth, it is looking very, very likely that we will have to go for a solution that I think would be wonderful for the UK, and we’d be able to do exactly what we want from January 1 – it obviously would be different from what we’d set out to achieve but I have no doubt this country can get ready and, as I say, come out on World Trade terms.”
Phone call
Downing Street did not deny a report from Brussels that Mr Johnson had requested that Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron join him and Ms Von der Leyen on a call last Monday but they refused. Imran Ahmad Khan, the Conservative MP for Wakefield, condemned Dr Merkel for her decision.
“I stand with millions of Britons that are deeply insulted at the shocking news that the German chancellor has refused the British prime minister’s request for a telephone call. This is an insult to every Briton, whether they support our PM or not. Have our EU ‘friends’ no regard or respect for the UK and our nations’ sacrifices that permit them to live in freedom and prosperity today, safely away from the shadow of totalitarianism? The EU’s contemptuous treatment of the UK makes it clear there cannot be a deal until it accepts the UK as a sovereign equal and awards us the respect and regard we merit,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--Man gets suspended sentence over deception of drover (95), who lost €70k

A Co Cork horse breeder , who dishonestly induced a 95-year-old Kerry man into withdrawing €70,000 of his savings from his bank account , was today given a two-year suspended jail sentence .
Patrick Hurley ( 73 ) , from Carhoogarriff , Leap , Co Cork , had earlier been found guilty by a jury at Tralee Circuit Court , sitting in Limerick , of two counts of deception , involving sums totalling €70,000 from the victim , Eugene O ’ Sullivan , from Kenmare .
Mr Hurley was convicted of dishonestly and with the intention of making gain for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of falsely stating that monies deposited in Mr O ’ Sullivan ’ s bank account were not secure , and did thereby induce the victim to withdraw €20,000 on December 14th , 2016 , and €50,000 , on March 15th , 2017 .
The jury had acquitted Mr Hurley of theft of the €70,000 which he induced Mr O ’ Sullivan to withdraw from his account at Bank of Ireland , Kenmare .
Mr Hurley , a widower , farmer , and horse breeder , had denied all four counts , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accepts the jury ’ s verdict in relation to all of the four charges .
Mr O ’ Sullivan , who is believed to be the oldest drover in Ireland , was duped by Mr Hurley into withdrawing cash from his account , on the false premise that his bank was on the verge of collapsing , it was heard .
Judge Tom O ’ Donnell said Mr O ’ Sullivan had worked all his life and had saved €400,000 .
The judge said that , in November 2016 , Mr Hurley “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ persuaded him that his money was at risk , telling him the banks were failing , which caused the victim serious alarm ” .
Mr O ’ Sullivan immediately contacted his bank wishing to withdraw his entire savings , but was informed he should contact a solicitor before withdrawing such a large amount .
The victim instructed a solicitor to write to the bank on his behalf seeking the funds , and eventually withdrew a total of €70,000 .
The court heard that upon exiting the bank on each occasion , Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Hurley ’ s jeep , which had been waiting outside the bank nearby , and then both men drove off in the defendant ’ s vehicle .
Judge O ’ Donnell said the solicitor had “ acted with integrity ” throughout , and that Mr Hurley had led the solicitor to believe he was closely related to Mr O ’ Sullivan , when in fact the two men are not related .
The judge commended gardaí for their “ swift actions ” and also praised Tom Keane and Conor Brosnan of Bank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detectives after they became suspicious .
Mr Hurley ’ s barrister Brian McInerney , said his client had arranged a €10,000 bank draft to be paid to Mr O ’ Sullivan .
Imposing a two-year sentence , which he suspended for two years , Judge O ’ Donnell said Mr Hurley ’ s actions were “ cold , cunning , calculated , and premeditated ” .
He ordered a sum of €10,000 be paid to Mr O ’ Sullivan “ without prejudice of any civil claim that the victim may have in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ O ’ Sullivan has not seen the cash since , and no details were giving as to what became of it .
Mr O ’ Sullivan , who turns 96 next month , had told gardaí that he felt “ very foolish that he was so easily deceived ” , and that he had worked all his life and had always been very careful about his financial affairs .
He said he found it “ very stressful ” to have had to go to court and give evidence in the trial .
Praising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said : “ I admire his courage , and despite his age , coming to court to give evidence ” .

Praising Eugene O’Sullivan (above), the judge said: “I admire his courage, and despite his age, coming to court to give evidence”. Photograph: Valerie O’Sullivan
A Co Cork horse breeder, who dishonestly induced a 95-year-old Kerry man into withdrawing €70,000 of his savings from his bank account, was today given a two-year suspended jail sentence.
Patrick Hurley (73), from Carhoogarriff, Leap, Co Cork, had earlier been found guilty by a jury at Tralee Circuit Court, sitting in Limerick, of two counts of deception, involving sums totalling €70,000 from the victim, Eugene O’Sullivan, from Kenmare. Mr Hurley was convicted of dishonestly and with the intention of making gain for himself or another, by a deception of falsely stating that monies deposited in Mr O’Sullivan’s bank account were not secure, and did thereby induce the victim to withdraw €20,000 on December 14th, 2016, and €50,000, on March 15th, 2017.
The jury had acquitted Mr Hurley of theft of the €70,000 which he induced Mr O’Sullivan to withdraw from his account at Bank of Ireland, Kenmare.
Patrick Hurley (above), from Carhoogarriff, Leap, Co Cork, had earlier been found guilty by a jury at Tralee Circuit Court, sitting in Limerick, of two counts of deception, involving sums totalling €70,000 from the victim, Eugene O’Sullivan, from Kenmare. Photograph Liam Burke/Press 22
Mr Hurley, a widower, farmer, and horse breeder, had denied all four counts, however, today the court heard he now fully accepts the jury’s verdict in relation to all of the four charges.
READ MORE
Mr O’Sullivan, who is believed to be the oldest drover in Ireland, was duped by Mr Hurley into withdrawing cash from his account, on the false premise that his bank was on the verge of collapsing, it was heard.
Judge Tom O’Donnell said Mr O’Sullivan had worked all his life and had saved €400,000.
The judge said that, in November 2016, Mr Hurley “befriended” Mr O’Sullivan and “persuaded him that his money was at risk, telling him the banks were failing, which caused the victim serious alarm”.
Mr O’Sullivan immediately contacted his bank wishing to withdraw his entire savings, but was informed he should contact a solicitor before withdrawing such a large amount.
The victim instructed a solicitor to write to the bank on his behalf seeking the funds, and eventually withdrew a total of €70,000.
The court heard that upon exiting the bank on each occasion, Mr O’Sullivan put the money into Mr Hurley’s jeep, which had been waiting outside the bank nearby, and then both men drove off in the defendant’s vehicle.
Judge O’Donnell said the solicitor had “acted with integrity” throughout, and that Mr Hurley had led the solicitor to believe he was closely related to Mr O’Sullivan, when in fact the two men are not related.
The judge commended gardaí for their “swift actions” and also praised Tom Keane and Conor Brosnan of Bank of Ireland, Kenmare, for alerting detectives after they became suspicious.
Mr Hurley’s barrister Brian McInerney, said his client had arranged a €10,000 bank draft to be paid to Mr O’Sullivan.
Imposing a two-year sentence, which he suspended for two years, Judge O’Donnell said Mr Hurley’s actions were “cold, cunning, calculated, and premeditated”.
He ordered a sum of €10,000 be paid to Mr O’Sullivan “without prejudice of any civil claim that the victim may have in the future”.
The court heard Mr O’Sullivan has not seen the cash since, and no details were giving as to what became of it.
Mr O’Sullivan, who turns 96 next month, had told gardaí that he felt “very foolish that he was so easily deceived”, and that he had worked all his life and had always been very careful about his financial affairs.
He said he found it “very stressful” to have had to go to court and give evidence in the trial.
Praising Mr O’Sullivan, the judge said: “I admire his courage, and despite his age, coming to court to give evidence”.


