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Heartbreaking first picture of ‘lovely lad', 26, killed in horrific motorbike crash as family confirm funeral details

Heartbreaking first picture of ‘lovely lad', 26, killed in horrific motorbike crash as family confirm funeral details

The Irish Sun4 days ago
HEARTBREAKING tributes have poured in for a young
motorcyclist who lost his life in a single-vehicle crash in Waterford on Wednesday
.
James 'Jimmy' Power, aged just 26,
on the R675 at Ballinahilla, near Bonmahon.
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The horrific incident took place at around 11.45pm.
Jimmy is predeceased by his grandparents, uncles and aunts.
A notice online read: "Deeply regretted by his parents John and Breda, brothers Nicholas, John and Paddy, sisters Rebecca, Shauna, Ann-Marie, Louise, Olivia and Helen, daughter Aria, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives, neighbours and many friends."
Locals said Jimmy, from Kill in Co
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One said: "Utterly heartbreaking for you all. May the wonderful memories you have of Jimmy provide you with comfort at this tragic time."
Another added: "Jimmy was the nicest most genuine person you could meet he will be very sadly missed."
A third said:
"We are thinking and praying for you all in this very sad time may god give you strength in these very dark days he was such a lovely quiet young man. Rest in peace Jimmy
."
Another mourner wrote: "Great memories down through the years together where he always brought a smile to many a face."
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A fifth said: "Such a lovely lad, Jimmy will be hugely missed by his adored family, friends and all who knew him."
Gardai and RSA measures aimed at driving crash deaths on Irish roads
The Southeast Reapers Motorcycling Club said: "Our thoughts and prayers go out to this young man's family and friends at this tragic time."
Jimmy will be reposing at Thompsons Funeral Home on Barrack Street in Waterford from 2pm to 5pm on Saturday.
He will arrive at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church Kill on Monday for Funeral Mass at 11am, followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery.
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The family has asked that the house remains private at all times.
A notice added: "The family appreciates your sympathy, support and understanding at this difficult time."
GARDA PLEA
They are particularly looking to speak to those who were in the area of the crash within the hour it took place.
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A spokesperson for the force said: "Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this collision to contact them.
"Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling in the area between 11:00pm and 12:00am (midnight) are asked to make this footage available to investigating Gardaí.
"Anyone with information is asked to contact Dungarvan Garda Station on 058 48600, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station."
So far this year, 95 people have lost their lives in 90 crashes on Irish roads.
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During the same period of last year, 106 people died in collisions.
1
James 'Jimmy' Power sadly passed away in the crash earlier this week
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Diplomatic efforts ongoing to secure release of kidnapped Irish missionary Gena Heraty and seven others in Haiti
Diplomatic efforts ongoing to secure release of kidnapped Irish missionary Gena Heraty and seven others in Haiti

Irish Independent

time19 minutes ago

  • Irish Independent

Diplomatic efforts ongoing to secure release of kidnapped Irish missionary Gena Heraty and seven others in Haiti

