A round-up of today's Irish news stories in brief
Debenhams to cut 170 full-time jobs
Debenhams has announced the loss of 170 jobs in its Irish operation, reports Pamela Duncan.
The company, employing 2,400 people in Ireland, is seeking 170 full-time equivalent redundancies across its 11 Irish stores.
A spokesman said it was hoped the majority of job losses would be through voluntary redundancies.
He confirmed Debenhams was not considering any store closures and said the group had begun a 30-day consultation with staff on the job losses and on “more flexible work practices”. “The economy has been a main driver in this decision but there is also a need to make sure that staff are on a more flexible contract,” he said.
Linda Tanham, Mandate assistant general secretary, said she had sought an early meeting with the firm, which will take place next week.
She said the number of job losses could be much higher when part-time jobs were taken into account.
Cruise O’Briens to return house keys
Patrick Cruise O’Brien and his sister, Margaret, are to give back the keys of the family home at Howth, Co Dublin, to Irish Nationwide Building Society (INBS).
The Cruise O’Briens, the adopted children of Conor Cruise O’Brien and Máire Mhac an tSaoi, owe a mortgage of more than €1.4 million.
County registrar Susan Ryan yesterday received a consent agreement from the Cruise O’Briens in which they stated they will give the bank vacant possession of the Howth summit property within three months.
The INBS had been seeking possession of the house on which there had been an outstanding mortgage balance of more than €1,430,000 and instalment arrears of more than €170,000.
The Cruise O’Briens had failed to keep up the monthly repayments of €8,119.86.
Man arrested over Wicklow murder
Gardaí in Wicklow have arrested a man in relation to the death of Stephen O’Meara whose body was discovered in a shallow grave on Christmas Eve.
The 42-year-old was arrested in Gorey yesterday morning and is being held at Bray Garda station under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act.
A 24-year-old man was charged with Mr O’Meara’s murder on December 29th.
Meanwhile, a 46-year-old man who was arrested on January 19th, also under section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, remains in custody in Wicklow.
Mr O’Meara (26), a father of three, disappeared from near his home in Rosehill, in Wicklow town, on August 6th.
Ireland's oldest priest dies at 103
The death has taken place at age 103 of Ireland's oldest priest, Fr Tony Cummins, writes Steven Carroll.
Fr Cummins (above) died peacefully at Kilconnell nursing home in his native Galway on Wednesday. He is to be laid to rest in the grounds of Cappataggle church near Ballinasloe after midday Mass today.
Born in Aille near Loughrea in September 1906, he attended Aille national school and Saint Joseph's College Ballinasloe. He studied for the priesthood at Saint Patrick's College, Maynooth, and was ordained at St Brendan's Cathedral in Loughrea in 1932.
He served in a number of parishes in the diocese of Clonfert, and in Kilrickle parish from 1964 until his retirement in 1987.
Bishop of Clonfert John Kirby, who served as a curate to Fr Cummins, said the deceased had a commitment to his ministry firmly rooted in his dedication to God.