NEWS ROUND-UP
Asylum seeker had cannabis
A Globe House asylum seeker has been given the Probation Act after he pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis at the district court. Twenty-five-year-old Wezzie Jimu, Globe House, who was self-represented, was caught with €50 of cannabis on May 12 last year at Chapel Hill. The court heard the Congolese national did not smoke any more.
He had a previous conviction for theft but not for drugs in July 2015, the court heard. Judge Kevin Kilrane said the defendant had got one chance and was now being given another so he should have “the good sense to take it”.
Teresa raising funds in walk challenge
Well-known Sligo charity fundraiser Teresa Flaherty is continuing her long association with fundraising for Cystric Fibrosis Ireland by taking part in the 5km February walk challenge.
Teresa, from Emmet Place in Sligo town, has taken part in 20 of the Cystic Fibrosis Ireland international walks. Instead of those, because of Covid restrictions, CFI is presently running a fundraiser whereby people raise sponsorship by signing up to to walk 5km every day for the month. Teresa would appreciate any donation you can give through her page on the JustGiving website at justgiving. com/fundraising/Teresa-Flaherty/.
Motorist’s appeal rejected
A Sligo man who appealed a district court conviction for driving through a red light had his appeal rejected at Sligo Circuit Court. Thirty-one-year-old Michael Corcoran, Glendallon, Sligo, was originally convicted and fined €150 for the offence that happened at Church Hill, Sligo, on January 28, 2019. Garda Andrea Rogers told the court she saw a blue Honda Civic coming from Wolfe Tone Street while she was coming from the direction of The Showgrounds on to the Inner Relief Road. As she approached the traffic lights which were red, the appellant pulled out in front of her, causing her to brake hard.
A fixed penalty notice was issued but was unpaid.
Garda Rogers said she could not recall what the traffic was like when asked by defence counsel Kathleen Henry.
The garda said she was not aware that the appellant had just dropped off another person just before the incident.
Michael Corcoran told the court he had just dropped off his friend’s mother before coming to the lights.
He said there was a truck in front of him at the lights and they had just turned green and “she did not let me out”. The witness denied pulling out in front of the garda car. He said he was coming to the left of the junction and the garda car was coming towards the right-hand side of the junction.
The appellant denied under cross-examination from Sligo State solicitor Elisha McHugh that the garda had to brake hard and a collision almost happened.
Michael Corcoran said he did not know how that could have happened.
Judge Francis Comerford said he was satisfied with the evidence of the garda that the lights were red. Her evidence was more cogent and plausible. Judge Comerford affirmed the district court order.
Storyteller is asked to get in touch
Trudy Prescott of the Old Irish Farmhouse at Carrowcullen near Skreen is trying to contact a storyteller who visited the farmhouse last year. Trudy said: “I’m trying to contact a wonderful storyteller who came to my trad evening at Carrowcullen in October 2019. He recited Owen Melvin’s The Lovely Vale of Skreen. My son Erik Nuding is working on a short film and we hope he can contribute to the project.”
He told Trudy at the time that he had attended after seeing a note about the evening in the Sligo Weekender.
If you know the storyteller – or if you are him – you can call Trudy at 087 4212696.
Man who was intoxicated is fined €160
A Sligo man found intoxicated in Ballyhaunis and Claremorris has been fined. Ciarán Carney, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty at Castlebar District Court to two public order charges. The accused appeared via video link from Castlerea Prison, where he is serving a twoyear prison term for assault causing harm to a Claremorris-based
garda in July 2019. The court heard that Garda Bowens found Carney lying on the road at Knockbrack, Ballyhaunis, at 1.55pm on July 25, 2019. A fixed charge penalty went unpaid.
On the same date at 10.10pm, two gardaí responded to a report of an intoxicated male at Main Street in Claremorris. An intoxicated Carney was “making a nuisance of himself”. A second notice went unpaid.
Solicitor Tom Walsh said his client, a Sligo native, had lived a “tragic life” and has numerous previous convictions. He is “totally addicted” to alcohol and has spent a considerable period living rough. Treatment through various agencies and with the assistance of his family has failed.
Judge Fiona Lydon imposed fines totalling €160.
Plan to extend Tubbercurry nursing home
A plan for a major extension of a nursing home in Tubbercurry has been revealed. Patrick Bailey of Bailey’s nursing home at Mountain Road in the south Sligo town has given notice that he is to apply for planning permission for a reconstruction of part of the existing building together with the construction of a two-storey extension to the front and side of the existing building, including the portion being reconstructed.
The extension will comprise bedrooms, dining and kitchen areas, washing and toilet facilities, overnight visitor accommodation, archive and storage areas, offices, meeting/training room and staff facilities.
The work will involve structural alterations and changes to the elevations of the existing building, alterations to the site boundaries and new boundary walls to the front and side, as well as an extension of the parking area.
Make payments to healthcare workers – TD
Sligo TD Marian Harkin has called on Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to make special ex-gratia payments to all healthcare workers.
In the Dáil last week, she said: “I am not jumping on any bandwagon in simply repeating the call from the Irish Midwives & Nurses Organisation (INMO). “Almost a month ago I put down a question to you Minister asking if you would consider a flat rate payment to healthcare workers. The payment should not be taxable and everybody should receive the same level of payment.” Speaking afterwards, Ms Harkin said she was disappointed with the response she received from the Minister to her question in January.
She said: “While Minister Donnelly recognised the key role played by our dedicated healthcare workers in our national effort against Covid-19, he noted that ‘other workers also deserve to be commended’.”
Deputy Harkin said the unceasing dedication and humane approach of healthcare staff had been outstanding. She said: “While no money could ever repay them for standing in the breach, it would nonetheless be a small token of our gratitude.”