InShort

A round-up of today's other stories in brief.

A round-up of today's other stories in brief.

Ashes of US woman soldier coming home

The ashes of the Connemara-born US soldier who died late last month in a shooting in Afghanistan are to be taken to the west of Ireland later this week.

Ciara Durkin (30) from Eanach Mheain in Beal a Daingean, Connemara, Co Galway, died in a shooting in her military base in Bagram, Afghanistan, on September 27th. She was given full military honours at her funeral in Boston at the weekend.

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Part of her ashes are to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC and part are to be buried in her father's grave in Eanach Mheain. Her death is being investigated by the US military authorities but the Department of Foreign Affairs has also been in contact with the US authorities. Among those in attendance at her funeral were senator John Kerry who has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding her death.

Praise for Dominican Sisters

The story of the Dominican Sisters was "one of inclusiveness in their vision of education," Archbishop of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin has said.

"Originally many of their secondary schools, especially the boarding schools, would have been accessible to the daughters of the newly emerging Catholic middle-class. The Sisters, however, used the income from these schools to enable them to provide free primary education to all," he said.

The archbishop was commenting in a statement issued to mark an event taking place tonight at the National Concert Hall in Dublin. Titled "Celebrating 800 Years of Dominican Women" it will be presented by schools and colleges run by the Irish Region of Dominican Sisters and will trace the congregation's history from its foundation in December 1206 at Prouhile in France through their first foundation in Ireland, at Galway in 1643, to its 30 communities in Ireland today.

Yesterday in Drogheda over a hundred Dominicans (friars, sisters and lay Dominicans) joined with the Dominican contemplative community of 25 nuns there, the only one in Ireland, to celebrate the 800th anniversary of their foundation by St Dominic.

The community in Drogheda dates from 1722. Its first prioress and founding member was Sr Catherine Plunkett, a close relative of St Oliver Plunkett.

Man dies in halting site fire

A 32-year-old man died yesterday in a fire on a halting site. The man was in a caravan at the rear of the site on Jubilee Road, Clones, Co Monaghan, when the blaze broke out at around 9am.

The 32-year-old man was found dead inside.

Gardaí said his body has been taken to the Mater hospital in Dublin where a postmortem will be carried out.

Gardaí investigate sudden death

Gardaí in Killarney, Co Kerry, are investigating the sudden death of a 31-year-old man found in a hotel bedroom in the town early yesterday.

They do not suspect foul play, but are awaiting the results of a postmortem and toxicology tests.

A native of Killarney, the man had attended a wedding party in a hotel near the town on Saturday.

Yesterday morning friends believed the man was sleeping.

However, this was not the case and he was pronounced dead at the scene at around 10.30am.

He was not being named until family members abroad were contacted.

In late August, 20-year-old David Culloty from Alderwood Road, Tralee, had attended a wedding in Killarney and was staying at a hotel in the town.

The following morning friends tried to revive him but could not. An inquest has yet to be held into his death.