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Irish Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Irish beach cordoned off after body of man discovered
A beach in Ireland has been cordoned off by the authorities after the body of a man was discovered on Friday. The public is being asked to avoid Castlerock beach in Co Derry following the discovery the body. It is understood a man got into difficulty in the water. A spokesperson for the PSNI has confirmed police are at the scene. The police spokesperson said: "Police are currently in attendance after a body was found on the beach in Castlerock today, Friday 20th June. "Cordons are in place and the public is asked to avoid the area at this time." A spokesperson for the RNLI confirmed its assistance was requested, reports BelfastLive. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and Air Ambulance were also in attendance. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week The beach was very busy with school children present during one of the hottest days of the year, with temperatures forecast as high as 27 Celsius in certain areas of Northern Ireland. A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said: "The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service received a 999 call at 14:35 on Friday 20 June following reports of an incident at Castlerock Beach. "NIAS despatched a Rapid Response Paramedic, 2 Emergency Crews, 1 HART Crew and an Ambulance Officer to the scene. "Ambulance Control also tasked the Charity Air Ambulance, with HEMS Team on board, to attend. "Following assessment and initial treatment, no patients were taken from the scene."
Irish Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Man, 89, jailed for 10 years for 22 counts of rape of child over 5-year period
A 89-year-old Tipperary man who sexually abused a young girl has been jailed for ten years. Sid Green of Kennedy Park, Roscrea, was convicted of 22 counts of rape and one count of sexual assault of the child, on dates between 1993 and 1998. He has no previous convictions. The injured party indicated to the court at a previous hearing that she has no issue with Green being named but she does not wish to be identified. She told the court how the damaging effects of the abuse had been 'far reaching and enduring' and had affected every facet of her existence. The court heard defence submissions that Green, who has recently been resident in a Co Offaly nursing home, has medical issues that would make custody difficult for him. He has been on bail and appeared via video link from the nursing home for his sentence hearings. The prison service have indicated that they will be able to take Green into custody on July 10 next and will be able to accommodate his medical needs. Passing sentence on Friday, Mr Justice Patrick McGrath said these were 'appalling offences', noting that Green coldly engaged in a cynical campaign of rape which he perpetrated whenever the opportunity arose. He noted that there has been no remorse shown. Mr Justice McGrath noted the profound impact the offending has had on the woman's life. He said she is a young woman who has shown remarkable resilience and strength and he commended her for the manner in which she dealt with the case and gave her evidence. He noted the support the young woman had from her husband and parents throughout the process. He noted defence submissions that due to his age, any custodial sentence is in effect a life sentence for Green, that he has no prior convictions and that there had been no violence additional to the inherent violence of rape. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week He said the difficulty which arose in this case was the age of the accused, with the only mitigating factors being his absence of prior convictions and that he had been a productive family man. Mr Justice McGrath set a headline sentence of 16 years, which he reduced to 15 years taking into account the circumstances of the case. He noted that the prison service had liaised with Green's carers and the prison service had formed the view they can accommodate him and deal with his needs from July 10, 2025. Mr Justice McGrath said he had considered the medical reports in the case and while Green has a considerable range of medical difficulties, most are those that would be expected for a man of his age. He said the difficulties mostly relate to mobility and ensuring that Green takes his various medications. Mr Justice McGrath imposed the 15-year sentence, and taking into account Green's advanced age, suspended the final five years of the sentence. It will take effect from July 10, 2025. Detective Garda Oliver Hennelly told George Burns BL, prosecuting, that the woman reported to Gardaí that the offending began when she just turned seven. Green was 57 years old. The woman reported that Green took any opportunity he could to rape her and that it happened many times. The abuse ended when she was about the age of 12 years old. The woman subsequently engaged with mental health services and the rape crisis centre but did not feel ready to go to Gardaí until after she disclosed the abuse to her own family. The woman made a complaint to Gardaí in 2020 and when Green was interviewed in 2021, he denied the allegations. He was charged in 2022 and found guilty following a trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Tullamore earlier this year. In her victim impact statement, the woman described the profound and devastating effects that the abuse continues to have on her life as a result of the emotional and psychological damage caused. She described how she battles with fear and trust and how her relationships with family, friends and loved ones have suffered. She outlined how anxiety has transferred into her own parenting. She suffers with depression, flashbacks and nightmares, feels isolated and misunderstood, leaving her with a profound sense of loneliness. She described how she found temporary escape in drugs and alcohol but recognised this led to a destructive cycle, creating a barrier between her and loved ones. She told the court how she felt shame and guilt, despite being the innocent victim in the situation. She said the long term consequences of the abuse are still unfolding, but she is determined to seek healing and support. She thanked those who have supported her, especially her husband and said she is ready to 'confront the shadows of the past and step into a hopeful future together'. Dermot Cahill SC, defending, said that Green had moved to Ireland from the UK, raised a family here and had a good work history. His wife passed away in 2013. Counsel asked the court to take into account that the offences occurred over a defined period in the past and Green was now facing sentencing as a 89-year-old man. He outlined a number of medical issues currently affecting Green. He said Green is unable to mobilise or get out of bed without assistance and needs ongoing nursing, which he receives in the nursing home. He submitted that prison will create difficulties for Green from a health perspective. He asked the court to take into account his client's co-operation with Gardaí and a lack of prior convictions.
