A round-up of today's Irish news stories in brief
300 attend funeral of drowned kayaker
More than 300 mourners attended the funeral in Co Cavan on Saturday of Connie Smith (34), who drowned with his friend Philip Kelly while kayaking in the river Clodagh in Waterford last Wednesday.
Fr Peter McParlan told the congregation in St Patrick’s chapel in Kilnaleck how Mr Smith, an engineer, spent nearly two years with Goal overseas.
The chief mourners were his mother Bridget, his three brothers and two sisters.
Man (27) dies in Co Limerick crash
Gardaí have launched an investigation following the death of a man in a road crash in Co Limerick on Saturday. The incident occurred near Pallasgreen at about 7am. The man (27) was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was removed to Limerick Regional Hospital. Forensic collision investigators visited thescene.
Car stolen from Ballymena showroom
A vehicle was hijacked from a car showroom forecourt in Co Antrim yesterday. An employee at the business in the Pennybridge Industrial Estate in Ballymena was washing the grey VW Passat when he was attacked by two men around 11.20am who made off in the vehicle. The employee sustained cuts to his hands in the altercation.
Increase in visits to tourism websites
Tourism Ireland websites have experienced an increase of 34 per cent in visits since last year, according to the organisation. Visits to discoverireland.com websites and microsites last year surpassed 13 million, it said.
Brian Harte, Tourism Ireland head of e-marketing, said Tourism Ireland now invested about 27 per cent of its total marketing budget online.
“This record number of visits is most encouraging,” he added.