A round-up of today's other home news in brief
Five face trial for Mountjoy disturbances
Five men have been sent forward for trial in relation to violent disturbances at Ireland’s largest prison last year. The men are among 27 former and serving Mountjoy prison inmates, alleged to have barricaded themselves into a basement recreation centre causing more than €100,000 worth of damage.
Five prison officers and two prisoners were hurt in the disturbances.
Yesterday at Dublin District Court Jonathan Dunne (24) of Windmill Park, Crumlin, Kieran Whelan (26) of Quarry road, Cabra, Andrew Larkin (25) of Dunsink Drive, Finglas, Brian Ormonde (27) of Coolatree Road Beaumont and Paul Dempsey (27) of Castleknock View, Laurel Lodge, Castleknock, appeared before Judge Claire Leonard for offences contrary to section 15 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994.
File prepared in Down murder case
A file has been prepared in the case of a pharmacist accused of killing her elderly neighbour, a judge was told yesterday.
Prosecutors confirmed papers on Karen Walsh were received last week as the 43-year-old appeared before Belfast Magistrates Court.
Dublin-based Ms Walsh is charged with the murder of Maire Rankin (81) at the victim’s home in Newry, Co Down. Ms Rankin’s naked body was discovered on the bedroom floor of her Dublin Road property last Christmas Day. She had suffered multiple injuries.
Two held after Limerick shooting
Two men were in custody in Limerick last night following a shooting incident at the home of a young couple in the city.
The couple, who are in their 20s, were lucky to escape injury when several shots were fired into their house on Downey Street in Garryowen at 6am yesterday.
The couple, who were asleep at the time, were woken by the shots.
They moved out of their home yesterday.
It is understood the shooting is linked to a local dispute and is not part of a wider Limerick feud.
Assault trial delay for loyalist killer
The assault trial of notorious loyalist killer Torrens Knight, who is accused of assaulting two sisters last year, was adjourned at Coleraine Magistrate’s Court yesterday without any evidence being heard.
Knight, who received 12 life sentences for his role in the 1993 UFF murders of four Catholic workmen in Castlerock, Co Derry and for the “trick or treat” murders of eight people in the Rising Sun Bar massacre in Greysteel, Co Derry, also in 1993, is charged with assaulting the two sisters in the Blackthorn Bar in Coleraine on May 30th last year. He is also charged with disorderly behaviour in the same bar. Knight, whose 12 murder victims were aged from 19 to 81, was released under the terms of the Belfast Agreement in 2000.
Special exam for NUI hopefuls
Students who do not achieve the required Leaving Certificate maths grade for entry to engineering courses will get a second chance of obtaining a place on the course at two Irish Universities.
NUI Galway and NUI Maynooth will hold a special maths exam following the Leaving Certificate results for those who did not meet the Maths entrance requirement.
While NUI Galway has offered such an exam for the past 20 years, this year the college is holding a special preparatory course for the exam.
There is no discrepancy between the students who enter the Engineering course by merit of their Leaving Cert, and those who gain entrance through the special exam, said Prof Pádraic O’Donoghue, Dean of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway.