The ‘Cool Brain’ device

A Dundalk-based firm, in collaboration with researchers from Trinity College Dublin, has invented a ‘Cool Brain’ device designed to cool the brain in the event of a stroke, heart attack or brain trauma and thus save lives.

Chief Supt Harry Breen and Supt Bob Buchanan, who were murdered in an ambush just over the border after leaving Dundalk Garda Station in 1989

A solicitor for the family of an RUC officer whose murder was found by the Smithwick Tribunal to be linked to Garda collusion with the IRA has launched a strong defence of the inquiry’s findings.

His statement comes after three former Dundalk Gardaí - retired det chief supt John O’Brien, former chief supt Michael Finnegan and former chief supt Michael Staunton, claimed the tribunal’s finding is not grounded in facts and should be rejected by the Government “as a matter of urgency and justice”.

However, John McBurney, solicitor for the family of murdered RUC officer Harry Breen, says the gardaí’s critique is highly selective, filled with errors and displays a lack of familiarity with the inquiry’s findings.

The solicitor’s response, published in today’s Irish Times, also claims the critique by former gardaí displays a lack of independence and a keenness to accept the IRA’s versions of events.

In addition, Mr McBurney staunchly defends the Smithwick Tribunal’s report as a “comprehensive, nuanced and fair document”.

You can read Mr McBurney’s statement on IrishTimes.com

The flooded street of Blackrock, as captured by Blackrock Tidy Towns yesterday

A further flood warning has been issued for later today in Blackrock and Dundalk.

Louth County Council issued the warning in the last few minutes, with the flooding anticipated around 2pm.

Motorists are warned that the floods may cause disruption and are urged to drive with care.

Brian Bell

Annagassan man Brian Bell is currently in third place in one of the world’s toughest races, the Yukon Arctic Ultra.

Sponsored by Pugwash Bay – who run childcare facilities in Annagassan, Mornington, Knockbridge and Bay Estate and Lis na Dara in Dundalk – Brian is doing the race to raise money for Temple Street Children’s Hospital.

Brian is taking part in the 300 mile race with temperatures of as low as -31 degrees making things extremely difficult.

As of this morning just seven of the 16 starters were still involved in the race, with Brian holding onto third.

You can follow his progress via the Live Tracker here.

The Yukon Arctic Ultra will follow the Yukon Quest trail, the trail of the world’s toughest Sled Dog Race.

The marathon finishes on Rivendell Farm just off the Takhini River. Setting off from Whitehorse to Braeburn the 300 mile racers, of which Brian is one, will keep on going all the way to Pelly Farm. There they will leave the river to turn around and go back to Pelly Crossing on the farm road. The trail will be marked. However, if there is fresh snow or a lot of wind it will be difficult to find the trail.

As part of his preparations Brian was taught how to deal with a bear should be encounter one and how to cope with frostbite.

People can donate to Brian’s cause and also follow his progress via www.pugwashbay.ie

A substantial amount of cash was stolen when a safe was removed from a warehouse premises along the Ramparts Road over the course of the weekend.

The break-in happened sometime between Friday evening and Monday morning, with the thieves gaining access to the premises after cutting a hole in the roof.

From there they gained access to an upstairs office before removing the safe, which is reported to have contained a large sum of money.

Gardaí investigating the incident claim that at least three people would have had to carry the safe because of its weight and are asking anyone with information on the break-in or who might have seen anything suspicious in the Ramparts area over the course of the weekend to contact them at Dundalk Garda Station or the confidential line number 1800 666 111.

The scene at the Spirit Store yesterday, with water coming up to the entrance of the premises, as captured by Cllr Dearey

Mark Dearey

Green Party councillor and local businessman Mark Dearey has called on the Government to online their Flood Management Strategy to help businesses and homeowners know where they stand when their property floods.

As owner of The Spirit Store in George’s Quay, Cllr Dearey has had a busy few weeks battling rising tides, with water coming right up to the door of the premises as recently as yesterday.

The father of two, who will run in both the European and local elections in May, will have to be on the defensive again today with further flooding anticipated around 2pm as a flood warning has been issued for Dundalk and Blackrock.

However, while Cllr Dearey accepts that flooding is set to become more commonplace, he wants the government to show leadership and outline how they intend to manage the problem and what they are going to do to help homes and businesses secure flood insurance.

