A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
No trial after plea for man's manslaughter
A Kerry man who was due to be tried for the murder of a homeless man in Tralee has pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the Central Criminal Court. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy told a jury it would not be required to hear the case.
Deirdre Murphy SC, prosecuting, told Mr Justice McCarthy the plea to manslaughter was acceptable to the Director of Public Prosecutions on the basis that there had been an element of provocation which had been met by a "grossly disproportionate" response.
Brendan O'Connor (25), Monalee House, Monavalley, Tralee, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Edward Joseph Clancy (50) at Bridge Street, Tralee, on August 15th, 2006. Mr Justice McCarthy will sentence O'Connor on January 13th.
He remanded the defendant on continuing bail and ordered the preparation of a victim impact statement.
Extradition for trafficking
A Romanian national living in Ireland for 10 years has consented to his extradition to Italy where he is wanted for human trafficking offences.
At the High Court yesterday, Mircea Remus Contras, North Great Georges Street, Dublin, agreed to be sent back to Italy, where investigators claim he acted as a "consultant" in the illegal movement of people from Russia, the Ukraine and Moldova into Ireland and other European Union countries.
The Italian authorities also allege Contras (41) was involved in the illegal organisation last January of the trafficking of people from Moldova to Ireland via Italy.
The operation involved the movement of dozens of individuals on a weekly basis, it is claimed. Contras, the father of a nine-year-old girl, denies the charges.
Armed robber wanted in North
The High Court has remanded in custody a Dublin man wanted in Northern Ireland for failing to return to prison there to complete a sentence for armed robbery after he was given pre-release home leave.
The Northern authorities are seeking the extradition of David Earls (28), originally from Dublin, but currently serving a sentence for an unrelated matter at Shelton Abbey open prison.
Earls's return is sought over his failure to return to Magilligan Prison in 2004 where he was serving a four year sentence for his part for an armed robbery in Co Derry in 2002.
Bar sues over Connolly floods
A bar and restaurant operating in the basement of Dublin's Connolly station has brought a High Court claim for €2.78 million damages over alleged failures by CIÉ and the Dublin Docklands Development Authority to deal with repeated flooding of the premises.
Declan Ryan and his company, Vaults Trading Ltd, which leases the premises where the Vaults bar and restaurant operates, want an injunction requiring CIÉ to take steps to abate the risk of flooding. They also want a declaration that CIÉ breached a condition of the lease requiring it to repair and maintain the main structure of the Connolly building.
Eoin McCullough SC, for Mr Ryan and his company, yesterday showed photographs of flooding incidents which affected the Vaults.
Nine months in jail over Love Ulster
A man whose photograph appeared on the front page of a national newspaper the day after the Love Ulster Parade, who "essentially engaged in a tug of war with gardaí", has been sentenced to nine months in prison.
Jonathan Hawthorne (36), Mount Tallant Avenue, Terenure, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to violent disorder on February 25th, 2006. He had four previous convictions for public order and had not come to Garda attention since.
Unionist and Tory electoral pact proposed
A resumed meeting of the Ulster Unionist Party executive committee is to be asked later today to approve a document agreed by party leader Sir Reg Empey and Conservative leader David Cameron.
It sets out the details of a proposed electoral pact which would see both leaders jointly nominate "Northern Ireland Conservative and Unionist" candidates for the forthcoming European and Westminster elections.
Clare man (30) killed in collision
A Co Clare man was killed when his car collided with two trucks early yesterday morning.
The victim, named locally as Paul Lynch (30), Kilrush Road, Ennis, died when his car was involved in the crash outside the Co Limerick village of Banogue.
Mr Lynch, a plumber, was on his way to work in Cork when he was killed. The two lorry drivers suffered minor injuries.
Three held over drug seizures
Three people were being questioned by gardaí last night following the seizure of about €450,000 worth of drugs at Dublin airport.
Some 3kg of cocaine, valued at €210,00, and 20kg of cannabis, with a street value of €240,000, were seized during a joint operation involving gardaí, Customs and immigration officials.
Two South African women, aged 24 and 25, were arrested on Tuesday following the seizure of the cannabis and 2kg of cocaine respectively. They are being held at Ballymun Garda station under section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act.
A 40-year-old Portuguese man was arrested yesterday when 1kg of cocaine, valued at €70,000, was discovered at Dublin airport.
Saville inquiry costs £185m
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Shaun Woodward confirmed to Conservative MP Tony Baldry during Northern Ireland Questions in the House of Commons yesterday that the cost of the Saville inquiry into Bloody Sunday now stands at £185 million.
While saying he shared the disappointment of MPs that Lord Saville had asked for another year in which to complete the inquiry's work, he stressed "the greatest disappointment is for the families who still seek the truth about what happened on that tragic day".
Greens told to drop parking levy A former mayor of Galway has told his Green Party colleagues to go back to the drawing board on the proposed €200 workplace parking levy. Cllr Niall Ó Brolcháin said the proposed tax would be unworkable in Galway and cities other than Dublin because of a lack of public transport.
The scheme - to be collected by employers through payroll deductions - is to be introduced in Dublin, Galway, Waterford, Cork and Limerick in a bid to reduce the number of cars on the road.
"I accept it is a Green Party tax but I do not think it is workable in Galway . . . we need to provide alternative transport before introducing a levy such as this. It is just not workable," said Mr Ó Brolcháin.
Typeface at root of divisions?
The role of lettering in the development of "Irishness" will be explored at a lecture in Dublin tonight.
Typography's role in the religious and cultural divide both North and South will be discussed by Clare Bell and Mary Ann Bolger in their talk, Divided by a Common Typeface?
They will examine the development of lettering in everyday objects from road signs and newspapers to posters and murals.
The lecture will take place tonight at 7.30 in the National Print Museum at Beggar's Bush, Dublin. Admission is free.