A Kildare man who was arrested as part of a Garda Special Branch investigation into the activities of dissident republicans was charged with membership of an illegal organisation at the Special Criminal Court yesterday.
Art Sherwin (54), of Clane, Co Kildare, was charged with membership of an illegal organisation styling itself as the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Óglaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the IRA.
Mr Sherwin was remanded in custody until April 7th, when a bail application is expected to be made.
Woman (19) killed in Cork accident
A 19-year-old woman was killed in a traffic accident near Charleville in north Cork yesterday afternoon.
The woman was fatally injured when the car she was driving was in collision with a lorry on the main Milford-Newtownshandrum road outside Charleville.
The young woman, who is from the locality, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash which happened at around 4.30pm.
The driver of the lorry, a man in his 40s, was treated for shock.
McCartney not to contest election
Paula McCartney has decided not to contest the local election for the Short Strand area of Belfast because it would distract from the family's campaign to get justice for her murdered brother, Robert.
The family has also claimed that one of the key suspects for the killing was readmitted to the IRA despite a previous IRA statement that it had expelled those centrally implicated in the murder.
Ms McCartney and her sister Catherine had considered respectively competing in the Belfast City Council election and in the British general election in Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams's West Belfast constituency.
Last weekend Ms Catherine McCartney decided not to run in the general election.
Sinn Féin Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast Joe O'Donnell is standing down from the east Belfast seat but this week the party announced that Deborah Devenny, a local community worker, will be seeking to hold on to the seat for the party.
LRC to broaden scope of services
Employers and unions were urged yesterday to seek long-term solutions to industrial relations issues rather than relying on "quick fixes", writes Chris Dooley.
The call was made by the Labour Relations Commission, which announced a new drive to assist parties to resolve issues "at the earliest possible point".
The drive forms part of a three-year strategy launched yesterday which will see the commission broaden the scope of its services. Seminars are to be held by the commission later this year to help small and medium-sized enterprises improve their industrial relations procedures.
An enhanced rights commissioner service, dealing with a significant growth in claims by individuals and groups seeking to vindicate their employment rights, is also promised.
The strategy includes a range of specific initiatives to focus workers, unions and employers on long-term solutions to issues, said LRC chairman Maurice Cashell.
C of I press officer set to retire
Press officer for the Church of Ireland Rev Brian Parker is to retire at the end of this month. He became acting press officer for the church in 2000 to provide a press service for the General Synod that year, and following his early retirement from a senior position in the Northern Ireland Office Information Service.
He was persuaded to take on the role full time in 2002.