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--Consumers urged to be wary of parcel delivery scams ahead of Christmas

Consumers have been warned to be wary of clicking on potentially fraudulent messages and emails regarding parcel deliveries in the run-up to Christmas .
A Garda spokesman said there has been a spate of reports recently of people being fooled into following links in text messages or emails purporting to be from An Post concerning an upcoming delivery .
Victims are then asked to enter their personal details which are used by the scammers to defraud them or withdraw money from their accounts .
The Garda said it has received “ numerous reports ” of the scam , in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from An Post and state the person ’ s parcel is awaiting delivery .
The person is then asked to click a link to a legitimate looking website to confirm the delivery of the package or pay a fee .
The force also advised members of the public to be on the lookout for similar scams in the days and weeks ahead .
It said people should never click on links in an unsolicited text or email and never give away personal information such as PIN and bank card numbers or passwords , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond to such messages but instead take a screenshot , delete the message and report the matter to their local garda station .
Bank of Ireland has also warned it is getting increasing numbers of complaints about parcel delivery frauds .
“ The middle of the busiest shopping period of the year is an obvious time for fraudsters to target consumers , ” said Edel McDermott , Bank of Ireland ’ s head of fraud .
“ People may be distracted and have less available time to stop , think and check the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ automatically to a company they recognise.
” The rise of online shopping during the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in various types of online frauds targeting consumers , including phishing attempts relating to parcel deliveries .
A similar scam , which began last month , involved people receiving a message which appeared to be from the parcel delivery company UPS , telling recipients they must pay a “ customs fee ” to receive their delivery .

Consumers have been warned to be wary of clicking on potentially fraudulent messages regarding parcel deliveries in the run-up to Christmas. Image: iStock.
Consumers have been warned to be wary of clicking on potentially fraudulent messages and emails regarding parcel deliveries in the run-up to Christmas.
A Garda spokesman said there has been a spate of reports recently of people being fooled into following links in text messages or emails purporting to be from An Post concerning an upcoming delivery.
Victims are then asked to enter their personal details which are used by the scammers to defraud them or withdraw money from their accounts.
The Garda said it has received “numerous reports” of the scam, in which the texts or emails appear to be from An Post and state the person’s parcel is awaiting delivery. The person is then asked to click a link to a legitimate looking website to confirm the delivery of the package or pay a fee.
READ MORE
The force also advised members of the public to be on the lookout for similar scams in the days and weeks ahead.
It said people should never click on links in an unsolicited text or email and never give away personal information such as PIN and bank card numbers or passwords, Furthermore, people are advised not to respond to such messages but instead take a screenshot, delete the message and report the matter to their local garda station.
‘Obvious time’
Bank of Ireland has also warned it is getting increasing numbers of complaints about parcel delivery frauds.
“The middle of the busiest shopping period of the year is an obvious time for fraudsters to target consumers,” said Edel McDermott, Bank of Ireland’s head of fraud.
“People may be distracted and have less available time to stop, think and check the details on a text and simply reply automatically to a company they recognise.”
The rise of online shopping during the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in various types of online frauds targeting consumers, including phishing attempts relating to parcel deliveries.
A similar scam, which began last month, involved people receiving a message which appeared to be from the parcel delivery company UPS, telling recipients they must pay a “customs fee” to receive their delivery.


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--At least 12 months before driving-test wait at 10-week target

It will take a year at least for driving-test waiting times reach the Road Safety Authority ’ s ( RSA ) 10-week target because of the impact from Covid-19 , it has emerged .
Prior to the pandemic the average time from application to test was six weeks but this rose sharply to between 25 and 30 weeks after testing was stopped in March during the first coronavirus lockdown .
It resumed on a gradual basis in mid-July when essential workers were prioritised , but the waiting list has grown .
Last week RSA chairwoman Liz O ’ Donnell told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will take time ” to reduce waiting times to a 10-week average .
But Minister of State at the Department of Local Government Malcolm Noonan confirmed that early 2022 is the soonest that target will be reached .
Mr Noonan said in the Seanad that the “ RSA has presented a plan to the Department of Transport which would see a return to a 10-week waiting time by early 2022 .
.
.
while this is not as soon as anyone would like , it is important to recognise that there are no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the target date could be negatively affected “ if a further lockdown proves to be necessary in the future ” .
New applications for tests are continuously being submitted which is also contributing to delays .
Since July the RSA has been conducting 3,500 tests a week or 35,000 in total and 64,500 people are scheduled or eligible to take the test .
Fianna Fáil Senator Malcolm Byrne , who raised the issue , said “ a person would be quicker , and more likely , to get the Covid vaccine than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to wait until July .
The Wexford Senator said it affects people living in rural areas particularly because of the lack of public transport .
And young provisional drivers have to rely on a parent or guardian because they are not permitted to drive unaccompanied .
Their insurance costs more too and if a person is offered a job that depends on having a full licence “ they can ’ t get a full licence because they can ’ t get a test ” .
He said this had to be prioritised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ coming out of this crisis ” .
The RSA has applied to the department to recruit an additional 80 driving testers and Mr Byrne asked when they would be in place .
The Minister said 18 temporary driving testers whose contracts were due to expire in October and November have been retained and the RSA has also rehired a further 18 temporary testers whose contracts expired in May .
However , Mr Noonan pointed out that much of the delay is “ down to the effect of restrictions on the throughput of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff ” .
He said the RSA is also looking at whether drivers can increase the number of tests they conduct from the current six to seven but that will not happen until next month at the earliest .
In normal times drivers conduct eight tests daily but this went down to five when the service resumed in July because of health constraints , although increased to six in mid-September .

