Ballina man disqualified for driving through garda checkpoint

Fri, Nov 28, 2008

A man who refused to obey a garda direction and drove on a road that was closed because of a traffic accident was fined €300 and disqualified from driving for one year at Ballina District Court.

Back to bad old days of drink driving - Devins

Fri, Nov 28, 2008

A district court judge has described as “alarming” the number of people appearing before her on charges of drink driving.

Ballina man awaits sentencing in wheelchair assault case

Fri, Nov 28, 2008

A Mayo man has been remanded in custody pending sentence for his part in an assault which left the victim wheelchair-bound and requiring lifelong care as a result of serious brain injuries.

2009 challenging year, predicts insightful HSE West

Fri, Nov 28, 2008

About 12 per cent of patients are referred “inappropriately” to the HSE West’s public hospitals, according to a bed utilisation study carried out this year.

Information night for new Ballina Theatre

Fri, Nov 28, 2008

The long awaited new theatre forBallina is moving closer and an information night on the theatre will take place on Tuesday December 2 at 6pm in the Ballina civic offices. Currently the project has received funding of €1.62 million from Ballina Town Council, €1.59 million from Mayo County Council and €1.2 million from the department of Arts, Sports and Heritage subject to the shortfall in the project being made up by local contributions. The shortfall that will have to be raised through local fund-raising is expected to be in the region of €500,000.

Planning rejections spark fury among councillors

Fri, Nov 28, 2008

The rejection of two planning applications because of the variation of the County Development Plan by the Minister for Environment John Gormley sparked anger at the monthly meeting of the Castlebar Electoral Area committee this week. The debate led to one councillor calling the Minister a coward. Mr John McMyler, Senior Planner for the Council confirmed that he and the planning department were working off the amended plan because they were directed to do so. Both applications were turned down because they were in areas identified as rural areas under severe urban influence. Cllr Al McDonnell said that “this all sounds a bit ministerial”, while Cllr Johnny Mee stated that “it’s not like there are 1000 houses going up in Belcarra, I don’t think that one house will increase the urban influence of the village”. The possible removal of 30 metres of hedgerow was also cited as a reason for the refusal in the Keelouges case. Cllr Johnny Mee said, “I’m very fond of hedgerow myself, but 30 metres of hedgerow or giving someone the chance to start a home it seems easy to me. And to say that Keelouges is under strong urban pressure is madness, come on it’s Keelouges. Cllr Sean Burke told the meeting that, “I was born two miles away from there and to say that it’s under strong urban influence, well I don’t know what to say to that.”

Unemployment in Mayo continues to soar

Fri, Nov 28, 2008

Unemployment figures continue to rise and in the six months since April 1,820 more people are sighing on in Mayo. The live register in Mayo stood at 5,795 last April while the most recent figures for October show them standing at a staggering 7,615.

Tributes paid to families at Castlebar area meeting

Fri, Nov 28, 2008

The members of Castlebar electoral area committee paid tributes to the late Mr Tony Kenny, Castlebar at their meeting this week.

Councillors welcome movement on Castlebar Town Park

Fri, Nov 28, 2008

The elected members of Castlebar Town Council, gave a warm welcome to the news that €1.8 million will be spent by the Town Council on the new town park. The meeting was shown initial draft drawings for the new town park which were put together by Padraig Kelly, executive architect for the Town Council.These drawings allowed for the creation of a public green space, walkways, a public paved area, a full size GAA and a full size soccer pitch. Town Manager Seamus Granahan told the members that the council had got approval from the Government to spend €1.8 million which has come from internal receipts from the sale of local authority housing and from a the planned maintenance programme. Mr Granahan went on to say that this represented a great opportunity for the town to put in a high-quality public space near the centre of the town for all the people to enjoy.

Gardaí seek witnesses to hospital altercation

Fri, Nov 28, 2008

Gardaí in Castlebar are seeking witnesses to an altercation that led to one man in his 30s needing to receive hospital treatment this week.

Mayo graduate is Best in Show

Fri, Nov 28, 2008

The work of an art graduate from County Mayo has been on display at the Best in Show exhibition in the Digital Hub in Dublin all this week.

Children rally around Santa’s novel appeal

Fri, Nov 28, 2008

There has been a huge response in the south Mayo/north Galway region to a special appeal issued by Santa Claus, in advance of next Sunday evening’s Christmas lights switch-on in Ballinrobe.

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