Today's other regional news stories in brief
Man further remanded on murder charge
A Galway man charged with the murder of a Dubliner, whose body was found in a freezer behind a fishmonger's shop in Galway city last June, has been further remanded on bail while the State prepares a book of evidence in the case.
Edward Griffin (44), Cimín Mór, Cappagh Road, Salthill, is charged with the murder of Patrick McCormack (52), between June 1st and September 30th, 2002.
Staff at the Mermaid fishmonger's shop in Henry Street discovered the frozen body in a freezer room at the rear of the premises on June 13th last year. A postmortem revealed that Mr McCormack, who had been reported missing in 2003, had died from severe head injuries.
Det Sgt Willie Beirne told Galway District Court yesterday the investigation was very complex and he displayed a large file to the court. He said the Garda investigation was completed last November and the file had been sent to the DPP then.
He received instructions from the DPP's office by phone before coming to court directing that Mr Griffin be tried for murder. State Solicitor William Kennedy had given an undertaking that the book of evidence would be ready by March 26th.
Judge Aeneus McCarthy remanded Mr Griffin on continuing bail to March 26th.
Afghans in legal talks
The three Afghan men arrested in a Garda swoop in an asylum seeker hostel in Tralee, Co Kerry, at the weekend and later released without charge are speaking to their lawyers, according to Rosanna Flynn of Residents Against Racism, writes Anne Lucey.
The men, detained under the Offences against the State Act and interviewed under suspicion of terrorism offences, were "traumatised, frightened and upset", Ms Flynn told Radio Kerry yesterday. The discussion was prompted by a flood of racist calls to the station in the aftermath of the arrests.
Gardaí, acting on a tip-off about methodically laid-out components, arrested the men on Friday and sealed off an apartment. Detectives from Dublin and a forensic team interviewed the men and carried out a technical examination. Equipment was also removed.
Ms Flynn said she got to know two of the men when they took part in the week-long protest in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin almost two years ago.
They were quiet, gentle young men who were anti- Taliban, she said. They were far removed from al-Qaeda and were definitely not terrorists, she added. The reason they were seeking asylum was because they had to flee the Taliban.
Supt Pat Sullivan said the Garda believed there was nothing sinister in their activity but they were still unsure as to the true purpose of the equipment seized.
Neil Young to play in Cork
Veteran Canadian rocker Neil Young and founding member of The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, have both been added to the line-up for this year's series of Live At The Marquee concerts in Cork.
Neil Young will play on June 30th, just a day after playing Malahide Castle, Dublin. Tickets for the concerts go on sale next Monday.
Reed's visit to Cork marks the start of a European tour which will see the New Yorker perform the entirety of his 1973 landmark album, Berlin, accompanied by a 30- piece ensemble including his band, a string and horn section and a children's choir.
Eric Clapton, Dolly Parton, Paul Weller and Shayne Ward, as well as Irish acts Christy Moore and Tommy Tiernan, have already been confirmed for the Live at the Marquee concerts which are expected to attract more than 50,000 music fans.