A round-up of the other Home News stories of the day in brief...
Membership of panel on deaths of children in care announced
The membership of a review body being set up by the Health Service Executive to examine the deaths of children while in the care of the State has been announced.
The HSE said last night that 15 experts from the areas of probation, child care, social work, justice and psychiatry would form the membership of the Review Panel for Serious Incidents and Child Deaths of children in care. The panel will be independently chaired by Dr Helen Buckley, senior lecturer in Trinity College Dublin, and an expert in child protection.
A separate team will be established to review the case of Daniel McAnaspie (17), whose body was discovered on May 13th. He had gone missing from HSE care last February. Gardaí are conducting a murder investigation.
Tributes for late Prof O Buachalla
Tributes have been paid to leading Irish language academic Prof Breandán Ó Buachalla, who has died, writes Marie O’Halloran.
Born in 1936, he died suddenly in St Vincent’s hospital on Thursday. He was a widely published writer on linguistics, Irish poetry and history. His writings include I mBéal Feirste Cois Cuain; Peadar Ó Doirnín: Amhráin; Nua-Dhuanaire II; Cathal Buí: Amhráin, and Na Stíobhartaigh agus an tAos Léinn: King Seamas. Minister for Culture Mary Hanafin said he was “the leading authority on literature and ideology of early modern Ireland”.
Buncrana honours Frank McGuinness
Playwright Frank McGuinness had an emotional homecoming last night when family and friends gathered to see him become the first honorary freeman of his hometown, Buncrana, Co Donegal.
The writer was joined by his two siblings, Shane and Eilish, and friends, relatives and locals as he was bestowed with the town’s highest honour. “I am very touched, very moved and very happy . . . This is a very proud moment and it is one I am sharing with my whole family,” said the award- winning writer and professor of creative writing at UCD.
Labour plans survey in north and west
Labour Party research will reveal the major economic and social problems facing people in the north and west, a party spokesman said.
A survey of about 10,000 people will begin this weekend and continue for six weeks in counties Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Roscommon, Mayo, Galway, Clare and Limerick. The work will be carried out by party activists.
“This project affords us an opportunity to engage with members of local communities,” the spokesman added.
Four Shell to Sea members arrested
Four protesters were arrested yesterday after chaining themselves to the stairwell of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
The Shell to Sea group members said they were marking the 100th day of imprisonment for Erris fisherman and campaigner Pat O’Donnell.
“We are staging a peaceful protest to mark the 100th day of his imprisonment,” said protester Caoimhe Kerins, chained inside the building.
Mr O’Donnell was given a seven-month sentence last February for his part in surrounding a Garda car during a cavalcade in September 2008, and a separate public order offence at Glengad. His boat was sunk in Broadhaven Bay last year in controversial circumstances ahead of offshore pipeline laying.
“Pat O’Donnell is a brave and honourable man who has simply stood up for the health and safety rights of his community and for the rights of the people of Ireland to benefit economically and socially from our vast oil and gas resources,” she added.
Acquitted of rape in car park
A Kilkenny man has been acquitted of raping a girl in a nightclub car park two years ago.
The group were arrested just before 5pm and brought to Harcourt Terrace Garda Station. A spokesperson for the Garda said: “We have arrested four people for public order offences and there will be an investigation.”
The 23-year-old man had pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to raping and orally raping the then 18-year-old woman in a Kilkenny car park in the early hours of April 27th, 2008.
The jury of seven women and five men returned their unanimous verdicts of not guilty on both counts after almost three hours deliberation on day five of the trial.
Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy thanked the jurors for their attention to the case and exempted them from further service for five years.
Recall of sesame seed mixes
Certain packets of sesame seed mixes are being recalled by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland due to the presence of salmonella which presents a risk to consumers’ health.
The contamination was identified as part of a survey of ready-to-eat nuts and dried seeds. This is the second time a salmonella issue has been identified in sesame seeds in less than a year.
The products being recalled, which have been distributed widely in the Republic, include organic sesame seeds in 250g and 500g packs and organic four-seed mix in 250g and 500g packs with best-before dates of 11/03/2011 to 07/05/2011 inclusive.
Two arrested in Louth murder investigation
Two men were arrested yesterday morning on suspicion of murdering Errol Dunne (25) in Clogherhead, Co Louth last March.
They originated in Bolivia and were supplied into the Irish market by Independent Irish Health Foods Ltd, which will be on the packaging.
Mr Dunne, a father of one, died two days after he was assaulted in a melee outside a pub in the seaside village in the early hours of March 7th.
The men were arrested at their respective homes in Co Monaghan just after 7am and taken to Drogheda Garda station, where they were detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
Their period of detention was extended by Supt Gerry Smith, Drogheda, and last night they were still being questioned about the murder.
It is understood the men were among the large group of people initially questioned about events on the morning of the violent attack.
Mr Dunne was a native of Clogherhead, but had moved to live with his mother in nearby Grangebellew. His death shocked the tight-knit community.
It is understood he suffered a severe head injury in the incident and fell into a coma from which he never awoke.