A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
DPP appeals suspended drug sentence
The Director of Public Prosecutions has appealed a six-year suspended sentence imposed earlier this summer on a 26-year-old father-of-one caught with the largest amount of heroin ever seized by gardaí in Cork.
The DPP has lodged appeal papers with the Court of Criminal Appeal against the leniency of the sentence on Brian Wall Beech Tree Avenue, Shanakiel, Cork, who was caught with heroin valued at €145,000.
Wall pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court in June to four charges. They included possession of more than €13,000 worth of heroin for sale or supply, an offence which carries a mandatory minimum 10-year sentence, save in exceptional circumstances.
Judge Patrick Moran noted that a probation report on Wall concluded he was at the lowest level of risk in terms of reoffending and he accepted Wall was genuinely remorseful.
The judge said that exceptional circumstances applied.
"You're a young man trying to get on with your life. I think you have learned your lesson from this episode," said Judge Moran as he suspended the sentence on condition of good behaviour.
Fatal fire not suspicious
Gardaí have ruled out foul play during continuing inquiries into the deaths of a married couple in a mobile home fire in Ballinasloe, Co Galway, on Wednesday.
A postmortem on the bodies of Christy (59) and Janey Ward (54) found they died of smoke inhalation when their mobile home at Poolboy was almost totally destroyed by fire.
The couple, originally from Mountbellew, Co Galway, are believed to have been on their own in the mobile home when the fire occurred. They are survived by a large family, the youngest of whom is 13 years old. They had been on the list for a replacement home after their local authority house burnt down last year while they were visiting relatives in England.
Arrangements were still being made yesterday for the funeral, which is expected to take place in Mountbellew.
Admiral Brown advocate dies
A well-known businessman from Foxford, Co Mayo, has died suddenly while on a family visit to Dubai.
JJ O'Hara (51) is best-known through his efforts to promote Foxford-born Admiral William Browne, founder of the Argentinian navy, both in Argentina and Foxford. In March of last year, as president of the Admiral Brown Society, he led a large Irish delegation to Argentina for celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of the admiral's death.
At a the time of his death Mr O'Hara was following up on ambitious plans to establish a language school, interpretative centre and memorial park on the banks of the river Moy in memory of Admiral Brown.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said Mr O'Hara had invested unbelievable time and energy into the various Admiral Brown projects and had fostered strong connections between Ireland and Argentina.
New bridge for road blackspot
Monaghan County Council and Newry and Mourne District Council confirmed yesterday that plans have been finalised for the building of a major new cross-Border bridge at Ballinacarry on the Monaghan/Armagh border which will eliminate a dangerous blackspot for drivers between Castleblayney and Dundalk.
The existing bridge at a dangerous double-bend has been the scene of several serious road accidents.