Kilmallock man recovering after dog attack

A Limerick-born Garda is still recovering after he was attacked by a pit bull terrier while taking part in a drugs raid in Galway early last Friday morning.

John Leahy, originally from Kilmallock but stationed in Galway required over 100 stitches to his leg after the attack at a house on Dominic’s Road in the city. Seven men were arrested at the scene of the search however they were all released without charge.

Heroin with a street value of €4,000 was found in the house. Out of three dogs at the residence, two have been put down.

Council to get Lifebuoy alert system

A leading water and wastewater treatment company announced how it will supply Limerick County Council with a remote text alert technology so the council can be informed immediately when one of its lifebuoys, located at waterways around the county, have been tampered with or moved.

Response Group is to contribute technical assistance for the development and rollout of this pilot project as part of an ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.



The Water Safety initiative will involve the purchase and installation of telemetric technology to be fitted to lifebuoys at six locations in Limerick County. The technology will work to prevent lifebuoys in the region from being stolen or vandalised. When a lifebuoy is moved from its location, the telemetric technology will send a text message to Limerick County Council alerting them to what has happened and allowing them to resolve the situation.



Response Group has committed financial assistance towards the development, installation and integration of the necessary equipment.



Speaking on behalf of Response Group, Geoff O'Sullivan Chief Operating Officer, said: 'We are delighted to be able to assist Limerick County Council with this project and we are looking forward to providing and maintaining the technology and range of services necessary to make this project a success. I'd also like to commend our technology partner Mike Mc Ennis from Celtrak for his work on this initiative.'

More from a Press Release Here

One still in custody over March shooting attack

Gardai investigating a serious shooting incident which occurred in March have released two of three people they arrested in relation to the attack this week.

Two men, both 21 years old, along with an 18 year old male, were arrested over the last two days in relation to the shooting incident on March 25th which saw at least six houses in St. Mary’s Park, sprayed with bullets. It was believed that up to 15 shots were fired from a machine gun in the attack. No one was injured.

The two 21 year olds were released this morning. The 18 year old remains in custody. He is being held under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.

NEW DETAILS
The 18 year old male has now been released without charge.

Second man held after county bank robbery

A second man has been arrested in relation to the robbery of a Bank of Ireland branch in Kilmallock yesterday.

He was detained by Gardai at 5.30pm yesterday evening. Another man is still in custody after he was arrested around 2pm yesterday.

Three men wearing high visibility clothing and hoods walked into the Bank of Ireland premises in the town of Kilmallock yesterday morning and threatened staff with a scissors and ordered them to hand over money.

They were able to escape the bank with an unspecified amount of money. Gardai are still searching for one of the men.

Cllr John Gilligan elected mayor of Limerick City

Cllr John Gilligan has been elected Mayor of Limerick City it has been confirmed tonight.

The independent has become the 812th Mayor in the counties history beating Fine Gael Cllr Kevin Kiely who was widely expected to be taking the post this evening.

Fianna Fail Cllr John Cronin was elected as Deputy Mayor.

Gilligan has served as a councillor in Limerick for 18 years.

A shock win after a pact is broken - Politics.ie Forum

One arrested after Kilmallock bank robbery

A man is in custody and two others are being sought following a bank robbery in the county this morning.

Gardai say three men wearing high visibility clothing and hoods walked into a Bank of Ireland premises in the town of Kilmallock at around 11am this morning and threatened staff with implements reportedly including a scissors and ordered them to hand over money.

The raiders were able to escape the bank with an unspecified amount of money and made their getaway in the direction of Kilfinane however just after 2 o clock this afternoon, Gardai had confirmed that one man has been arrested in relation to the hold up. He was detained in Martinstown not far from Kilmallock town.

Gardai say they have also recovered the red rover car used in the raid and it currently being technically examined.

River search following ‘ghost boat’ sighting

A search of the river Shannon was underway this afternoon after a small boat was seen making its way down the river with no one board.

Emergency services were alerted by an onlooker to the stray boat fearing the occupant or occupants may have fallen over board.

The stray boat has been towed to shore by the Marine search and rescue and a search of the river from the Shannon Bridge to Merchant Quay is being carried out.



Nothing has been found so far and no person has been sighted in difficulty.One theory being investigated is that the boat broke free from is mooring location.

Gardai search wasteland following gun seizure

A Garda search of waste ground was underway Saturday afternoon in Limerick City

A team of 12 Gardai backed up by the Garda dog unit searched waste ground just off the Childers Road between the Roxboro Road Roundabout and the Kilmallock Road roundabouts.

