EXAMINER IRISH NEWS

McAliskey is freed after extradition plea denied

Sending her to Germany would be "unjust and oppressive"

by Aidan Hennigan
London
ROISI´N McALISKEY, who has been in custody since November 20, 1996, facing extradition to Germany for alleged involvement in a bomb attack on a military base was freed yesterday.
Home Secretary, Jack Straw, ordered her release saying her extradition would be "unjust and oppressive."
Roisín (26) is in the Maudsley Psychiatric Hospital undergoing treatment for severe depression and will continue her treatment there for some months.
Her mother, Bernadette, said she was delighted and was looking forward to the day when Roisín could come home.
The Home Secretary ordered an psychiatric assessment and he backed the opinion that Roisín's health was still in a precarious state.
Last night her solicitor, Gareth Pierce, challenged the interrogation Roisín underwent at Castlereagh and alleged it had been responsible for her breakdown.
A spokesman for the Britain and Ireland Human Rights Centre said they would demand an investigation into her treatment.
Roisín, while appearing at Bow Street Magistrates Court, had become progressively ill enduring a difficult pregnancy with asthma and panic attacks and ultimately she was deemed to be unfit for any court appearances.
The conditions she was held under at Belmarsh all-male, high-security prison, and later at Holloway Women's Prison, were repeatedly challenged by her lawyers.
After the birth of a daughter, at Whittington Hospital, she was finally taken to the Maudsley where she was cared for in a mother-and-child unit. Although on bail certain restrictions were still imposed on her.
Amnesty International indicated her treatment could amount to "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment".
The decision was "warmly welcomed" by the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern and Foreign Minister, David Andrews.
"I know that Roisín has suffered terribly. I would hope she would be allowed to put this behind her and carry on with her life for her own and her daughter's sake," he added.
Ms McAliskey will remain at the hospital for treatment, Mrs. Bernadette McAliskey, said last night. She is still very ill, needs care and attention, but ultimately she will come home with her baby, she explained.
"I spoke to her yesterday afternoon when I was advised about the statement and she was absolutely delighted that finally she was going to be freed and that the cloud was lifted," Bernadette said.
Today Bernadette will go to London where she will visit Roisín.

Ryanair is to treble size of air fleet with £1·2bn deal

Union and airline management meet inquiry team

by Kevin Barry
RYANAIR is trebling its fleet with a £1·2 billion contract for planes.
The announcement came last night as Dublin Airport returned to normal following the weekend closure because of the airline's dispute with workers.
The deal, with American Boeing for 45 planes, is one of the biggest in Irish aviation history and was revealed on the day the SIPTU had its first meeting with the inquiry team appointed by Tanaiste Mary Harney in a bid to resolve the bitter dispute over pay levels and union recognition within the company.
Ryanair chief executive, Michael O'Leary, said the deal will allow the airline to make its low fares widely available across Europe's air routes.
"The deal will enable us to maintain our planned capacity growth of 25% per annum," he added.
SIPTU officials said they were broadly positive in the wake of yesterday's initial meeting between the Government inquiry team and SIPTU that represents 39 of the company's baggage handlers.
"The company is saying a mechanism has to be found to accommodate baggage handlers," said SIPTU's Michael Fitzgerald.
Yesterday's two-hour meeting was between SIPTU officials Paul O'Sullivan and Noelle Dowling, the 39 baggage handlers, Phil Flynn and Dan McAuley representing the inquiry team. The team will have separate meetings with Ryanair management led by Mr O'Leary.
"The situation with separate meetings is not unusual," said Mr Fitzgerald.
"In the early stages of a discussion, it can be very useful."
SIPTU's vice president Des Geraghty last night reiterated the union would continue to press for recognition at Ryanair.
"Our view remains that the workers in Ryanair are entitled to be represented by the union of their choice — which is SIPTU," he said.
Ryanair said the contact has been established between the inquiry team and senior management. "The company has expressed its willingness to comply with the procedures set in place at the weekend," said a spokesperson.
The chaos caused by the weekend dispute had largely dissipated by last night.
The main disruption at Cork Airport yesterday was caused by the cancellation of an Aer Lingus Cork-Dublin flight for a connection to Paris.
The flight was re-routed from Dublin to Cork and on to Paris, causing delays for passengers. Aer Lingus said all routes would be back to normal today.
A Ryanair spokesperson said their flights operated as scheduled yesterday.
Among many disgruntled passengers were a group of animal-care students who were stranded in Birmingham, on Sunday night after attending Cruffs Dog Show.
"We're talking about an absolute nightmare," said teacher Una Clifford, who accompanied the students.
The airline will finance the new fleet through existing cash generation and borrowings.
It did not give the split between the two. There is a firm contract for 25 Bowing 737-800s which seat 189 people with the first five to be delivered next March and a further five each subsequent year.
Delivery of the next 20 will not begin until the Summer of 2001 if the company takes up that option.

