Kerry murder suicide
Gardaí investigating the double murder-suicide that has rocked a small north Kerry community say they have “no motive” for the killings.
Gardaí are “keeping an open mind” as to why Morris “Mossie” O’Sullivan, 63, shot his partner Eileen, 56, and the couple’s son, Jamie, 24, at their home in Lixnaw, Co Kerry on Tuesday evening.
As the Irish Examiner report, gardaí have launched a criminal investigation into the suspected double murder-suicide.
Superintendent Paul Kennedy, Listowel Garda, confirmed that gardaí had not been alerted in advance about any issues at the family.
“We have no knowledge of anybody in the days preceding this that would have contacted us directly,“This was a very decent family who were not previously known to us.
“At the moment we don’t have motive.”
Fianna Fáil think-in
There will be no challenge to Micheál Martin’s leadership when Fianna Fáil meets in Co Cavan on Thursday, a junior minister has said.
Sean Fleming, the Fianna Fáil TD charged with authoring a report into the party’s electoral fortunes in recent years, said on Thursday that he did not see “any prospect” of a challenge to the Taoiseach when the parliamentary party meets for a think-in today.
Over 2,500 Fianna Fáil members contributed to the report, which recommends that the party needs to re-establish a distinct identity.
It comes amid reports that Mr Martin can expect strong criticism from some party members over the course of the next two days.
Mr Fleming acknowledged that the return of in-party meetings brought with it some “pent-up expectation”.
Target set for Ireland to be tobacco free by 2025
The new Tobacco Free Ireland annual report has set a target of 2025 for the country to be tobacco free.
Tobacco Free Ireland is Ireland’s national tobacco control policy and sets a target for Ireland to be tobacco free by the year 2025.
A high-level action plan for Tobacco Free Ireland was published in March 2015 and each year the Department of Health reports on the ongoing implementation of the plan.
School close contacts
Children should not have to stay out of school for two weeks when they have been identified as close contacts according to Professor of Immunology Christine Loscher.
In her view 14 days was too long, she told RTÉ radio’s Today with Claire Byrne show.
If a positive case was identified in a classroom, it could in effect be day two or three not day zero and if a child had a negative test on day five then they should be allowed to return to school, she said.
Prof Loscher acknowledged that mitigating factors needed to be kept in place to break the chain of transmission, but pointed out that a “simple streamlined process” for schools would speed up matters as they would know exactly what to do when a case was identified.
DUP threatens to collapse Stormont ‘within weeks’
The leader of the DUP has signalled his party will collapse the Stormont Executive within weeks if changes to Brexit’s Northern Ireland Protocol are not delivered.
Jeffrey Donaldson also announced his party’s immediate withdrawal from cross-border political institutions established on the island of Ireland under the Good Friday peace agreement.
The moves are part of an intensification of the DUP’s campaign of opposition to post-Brexit arrangements that have created trading barriers between Britain and Northern Ireland.
Mr Donaldson issued the warning on the future of Stormont in a keynote address in Belfast on the same day that European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic began a two-day visit to Northern Ireland.
FAI and Sky announce sponsorship deal for Republic of Ireland Women's team
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) have confirmed a landmark partnership deal with Sky which will see the company become the first-ever, stand-alone partner of the Republic of Ireland Women's team.
The four-year deal will see the squad through two major tournaments - the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2025 UEFA Women's Championship.
The announcement follows an agreement between the FAI and the men's and women's national squads regarding equal pay for all Republic of Ireland international players.
