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BreakingNews.ie
an hour ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Wicklow woman (22) disqualified from keeping animals for 30 years
Sarah Cullen (22) with an address at Asgard Close, Arklow, Co Wicklow, has been banned from keeping animals for 30 years after entering guilty pleas to four offences under the Animal Health and Welfare Act (AHWA) 2013. The offences include one of obstructing an authorised officer. Advertisement Arklow District Court heard evidence from ISPCA chief inspector Conor Dowling, who described how he called to the defendant's home on Tuesday, April 9th, 2024, in response to a report received from a concerned member of the public. He spoke with Ms Cullen, who brought two dogs to the front door, a black and white Collie named 'Sky', and a six-month-old Golden Retriever pup named "Romeo'. Inspector Dowling said that he could immediately see that both dogs were in poor condition and told how he picked up the Collie and was alarmed at how light she was. He said he could feel every bone in her body and described her as 'a bag of bones'. The inspector made the decision that he was going to bring both dogs for veterinary assessment and would seize them if necessary but, while he loaded the Collie into his vehicle, the accused brought the Retriever pup into the house and would not permit the inspector access to it. Advertisement The court heard that Dowling advised the defendant that he would seek a search warrant to gain access to the dog if necessary but that she seemed more concerned about who had made the report and said that she wanted to make a complaint about the officer. Mr Dowling told how he gave the accused a business card and advised how she could go about making a complaint. He added that, as he left the property, Ms Cullen said 'I'll have your job you f***ing c***'. Sky was taken to a local vet where she was found to weigh just 7.5kg, but veterinary records showed that she had been presented for vaccination two years prior, at which time she was almost double that weight, at 14.8kg. The vet assigned her a body condition score of one out of five and described her as 'skin and bone'. Photo: ISPCA Inspector Dowling described how he obtained a search warrant the following morning, on April 10th, 2024, and returned to Asgaard Close accompanied by gardaí. Advertisement Contact was made with the defendant, and it was established that she and the Retriever pup Romeo were at her sister's home. The officials proceeded to that address and the second dog was seized. The inspector said that the pup's belly appeared swollen and he formed the opinion that he had been fed a lot since the previous day. The pup vomited during the journey to the vets producing a large volume of barely digested dog food. On veterinary examination Romeo was found to weigh 13.5kg. Vet records showed that he had lost 2.9kg in the previous 11 weeks despite being a growing pup. The vet noted muscle wastage on the back legs of the dog, said that the dog should weigh over 20kg, and described him as 'skin and bone'. Mr Dowling told of how he later conducted an interview under caution with the defendant during which she offered no real explanation for the condition of the dogs. Advertisement She claimed that Sky the Collie was a picky eater and acknowledged that she had noticed they were losing weight but claimed to not think it was as severe as it was. The court heard that both dogs increased in weight over the following three weeks without any medical treatment. Sky almost doubled in weight, increasing from 7.5kg back to her previous weight of 14.8kg, and Romeo gained 25 per cent of his initial weight, from 13.5kg to 18kg. Both dogs recovered fully and were subsequently surrendered and rehomed. Photo: ISPCA Under cross examination inspector Dowling confirmed that, other than the poor physical condition, there were no other signs of neglect or abuse. When asked by Judge David Kennedy whether the dog's coats were dirty indicating that they had been living in a poor environment, the inspector said that was not the case. In mitigation, the defendant's history of depression and anxiety disorders was highlighted as was her difficult upbringing. The court heard that she 'panicked' when the ISPCA inspector arrived and that she was 'sorry for her behaviour'. Advertisement On passing sentence, Judge Kennedy wondered 'how it got so bad' and said that he would have thought that the defendant's family 'would have been some guidance'. He imposed a 30-year disqualification from keeping all animals, imposed a nominal €500 fine, and ordered that Ms Cullen pay €2,620.35 in ISPCA costs. 'The poor physical condition of Sky in particular was really concerning' commented Chief Inspector Dowling, 'for a dog to be half of its ideal body weight is exceptional. "I'm relieved that I got there in time because I'm not sure how much longer she would have gone on for. Romeo's future development could have been severely compromised from being deprived of nutrition at such a young age. "Thankfully, due to the wonderful work of our animal care staff, both have recovered fully and are enjoying life in their new homes'.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Estate agent pays €10,000 penalty for using deposit funds given to him by client