The Road Safety Authority has applied to the department to recruit an additional 80 driving testers. File photograph: Getty
It will take a year at least for driving-test waiting times reach the Road Safety Authority’s (RSA) 10-week target because of the impact from Covid-19, it has emerged.
Prior to the pandemic the average time from application to test was six weeks but this rose sharply to between 25 and 30 weeks after testing was stopped in March during the first coronavirus lockdown.
It resumed on a gradual basis in mid-July when essential workers were prioritised, but the waiting list has grown.
Last week RSA chairwoman Liz O’Donnell told the Oireachtas transport committee that “it will take time” to reduce waiting times to a 10-week average.
READ MORE
But Minister of State at the Department of Local Government Malcolm Noonan confirmed that early 2022 is the soonest that target will be reached.
Mr Noonan said in the Seanad that the “RSA has presented a plan to the Department of Transport which would see a return to a 10-week waiting time by early 2022 . . . while this is not as soon as anyone would like, it is important to recognise that there are no quick fixes.”
And he warned that the target date could be negatively affected “if a further lockdown proves to be necessary in the future”. New applications for tests are continuously being submitted which is also contributing to delays.
Since July the RSA has been conducting 3,500 tests a week or 35,000 in total and 64,500 people are scheduled or eligible to take the test.
Fianna Fáil Senator Malcolm Byrne, who raised the issue, said "a person would be quicker, and more likely, to get the Covid vaccine than a driver test" because anyone applying will have to wait until July.
The Wexford Senator said it affects people living in rural areas particularly because of the lack of public transport. And young provisional drivers have to rely on a parent or guardian because they are not permitted to drive unaccompanied.
Temporary testers
Their insurance costs more too and if a person is offered a job that depends on having a full licence “they can’t get a full licence because they can’t get a test”. He said this had to be prioritised because of the levels of youth unemployment “coming out of this crisis”.
The RSA has applied to the department to recruit an additional 80 driving testers and Mr Byrne asked when they would be in place.
The Minister said 18 temporary driving testers whose contracts were due to expire in October and November have been retained and the RSA has also rehired a further 18 temporary testers whose contracts expired in May. However, Mr Noonan pointed out that much of the delay is “down to the effect of restrictions on the throughput of centres themselves rather than the availability of staff”.
He said the RSA is also looking at whether drivers can increase the number of tests they conduct from the current six to seven but that will not happen until next month at the earliest.
In normal times drivers conduct eight tests daily but this went down to five when the service resumed in July because of health constraints, although increased to six in mid-September.


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--Motorist given suspended sentence for killing student at crossing

A garage owner who killed a young Tullamore student when he drove through a red light at a pedestrian crossing in Athlone two years ago has been given a two and a half year suspended prison sentence .
John O ’ Shea ( 66 ) had pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving causing the death of Jordan Murphy ( 19 ) , a second-year business student at Athlone Institute of Technology , at Bonavalley , Athlone , Co Westmeath on September 11th , 2018 .
At a sentencing hearing at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court on Friday , Judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result of “ a momentary , catastrophic lapse of judgement ” which had fatal consequences .
Judge Johnson said he also accepted that O ’ Shea , who provided medical evidence that he suffered from anxiety and depression since the accident , was genuinely distressed , upset and remorseful over his actions .
The judge said the interests of justice would be served by suspending a sentence of two and a half years on a number of conditions including entering a bond of €500 to keep the peace for a period of 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a charity nominated by Mr Murphy ’ s family for their annual memorial fundraiser for Jordan Murphy .
He also disqualified O ’ Shea , of Ballyduff , Ballinahown , Athlone , from driving for 10 years and said it would cause the accused considerable inconvenience and distress as well as reducing the likelihood of him reoffending .
The judge said any sentence imposed by the court had to be fair and proportionate and also a fitting tribute to Mr Murphy ’ s memory .
“ Regrettably no sentence imposed by this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hurt and wrong ” he added .
Judge Johnson said the accused ’ s guilty plea was “ a complete and absolute vindication ” of the innocence of Mr Murphy who had acted “ with care and diligence ” on the morning in question .
Recounting evidence in the case , the judge said the victim had been hit by a van driven by O ’ Shea which sent him “ flying in the air ” , throwing him 22 metres from the point of the collision in “ a high velocity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an eye-witness , Trawa Radoslaw , that O ’ Shea had driven through a red light was corroborated by CCTV footage .
When interviewed by gardaí , the judge said the accused was convinced he had a green light and Mr Murphy had no intention of crossing the road .
Judge Johnson said O ’ Shea was “ completely wrong ” on both counts and it was extraordinary that despite contradictory evidence he could not accept full responsibility for the accident .
The judge said the DPP was correct to refuse to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a plea of guilty to the lesser charge of careless driving causing death .
He said a late guilty plea by O ’ Shea was a source of considerable distress to Mr Murphy ’ s family and had also added to the State ’ s costs .