The search reportedly began in the Glasgow Park and Kennedy Park areas around 2.30pm. The action is thought to be in relation to the seizure of a gun in Kennedy Park Friday night in which a man in his fifties was arrested

Man appears in court on assault charge

A Castleconnel man has appeared in court today charged in relation to the death of Brendan McEvoy earlier this week.

24 year old David Byrnes with an address at Copper Hill, Ballintemple in Co. Cork has been charged with assault causing harm, following the death of Mr. McEvoy at Cherrydale on the Dublin Road.

At a special sitting of the District Court in Limerick this morning the accused made no reply when charged. At the hearing the defendant was granted free legal however his solicitor John Devane told the court that there would be no application for bail at this stage.

Judge Tom O'Donnell remanded the man custody to appear again on Wednesday 25th of June.

Brendan McEvoy was found dead at the apartment complex in Cherrydale Orchard on the Dublin Road Thursday morning.

Reports suggest he was drinking with a group of others and may have been assaulted prior to his death.

Man in custody following gun find

A man has been arrested by Gardai after a handgun and ammunition were discovered at a house on the south side of the city Friday night.

Radio reports say the man, in his fifties, was arrested at a house in the Kennedy Park estate following the discovery of the weapon.

Roxboro Gardai are detaining the man under section 30 of the Offences against the state act.He can be held for a maximum if 24 hours before being released or charged.

Limerick woman killed in Australian road accident.

A 37 year old Limerick woman has been killed in a road traffic accident in Australia.

Niamh Chawke from the Gouldavoher Estate on Father Russell Road died after the car in which she was travelling, left the road and struck a tree in the town of Dubbo, New South Wales.

Ms Chawke had been living in Australia for a number of years.

More as we get it.

Man arrested after Dublin Road death

Gardai are investigating the death of a man in Limerick City on Thursday.

The deceased, a man in his 50’s was found dead at an apartment in Cherrydale Orchard on the Dublin Road Thursday morning.

Reports say the man, who is thought to be originally from Co. Carlow, was drinking with a group of others and may have been assaulted prior to his death.

A post mortem on the body was carried out last night by assistant state pathologist Michael Curtis, however further tests are said to be needed to give a definitive cause of death.

A man in his twenties is being held in relation to the death.

NEW DETAILS
The deceased has been named as Brendan McEvoy of Co. Carlow.

Three in custody after county drug seizure

Three Chinese nationals have been charged following the discovery of ‘hundreds’ of cannabis plants in two county Limerick houses.

Gardai in Newcastle West uncovered the plants believed to be valued around 100,000 at two rented houses in the town.

They say the houses appear to have been structurally altered to accommodate the growth of the drug.

Gardai at Newcastle West have appealed specifically to Landlords in the county to check on their properties and to contact them if they notice anything suspicious.

Limerick Leader has more

O’ Dea visits Irish troops in Chad

Defence Minister Willie O'Dea has landed in the central African country of Chad today on his first official visit to Irish troops serving a peacekeeping mission in the region.

The Limerick East TD is using the 3 day trip to meet with military and diplomatic leaders but also to help boost the morale of the near 550 Irish soldiers on the year-long EUFOR mission in the country.

O’ Dea is going ahead with the visit despite shooting incidents involving the Irish troops on Saturday last which saw them come under fire from an unknown group of rebels near the eastern town of Goz Beida.

Since then rebels have moved out of the area and the Defence Minister and Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Dermot Earley decided to push ahead with their visit.

They will arrive in the capital, N'Djamena, this evening and hold talks with the Chadian Defence Minister.

They will travel southeast to Camp Ciara near the town of Goz Beida tomorrow where the Irish troops are stationed.
Via RTE News

Meanwhile as the Irish delegation lands in the country, the Chadian President Idriss Deby, has accused the European Union protection force (EUFOR) in eastern Chad of "closing its eyes" to the killing of civilians.

The Chadian leader said in a broadcast to the country that he was “surprised to see that, in its first hostile test, this force has rather cooperated with the invaders, allowing humanitarian workers' vehicles to be stolen and their food and fuel stocks burned and closing its eyes before the systematic massacre of civilians and refugees.”

Warfare has been raging in Chad between Government troops and numerous rebel factions with aims of overthrowing the countries regime.

Any readers who have relatives or friends in the Irish contingent or perhaps they're stationed at Sarsfield Barracks, Drop us a line in the comments section, tell us their story.

6 year old Limerick girl killed in Ballybunion accident

A six year old Limerick girl has been killed in a road accident in Ballybunion, Co Kerry this morning.

The little girl, believed to be in the town for the weekend with her parents was struck by a vehicle in the East End area of the town around 11am.

The road was closed and will remain closed for a few hours while Gardai investigate the scene of the incident.

