Planning permission has been granted for a large new apartment scheme on the site of Dublin’s largest synagogue, despite concern by local residents about the scale of the plans and the loss of an iconic building. Dublin City Council approved plans by developer, Granbrind Terenure Limited, for the construction of 60 apartments on a 0.54 site on Rathfarnham Road in Terenure that currently houses an Orthodox Jewish synagogue. However, the scale of the development has been reduced by the company from its original plans for 66 apartments after serious concerns were raised by council planners. The scheme will consist of three apartment blocks ranging from three to six storeys in height. The developer claimed its plans strike a balance between minimising the impact of the development on neighbouring residents and securing a reasonable scale and density in line with national planning policy. It had warned that any further reduction in the scale of the development would have made the project unviable. Today's News in 90 Seconds - May 5th Dublin City Council said the revised plans show the proposed development can be accommodated on the site without having an undue adverse impact on the residential amenities of nearby residents. Among the conditions attached to the grant of planning permission is the requirement for Granbrind Terenure to make a development contribution of €618,495 to the council for public infrastructure benefitting the new apartment scheme. The company is also required to make an additional contribution of €300,000 in lieu of meeting the requirement on the provision of public open space within the development. The Terenure synagogue, which has a distinctive facade with five Stars of David above ten small square windows as well as stained glass windows of note, was designed by Irish architect Wilfred Cantwell and opened in 1953. A garden to the front of the synagogue also contains a monument to victims of the Holocaust. The developer claimed the demolition of the synagogue is justified as the building is not suitable for reuse. Another condition requires the developer to submit details for the approval of the local authority on the location and future reuse of items removed from the synagogue including the stained glass windows, memorial plaques and an outdoor memorial stone. The Dublin Hebrew Congregation intends to close the synagogue, which will be demolished under the plans for the new apartment scheme together with a community hall and caretaker’s lodge, and move to a more suitably sized facility in the area. It pointed out that it now needs urgent work due to its poor condition, while also being too large for a declining Jewish congregation in the area. A heritage assessment of the building noted it was “an interesting, if somewhat eccentric structure” but stated some important features such as the stained glass windows, memorial plaques and bimah (altar) could be removed for possible use in any replacement synagogue. Among objectors to the development were the Terenure Residents’ Association, who described the scheme as “excessive and unbalanced.” The group’s chairperson, Fionnuala Blake also expressed dismay that a landmark building “with its deep social history would be lost.” Consultants for Granbrind Terenure said the proposed apartment scheme would support the development of Terenure as “a sustainable urban village through the development of a vibrant neighbourhood at this infill location.” Join the Irish Independent WhatsApp channel The new owner, who bought the house in an off-market deal, was perhaps not solely motivated by its 600sq m (6,500sq ft) of Georgian elegance. It must be far more personal for showjumper and horse breeder Cian O’Connor who owns the extremely profitable Karlswood Stables in Co Meath crediting the former rugby international with inspiring his career in showjumping the infamous horse on which O’Connor won a gold medal at the Olympics in 2004 that he was subsequently stripped of when the horse tested positive for a prohibited substance O’Reilly stood by his godson throughout the saga Bringing Fitzwilliam Square back into the family fold may feel like a step towards repaying that debt The other big property sale of the week shows the money’s in horses. Aidan O’Brien are the new owners of the sprawling Fanningstown House in Piltown The couple bought the Georgian house through their family company While the property price register records the purchase at €1.25 million that doesn’t include its adjoining 40 acres so it’s likely to have fetched close to €2 million a coach house with a loft and a mare and foal box There’s also a sauna in case any of O’Brien’s jockeys need to make weight in a hurry Earlier this year it was reported that even the great Brian O’Driscoll is struggling to become a member of Dublin’s exclusive Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club O’Driscoll was one of about 300 nominees whose names were put forward this year with the club already vastly oversubscribed Even getting nominated is quite the palaver with applicants needing to be endorsed by two people who have been members for at least 18 months and who know the prospective member for at least two years We hear another of those who was unsuccessful this year was Web Summit supremo Paddy Cosgrave who strung together some decent performances playing masters doubles with nearby Brookfield last year Presumably his Web Summit hiatus gave him time to work on his backhand When the journalist Eoghan Harris chose Barbara J Pym as a pseudonym for a Twitter account in which he took pot shots at various public figures (imagine what Babs would have made of Kneecap) he was presumably paying homage to the English satirist Barbara Pym worked as a post office censor during the second World War One of her jobs was to ensure that people in Britain writing to Irish relatives wouldn’t reveal any compromising secrets about the war effort But would Harris have chosen Pym as his nom de plume had he known about new research by British diplomat and Pym scholar Claire Smith that suggests she was working for MI5 during her time poring over wartime correspondence Apparently British intelligence recruited Pym because they believed her writer’s eye for detail would help her detect coded messages in correspondence The television adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People, starring Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones, performed the remarkable feat of making O’Neill’s GAA shorts fashionable. Another Edgar-Jones, Daisy’s father Phil, is also dipping into Irish culture with a new series for Sky on Irish dancing that airs later this year. Phil, one of the creators of Big Brother and now executive director of Unscripted Originals at Sky, has commissioned a new three-part series, The Battle of the Irish Dancers, which follows a cast of high kickers and their teachers competing at the World Championships in Dublin. Perhaps wife Wendy, who reportedly helped daughter Daisy with her Irish accent in Normal People, gave him a heads up about the theatrical potential of the glitzy world of turnouts, tiaras and tan – she comes from Co Down. If you think Tidy Towns involves picking up a bit of litter and planting a few flowers on public verges, you’re underestimating the type of committees competing for national titles. For them, it’s a year-round vocation. Take Abbeyleix, the overall winner in 2023 and a regional winner last year. When a local Bible church sought to extend an old Methodist church building on the town’s main street last year, the Tidy Towns committee took issue with its plans. While Laois County Council granted Laois Bible Church permission for a single-storey flat-roof extension and some internal modifications, Abbeyleix Tidy Towns appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanála, criticising the extension’s “crude design”. Last week the appeals board ruled in favour of the Tidy Towns committee, saying the extension would detract from the appearance of the protected structure. And that’s why they’re champions. Facebook pageTwitter feed© 2025 The Irish Times DAC An inspection of Dublin‘s famous statue of Molly Malone discovered it was not just her bosom that was in distress but that the entire sculpture was unstable with multiple broken fittings A report by expert metalworkers explained how two of the pins that held Molly in place were completely destroyed This had happened “from the abuse she [was] receiving on a daily basis” according to records released by Dublin City Council The inspection showed the statue on Suffolk Street was now held in place only by two fixing pins underneath the wheels of her cart [ Hey, tourists: fondling the Molly Malone statue is not a Dublin tradition. And it probably won’t bring you any luckOpens in new window ] An email said: “The two fixing pins below her body have come loose or have cracked.” As a matter of urgency, these pins need to be rewelded or replaced but to do that, the stone facing around the plinth will have to be removed so we can get at the pins.” The inspection took place after the council decided Molly Malone, designed by sculptor Jeanne Rynhart, needed a revamp because of ongoing damage to her bosom area. The statue’s cleavage was often groped by visitors snapping photographs and had led to noticeable discolouration of the bronze on her chest. On Monday, two male stewards were on patrol at the famous landmark. Many tourists were milling around and most of the people we spoke to said there is no need for people to touch the statue, noting how the practice had discoloured her bust over time. The Irish Times saw several people grab Molly’s breasts – despite being asked not to by the stewards. DJ and Tabitha Stevenson, who are visiting Ireland from Georgia in the United States to mark their 20th anniversary, questioned why people keep touching Molly’s bust. “I noticed that her boobs were obviously discoloured from touching, and I kept seeing people touch her boobs. So I went to ask the [steward] about it, and he said it’s an old rumour that it’s good luck,” Mr Stevenson said. A female tour guide, who did not wish to be named, had a different view. She said the presence of stewards is “ridiculous” and unnecessary. “It’s just fun for people, and it’s not destroying the lovely statue. It’s not serious.” Marilyn Todd, who is visiting Ireland from Chicago, said she didn’t have any desire to touch the statue, but understands why some people do. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, if they don’t get destructive. “I understand why they don’t want us to touch it. But, at the same time, you kind of come to Dublin to touch it,” Ms Todd said. Flavia Bonelli and Diego Castañares, who are from Buenos Aires in Argentina but currently living in Spain, said the presence of stewards is a good idea. The couple weren’t aware of the practice of touching Molly’s breasts for good luck until today. However, they may have come up with a workaround. Ms Bonelli said people could pretend to grab the breasts from a certain angle, without actually touching them, like the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. The detail regarding an inspection of the statue emerged in email correspondence between the council and a conservation specialist organisation. Bushy Park Ironworks, one of the country’s leading conservation specialists, were first contacted in January by the council. An email from the council‘s public art officer said they were looking for a quote on how much restoration of the statue would be. The message said: “As you are aware, the statue has been subject to damage in its patination several times over the years resulting from repeated touching of the statue. “We are working on a more long-term solution to the issue, but I feel that it would help the visibility of the statue if the patination of the bronze could be restored on the statue’s chest area.” The ironworks said the metalwork would be relatively straightforward with barriers erected, a thorough cleaning, the restoration of “the top edge of her dress” and then waxing. However, they said the bigger concern was the overall stability of the statue. In follow-up emails, the council said they wanted to go ahead with the work and were hoping it could be “expedited”. They asked how long fencing would be needed, whether Molly Malone needed to be covered over and the likely duration of the project. An email from the council said: “We are also considering posting a security guard on the statue during renovation work, so it would be good to know how long the whole process would take.” In response, the ironworks said the overall project would take between one and two weeks depending on what was found after the granite plinth was removed. They said that dust sheets would be enough to protect the statue while works were ongoing, and that the restoration of Molly’s bust would take only a few days depending on weather. Asked about the project, the council said they hoped the revamp of Molly Malone would be completed by the end of May. However, they would not disclose costs involved saying these had not yet been “fully established.” Molly Malone statue on St Andrew's Street in Dublin Ken FoxeYesterday at 13:34An inspection of Dublin’s famous statue of Molly Malone has found the sculpture was unstable due to multiple broken fittings The inspection took place after Dublin City Council decided Molly Malone needed a revamp because of ongoing damage to her bosom caused by groping tourists A report by expert metalworkers explained how two of the pins that held Molly in place had been completely destroyed This had happened “from the abuse she [was] receiving on a daily basis” according to records released by Dublin City Council The inspection showed the statue on Grafton Street was now held in place only by two fixing pins underneath the wheels of her cart An email said: “The two fixing pins below her body have come loose or have cracked these pins need to be rewelded or replaced but to do that the stone facing around the plinth will have to be removed so we can get at the pins.” The statue’s cleavage is often touched by visitors snapping photographs leading to noticeable discolouration of the bronze on her chest one of the country’s leading conservation specialists was first contacted in January by Dublin City Council An email from the council’s public art officer said it was looking for a quote for the restoration of the statue the statue has been subject to damage in its patination several times over the years resulting from repeated touching of the statue “We are working on a more long-term solution to the issue but I feel that it would help the visibility of the statue if the patination of the bronze could be restored on the statue’s chest area.” The ironworks said the metalwork would be relatively straightforward with barriers erected the restoration of “the top edge of her dress” and then waxing the company said the bigger concern was the overall stability of the statue Dublin City Council said it wanted to go ahead with the work and was hoping it could be expedited The council asked how long fencing would