Latest news with #CoWestmeath
BreakingNews.ie
4 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Gardaí arrest two teenagers after shots fired at house in Mullingar
Gardaí have arrested two teenagers in connection with a shooting in a residential area of Co Westmeath. A number of shots were discharged in the Ardleigh Park area of Mullingar at about 1.40pm on Monday. No injuries were reported. Advertisement Two men in their late teens were arrested on Tuesday in connection with the incident. The pair are being questioned in Co Westmeath. Gardaí are appealing for anyone who was in the Ardleigh Park area of the town between 12.30pm and 2.30pm on Monday who may have witnessed the shots being fired to come forward. Officers also want anyone driving in the area who may have dashcam footage to make it available to them. Gardaí can be contacted at Mullingar Garda Station on (044) 938 4000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station. Investigations are ongoing, gardaí added.
BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Man jailed for defiling employer's 15-year-old daughter
A man has been jailed for two years for the defilement of his employer's 15-year-old daughter. The 38-year-old man was convicted at the Central Criminal Court of one count of defilement of the girl at a location in Co Westmeath in October 2017. Advertisement He was acquitted by the jury on charges of allegedly raping the complainant and of one count of allegedly sexually assaulting this complainant's sister. The man has a previous conviction for assault and two road traffic offences. Passing sentence on Monday, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon imposed a two-and-a-half-year sentence, with the final six months suspended. Ms Justice Creedon noted the 'significant age disparity' between the man and the complainant and that he had engaged in a 'level of grooming' of the girl. Advertisement She said the man 'held a position of trust', which he abused and that the offending had a 'profound impact' on the complainant's career, education, mental and physical health. She noted the man does not accept the jury's verdict, has displayed no empathy towards the complainant and has not expressed remorse. The judge said there was 'very little by way of mitigation' in this case but noted the man's lack of previous convictions for sexual offending, his co-operation with the investigation and personal circumstances. Ms Justice Creedon suspended the final six months of the two-and-a-half-year sentence on strict conditions, including that the man place himself under the supervision of The Probation Service for 12 months post-release. She backdated the sentence to when the man entered custody last January. Advertisement An investigating garda told Garrett McCormack BL, prosecuting, the man had been working for his employer for a number of years. The employer noticed his 15-year-old daughter and the then 30-year-old man were becoming close. He asked her if anything was going on and she denied it but her behaviour became erratic and out of character with her personality. Her aunt noticed items of interest on her phone, and it was reported to the gardaí. The court heard evidence of multiple phone calls from the defendant to the girl's phone over a period of time, as well as text exchanges in the early hours of the morning. Advertisement The complainant told the court that following a text exchange the man had come into her home through a side window and had sex with her in her bedroom, before leaving the same way. The man left the employment in 2017 and gardaí were contacted in January 2018, the court heard. The defendant gave evidence during his trial denying the offences in their entirety. It was put to the complainant and her family during the trial that the complaints were revenge for the accused acting as a whistle-blower in relation to practices at the business. They denied this. In her victim impact statement, the young woman said her childhood had been taken too soon. She said her mental health deteriorated to almost a point beyond return. She said she once had a great life and opportunities but was left feeling so low. Advertisement She said it took her far too long to realise this was not her fault and that she was just a child. She said her enjoyment in her chosen career had been diminished as the man was also involved in this field. She pursued other avenues but this took her away from her family and home. She told the court she had been under the control of and groomed by a man who was trusted by her and her family. She said the man had been 'like family' to them. She said the impact on her life has been significant and the emotional toll immense. Six character witnesses took the stand to give references on behalf of the accused man. His wife told the court that she 100 per cent believed in his innocence and said he was a kind and loving man. She said lots of people were standing by him and anyone who knows him knows his loyalty and love for his friends. She said he was a good man who put himself before others. A neighbour said throughout many interactions he had found the man to be kind, caring and considerate. He said he was a person of sound character. Three family friends gave evidence characterising him variously as 'a genuine, decent, honourable, kind guy'; someone they 'trust completely' and someone they felt comfortable and safe with. His doctor said he had a high opinion of the man's character and could not speak highly enough of him. He said a custodial sentence would be hard for him to endure. Defence counsel, Blaise O'Carroll SC, said the court was dealing with an offence from 2017 which had been a long time coming before the court. He said his client going into custody has had devastating effects on his family and business. Ireland Former priest who sexually abused his three sister... Read More He submitted his client had been acquitted of eight of the nine counts on the indictment before being found guilty of the final count. He said his client's prior conviction for assault arose in the context of alcohol, putting him into a medium risk of re-offending. Counsel said his client's child has serious medical issues and the full burden of that care is now on his wife. Mr O'Carroll said his client had learning difficulties in his background but had gone into a field he adored and there were glowing references to his extraordinary ability in his career. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at or visit Rape Crisis Help .