Club KO's night on the town

by Judy Murphy
FRANCIE BARRETT, who captured the heart of the nation when he fought for Ireland at the Atlanta Olympics, is to sue a night-club which denied him entry.
He was "devastated" when he and his wife Kathleen were refused entry at the Galway night-club, Liquid, in Salthill.
They were attending a party organised by the Galway City Partnership — a body made up of representatives from the private and public sector, which works with long term unemployed people, lone parents, people with disabilities and Travellers.
The Partnership had been given a room in the night-club for Saturday night's event, but when Francie, his wife Kathleen, his sister, cousin and brother and his brother's wife went to the club they were refused admittance. "One of the bouncers said if we came in he'd close the place down," said Mr Barrett, who leaves for Chicago today to represent Ireland in a World Welterweight Boxing Championship.
He just wanted to have a night out with his wife and family before flying out and was embarrassed and upset by the incident, he said.
"It is amazing to think you can box your heart out for your country and carry the Irish flag in the Olympics and then be refused entry to a night-club because you are a Traveller," he said.
One of the doormen even asked him how the boxing was going, as he was being refused entry, he said.
"I will go further with this. People think that I'm soft, but if I let this kind of thing pass, it will happen again.
Vinnie McNeilus, the night-club manager, said, when contacted last night said, "I know what you want and I do not want to comment."
Galway Travellers' Support Group will back Mr Barrett in any legal action. Rachel Doyle, of the GTSG, was with him when he was refused admittance. "The bouncers told me Travellers had previously caused problems at the club," she said.
"I asked if any of the group present had been involved, but the bouncers told me they had the right to refuse admission. The manager gave the same answer," she said.

