Today's other stories in brief
45 jobs lost with closure of Galway firm
A Galway-based manufacturing firm is to close with the loss of 45 jobs in June, writes Lorna Siggins.
Steiner (Galway) Ltd, at Carnmore, Co Galway, makes electronic components and printed circuits.
A spokesman said the decision was regrettable, but was unavoidable in the face of competition from companies in eastern Europe. Talks on redundancy are expected to begin next week.
€225,000 over Luas injuries
A man has secured €225,000 damages in settlement of his High Court action over injuries sustained while working on the construction of Dublin’s Luas.
Peter Murphy (56) of Knockmore Grove, Tallaght, Dublin, brought the action against Luas sub-contractors MVMBNI JV Limited, Red Cow Depot, Naas Road, Dublin.
He claimed he sustained injuries when an electrical cable was struck as a bar was being hammered into the ground, causing a “fearful explosion”. Yesterday’s settlement was without admission of liability.
Home drinking a big issue – pubs
Drinking at home is creating a huge problem for Irish society, publicans say.
The publicans, meeting at the Vintners’ Federation of Ireland conference in Galway, said cheap drink was undermining business, and accused supermarkets, filling stations and other outlets of selling alcohol at reduced prices since the Groceries Order three years ago.
The federation wants to make it compulsory for supermarkets and off-licences to segregate alcohol into a separate section of the premises.
€2.28m court orders secured
Six businessmen who loaned substantial sums to a development firm now in liquidation have secured court orders requiring two other businessmen to repay them sums amounting to €2.28 million.
The assets of the defendant businessmen, Liam Moran and Vincent Maguire, were calculated two years ago at €13 million and €37 million, respectively.
Mr Justice Peter Kelly made judgment orders at the Commercial Court yesterday against Mr Moran, St Ives, Back Strand, Malahide, Co Dublin, and Mr Maguire, Heathcliff House, The Folly, Oldtown, Co Dublin.
Hunger strike over in Waterford
A MAN opposing HSE plans to close a ward at Waterford’s only geriatric hospital ended his hunger strike there yesterday, nine days after the protest began.
Ferrybank man Seán Brett (51), whose 90-year-old mother Bríd is a patient at St Patrick’s geriatric hospital in the city, began his hunger strike on May 4th.
Good vibrations for the Picnic
Brian Wilson, the man behind the Beach Boys’ sound, is to play the Electric Picnic festival in September. Wilson has overcome mental illness and years as a recluse to return to touring and playing, and released a new album, That Lucky Old Sun, last year. He wrote and arranged almost all of the Beach Boys’ best known songs and their masterpiece album, Pet Sounds. In this decade he also completed the great lost 1960s Beach Boys album, Smile, which he released as a solo record and for which he won his first Grammy as a solo artist.