Irish Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Former Eurovision star considered taking his own life after song contest
Former Eurovision star Joe McCaul has revealed he considered taking his own life after the song contest. Joe was part of brother and sister duo, Donna and Joe McCaul, who represented Ireland at the Eurovision in 2005 in Ukraine with their song Love while Joe was still just 17. After failing to qualify, Joe revealed he faced months of ridicule and only got a holiday to Crete out of it. Speaking to Brenda Dennehy on The Comeback podcast, he said: 'I remember when we didn't get in, the devastating effect that had on me. "I went back to my room, I was only 17, and I struggled very hard because that was more shame, more embarrassment, more rejection. Everyone was going out, and they (Donna and the crew) went to the finals on Saturday night, I didn't go, I just stayed in my hotel room.' He said when he returned to Ireland, he was ridiculed regularly. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week 'I think over the years, I was nearly taken advantage of. I was made an eejit out of by people, people in the media. That was hard because I was saying, 'Where is my self-worth, why can't I be assertive?' 'I found it very hard to be assertive because I didn't like conflict, and then because I didn't like conflict, if I reacted a certain way, some people would say 'Oh that was very aggressive'. So I couldn't even stand up for myself.' Joe said he thought they'd be 'millionaires' but all he got after Eurovision was 'a holiday in Crete'. 'I thought we were going to be millionaires. I thought I was going to be able to buy my mother out of the council estate. I got a holiday to Crete, that's what I got.' Joe is the youngest of six siblings and his mother raised them on her own. 'My dad, unfortunately, passed away a couple of years ago, but I had no kind of relationship with him. Alcoholism, unfortunately, took over his life and then he moved to London.' Joe said when a media outlet discovered his father's issue with drink it caused massive stress on the family. 'Once or twice I thought of taking my own life.' He said he had suffered recurrent intrusive thoughts about suicide from an early age. 'The intensity of it then would probably get a little more if I was under any increased stress or anything significant was happening in my life or something bad was happening… I was always terrified of the thought… I would always be going, 'f**k, I need to see a psychiatrist'.' After a stint on X Factor in 2015, where Simon Cowell called him an 'awful performer', Joe suffered at the hands of social media trolls again. 'And then there was the shame, the embarrassment, the rejection, and I just wanted it to be over there. 'The s**t that was put online, I remember my friends used to be sending them to me and the horrible stuff that people were saying. I used to have to say 'please do not send me this, I don't want to be looking at it'.' Joe revealed in 2014 that he had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the end of 2013. 'I literally just lost the plot then. I think I went on a self-destruct button that was hit. I went off the rails for months.' He said he was on medication that didn't suit him at the time but has since changed medication and is currently symptom free and in remission. 'Fitness, running, doing kind of high-intensity interval based kind of training has been my saviour. Not just for my physical health because that's quite good but for my mental health, which is an ongoing struggle that some days I'm really, really shit. 'But I have really good coping tools and I have a really solid support group around me,' he added.