Limerick East in grip of siege

FF and FG query poll; Labour on line with O'Sullivan

GATHERING on the stroke of 7pm in the rain-soaked darkness around The Davin Arms on the Ennis Road, the Fianna Fáil canvassers quickly slotted into practised roles as they readied to 'open' doors for the party 's candidate, Sandra Marsh.
If speed guaranteed victory, Marsh would long since have been bound for Dail E´ireann. She moved briskly, her heels barely touching the ground as she dashed from one lighted porchway to the next, in search of 'No 1's and 'preferences'.
However, fleetness of foot does not automatically bring success. Instead, it can be the division within the ranks that can threaten defeat.
Questioned about local difficulties, Marsh shrugs, looks ahead, irritated that this 'hare' will not go away.
"What can I say? The Fianna Fáil organisation has been out canvassing every night. There is no more that I can say...no more that I can say," comments the candidate, looking out from an FF umbrella given to her as a mascot by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
And well he might offer her a good luck token.
Defeat in the two by-elections this week in Dublin North and Limerick East will not hold immediate implications for his administration, but it will make the job of survival all that more difficult.
Stunned by The Limerick Leader/Irish Marketing Surveys' opinion poll, which incredibly put Marsh in third place for first preferences, Fianna Fáil rounded on the newspaper, questioning the methodology and complaining bitterly of bias.
"There is no way that that figure is right. No way. For God's sake, we took nearly 40% in first preferences last June," said a leader of one canvassing group, pulling hard on a cigarette as he directed his team around a housing estate.
Tempers improved yesterday with news that the Sunday Independent poll placed Marsh closer to Fianna Fáil's traditional support base of 27%, though the 5% margin for error in both surveys makes party tallymen wary of relying upon either of them.
Despite the firmest of denials, there is an air of nervousness around the FF camp. But it is not panic. Not yet!
"This is all there to be won in the final days. The oldest cliche in the book. But it's a fact," said a party worker in Fianna Fáil's O'Connell Street campaign headquarters on Friday.
However, the "stability of the Government" argument, which was rather laboured by The Sunday Independent, appears to hold little sway with voters, with 60% saying that their choice will be dictated by local issues.
The man, who in the eyes of many Fianna Fáil supporters locally should be the one on the ticket, solicitor Peter Power, has been out canvassing, though nobody will admit to having seen him far from his own North Circular Road political base.
Councillor Noel Gleeson, who threatened to quit the party in the heat of the moment after Marsh won at the selection convention, has been visible: "That was before. This is now. She is the candidate. Whatever else I am, I am Fianna Fáil true and true," he said.
Many are far less forgiving. Canvassers out in the country report deep resentment from people in Gleeson's home area of Cappamore, while, in the city, the grumbles about Power's treatment have, at best, simply been put on hold.
On the positive side, Fianna Fáil has Bertie Ahern. He has been a frequent visitor of late and party strategists still hope that "the stability question" will come to dominate thoughts as voters make their way to polling stations on Wednesday.
Having examined The Leader's poll, Fianna Fáil have some grounds for questioning it, but not as many as they think. Certainly, the drop to 19%, from 35%, is hard to credit, but the latter rise was achieved on the back of a collapse in the vote of Jim Kemmy and Des O'Malley.
Last June, Kemmy took just 5.41% first preferences, before struggling to safety on the 11th count with a little over 9% of the total vote. Ten months on, a few feel guilty about his final days: "Some of the feeling is genuine, some the action of the hypocrite. But it will affect a percentage of voters. No doubt," said one observer.
Jan O'Sullivan's campaign has been boosted by the constant supervision of Joe Kemmy, who ran his brother's electoral operation for so many years and who has now carried out the political equivalent of "a laying of hands" on her. Oddly, Ruairi Quinn was kept on Presidential-style duties on Friday when he came to town, meeting with top heads of the upgraded Limerick Institute of Technology before moving on to meet with FAS chiefs in the Raheen Industrial Estate. Asked to explain this curious use of a party leader so close to polling, a Labour source said: "Joe and Ruairí would not exactly see eye-to-eye on the way things should be done. Joe would prefer him out of way, doing "Taoiseachy-type" things. "Confident that O'Sullivan was on the rise, Kemmy insists that Fianna Fáil "already knows that it has lost" and that Fianna Fáil-inclined voters will give O'Sullivan the No 2 to ensure her victory over Mary Jackman.
This theory has a grounding in hard political fact.
"If Jackman wins, she could be very hard to dislodge. A victory for O'Sullivan will be nothing more than a restoration of the status quo. It is a safe option. And there is no reason not to vote for her. She is a nice lady," said one local figure.
However, another political reality may yet prove more important: more rural people vote than urbanites. The Leader's poll shows that Jackman is taking 30% in the county areas, followed by Marsh on 24% and O'Sullivan lagging in third with 16%, with Democratic Left's John Ryan getting 13%. A similar comparison with The Sunday Independent poll, which worried FG from the moment word spread that it was being carried out in 40 locations in the constituency on Wednesday and Thursday, is impossible, since the urban/rural spread is not given." The county area has been canvassed like never before. We have told our people that it might be more difficult to get to them, up country boreens and what not, but the fact is that 65%, to 70% of them will come out and vote. In the city, it could be 55%," said the Progressive Democrat TD, Des O'Malley.
Indeed, in the socially-deprived areas of Southhill and Moyross, the figure could be even lower again. If so, it damages the possibility that Willie O'Dea, who holds an extraordinary grip on the votes of some Limerick people, may be unable to deliver, even now that he wants to do so.
The issue of whether there is a pact between Fianna Fáil and the PDs has dogged both repeatedly during the campaign, though they have now agreed on a soft call on the electorate to back the Government parties on Wednesday.
"A win is a win for the Government, a loss is a loss for the Government," said Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, when he arrived in town on Friday evening for the opening of RehabCare's new premises, and an evening of hard canvassing.
Early party opinion polls of questionable accuracy indicated that Councillor Tim O'Malley, a cousin of the former PD leader, was doing well with up to 18% first preferences, though The Leader survey showed a stark slippage to 11%.
Yesterday, the estimate dipped to 8%. Last June, Des O'Malley received a shade over half a quota in first preferences, a catastrophic drop to 8.77% from the 17.17% he garnered in 1992. In all, the party's total share of the vote in Limerick, including O'Malley's then running mate, Eddie Creighton, plummeted to 12.42% from 26.14%. Depending on how one views life, an 11% first preference showing for Tim O'Malley would offer some solace to the PDs. It would be far from a return to the glory days, but it would offer reasonable hope that the seat could be held after O'Malley Senior's departure.
However, the PDs cannot – even if they really, really, really wanted to – deliver transfers en bloc to Fianna Fáil. Much of O'Malley's vote is geographic, centred on his home area of Dooradoyle and the Crescent, near Fine Gael TD Michael Noonan. The areas which deserted Des O'Malley last June, in particular Caherdavin, Castletroy, are not likely to drift back to the PDs if they are faced with "a strings attached" deal: "It is going to be hard enough to get them for ourselves, never mind passing them on," said a PD figure.
Still, the transfer pattern may not turn out to be so terrible for Fianna Fail. In June, over 56% of Eddie Creighton's transfers went to Des O'Malley. Contrary to general belief, Fianna Fáil did best of the rest, getting 20%, as against just 9.45% for Fine Gael. Sometimes the figures tell their own truths. Yesterday, Fine Gael still put its trust in last week's poll: "That poll result was important. The Leader's headline 'Jackman Leading The Field' was more important and the sight of Kathy O'Halloran reporting the figures on RTE News was the most important of all," said one party figure.
Like Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael questions The Leader's poll - but for different reasons: "It doesn't take into account that there will be differences in turn-out between areas on the day. It assumes an even spread. That is why our candidate will be even further ahead," predicted one Fine Gael party worker. Democratic Left candidate, John Ryan just failed to stay ahead of Jim Kemmy for the last seat in June, having won 6.85% of the first preferences. This time, he will do much better, though his party organisation insists that he is the dark horse of the campaign. Assuming that he is not, his transfers are vital.
In June, nearly 50% went to the Labour candidate, 20% went to Fine Gael. More important, 37% were non-transferable. If the pattern is repeated, even in general terms, it will provide a vital injection for O'Sullivan.