An intermediary is working on the ground in Haiti to try and negotiate their safe release. It's understood that the mediator, who is not an official of the Haitian or local government, is attempting to arrange for Gena Heraty, six other staff members, and a three year old child to be freed from the captors. A local crime gang are behind the kidnapping but, as of last night, no formal ransom demand had be made. The attackers stormed the Sainte-Helen orphanage in the commune of Kenscoff, 10km south-east of Port-Au-Prince, in the early hours of Sunday morning in what local officials say was a "planned act". Ms Heraty, who runs the charity for children with special needs, was kidnapped along with seven other staff members and a three-year-old child. The Westport native has been a charity worker in Haiti for 32 years and later made contact with the orphanage by phone to confirm she had been taken. The town of Kenscoff has recently been besieged by a wave of atrocities including murders, kidnappings and sexual assaults by 'Viv Ansanm', a gang which has been designated as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US Government. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the abduction and no ransom demands have been made. Last night Irish diplomatic efforts were continuing to secure the safe release of Ms Heraty and the seven other abductees. It had initially been reported that nine people were abducted but this was later revised to eight. The Tánaiste Simon Harris said that "all is being done" and that they will "leave no stone unturned to ensure Gena and her colleagues are released". ADVERTISEMENT Learn more 'Gena has served the people of Haiti for over 30 years,' Mr Harris said on Sunday. 'She has dedicated her life to supporting the most vulnerable people in Haiti and it is imperative that she is released immediately. 'I had a good conversation with Gena's sister, Noreen, and I assured her that all is being done to ensure Gena's release.' Her family said that they were "absolutely devastated" by the news, describing the situation as evolving and deeply worrying. "We are working closely with NPFS in Haiti and Ireland, the Irish Government, and international partners who are doing everything possible to ensure the safe and immediate release of Gena and her colleagues,' her family said. 'NPFS Haiti is working actively to ensure the ongoing safety and well-being of all the children and workers at the orphanage in Kenscoff during this challenging time. We ask that you keep Gena and her colleagues in your hearts as we pray for their safe return. 'Out of respect for the ongoing efforts and for Gena's safety, we are not in a position to share further details at this time,' the family statement read. Massillon Jean, the mayor of Kenscoff, said that the attackers broke into the orphanage at around 3.30am without opening fire, describing it as a "planned act". The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs said he has spoken to the family of Gena Heraty and said her kidnapping is 'deeply worrying'. Speaking today, the Tánaiste said: 'The kidnapping of Irish citizen Gena Heraty, along with seven of her colleagues and a three-year-old child from the grounds of an orphanage in Kenscoff, Haiti, is deeply worrying. 'Gena has served the people of Haiti for over 30 years. 'She has dedicated her life to supporting the most vulnerable people in Haiti and it is imperative that she is released immediately. 'This morning, I had a good conversation with Gena's sister, Noreen, and I assured her that all is being done to ensure Gena's release. 'My Department is in close contact with the Heraty family, local authorities and Nos Petits Frères et Sœurs, the organisation Gena works for. The country's two ambassadors are also in close contact. "We will continue to leave no stone unturned to ensure Gena and her colleagues are released.' In a statement published on Sunday, NPH said that seven staff members and one youth were taken from its home for vulnerable and at risk children in Kenscoff. The organisation confirmed that one of the staff members taken is a foreigner, whose identity and nationality will not be revealed for security reasons. NPH also said that two hospitals it runs in Haiti will be closed until the people taken from its orphanage have been safely released. Gangs control 90pc of Haiti's capital, according to the United Nations, and in recent months they have been launching attacks on previously peaceful communities. More than 5,600 people were reported killed in Haiti last year, with gang violence leaving more than 1 million people homeless in recent years, according to the UN. The UN recorded 185 victims of kidnapping in Haiti between April and June of this year, and said that gangs commit this crime to 'subjugate' people in areas under their control.

Media's role in fighting corruption must be defended
Media's role in fighting corruption must be defended

