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News In Brief
• The first signs of a slowdown in Ireland’s construction
industry show a drop in the number of new houses being built. About 77,000
new homes were built in 2007, a fall of 16,000 units on the previous year.
It is the first decrease in 14 years with property prices also slowing
up. The average price of a new home in Dublin is now 412,324 euros. .
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• Cork couple Fergus Burke and Michelle Owens availed of new marriage
laws to hold the first civil marriage in Ireland in a venue other than
a registry office. Until November, civil marriages were lawful only when
held in a registry office but a provision made to the Civil Registrations
Act allows couples to hold their weddings in alternative locations under
the watchful eye of solemnisers and registrars.The newlyweds from Co.
Cork were first to make use of the new legislation and they had their
ceremony conducted in the stylish conservatory of the Cahernane House
Hotel in Killarney, Co. Kerry. . .
• The famous Royal Hotel in Roscommon town was completely destroyed
by an accidental fire over Christmas. It took hours for firefighters to
bring the blaze under control but the landmark hotel, owned by the O’Gara
Family, was reduced to a shell. Happily, nobody was injured. . .
• A contractual dispute over the refurbishment of Eyre Square may
lead to heavy legal bills for Galway City Council. Local opposition to
the controversial redesign of the city center area saw the original contractors
Samuel Kingston Construction Ltd. (SKC) pull out of operations two years
ago and SIAC Construction Ltd. appointed to complete the job. However,
a dispute over payments and compensation means that the project is now
under review, with the local authority potentially facing substantial
payouts as well as legal fees. The redevelopment of Eyre Square was first
proposed in 1995 at a cost of 1.25 million euros; the scheme was finally
completed in April 2006 with costs approaching 10 million euros. . .
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