A garage owner who killed a young Tullamore student when he drove through a red light at a pedestrian crossing in Athlone two years ago has been given a two and a half year suspended prison sentence.
John O’Shea (66) had pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving causing the death of Jordan Murphy (19), a second-year business student at Athlone Institute of Technology, at Bonavalley, Athlone, Co Westmeath on September 11th, 2018.
At a sentencing hearing at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court on Friday, Judge Keenan Johnson said the offence was the result of “a momentary, catastrophic lapse of judgement” which had fatal consequences.
Judge Johnson said he also accepted that O’Shea, who provided medical evidence that he suffered from anxiety and depression since the accident, was genuinely distressed, upset and remorseful over his actions.
READ MORE
The judge said the interests of justice would be served by suspending a sentence of two and a half years on a number of conditions including entering a bond of €500 to keep the peace for a period of 10 years and paying €10,000 within six months to a charity nominated by Mr Murphy’s family for their annual memorial fundraiser for Jordan Murphy.
He also disqualified O’Shea, of Ballyduff, Ballinahown, Athlone, from driving for 10 years and said it would cause the accused considerable inconvenience and distress as well as reducing the likelihood of him reoffending.
The judge said any sentence imposed by the court had to be fair and proportionate and also a fitting tribute to Mr Murphy’s memory.
“Regrettably no sentence imposed by this court will ever be able to undo the hurt and wrong” he added.
Judge Johnson said the accused’s guilty plea was “a complete and absolute vindication” of the innocence of Mr Murphy who had acted “with care and diligence” on the morning in question.
Recounting evidence in the case, the judge said the victim had been hit by a van driven by O’Shea which sent him “flying in the air”, throwing him 22 metres from the point of the collision in “a high velocity impact.”
Judge Johnson said the evidence of an eye-witness, Trawa Radoslaw, that O’Shea had driven through a red light was corroborated by CCTV footage.
When interviewed by gardaí, the judge said the accused was convinced he had a green light and Mr Murphy had no intention of crossing the road.
Judge Johnson said O’Shea was “completely wrong” on both counts and it was extraordinary that despite contradictory evidence he could not accept full responsibility for the accident.
The judge said the DPP was correct to refuse to accept an offer by the accused of a plea of guilty to the lesser charge of careless driving causing death.
He said a late guilty plea by O’Shea was a source of considerable distress to Mr Murphy’s family and had also added to the State’s costs.


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--Forest facelift for Dublin Mountains as native trees replanted

The Dublin Mountains are undergoing a facelift which will see autumnal colours from native trees increasingly replacing the green associated with dominant commercial conifer plantations in many areas .
A significant milestone was reached on Friday with the planting by Coillte Nature – a new , not-for-profit branch of the State-owned forestry company – of its first native woodland forest in Ticknock .
Minister of State with responsibility for forestry Pippa Hackett joined Coillte ’ s chief executive Imelda Hurley in planting native Irish oak , Scots pine , birch , rowan and holly saplings .
It is part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transforming 900 hectares of commercial plantations for people and nature .
Ms Hackett congratulated Coillte for its stewardship of a wonderful project .
“ They are responsible for so much of the woodland in this country , so it is heartwarming to see them dedicating this part of the Dublin Mountains to native woodlands and , in effect , to the wellbeing of the Irish people.
” The Green Party Senator added : “ We need Coillte to lead the way as together we design a new model for Irish trees , woodlands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear evidence of their capacity and indeed willingness to do that.
” Commercial plantation forests in the area were cut down during the summer ; the colder winter period means native species in an area the size of three football pitches can now be planted .
This will create a more biodiverse habitat for nature and bring autumn colour to the hills .
Ms Hurley acknowledged the need for the State forestry organisation to respond to the climate and biodiversity emergency , which prompted the setting-up of Coillte Nature .
“ We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s why we have determined to deliver projects-of-scale with a strategic environmental focus through a new and innovative non-commercial lens , ” she said .
Coillte Nature director Dr Ciarán Fallon said : “ This is an important milestone in Coillte Nature ’ s transformation of the Dublin Mountains forests .
We ’ ve been heartened by the overwhelmingly positive public response to the makeover and we hope everyone will enjoy these biodiverse new habitats as they grow and develop.
” Coillte owns half of the forests in the Dublin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ privately .
The overwhelming majority ( 92 per cent ) are comprised of non-native conifers , with some non-native broadleaves like beech , sycamore and lime ( 6 per cent ) .
The makeover uses a mixture of management approaches , including continuous cover forestry and native woodland planting , to create a mosaic of forest types and increase the species , age and structural diversity of the area .
The project will take time and will still involve machinery , felling and lorries on local roads , and diverting or temporarily closing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It will be a slow and careful process , conducted in a way that minimises disruption to today ’ s recreational users , while locking in benefits for nature and the landscape that will be enjoyed by generations to come , ” it proclaims .
The Dublin Mountains is one of the most-visited outdoor attractions in the country , visited by more than 600,000 people every year .
It is a recreational area for a growing urban population in the greater Dublin area seeking fresh air and green space .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dublin Mountains Partnership , which aims to improve the recreational experience for users of the mountains while recognising the objectives and constraints of landowners .
Its partners include Dublin ’ s local authorities , the National Parks & Wildlife Service and Dublin Mountains Initiative .