be needed whether Molly Malone needed to be covered over and the likely duration of the project An email from the council said: “We are also considering posting a security guard on the statue during renovation work so it would be good to know how long the whole process would take.” the ironworks said the overall project would take between one and two weeks depending on what was found after the granite plinth was removed The company said that dust sheets would be enough to protect the statue while works were ongoing and that the restoration of Molly’s bust would take only a few days depending on weather Dublin City Council said it hoped the revamp of Molly Malone would be completed by the end of May saying these had not yet been “fully established” TWO men have been charged over a €1.6million seizure of heroin in Dublin The drugs are linked to “a transnational criminal organisation”, Dublin ­District Court was told Spaniard Christian Munoz Sanchez, 34, and Englishman Oliver Etienne were lifted during an op by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau on May 2 The men, who both live in Barcelona Gardai said they “made no reply” when charged with ­possessing heroin and having it for sale or supply Sanchez deferred making a bail application while Etienne sought to be released on the grounds he came to Ireland on a trip with his co-accused and denies the charge The court heard it suggested a Spanish national named Christian Munoz Sanchez and others had a large quantity of heroin in west Dublin. He said Etienne was arrested in Lucan before gardai learnt his co-accused was travelling in a taxi, which was stopped at the Coolock Slip Road of the M1. Cops searched the cab and found 21 packages of heroin. Judge Clancy agreed officers hadn’t established this but denied bail Holders and All-Ireland champions Offaly were dumped out of the Leinster U-20 hurling championship at the quarter-final stage following their seven-point loss to Dublin at Cedral St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge on Monday afternoon. Offaly looked set for progression to the last four as they played the more composed hurling initially but Dublin completely dominated after the break to claim a more than deserved victory and a place in the semi-finals. Fáilte chuig gaa.ie - suíomh oifigiúil CLG Laois enjoyed a fine win over Wexford in the oneills.com Leinster U20 Hurling quarter-final O'Neills.com Leinster U-20 hurling championship quarter-finals An excellent second-half performance that yielded three goals propelled Dublin beyond oneills.com Leinster and All-Ireland U-20 HC holders Offaly and through to the province's last four who lost both of their Tier 1 group games and had to overcome Antrim in a preliminary quarter-final conjured their best form of the campaign in neutral Newbridge to see off The Faithful Dublin trailed by three points at half-time for his 28th minute goal which kept them in it But they were a different team after the break and Graham's second goal turned a tricky situation into an eventual seven-point win It amounted to a 10-point swing on the scoreboard as Dublin locked down a May 14 semi-final spot with Galway and gained a little bit of revenge for last year's Leinster final defeat to Offaly in the process Gaffney and Graham finished with 4-2 between them while Dublin seniors Brendan Kenny and Conal O Riain also weighed in with important scores There was a terrific performance at the back too from David Lucey who kept tabs on Adam Screeney and held the rising Offaly star scoreless from play did strike eight points from frees while senior colleague Dan Ravenhill and Donal Shirley delivered 0-5 between them But Offaly never really cut loose or showed the flair and character that drove them to last year's successes ignited Dublin and Dublin's third goal arrived in the 38th minute when Graham spun away from his man and blasted to the net Dublin turned the screw with unanswered points from Gaffney Kenny and O'Kelly between the 52nd and 56th minutes before Gaffney sealed it with the team's fourth goal late on Laois scored a terrific six-point win over Wexford to secure their semi-final on May 14 against Kilkenny was crucial as the side that finished bottom of their Tier 1 group scored a landmark win Wexford must have fancied their chances after opening a 0-6 to 0-3 lead initially but Laois were quickly back on level terms at 0-6 apiece before pulling decisively clear Laois reeled off seven points in a row in the second quarter of the game thanks in part to four Deegan points and two from Ruardhri Kavanagh But three Simon Roche points and a Conor Fanning goal amounted to a strong Wexford response before half-time and Laois led by just 0-15 to 1-11 at the break Wexford would have the significant wind behind them in the second-half But they couldn't use it to their advantage and only added seven second-half points with just two of those coming from play to move five clear in the 35th minute and never looked back Ben and Ross Deegan continued to pick off the points to score a memorable win and a provincial semi-final spot Laois and Dublin through to oneills.com Leinster U20 hurling semi-finals14 hours ago Munster SHC: Limerick assert themselves against Waterford 2 days ago Round-up: Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Hurling Championship3 days ago Cork and Waterford to contest Electric Ireland Munster Minor Hurling Final3 days ago Official Sponsors of the GAA Football All-Ireland Championship Official Sponsors of the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Championship Dublin delivered a superb second-half display as they accounted for Offaly by seven points in their Oneills.com Leinster Under 20 Hurling Championship quarter-final at Cedral St Conleth’s Park Dublin trailed by 0-9 to 1-3 at the interval as Adam Screeney scored six points from placed balls for Offaly with Callum Graham’s 26th minute goal a much-needed boost for the Dubs Further goals by Ollie Gaffney and Graham within seven minutes of the second-half saw Dublin take control of matters and Gaffney’s 57th minute goal was a fitting way for Dublin to progress to the last four Senan Crosbie opened the scoring for Dublin in the 2nd minute before the holders struck back through points in quick succession by Dan Ravenhill and Shane Rigney A 5th minute free from Adam Screeney doubled the Offaly lead and while Daniel O’Kelly converted a free at the opposite end for Dublin Screeney was on hand to restore his team’s two-point lead by the 8th minute O’Kelly added a superb score from distance two minutes later but another brace of Screeney frees pushed Offaly three points clear by the start of the second quarter Despite the strong defensive performances of Conor Groarke and Joe Sheppard a number of wides at the opposite end undermined the Dublin challenge as two further placed balls by Screeney added to the Faithful lead Having been held scoreless for sixteen minutes Dublin finally ended their barren spell in a fortuitous manner as Offaly netminder Liam Hoare failed to control an attempt from Callum Graham as the ball deflected into his own net The Dubs missed a couple of chances to trim their deficit further in the closing stages of the half with a fine Ravenhill point leaving Offaly three points to the good by half-time Dublin could not have wished for a better start to the second-half as a clever free from O’Kelly found Ollie Gaffney and the Dublin captain turned sharply before leaving Hoare helpless with a clinical finish from twelve yards A Cathal Kennedy point added to Dublin’s momentum and they moved two points clear by the 38th minute as Conal Ó Riain’s pass from deep was superbly controlled by Graham who raced through for a low finish into the bottom corner of the net Dublin’s belief was enhanced by those goals and they maintained their control of matters with Ó Riain Gaffney and Crosbie all adding points as the contest evolved Their opponents never looked likely to breach the Dublin defence as their challenge wilted in the Bank Holiday sunshine with James Norris O’Kelly and Kenny adding inspirational scores for Dublin It was fitting that Dublin’s captain Gaffney should have the final word given his excellence in the second-half and he showed calmness and assuredness as he raced clear before putting the finishing touches to a dominant display by his side Scorers – Dublin: O Gaffney 2-2; C Graham 2-0; D O’Kelly 0-3 (1f); B Kenny 1 ’65); D Ravenhill 0-4 (1f); S Rigney 0-3; L Kavanagh © Copyright Dublin GAA Board, Parnell Park, Donnycarney, Dublin 5. Made by Together Digital almost saw the match being completely called off 15 from Kilkenny wearing black shorts and 15 from Dublin kitted out in navy shorts may still face sanctions after they stood determinedly on the pitch at St Peregrine’s GAA club as the national anthem started at the throw-in time of 3.30pm on Saturday The move was part of a campaign to allow women the choice to wear shorts instead of the obligatory skorts Referee Ray Kelly from Kildare told the teams with Kilkenny managed by Tommy Shefflin and Dublin by Gerry McQuaid that they would have to get changed into skorts or the match would be abandoned [ Skorts: What are they and why are we suddenly talking about them?Opens in new window ] the Dublin team walked off while the Kilkenny side stayed standing shoulder to shoulder until they too left the pitch after the anthem finished with hundreds of onlookers wondering what was happening as many had not noticed the women wearing shorts the Kilkenny team came back on to the pitch wearing their skorts while the Dublin side seemed to be making their minds up as to what they would do About five minutes later the Dubs came out of the changing rooms said she believed that the plucky move by the players will certainly make GAA management take note But there could still be sanctions to face “They could face big fines and the players having their names written in a match report by the referee The players were making a point for all to see [within the Camogie Association] the question will surely be why do women have to continue wearing skorts?” [ Camogie Association ‘committed’ to players after proposals to allow shorts failOpens in new window ] Many camogie players find the mandated skirt-short hybrids restricting, but it seems they will be stuck wearing them until 2027 at least. The Camogie Association, the GAA and the LGFA previously revealed that 2027 was the proposed date for their plans for full integration between the three. Camogie players are obliged to wear skorts under rule 6(b) of the sport’s code, which stipulates that playing gear must include a skirt/skort/divided skirt. The issue is that most players hate wearing them, arguing that they restrict their freedom, largely because the shorts are of the “compression” kind, and they would prefer to wear regular shorts. Secondary-school Kilkenny supporter Tara Kelly said the women “should be allowed to have a choice of what they wear whether it is skort or short. It should be about comfort, not having to be kitted out in one or the other.” Numerous other female supporters agreed, with one teenager who did not wish to be named adding: “I think the shorts look good and the women certainly look much more comfortable”. A number of men did not even notice that the players were wearing shorts instead of skorts at the start of the game. Kilkenny ultimately picked up a 4-11 to 2-12 victory over Dublin. A Gaelic Player Association (GPA) spokesperson said: “The GPA fully supports players having the right to choose between shorts or skorts and our position on this will not change. “It is unacceptable that female athletes are being compelled to wear gear that they believe compromises their performance and well-being. We stand firmly with any player or team who opts for shorts and commend the Dublin and Kilkenny players for asserting that right today. “These athletes were put in an impossible position — wear what they believe is right or face the prospect of the game being abandoned. As always, players chose to compete. “We now call on the Camogie Association to listen to players and respect their autonomy”. Last year, London club Thomas McCurtains launched its Shorts Not Skorts campaign, and it all came to a head last weekend when two proposals were put to camogie’s congress calling for the rule to be changed. Both proposals were defeated. And the issue cannot come up for discussion again until 2027. More than 60 per cent of the delegates voted against Tipperary and Kerry’s motion calling for the skirt/skort/divided skirt wording to be removed completely and replaced with “shorts”, while 55 per cent said no to Meath and Britain’s proposal that shorts be offered as a choice alongside skorts. For a fourth year in a row Dublin and Meath will contest the TG4 Leinster senior final Meath booked their place in the 2025 provincial final following a 2-14 (20) to 1-16 (19) win over Kildare in Newbridge this afternoon (Sunday May 4th) The Royals having to fight off a late come back by the Lilywhites to secure their victory Dublin and Meath will renew their Leinster rivalry next Sunday May 11th at Croke Park stadium Dublin players huddle together ahead of their TG4 Leinster SFC Rd 1 meeting with Meath The women's senior final will be played ahead of the Leinster GAA final Louth vs Meath (4:15pm) Calling upon all Dubs fans to come out & support our girls in blue next Sunday Your support could be a key factor in the game Tickets for this double bill are now available to purchase from Ticketmaster and usual GAA ticket outlets https://www.ticketmaster.ie/meath.../event/1800629CA5883F8A Meath face Dublin in next weekend’s TG4 Leinster Senior Football Championship final at Croke Park after holding off a dramatic fightback from Kildare in their round three 2-14 to 1-16 win over the Lilywhites at Cedral St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge Emma Duggan led the scorers for Meath with 1-6 while Sarah Wall scored the other goal for the Royals Meath will face Dublin in next weekend’s TG4 Leinster Senior Football Championship final at Croke Park after holding off a dramatic fightback from Kildare in their gripping round three meeting at Cedral St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge on Sunday afternoon After trading early scores with Meath’s Kerrie Cole Kildare attacker Roisin Byrne added her second point of the game in the seventh minute of the action While the Royals subsequently found the target through the talismanic Vikki Wall and Orlaith Sheehy the Lilies – who lost to Dublin in the same venue last weekend - responded to these efforts with contributions from Neasa Dooley and dead-ball specialist Alannah Prizeman Another free courtesy of Naas’ Prizeman moved Kildare two points in front before Meath eventually hit a purple patch inside the second-quarter Megan Thynne seized upon a short opposition kick-out and proceeded to release Emma Duggan for a simple 17th minute goal Duggan and Niamh Gallogly also split the posts from distance as the opening period wore on and Meath were very much in the driving seat when the raiding Sarah Wall rattled the