A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Former garda gets €46,000 compensation
A former garda was awarded €46,000 compensation by the High Court yesterday arising from an assault on him while on duty at Fermoy Garda station, Co Cork.
Garda Frank Fletcher was in the station on December 1998 when a prisoner arrested on suspicion of drunken driving became extremely violent and struck him, the court heard.
The garda was pushed against the corner of a table which almost immediately led to lower back and leg pain intermittently since.
As a result of his injuries, he said, he had to give up his favourite hobbies such as golf and shooting and took early retirement after 31 years service in October 2003.
Inquest told pianist drowned
A pianist drowned while swimming in the Atlantic hours before he was due to perform at a wedding function, an inquest in Castlebar, Co Mayo, was told yesterday.
An extensive search was mounted for Mike Nagy (39), an Englishman, who had been living at Renvyle House Hotel, Renvyle, Co Galway, when he disappeared on September 10th. His body was washed up on a beach at Killadoon, Louisburgh, 17 days later and was identified through DNA tissue samples.
Returning a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence of death due to drowning, coroner for south Mayo John O'Dwyer said there was nothing to suggest that the death of Mr Nagy had been anything other than an accident.
Trial of nurse approaches end
The trial of a nurse accused of poisoning two elderly patients has reached its closing stages at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Noreen Mulholland (35), now living in Park Road, Portadown, Co Armagh, and previously of Runabeg Close, Kildare, has pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to John Gethings (77), Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, on March 1st, 2003, and Séamus Doherty (80), Rathcoffey, Naas, Co Kildare, between June 18th-19th, 2003.
She also denies intentionally or recklessly administering a substance, Serenase, to both men, knowing it was capable of interfering substantially with their bodily functions without their consent on the same dates. The court heard that Mr Gethings died on March 2nd, 2003, but emphasised that it was not the State's case that Ms Mulholland was responsible for his death.
Judge Frank O'Donnell is expected to begin his charge this afternoon.
Pupils in appeal to keep school open
More than 240 second- level pupils in Kinvara, Co Galway, have made personal appeals to the Mercy Order not to close their school.
The 243 girls attending Seamount College posted their letters in the village this week, almost a fortnight after the Mercy Order said it would not be accepting any new pupils next September.
The decision to close the school completely in several years has shocked and angered the south Galway community. The school's board of management has accused the religious order of a "callous act of betrayal".
Seamount has been educating girls from Galway and north Clare since the 1920s, but the school is situated on valuable waterfront property overlooking Kinvara harbour.