Senator Pippa Hackett, Minister of State for Forestry, and Imelda Hurley, chief executive of Coillte, launch the Dublin Mountains Makeover project in Ticknock, Co Dublin. Photograph: Robbie Reynolds
The Dublin Mountains are undergoing a facelift which will see autumnal colours from native trees increasingly replacing the green associated with dominant commercial conifer plantations in many areas.
A significant milestone was reached on Friday with the planting by Coillte Nature – a new, not-for-profit branch of the State-owned forestry company – of its first native woodland forest in Ticknock.
Minister of State with responsibility for forestry Pippa Hackett joined Coillte's chief executive Imelda Hurley in planting native Irish oak, Scots pine, birch, rowan and holly saplings. It is part of the Dublin Mountains Makeover project which is transforming 900 hectares of commercial plantations for people and nature.
Ms Hackett congratulated Coillte for its stewardship of a wonderful project. “They are responsible for so much of the woodland in this country, so it is heartwarming to see them dedicating this part of the Dublin Mountains to native woodlands and, in effect, to the wellbeing of the Irish people.”
READ MORE
We've been heartened by the overwhelmingly positive public response to the makeover
The Green Party Senator added: “We need Coillte to lead the way as together we design a new model for Irish trees, woodlands and forestry, and this project is clear evidence of their capacity and indeed willingness to do that.”
Commercial plantation forests in the area were cut down during the summer; the colder winter period means native species in an area the size of three football pitches can now be planted. This will create a more biodiverse habitat for nature and bring autumn colour to the hills.
Biodiversity
Ms Hurley acknowledged the need for the State forestry organisation to respond to the climate and biodiversity emergency, which prompted the setting-up of Coillte Nature.
“We have responsibilities beyond our current scope of activities. That’s why we have determined to deliver projects-of-scale with a strategic environmental focus through a new and innovative non-commercial lens,” she said.
Coillte Nature director Dr Ciarán Fallon said: “This is an important milestone in Coillte Nature’s transformation of the Dublin Mountains forests. We’ve been heartened by the overwhelmingly positive public response to the makeover and we hope everyone will enjoy these biodiverse new habitats as they grow and develop.”
It will be a slow and careful process, conducted in a way that minimises disruption to today's recreational users
Coillte owns half of the forests in the Dublin Mountains, with the other half owned privately. The overwhelming majority (92 per cent) are comprised of non-native conifers, with some non-native broadleaves like beech, sycamore and lime (6 per cent).
The makeover uses a mixture of management approaches, including continuous cover forestry and native woodland planting, to create a mosaic of forest types and increase the species, age and structural diversity of the area.
The project will take time and will still involve machinery, felling and lorries on local roads, and diverting or temporarily closing some trails, according to Coillte Nature. “It will be a slow and careful process, conducted in a way that minimises disruption to today’s recreational users, while locking in benefits for nature and the landscape that will be enjoyed by generations to come,” it proclaims.
Urban population
The Dublin Mountains is one of the most-visited outdoor attractions in the country, visited by more than 600,000 people every year. It is a recreational area for a growing urban population in the greater Dublin area seeking fresh air and green space.
The project was developed in collaboration with the Dublin Mountains Partnership, which aims to improve the recreational experience for users of the mountains while recognising the objectives and constraints of landowners. Its partners include Dublin's local authorities, the National Parks & Wildlife Service and Dublin Mountains Initiative.


theirishtimes--2020-12-11--Gardaí appeal for witnesses to three-car crash in Dún Laoghaire

Gardaí are appealing for witnesses regarding a serious collision which occurred in Dún Laoghaire , Co Dublin , on December @ @ @ @ @ three cars and happened on Lower Albert Road at about 7.45pm .
One of the @ @ @ @ @ her 80s was taken to St Vincent ’ s hospital for treatment , but died @ @ @ @ @ .
The driver of the second car was uninjured .
The third car involved , @ @ @ @ @ no occupants at the time of the collision .
Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses @ @ @ @ @ officers are also appealing for any road users who may have camera footage , including @ @ @ @ @ were travelling in the area between 7.35pm-7:50pm , to make this available .
Anyone with @ @ @ @ @ contact Dún Laoghaire Garda station on 01-6665000 , the confidential line on 1800-666111 or any @ @

Investigating officers are also appealing for any road users who may have camera footage to make this available. File photograph: The Irish Times
Gardaí are appealing for witnesses regarding a serious collision which occurred in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, on December 5th.
The crash involved three cars and happened on Lower Albert Road at about 7.45pm.
One of the drivers, a woman in her 80s was taken to St Vincent’s hospital for treatment, but died two days after the incident.
The driver of the second car was uninjured. The third car involved, which was parked, had no occupants at the time of the collision.
READ MORE
Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to come forward. Investigating officers are also appealing for any road users who may have camera footage, including dash-cam footage, and who were travelling in the area between 7.35pm-7:50pm, to make this available.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Dún Laoghaire Garda station on 01-6665000, the confidential line on 1800-666111 or any station.


theirishtimes--2020-12-12--Get outta my pub, boy! Barbara Windsor’s people were from Cork

The late Carry on film actress and Eastenders star Dame Barbara Windsor seemed East End to the core of her tiny 4ft 10 inch frame but an episode of Who Do You Think You Are ?
once traced her roots back to Cork .
The 83-year-British national treasure passed away on Thursday at a London care home six years after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer ’ s disease .
During the 2006 filming of the BBC ancestry series Barbara was informed that her great grandmother , Mary Ann Ellis , was a matchbox maker , probably employed by the Bryant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early 1880 ’ s .
She worked from her home in a slum in Old Nichol Street in London with her children helping her .
Barbara heard that Mary was likely involved in the matchgirls strike of 1888 .
This was one of the first significant strikes in English industrial history .
Ninety per cent of these workers were Irish .
Having researched the 1871 census it was uncovered that Mary Ann Ellis had a maiden name of Collins .
Her parents had emigrated to London ’ s East End at some point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Famine .
Dr Louise Raw , a historian of match women and the author of Striking a Light , met Windsor for the BBC series .
She told her of her Irish roots and of the life of her great grandmother .
Dr Raw said it was a “ huge pleasure ” to discuss genealogy with Windsor at the old Bryant and May factory in Bow .
“ Between takes she talked about the class prejudice that made her hide her East End accent which then brought her a new wave of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great woman .
Not ‘ starry ’ at all .
She was lovely with us ordinary folk .
In breaks she happily signed every autograph , chatted to all who came over .
Windsor travelled to Cork in 2006 as part of the filming of the series .
Actor Christopher Biggins told ITV ’ s This Morning on Friday that Windsor never left home without making an effort with her appearance .
True to form she jetted in to Cork Airport 14 years ago wearing a cream outfit with a glamorous head scarf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was delayed by 50 minutes didn ’ t cramp her style , according to an Irish Examiner report on the visit .
When she arrived in Leeside she was shocked to be told that her great grandmother was the second Mary Ann Collins in the family .
A child of the same name in her family had passed away of Scarlet Fever in 1851 .
Windsor was born Barbara Ann Deeks in London in 1937 to a dressmaker and a bus driver .
She went to drama school and shot to fame in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Although she appeared in only nine of the films she was the face of the series for a generation with her saucy humour and irrepressible giggle endearing her to fans .
She reached a renewed resurgence of fame in the 1990s when she was cast as Peggy Mitchell in Eastenders .
Peggy , who doted on sons Grant and Phil , had the iconic catch phrase “ Get outta my pub ” which has trended on Twitter since her passing .
She dropped her original name of Deeks and took on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronation of Queen Elizabeth II .
She was appointed a Dame in Britain ’ s 2016 honours list not only for her acting career but for her services to charity .