net on the half-hour mark While a late Prizeman point reduced Kildare’s deficit to six (2-6 to 0-6) in time for the interval Meath reinforced their authority on the resumption with unanswered scores from Duggan and Ciara Smyth The excellent Duggan went on to bolster her tally with a two-point salvo and the hard-working Prizeman did likewise at the opposite end as the Lilies gallantly sought their way back into contention Kildare substitute Ellen Dowling also found the range to cancel out a Marion Farrelly point for Meath and this was quickly supplemented by Prizeman’s sixth of the contest Duggan added another white flag score to move the Royals eight clear (2-12 to 0-10) on the stroke of 50 minutes but it was at this stage that the Lilies challenge kicked back into gear Complimenting Prizeman’s second point from play Ciara Wheeler fired home a 53rd minute goal at the second time of asking Dowling and Prizeman then brought the gap down to two with quickfire scores before Meath regained their composure with much-needed efforts from Smyth and Duggan Kildare refused to throw in the towel and with Mia Doherty Byrne and Dooley all kicking points during six minutes of stoppage-time the bare minimum separated the sides in the end Scorers – Meath: E Duggan 1-6 (0-2f) K Cole. Subs: K Birmingham for Sheehy (44) R Byrne. Subs: L Gilbert for Sargent (27), L Reilly for Moran (41), G Wheeler for Rattigan (42), E Dowling for Galvin (45) Two men have appeared in court charged in connection with a €1.6 million drug seizure in Dublin an English national with an address in Barcelona They were arrested after a vehicle was intercepted and searched in Coolock on Friday night on a slip road off the M50 and 21 packages of drugs were found The court heard how Mr Sanchez was arrested in Coolock while Mr Etienne was arrested at Liffey Terrace in Lucan on 2 May Both men were charged with possession of drugs and possession of drugs for the purpose of sale or supply under Sections 3 and 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act The court heard that the two men had arrived in Ireland on 24 April from Cherbourg Detective Garda Tom McCarrick gave evidence of the arrest The accused was charged at 7.45pm last night at Ballymun Garda Station and made no reply has been living in Barcelona in Spain for over ten years Judge Áine Clancy remanded him in custody to Cloverhill Prison and he will appear in court again on Wednesday 7 May via video link Detective Garda Rioghnach O'Sullivan gave evidence of the arrest He was also remanded in custody to Cloverhill Prison to appear in court again on Friday 9 May via video link We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences RTÉ.ie is the website of Raidió Teilifís Éireann RTÉ is not responsible for the content of external internet sites While most people can appreciate the benefits of the natural world there is often a sense of confusion at how to manage wildlife in urban areas Some people feel bad for the animals in cities However, biologist and environmentalist Éanna Ní Lamhna told The Anton Savage Show that this can lead to the animals overpopulating certain areas “The reason why you don’t have heaps and heaps and heaps of anything is because they want loads of food if every everything that was born and lived we’d be overcome with robins – we'd be overcome with anything you should leave them to their own devices.” Ms Ní Lamhna also recommended people not to feed animals they might see as harmless “Hedgehogs do not and cannot eat cow's milk they cannot eat bread – if you must feed the hedgehogs something of that order – they're carnivores “They live on slugs and snails and earwigs and things like this another creature people should steer clear of feeding are the deer in the Phoenix Park Main image: Éanna Ní Lamhna in the Newstalk studio Developed by Square1 A BUSINESSMAN who recently completed a management buyout of a top construction firm will stand trial next year accused of assaulting a man in south Dublin appeared in Dublin Circuit Court on Thursday where he pleaded not guilty to a single charge of assault causing harm to David Hawkins at Meadowpark Avenue in Dublin 14 on March 31 Mr Yates was remanded on continuing bail and a trial date was set for July 21 He is a well-known businessman who recently spearheaded a management buyout of Bretland Construction where he is also managing director The company which is headquartered in Offaly has been involved in major construction projects ranging from residential and commercial projects to civil engineering and industrial projects Speaking at the opening of their new headquarters in Edenderry last year which coincided with the companies 25th year in business family-run business has grown substantially into one of Ireland’s leading construction companies.” At the time he was deputy managing director and board member but he led a management buyout in recent weeks following the retirement of the company’s founders and is now managing director “We are delighted to have successfully completed this significant milestone and are genuinely excited about the opportunities ahead,” he said in a statement issued last month following the buyout “This MBO marks a major turning point for Bretland Construction and our dedicated employees “Just as every successful building project starts with meticulous planning and solid foundations our continued success will be based on our experienced and passionate team.” He said the company was committed to quality safety and sustainability while positioning for future growth described the deal as “significant,” saying the new leadership team had ambitions to capitalise on growth opportunities in construction civil engineering and infrastructure markets Bretland Construction sponsors Offaly Ladies GAA Bretland Park GAA ground in the county Mr Yates describes himself in a profile as a “visionary leader” with “30 years of experience across four continents managing complex projects and fostering business growth in diverse environments.” I thrive on strategically managing and coordinating diverse multicultural teams within hazardous Please check your inbox to verify your details Now download the free app for all the latest Sunday World News, Crime, Irish Showbiz and Sport. Available on Apple and Android devices STAR MAN: Offaly’s Adam Screeney in action. Pic: INPHO/Ken Sutton The Dubs lost both of their Tier 1 group games but have bounced back impressively to secure a May 14 Leinster semi-final clash with Galway They took out Antrim at the preliminary quarter-final stage and overcame a slow start in neutral Newbridge before coming good in a storming second-half against Offaly Offaly led by 0-8 to 0-3 approaching half-time thanks in part to six points from free-taker Adam Screeney But Graham's first goal for Dublin two minutes before the interval gave them a vital lifeline and inspired their best form Dublin now trailed by just 1-3 to 0-9 at half-time and were back on level terms shortly after the restart when Gaffney capitalised on a free taken short with a clever goal Graham collected the sliotar and spun away from his man with a burst of pace for his second and Dublin's third goal in the 38th minute Offaly offered little in response with David Lucey marshalling the Dublin defence and helping to hold Screeney scoreless from play Rising senior star Screeney is just back from a troublesome groin injury and did register eight points in all from frees Fellow Offaly senior Dan Ravenhill drilled four points also but they needed a goal and it never arrived Dublin seniors Conal O Riain and Brendan Kenny both came strongly into the game while three points in a row from Gaffney Kenny and free-taker Daniel O'Kelly left six in it Gaffney capitalised on a long delivery in the 57th minute to hit Dublin's fourth goal turning a three-point half-time deficit into a seven-point win Laois scored a 1-24 to 1-18 win over Wexford to set up a May 14 semi-final against Kilkenny But they couldn't use it to their advantage and only added seven second-half points with just two of those coming from play From as little as €1 a week with our digital introductory offer Already a subscriber? Sign in SKORT PROTEST: Laois’ camogie players have become the latest team to join the skort protest by lining out in shorts before the throw-in of Monday’s Leinster intermediate camogie semi-final By clicking on 'Sign Up' you will be the first to know about our latest and best sporting content on this browser You have accepted push notifications for this content. If you would like to manage your push notification preferences, you can do so here 1) 0ms,border-color 250ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;transition:background-color 250ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;color:#1976d2;padding:0px;min-width:0;}.css-1sgza6o:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(25 0.04);}@media (hover: none){.css-1sgza6o:hover{background-color:transparent;}}.css-1sgza6o.Mui-disabled{color:rgba(0 1) 0ms;color:#1976d2;padding:0px;min-width:0;}.css-w5p45x::-moz-focus-inner{border-style:none;}.css-w5p45x.Mui-disabled{pointer-events:none;cursor:default;}@media print{.css-w5p45x{-webkit-print-color-adjust:exact;color-adjust:exact;}}.css-w5p45x:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;background-color:rgba(25 0.04);}@media (hover: none){.css-w5p45x:hover{background-color:transparent;}}.css-w5p45x.Mui-disabled{color:rgba(0 0.26);}PrintShareSaveThe death has occurred of Vincent's University Hospital following a short illness surrounded by his loving and heartbroken family and dear friends Barry will be very sadly and greatly missed by his beloved and cherished wife Sheelagh Reposing at his home on Monday (May 5th) from 4pm to 6pm. Removal on Tuesday morning (May 6th) to St Mary's, Star of the Sea Church, Sandymount arriving for Funeral Mass at 10am followed by cremation at Mount Jerome Crematorium, (Victorian Chapel), Harold's Cross at 12:15 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations to Irish Cancer Society, if desired. https://www.cancer.ie/ways-to-help Barrys' funeral mass may be viewed on line (live only) by following this https://mcn.live/Camera/st-marys-star-of-the-sea-sandymount Enquiries to Fanagans Funeral Home-014167700. Funeral Service.css-h76uj{display:inherit;margin-right:-4px;margin-left:8px;}Cremation / BurialDate Published: If you would like to make a donation to the chosen charity please click on the button below. memorial mass or anniversary for a Loved One?You can now create a family notice on RIP.ie to remember your loved one WITH JUST UNDER five minutes of the Champions Cup semi-final remaining Leinster are awarded a penalty in the Northampton 22 The Saints are down to 14 players following a yellow card for back row Josh Kemeny The penalty is on the right-hand-side 15-metre line so it’s not a gimme three points but it’s kickable Prendergast has successfully kicked four from six attempts in the game Replacement back row Jack Conan has taken over as Leinster captain after a head injury for starting skipper Caelan Doris and he initially looks to the sideline for instruction “What do we want?” asks Conan as he cups his ears signalling for a call from the coaching box throwing his hands out in apparent confusion which suggests there is no call from the touchline replacement hooker Rónan Kelleher has a quick chat with lineout caller RG Snyman and sub lock Ryan Baird the other two key figures in the set-piece They’re preparing for the lineout and maul if the call is to go to the corner with Prendergast and replacement centre Jordie Barrett clearly prominent in the discussion It’s unclear who but we can hear someone saying “Corner,” and there seems to be collective agreement a directive comes from the coaching box in these instances That explains Conan’s apparent confusion at the lack of a message in this case Leinster head coach Leo Cullen said post-match that he and the rest of the coaching staff were happy to leave this one to the players the players have a feel on the field and they’re all-in there,” said Cullen “They backed their bravery to go and win the game Leinster had scored a maul try 15 minutes earlier in the same right corner and that must have played into their decision Saints had generally defended the maul very well in this game We’ll never know what would have happened next if Leinster had gone for the post and Prendergast had successfully made it 37-37 There might have been last-gasp drama in the closing four minutes or we could have had 20 minutes of extra time Leinster’s maul effort was rejected by Saints It’s worth noting that with Kemeny in the sin bin the Saints coaches decided to sacrifice a back by bringing back row Angus Scott-Young on for wing Tom Litchfield meaning they had eight forwards to deal with the maul attack That obviously left them short in the backline but was very helpful here allowing Snyman to win the ball uncontested Staying down allows Saints to prioritise their maul defence and they do an excellent job The four players in the middle of their lineout – Tom Lockett and Angus Scott-Young – are pre-bound like a four-man front row ready to drive into Leinster as soon as Snyman lands We can see that defensive receiver Juarno Augustus [highlighted with the spotlight above] has moved up to lend his power behind that quartet The two players at either end of the lineout – Henry Pollock and Elliot Millar-Mills – are initially tasked with standing off and containing any maul break plays to either side Saints have already won the battle as they time their drive to split-second perfection surging into Leinster just as Snyman lands hooker Curtis Langdown nudges Millar-Mills forward into the maul taking his slot on the edge of the maul in the shortside but the damage has been done by the initial quintet who meet Leinster on landing get no chance to brace strongly at the front of Leinster’s maul and the home side end up being very upright Scott-Young does bind onto McCarthy’s leg and appears to very briefly lift it but it’s done subtly enough and doesn’t catch referee Pierre Brousset’s attention Northampton would have won this battle anyway given the quality of their defensive set-up It’s a thunderous effort in maul defence from Northampton Jordie Barrett carries well before McCarthy powers around the corner to get on the ball McCarthy beats two tackle attempts and Leinster are suddenly back into a promising scenario as Pollock drags him to ground But Northampton get a turnover at this breakdown Pollock stays on his feet after the tackle and immediately looks to jackal for a turnover Pollock goes straight off his feet as he jackals But he bounces up in the next split seconds as he scoops the ball back towards his team-mates That leaves the ball exposed for lock Coles to jackal and make the poach Referee Brousset is close to the breakdown but he doesn’t feel that Pollock has illegally played the ball after initially going off his feet Northampton get the benefit of the decision and clear the ball into touch It would have been interesting to see what Leinster would have done had they been awarded the penalty