In Short

A round-up of today's regional news in brief

A round-up of today's regional news in brief

Driver on N2 was travelling at 209km/h

A driver who was intercepted by gardaí on the main Dublin to Derry N2 road driving at over twice the speed limit was fined €300 by Judge Flann Brennan at Castleblayney District Court, Co Monaghan, yesterday.

Peter McKenna (33), Armaghbreague, Keady, Co Armagh, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving at Moynaltyduff, near Carrickmacross, on June 4th last. The court heard that gardaí gave chase after Mr McKenna was detected at a speed check doing 209km/h in a 100km/h zone.

READ MORE

Agriculture and food open day

Some 30,000 farmers and their families are expected to attend an agriculture and food open day in Piltown, Co Kilkenny, tomorrow, writes Seán Mac Connell.

The Teagasc-arranged event at the Kildalton agricultural college will be opened by Minister for Agriculture and Food Mary Coughlan.

The event has been arranged to provide farm families and rural dwellers with advice on their options. New issues such as alternative energy sources, new environmental standards, new farm buildings and small food production will form part of the event.

Special traffic arrangements are being put in place for the event.

Grenade thrown into house

The elderly grandmother of a man described in court as one of Limerick's "most violent" criminals was left traumatised yesterday after a grenade was thrown through the front window of her city centre apartment.

The woman, who is in her late 70s, was woken from her sleep at about 4.15am when the device, which did not detonate, was hurled through the front window of the apartment's kitchen/living area in Cormarket Row.

The Army bomb squad was called to assist local gardaí. The device was found to be a training grenade which contained no explosives. A Garda spokesman described the incident as "extremely serious".

Anybody with information is asked to contact Henry Street gardaí at (061) 212400.

Edgeworthstown bypass opens

The Edgeworthstown bypass in Co Longford opened yesterday, reducing journey times on the N4 for thousands of people travelling to and from the west and northwest. Stretching 3km, the bypass was built for €14 million and will take over 10,000 vehicles a day away from Edgeworthstown.

Italian circus driver in court

An Italian circus lorry driver charged with dangerous driving which caused the deaths of a mother and daughter near Galway city last April has been further remanded on bail following his appearance before Galway District Court yesterday.

Francisco Daria (23), from San Lodovico, Sio Saliceto, Italy, is charged with dangerous driving at Cloonacauneen, Tuam Road, Galway, on April 6th which caused the deaths of Mrs Joan Reilly and her daughter, Siobhán Reilly, of Cloon, Claregalway.

Judge Mary Fahy remanded the accused on continuing bail to appear before the court on September 25th.