“The impact of decades of underinvestment in our flood defences and an absence of sustainable river management strategies are now being felt by communities the length and breadth of the country. Despite years of warnings that climate change would result in heavier rainfall and rising sea levels, the Government have made no statement about how they intend to manage this crisis in the long-term,” said Cllr Dearey.

“For the second time in three weeks, my business was flooded yesterday. I know what it’s like to see that inexorable rise of water, and I share in the frustration of those who are suffering at this time.

“People across the country are now looking to the Government for help, and they’re looking for leadership in answering how we’re going to face this challenge in the years ahead. All evidence suggests that these storms and floods are going to become more common and more destructive. Government, local authorities and the insurance industry need to work together in figuring out where we go from here.”

Last month’s flooding in the area has already cost in the region of quarter of a million euro while the cost to the local authority if businesses close their doors for good as a result of the inevitable knock-on effect that these floods have on trade in the area.

Louth County Council issued a flood warning for 2.30pm today with an Orange weather warning in place from 3pm today until 9am tomorrow, with flooding likely in Dundalk, Blackrock and Bellurgan during this period.

What’s left of the main Whitestown to Ballagan coast road on the Cooley Peninsula following yesterday’s storm. Monday’s tides were down in terms of height, but the waves were much more powerful, according to Louth Weather, who captured the superb image

A controversial video of people fighting in a residential street in Dundalk in broad daylight has emerged online in the past 24 hours.

The video on YouTube, which appears to be in O’Hanlon Park, shows two men confronting a man at his house. The man then confronts the other and a fight ensued outside the property that involved a cricket bat and at least two teenagers.

The video – which so far has been viewed over 3,000 times – was put together from two separate cameras, which were recording from an elevated position of the house.

The description of the video claims that the house was attacked by a local man and his son, with the 50-year-old homeowner forced to defend his family.

No matter what the story, this is not the type of scene you want to see in a local street, particularly as young children were seen passing during the course of the near six minute clip.

This week’s Dundalk Democrat focuses on the theft of the watches that Stephen Carroll had left for his two sons prior to his death late last year. According to the paper, there is now a €5,000 reward for their return. Meanwhile, there’s all the reaction to the Garth Brooks ticket sales in town, an update on the Louth weather and the fall-out from Louth’s opening National League match with Armagh, in which they blew a huge lead to only end up with a point in the end.

All that and more in this week’s Dundalk Democrat – on sale now!

A train heading for the Barrack Street freight yard when trains used to go under the Hill Street Bridge

The debate over whether or not to knock the Hill Street bridge has been reignited.

Dundalk Town Council were given the green light to demolish the bridge in 2007 but were waiting for work on the new Tesco development at the old Dundalk Shopping Centre site before proceeding – with the supermarket retailer set to contribute towards the cost and the council co-funding the project.

Those plans are believed to now be up in the air as a result of the changed economic conditions over the course of the last seven years.

Now the council are set to ask their planners to review the original designs to see whether they address the needs of motorists, pedestrians and cyclists in terms of the future development of the town.

Speaking on LMFM this morning though, Cllr Martin Bellew, said he was disappointed that work had not proceeded and insisted he would be raising the matter at the next Town Council meeting to get an update on where things stand at present.

“I understood that as soon as the Tesco job was in operation, work would start on the bridge too but as far as I can see we are no further on.

“I’m disappointed this hasn’t happened and I will be pursuing it at the next meeting,” said Cllr Bellew.

There has been much speculation regarding the future of the the Hill Street bridge for several decades but particularly since the Barrack Street freight yard closed in 1995.

Hill Street Bridge, heading towards Stapleton Place, in years gone by. The bridge is believed to have been built over 150 years ago

The Long Riders

Paddy Mac and the Long Riders will be performing live in the Market Square this St Patrick’s Day.

The band, comprised of Paddy McEneaney, Gino Berill and Tubby Corrway, will take to the stage at 2.45pm on the day.

Preceding them will be music from the Down and Out Blue Grass Band at 12.30pm and the Dundalk Brass Band at 1.45pm.

The annual St Patrick’s Day parade will take place at 1pm with the prize-giving at 2.30pm.