Irish Examiner

time5 hours ago

  • Irish Examiner

Media's role in fighting corruption must be defended

This summer marks the 30th anniversary of the enactment of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995. Although commended for introducing statutory disclosure obligations for designated public office holders, including politicians, and the establishment of Sipo's predecessor, its significance runs deeper. The act ended a 79-year hiatus in Ireland's anti-corruption legislation. From the foundation of the Irish Free State, the legislation governing corruption in Ireland was housed in the Prevention of Corruption Acts 1889 to 1916. That legislation remained unamended on the Irish statute book until 1995, when modest revisions were introduced under the Ethics in Public Office Act. That act was introduced partly as a response to political indiscretions exposed in a number of scandals that gripped Ireland during the 1990s, including the Greencore affair, Telecom Éireann's site purchase, and the Beef Tribunal. But behind that legislative response lay another powerful force — the media. From the 1970s onwards, investigative journalism in Ireland began to develop, which led — among other things — to the exposure during the 1990s of conflicts of interest and ethical lapses among public officials. The media reports unearthed a culture of impunity and lack of oversight, and were significant in embedding corruption in the public discourse. The Greencore affair, for example, which arose out of the privatisation of Súicre Éireann, revealed weaknesses in the anti-corruption legislative architecture that had never been focused on before, namely conflicts between public duties and private interests. It centred on a small number of executives who bought a 49% stake in a subsidiary of the company for £3.2m and sold it back to the State a year later for £9.5m, prompting concerns over corporate governance and abuse of trust. Although statutory investigations found breaches of company law and corrupt practices by some of those involved, no criminal prosecutions followed. Then there was Telecom Éireann, a semi-state company, which found itself the subject of much media attention in 1991, arising from irregularities surrounding its purchase of a piece of land for use as its headquarters. The Beef Tribunal, established in 1991, on foot of an ITV World in Action programme, would go on to reveal questionable and uncomfortably close connections between big business interests and Irish political interests. These revelations helped shift public sentiment, fostering a climate more receptive to investigative journalism and expanding the public understanding of corruption. Before then, corruption was regarded as an overt form of bribery. This understanding was reflected in the legislation criminalising corruption, which dated back to 1889. Events throughout the 1990s showed that corrupt behaviour could constitute more clandestine activities where private interests and public duties collided, and an awareness of the connection between conflicts of interest and corruption. This growing public awareness, aided by the media, created the necessary political pressure for reform. The Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 was the first enacted legislative response. However, it was not the first attempt to introduce accountability into Irish public life. Four years previously, Labour TD Brendan Howlin initiated the Ethics in Government and Public Office Bill 1991 as a private members' bill. Although the bill was defeated, its principles were incorporated into the 1995 act. The Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 sparked a series of incremental reforms over the next 15 years, including the introduction of freedom of information laws, regulation of political donations, and the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Acts 2001 and 2010. Running in tandem with these legislative developments was persistent media scrutiny, reporting on events that formed the subject matter of various tribunals throughout the 1990s and 2000s. The media played a pivotal role in the establishment of the tribunals. However, its influence extended beyond this initial contribution, in that it was instrumental in informing the public about the proceedings and findings of the tribunals. The particular significance of the Moriarty, Planning, and Morris tribunals is that, for the first time, findings of corruption were made against individuals who were the subject of the investigations. The momentum for change, driven by media vigilance and Ireland's commitments under international and European instruments such as the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery, ultimately culminated in the Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Act 2018. The 2018 Act repealed Ireland's outdated corruption laws and replaced them with a unified modern framework. It introduced offences of active and passive corruption, trading in influence, knowingly giving gifts or advantages to facilitate the commission of a corruption offence, intimidation, and substantially increased penalties for corruption offences. The legislative inertia that had persisted for most of the 20th century eventually gave way to a resurgence of reform, driven in no small way by the media's persistent focus on corruption. As Mr Justice Humphreys recently observed, the media plays a vital role in shaping public discourse, a role that mirrors Percy Bysshe Shelley's famous description of poets as "the unacknowledged legislators of the world". This is not to suggest that the media alone dictates policy and legislation; rather, media coverage can influence legislators' behaviour, as Ireland's experience with corruption legislation has shown. Irish legislation is a product of the Oireachtas, which essentially comprises directly elected politicians. Dependent on public support, politicians risk losing political power if they ignore public opinion. Media reporting and commentary often guide public opinion, which in turn can influence the legislative agenda. The evolution of Ireland's anti-corruption laws is a testament to the enduring importance of the Fourth Estate. Ireland's path towards transparency and reform may not have been so meaningful without it. In a world facing growing threats of free-speech intimidation, protecting an independent Fourth Estate capable of speaking truth to power is more important than ever. Gail Nohilly is a barrister and knowledge lawyer and recently completed her PhD at the University of Limerick, tracking the evolution of Ireland's corruption legislation and the role of the media.

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