A round-up of other news on brief...
Feedback from Tubridy's 'Late Late' positive
Audience feedback to Ryan Tubridy’s debut on The Late Late Show on Friday was “overwhelmingly positive”, an RTÉ spokeswoman said yesterday, Paul Cullen reports. Although official viewing figures will only become available today, the spokeswoman said the majority of the 85 calls received during the programme were positive and “hundreds of thousands” of entries had been received for the competition.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen, who was the first guest on the programme, said he was very heartened by the reception he received over the weekend.
“I think a lot of people took on board what I had to say,” he said yesterday.
“Ryan Tubridy is an excellent presenter and I wish him well and it was a wonderful honour for me to be his first guest.
‘‘I think that he obviously did his job very well and asked the right questions, the questions that people are asking on the streets.”
Woman for court over fatal stabbing
A 36-year-old woman is to appear in court today in relation to the death of a man in Tallaght, Co Dublin, on Friday night. The victim, named locally as 48-year-old Paul Byrne, was fatally stabbed at a house at Páirc Glenn Trasna, Aylesbury, at about 7.20pm on Friday. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The woman was arrested on Friday and questioned at Tallaght Garda station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. She will appear before Dublin District Court at 10.30am today.
Man dies in ‘hit and run’
Gardaí have described a fatal crash in which a 40-year-old man was killed as a "hit and run". The man died when he was struck by a car while out walking in Limerick yesterday morning.
The incident happened at Main Street, Castleconnell, at about 2.15am. Gardaí have appealed to anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact them on 061-377105.
Galway taxis now being sanitised
Taxis in Galway are being sanitised after every fare in an effort to curtail the spread of swine flu. About 130 cars operating as Galway Taxis have introduced the concept in the past week. Each time a fare is completed the car is sprayed using a sanitiser called Trio 100 which is used in hospitals and other environments.
Gerry Corbett, chairman of Galway Taxis, said the initiative had been well received. “It reassures passengers that they are entering a safe environment once they get into one of our taxis,” he said.
Man attacked by gang in Belfast
A 34-year-old man is being treated in hospital after being attacked by a gang, one believed to have been armed with a hammer. He was set up in the Alexandra Park area of north Belfast by three men on Saturday afternoon, police said today.
The victim suffered head and face injuries which are not life threatening, said a spokeswoman. In a separate incident a 33-year-old man was arrested yesterday on suspicion of attempted murder following a stabbing in Co Antrim.
He was detained following the knifing of a 25-year-old man in a house at Dunloy Gardens in Newtownabbey on Saturday night. His injuries were not thought to be life threatening. – (PA)