Barbara Windsor attends the world premier of “Alice in Wonderland” at the Odeon Cinema in London’s Leicester Square in 2010. File photograph: Carl Court/Getty
The late Carry on film actress and Eastenders star Dame Barbara Windsor seemed East End to the core of her tiny 4ft 10 inch frame but an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? once traced her roots back to Cork.
The 83-year-British national treasure passed away on Thursday at a London care home six years after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
During the 2006 filming of the BBC ancestry series Barbara was informed that her great grandmother, Mary Ann Ellis, was a matchbox maker, probably employed by the Bryant and May factory in Bow in the early 1880's.
She worked from her home in a slum in Old Nichol Street in London with her children helping her.
READ MORE
Barbara heard that Mary was likely involved in the matchgirls strike of 1888. This was one of the first significant strikes in English industrial history.
Barbara Windsor as the bride Peggy Mitchell and Mike Reid as the groom Frank Butcher in Eastenders. Photograph: John Stillwell/PA
Ninety per cent of these workers were Irish. Having researched the 1871 census it was uncovered that Mary Ann Ellis had a maiden name of Collins.
Her parents had emigrated to London’s East End at some point between 1846 and 1850 as result of the Famine.
Dr Louise Raw, a historian of match women and the author of Striking a Light, met Windsor for the BBC series. She told her of her Irish roots and of the life of her great grandmother.
Dr Raw said it was a “huge pleasure” to discuss genealogy with Windsor at the old Bryant and May factory in Bow.
“Between takes she talked about the class prejudice that made her hide her East End accent which then brought her a new wave of fame in Eastenders. She was a great woman. Not ‘starry’ at all. She was lovely with us ordinary folk. In breaks she happily signed every autograph, chatted to all who came over.
Windsor travelled to Cork in 2006 as part of the filming of the series.
Actor Christopher Biggins told ITV's This Morning on Friday that Windsor never left home without making an effort with her appearance.
True to form she jetted in to Cork Airport 14 years ago wearing a cream outfit with a glamorous head scarf. Even a journey from Heathrow which was delayed by 50 minutes didn’t cramp her style, according to an Irish Examiner report on the visit.
When she arrived in Leeside she was shocked to be told that her great grandmother was the second Mary Ann Collins in the family. A child of the same name in her family had passed away of Scarlet Fever in 1851.
Windsor was born Barbara Ann Deeks in London in 1937 to a dressmaker and a bus driver. She went to drama school and shot to fame in the Carry on films in the 1960s.
Although she appeared in only nine of the films she was the face of the series for a generation with her saucy humour and irrepressible giggle endearing her to fans.
She reached a renewed resurgence of fame in the 1990s when she was cast as Peggy Mitchell in Eastenders. Peggy, who doted on sons Grant and Phil, had the iconic catch phrase "Get outta my pub" which has trended on Twitter since her passing.
She dropped her original name of Deeks and took on the stage name of Windsor shortly after the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. She was appointed a Dame in Britain's 2016 honours list not only for her acting career but for her services to charity.


theirishtimes--2020-12-12--Identity of Auxiliary letter writer admitting burning of Cork revealed after 100 years

In the aftermath of the burning of Cork City 100 years ago , the Irish Labour party and the Trade Union Congress published a long pamphlet blaming the burning on the Auxiliaries .
The pamphlet included a first-hand account from an Auxiliary : “ We did it all night never mind how much the well intentioned Hamar Greenwood ( Chief Secretary of Ireland ) would excuse us .
In all my life and in all of the tales of fiction I have read , I have never experienced such orgies of murder , arson and looting as I have witnessed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RIC Auxiliaries .
“ It baffles description and we are supposed to be officers and gentlemen .
There are quite a number of decent fellows and likewise a number of ruffians .
“ The burning and sacking of Cork followed immediately on the ambush of our men .
I , as orderly Sergeant had to collect 20 men for a raid and they left barracks in two motor cars .
I did not go as I was feeling sickly .
The party had not gone 100 yards from barracks when bombs were thrown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dropped in a car and wounded 8 men one of whom has since died .
“ Very naturally the rest of the Company were enraged .
The houses in the vicinity of the ambush were set alight and from there various parties set out on their mission of destruction .
Many who witnessed scenes in France and Flanders say that nothing they had experienced was comparable to the punishment meted out in Cork.
” The author also appears to refer to the shocking murder of Canon Thomas Magner ( 73 ) and Timothy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Co Cork , by an Auxiliary Vernon Hart who was later declared insane .
The attack happened on December 15th , a day before the author sent his letter .
He writes : “ On our arrival here from Cork , one of our heroes held up a car with a priest and a civilian in it , and shot them both through the head without cause of provocation .
We were very kindly received by the people but the consequences of this cold-blooded murder is that no one will come within a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed.
” The letters were sent by an officer in K Company of the Royal Irish Constabulary ( RIC ) Auxiliary Division named Charlie .
He sent one to his mother and another to a woman named Edith .
They contain clues as to the identity of the author .
The first is that Charlie in K Company had served in Cameroon during the first World War and had a sister named Dorothy who was a violinist .
Historian and former garda Jim O ’ Herlihy went through the list of 2,256 Auxiliaries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the RIC ( ADRIC ) .
Of the 55 members of K Company , four had the name Charlie , but two had been wounded before the burning of Cork , and a third did not join until January 1921 .
This left Charles Schulze , ADRIC No.1143 , from Selkirk , Scotland .
He had served in Cameroon and had a sister called Dorothy who was a performer .
As the surname suggests , Mr Schulze was of German origin .
His father William was a German industrialist who moved to Scotland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long in Britain that he was not interned as many German nationals were during the first World War .
Indeed , his three sons , Rudolf , Hugh and Charlie all served in the war against his own country , and both Rudolf and Hugh were killed near Amiens in France .
In 1922 William Schulze donated a porch to the front of Old Parish & St. Paul ’ s Church , Galashiels in Scotland as a memorial to his dead sons .
Dorothy Schulze changed her name to Allwyn during the war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Charles was transferred to ‘ H ’ Company of the ADRIC on March 19th , 1921 , and was promoted platoon commander on May 18th , 1921 .
He returned to Scotland on disbandment of the ADRIC on January 13th 1922 .
He moved to England and was the manager of the YMCA military centre in Derby where he died suddenly on January 17th , 1946 , and was buried in Galashiels , Scotland .

