A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Performer killed as globe falls on her
An incident yesterday in which a dance performer was killed after a visual arts display fell on top of her during a rehearsal is being investigated by the Health and Safety Authority.
The woman, an English dancer in her 30s, died when a large metal globe, which was attached to a crane, fell upon her in a field in the Lurgybrack area of Letterkenny, Co Donegal.
She had been practising an aerial display for the upcoming Bluestacks Festival in Ballyshannon when the it is believed the globe fell from several feet as she stood below.
She was a performer with the Fidget Feet Performance Company, which specialises in aerial dance theatre in the UK and Ireland.
A Garda spokesman said it appeared that part of the visual display which was attached to a crane fell on the woman.
There was no suspicion of foul play.
Free access to scientific papers
Free online access to research articles funded under EU programmes will be provided under a pilot project, writes Dick Ahlstrom.
The goal is to have all EU-supported research papers made available without charge to scientists across the Union.
The EU Commission announced its open access project yesterday.
The move was a step towards "the free movement of knowledge" across the EU, said the Science and Research Commissioner, Janez Potocnik.
The project involves research backed under the the EU's current €50 billion Framework Programme 7 (FP7) science budget.
Typically, research papers will be published as before in peer-reviewed journals where the journal will be able to control access. But within six to 12 months, FP7 grant recipients must upload their research papers on to the free online repository.
In the past articles could be reached only by paying expensive journal subscriptions. The scheme will allow not only scientists, but also members of the general public, to reach these papers.
"It is a fair return to the public of research that is funded by EU money," said Mr Potocnik.
Traffic hit by four-car collision
Motorists experienced long delays yesterday morning following a four-car collision on the M50 northbound.
The collision happened at around 7.45am just before junction 12 at Firhouse.
At one point traffic was tailing back almost 7km as far as Sandyford, before the exit for junction 13 at Ballinteer. The situation was made worse by a breakdown which happened on the same stretch of road.
Military note to musical event
The Band of the Defence Forces School of Music will perform the world premiere of a new march by Matt Molloy, specially commissioned for the
United States 5th Special Forces Group Airborne Green Berets, at an open-air music event taking place in Roscommon Castle on August 30th.
Entitled Cruinniú sa Chaisleán, the show will be hosted by Roscommon County Council in association with the Defence Forces.