Airport tangle leaves boxers on the ropes

by Brendan Mooney
TRAINS and boats and planes – Irish boxers had to avail of them all over the weekend in their bid to get in and out of the country.
The escalation of the Ryanair dispute that eventually closed Dublin Airport for a time left the teams for the two-match tour of New Zealand scurrying to Belfast in a failed bid to make the connecting flight to New Zealand.
And the boxers in search of qualification for the European championships had to travel to London by boat and train for the connection to Naples.
With two boxers qualified, the boxers returning from Halle where both bantamweight Bernard Dunne and lightweight Eugene McEneaney booked their places in the European championships, were prepared for delays but no serious difficulties.
All those who failed in their bid for qualification at the multi-nations tournament in Turkey a couple of weeks ago, get a second bite at the cherry this week at the Torneo Italia in Naples.
They were supposed to leave Dublin yesterday but, as delays threatened their chances of making the connecting flight at Heathrow, they were forced to travel by boat and train on Sunday night.
Included in that squad are national light middleweight champion, Michael Roche (Sunnyside) and newly-crowned national light flyweight champion, Martin Murphy (St. Paul's, Waterford) along with featherweight champion, Pat O'Donnell (Dockers, Belfast), and super heavyweight champion, Stephen Reynolds (St. Joseph's, Sligo).
The Barrett brothers, Seanie and Declan, members of the Rylane club, will be in action on opposite sides of the globe over the coming weeks. Declan is the lightweight representative on the Irish team for the two-match tour of the USA while Seanie is one of three welterweights in San Jose and Chicago.
Bernard Dunne, who qualified for the Europeans at Halle over the weekend, takes off again with the team for America.
The Dubliner (17) gets the bantamweight spot with Michael Hobbs (Arklow) at featherweight, Paul McCloskey (St. Canices, Derry), beaten finalist at the senior championships, at light welterweight and Francis Barrett (Olympic, Galway), Seanie Barrett (Rylane, Cork) and Robert Murray (St. Matthews) at welterweight.
Frank O'Brien (Ballyduff) makes his senior international debut at light middleweight. After losing to beaten finalist, Tom Fitzgerald (Ballyvolane), in the preliminary rounds of the national senior championships, he has not put a foot or a glove wrong since.
And just a week ago he had back to back victories at tournaments in Cork. The most significant win was over St. Colman's middleweight, Kevin Walsh, in Garryvoe on Friday night week and then, the following night, he beat Keith Whelan (Saviours(
/Crystal) in a repeat of the final at last season's national intermediate championships.
He put his career in art – he was a student at the College of Art in Limerick – on hold this year to attend the Agricultural College in Clonakilty.
And the 20 year-old has been putting more emphasis on a promising boxing career as well. In fact his only defeat this season was at the national senior championships.
Kevin Walsh (St. Colman's) is also en route to the USA where he will fill the middleweight berth in a campaign that should work wonders for his transition to that division and his father, Maurice, is coach to the Irish team for the trip.
There are two light heavyweights in the squad – Alo Kelly (Brosna) who was runner-up in the nationals and the man he beat in the semi finals, Sean Collier (Loch Gorman).
Tom Clare (Buncrana), makes his senior international debut at super heavyweight. Eugene McEneaney, who also qualified for the Europeans in Halle at the weekend, was selected at lightweight but he suffered a slight ankle injury in Germany and has cried off the team.

