A round up of today's other stories in brief.
Man admits 13 charges of raping girl
A Wicklow man has been remanded for sentence by the Central Criminal Court after he pleaded guilty to rape and sexual assault involving a young girl more than 10 years ago.
The 57-year-old man, who cannot be named by order
of the court to ensure protection of the victim's identity, pleaded guilty to 13 sample charges out of 58 on the indictment dealing with offences committed from 1993 to 1998.
Barry Hickson SC, prosecuting, and Adrian Mannering SC, defending, told Mr Justice Henry Abbott that the full facts of the offences in the 58 counts would be given.
The man was remanded on continuing bail for sentence on January 16th and certified for registration as a sex offender. He also directed victim impact and probation reports for the sentence hearing.
Rape trial jury discharged
The jury has been discharged in the trial of a Galway man at the Central Criminal Court charged with raping his then teenage sister-in-law. The 33-year- old man had pleaded not guilty to charges of raping the then 15-year-old girl and one of sexual assault in April 1995 in Galway city.
Mr Justice Éamon de Valera discharged the jury on day four of the hearing. The case will be mentioned later for fixing a new trial.
Remanded for rape of man
A north Dublin man has been remanded for sentence on January 16th by the Central Criminal Court for orally raping another male. The 21-year-old man pleaded guilty to oral rape in north Dublin in June 1999.
Mr Justice Henry Abbott ordered that the defendant not be named pending the hearing of evidence on the sentence date. He certified him for registration as a sex offender and remanded him on continuing bail.
Restraining order sought on sit-in
Nine former factory workers are facing High Court proceedings aimed at ending their three-week sit- in at a Cork bacon factory and restraining pickets outside the factory owner's home. They claim they have been denied a proper redundancy package.
Mr Justice Esmond Smyth was told yesterday that the claim is being denied by Joe McSweeney, owner of McSweeny Bacon Curers Ltd, Blackpool, Cork.
The company has initiated proceedings to restrain both the occupation of the factory and protests outside Mr McSweeney's home at Calderwood Court, Donnybrook.
Garland in Republic for medical care
The president of the Workers' Party, who was arrested in Belfast last month, has been allowed to leave Northern Ireland so he can receive medical treatment in the Republic.
Seán Garland (71), a former leader of the Official IRA, was released on bail at Belfast County Court last month pending his possible extradition to the United States on dollar- counterfeiting charges.
A condition of his bail was that he had to stay with a long-time friend in Co Down. Three sureties of £10,000 each were lodged in court before he could be released.
Judge Tom Burgess was told that Mr Garland, from Navan, Co Meath, was anxious to return to the Republic for in-patient treatment. He granted the application to vary his bail and Mr Garland has since left Northern Ireland.
Series of Cork events to end year of culture
A month-long series of events in Cork is planned for December to close the city's reign as European Capital of Culture. It will culminate with a special fireworks display on New Year's Eve.
A number of public events will also be held to celebrate both the cultural year and the festive season.
The closing celebrations have been made possible by substantial private sector support.
Sponsorship contributions have augmented the Cork 2005 budget by approximately €2.65 million in cash and another €4 million in benefit-in-kind. Partners for Cork 2005 included Heineken Ireland, Musgraves, AIB and Thomas Crosbie Holdings.
Recently four major supporters, Ascon/Rohcon, Frinailla Developments, Kenny Group and Wilton Group, have come in specifically to back the closing celebrations.
It is estimated that almost one million people, more than seven times the city's population, will have attended 2005 cultural events by December 31st.
Details of the closing celebrations and events, which are subject to licence and planning approval, will be announced later this month.
Centenary of Dramsoc marked
The centenary of Dramsoc, NUI Galway's dramatic society, was marked last night with a special reunion of past and present members, writes Michelle McDonagh
The reunion took place in the on-campus Bank of Ireland Theatre at NUIG and was followed by the first production of the year, Castles for People, written and directed by Henry Martin.
Dramsoc has played host to many accomplished actors, directors and stage technicians. The centenary reunion sought to acknowledge and bestow appreciation on all members who had dedicated time, effort and talent to its success and development.
The reunion also signalled the start of three weeks of drama in NUIG, showcasing three original plays by current Dramsoc members. Henry Martin (Castles for People) and Conall Ó Riain (Love, or Blood?) will direct their own original scripts while Caoimhe McCarthy's two short plays, Stupid Universe and Adrian Writer, will be directed by Meabh McNairney. A fourth play, Arthur Miller's I Can't Remember Anything, will be directed by Rebecca Ryan.
No details on CIA claim, says Ahern
Speaking on radio in the US, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said he had not received any information about a US TV investigation that claimed the CIA is kidnapping terrorist suspects and transporting them through Shannon, writes Seán O'Driscoll in New York.
The investigation by 60 Minutes claimed earlier this year that the CIA was using front companies to register aircraft that were passing kidnapped or "rendered" terror suspects through Shannon to Guantánamo Bay and to countries where authorities were free to torture during interrogation.
Mr Ahern said: "No evidence has been brought to us by the 60 Minutes show or by anyone else that these planes are landing in Shannon." The Minister was speaking in New York where he was meeting Irish emigrant groups.
Murdered Limerick man is buried
The Limerick man murdered in a gangland- style killing last week was laid to rest yesterday.
The body of David Nunan (25), from O'Malley Park in the South Hill area, was found dumped in a laneway last Friday morning in the Clare village of Parteen. He had suffered two gunshot wounds to his chest.
Mr Nunan, who is survived by his mother, Mary, and his sisters, was buried yesterday in Mount Saint Oliver Cemetery following mass at the Holy Family church, in South Hill.
Man charged with murder of his mother
A man has been charged in Belfast with murdering his mother. Seamus Lyttle (35) was accused of murdering Maureen Lyttle (63) whose body was found in their home at Cavehill Road at the weekend. It is understood Mrs Lyttle died from head and chest injuries.
Insp Alan Crockett told Belfast Magistrates Court yesterday that Mr Lyttle had handed himself into police on a neighbour's advice. He was remanded in custody until November 29th.
Two questioned over taking baby
Two men were in Garda custody last night after a father took his two-month- old daughter from Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, Dublin, against medical advice yesterday morning. The baby was returned by mid-afternoon following the discovery of the child by gardaí in the Dublin area.
The men were being questioned in Crumlin Garda station last night.
Killer must serve life sentences
Greysteel killer Stephen Irwin must now serve out the remainder of eight life sentences after he was last week convicted of a knifing offence. Irwin (32), originally from Derry, who with other UDA members, murdered eight people in the Rising Sun pub, Greysteel, Co Derry, in 1993 was released on licence in 2000 under the Belfast Agreement.
Last week he was sentenced to four years in prison after he was convicted of slashing a Glentoran fan during a brawl at last year's Irish Cup soccer final between Linfield and Glentoran.
The Sentence Review Commission has confirmed that Irwin has had his licence revoked.