A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Swiss national dies in Galway road crash
Gardaí in Galway are investigating a road traffic collision in a which a man died on Thursday night.
The man was the sole occupant of a car which crashed into the wall of a garage on the Galway side of Spiddal at about midnight.
He is understood to be a Swiss national, aged 35, who was living locally. His body was removed to University College Hospital in Galway where a postmortem will be carried out.
Traffic diversions were in place yesterday morning while Garda road traffic investigators examined the scene.
Men cleared of killing outside pub
Three Co Clare men were yesterday cleared of the manslaughter of father of five Vincent Hehir (32) outside a pub in Kildysart village in September last year.
After deliberating for almost six hours, the jury returned a not guilty verdict in relation to Michael Finn (34), Ennis Road, Kildysart, Noel Murphy (24), Crovraghan, Kildysart, and Mark O'Connor (19), Rosscliffe, Ballynacally.
The jury of nine men and three women gave their verdict after Judge Michael White told them that they could return a majority verdict.
IRA men lose High Court appeal
Five Dublin men convicted of membership of the IRA and jailed since 2005 have lost their High Court challenge to the legality of their detention.
The five are Thomas Gilson (26), Bawnlea Avenue, Jobstown, Tallaght; Patrick Brennan (43), Lindisfarne Avenue, Clondalkin; Seán O'Donnell (34), Castle Drive, Sandymount; John Troy (27), Donard Avenue, and Stephen Birney (33), Conquer Hill Road, Clontarf.
In February 2005 they were jailed at the Special Criminal Court after being found guilty for membership of an illegal organisation. They were jailed for four years and are due to be freed in January.
Death of Scottish Catholic activist
The former Scottish president of the Society of St Vincent de Paul has died.
Frank Cooney, who died yesterday aged 87, was a member of the society for 67 years and was awarded a Bene Merenti Medal from Pope John Paul II in 1997 for his life-long community service to the poor.
He was the last surviving member of a family of Irish immigrants to the west of Scotland who settled in the mining-village of Blantyre.
Last night his eldest son John Cooney, religion correspondent of the Irish Independent, described his father as "the outstanding lay community activist of 20th century Scottish Catholicism."
Policing bodies due in early 2008
Joint Policing Committees will be up and running in all local authorities "as early as possible" in 2008, the Minister for Justice told a community policing forum seminar last night.
At the opening of the North Inner City Community Policing Forum seminar, in Bettystown, Co Meath, Brian Lenihan said the committees would make policing more responsive to community needs.
Some 29 committees are operating on a pilot basis, and are designed to provide a forum where members of a local authority and senior Garda officers, Oireachtas members and community and voluntary interests, can consult, discuss and make recommendations on matters affecting local policing.
Bust of John Hunt unveiled at castle
A stone bust of the late John Hunt was unveiled at a ceremony in Bunratty Castle, Co Clare yesterday morning. Mr Hunt was a driving force behind the restoration of Bunratty during the 1950s and helped collect much of the art on display at the castle.