A round-up of today's other news stories in brief
Chemical vapour alert at hotel
Ten people were taken to hospital yesterday as a precautionary measure after the accidental release of chemical vapours at the Mount Wolseley Country Resort Hotel in Tullow, Co Carlow, writes Michael Parsons.
A spokeswoman for the Hilton group, which operates the hotel, said a workman in a plant room beside the health club accidentally filled a container intended to hold chlorine with sodium bisulphate. As a result, vapours were released into the atmosphere and ambulance crews were called to the hotel.
Five workmen and five members of staff were treated on site and then taken to St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny.
The spokeswoman said nobody was injured and no guests were involved in the incident.
The hotel is operating normally.
Boxer's arm arrives in NY
The severed right arm of champion Irish boxer Dan Donnelly has arrived in New York for a major display of Irish boxing artifacts, writes Seán O'Driscoll in New York.
The arm, which was cut from the body of the bare fist fighter after his death in 1820, was carried in the cockpit of an Aer Lingus plane after the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism gave its owner special permission for take it out of the country.
It was carried through US customs by Aer Lingus pilot, Henry Donohoe, and the arm's owner, Kildare woman Josephine Byrne.
"You could say I had an extra hand in the cockpit," Mr Donohoe joked after arriving in New York with the arm.
Ms Byrne said two Egyptian-born US customs officers were "very amused and fascinated" by the arm when it arrived in New York.
"As long as we had the right papers, they were fine with it," she said.
The arm, which was on display in the Hideout Bar in Kilcullen, Co Kildare for many years, is now in the Byrne family's possession.
"We had to take it up to Dublin airport two weeks ago to do a dummy run through the metal detectors because it was mummified using lead. It passed through the detectors with flying colours because the metal is now so old and has faded," Ms Byrne said.
The arm was taken from the airport to Gallagher's restaurant in Manhattan, for a reception to announce Fighting Irishmen: A Celebration of the Celtic Warrior, which opens at New York's Irish Arts Centre on August 28th.
The exhibit will also include the fur coat of late 19th century boxer, John L Sullivan, the blazer of heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey and the trunks of current Irish middleweight hopeful, John Duddy.
Donnelly's body was stolen from its grave the night after 20,000 turned out in Dublin for his funeral in 1820.
A Dublin doctor bought the body from grave robbers and agreed to give it back to the city on condition that he could keep the right arm.
It was later shipped to a medical school in Scotland before eventually returning to Kildare.
Portumna bridge to close for six weeks
Major traffic disruption is expected when the bridge linking counties Tipperary and Galway is closed next year for crucial works.
For some motorists the journey between the counties will increase by 35 miles when the bridge at Portumna is closed for six weeks.
Traffic will be diverted to the two other nearest crossings of the Shannon - at Banagher in Co Offaly and at Ballina-Killaloe.
It is planned to close Portumna bridge in September and October 2007 so that the vital works on the historic structure can take place.
North Tipperary County Council's senior roads engineer Marcus O'Connor said the project would cost €1.5 million.
An Taisce apologises to O'Toole
An Taisce last night "unreservedly apologised" to Irish Times journalist Fintan O'Toole for labelling a plan to quadruple the size of his Co Clare second home as "criminal".
An Taisce's director Gavin Harte also confirmed his organisation was withdrawing its objection to the planned extension of the O'Toole home just south of Ballyvaughan in the Burren.
The Clare branch of An Taisce objected to the O'Toole plan, as it was "not in keeping with the landscape and could be likened to an infection on the coast road, which is unacceptable and criminal." Confirming that An Taisce wished to apologise to Mr O'Toole, Mr Harte said the submission by the Clare branch was made "without the knowledge and approval of head office".
The O'Toole plan is on hold at present as Clare County Council has expressed a number of concerns and a decision is expected later this year.
Waste prevention scheme outlined
A new initiative to promote waste prevention - as opposed to waste management - is to be tested in seven local authority areas mainly in the west. The Environmental Protection Agency has chosen councils in Galway, Limerick, Clare, Kerry and Monaghan to promote waste prevention habits in shopping centres, schools, farms and industry.
The initiative differs from previous waste strategies in that, instead of concentrating on recycling or reuse, it encourages people to avoid the creation of waste. Some 22 local authorities submitted plans with only seven selected to take part in the initiative, to be funded by the plastic bag tax. The programmes will last 30 months.
Claim by Galway Clinic rejected
The National Treatment Purchase Fund has rejected a claim by Galway Clinic founder James Sheehan that it is partly responsible for financial difficulties at the private hospital.
Some 18 jobs have been lost at the hospital and Siptu is seeking an emergency conciliation meeting with the Labour Relations Commission.
Mr Sheehan has claimed that inadequate cover by the VHI and a shortage of referrals contributed to the situation. The fund, which arranges treatment for public patients who have been waiting for three months or more on a waiting list, said yesterday it "routinely refers patients to the Galway Clinic".