here Pollock might even have been sin binned if it was deemed a penalty Leinster send on Ross Byrne in place of Prendergast and with just over three minutes they launch from a lineout on the Northampton 10-metre line A slick catch-pass from Barrett off James Lowe’s pass sends Ryan Baird surging up the left on fourth phase There’s a brief window for Baird to pass or offload back inside to Jamison Gibson-Park Gibson-Park’s pace would undoubtedly take him clear to score But Baird doesn’t glance infield until it’s too late and the window is shut Another shortside sortie brings further gains for Leinster on the left as Barrett and Baird send Lowe into space The Leinster forwards take over with a series of carries off Gibson-Park There is one chance for Leinster to flash the ball wide when the 14-man Saints look short on numbers Highlighted in red above are Conan and right wing Tommy O’Brien holding width It’s difficult to tell from this shot but O’Brien has his hand up signalling for the ball to be moved out to the edge Leinster do play out the back as Baird sweeps the ball to Byrne But with Saints working hard to limit Leinster’s time on the ball fullback James Ramm is the last defender on the edge for Saints Tommy Freeman is covering across in the backfield out of shot but Leinster obviously have Conan and O’Brien both wide on the right There would be risk in throwing a flat pass here while a floated bridge pass would give Saints more time to recover and chase out Barrett decides to hold onto the ball and the window closes again Leinster go back to their direct ball-carrying for another six phases until a Snyman offload suddenly de-structures the game Gibson-Park takes the offload and swings back to his left to find Lowe who does superb work to tie in both Langdon and Tom James who he even manages to trip as the Northampton man turns back out when Lowe passes That leaves van der Flier with a one-on-one against Freeman Freeman does well to cling onto van der Flier’s right arm after being bumped off by the Leinster back row That probably prevents van der Flier from finishing It also buys time for second row Coles to get across with a big effort after 79 minutes of exhausting action Coles slides in and initially denies van der Flier a chance to reach out and finish with that lung-busting effort Coles’ second action in ripping he ball away from van der Flier is illegal and he ends up being sin-binned for that The ball is now loose and comes forward off Coles’ hand and off his left knee before bouncing back the other way off Leinster out-half Byrne’s right knee There’s a final touch off the right boot of the retreating James and the ball ends up as close to the left corner as is possible Byrne reaches out and looks to ground it on the tryline Brousset goes to a formal review with TMO Tual Trainini and says but we want to check if there is a player on the ground ripping the ball.” we will look if there is a grounding by blue or the ball is in touch.” Brousset confirms the illegal play by Coles: “The green player is assist tackler He then assesses the possible grounding by Byrne we have an image of the ball in touch against the base of the post.” The TMO feels that this rules out a Leinster try due to Law 21.15: “If the ball or ball-carrier touches a corner flag or corner flag post without otherwise being in touch or touch-in-goal play continues unless the ball is grounded against the post.” Brousset decides he has seen enough and begins to run through his decision “Is that in the act of scoring and prevents a potential try?” “because he [van der Flier] was short and he cannot move forward it would be just cynical so I will give a yellow card against five “Then we’ve got a knock-on [by Coles] and the ball touches the base “Number five is involved as assist tackler Then there is a knock-on and the ball touches the base of the post Conan nods as Leinster initially accept the decision Coles is binned and there is a pause as Kemeny returns from the sin bin while Leinster replace the injured O’Brien with Prendergast Leinster have already decided to tap the penalty which is out on the left-hand side five-metre line Byrne is an excellent place-kicker with a record of nailing difficult shots under pressure but taking on the shot comes with the obvious risk of missing and the game being over Leinster back themselves to score a winning try Leinster seem to be simply discussing exactly which five-metre tap play they will use Conan approaches Brousset and asks about the Coles incident again it’s not in the act of scoring because he is short and can’t move forward again,” replies Brousset Van der Flier is very close to the tryline when Coles strips the ball away illegally certainly close enough to reach out and dot the ball down Ball carriers are entitled to do that as long as they don’t propel themselves forward along the ground having already been tackled But Brousset clearly believes that van der Flier would have had to thrust himself forward in order to get the ball under or beyond Coles to finish Conan moves away but calls his forwards in one last time The play they opt for is the same one Leinster used for Doris’ try earlier in the second half Just watch how the Leinster deception catches Augustus [in the black scrum cap] off guard He bites in towards the dummy pod of forwards off van der Flier and can’t react as the Leinster openside then skips a pass wider to Doris who blasts through Pollock with a double latch to score The second attempt from Leinster is different because it’s so close to the left touchline Leinster have two backs to the left of the ball in Robbie Henshaw and Lowe while Jamison Gibson-Park also darts there That all holds two of the Saints forwards on that side there’s not as much space to the left of the ball and only Lowe is on that side Saints wing Freeman can mark Lowe as the Saints forwards worry solely about the Leinster forwards are slightly wider on the right-hand side of the ball this time around is running into a more solid defensive line He is met by prop Millar-Mills and back row Scott-Young Brousset has a good view and is happy that the strip was completed before Conan gets a knee to ground repeating those words as Leinster appeal for a penalty Augustus presents the ball back on Saints’ side and though there is a messy ruck as bodies pile in desperately Saints carry short twice more through Pollock and West before out-half Fin Smith launches the ball into the stand Five minutes after this gesture by Leinster skipper Conan his counterpart Fraser Dingwall does the same Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user Create an email alert based on the current article If you don't follow my page you might not know that my life became infinitely more joyful this year because we rescued a puppy the last few months have introduced a whole new subsection on my usual hunt to find the best places to eat in Dublin Dublin has lots of dog-friendly cafes and restaurants available and it seems to be becoming more and more common So if you’re like me and you dream of finding places where your furry friend is welcome inside and definitely one of my favourite places to eat in the entire country - I visit at least once a month he was welcomed us with open arms and treats on arrival Slice has one of the most interesting brunch menus out there You’re getting the best of the best ingredients served to you on colourful plates Try the hash browns if you’re there for breakfast and the Bahn Mi if you’re visiting for lunch I’ve tried almost every açai place in Dublin Park Lane Deli is nestled in the idyllic village of Chapelizod So you can pop in for a fruity bowl and a coffee with your pup and then head to the park for a walk their bacon and egg sandwich with relish is ridiculously good One of the trendiest cafes in Dublin has to be Two Pups it’s a surprisingly large space with many nooks and crannies for you and your doggo The menu is constantly evolving to match what’s in season They recently launched an evening menu here so if small plates and wine are more up your street 3fe coffee can be found in a plethora of cafes across the country so it’s very likely you’ve had their coffee They have quite a few branches across the city but the one on Grand Canal Street has to be my favourite Their menu is simple but effective and really reasonably priced Dogs are allowed inside each of the 3fe cafes You can’t get more central than Clement and Pekoe on South William Street it’s my go-to for a caffeine kick close to Grafton Street There’s a few tables inside this spacious venue for you and your furry friend to escape from the bustling streets of Dublin City have quite a few friends who are extremely passionate about it and swear that One Kinda Folk is the best place to order it One Kinda Folk has two branches - one in Rathmines and one of Upper Leeson Street - both dog-friendly Both venues have a really calming energy and are especially lovely on sunny days Another one of my all-time favourite cafes in Dublin is Two Boys Brew in Phibsborough It's the little things like the staff remembering your dog's name and bringing him treats while you tuck into brunch The avocado toast here is worth sacrificing some of your savings toward a mortgage There are few buildings as impressive as The Chocolate Factory in Dublin My top pick is the Marrakech breakfast for a taste of Middle Eastern flavours Groundstate café can be found in the heart of the Liberties They roast their own coffee and curate their menu around seasonal produce from local suppliers making a great people-watching perch for solo diners Vada is one of the most beautiful cafes I’ve visited in Dublin and the presentation of their food is equally as impressive maybe only four or five options to choose from but each one is totally different from the other We need your consent to load this Instagram contentWe use Instagram to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences Bibi’s has been around for as long as I can remember and it’s always been a great place for dog owners to dine They have two branches - one in Dun Laoghaire and one in Portobello Their sandwiches are some of the best you’ll find It's super cosy inside with just a few seats but during the summer months they put out more tables outside The creativity behind the dishes here blow me away every time but Southbank feels like a place you’d find in the bustling streets of London Town spacious venue with brunch dishes taking centre stage The perfect place to grab a bite to eat before strolling along the canal with your pooch The Middle Child in Beaumont is the one for you They have perfected the 'sweet treat’ from cookies to carrot cake It’s super dog-friendly and well worth checking out It’s my dream (probably most people’s dream) to live in Portmarnock and the beach is one of the best sea swim locations around No visit to Portmarnock is complete for me (or Luan) without a visit to Honey Honey Their pup cups are sprinkled with doggy treats and they even have a Polaroid wall of fame for the dogs that visit See if you can spot us next time you’re in there Two men have been remanded in custody charged in connection €1.6 million worth of heroin in Dublin 44 year old Oliver Etienne from England but living in Barcelona for ten years and 34 year old Christian Munoz Sanchez from Barcelona were arrested on Friday and appeared today at Dublin District Court Detectives said the pair made no reply when charged with possessing heroin and having it for sale or supply at Junction 9 of the M50 on May 2nd Etienne was stopped in Lucan and taken to Ballymun Garda Station - after which Gardaí learned his co-accused was travelling in a taxi 21 packages of heroin were said to be found in the taxi Mr Etienne denies the charges and despite his plea for bail Judge Aine Clancy refused his request and deemed him a flight risk Mr Sanchez deferred his application to be released pending trial and wants to utilise an EU directive allowing defendants to sign on at police stations in their own countries He was also refused bail and both have been remanded in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court later this week https://www.offalyexpress.ie/section/1236/advertise-with-us weather & more in Offaly and County Offaly All the latest breaking local news from Offaly and County Offaly Keep up to date with the latest sports news Read all the latest Irish news and updates from around Ireland Keep up to date with the latest news from life in Offaly - Offaly Live Offaly Express Offaly News Midland Tribune Tullamore Tribune Enjoy our award winning photos and picture galleries taken in Offaly and County Offaly Read about the latest properties available in Offaly and County Offaly Offaly and County Offaly Met Eireann Weather Forecast Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter Support our mission and join our community now you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism The Offaly U-20s take on Dublin this afternoon in Newbridge in a Leinster U-20 Hurling Championship showdown The teams go head to head at 3pm in the championship quarter-final The game was originally fixed for Parnell Park but was switched to Newbridge due to issues with the surface in Parnell Park.  While not live on television the game can be viewed live on the TG4 YouTube channel To watch the game, click on this link at 3pm to got to the TG4 channel. https://www.youtube.com/live/uMqfDH3Mtls Offaly have been hit with a number of injuries ahead of the game with Ruairi Kelly the latest to be ruled out. OFFALY: Liam Hoare (Carrig-Riverstown); Ajay Cleary (Coolderry), Andrew Hogan (Coolderry), James Mahon (Kilcormac-Killoughey); James O'Sullivan (Shinrone), Brecon Kavanagh (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Donal Shirley (Tubber); Leigh Kavanagh (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Niall Furlong (Tullamore); Shane Rigney (St Rynagh's), Dan Ravenhill (Durrow), Conor Doyle (Clara); Patrick Lyons (Drumcullen), Conor Egan (Shamrocks), Adam Screeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey). Subs – Eanna Mulhare (St Rynagh's), Harry Sweeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Cathal Robinson (Kinnitty), Eoin Bailey-O'Brien (Shinrone), Sean Carey (Seir Kieran), Brian Guinan (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Cillian Martin (Tullamore), Caelum Larkin (Carrig-Riverstown), Gearoid Maher (Shinrone). " + $(".testo_articolo").html().replace(//g, ' To continue reading this article, please subscribe and support local journalism! Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles. To continue reading this article for FREE,please kindly register and/or log in. Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites. You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news! MEMORY LANE MONDAY: A stroll through the Offaly archives – Recognise anyone today? Leigh Kavanagh is consoled after Offaly's defeat. Picture Ger Rogers Offaly man conferred with Professional Certificate at event in Dublin Castle The volunteers will be delighted to welcome friends old and new at St Patrick’s Hall in Delvin (N91 X449) on Sunday, May 4 from 12pm Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles. Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm. This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie. Mr Sherwin, who served as a Dublin TD in the 1970s, passed away suddenly but peacefully at his home on Wednesday in Lavagh, Rooskey, Co Roscommon. The Taoiseach was joined in the Sherwin home last night by several Fianna Fáil politicians from around the country, including local public representatives, Deputy Martin Daly and councillors Paschal Fitzmaurice, John Keogh and Sean Moylan. In 1970 at just 23 years of age, Mr Sherwin was elected to Dáil Éireann for Fianna Fáil in a by-election in Dublin Southwest.  He served as a TD until 1973 and was appointed national organiser of the party in the 1980s. He is predeceased by his loving wife, Betty Sherwin (née Davis), his sister Margaret, her husband Bernie and his recently deceased cousin Pat (nee Dooner). Mr Sherwin is sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his children John, Liz and Marc, and their spouses Caríosa, Tom and Dorcas, his grandchildren Seán, Tom and David, his brother Kevin and sister-in-law Catherine, his nieces, nephews, extended family, friends and neighbours. He will be laid to rest on Monday in Saggart cemetery in Dublin following Funeral Mass at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Ballyfermot. Sign up to our newsletter for updates on Roscommon news, sport, community notes and more Thousands of people took part in an anti-immigration rally in Dublin city centre on Saturday Both passed off without any major incidents with gardaí acting as a cordon between both groups on O’Connell Street described by organisers as an Easter Rising commemoration to pay respect to “those who fought and gave their lives to preserve the Irish nation and create the Irish Republic” began at 2pm at the Garden of Remembrance on Parnell Square hosted a counter-protest at the nearby GPO at 1.30pm A large number of gardaí were present throughout the afternoon The anti-immigration protest saw those gathered carrying Tricolour flags wearing green “Make Ireland Great Again” caps and shouting slogans including “get them out” and “Sinn Féin are traitors” Some carried signs which stated “Irish Lives Matter” with copies of the 1916 Proclamation handed out There were some hostile and aggressive interactions between protestors as the anti-immigration rally passed by the anti-racism demonstration at the GPO The United Against Racism demonstration saw those gathered carry signs reading “Stand Against Racism” while chanting “refugees are welcome” and “whose streets - our streets” Anti-immigration activists including Hermann Kelly from the Irish Freedom Party and Philip Dwyer were also present Cllr Steenson spoke of “really exciting times” and how “we have moved this project on hugely” He said Independent councillors such as himself and cllrs Pepper and Sutcliffe who won seats on Dublin City Council last year were using them to “push forward our message that this country should be run by its people for its people” Cllr Steenson also said the biggest day of the year had been “St Patrick’s Day in the White House” that is a huge reach that we couldn’t get without those two people.” Cllr Pepper said Irish people “come first in our own country” and that it was “time for mass deportation” He said people were gathered because they were “sick of the Government treating us like crap” and that “people can’t get by in this country” struggling with bills “We’ve had enough of it and the people in Leinster House are just not listening,” he said “We’re bringing in thousands and thousands of people and putting them up in hotels while our own people are being left to rot We have over 15,500 people in emergency accommodation [ Power struggles, resignations and Conor McGregor’s toxicity: The fracturing of Ireland’s far rightOpens in new window ] He added that those present needed to ensure their children were registered to vote and that “we don’t need big posh people to come and represent the working class” Cllr Pepper also claimed that politicians in Leinster House “don’t care about you” and to “call them out on the street when you see them” Cllr Sutcliffe said those gathered were “getting put down day by day by the people put in to represent us” “The Government does not represent the people of Ireland… Let it be heard - up the Irish,” he said Former MMA fighter McGregor posted a video of himself and his family at the Garden of Remembrance ahead of the anti-immigration protest McGregor said it was “a big day here for our country” and that the rally was to commemorate “the valiant heroes who went before us” He said the protest was also to “shine our light on the failure of Ireland’s Government and our full disapproval of it” Listen | 19:50Sarah BurnsSarah Burns is a reporter for The Irish Times Dublin City Council is to hire stewards to patrol the Molly Malone statue to try to discourage the practice of people 'groping' the sculpture The stewards will be introduced on a pilot basis in May and will have a similar role to those who were hired to supervise the Dublin Portal following issues with anti-social behaviour last year The tradition of rubbing the famous fishmonger's breast for luck is believed to have begun around 2012 and is thought to have been instigated by an imaginative tour guide it has resulted in the statue becoming discoloured around the figure's neckline Dublin City Council Arts Officer Ray Yeates said the practice has caused "worry and discomfort" and he has concerns about the safety of people perching on the plinth to touch the statue He added that this is not an April Fool's Day joke this is just part of their tourist experience particularly where the statue is being touched and "It's the mimicking of behaviour which we wouldn't approve of have a conversation with the great tourists that come around here throughout the summer and see can we affect a change in behaviour?" Cost of monitoring statue to be 'relatively low' The cost of hiring people to patrol the statue will cost "a couple of thousand" euro but this will be less than the six figure sum that would be required to raise the height of the plinth "I think it's probably trying to come up with a fairly straightforward approach to what's a complicated question We don't want anybody to be touching works of art The protective covering has been rubbed away from the bronze over the years so we will have to repaint this regularly "We have some long-term safety issues to look at here People standing up causes it to vibrate a little bit and may be moving the statue Mr Yeates said that once a tradition begins it can be hard to reverse it and "we all find it difficult to change behaviour if we've developed habits "The real radical thing will be to move this statue indoors I don't think we want to do that and I don't want to surrender the idea that we can take care of a piece of public art Dublin City Historian in Residence Catherine Scuffil said the statue deserves more respect adding there is increasing evidence that Molly Malone was not just a character in the famous song but a real person from The Liberties area of the city Think for a minute what she represents to us So maybe we shouldn't be treating her quite the way we are at the moment who is related to the statue's sculptor Jeanne Rynhart said the 'groping' is not what he would have intended for the piece She said the artist based the figure's low neckline on the fashion of the time Jean passed away in the last few years and I would say she's doing a little spin because that's certainly not what she intended when she made the statue." posed as his girlfriend Emily Sheldrake took a picture of him touching Molly Malone's breast just thought I'd come here and give it a good old crack." Asked what he thought of the council's plans to ask tourists not to touch the statue Mr Ioannou said: "If it's a traditional thing The tradition of rubbing the famous fishmonger\u0027s breast for luck is believed to have begun around 2012 \u003Cp\u003EDublin City Council said the practice of touching the statue has caused \u0027worry and discomfort\u0027\u003C/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EEmily Sheldrake and Elliot Ioannou pictured visiting the statue\u003C/p\u003E Plans to locate a gaming arcade in the village of Finglas in north Dublin have been met with widespread opposition Locals say they are concerned it could cause harm to the already disadvantaged area and have appealed Dublin City Council's decision to grant planning permission for the development to An Bord Pleanála Finglas has a history dating back to the 10th century and has been a suburb of Dublin since the 1700s Finglas village has experienced much decline most new businesses are welcomed to the area locals and community groups all submitted objections to a gaming arcade being opened in the area Philomena Byrne Murphy of Finglas Tidy Towns said she believes the area deserves better feel Finglas definitely does not need a gaming arcade We're striving to build the village up but our worries are that it's on Main Street right beside the doctor's surgery it just doesn't gel in with the village street." "We need restaurants for night time for people to come into the village We're trying to promote businesses to come in and I think this will affect businesses coming into the village "I think the people of Finglas deserve more variety of businesses and cafes and shops We'd like to see a cultural place as well for people to come and we could use it between us all Last year a similar development proposed for Dolphin's Barn was turned down Politicians from across the political spectrum think the same should happen in Finglas who was among those who objected said he believes the decision by Dublin City Council goes against the spirit of its own development plan for the city "We were surprised to see it passed by Dublin City Council planners because in the development plan actually it states that there'll be a presumption against gaming arcades A similar decision was actually given permission in 2012 in Finglas village and on appeal An Bord Pleanála actually rejected [it] then so we hope that would happen [in] this case But I do think having just a gaming facility It's not what our village needs and wants," he said Addiction is an issue in the area and service providers say an arcade will only make that worse which was one of a number of support services to lodge an objection says opposition to the arcade is a moral issue "We see first hand the devastation that gambling addiction brings We often see spikes in presentations for our services after certain events like Cheltenham That tells us that gambling and drug and alcohol addiction the developers said an arcade would enhance vitality economic activity and footfall in Finglas village It also said it will support local businesses and help improve the issue of dereliction in the area It said its plan to operate from 10am to 10pm daily will accommodate "a wide range of customer needs throughout the day" And it said it will create significant employment opportunities including the creation of eight full-time jobs upon completion contributing to the local economy and community The developers have not responded to a request for comment about the latest objections The site of the proposed gaming arcade in Finglas in north Dublin \u003Cp\u003EPhilomena Byrne Murphy believes the area deserves better\u003C/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EKeith Connolly says a gaming arcade is not what the village needs\u003C/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003ESigns of dereliction in Finglas village\u003C/p\u003E Dublin U20s Hurling manager Fintan Clandillon has named his panel for Monday's O'Neills.com Leinster U20 Hurling Quarter-Final against Offaly at Cedral St Conleths Park (3pm) The 2025 Dublin U20s Hurling panel & management team in full can be found here Match tickets for the game are available here. The game will be shown live on the Sport TG4 Youtube channel. There will also be live updates on the Dublin GAA X page. Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open You are visiting us because we have something you value Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more. TWO MEN CHARGED over a €1.6m heroin bust in Dublin last week allegedly linked to a “transnational criminal organisation” Spain for ten years and 34-year-old Christina Munoz Sanchez from Barcelona were arrested on 2 May during an operation by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau The appeared before Judge Áine Clancy at Dublin District Court this morning Etienne pleaded for bail on the ground that he came to Ireland on a trip with his co-accused with whom he had shared a room with at The Clayton Hotel in Liffey Valley in Dublin denied his request for bail and held that he was a flight risk Co-accused Sanchez deferred his application to be released pending trial he will utilise an EU directive allowing defendants to sign on at police stations in their own countries to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Wednesday and Friday Detectives from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau Tom McCarrick and Rioghnach O’Sullivan said neither of the men made a reply when charged with possessing heroin and having it for sale or supply at Junction 9 of the M50 on 2 May McCarrick said that his fellow officers received confidential information about a “transnational organised crime group involved in drug trafficking” on Friday last A judge was told that it was suggested that a Spanish national named Christian Munoz Sanchez and others had a large quantity of heroin in Dublin McCarrick said that Etienne was stopped at Liffey Terrence in Lucan and was later taken to Ballymun Garda Station Co-accused Sanchez was travelling in a taxi which was stopped at the Coolock slip road Searching the vehicle led to the recovery of 21 packages of heroin The pair travelled by ferry from Cherbourg France to Dublin Port in a car with another man Enquiries and CCTV were said to have established that both of the men had shared a room and checked out at the same time The placed their luggage into a secure storage facility at the hotel in Dublin one of which contained the heroin found in the taxi with Sanchez Encrypted messages were on Sanchez’s phone but Etienne’s phone could not be accessed because he had not provided the correct PIN number Etienne’s defence solicitor Kate McGhee disputed the garda evidence that her client was cause red-handed She stressed her client’s no criminal record or warrant history and would abide by bail conditions She said her client had no knowledge of what was in the bag Ms Justice Áine Clancy agreed that gardaí had not established that Etienne had been caught red-handed but refused to grant bail on the grounds that it was reasonably probably that he would evade justice Solicitor Tracey Horan,for Sanchez said her client who listened with the aid of an interpreter would move his bail application on Friday based on the Mutual Recognition of Decisions on Supervision EU