A Co Wicklow estate agent has had to pay a €10,000 penalty for using deposit funds, given to him for the purchase of land, before the sale was finalised. Gabriel Dooley, of Dooleys Estate Agents in Greystones, had been given €50,000 by a company to purchase land, but the sale never concluded. The liquidator of the company later secured a High Court order for Mr Dooley to refund the booking deposit, but he refused to do so. Following this the liquidator made a complaint to the Property Services Regulatory Authority , the body responsible for licensing and regulating the property services sector. READ MORE A full investigation was carried out, with the PRSA making one finding of improper conduct against Mr Dooley for breaching regulation six of the Property Services (Regulation) Act 2011 (Client Moneys) Regulations 2012. This was due to Mr Dooley withdrawing money from the €50,000 booking deposit, which was held in his client bank account, before contracts for the sale of the land being signed or finalised. The board of the PRSA imposed a sanction on Mr Dooley for this breach, amounting to a financial penalty of €10,000. The High Court confirmed the decision on Monday. Mr Dooley paid this fine to the PRSA before the confirmation order. Under the Property Services Regulation Act 2011, following a complaint the PRSA can appoint an investigator who seeks relevant documentation and evidence from an agent and drafts a report which then goes to the board of the PRSA for a final decision. If improper conduct has been found, a number of sanctions can be imposed varying from a minor sanction, such as a caution, to a major one like the suspension of the agent's licence or a financial penalty of up to €250,000.
Irish Independent
7 days ago
- Irish Independent
Migrant worker ‘never made aware' of debit card in his name until gardaí got involved, WRC hears
A pre-dawn garda raid on the home of a leading restaurateur last December found personal documents belonging to a migrant chef who has said he was "never made aware" of a debit card in his name, a tribunal has heard. Co Wicklow businessman Fahid Saleem, co-director of his family's award-winning Pakistani curry house group, Daata, told the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) he had 'zero knowledge' that his wife had been given the documents belonging to the chef, her orphaned cousin Mohammad Usman Ghani.
Irish Independent
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Letters: It looks like we're going backwards on housing, with tenements by a new name
How do you live in an apartment this size? How can a couple work from home – how can even one person work from home? Despite the tiny size, the cost is still a big mortgage, but how can anyone expect people to live and enjoy their company when so close to one another? Home may have been where the heart was, but I think that is no more. Colette Collins, Co Wicklow Israel has truly mastered Orwell's concepts when it comes to linguistic abuse George Orwell wrote in his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four that 'war is peace, freedom is slavery and ignorance is strength'. The term 'Orwellian' has become synonymous with the corruption of language to mean its opposite. An organisation called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation lures starving Palestinians into aid distribution centres where they are massacred by Israeli soldiers. Israel's 'defence' (another Orwellian word) minister Israel Katz calls for a 'humanitarian city' to be built on the ruins of the city of Rafah, where the entire population of Gaza will be imprisoned. Clearly, the word 'humanitarian' should be added to Orwell's list. Raymond Deane, Broadstone, Dublin Concentration camps are next for Gazans – how is this allowed to happen? Israel is now mooting the building of concentration camps, which I cannot get my head around. Two hundred years ago, we had similar camps in the United States in their treatment of the native Americans. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more Eighty years ago, we had the Nazi concentration camps. Only a few years ago, we had the camps in Srebrenica. Can the world permit Israel to do the same? Our silence is a mark of our guilt. Paul Doran, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 If we tighten our belts in Budget 2026, expect rail network plans to take a hit The doom and gloom regarding Budget 2026 has begun in earnest, and no wonder, given the state of the world. Long-term, I wonder if it will have an adverse effect on the proposed rail network plans to reinstate a train service from Dublin to Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal, scheduled to take 30 years? Or will the M3 motorway, with the most expensive tolls in the country, continue to shoot fish in the Cavan barrel? Peter Declan O'Halloran, Belturbet, Co Cavan Housing children stuck in B&Bs for two years must be priority for politicians It is reported that 14 children have been in emergency accommodation for over two years. This is unacceptable, in particular for the health and well-being of the children. I believe this matter should be addressed as a matter of urgency by our elected representatives. Michael Moriarty, Rochestown, Co Cork Not to rain on anyone's parade, but the summer omens don't look good Yesterday was St Swithin's Day and, true to reputation, it poured in Armagh. Some might still hold to the superstition that 40 days of rain will follow. Frankly, in Armagh, that's not a prophecy, it's the pattern. I was reminded of a summer long ago when I was a J1 student in California. I cycled daily along on El Camino in blazing heat. Nearing Colma, a place known less for its nightlife and more for its abundance of cemeteries, I'd pass a roofer's yard. Painted on the side of the building, in bold, sun-bleached lettering, were the wise words: 'It Will Rain Again.' They should carve that into the Armagh City crest. It would be more honest than any Latin motto. Enda Cullen, Tullysaran Road, Co Armagh Pub closures signal that the fabric of rural Ireland is beginning to fall apart According to a new report commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland, about 2,000 pubs have closed in Ireland since 2005. It says more than 100 are closing every year. It could be argued that there is a changing way of life. Covid-19 may also have contributed. The bottom line in any enterprise is that it needs to turn a profit to sustain itself. Clearly, pubs are struggling, and the present taxation regime and regulatory regime militate against them being viable. I feel pubs are vital to the social and economic fabric of rural Ireland. They act as community hubs and are often the only social gathering place. They play a part in fostering community cohesion and even economic activity. The late Austrian-American actor and activist Theodore Bikel once uttered the following words, which I find apposite to the above: 'You don't really need modernity in order to exist totally and fully. You need a mixture of modernity and tradition.' John O'Brien, Clonmel, Co Tipperary Has the EU now crept so close to Nato that the two cannot be told apart? On the RTÉ One O'Clock News we were informed that Donald Trump had decided to supply Patriot missiles to Ukraine for its defence. He was quoted as saying the EU was paying for them. By the time the Six One News came on, we were informed it was Nato that was paying the US for the missiles. So who actually is paying? If it is the EU, how are we in Ireland not to be involved? Is it Nato, or has EU moved so close to Nato that they are considered indistinguishable by the US? Is this another step for our Government as it seeks to creep away from our cherished position of neutrality? Paddy Murray, Castlepollard, Co Westmeath Donegal boys look to be unstoppable and brought tears to my eyes on Sunday I watched last Sunday's semi-final between Donegal and Meath in awe. Our wonderful Donegal boys played with such brilliance and passion that my heart nearly stopped and tears appeared. With the greatest of respect to Kerry, I'm going to put my head on the block and predict Donegal won't be stopped. Brian McDevitt, Glenties, Co Donegal
Irish Times
10-07-2025
- Irish Times
Man taken to hospital following stabbing incident in Arklow
Five men have been arrested in Arklow, Co Wicklow , following a stabbing in the town centre. The incident occurred at about 5pm in Abbey Street. A man (30s) was brought to St Vincent's hospital for treatment of injuries believed to be non-life-threatening at this time. The five men who have been arrested are being questioned in Garda stations in the Co Wicklow and Co Wexford areas. READ MORE It is the third stabbing in Arklow in the last three weeks. A man in his 50s was stabbed in the early hours of Saturday, June 28th. On Monday a man in his 40s was hospitalised in Arklow having sustained serious injuries in an assault that afternoon. It is not clear yet if the three stabbings are related.
