More news in brief.
Cork writer wins short story prize
Cork writer Claire Keegan is this year's winner of the RTÉ Francis Mac Manus Short Story Competition for her work Dark Horses.
An established writer and previous competition winner, Keegan saw off almost 750 other entrants to take the prize of €3,000 for her story of a man and his lost love.
Second prize of €2,000 went to Michael J Farrell from Galway for Pascal's Wager. Third prize of €1,000 was won by Kevin Murphy for The World of Tides.
Assistance for North victims
The Remembrance Commission has launched an advertising campaign to inform people of a scheme to assist victims of the Northern Ireland conflict living in the State.
The commission and an assistance fund were established by the Government in October 2003 to assist victims and families of people killed or seriously injured as a result of the conflict.
The assistance includes an acknowledgement payment of €15,000 where a person was fatally injured.
In addition, assistance can be provided for medical treatment, for surviving spouses and children where they suffer from economic hardship, and for people who cannot work due to injuries received.
Those who think they may be eligible for assistance can contact the Remembrance Commission on 01-6696862.
Woman dies in crash in Spain
A Limerick woman was killed in a car accident in Spain at the weekend while holidaying with her mother.
Ciara Leahy (20), from Patrickswell, was holidaying near the resort of Alicante. It is understood the woman's mother was travelling in the same car and was also injured. She is recovering in hospital.
28-year-old dies in Mullingar
Gardaí in Mullingar say they are not looking for anyone in connection with the death of a 28-year-old man who was found on a town street on Sunday night.
Martin Geraghty was seriously ill when a passerby found him in the town centre shortly before midnight.
Ex-Millwall player admits pub assault
A former professional soccer player has had his sentence for a pub assault adjourned by Judge Katherine Delahunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Aaron Dunne (31), Mount Eustace Crescent, Tyrellstown, Dublin, a former Millwall FC player in England, was asked by a girl to tap Patrick Heenan's shoulder as he passed by in the Plaza Hotel in Tallaght.
Garda David Jennings agreed with defence counsel Damien Colgan that when Dunne did this, and asked was he "there", meaning "scoring" with the girl, Mr Heenan turned around and said: "Get your f---ing hands off me" before both men started clashing heads.
Dunne then threw a glass at Mr Heenen, cutting him on the lip. He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Mr Heenan on November 26th, 2004. He had no previous convictions, and had not come to Garda attention since.
Garda Jennings told Noel Whelan, prosecuting, that he arrived at the hotel to find Mr Heenan needed four stitches for the cut.
Dunne, who was identified by CCTV footage, arrived at the Garda station voluntarily and co-operated with gardaí. He asked them to pass on his apologies to Mr Heenan.
Mr Colgan told Judge Delahunt that Dunne had €2,500 in court to cover Mr Heenan's hospital expenses and as an attempt to apologise to him.
Dunne was now coaching soccer to children in Tallaght.
"My client does not know for the life of him why he did what he did, and said it was not the way he was brought up by his parents."
Judge Delahunt said anyone who struck someone with a glass should be sent to prison.
However, taking into account Dunne's lack of previous convictions and that he had skills which "may prove useful", she adjourned sentencing to allow for the preparation of a community service report.
Man admits having child porn
A man has admitted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to having child pornographic images at his Dublin home. Maurice Doran (69) pleaded guilty to knowingly possessing the images at Rossmore Lawn, Templeogue, on December 15th, 2004.
Judge Katherine Delahunt remanded him on continuing bail for sentence later.
Jury in rape trial discharged
The jury in the trial of a Limerick man charged with the rape and sexual assault of a woman in Galway has been discharged by Mr Justice Paul Carney at the Central Criminal Court. He said he would swear in a new jury later this week.
The 43 year-old accused has denied anally raping and sexually assaulting the woman in the Loch a'tSaile area of Galway on September 30th, 2004.
Murder trial told of blood in flat
A Garda ballistics expert told a murder trial yesterday that there was blood on practically every surface in the flat in which a Latvian national was allegedly murdered by his flatmate.
Det Garda Thomas Carey said the way the blood fell inside the flat "suggests the injured person had been walking around and dropping blood everywhere".
He was giving evidence on the fourth day of the trial at the Central Criminal Court of Sergey Strauntinsh (37) who denies murdering Alexandres Timosejevs (31) in the flat they were sharing in Seville Place, Dublin, on December 21st, 2002.
Det Garda Carey said that in the toilet area there was a pool of blood and the carpet was sodden with blood.
He agreed it was possible the blood belonged to two people.
State pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy said the large number of minor injuries was not consistent with the pattern that usually resulted in cases involving serious injury or death.