High winds may have been causing havoc throughout the State but it is an ill wind that blows no good. Gales such as those which plunged thousands of households into cold darkness may soon be converted into electricity by a Tralee-based company.

Saorgus Energy Ltd plans to harness winds at a windfarm at Cashlaundrumlahan, south Galway. Wind turbines will be driven by 20metre blades placed on top of 50metre towers perched on a 1,200-foot hill, according to the Connacht Tri- bune. The electricity from the windfarm will be supplied directly to the national grid.

"The sound levels at the nearest house will be within nationally recommended and internationally accepted limits," the project developers told the paper.

Fears that high waters were damaging ancient dwellings on islands in Loughrea Lake have receded, the paper also reports. Concerned Loughrea town commissioners were reassured by the Office of Public Works that high water levels helped preserve the crannogs. The commissioners had contacted the OPW following exceptionally high water levels on the lake last winter.

The Christmas storms receive front-page treatment in many of the regional papers. But the festive season was also marked by a drop in burglaries and drink-driving offences, according to several papers.

The Roscommon Champion says no public order arrests were made during the festive season and only four arrests were made for drink-driving in the county.

The Wexford People reports that gardai said the storms hampered criminal activity, with only a few burglaries in the run-up to Christmas.

The Corkman reports that gardai say there were very few drink-driving arrests over Christmas and record numbers of people used taxis.

The winter weather proved more hazardous for a court reporter whose description of being assigned to the Dickensian surroundings of Listowel Courthouse reads like a sentence of hard labour.

The cold conditions prompted Judge Pat McCartan to announce recently that he wasn't going to shiver for a second longer and reconvene the court's business to the warm sanctuary of Tralee Courthouse, the Corkman reports.

Much to the long-suffering reporter's relief, Kerry County Council has since announced that money has been provided to renovate the old building. In the meantime, all Listowel court sittings will be held in a different venue.

While many papers covered the annual charity festive swims, one waterlover was likely to be less apprehensive about taking the icy plunge. An orphaned grey seal pup was to be reunited with its colony yesterday, three months after it was found badly injured on a beach at Newcastle, Co Wicklow. The pup was nursed back to health at the Irish Seal Sanctuary after it was found with severe cuts, the Wicklow People reports.

"It will be old enough now to survive on its own. It will be five months old and will hopefully just fit back in with the colony," said Mr Oisin O Dubhslaine, a member of the sanctuary.

The developers of a block of apartments in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, have agreed to rename the complex after a right royal row over its title. Locals have called for Prince Edward Court to be given a name "more relevant" to the town's history, the Na- tionalist and Munster Advertiser reports.

Mr Liam O Duibhir, from Clonmel Archaeological Society, said developers and local authorities should take more care when naming projects. The paper reports that the Department of the Environment had recently issued guidelines that new place names should have some relevance to their locality rather than being given a name that sounds "yuppyish and trendy".

Descriptions are also a cause of concern for a south Tipperary councillor who wants the word "informer" dropped when referring to people giving information to the Garda about drug-related crime. The paper reports that Mr Christy Kinahan told a recent meeting of South Tipperary VEC: "You don't inform these days to the police force, you help them. You give them information as good citizens."

Mr Kinahan's comments followed an appeal by another councillor for the public to supply information about drugs to the Garda.

Actions speak louder than words for a Co Galway councillor who says a male strippers stage-show is "indicative of falling moral standards".

The Tuam Herald reports that the 90-minute show by the Celtic Knights is expected to attract a large women-only crowd in Monivea, Co Galway, this month.

The group even does a version of The Full Monty from the hugely successful British film about five unemployed men who turn to stripping to earn a living. It's called The Full Paddy.

But Cllr Joe Brennan, who, the paper says, is well known for his stance on family values, is calling for the Catholic Church to be more outspoken in condemning such performances.

A 77-year-old Co Carlow doctor now living in England plans to manufacture in Ireland his award-winning invention which relieves back pain, the Nationalist and Leinster Times reports.

Dr William Duffy recently won the inventors' competition at the London International Inventions Fair with his inflatable "Lumbar Support". The invention, which can be discreetly worn, is small enough to fit into a handbag or coat pocket.