Murderer escapes from jail

by Stephen Rock.
THE Department of Justice has launched an inquiry following yesterday's escape by convicted murderer Stephen Rock from Mountjoy Prison.
Gardaí are searching for Rock (33) from Cremona Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in November 1988. He was convicted of murdering a man who sustained head injuries in a fight.
Rock, who is 5ft 10in tall, was wearing a blue jacket and green boiler suit bottoms when last seen. His hair is cut short.

Mother's boyfriend is accused of raping girl

by Cormac Mac Ruairi
A TEENAGER alleged to a jury in the Central Criminal Court yesterday that her mother's boyfriend began raping her shortly after her sixth birthday.
The alleged sexual abuse took place once or twice every week and "kept going on", the now 16-year-old girl told prosecution counsel Denis Vaughan Buckley SC.
The accused, she said, would tell her to bend over and he would rape her vaginally or anally. She said her mother would be in a different room of their home or out shopping when this took place. She agreed she did not tell her mother what was happening.
The girl told Mr Vaughan Buckley that her mother would send her to a religious community or sometimes to a church to get food. Her mother sent her on such a message in 1995, the day after the accused allegedly raped her anally, she said.
Her mother would beat her when she thought she had done something wrong. She claimed her mother slapped her and beat her with a brush handle. On one occasion she banged her head against a wall and a wardrobe. She was now living with foster parents, she said.
The alleged victim was giving evidence via the video-link system on the first day of the trial of a 58-year-old man who denies 12 charges.
The accused pleaded not guilty to anally raping and sexually assaulting her at their home in Co Clare on September 1, 1995.
He also denied indecently assaulting her in April and May 1987; two charges of rape and two of indecent assault relating to 1989 and two charges each of rape and indecent assault relating to 1990.
Cross-examined by Barry White SC, defending, the alleged victim denied his suggestion that the abuse had not taken place. Mr White questioned her about one alleged incident which she said took place on a date in 1995 when she returned home after 9pm. She was late to babysit for a neighbour.
She said the accused made her bend over a couch and raped her anally before she went off to replace her mother who was doing the babysitting. She cried during the incident.
She disagreed with Mr White who suggested her mother would have seen signs of distress if the incident had occurred.
She said that the next day she went out with friends and later that evening she made a complaint to one of her friends. Her friend wanted her to go to the gardaí but she was afraid the accused would hurt her mother and come after herself, she said.
She agreed with Mr White she had first told her friend how her mother had beaten her head off a wall and a wardrobe. The girl agreed her mother would beat her if she did not arrive home in time. She said her mother had sent her on a message in 1995, the day after the caused allegedly raped her. She stayed with her friends for most of the day and, in the evening, she heard the gardaí were looking for her. Shortly after this, she made the abuse allegations to her friend.
Counsel put it to her that she had told her friends she had been abused from the age of 11 for three years. The girl agreed the statement did not accord with her evidence to the court.
She also agreed that she had previously claimed her brother had sexually abused her. She told her mother this because the accused had told her to say it, she said.
The hearing before Mr Justice Diarmuid O'Donovan and a jury of six women and six men continues.

Number of Alzheimer's victims set to double

by Neans McSweeney
THE number victims of Alzheimer's Disease will double over the next 50 years, the first European conference on the condition in Dublin was told yesterday.
However, the care programme in place will not be adequate to cope.
In many cases, doctors are not anxious to identify and inform patients and their families when they suspect dementia or Alzheimer's, according to a major European study carried out by Professor Brian Lawlor, Consultant Psychiatrist at St Patrick's Hospital in Dublin.
The problem affects between 5% to 8% of people over 65 years of age, one-in-five of those over 75 years and up to half of those aged over 85 years.
The findings were outlined at the conference in Dublin Castle yesterday. Professor Lawlor believes there is a shortage of specialist doctors.
"When dealing with dementia, health professionals all too often take a nihilistic view and believe that identifying the disease and informing the patient and family will only aggravate the problem. Hopefully, the advent of new treatments should foster the development of a more positive approach to assessment and diagnosis and improve all care options for patients and their families". With people expected to live longer and a greater proportion of elderly people in Europe over the next 50 years, the problems are expected to grow rapidly.
Government agencies must form partnerships with Alzheimer's societies across Europe and funding should be made available to carers.
"With changes in our social system, particularly the increase in the number of women returning to work, the number of carers who traditionally look after this group will not be available," Prof Morton Watner of the Welsh Institute for Health and Social Care warned. While living to a ripe old age is one of the fine achievements of western societies, Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Dr Tom Moffatt, believes steps must be taken to ensure proper care in the future. A number of consultant-led psychogeriatric teams have been appointed and the Department intends to allocate capital resources to provide the back-up physical facilities such as day hospitals and day centres for people with dementia.
Progress is being made on the setting up of a Development Centre at St James' Hospital in Dublin in association with The Mercer's Institute for Research on Ageing and Trinity College.
The centre will provide information, education and training for those working with dementia sufferers and their carers.

