Other stories in brief.
Firefighters tackle two Kildare blazes
FORTY FIREFIGHTERS and 16 fire appliances battled a major fire at the Kildare Chilling company, near Kildare town, yesterday.
A total of 11 tenders and five tankers from all over the county fought the blaze at the meat processing premises.
Nobody was injured in the fire, which started at 4pm and lasted for over six hours.
According to a Siptu representative, two of the three main production lines had been badly damaged.
Fire crews in the county were also called to a blaze in an apartment block off Newbridge's main street after 7pm. Twelve apartments were damaged. There were no casualties.
Work to resume at road delay site
Roadworks at Fassaroe near Bray, Co Wicklow, are to resume this weekend after a gap of 18 months in the works.
The works were halted after they led to traffic delays of up to seven hours on the M50 and M11 motorways.
Dublin City Council said disruption was unlikely as work would begin at 5.30am and be completed by noon. The work will reduce the road to one southbound lane.
The Fassaroe area is a pinch point for traffic leaving Dublin as it is at the junction of the M50 and M11 motorways on the Dublin/Wicklow border. On most weekdays, the evening rush sees heavy traffic congestion in the area.
Job losses at Connacht paper
The Connacht Tribune newspaper in Galway has announced plans to outsource its printing operations.
Twelve full-time and four part-time positions are affected by the decision, which will come into effect in July. The newspaper group is one of the few remaining independent regional publications to have maintained a print facility.
Thieves steal arcade's coins
GARDAÍ were yesterday attempting to trace a gang who made off with thousands of euro worth of coins in the course of a robbery at Perks Amusement Arcade in Youghal, Co Cork.
At 3am yesterday masked raiders broke in using a crowbar and a pickaxe handle and took a substantial amount of €1 and €2 coins.
Planning decision pleases Harney
Minister for Health Mary Harney has welcomed the decision to grant planning permission for a new hospital in the grounds of Beaumont Hospital. "It's the Government's effective way of producing 1,000 new beds for the public healthcare system over the next few years," she said.
Consumer group backs post fines
The Consumers' Association of Ireland has welcomed the enhanced powers given to telecommunications watchdog Comreg to fine An Post if if fails to meet delivery targets.
CAI chairman James Doorley said An Post needed some incentive to improve its next-day delivery rate of 77 per cent of letters.
Political prisoner book launch
Journalist Tim Pat Coogan will launch a book, Cypriot and Irish political prisoners in British prisons 1956-1959, by Vias Livadas, at the Pearse Centre, 27 Pearse Street, today at 2.30pm.
Tributes to Tralee man
Tributes have been paid in Kerry to the well-known Tralee businessman Bill Kirby (62), whose body was found on Rossbeigh beach in the south of the county early yesterday.
He was missing since around 4.30pm on Tuesday, after his car was spotted on the back beach at Rossbeigh.