In the aftermath of the burning of Cork City 100 years ago, the Irish Labour party and the Trade Union Congress published a long pamphlet blaming the burning on the Auxiliaries.
The pamphlet included a first-hand account from an Auxiliary: "We did it all night never mind how much the well intentioned Hamar Greenwood (Chief Secretary of Ireland) would excuse us. In all my life and in all of the tales of fiction I have read, I have never experienced such orgies of murder, arson and looting as I have witnessed during the past 16 days with the RIC Auxiliaries.
“It baffles description and we are supposed to be officers and gentlemen. There are quite a number of decent fellows and likewise a number of ruffians.
“The burning and sacking of Cork followed immediately on the ambush of our men. I, as orderly Sergeant had to collect 20 men for a raid and they left barracks in two motor cars. I did not go as I was feeling sickly. The party had not gone 100 yards from barracks when bombs were thrown at them over a wall. One dropped in a car and wounded 8 men one of whom has since died.
READ MORE
"Very naturally the rest of the Company were enraged. The houses in the vicinity of the ambush were set alight and from there various parties set out on their mission of destruction. Many who witnessed scenes in France and Flanders say that nothing they had experienced was comparable to the punishment meted out in Cork."
The author also appears to refer to the shocking murder of Canon Thomas Magner (73) and Timothy Crowley (24) at Dunmanway, Co Cork, by an Auxiliary Vernon Hart who was later declared insane. The attack happened on December 15th, a day before the author sent his letter.
He writes: “On our arrival here from Cork, one of our heroes held up a car with a priest and a civilian in it, and shot them both through the head without cause of provocation. We were very kindly received by the people but the consequences of this cold-blooded murder is that no one will come within a mile of us and all shops are closed.”
The letters were sent by an officer in K Company of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) Auxiliary Division named Charlie. He sent one to his mother and another to a woman named Edith.
They contain clues as to the identity of the author. The first is that Charlie in K Company had served in Cameroon during the first World War and had a sister named Dorothy who was a violinist.
Historian and former garda Jim O’Herlihy went through the list of 2,256 Auxiliaries who served in the Auxiliary Division of the RIC (ADRIC). Of the 55 members of K Company, four had the name Charlie, but two had been wounded before the burning of Cork, and a third did not join until January 1921.
This left Charles Schulze, ADRIC No.1143, from Selkirk, Scotland. He had served in Cameroon and had a sister called Dorothy who was a performer.
As the surname suggests, Mr Schulze was of German origin. His father William was a German industrialist who moved to Scotland in the 1860s. He was so long in Britain that he was not interned as many German nationals were during the first World War.
Indeed, his three sons, Rudolf, Hugh and Charlie all served in the war against his own country, and both Rudolf and Hugh were killed near Amiens in France.
In 1922 William Schulze donated a porch to the front of Old Parish & St. Paul's Church, Galashiels in Scotland as a memorial to his dead sons.
Dorothy Schulze changed her name to Allwyn during the war because of anti-German sentiment in Britain.
Charles was transferred to ‘H’ Company of the ADRIC on March 19th, 1921, and was promoted platoon commander on May 18th, 1921. He returned to Scotland on disbandment of the ADRIC on January 13th 1922.
He moved to England and was the manager of the YMCA military centre in Derby where he died suddenly on January 17th, 1946, and was buried in Galashiels, Scotland.


theirishtimes--2020-12-12--Speeds of almost twice the limit recorded during Garda operation

Some motorists drove at speeds of nearly twice the local limits on National Slow Down Day on Friday - but more than 99.5 percent were compliant , according to figures released by the Garda .
From 7am Friday 11th to 7am Saturday 12th December , gardaí and the GoSafe speed detection vans registered dangerous and potentially life-threatening speeds on the Republic ’ s roads .
Included was one driver who was found to be travelling at 97km/h in a 50km/h zone on the R680 Cork Road , Co Waterford .
Another driver was detected driving at 94km/h in a 50km/h @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Co Cork .
Yet another was detected doing 162km/h in a 100km/h zone on the N21 at Castlematrix in Rathkeale , Co Limerick .
In Co Kildare a motorist was seen driving at 188km/h in a 120km/h zone on the M7 near Naas .
Other notable detections on the lesser quality , national secondary and regional roads were : * 110km/h in a 60km/h zone on the R147 at Piercetown , Dunboyne , Co Meath * 161km/h in a 100km/h zone on the N60 at Cloonagrasson , Ballintubber , Co Roscommon * 153km/h @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Mullymucks , Co Roscommon * 114km/h in a 80km/h zone on the N55 at Ballykeeran , Athlone , Co Westmeath * 132km/h in a 100km/h zone on the N18 at Clonmoney North , Bunratty , Co Clare * 116km/h in a 80km/h zone on the R132 at Gormanstown , Co Meath The figures showed gardaí checked the speed of of 186,125 vehicles and detected 892 vehicles travelling in excess of the applicable speed limit .
The figure of 892 represents less than half of one per cent of drivers who were prepared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even on a well publicised National Slow Down Day .
A Garda source said the figures showed a small percentage of drivers were “ causing they worst mayhem ” on the State ’ s roads The Garda and the RSA said said they thanked “ the 185,233 drivers who were found to be compliant and drove within the speed limit and would encourage all drivers to drive safely , comply with and respect speed limits ” .