Bitter rows sparked as council vetoes £90m development

by Neans McSweeney
A LOCAL authority has refused to re-zone lands within its boundaries, blocking a £90million industrial and commercial development and sparking bitter rows both within the council and Fianna Fail.
Cork Co. Councillors who abstained from yesterday's vote have been slammed by two local deputies and fellow councillors who believe the proposed project would have been a major lifeline to the Little Island area. The developers, O'Flynn Construction, confirmed they are to lodge an appeal with An Bord Pleanala and are hopeful the project will go ahead.
Yesterday's proposal was for an advance factory, business unit, shopping centre, retail warehousing, office commercial unit and industrial starter units. It was to feature 75% light industrial units and 25% retail space. The project had received tacit approval of the local community and the two local councillors.
The development is the third that Cork County Council has endeavoured to block in recent weeks, and comes as Cork Corporation consider a multi-million commercial development less than a mile away in Mahon. At its last meeting, the Co. Council voted to lodge an appeal with An Bord Pleanala against a proposed retail development, approved by Cork Corporation, at the Pole Field on the city's northside. The appeal has since been lodged. Council officials have also rejected another proposal for a £35m hotel and retail development in Little Island.
Of the 44 councillors at yesterday's meeting, 30, including four Fianna Fail councillors, voted for the proposed development at Little Island. The remaining 14 abstained. It emerged last night that FF had imposed the whip and councillors were told to abstain from the vote. It is believed over half had been in favour of the project. The whip was enforced because FF felt slighted and believed the re-zoning was being pushed through without their consultation.
FF cllr. Dan Fleming was one of the four party members who ignored the whip. "I wasn't at the meeting before the council meeting this morning when the whip was enforced. I saw the project as a very substantial and major project for Little Island. What we need there is a social mix. I was going to vote for it even if it meant I was going to be thrown out of the party. I expect some resentment will be shown towards those who voted for it."
Other FF councillors who voted for the Little Island project were Annette McNamara, Kevin O'Keeffe and Larry Kelly.
Developer Michael O'Flynn said he was not interested in pressing ahead with any project without a retail aspect. He said he had put one application before the council, an integrated proposal. "I will be appealing to An Bord Pleanala. I'm appalled with this morning's decision.
"I know we had broad support. But for the imposition of the whip, I believe the plan would have gone through. But I thank the local councillors and the local community for their support. I think our plan became controversial because of another. I don't think one scheme should impact another."
FF deputies Noel O'Flynn and Billy Kelleher were highly critical of their fellow party members. "I'm very disappointed. This would have created a clean environment in Little Island. I would hope that my colleagues in Cork County Council would re-visit the issue and have a change of mind," said Deputy O'Flynn.
Deputy Kelleher expressed his utter dismay and disappointment. "This will be a huge setback to the development of the Little Island, Glouhthane and Glanmire areas in regards to commercial offices, retail shopping and the resultant loss of employment."

