LAST UPDATE | 8 Aug 2023

GOOD MORNING.

Here’s all the news you need to know as you start your day. 

Carrick-on-Shannon death

1. A woman who died following a fire on board a boat in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim in the early hours of Monday morning has been named as an off-duty member of An Garda Síochána. 

Gardaí are investigating the incident as “a personal tragedy” according to a statement. 

“An Garda Síochána can confirm the deceased woman was an off duty member of An Garda Síochána, Deirdre (Dee) Finn, who was attached to Dun Laoghaire Garda station. 

Sinead O’Connor’s funeral

2. Fans are expected to line the seafront in Bray, Co Wicklow later today to bid farewell to Sinead O’Connor ahead of her funeral.

The acclaimed singer’s family have asked people who wish to say a “last goodbye” to stand along seafront as the cortege passes by before a private burial.

The procession is expected to start at 10.30am at the Harbour Bar end of the Strand Road and will continue past by her former home, Montebello, where she lived for 15 years.

Missiles in Ukraine

3. Two Russian missile strikes have hit the city centre of the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region, killing five people and wounding at least 31, Ukrainian officials have said.

The strikes, which targeted the Ukrainian portion of a region partially occupied by Russia, occurred within 40 minutes of each other, according to Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko.

The attack damaged nine- and five-story buildings, residential houses, a hotel where foreign journalists used to stay, dining establishments, shops and administrative buildings, he said.

Domestic violence leave

4. Domestic violence victims will receive their full pay if they need to take leave as a result of the abuse, the Department of Equality has said.

Domestic violence leave is set to be formally introduced this autumn, with the publication of regulations setting out the rate of pay and guidance for employers currently being developed by Women’s Aid.

The new form of leave was introduced as part of the Work Life Balance Act, which was passed earlier this year. 

Antibiotic resistance

5. New research has suggested that there could be a link between rising air pollution levels and growing antibiotic resistance.

Almost half a million premature deaths in 2018 were linked to antibiotic resistance potentially resulting from air pollution.

It also shows that the relationship between the two has strengthened over time, with increases in air pollution levels coinciding with larger increases in antibiotic resistance in more recent years.

Wind energy

6. July was a record month for wind energy usage in Ireland.

A new report from Wind Energy Ireland, based on data from EirGrid and ElectroRoute, shows that the amount of electricity generated by wind in July 2023 was up by 51 per cent when compared with July 2022.

Irish wind farms provided a third of the island’s electricity over the first seven months of 2023. 

Climate change

7. Antarctica is “suffering” because of burning fossil fuels which is causing extreme events that were unthinkable 30 years ago, scientists have said.

Sea ice around the frozen continent is currently at its lowest level since satellites began observing it in 1979, beating the previous minimum record set last year.

A winter heatwave in March 2022 saw temperatures soar nearly 40 degrees Celsius above the norm in East Antarctica, from around -50 degrees to -10 degrees, and had it happened in summer it would have began melting the surface of the ice sheets which scientists said they have never seen before.

Dundalk assault

8. A man has been hospitalised following an assault in Dundalk.

Gardaí said the incident occurred on Sunday at around 6:30pm in the Rampart Lane area of the town.

The man, aged in his 20s, received serious injuries and was removed from the scene to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. The scene was preserved and a technical examination was conducted. 

Courts

9. Three men have appeared before a special sitting of the Criminal Courts of Justice in Cork charged in connection with the seizure of 60 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of over €4 million.

Gentjan Dodaj of Paradise Road, Athlone, Co Westmeath, and Donatel Dodaj of the same address were charged alongside Daniel Afedoaei of Slí an Aifreann in Athlone.