O'Neill sales
Sports firm, O’Neills is forecasting that the condensed All-Ireland inter-county season will result in a 12-15 per cent drop off in the company’s replica county shirt sales this year.
Co-owner of O’Neills, Paul Towell said today that the completion of the men’s All Ireland series with the July staging of the All-Ireland senior hurling and football finals “is not good for business”.
Usually at this time of year, sports retailers are busy selling replica shirts for counties that have made it through to the All-Ireland semi-finals and finals as the hype builds towards the season climax of the September finals.
However, Mr Towell said that the ending of the men’s All-Ireland last month will leave the firm's August’s shirt sales “very badly affected”.
Murder investigation
It is expected a murder investigation will be launched shortly after a prisoner died from injuries suffered in an attack at Mountjoy prison.
The inmate has been named as 34-year-old Robert O'Connor from Snowdrop Walk, Darndale in Dublin.
Mr O'Connor was assaulted in his cell on Friday and sustained serious head injuries. He subsequently died in hospital on Wednesday.
Four other inmates have been identified as persons of interest but nobody has yet been arrested.
It is reported that gardaí are waiting for the results of the pathologist's report.
An Post protest
A group of An Post pensioners have held a protest calling for the Government to implement a “lousy” 2 per cent increase in their pensions as agreed.
The retired workers staged the demonstration outside the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications on Wednesday over Minister Eamon Ryan’s “failure” to sign off on the increase due to them since January.
Pensioner Eugene Keenan described the delay in the pension increase as “immoral and unfair”.
He said: “We were granted a 2 per cent rise in January. It hasn’t been paid. More than seven months later we’re still waiting. The 2 per cent would have bought a lot more in January that it would buy now.”
Fuel rationing
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he doesn't anticipate fuel-rationing in the coming months.
On Tuesday, the state's emergency energy group met to discuss contingency plans if oil and gas supplies reach crisis point.
It could see certain essential workers getting access to petrol and diesel.
However, speaking in Cork, Micheál Martin says he can't see it happening.
Fake €2 coins
The public has been warned to be aware of the possible circulation of fake €2 coins after gardai seized a large amount of counterfeit currency.
Officers from Raheny Garda District launched an investigation into the suspected circulation of bogus two-euro coins and carried out a number of searches at the end of July.
During these searches, coins with an apparent face value of €2,920 were seized.
They were examined and confirmed to be counterfeit currency, gardai said.
Officers said it is the first large seizure of counterfeit coins in this jurisdiction.
Shell bonuses
Shell employees will get a one-off 8 per cent bonus after the energy company reported record profits from massive energy price hikes.
Most staff at the oil giant – which employs around 82,000 people worldwide – will be eligible for the pay boost.
Just those at executive vice president level or higher will be excluded from the taxable payout.
Shell said the award reflects the company’s current financial success but has no link to the rising cost of living challenges.
