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News In Brief  •
GARDAI (Irish police) staged the first drink-and-drugs roadside checks
in Monaghan, Cavan and Donegal. The garda move is part of a campaign against
motorists driving under the influence of drugs and being able to avoid
detection on standard alcohol breathalyzer testing . . .
• IRELAND’s healthier financial position within the European
Union is reflected in a steady move from net recipient to net contributor
of EU funds. Since joining the EU in 1973 – when the Union was named
the European Economic Community (EEC) – Ireland has received some
40 billion euro in development grants. In return, Ireland made concessions
on fishing waters and is now scheduled to contribute some 500 million
euro per year to EU funds by 2013 . . .
• FIONA O’Malley and Ciaran Cannon will contest the vacant
leadership of the Progressive Democrats (PD) party. O’Malley, daughter
of former PD leader Des O’Malley, and Cannon are both senators.
The election will be held in April, and Mary Harney will continue to act
as interim leader until the ballot takes place . . .
• BRENDAN Hughes, former Provisional IRA leader and hunger-striker,
died at the age of 59. Hughes took part in the H-block protests in 1980
and went on hunger-strike for 53 days. The protest took its toll on him
physically and in later years he remained firmly opposed to IRA ceasefires
and the 1998 Good Friday Agreement . . .
• IRISH President Mary McAleese sent a message of congratulations
to Irish winners at Hollywood’s Oscar Award ceremony. Dublin musician
Glen Hansard and his Czech partner, Marketa Irglova, won the Oscar for
the Best Song from the budget smash hit Once, while Wicklow resident Daniel
Day-Lewis fulfilled general expectations by winning the Best Actor award
for his role in There Will Be Blood . . .
• A PUPPET turkey will represent Ireland at this year’s Eurovision
Song Contest in Belgrade Making a laugh of a widely-derided competition,
“Dustin The Turkey” won the national song contest with “Irelande
Douze Points” (Ireland Twelve Points – a jibe at Euro-voting
in the song) by telephone vote. However, the turkey’s success has
not gone down well with serious Eurovision fans. Former Eurovision winner-turned-politician
Rosemary Scallon (better known as Dana) described the outcome as “fowl
play.” |
