A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Judge named as Inspector of Prisons
Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan has announced the appointment of Judge Michael Reilly, of the District Court, to the post of Inspector of Prisons.
Judge Reilly will take up the position from January 1st. He takes over from former High Court judge Dermot Kinlen, who died in July aged 77.
Judge Reilly will carry out inspections of all prisons and places of detention and publish his findings.
Apart from his career on the bench, Judge Reilly has served on a number of expert groups. These include the Tormey Commission on Criminal Legal Aid in the 1970s and the Ballycotton inquiry, into the drowning of four fisheries officers in Cork, in 1991.
Most recently he has served on the National Crime Council.
Clare man to plead guilty to NY raid
An attorney representing a Clare man who robbed a US bank told a court yesterday his client was ready to accept sentencing rather than continue a legal battle to withdraw his guilty plea, writes Seán O'Driscoll in New York.
The family of Niall Gerard Clarke (28), from Kilrush, who won an Enterprise Ireland Student of the Year award, had objected to their son's guilty plea and had hoped the court would allow him to change his plea to insanity.
Mr Clarke, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia at a clinic in Ennis, Co Clare, abandoned his start-up computer business to travel in India and later the US.
On October 4th last year, he robbed a bank in Bangor, Maine. His lawyer, Richard Clarke, said in Bangor court yesterday that Clarke would be pleading guilty to armed robbery. Under federal guidelines, he could face more than 10 years in prison.
Guilty plea on sex assault charge
A man who had charges of unlawful carnal knowledge against him dropped has pleaded guilty before Judge Patricia Ryan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to new charges of sexual assault.
He was one of six men, including "Mr C", who had charges of unlawful carnal knowledge against them dropped by Judge Bryan McMahon last year. All men were subsequently brought before the District Court where they were recharged with sex assault offences.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to sexual assault at a hotel in Dublin city centre on November 22nd, 2004.
Judge Ryan ordered a victim impact report and remanded the man on continuing bail until next February when evidence in the case will be heard.
Jellyfish wipe out NI salmon farm
Northern Ireland's only salmon farm has been wiped out by a jellyfish attack.
More than 100,000 fish worth more more than £1 million died when they were hit by an invasion of jellyfish at Glenarm Bay and Red Bay, Cushendun, off the Co Antrim coast.
It could take at least two years for the owners to recover from the setback and last night they said the company's future was in doubt. "We are still assessing the full extent, but it's a disaster," said John Russell, managing director of Northern Salmon Co Ltd.
Shell to Sea protest at Dáil
Shell to Sea demonstrators gathered outside the Dáil yesterday in protest at what they said was a failure by the Government to use the State's natural resources for the benefit of the Irish people in allowing Shell E&P Ireland and its Corrib gas partners to drill for gas off the northwest coast.
"The main point of today is to highlight the give-away of our national resources," said Willie Corduff of the Mayo Shell to Sea campaign, who won the Goldman Environmental Award earlier this year.