A post mortem examination on the girl’s body will take place later today at Kerry General Hospital.The family are believed to be from the Southill area of the city.

NEW DETAILS
The girl has been named as Katelyn Liston of O'Malley Park, Southill.

Man held after city drug seizure

A man remains in custody at a Limerick Garda station today following the seizure of around €100,000 worth of cannabis resin and cannabis herb in the city.

The 25 year old man is being questioned by Gardai at Henry Street after a planned operation investigating crime and the distribution of illegal drugs in the city, uncovered the drug at a premises in the Delmege Park estate in Moyross.

Referendum 2008 – Lisbon Treaty

The Irish electorate has rejected the EU Treaty of Lisbon. The final result showed the treaty was defeated by a margin of 53.4% to 46.6% in Thursday's referendum.

Ireland was the only EU country to hold a plebiscite on the issue

Both nationally and here in Limerick, the treaty has suffered a massive defeat at the hands of the people.

Official Results from Limerick are as follows:

Limerick East
Electorate: 76,735
Turnout: 51.4%

54.0% No (21,191)
46.0% Yes (18,085)

Spoiled Votes: 168

Limerick West
Electorate: 57,847
Turnout: 51.8%

55.35% No (16,511)
44.65% Yes (13,318)

Spoiled Votes: 129

Local Reaction

Sinn Fein’s Maurice quinlivan spoke on todays result,

“The people have spoken. They share our concerns about the Lisbon Treaty andbelieve that a better deal is possible. They also share our view thatIreland’s place in Europe is secure. We always believed this was a bad dealfor Ireland and as we are ambitious for Ireland truly believed a better dealwas available. The government now has a clear and strong mandate torenegotiate this Treaty. They need to use the opportunity to get backaround the table with our EU partners and secure a better deal.”

Fine Gael’s TD for Limerick East, Kieran O'Donnell told local press,

”The treaty was not fully explained; there was definitely an anti-governmental vote there. People are now sending out a message to government. We need to sit back and reflect now. The People have spoken today. I think we have to reflect and look at reasons behind why people voted no. It was for a combination of reasons.”

Man found guilty in dangerous driving case

The jury in the trial of a man charged with dangerous driving causing the death of a young Limerick woman, has returned a verdict of guilty.25 year old Gearoid Cleary had denied the charge which arises from traffic accident which happened on the 9th of September 2006, resulting in the death of 19 year old Emma Woodland.

The young student from St. Patrick’s Road was killed just around the corner from her home in a three car pile up on the Ballysimon Road. She was the backseat passenger in a vehicle when it was struck by a car driven by Mr. Cleary.

Defence Counsel, Anthony Salmon, sympathised with the family of Emma Woodland who have been forced to hear evidence of the last moments of the 19 year old’s life, but he said his client, Gearoid Cleary, is not responsible for her death.He asked the jury to be rational and careful with their emotions.Mr Salmon said his client’s Honda Integra car had been rammed from behind by a BMW, slamming it into the Starlet in which Emma was a passenger.

He added that the BMW’s driver, Roman Andreas, who was driving too fast, was also twice over the legal alcohol limit and has already pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death.Counsel for the prosecution, John O`Sullivan, pointed out that after the collision with the Starlet the Honda continued on for some 40 feet before colliding with a wall, and that this he said is indicative of the high speed the defendant must have been travelling.
Via Live 95FM

The driver of another car involved in the crash, 23 year old Roman Andreas, has already pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of the young woman.Both defendants are to appear in court for sentencing on July 25th.

Gardai on lookout after man tazered in Cork robbery

Gardai in Limerick have been alerted to be on the lookout for three men after they injured a man with a taser gun during a robbery on a Cork jewellery store today.

Gardai are now trying to locate the three men who are thought to be driving a red Mazda car and could possibly be heading in the Limerick direction. The three male suspects were wearing wigs during the robbery.

The shop staff member received injuries to his hand and arm during the robbery.

Fatal road collision in Co. Limerick

Two people have been killed and another three injured in a major road traffic accident in Co. Limerick this afternoon.

The fatal crash reportedly happened near a petrol station in Coolanoran on the N21 between Rathkeale and Newcastle West . The injured were taken to the Midwestern Regional hospital in Dooradoyle.

The deceased, a man and a woman, were both occupants of the same car travelling outbound when it collided with another car heading inbound.

AA Roadwatch:
The N21 Rathkeale to Newcastle West road is closed until further notice. Southbound motorists are advised to divert at Murphys Cross to Ballingarry, northbound motorists should divert via Ardagh.

A full Garda investigation into the accident is underway.

NEW DETAILS
The victims of the crash have been named as 78 year old John O`Shea and his wife 76 year old Josephine, both from Killeen in Patrickswell