Jailed drug dealer was living beyond his means

by Tomas Mac Ruairi
A MAN whom a garda claimed seemed to be living beyond his means has been jailed for six years for the crime of drug dealing by Judge Frank O'Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Judge O'Donnell accepted the evidence of Detective Sergeant Ashley O'Sullivan that Joseph Keogh was not a heroin addict and was involved in drug dealing for monetary gain in St Michael's Estate, Inchicore. "He had two cars at one stage and I have seen his flat and its furnishings suggest to me he was living beyond his means", Det Sgt O'Sullivan told defence counsel Michael O'Higgins BL.
Keogh (29), married and the father of two, pleaded guilty to having cannabis resin for supply on October 18, 1996, in his flat.
William Doran (24), single, also of St Michael's Estate, and Keogh pleaded guilty to having heroin for sale or supply in Doran's flat on October 28, 1996.
Judge O'Donnell imposed a five-year sentence on Doran whom he said he accepted was an addict involved just to feed his own habit. He will review the sentence on March 6, 2000. "The matter is now in your hands if you want to regain your freedom", he told Doran.
Earlier, Det Sgt O'Sullivan agreed with defence counsel Rachel Fehily BL that St Michael's Estate was an area "ravished by drug dealers and drug abuse". Doran was a drug addict who was weak and easily led.
Det Sgt O'Sullivan told prosecuting counsel Isobel Kennedy BL that a Garda search party forced their way into Keogh's flat on October 18 and found him at a worktop with a knife in his hand cutting a large quantity of cannabis. He dropped the knife and walked away from the worktop. More cannabis was found in the flat and the total came to 177.13 grams with a street value of £17,071. Keogh admitted his guilt.
Det Sgt O'Sullivan told Aileen Donnelly BL, prosecuting the second case, that surveillance was placed on October 25, 1996 on Doran's flat. He was seen leaning out the window on occasions dealing with other youths. Gardaí entered Doran's flat on October 28 and found Keogh in the act of cutting up heroin with a blade. He dropped the blade when the gardai came in and walked away from the table. Doran and a woman were also there. Det Sgt O'Sullivan said 18.5 grams of heroin was recovered and it had a street value of £4,000. Keogh told gardaí he was saying nothing and Doran made no reply when arrested but made admissions when interviewed. Doran said he had started selling heroin about two weeks beforehand.

Magic returns to Kerry village for tribute weekend

by Declan Colley
THE pints will not be the only thing disappearing this coming weekend in West Kerry as the village of Annascaul conjures up a unique way of honouring one of its most colourful sons.
The second Dan Foley Magic Weekend runs from next Friday to Sunday and was established by the local community in memory of one of the most intriguing characters in the county.
The late multi-talented publican was much more than a bar-owner. First and foremost a magician, who in his early days travelled the length and breadth of the country on a bicycle with his magic show, he was also a renowned storyteller and local historian.
When he died suddenly in August 1996, the local community, as well as Dan's myriad friends from around the world, were deeply shocked.
The Magic Weekend was set up as an appropriate memorial. Magic, comedy and theatre were all intrinsic parts of Dan's life and these will be reflected in the weekend's events, many of which are centred around Dan's famous pub in the main street.
The weekend will kick off with a magic show for children in Brackluin House on Friday evening and later that night the focus will switch to Dan Foleys where a variety of magicians will entertain.
On Saturday there will be magic displays throughout the village, as well as music and entertainment of another order with the return of Mr. Pussy to Dan Foleys.
Sunday is a very family oriented day with puppet and mime shows, fire-eaters, stilt-walkers, face-painters, jugglers and a whole lot more.
The big show of the weekend will take place at Brackluin House with a show by hypnotist Zak Powers, while there will be a fireworks show to finish the weekend.

Tributes flow in for late Supreme Court Judge

by Jim Morahan
PRESIDENT Mary McAleese led tributes to Mr Justice Brian Walsh, the Irish judge on the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, who died suddenly yesterday.
He was a former member of the High and Supreme courts and served for 10 years as president of the Law Reform Commission, until 1985.
It is believed he suffered a stroke. The judge, who would have celebrated his 80th birthday on March 23, was married with four daughters and a son.
Foreign Minister of State Liz O'Donnell said she had had the pleasure of welcoming and speaking with Judge Walsh at the inaugural Department of Foreign Affairs NGO Forum on Human Rights last Saturday. The judge was a member of the European court for 18 years.
President McAleese said his outstanding abilities as a jurist were recognised worldwide. He brought these abilities to bear on the numerous important assignments be undertook over many years. As president of the Law Reform Commission he had made a vital contribution to the whole area of Irish law reform, she said.
Mr Justice Walsh was one of the youngest Supreme Court judges on his appointment in December 1961. He served for 29 years - the longest by a member of the country's highest court - retiring on his 72nd birthday in 1990.
Labour leader Ruairi Quinn said Judge Walsh recognised the pluralist nature of the State "and refused to import the doctrine of any religious denomination into the interpretation of its Constitution.
Mr Quinn said the "Supreme Court, with Judge Walsh to the fore, forced those of us in politics to recognise the inherent dignity of the individual and the right of private conscience."
Extending its sympathy to his family, the Pro-Life Campaign said Judge Walsh had addressed several of its meetings since his retirement "and his legal advice and insights were greatly valued".
Born in North Dublin, he was son of Patrick Walsh, from Lixnaw, Co. Kerry, (a senior Department of Education official) and Mrs Elsie Walsh (née O'Brien), from Castleview, Macroom, Co. Cork.
One of his teachers in Scoil Mhuire all-Irish primary school was Nora Ashe, sister of the 1916 Rising leader Thomas Ashe. After six years in Belvedere College, he attended UCD and studied law at Kings Inn before being called to the Bar in 1941.
For the next 19 years he combined his law practice with lecturing at Maynooth College in Roman, Civil and Canon law. The late Cardinal Tomás O´ Fiaich was one of his students. He was appointed to the High Court bench in November 1969.