directive The crime rate in some parts of Dublin is 1,000pc higher than the national average there were a total of 10,683 crimes recorded in the official figures for last year from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) DUBLIN CITY COUNCILLORS from across the political spectrum have raised serious concerns with the Department of Justice about the government’s decision to scrap local committees charged with holding gardaí accountable. Politicians from both government and opposition parties told two senior Department of Justice officials they did not support the government’s decision to scrap Joint Policing Committees, at a meeting in Dublin city’s civic offices last month. The government is replacing Joint Policing Committees with a more collaborative model, Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSPs), which it says is part of a “whole of government” approach to community safety. Gardaí will now be just one of a number of state agencies at the table, along with community representatives and some politicians. Fine Gael councillor Ray McAdam said concerns were raised at the meeting about the perceived ineffectiveness of the new approach and about the erosion of democratic accountability: TDs, Senators and many councillors will no longer have a seat at the table from which to engage with gardaí responsible for policing in their area in the new LCSPs. “People’s views were very pessimistic,” McAdam said, adding that the general view expressed at the meeting by councillors was that “we were trying to reinvent the wheel when it was unnecessary to do so”. Green Party councillor Janet Horner said she and other councillors told the meeting that while the theory of a more collaborative approach to community safety “sounds great”, the practical experience in Dublin’s north inner city where the approach has been trialled has been “quite troubling”. Labour councillor Dermot Lacey said the new structure is “fundamentally undemocratic”, reducing the role of elected members and increasing the power of statutory bodies, eroding the already very limited powers of local government. “The HSE and Tusla are being given the same status as elected representatives. They are public bodies that should be answerable and accountable to elected representatives. Imagine the HSE sitting around the table at the Oireachtas Health Committee as equal members,” Lacey said. Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan told The Journal this week that he understood Dublin councillors’ concerns over the scrapping of Joint Policing Committees – but did not agree with them. Since 2006, Joint Policing Committees have convened councillors and local members of the Oireachtas, along with senior gardaí and community representatives, to discuss local policing needs and priorities. By contrast with the Joint Policing Committees’ focus on the work of gardaí, the new LCSPs’ remit – community safety – is broader and the approach more holistic, with An Garda Síochána only one of a number of state agencies around the table.  Horner said state agencies who will be involved in the new committee should be required to appoint officials with control over budget as members. “Once money is on the table, people get more interested in the outcomes of the project,” she said. Asked about Dublin councillors’ concerns this week, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said the new local partnerships would commence “soon” and would offer interagency coordination to address the “social issues” affecting community safety. “It won’t just be guards and councillors. It will be guards, councillors, the HSE, Tusla – a wide group of people who will be able to address the broader social issues,” O’Callaghan said. It’s understood O’Callaghan’s officials told the recent meeting that some changes to the government plan are likely, including that the chairs of the new LCSPs will be elected by the members of the committees, rather than being appointed by the Department of Justice as originally planned. The Department of Justice said LCSPs will “build on the good work of the Joint Policing Committees”, and go further than their predecessors by “bringing together a broader range of relevant stakeholders” including resident; representatives of young people, older people, new and minority communities; business and education representatives. Policing is only one factor in community safety, the Department said, the LCSPs will allow a “broader focus”. Councillor McAdam said that at the Dublin meeting concerns were also raised with the Department officials as to the level of involvement of the Minister for Justice in the new community safety approach, which will be managed by a new community safety office within his department. “What engagement will the minister have with the community safety office? Is this going to be an arm’s length approach for the minister?” McAdam said. Sinn Féin councillor Daithí Doolan said he shared concerns about the new LCSP but added that it’s no important for councillors to “squeeze every ounce of potential out of these new structures”. “We don’t have the luxury to sit back and wish it away. Whether I like it or not they are arriving. The legislation is passed,” Doolan said. The Department of Justice said: “The objective is to bring the relevant bodies, including the Gardaí, together with communities in a collaborative manner, by focusing on the concerns identified and prioritised by local people, and incorporating these concerns into tailored Local Community Safety Plans with agreed actions to be undertaken by members of the partnerships to enhance community safety in that area.” Additional reporting by Muiris Ó Cearbhaill. To embed this post, copy the code below on your site A “senior official” at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI) in Clonskeagh has been asked in internal correspondence “to step down in favour of the public interest and to prevent further harm” as the crisis deepens at Ireland’s largest mosque which has been widely circulated among members of the Muslim community says the crisis at the centre is “due to the intransigence of a senior official in responding to requests of the board of the Al Maktoum Foundation – a foundation that for over 30 years has offered invaluable services to Islam and Muslims in Ireland” He also appeals to “wise and thoughtful members of the Muslim community in Ireland to kindly encourage this senior official to step down” he says it is “vital to place the general interest of Muslims in Ireland above personal “I find it my duty to issue this heartfelt and brotherly appeal.” The letter does not identify the senior official in question [ Dublin Islamic centre criticises ‘radicalised’ members as internal row deepensOpens in new window ] The controversy centres on a dispute between the board of the Al Maktoum Foundation and a group of prominent officials in the centre and their supporters Concerns have been raised about the management of charitable donations including funds raised for Gaza and the use of cash payments The foundation has also raised concerns about alleged links between officials and the Muslim Brotherhood an international Islamist organisation that the United Arab Emirates and other countries has banned as a terrorist organisation Dr Zaher expresses his “deep thanks and heartfelt appreciation to the Al Maktoum Foundation and its dedicated board members for their generous contributions and blessed efforts over the past years,” where the centre is concerned He adds: “We remain hopeful that you will continue your support for the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland.” which is attended by more than 400 children Dr Ali Selim was the centre’s spokesman for more than 20 years until last September He said this was not related to current events but he was not free to talk about the reasons as “we have a non-disclosure agreement Two weeks ago he was appointed manager for media affairs at the centre by the Al Maktoum Foundation Regarding the possible relationship between the Muslim Brotherhood – which is banned as a terrorist organisation in countries such the UAE as well as in Egypt and Saudi Arabia but not in Ireland – Dr Selim says he has “never been a member” and has “never attended any of their meetings” As to whether other staff at the centre could be members he responds: “It is very hard to answer this question None of them has ever expressed to me that he is a member of the group but Allegations have previously been made that Sheikh Halawa has links to the Muslim Brotherhood but he has denied any such relationship Halawa came to Ireland from Egypt in 1995 having studied theology at Al-Azhar University in Cairo and gained his doctorate in Islamic studies at the International Islamic University in Islamabad His son Ibrahim was released from jail in Egypt in October 2017 after being held there [ Ibrahim Halawa release: ‘Dad, Dad! I left prison! Dad, I’m free’Opens in new window ] Sheikh Halawa is also general secretary of the European Council for Fatwa and Research in which role he provides theological guidance (fatwa) on issues facing Muslims in Europe Egyptian-born but Qatar-based Yusuf al-Qaradawi was claimed to have been a member of the Muslim Brotherhood al-Qaradawi was banned from the US in 1999 is a Sunni Muslim organisation set up with the aim of establishing the Koran as sole reference point for ordering life in the family It was outlawed in Egypt until the so-called Arab Spring of 2011 and the removal of then prime minister Hosni Mubarak It was outlawed again by the current Egyptian regime in September 2013 In 2015 the Muslim Brotherhood was designated a terrorist organisation in Bahrain significantly where the Clonskeagh centre is concerned Dr Selim explained this week how complaints from Muslims in Ireland had been received by the board of the Al Maktoum Foundation in Dubai about alleged financial irregularities and management concerns at the centre [ Concerns raised over alleged financial irregularities and links with extremist ideology at Dublin mosqueOpens in new window ] It continued: “The auditors of the Al Maktoum Foundation, the company that runs the centre, have expressed concern over a period of years that the cash is not being properly recorded and is being held at the centre rather than banked. Deloitte has also raised concerns about payments made using the cash not being adequately recorded, and over the tracking of money loaned to staff and people in receipt of welfare payments.” Following the more recent complaints, chairman of the Al Maktoum Foundation, Muhammad Dahi, and a director of the board of management, Dr Zahid Jamil, visited Ireland “three times so far. Last October, December [and] again, a couple of weeks ago,” Dr Selim said. “He appointed an internal auditor – a graduate of the [UCD] Smurfit School – to look into all business and examine every issue. He had a meeting recently ... in the ICCI.” Dr Jamil invited “parents of children who attended the [Koranic] school to explain to them the situation, what happened”. This school is privately run by the centre and is completely separate from the national school, which is State funded. Founded in 1999 and named the Nur-ul-Huda School, it is a religious school, intended to teach its roughly 2,000 Muslim pupils – at a fee of €250 each – about the tenets of Islam. It has a principal, a deputy principal and about 40 teachers. As part of their investigation following complaints, last November the Al Maktoum board also asked the centre’s administration to seek data details from the Koranic school. The school said that, because of data protection legislation, they could not supply such details. The centre’s administration pointed that this only applied if the data was being supplied to a third party and that as the school was part of the centre, the administration was entitled to it. The school was told that “basically you are a department in the institution so you do not own the database, the database is owned by the institution,” as Dr Selim recalls it. “The school refused to give them the data – the request was made last November,” he says. “They refused three weeks ago – the school principal, deputy principal and a number of teachers submitted an immediate resignation last Friday and they came to work the following day and the ICCI did not allow them to work, which caused a higher level of tension.” Dr Jamil called the meeting of parents of pupils attending the Koranic school for Saturday, April 19th. “A large number of people turned up,” and Dr Jamil decided on a second meeting to accommodate the numbers. At that first meeting “he was interrupted, disturbed, he was intimidated and he was subject to harassment. The first meeting went almost to the end – more than two hours – despite this. He invited people to the second meeting; people came in. They verbally attacked him and attempted physically to attack him. We had to protect him. The gardaí were called. They surrounded him and escorted him outside the premises,” says Dr Selim. “After that he said that he received information that people were planning a demonstration and he expressed his concern about the safety and security of people in the place. So he decided to shut down the place until investigations are over. The entire complex is shut down, only open for the Muslim national school.” As to when the complex might reopen, that is “up to the internal investigator”, says Dr Selim said. The 5,000sq m centre, funded by the al-Maktoums, is one of the largest in Europe. It cost £5 million to build in 1996 and contains a main mosque that holds more than 1,700 people as well as two smaller prayer halls. It also has a Muslim national school, a sports hall, a library, an exhibition hall, an information centre, offices, a women’s education and social centre, a shop, a restaurant, eight apartments and a mortuary. It was designed by architects Michael Collins & Associates and won a Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland award in 1997. Set on 3.5 acres, it was Ireland’s second purpose-built mosque, after one built in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, in 1987, which was opened in 1996 by the then president of Ireland Mary Robinson. The Clonskeagh centre is the busiest Islamic centre in Ireland, with a staff of about 10 in administration, three in maintenance and four in security, as well as the principal, deputy principal and about 40 teachers at the Koranic school. It receives an annual budget from the Al Maktoum Foundation of €2.5 million. Staff continue to be paid while the internal investigation is under way. A serial thief has admitted multiple shoplifting charges in what a judge described as a level of offending that was “off the scale”. Dean O’Brien (28) had “spiralled” on drugs at the time, a court heard. Viber has been overtaken by WhatsApp in Ireland for instant messaging A small Irish phone recycling retailer and supplier has lost its copyright dispute with giant online instant messaging company Viber. A ruling by the Controller of Intellectual Property has upheld a challenge from Viber against an application