A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Stokes tells of demands from shareholders
Hot Presseditor Niall Stokes told the High Court yesterday he believed there was "a moral responsibility" on the part of himself and other promoters of the Hot Press Music Hall of Fame Museum in Dublin to repay those who had in good faith invested money in the venture via a business expansion scheme (BES).
Mr Stokes said after the venture failed he faced demands from BES shareholders and felt it was "the right thing" to do that they be repaid in the form of their shareholdings being bought. The other promoters had agreed indemnities some years earlier which provided for that to happen.
In a witness statement, Mr Stokes said that, following correspondence with all the promoters, none was prepared to accept any liability on foot of the indemnities which, he contends, were agreed with all of the promoters in relation to the use of his company, Steeple Investments Ltd, as a vehicle to raise money under the BES for the music museum project.
Mr Stokes yesterday concluded his direct evidence in the action by himself and his wife Mairin Sheehy, of Trinity Street, Dublin, against Denis Desmond, of Strand Road, Killiney; Moya Doherty and John McColgan; Cyril O'Brien, of Knockabbey Castle, Co Louth; and Tony Burke of Lambourne Wood, Cabinteely, Dublin.
The action is over liability for €1.5 million losses for the company which ran the museum.
Action over car crash dismissed
An action for damages brought by a woman against a former head of the Garda murder squad arising out of a crash in the Phoenix Park has been dismissed by the High Court.
Deirdre O'Mahony (33), of Belgard Road, Newlands Cross, Clondalkin, Dublin, had sued former detective Supt John Courtney over a two-car collision at Mountjoy Cross junction in the Phoenix Park on January 27th, 2001.
Yesterday Mr Justice John Quirke dismissed Ms O'Mahony's action and awarded costs against her.
He said she had failed to make the case that the injuries she sustained were due to any negligence by Mr Courtney.
Galway suburbs left without water
Several thousand residents living in Galway's western suburbs were promised a restoration of water supplies last night , after a burst main disrupted supplies for 24 hours.
The burst main in Dangan on Thursday disrupted supplies to one of the city's reservoirs, affecting homes in Knocknacarra, Westside, Barna and Moycullen.
Repair crews repaired the leak early yesterday.
Assets Recovery Agency defended
The head of the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) in the North has responded to accusations by an influential committee of MPs that it is inefficient and costly, writes Dan Keenan.
The Public Accounts Committee accused the ARA, the Northern equivalent of the Cab, of having set itself unrealistic objectives and of recovering only one-third of the money it cost to establish.
However, ARA head Alan McQuillan said the MPs were not appreciating fully his agency's disruptive impact on criminals.
Operation by PSNI in Armagh
A senior PSNI officer has described as "a success" an operation to counter dissident republican activity in Co Armagh.
Nine people arrested remain in detention and firearms, ammunition, computers and "other articles likely to be of use to terrorists" have been recovered, the PSNI said.
The 12-hour operation, which caused disruption in Craigavon on Thursday, involved the PSNI's crime operations department and tactical support groups.