Irish Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Red light for new service station on site of Creeslough disaster
An Bord Pleanala has overturned planning permission for a new filling station on the site of the explosion in Creeslough, Co Donegal in which ten people were killed. Donegal County Council granted permission to Vivo Shell Limited to redevelop a service station and shop at the site in February. The decision was appealed by a number of family members of those killed in the October, 2022 blast. Today An Bord Pleanala revealed that they are turning down the application. The planning authority said the proposed plan was "out of character" with its surroundings in the village. The body said "Having regard to the existing character and the prevailing pattern of development in Creeslough, it is considered that the proposed development (as amended), by reason of its overall architectural treatment, scale and design, would be out of character with its surroundings, would seriously detract from the architectural character and setting of Creeslough and the streetscape and approach from Letterkenny generally. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week "It is considered therefore, that the proposed development would be contrary to Policy ED-P-9, of the County Development Plan, 2024 2023 being of inappropriate layout and building design in the context of the existing landscape. "To permit the proposed scheme (as amended) at this prominent location could have such a negative effect on the visual amenity and local character of Creeslough as to negatively impact on the wider , long-term regeneration and renewal of the village. "The proposed development would, therefore, seriously injure the visual amenities of the area and the proper planning and sustainable development of the area." The proposed rebuild had allowed for the demolition of the existing building and the construction of a new structure that includes a shop, post office, deli, off-license, and fuel forecourt. A memorial garden and light-based sculpture with ten metal poles commemorating those who perished in the tragedy was also planned for the site. However, many of the families who lost loved ones in the tragedy said this was an insult to their memory considering they died in the metal and rubble of the blast. One of the family members who lost a loved one in the tragedy said "This is terrific news. When we got the news yesterday that there would not be an oral hearing we were so disappointed and feared the worst. "This is tremendous news. We simply do not want a new service station on the site in which our loved ones died." In a statement, relatives of those who died said: "The families affected by the Creeslough tragedy welcome the decision to quash the application for a new building on the site where this devastating event occurred. Phoenix Law made detailed submissions to the planning panel on behalf of the families, which were accepted by the panel, granting the appeal. "Proposing development on this site while a criminal investigation is still ongoing was deeply inappropriate. The families believe the ground should be treated with dignity and respect, given the scale of loss and trauma suffered. The initial decision to grant planning permission rubbed salt in the wounds of the families." Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law said - 'Today's decision has restored faith in the rule of law, where victims are treated with dignity and respect. We continue to call for a full public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. The families remain committed to seeking truth, accountability and justice.'
Irish Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Man drove with Lidl manager on bonnet of car following row over hash browns
A retired tradesman has avoided prison over an incident in a supermarket car park in Wicklow Town in which he drove a short distance with a store manager on the bonnet of his vehicle following a row at a checkout. Thomas O'Connor (67) of Two Mile House, Ballinteskin, Co Wicklow pleaded guilty to a charge of endangerment over the incident at the Lidl supermarket on Rathnew Road, Co Wicklow on July 3, 2023 contrary to Section 13 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. Garda James Downey told a sitting of Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court that there had been an issue between the store's assistant manager and the accused in relation to the payment for a small item. CCTV footage played in court showed that the manager attempted to place a shopping trolley in front of O'Connor's vehicle in order to speak further with him as the accused was driving out of the car park. Video images show the supermarket employee was briefly pushed onto the bonnet of the vehicle which was travelling at a slow speed before O'Connor drove away cutting inside a van coming into the car park on the wrong side as he made his exit. Garda Downey said O'Connor was arrested in December 2023 and identified himself on the CCTV footage and accepted responsibility for his driving. The court heard he told gardaí: 'What can I say? At least non-one was hurt. I was panicked.' O'Connor also added that he was 'deeply sorry.' Garda Downey confirmed to prosecution counsel, James Kelly BL, that the accused had no previous convictions. Cross-examined by defence counsel, Edmund Sweetman BL, Garda Downey agreed that the incident arose from a dispute over what items were paid for. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week The court heard there was an issue about whether the customer had given the cashier a €5 or €10 note which resulted in O'Connor leaving the store with two packs of hash browns and leaving another behind at the checkout. Garda Downey said the accused had taken offence at being challenged by Lidl staff. Mr Kelly observed that O'Connor had 'left in high dudgeon and took off.' Mr Sweetman said there was no justification for the defendant's 'most irrational behaviour.' Pleading for leniency, the barrister said O'Connor had a previously unblemished character and had recently retired from a career working as a plasterer. He said the accused had brought €1,000 to court for his victim as an expression of his remorse. Sentencing O'Connor to three months in prison, Judge Terence O'Sullivan said he would fully suspend the term of imprisonment for a period of six months on condition that he keep the peace for that period and not come to Garda attention. The judge said the accused's driving was reckless and it was lucky that no harm had come to the Lidl manager. He said O'Connor knew there was some sort of row with the supermarket's staff and there was no justification for endangering the store official, although the judge acknowledged the accused was assessed as being at a low risk of reoffending. Judge O'Sullivan said he accepted that the defendant 'simply panicked in temper.' 'It was one of those occasions where the red mist descended when it shouldn't have,' the judge remarked. Having heard that O'Connor lives in an area with poor public transport and has a wife with health issues, Judge O'Sullivan said he would not impose any driving disqualification on him.