BreakingNews.ie
08-07-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Plans for €1bn data centre campus and solar farm in Co Westmeath
Plans are to be lodged in the coming days for a €1 billion data centre campus and solar farm on a 600-acre site in Co Westmeath. This follows Red Admiral DC Ltd, which is owned by Offaly businessman Nigel Reams and forms part of his Lumcloon Energy Group, giving notice that it is to lodge plans to Westmeath County Council for a six-unit data centre and a decentralised energy resource on townlands across Rochfortbridge, Co Westmeath. Advertisement The project is being developed in partnership with SK Ecoplant, a Korean engineering company that announced its collaboration with Lumcloon to supply power to the data centre in 2023 from solid-oxide fuel cells, which generate electricity from natural gas. The company is seeking planning permission for a 10-year period. The scheme also includes a solar farm across 166 hectares (410 acres) of the overall site and is to lie east to the data centre campus. The application to Westmeath County Council follows An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) in May ruling that the case is not a Strategic Infrastructure Development (SID). Advertisement SID applications are lodged direct to An Coimisiún Pleanála and the commission's ruling has resulted in the plans going before a local authority where a decision can come before ACP on appeal. The site of the planned data centre campus within a 96-acre site of the overall 60- acre landholding is located in the townlands of Kiltotan, Collinstown, Oldtown and Farthingstown, Co Westmeath. The site is immediately south-west of Rochfortbridge and occupies land either side of the R446 regional road and M6 motorway. As part of the SID evaluation process, the company told ACP that a Decentralised Energy Resource (DER) which comprises a number of power assets and technologies will generate, store and manage electricity close to the data centre, rather than relying on the existing electricity network. Advertisement The company told the commission that the DER would result in reduced transmission losses, reduced emissions and improved cost and operational efficiencies. The firm said this would enable the data centre campus to support decarbonisation through digitalisation and support a climate neutral economy. Documentation lodged with ACP said the DER has been designed to replace conventional standby diesel generators which are typically used for back-up supply. The planning application is to run concurrent with plans to ACP for high voltage lines and an electrical plant. The planning notice states that the scheme involves development that will requires an Industrial Emissions Licence from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Irish Times
16-05-2025
- Climate
- Irish Times
Water supplies ‘on a knife edge' with warm and dry weather set to continue, Uisce Éireann warns
The number of areas of the State experiencing drought conditions has increased to 26 as the spell of warm and dry weather continues, Uisce Éireann has said. With next to no rainfall due across the country in the coming days, the utility company said water supply remained 'on a knife edge' in the Greater Dublin Area. It said average demand so far this year had been at a record level of more than 630 million litres per day. 'This is close to the limit of what can be sustainably produced by our water treatment infrastructure,' Uisce Éireann said. The issue in Greater Dublin is not lack of raw water, but production capacity to treat supplies, a spokesman said. READ MORE The region is especially vulnerable to shortages because of persistent supply issues, separate to the drought conditions, but if the dry spell continues, any restrictions that may be deemed necessary will have widespread impact in the region given it is the most populated part of the country. With fine weather forecast to continue into next week, Uisce Éireann has appealed to consumers to be mindful of their water usage. A water conservation order, commonly referred to as a hosepipe ban, has been in place for supplies in Mullingar, Co Westmeath; Milford, Co Donegal; and Kells-Oldcastle, Co Meath, since early May. The 23 supplies in drought status, as determined by Uisce Éireann, are: Ahascragh and Inis Oírr, Co Galway; Ballylaneen, Co Waterford; Buncrana, Letterkenny (Goldrum), Milford and Carrigart-Downings in Co Donegal; Carron (Termon Spring), Co Clare; Coalbrook, Riverstown and Dulla, Co Tipperary; Doon, Oola and Pallasgreen, Co Limerick; Ardnaglass, Co Sligo; Lough Bane, Co Meath; Kinnity, Co Offaly; Portloman, Co Westmeath; Kenmare, Co Kerry; Raheenleigh, Co Carlow; Taylorstown, Co Wexford; and Whitechurch and Clonakilty (Jones Bridge), Co Cork. There are no immediate plans to extend the hosepipe bans to other areas, but Uisce Éireann is monitoring all supplies closely and taking measures to maintain normal service through interventions such as tankering to reservoirs, night-time restrictions and pressure management. It is monitoring all of its raw water supplies that feed into its water treatment plants from lakes, rivers, springs and ground sources. Uisce Éireann's head of water operations, Margaret Attridge, said that the sunny spell had led to increased water use. 'Levels in many water sources are significantly lower than normal for this time of year following a dryer-than-average autumn, winter and spring,' she said. 'On top of this, the recent spell of warm weather has led to an increase in demand across many of our supplies, putting further pressure on the network and reservoirs.' Met Éireann is forecasting no rain over the weekend, with temperatures set to increase to 25 degrees in some areas by Sunday. Minimal amounts of rain are forecast up to next weekend, though more substantial falls may occur by Sunday week. Paul Moore, a Met Éireann climatologist, said no records had been broken for prolonged dry spells yet but rainfall this spring had averaged 50 per cent of the norm. Three of the forecaster's 25 weather stations have recorded a dry spell of 19-21 days, while seven had seen an 'absolute drought' of less than 0.2mm of rain over 18-20 days.
