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Articles by Valerie died
Man jailed for over nine years for rape of stepdaughter
A man who raped his stepdaughter on her 15th birthday has been jailed for nine-and-a-half years at the Central Criminal Court. Anthony Byrne, 55, was found guilty following a trial at the Central Criminal Court in May of two counts of raping his stepdaughter Kim Jordan who is now 36, in 2002. Ms Jordan waived her anonymity to allow Byrne to be named.
'We hope Elaine can now rest in peace', say O'Hara family
The family of Elaine O'Hara have said they hope she can now rest in peace after Graham Dwyer lost his last-ditch appeal against his 2015 conviction for her murder. In a statement, the O'Hara family said it was now almost 12 years since they had lost Elaine. They said a missing persons case had turned into a murder investigation and a "long, arduous criminal trial, with many challenges to the jury's verdict over the years".
Supreme Court to give decision on Graham Dwyer appeal
The Supreme Court will give its decision this morning on a last ditch attempt by Graham Dwyer to overturn his 2015 conviction for the murder of Elaine O'Hara. The Court of Appeal rejected Dwyer’s appeal last year on all grounds. However the Supreme Court decided to allow a final appeal on the grounds that "significant issues of general public importance" arose about the admissibility of mobile phone data evidence retained and accessed under legislation that was later found to breach EU law.
Former swim coach to be sentenced tomorrow for rape
Former Irish international swimming coach Derry O'Rourke will be sentenced tomorrow for raping and sexually assaulting a young girl 35 years ago. O'Rourke, 78, lived in Bailieborough in Co Cavan, before going into custody. He had denied the charges but was convicted by a jury of one count of rape and 11 charges of indecent assault between 1989 and 1990.
Prison officer's home targeted in arson attack
An investigation is under way into an arson attack on the home of a prison officer in the midlands in the early hours of this morning. The officer is involved in an operational and intelligence unit, which targets organised crime in the prisons A window was broken in his home and flammable liquid or a petrol bomb was thrown in. The man was at home with his wife at the time, however no injuries were reported. Gardaí suspect the arson attack could be connected to the man's work in the prisons.
First public hearing in Omagh bomb inquiry to take place
The public inquiry into the 1998 Omagh bombing gets under way today with its first hearing. It was set up by the British government in response to a 2021 court ruling which found there was a plausible argument that the state could have acted to stop it. In particular, the court raised concerns about the handling and sharing of intelligence. Its aim is to establish whether the Real IRA bombing, the single biggest atrocity of the Troubles, could have been averted.
24 dead, hundreds feared trapped in India landslides
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McSharry family 'so proud' following bronze medal win
Mona McSharry's family are "so proud of her" after she won a bronze medal for Ireland in the 100m breaststroke at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Competing in her second Olympic final, the Sligo swimmer touched out third by the very slimmest of margins, beating Italy's Benedetta Pilato and world record holder and 2016 champion Lilly King of the United States both by 0.01 of a second in a time of 1:05.59.
FG's Michael Ring will not contest next general election
Fine Gael TD for Mayo Michael Ring has said that he will not contest the next general election. It brings to 15 the number of Fine Gael deputies not running who were elected in 2019. Deputy Ring said serving for 30 years in Dáil Éireann and 15 years as a local councillor was the privilege of his life. He first ran for election in 1979, when he was elected to Westport Town Council, then later Mayo County Council.
Increase in job vacancies in second quarter - study
There was a 14.4% increase in professional job openings in the second quarter of the year compared to the previous quarter, according to new data. The latest Quarterly Employment Monitor from recruitment firm Morgan McKinley shows that the surge in vacancies was primarily observed during April and May, with a slight downturn in June. The study also reveals that the number of professional job seekers rose by 6.9% on a quarterly basis.
Increase in workers who can't afford a holiday
There has been an increase in the number of workers in Ireland who cannot afford a week's holiday away from home, either in their own country or abroad, according to new research. Analysis of EU data for the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has found that in 2022, an estimated 14.8% of Irish workers could not afford a week's holiday. This was a 3.83 percentage point increase on the previous year's figure, meaning that Ireland recorded the highest percentage point increase across the EU.
Supreme Court to decide on Graham Dwyer appeal
The Supreme Court will give its decision on Wednesday on the latest attempt by Graham Dwyer to overturn his 2015 conviction for the murder of Elaine O'Hara. The Court of Appeal rejected Dwyer’s appeal last year on all grounds. But the Supreme Court decided to allow a final appeal on the grounds that "significant issues of general public importance" arose about the admissibility of mobile phone data evidence retained and accessed under legislation that was later found to breach EU law.
Questions remain for victim's family in Dwyer case
One memory stands out from the trial of Graham Dwyer. The courtroom was emptying. We had just spent hours listening to text messages between two mobile phones being read out. One phone was the 'slave' phone, which was being used by Elaine O’Hara. The other was the ‘master’ phone, which the prosecution said was being operated by architect, Graham Dwyer. Elaine O’Hara had been in a psychiatric hospital and was released on 22 August 2012.
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