A new college has opened in Waterford to prepare pilots for work with commercial airlines across Europe and beyond.
The Pilot Training College of Ireland was officially opened at the South-East Regional Airport (Waterford)at the weekend by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr Cullen.
The college, dedicated to training pilots who will mainly work in the European airline industry, has been approved by the Irish Aviation Authority and was set up by Mr Mike Edgeworth and Mr Tony Kember, a former Chief Flight Examiner with the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
Minister Cullen said he was very pleased to welcome the college to his Waterford constituency.
Review of 'once off' housing urged
Waterford County Council has been urged to review its policy on "once off" housing in rural areas and to ease restrictions on the granting of planning permission.
The call comes from Cllr Fiachra Ó Céilleachair, who is also a member of Udarás na Gaeltachta and feels moves by other local authorities to ease barriers to "once off" housing should influence the council to consider how it views applications in its area.
Cllr Ó Céilleachair said yesterday that the "constructive efforts of planners and councillors in Wexford, Kerry and Galway to come up with a fairer and more balanced approach to rural planning is in contrast to the ambiguity displayed on the subject by their counterparts in Co Waterford".
Two arrested after cocaine find
Gardaí say they have delivered another blow to drug dealers in west Waterford with the seizure on Saturday night of cocaine with a street value of €10,000.
The seizure was made when two men were arrested in Dungarvan. The suspects were released without charge pending the preparation of a file for the DPP.
Island football competition
Hundreds of islanders descended on Inis Oirr, the southern most of the three Aran islands, for the sixth annual island football championshilps, Comórtas Peile na n-Oileán at the weekend.
It was victory for Inismór and Clare Island. Some 120 islanders from Bere, whose population is 200, sailed to Inis Oirr along with a large contingent of competitors and fans from Inisboffin, Clare Island, Inisturk, Inismór and Inis Meain. A north-westerly gale and teeming rain did not deter the ladies of Inismór and the Clare Island men's team from resounding victories.
Fourteen teams competed this year which, in founder and organiser, Mr Donal O'Shea's estimation vindicates the strengthening inter-island culture that has developed since the foundation of Comdháil na n-Oileán, the Irish Islands Federation.