Irish Daily Mirror
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Heartbreak for Ireland as EMMY dumped out of Eurovision semi-final
There was Eurovision heartbreak for Ireland tonight as EMMY was dumped out of the competition at the semi-final stage in Switzerland. The Norwegian singer, 24, failed to follow in last year's act Bambi Thug's footsteps, who brought Ireland to the final for the first time since 2018. The 10 countries that got through tonight were Lithuania, Israel, Armenia, Denmark, Austria, Luxembourg, Finland, Latvia, Malta and Greece. It wasn't looking positive for Ireland just hours before last night's show, as the bookies bet the country had just a 1% chance of taking the title. Sweden's entry Bara Bada Bastu by KAJ is the favourite, with bookies believing they have 42% shot of winning. However, EMMY's performance of Laika Party was praised by many for being energetic and strong. She stormed the stage in a silver short space suit as colourful dog-themed images were sprawled across screens. The singer was backed by her brother Erlend on keyboard and several dancers as they told an upbeat story of the Soviet space dog Laika. Supporters waved the tricolour flag at the St Jakobshalle stadium in Basel for the performance, as the crowd went wild. Spotted in the audience was former Eurovision stars Jedward, who were photographed taking selfies in the audience. Israel was one of the last acts of the night, with singer Yuval Raphael performing New Day Will Rise. Earlier on Thursday, the country's rehearsal was disrupted by pro-Palestine protestors. Six people stormed the performance as they waved Palestinian flags and blew whistles. A spokesperson for Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR said security personnel quickly escorted them out of the hall. Despite protests, Israel made it through to the final, and were announced as the second act through at last night's semi-final. The country might also have a chance of taking the crown, with bookmakers placing Israel as their fifth favourite to win out of all the acts. EMMY received some criticism when she was chosen as Ireland's entry, as she doesn't have any connection to the country. However, Laika Party was co-written by Co Westmeath musician Larissa Tormey. Speaking before her performance on Thursday, EMMY said: 'I would say this is like, it's a European Song Contest. I don't think it's about me. It's about the song. And the song is partly Irish because of the songwriter. 'And also, I think it's more about what song and what message the people of a country want to send, rather than who I am as a singer, you know." Arthur Gourounlian - who was a panellist for Ireland's Eurosong Contest - backed EMMY, and said he didn't believe the criticism was fair. He said: 'When people come for people, please take your facts as the girl who has co-written the song is Irish. 'It's not about the person, it's about the song. It's called the Eurovision Song Contest.' EMMY also did a 'deep dive' to represent Ireland, according to Norway's entry Kyle Alessandro. The 19-year-old is the youngest performer in this year's competition, and qualified on Tuesday with his fiery song Lighter. Speaking about EMMY and her keyboardist brother, he said: "I've known them since I was a little kid, and their dancers are also Norwegian this time around. So they're bringing Norwegian-ness to the stage. "But I know that EMMY has also taken a deep dive into the Irish culture." EMMY did not go through in the Norwegian contest after previously competing in 2021, and instead won Ireland's Eurosong 2025 to earn the right to enter for Ireland. Alessandro said he was having a similar experience "because I'm half Spanish, so I represent Norway, but a little bit Spain also because it's my father's homeland". While she didn't make the final, EMMY hopes to continue to perform Laika Party and further her career. She said: 'So first we need to understand that this is actually happening, and then rehearse and plan. And you know, we will definitely try to keep the same vibe but maybe make it bigger, you know. So, yeah, we're really, really excited for these next few months." The Eurovision final will take place on Saturday at the St Jakobshalle stadium in Basel, where 25 countries will battle it out. This will include the 10 victorious countries from tonight, and Tuesday semi-final winners Norway, Albania, Sweden, Iceland, the Netherlands, Poland, San Marino, Estonia, Portugal and Ukraine. The 'big five' were fast-tracked into the final - France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom - but still performed at the semi-finals. Reigning champion Switzerland, as host, was also guaranteed a slot in the final after their act, Nemo, was victorious last year. The Eurovision Song Contest will be broadcast live on RTÉ One on Saturday at 8pm.