by ViberStore Group, a Dublin-based phone recycling firm, to register the ViberStore trademark. Image of the heroin that was seized in north Dublin. Photo credit: An Garda Siochana/PA Wire Two men charged over a seizure of €1.6m worth of heroin in Dublin allegedly linked to "a transnational criminal organisation" have been remanded in custody. Graphic designer, Oliver Etienne, 44, from England, but living in Barcelona, Spain, for ten years and 34-year-old Christian Munoz Sanchez, from Barcelona, were arrested on May 2 during an operation by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB). Two men charged over a seizure of €1.6 million worth of heroin in Dublin allegedly linked to “a transnational criminal organisation” have been remanded in custody. Graphic designer Oliver Etienne (44) from England, but living in Barcelona, Spain, for 10 years, and 34-year-old Christian Munoz Sanchez, from Barcelona, were arrested on May 2nd during an operation by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB). They appeared before Judge Áine Clancy at Dublin District Court on Monday. Mr Etienne pleaded for bail on the grounds he came to Ireland on a trip with his co-accused, with whom he had shared a room at the Clayton Hotel in Liffey Valley, Dublin, and he denies the charge. However, Judge Clancy held he was a flight risk and denied his request. Mr Sanchez deferred his application to be released pending trial. In seeking bail, he will utilise an EU directive allowing defendants to sign on at police stations in their own countries. The two men were remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court, Mr Etienne on Wednesday and his co-accused two days later. GNDOCB detectives Tom McCarrick and Rioghnach O’Sullivan said the pair “made no reply” when charged with possessing heroin and having it for sale or supply at Junction 9 of the M50 on May 2nd. Objecting to bail, Det Gda McCarrick said that on Friday, GNDOCB officers received confidential information about “a transnational organised crime group involved in drug trafficking”. The court heard it suggested a Spanish national named Christian Munoz Sanchez and others had a large quantity of heroin in west Dublin. Det Gda McCarrick told the court that Mr Etienne was stopped at Liffey Terrace, Lucan, Co Dublin, and taken to Ballymun Garda station. The court heard gardaí learned his co-accused was travelling in a taxi, which was stopped at the Coolock slip road, M1 south, Dublin. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 21 packages of heroin. The court heard the pair travelled by ferry to Ireland in a car with another man, his mother and their dog by ferry from Cherbourg and arrived at Dublin Port on April 24th. Garda enquiries and CCTV were said to have established that Oliver Etienne and his co-accused arrived at the hotel on Thursday, shared a room, checked out at the same time and placed their luggage in secure storage at the hotel. It was claimed Mr Etienne later went in and collected these bags, including one containing the heroin later found in the taxi with Mr Sanchez. The court heard that encrypted messages were on Mr Sanchez’s phone, but Mr Etienne’s phone could not be accessed because he did not provide the correct PIN. Defence solicitor Kate Mcghee disputed Garda evidence her client was caught red-handed, describing it as “nonsensical”. The solicitor stressed that her client had no previous convictions or warrant history and would abide by the condition, and he denies knowing what was in the bag. Judge Clancy held that the gardaí had not established that he had been caught red-handed, but she refused bail on the grounds that it was reasonably probable that he would evade justice. Solicitor Tracy Horan, for Mr Sanchez, said her client, who listened with the aid of an interpreter, would move his bail application on Friday based on the mutual recognition of decisions on supervision EU directive. Dublin and Kilkenny captains, Aisling Maher (15) and Katie Power (7), with referee, Ray Kelly, before the throw-in for Saturday's Leinster Senior Championship Camogie semi-final at St Peregrine's. It’s the short story that has everyone talking. It was in every paper. On every radio station. On the television news. And all across platforms and social media. 'The carnage that week was just savagery': Owner of store looted during the Dublin Riots The owner of an O’Connell Street store looted in the Dublin riots, said “lawlessness” remains in the north city despite an increase in gardai Paul Gallagher, who owns the Asics store on O’Connell Street, looted and damaged in the Dublin riots in November 2023, also owns the Sketchers store on Henry Street in north city Dublin. A year-and-a-half after the riots and despite an increase in gardai on the city streets, not enough has changed in a positive direction for Mr Gallagher. There are just over 200 CCTV cameras in Dublin operated by An Garda Síochána making it one of the least surveilled capital cities in Europe In a response to a parliamentary question, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan confirmed of the 209 cameras in the Dublin metropolitan area authorised by the Garda commissioner are located on O’Connell Street and in the north inner city The breakdown shows that there are a total of 35 cameras in Tallaght; 33 in the Pearse Street district; 18 in Ballyfermot; 13 in Clondalkin; and 12 in Dún Laoghaire “The quantity of cameras varies from time to time as a result of moves additions and due to changes resulting from building works in Dublin,” said Mr O’Callaghan There has been criticism that the number of CCTV cameras in Dublin is very low compared with other cities and that many more will be needed in the capital to deal with crime public order incidents and traffic offences Fine Gael TD for Dublin Bay South James Geoghegan said that as a capital city of over 1 million people Dublin was way behind when it came to using CCTV on the streets “Right now there’s just one Garda CCTV camera for every 6,000 people in Dublin In London the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham has one for every 73 people The City of Westminster has one for every 1,000 “When I was Lord Mayor of Dublin (in 2024) I heard the same thing again and again from businesses and they want to see consequences for criminal behaviour Expanding CCTV is one key part of that,” he said The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) said that in addition to its own cameras An Garda Síochána also routinely collects CCTV footage from premises across Dublin when investigating crimes The Garda also has access to at least 400 CCTV cameras operated by Dublin City Council including those on over 250 traffic poles throughout the city An Garda Síochána Recording Devices Act 2023 also gives wide powers to compel businesses and organisations (such as shopping centres stores or other venues) to provide a live feed of their CCTV to An Garda Síochána for up to 72 hours a senior policy officer on surveillance and human rights with the ICCL said CCTV could serve valid purposes such as securing property but if used disproportionately it could unlawfully infringe individuals’ rights to privacy and data protection it could lead to general untargeted mass surveillance “As surveillance CCTV systems become more sophisticated this risk becomes even greater We’re lucky enough to live in a jurisdiction where the State does not have an unfettered right to erect cameras wherever it sees fit There are rules to be complied with so that our fundamental rights are protected,” she said Ms Cronin warned against Ireland following the lead of the UK in this regard She said the UK was now considering a law to ban face coverings at protests and was also expanding its use of facial recognition technology She said Dublin should not be seeking to emulate the UK or London, one of the most surveilled cities in the world. London has 14 cameras per 1,000 people, according to global analysis conducted by research company Comparitech. Berlin has 13 per 1,000 people, and both Paris and Rome have four cameras per 1,000. The figure for Dublin is 0.2 cameras for every 1,000 people, or 0.6 cameras per 1,000 population if those from Dublin City Council are included. The report of the Dublin City Taskforce recommended an upgrade in the CCTV network, and also suggested that new legislation be drafted for real time monitoring. Another recommendation was that more CCTV cameras be inserted in areas of the city that were flashpoints for public order offences or known locations for street crime or disturbances. Harry McGee is a Political Correspondent with The Irish Times Galway manager Padraic Joyce celebrates with his children Jodie and Charlie Pádraic Joyce is hoping Galway can use the adrenaline shot of a fourth consecutive Connacht SFC title to kickstart their quest for the holy grail of Sam Maguire the Tribesmen edged out their fierce Mayo rivals by a wafer-thin margin – this time 1-17 to 1-15 after Matthew Ruane’s attempted two-pointer to force extra-time trailed wide The Workman's Club in Dublin is a live music venue An interim examiner has been appointed to Workman’s Club Ltd the operating company for 12 hospitality venues in Dublin The company is part of the former Press Up group which was renamed Eclective Hospitality Group in February following its takeover by the London-based financial firm Cheyne Capital The application for court protection followed a demand for payment of €4.5m in respect of guarantees on loans drawn down by property-owning companies outside of Cheyne Capital’s control the chief restructuring officer of Eclective said: “The decision to petition the courts for protection for Workman’s Club Limited is a necessary step to protect jobs and to secure the long-term sustainability of the business Its current challenges stem from legacy issues and Cheyne Capital has acted in good faith and committed significant financial resources to stabilise the business it is clear examinership is required to address these historic issues to put the company on a sustainable path and it is business as usual at all our venues.” Venues within The Workman’s Club Ltd include the restaurants Angelina’s and Isabelle’s and the pubs Peruke & Periwig It is not envisaged any will be made redundant The annual turnover of the company is approximately €29m During the due diligence process undertaken last year as part of a restructuring it was discovered the company had given guarantees to Relm Capital in respect of borrowings by other companies controlled by Patrick McKillen Jr Relm Capital issued demands to Workman’s Club Ltd for payment of €4.5m in respect of the guarantees last March “Management expects that demands could be issued for other guarantees that they are aware of and there is also concern that further demands could materialise in respect of other guarantees that have not been disclosed,” according to an independent expert’s report written by Alan Large of EY The fact that there are insufficient realisable assets to make repayment led to a decision that the company is insolvent The vacant Odessa nightclub property on Dame Court which the company is leasing at a cost of about €200,000 a year is now considered an onerous lease given the cost of its refurbishment The landlord is insisting that reinstatement works to the value of €1.8m be carried out before it is handed back The lease was entered into seven years ago with a plan to convert the Odessa into a hotel and restaurant which has led to the need for reinstatement The company is not in a financial position to comply with the landlord’s request Cheyne Capital took a 95pc stake in the group last year after turning €25m of debt into equity Press Up was originally formed in 2009 by Mr McKillen Jr and Matt Ryan At its peak it had more than 50 venues and 1,600 employees including hotels that were sold two years ago According to the petition filed to the High Court Mr McKillen Jr and Liam Cunningham were removed as directors on April 28 as they were no longer involved in the day-to-day operations of the business There has been an investment of up to €18m by Cheyne so far to stabilise and restructure the group Management says it entered into Phased Payment Agreements in January with Revenue on a legacy debt which had previously been withdrawn to non-compliance It has warehoused tax liabilities from the pandemic with the current balance sitting at €6.37m Payment plans have been agreed with key creditors to pay down historic creditor balances Cheyne Capital says it advanced an emergency funding facility of €2m last July to address urgent issues Eclective now employs about 850 staff across 24 venues in Dublin Declan McDonald of PWC has been appointed as interim examiner and a petition for examinership will be heard by the court later this month Stephanie Simons at her Bowie Aesthetics clinic Stephanie Simons with McGregor at the Black Forge Inn Some of the street violence that has sparked Stephanie’s decision to move her business Eugene MastersonSun 4 May 2025 at 13:29A businesswoman who said she was forced to close down her beauty clinic due to increasing violence on her city street has denied that the real reason she shut her shop was because a botched bum lift was carried out on a social media influencer Stephanie Simons (31) is critical of local politicians and women’s groups for not reaching out to her after her online announcement about the closure and the reason behind it went viral with her singling out disgraced MMA fighter Conor McGregor as the only public figure who contacted her Stephanie shared a video in which she announced the closure of one of her two inner-city Dublin clinics due to “escalating violence” on Dorset Street in which she showed CCTV footage of being menaced by a man at her doorway as he tried to gain entry it has since emerged that a well-known influencer posted a video on social media accusing Stephanie’s ‘Bowie Aesthetics’ of carrying out a botched bum lift on her with online speculation that was the reason for the closure of the branch Social media star Niamh O’Connor has previously spoken out about the dangers of unregulated cosmetic procedures and when we contacted her this week Niamh described how she spent weeks in hospital after she contracted a serious case of cellulitis following the treatment “I’m aware of that video and the complaint is actually as a result of a procedure in our Pearse Street branch not our Dorset Street one,” Bowie Aesthetics owner Stephanie told the Sunday World this week Stephanie said: “Unfortunately things like that Niamh told us that these things “don’t just happen” and told how she had been left “permanently scarred” following the procedure beauty boss Stephanie said that Niamh “got dermafiller injections into her bum” “Unfortunately that girl has multiple cosmetic procedures before “That’s a risk any time you puncture the skin with a needle and the skin is open Bacteria can then get in and cause infection and that’s what happened – she had to get antibiotics.” told us that she spent weeks in hospital with a “life threatening” infection “The only comment I have is that people