£40m airport project moves step closer as planning go-ahead sought for second phase

by Tommy Barker
PLANNING permission for the second and largest phase of the proposed £40 million Cork Airport Business Park has now been sought, while site and construction work is already advancing on the initial buildings to tie in with airport-related industries.
Also expected to go forward for planning permission is a Great Southern Hotels 80-bed hotel on the airport campus, on a site between the terminal building and the emerging business park.
GSH yesterday formally opened a 120-bedroom hotel near Dublin Airport, and the Dublin Airport area has seen industrial and business park investments to date, of well over £200 million.
A further ten buildings, extending to 300,000 sq.ft. for international traded services as well as a business and technology park, are now planned for lands adjoining Cork Airport in a bid to attract jobs and investment.
Time is of the essence in attracting mobile jobs to the airport park, promoted by Omnistone Ltd in which Aer Rianta and ICC Bank are shareholders, along with Cork businessman Gerry Wycherly. It's envisaged that about 2,000 jobs in total will be created.
While Mr Wycherly would not comment on the current level of interest in the airport park, market sources underlined the stiff level of international competition to attract these highly-mobile companies in the internationally-traded sector.
The Cork Airport Business Park, on about 45 acres, qualifies for Enterprise Zone Status with important capital allowances on the capital costs. However, these are due to expire in 22-months time, in December 1999.

City pledges to find Millennium funds

DESPITE disappointment over the refusal of Department of Tourism funding for a £3.9 million civic museum, Galway Corporation are determined to secure funding from some other source for the city's number one Millennium project.
Two weeks ago, Tourism Minister Jim McDaid announced he would not be funding any new projects in Galway or Dublin with two of the projects to lose out being the Civic Museum and the proposed Seaworld at Salthill. The planned museum at the Spanish Arch will incorporate a scale model of Galway complete with a working representation of the city's historic and unique waterways.
The Corporation will now be applying directly to the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for funding for the museum and may also look for funding under the Urban Renewal Scheme. City manager Joe Gavin said they may also consider the possibility of a phased development with the working model of the waterways developed in advance of the rest of the project.
The Corporation have identified the civic museum as their priority Millennium project with the next in line being the refurbishment of Eyre Square. The enhancement of the city centre streets once they have been pedestrianised and the refurbishment of the city's waterways and a pedestrian bridge linking Woodquay with UCG across existing railway pillars are two further projects and are the furthest away from commencement.
Mr Gavin said: "One way or another we are going to secure the money to bring the museum to Galway. We believe the museum would be a very important addition to tourism and educational matters in the city and so we're doing all we can to find funding in time to have it on stream for the Millennium."

By-election double defeat could be the end for Bertie

by Liam O'Neill
Political Editor
TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern yesterday conceded a double defeat in tomorrow's by-elections would make it more difficult for his minority Coalition to govern.
Campaigning in North Dublin, Mr Ahern made it clear, however, he was not contemplating defeat, although he acknowledged that the opinion polls – usually fairly accurate – showed Fianna Fáil running behind in both Dublin and Limerick East.
"In politics you have to keep on working and fighting to the end", he said as he rejected a suggestion that Fianna Fáil's chances in both constituencies were "dead and buried".
On the issue of vote transfers between the Government parties, Mr. Ahern said he and his colleagues were urging voters to transfer to the Progressive Democrats and he was sure the PDs were doing likewise.
In North Dublin, where there are 19 candidates, it would be down to two at the end and FF would still be there, Mr Ahern said.
The opinion polls said they would be narrowly beaten but the ability of polls to predict accurately after the sixth count was very poor.
By implication the Taoiseach indicated his determination to go on governing even if the Government lost the two by-elections, although he said it would be difficult and there would be the "question of stability".
In the late '80s, a minority FF government had managed to keep going for a considerable time and back in the '60s the Lemass governments, managed to go nearly a full decade in a minority position, he said.
All the time the Government had the support of three Independents and they would have to look at tying in a fourth, if they lost the two by-elections.