A range of other musical entertainment will also be provided for in a number of local pubs.

This year’s parade will be sponsored by Ace Environmental, The Long Walk Shopping Centre and National Tile Ltd, with support from Dundalk Chamber of Commerce, Dundalk TCCM, Louth County Council, Dundalk Town Council, Dundalk FC and Dundalk FM.

The float of a shop in the Ballykelly area was stolen during a break-in in the early hours of last Thursday morning.

The incident happened between 3am and 4am, with a passing driver seeing two men fleeing the scene in a silver Ford Focus, heading in the direction of Carrickmacross.

The men had made their escape by the time the gardaí had arrived on the scene.

Ballykelly is located on the Louth/Monaghan border, near to Louth Village and Stonetown.

Meanwhile, there was a similar break-in to a premises in the Hale Street area of Ardee in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Access to the premises was gained by the thieves cutting a hole in the wall. They then made off with the float and cigarettes.

Anyone who might have heard or seen anything in relation to this is asked to contact gardaí in Ardee.

Deerpark, Kilkerley has had its priced dramatically reduced

A unique Dundalk home, which went on the market last June for a whopping €1.65 million has had its asking price cut by more than 42%.

The six bed country house at Deerpark, Kilkerley – close to Killin Golf Club – had its asking price reduced by €700,000 on Monday to €950,000.

The stunning home is set in private parkland of almost 33.5 acres and is being sold by Sherry FitzGerald Carroll and Christie’s.

A bird’s eye view of the property and its lands

According to the brochure, the home is “architecturally designed to the current owner’s specification. The interior is spacious, minimal yet comfortable and the exacting attention to detail is clear throughout. The beauty of this family home are the spacious rooms, tall ceilings and numerous floor to ceiling windows in the main living area which creates fantastic light and offers an indoor outdoor mix of living.

“There is a detached purpose built stable building with horse boxes and another detached building split into 2 large stores. Elsewhere on the site there is a detached derelict residence and ruins of an historic interest. The lands are of good quality grazing land, which is laid out in a number of manageable paddocks. The lands are suitable for all types of agricultural use.

“On entering this stunning property one is greeted by a large vestibule leading into the kitchen/breakfast room, which is a large open plan area with the benefit of large windows on both sides. There is a natural flow through this property with the lower ground floor dedicated to a self-contained au pair/granny apartment next to a comprehensive entertainment and relaxation space/games room big enough to take a full size snooker table together with gym, sauna room and mud room leading onto a large double garage.”

It is understood that the property is currently owned by Peter and Tia McCaughey. Peter is a prominent developer and director of McCaughey Developments Limited, which built a number of housing estates in and around Dundalk, including the likes of Castle Ross.

Peter is also the current managing director of IJM Timber Engineering, which has carried out work on a range of hotels and nursing homes nationwide, including Moorehall in Ardee.

Local businessman Padraig Herr of Cadran was the architect for the property, which was only granted planning permission as recently as May 2006.

There is a protected structure on the site – three basement walls of a 17^th Century house known as Taffy Jenny’s Court, showing early signs of brickwork and vaults.

The kitchen in Deerpark

Rooms are spacious in Deerpark

The games room at Deerpark

A selection of rooms in Deerpark

The spacious hallway in Deerpark

A photo of Francis O’Brien taken while he was in police custody

The Dundalk man who has been missing in Thailand for the last few days while suffering from memory loss has been found and is on his way home.

Francis ‘Flossy’ O’Brien was discovered wandering in the Thalang area of Phuket at around 9pm last Saturday.

He was spotted by locals who became concerned for his welfare and brought him to Thalang police station.

Reports claim that Francis was able to inform officers that he was on holiday, but was unable to tell them how or why he came to be alone in the Thalang area. He was only identifiable due to his driving licence.

He was later released by police, who said they don’t know where he is now and added that Mr O’Brien’s welfare was not their responsibility.

His family have been dealing with the Irish consul in Thailand to look for him ever since, with a family friend confirming his return just moments ago saying: “I was talking to Flossy’s brother Oliver and he has confirmed that Flossy is on his way home. All is well. Thank God for great news.”

It is expected that Mr O’Brien will be reunited with his family tomorrow morning.