should be very careful who they go to for aesthetic procedures “There is little or no regulation in Ireland which means that people who are not medically trained are allowed to inject you and then when something goes wrong they are no equipped to deal with the aftermath,” Niamh said “I was told the warning signs of sepsis were normal and expected after having filler which delayed me seeking medical advice and could have ended in tragedy.” Niamh said that more regulation is need in relation to aesthetics in Ireland cellulitis to the degree I had it is extremely dangerous and life threatening “I spent weeks in hospital and then when I was discharged weeks on antibiotics having to go back for check ups I’m permanently scarred and I think the clinic belittling it to ‘these things happen’ speaks volumes on the level of disregard they have.” Stephanie denied that she was not qualified to carry out such a procedure in her clinic I have all the right qualifications to carry out that treatment.” when she [Niamh] posted that it actually got a lot busier Beforehand they knew about Bowie Aesthetics but the name became a lot more popular and we actually gained a lot more business from the name being circulated who grew up in Ballybough flats in the north inner city and is a single mum of two sons reveals the name of her clinic has nothing to do with David Bowie or the knife of the same name they’d say when they’re going to get their Botox done so I wanted to keep a little bit of the inner city with the name She says she worked hard to start up her business “Years and years ago I did PLC college after school and then I started doing nixers and kind of building up clientele for years and I just gained customers from then,” she notes functioning business and I’m very proud of that.” In recent months she insists there have been numerous violent incidents on Dorset street including one altercation which went viral and showed a group of foreign men attacking others on the street with cricket bats and other weapons “It has got increasingly bad,” she complains “That was just one incident that we got a recording of [the man trying to break through her door] There was always stuff going on the street “The girls [her employees] were feeling it “Then it just got to the point where I didn’t even feel safe anymore She then made the devastating decision to close her Dorset Street branch “It was heartbreaking to close it because it was my first clinic I put my heart and soul into it and it’s just after being destroyed,” she sighs she had no political or local representative contact her like who’s going to care about me?,” she complains But she reveals Conor McGregor messaged her out of the blue on Instagram “He was the only person that reached out and said ‘I’m supporting you let me know if I can help you with anything’ and he invited me to the Black Forge for dinner It was just really nice that somebody was acknowledging it but it’s just nice that somebody with a voice has actually acknowledged what’s going on “He (McGregor) just said ‘fair play Stephanie if you like to come up and bring a friend’.” She adds she had no problem taking up McGregor’s invitation despite his being found liable in a civil court for assaulting Nikita Hand who said she was raped by McGregor in the Beacon Hotel in 2018 I don’t know much about the situation (the Nikita Hand case) or anything like that I don’t want to really comment on it I was just glad that somebody with a voice was acknowledging the situation,” she stresses He was just with his own friends.” He came over and had a chat and a picture.” She promises to carry on her business despite her recent setback I suppose it won’t really hit me for a few months down the line when I actually realise what’s after happening,” she said “I’m just in the process of getting organised to get all my things “I’m just trying to make a good life for myself and my kids The Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI) at Clonskeagh in Dublin has accused a “radicalised” wing of the Muslim community of intimidating and trying to “silence” one of its leading members A bitter dispute over control of the centre deepened on Friday when the ICCI criticised attacks on social media against Dr Eid Zaher who had pleaded during the week for a resolution In a letter circulated on Muslim-community WhatsApp groups last Wednesday who is secretary to ICCI imam Sheikh Hussein Halawa called on an unnamed “senior official” at the ICCI “to step down in favour of the public interest and to prevent further harm” He also appealed to “wise and thoughtful members of the Muslim community in Ireland to kindly encourage this senior official to step down” In a statement following social media posts about Dr Zaher’s intervention this week the ICCI said it was “deeply saddened by the radicalised behaviour of certain individuals within our community who have attacked insulted and defamed Dr Sheikh Eid [Dr Zaher]” He “is a member of the religious Dawah department of our mosque (which gives religious guidance),” it said “Such actions to silence dissenting voices are unacceptable” and were “a cowardly attack and yet another example of the extremist tendencies of certain elements within the community” “Freedom of expression is a deeply valued principle and an integral part of the shared norms that are firmly established in Irish society,” the ICCI statement said [ Inside Dublin Islamic centre: pressure on ‘senior official’ to step down amid claims over staff links to banned groupOpens in new window ] “We pray for the enlightenment and reform of these radical elements so that the mosque and centre can reopen in an atmosphere of peace and security for our employees as it “takes seriously the safety and security of our staff and “in an effort to maintain the sanctity and security of our beloved mosque we had to take the difficult decision to close the mosque and centre until further notice” Meanwhile, a group of Muslims pleaded at a press conference in Dublin on Friday for the reopening of the mosque at the ICCI, describing it as “the heartbeat of our community”. The Muslim Community Ireland group described itself as “a grassroots, community-led initiative formed to peacefully advocate for the reopening of the Masjid [mosque] at the ICCI”. Its chair, Abdul Haseeb, insisted they had gathered “not in protest, but in pain, and in hope”. Patsy McGarry is a contributor to The Irish Times With its exterior the colours of the Brazilian flag, Real Brasil is instantly noticeable on Capel Street in Dublin packets of pão de queijo and coxinha line freezers and condiments such as dulce de leche and condensed milk occupy the shelves Most products on the shelves are labelled in Portuguese except for the pão de queijo in the freezers that have labels in English the shop is busy with customers briskly moving about Among the many snacks stocked here are packs of paçoca a sweet treat made with ground peanuts and sugar “I would say paçoca is quite popular; we import it from Brazil,” says Robson Oliveira who has been managing the Real Brasil business for 16 years “Açai is also popular; we import that too” with indigenous origins – the earliest versions being a savoury dish made from dried meat and cassava flour paçoca is strongly associated with Festa Junina a traditional Brazilian festival celebrated throughout June it still carries a nostalgic connection to this festival which is one of the most beloved celebrations in Brazil.” Oliveira says: “Irish people buy our snacks too Irish children like them because children like to try something different.” Brazilian snacks in Ireland are significantly more expensive than in Brazil taxes and limited availability drive up prices,” she says Pão de queijo is traditional Brazilian cheese bread Real Brasil sells frozen pão de queijo which can be bought and baked Small balls of cheesy tapioca flour slowly rise and puff up in the oven The packs that Real Brasil sell are produced in Ireland “My perception is that when Brazilians go to these stores it’s usually not for packaged snacks but rather to buy ingredients or frozen food Or to buy freshly made Brazilian snacks like pão de queijo and coxinha which hold a much stronger place in Brazilian food culture and can be found in pretty much all Brazilian shops,” says Forkan with the chicken minced and encased in a dough Both the outer casing and the chicken filling fall apart on the first bite with steam rising from the centre when the coxinha is served hot Oliveira says that while pão de queijo and coxinha are popular sellers the shop ensures it always has them in stock This is unlike Ingredients, the Indian grocery store in Stillorgan an Indian brand that produces savoury snacks like aloo lachha (spicy potato sticks) and aloo bhujia (a sort of potato vermicelli) and their packaged snacks are popular accompaniments with tea the two most popular snacks at Ingredients are Lay’s crisps and Maggi noodles Indian Lay’s come in flavours such as Magic Masala (spicy) and Tomato Tango (ketchup flavour) Magic Masala is frequently sold out at Ingredients Maggi is an instant noodle brand that’s a favourite with both children and adults often a popular student meal because of how quick it is to prepare smaller grocery stores called kirana shops sell packets of Lay’s crisps and Maggi Children often frequent these shops after school to buy their favourite crisps and noodles Magic Masala is a particularly popular flavour for Lay’s a bright blue packet with spicy crisps inside Street vendors who cook Maggi noodles often set up stalls outside schools and colleges stirring the noodles in pots of boiling water until they’re cooked Stalls like these also often sell chai alongside Maggi “We can’t seem to get enough of them,” says Moby when I ask him if Lay’s and Maggi sell out often This despite a huge difference in price between here and in India “By the time the duty and container charges are paid and his brother Ivin Moby and he are responsible for scaling it now “I’ve always been around it so I had an interest in scaling it.” He grew up in Ireland and so enjoyed snacks such as Tayto but wanted Lay’s and Maggi when he went to India and I see Irish kids enjoying a mix of both Irish and imported snacks.” [ West African food is finally taking its place at Irish tablesOpens in new window ] Ingredients also sells fresh vegetables and herbs Bunches of bright green coriander and mint lie on shelves next to refrigerated radishes and chillies doesn’t stock fresh vegetables or herbs but brings packaged Filipino snacks to Dublin Jars of peanut butter are stacked above jars of coconut gel in syrup There’s dried fish in the freezer and pinoy hopia (a kind of Filipino pastry) in a basket near the counter and the snacks section has pandesal (Filipino bread rolls) coconut gel in syrup and butter coconut biscuits “The most popular packaged snacks that are widely available outside of the Philippines are Boy Bawang, Ding Dong, Piattos, Chiz Curlz, Sweet Corn, polvoron (a type of shortbread, usually the Goldilocks brand), and dried mangoes (any brand),” says Krissel Alcaraz, a Dublin-based Filipino-Australian food content creator known as Porkyeah on Instagram “Food is such a huge part of Filipino culture; after greeting someone is on the shelves at both Yes Kabayan and Pinoy Sari Sari “Boy Bawang is pretty popular – its literal translation from Tagalog (Filipino) is ‘garlic boy’ Garlic is used in almost all of our savoury dishes,” says Alcaraz “I suppose Boy Bawang is the popular manufactured version of cornick or corn nuts but I remember when I was a kid that people sold these in little plastic bags but it has now moved on to fancy-looking packaging.” Alcaraz says the snacks here are far costlier than in the Philippines “The exchange rate is currently around €1 to 65 Philippine pesos can be bought in a popular high-end supermarket in the Philippines for around 70 cent and would be even cheaper in ‘sari-sari’ stores (small convenience stores) This is why every time I have the chance to visit the Philippines Alcaraz was reared in Australia, but she loved Filipino snacks growing up there. “It’s also nostalgic to buy them now as an adult. I love checking out the Asian supermarkets here as it brings back memories of all the snacks I used to eat when I was still living in the Philippines as a kid.” Dublin delivered a spirited display before eventually succumbing to Kilkenny by thirteen points in their Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Hurling Championship Tier 1 encounter at O’Toole Park on Saturday afternoon Having suffered earlier reverses to both Galway and Wexford Dublin trailed by 2-11 to 0-11at half-time with goals from Jake Mullen and Ollie O’Donovan handing Kilkenny a deserved interval lead Luke Hayes and Rory Buggy continued to impress in a defensive capacity after the break they proved powerless from preventing their opponents pulling away by the final whistle The Dubs started brightly through an early Rory Flannery free but with Diarmuid Behan upended in the square at the opposite end Mullen emphatically converted the resultant penalty beyond the helpless Hugh Leahy Flannery and Josh Dowling traded points by the 8th minute before the hosts offered encouragement to the home support through successive scores from Flannery (free) and Christian Kane Behan and Mullen (free) replied for the visitors before Sean Culleton brought the Dubs to within a point by the end of the first quarter with a tidy score from play The early stages of the second quarter were similarly tight with points from Finn O’Donnell and Flannery just reward for Dublin’s battling efforts but Kevin Buggy began to influence the play with a brace of Kilkenny scores After Leahy had denied O’Donovan in the 25th minute he was once again blameless a minute later as a strong run by Oisin Henderson allowed O’Donovan the simplest of tasks of firing home from eight yards they continued to offer a threat at the opposite end as scores by Daniel O’Connor Flannery and Conaill O’Sullivan before the break helped them limit the damage to six points by the turnaround While O’Connor clipped over an early point upon the restart the visitors began to enhance their position with Mullen and O’Donovan scoring two points apiece as they stretched their lead to ten points by the end of the third quarter A brace of Flannery frees kept the home scoreboard ticking over but the goal required to launch a comeback looked elusive as Kilkenny replied with three points on the bounce by Behan Flannery added a trio of further frees to take his personal tally to twelve points but Dublin had to concede second best on the day with substitute Cian Byrne landing two late points for the Cats Scorers – Dublin: R Flannery 0-12 (10f); D O’Connor 0-2; C Kane 0-1 ’65); O O’Donovan 1-3; K Buggy 0-3; D Behan The National Print Museum is looking for a new home after telling TDs the Office of Public Works (OPW) plans to repurpose its current base in Dublin has been based at an old garrison chapel in Beggars Bush Barracks on Haddington Road in Dublin 4 since it was founded but there is uncertainty over its future in that part of the city