From 7am Friday to 7am Saturday, gardaí and the GoSafe speed detection vans registered dangerous and potentially life-threatening speeds on the Republic’s roads. File photograph: The Irish Times
Some motorists drove at speeds of nearly twice the local limits on National Slow Down Day on Friday - but more than 99.5 percent were compliant, according to figures released by the Garda.
From 7am Friday 11th to 7am Saturday 12th December, gardaí and the GoSafe speed detection vans registered dangerous and potentially life-threatening speeds on the Republic’s roads.
Included was one driver who was found to be travelling at 97km/h in a 50km/h zone on the R680 Cork Road, Co Waterford. Another driver was detected driving at 94km/h in a 50km/h zone on the N20 Commons Road, Co Cork. Yet another was detected doing 162km/h in a 100km/h zone on the N21 at Castlematrix in Rathkeale, Co Limerick.
In Co Kildare a motorist was seen driving at 188km/h in a 120km/h zone on the M7 near Naas.
READ MORE
Other notable detections on the lesser quality, national secondary and regional roads were:
* 110km/h in a 60km/h zone on the R147 at Piercetown, Dunboyne, Co Meath
* 161km/h in a 100km/h zone on the N60 at Cloonagrasson, Ballintubber, Co Roscommon
* 153km/h in a 100km/h zone on the N61 at Mullymucks , Co Roscommon
* 114km/h in a 80km/h zone on the N55 at Ballykeeran, Athlone, Co Westmeath
* 132km/h in a 100km/h zone on the N18 at Clonmoney North, Bunratty, Co Clare
* 116km/h in a 80km/h zone on the R132 at Gormanstown, Co Meath
The figures showed gardaí checked the speed of of 186,125 vehicles and detected 892 vehicles travelling in excess of the applicable speed limit.
The figure of 892 represents less than half of one per cent of drivers who were prepared to drive at potentially lethal speeds, even on a well publicised National Slow Down Day.
A Garda source said the figures showed a small percentage of drivers were “causing they worst mayhem” on the State’s roads
The Garda and the RSA said said they thanked “the 185,233 drivers who were found to be compliant and drove within the speed limit and would encourage all drivers to drive safely, comply with and respect speed limits”.


theirishtimes--2020-12-12--Bishop appeals to sports groups for volunteers to steward masses

A Catholic Bishop has appealed to various sporting organisations such as the GAA , the FAI and the IRFU to ask their members if they would volunteer to assist with stewarding at Christmas masses to ensure people comply with Covid-19 guidelines .
Bishop of Cloyne Dr William Crean issued the appeal as all 46 parishes in the diocese , which stretches from Youghal in East Cork to Ballyvourney in West Cork and includes most of North Cork , have reopened their churches for masses at which a minimum of 50 people can attend .
And because churches are deemed as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ churches in the diocese such as St Colman ’ s Cathedral in Cobh or the Church of the Most Holy Rosary in Midleton can accommodate up to 150 massgoers once proper social distancing is maintained .
In a letter to all parishioners , Bishop Crean has appealed for all sporting organizations in the diocese to assist the 80 or so priests in active ministry by offering their members as stewards to ensure that massgoers abide by Covid-19 regulations and maintain good social distancing .
“ Many people greatly missed attending mass , being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Communion and the opportunity to celebrate other sacraments .
Many priests made great efforts to use the Internet to broadcast Mass .
However , even this has been a poor substitute , ” he said .
“ Given the ongoing risk of transmission of the virus , parishes will need the help of stewards to ensure best practice in our gatherings for prayer this Christmas I appeal to those in organizations , with skill in ensuring safe gatherings of people , to offer your service to your parish community.
” Bishop Crean said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the diocese , which has a population of approximately 160,000 , would be hugely appreciative to anyone who does offer to act as a steward so that people can gather safely for prayer at this difficult time .
He also acknowledged that the restrictions necessary to curb the spread of Covid-19 have impacted hugely on people psychologically , socially and financially with many people having to give up their work or work reduced hours on less income .
“ This has forced people to cut their cloth to measure - the poor especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Bishop Crean , adding that parishes have also been affected financially as weekly collections were no longer possible when masses had to be cancelled during the Level 5 lockdown .
“ In parishes where envelopes are used , many parishioners have been giving in their offerings to the parish office or a priest ’ s house .
All such offerings , and those for priests , are deeply appreciated and hereby acknowledged as all the regular bills still need to be paid.
” “ We do not know your personal circumstances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributing by giving to the collection when masses re-open or by whatever method suits you - I thank you in anticipation of your response to support your parish at this critical time .
”

A Catholic Bishop has appealed to various sporting organisations such as the GAA, the FAI and the IRFU to ask their members if they would volunteer to assist with stewarding at Christmas masses to ensure people comply with Covid-19 guidelines.
Bishop of Cloyne Dr William Crean issued the appeal as all 46 parishes in the diocese, which stretches from Youghal in East Cork to Ballyvourney in West Cork and includes most of North Cork, have reopened their churches for masses at which a minimum of 50 people can attend.
And because churches are deemed as controlled environments, some of the larger churches in the diocese such as St Colman's Cathedral in Cobh or the Church of the Most Holy Rosary in Midleton can accommodate up to 150 massgoers once proper social distancing is maintained.
In a letter to all parishioners, Bishop Crean has appealed for all sporting organizations in the diocese to assist the 80 or so priests in active ministry by offering their members as stewards to ensure that massgoers abide by Covid-19 regulations and maintain good social distancing.
READ MORE
“Many people greatly missed attending mass, being deprived of receiving the Lord in Holy Communion and the opportunity to celebrate other sacraments. Many priests made great efforts to use the Internet to broadcast Mass. However, even this has been a poor substitute,” he said.
“Given the ongoing risk of transmission of the virus, parishes will need the help of stewards to ensure best practice in our gatherings for prayer this Christmas I appeal to those in organizations, with skill in ensuring safe gatherings of people, to offer your service to your parish community.”
Bishop Crean said that priests and parish pastoral councils across the diocese, which has a population of approximately 160,000, would be hugely appreciative to anyone who does offer to act as a steward so that people can gather safely for prayer at this difficult time.
He also acknowledged that the restrictions necessary to curb the spread of Covid-19 have impacted hugely on people psychologically, socially and financially with many people having to give up their work or work reduced hours on less income.
“This has forced people to cut their cloth to measure - the poor especially will need our help this Christmas,” said Bishop Crean, adding that parishes have also been affected financially as weekly collections were no longer possible when masses had to be cancelled during the Level 5 lockdown.
“In parishes where envelopes are used, many parishioners have been giving in their offerings to the parish office or a priest’s house. All such offerings, and those for priests, are deeply appreciated and hereby acknowledged as all the regular bills still need to be paid.”
“We do not know your personal circumstances, we ask you to please consider contributing by giving to the collection when masses re-open or by whatever method suits you - I thank you in anticipation of your response to support your parish at this critical time.”