Earlier, Mr O’Brien’s family had criticised Thai authorities for letting him go while he was in their custody.

Commenting on the matter in the Irish Daily Star today, Francis’s brother Charlie said the police should never have let him go given his condition.

Cllr Edel Corrigan

Sinn Féin president and local TD Gerry Adams met with Superintendent Gerry Curley at Dundalk Garda Station last Friday, along with councillors Jim Loughran and Edel Corrigan.

Many issues were discussed at the meeting, including the investigation into the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, the increase in the numbers of burglaries and drug related crimes in the area, as well as cross border policing and community safety.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Corrigan said she was concerned at the number of recent break-ins in the area and urged people to be vigilant to help cut down on this figure in the weeks ahead.

She said: “There appears to an alarming increase in burglaries throughout Dundalk and the surrounding areas. Teachta Adams has submitted a series of parliamentary questions to the Minister for Justice seeking information on this and on available Garda resources in the region.

“A number of the burglaries are believed to be carried out by criminal groups that use the border corridor to their advantage. Many gangs now travel along the main motorway between Dublin and Belfast and target areas like Dundalk as they can quickly escape back onto a main road and be miles away within minutes.

“I would appeal to citizens to be vigilant and ensure their homes and vehicles are secure at all times. I would especially appeal to everyone to look out for those most vulnerable in our communities, particularly our elderly.”

Cllr Loughran reiterated these thoughts but said it was important that Community Text Alert Schemes were rolled out quicker.

He said: “I am disappointed at the lack of progress in respect of the roll out of Community Text Alert Schemes, however I now hope that a better structure can be put in place to help co-ordination between An Garda Síochána and Community Safety Groups. I have asked that quarterly meetings be held between rural community alert groups and Garda representatives similar to those that are already in place for urban areas.

“We discussed the increase of drug-related crimes. Many addicts become involved in crime, particularly theft, in order to feed their addiction. We need more to be done to crack down on the issue of drug dealing in order to prevent further related drug crimes.”

Finally, Deputy Adams appealed for anyone with information on the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe to come forward with it as soon as possible.

He said: “I would once again appeal to anyone with information, however small or apparently insignificant, in respect of the murder of Adrian Donohoe, to bring that forward to the Garda or the PSNI.

“No effort should be spared to bringing those responsible before the courts.”

Brendan Ogle

Respected union boss Brendan Ogle, the Secretary of the ESB Group of Unions, is leaving ESB and his position as Group Secretary.

Mr Ogle, who hails from Marian Park in Dundalk, represented staff in ESB for nearly ten years, initially as a regional organiser for Unite and more recently as Secretary of the ESB Group of Unions.

In a statement, Mr Ogle said the decision was initiated by him and was made by mutual consent.

He said the group of unions’ recent successful campaign to have the ESB pension scheme reclassified and treated as a defined benefit pension scheme allows him to leave the company “at an appropriate time”.

In December he received death threats when a union issue led to fears of a black-out around the country over the Christmas period.

Brendan first came to prominence during the rail strike in the summer of 2000 when he led a small breakaway union, ILDA (Irish Locomotive Drivers’ Association) – many of whose members were based at Clarke Station in Dundalk.

In a statement, the ESB said it wished Mr Ogle well in his future endeavours.

“While 2013 was a difficult period for industrial relations in ESB and in turn for customers, ESB acknowledges that over the period of his involvement with ESB as a union official and as Secretary of the ESB Group of Unions, Mr Ogle made a significant contribution, particularly through the delivery and implementation of a number of important change agreements,” the company added.

This section of the Coes Road will now be known as Coes Road West

East Side!

West Side!

No it’s not dialogue from an Ali G script, it’s the new names being added to split up the Coes Road.

Dundalk Town Council recently approved a plan to rename the Coes Road as Coes Road West and Coes Road East.

Coes Road West will be the new address for all buildings on the town side of the Inner Relief Road such as Lally’s Superstore, Daly Brothers, Anord and FastFix.

Meanwhile, Coes Road East will be everything on the opposite side of the Inner Relief Road such as businesses in the North Link Retail Park and the Blackthorn Business Park.

The changes are set to come into effect in the coming weeks, with new signage set to be rolled out to reflect them.

Louth boss Aidan O’Rourke will give his reaction to the draw with Armagh on tonight’s In Off The Post

Tonight’s In Off The Post GAA show on Dundalk FM will have all the reaction from last Sunday’s National League opener between Louth and Armagh, which finished in a draw.

There will be reaction from Louth manager Aidan O’Rourke, captain Paddy Keenan and Armagh’s Jamie Clarke, as well as a look ahead to this Sunday’s home fixture against Laois in Drogheda.

In Off The Post airs each Wednesday night at 9pm on Dundalk FM 100 and is presented by former County Board chairman Peter Brannigan and Naomh Malachi clubman, Dermot Woods, a former chair of the Louth Ladies County Board.

The show can also be accessed online at www.dundalkfm.com and is repeated on Saturdays at 6pm.

Cllr Oliver Morgan

Dundalk Town Council have been encouraged to address safety concerns raised by wheelchair users in the town as soon as possible by Cllr Oliver Morgan.

A report was recently presented to the council by local wheelchair user John Morgan, who highlighted a number of areas of concern.

Town Engineer Catherine Duff says that the report will be examined in the coming weeks and the issues in it prioritised for implementation.

Commenting on the matter to LMFM radio, local independent councillor Oliver Morgan said it was important the necessary work was carried out as soon as possible.

He said councillors had been recently invited on a tour of the town with Mr Morgan and he said he noted that he was in a “lot of pain and stress” as a result of the poor conditions for wheelchair users.

“I would call on the executive to address the issues in the report and implement them as soon as possible,” said Cllr Morgan.

One in three cigarettes smoked in Dundalk is contraband, according to new figures released by Japan Tobacco International (JTI).

JTI are one of four big players in the Irish cigarette market, along with Imperial Tobacco, British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International.

Together they are set to fund a new “Codentify” system which will track cigarette packets from their production base to the end user in an effort to cut down on the amount of illegal tobacco smuggled into Ireland – something which costs the State an estimated €240m in lost revenue a year.

It will allow Customs officers armed with smart phone apps to immediately tell the difference between products destined to be legally sold on the Irish market and contraband.

Alec Ellis, a spokesman for JTI, said the system is already in use in Switzerland and the tobacco-producing companies supplying Ireland were anxious to introduce it here.

Mr Ellis identified Dundalk, Drogheda, Dublin, Tralee and Cork as areas where more than 30% of cigarettes were illegal – all well above the national average of around 13%.

A map that has circulated in recent days predicting areas of Ireland and England that would be under water by the year 2100 due to rising sea levels. This is very much a worst-case scenario and unlikely to happen this quickly but the recent OPW report emphasises that action is needed to protect our coastlines

Eight areas of Co Louth, including Dundalk and Blackrock, are at significant risk of flooding in years to come, according to a leading climate change expert.

Professor John Sweeney of NUI Maynooth has identified 300 cities, towns and village at risk in the years to come but warned that it would take years to make them all safe at a cost of billions to this and future governments.

He said in an article in today’s Irish Independent that this would leave the authorities with no choice but to accept that some areas cannot be economically protected given the rate at which seal levels are rising and the money that it would take to properly defend them all.

A detailed list of vulnerable areas, commissioned by the OPW, shows that areas of all 26 counties are vulnerable, including eight in Louth.

They include: Annagassan, Ardee, Baltray, Blackrock South, Carlingford and Greenore, Dundalk, Termonfeckin and Drogheda. Nearby areas in Co Monaghan such as Inniskeen and Carrickmacross are also at risk, according to the report.

The full list is contained in the National Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment overview report, with all areas set to be the subject of an in-depth investigation over the coming years before a detailed list of flood defences needed across the country is produced in 2015.

Despite frequent flooding in Dundalk and Blackrock in recent weeks, Junior Minister Brian Hayes has warned that because of funding restrictions areas most at risk may have to be prioritised, which would likely lead to heavily hit areas such as Cork, Clare, Waterford and other western counties put to the top of the list.

The report comes on the back of a predicted weather map that is circulating online at present, which suggests the whole of Co Louth may be under water by the year 2100 due to rising sea levels.

While that is a worst case scenario and highly unlikely to happen in less than 100 years, it is a reminder that action is needed both locally and nationally in order to protect our futures.