Westport developer sues sister for defamation
TUESDAY, 17 MAY 2011 07:33
Westport developer sues sister for defamation
A Westport developer is suing his sister for defamation, claiming his reputation is ‘in tatters’ after she sent an objection to a development to An Bord Pleanala (ABP).
Roger McGreal claims a submission written by his sister, Ann Lynn, objecting to a proposed development in Carrabaun, Westport, was done in malice. He says it suggested he was deceitful, unprofessional and guilty of abuse of process.
In the letter to ABP, Mrs Lynn stated that documentation issued by Mr McGreal was inaccurate and misleading. Her defence said this did not mean he was corrupt or dishonest.
The case was heard in part at last week’s sitting of Castlebar Circuit Court, where details of the siblings’ family difficulties were outlined. Mr McGreal admitted that he has not spoken to his sister for 16 years and has never spoken to her husband, Kieran Lynn, a senior engineer with Mayo County Council – who Mr McGreal claims used his influence to block him from getting planning permission.
Last March, Mr and Mrs Lynn sued Mr McGreal for defamation over claims by Mr McGreal that Mr Lynn abused his power in the Council, and they were awarded €38,000 each.
The development at the centre of the case is located at Carrabaun on land owned by Mr McGreal, adjacent to his parents’ former family home. He applied for planning permission to Westport Town Council in 2008 to develop 23 units on the land but was denied. His appeal to ABP was also refused in 2009. Mrs Lynn objected to both.
The court was also told that Mr McGreal had purchased land for €1.8 million in order to develop the property. It was claimed by Mr Eoin Garavan, BL for Mrs Lynn that the action was taken against his client because Mr McGreal was furious with his sister.
The application was refused in part because the road was substandard and the access to the road was not in compliance with planning regulations. The court heard that Mr MrGreal tried to buy his parents’ property, which would allow him to gain access to the road.
Mr McGreal admitted in court that he ‘did not get on’ with his father, the late John ‘Porkie’ McGreal; that he had not spoken with him for two years before his death earlier this year; and that he did not attend his funeral.
Mr Peter Tuohy, the auctioneer who was handling the sale, said that Mr McGreal’s bid of €326,000 was the highest bid by €1,000, but he was informed by Mrs Lynn that they would accept the lower bid. The sale eventually fell through and Mrs Lynn ended up buying the property.
In his evidence, Mr McGreal said that he had instructed HDS Consultancy Services from Galway to carry out a plan of the development to submit to Westport Town Council. He admitted that some documents forwarded to ABP were incorrect but denied he was trying to mislead them and said it was a human error.
He said he acted professionally at all times and felt some of the adjectives in the submission by Mrs Lynn were not flattering and were prompted by anger and malice after he raised concern about her husband’s influence on the application.
He claimed every builder in Westport had read the submission and claimed he was “sure people thought a hell of a lot less of me than before.”
The case was adjourned until tomorrow (Wednesday) to allocate a date to conclude the proceeding
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Queen Elizabeth defies threats to visit Ireland
Queen Elizabeth defies threats to visit Ireland
From: AP
May 18, 201112:00AM
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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, arrive in Ireland for the first visit by a monarch since 1911. Source: Getty Images
Second bomb found ahead of Queens visit
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Second bomb found ahead of Queen's visit
A bomb was defused in Ireland ahead of a visit by Britain's Queen Elizabeth scheduled to start on Tuesday.
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Police secure the area in O'Connell Street in central Dublin ready for the arrival of Queen Elizabeth II. Source: AP
THE Queen, undeterred by real and fake bombs, last night began the first visit by a British monarch to the Republic of Ireland, a four-day trip to highlight strong Anglo-Irish relations and peace in Northern Ireland.
The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, touched down at the Casement Aerodrome southwest of Dublin at 11.55am (8.55pm AEST).
She was greeted by an Irish army honour guard and eight-year-old Rachel Fox presented her with flowers.
The Queen then boarded a bomb-proof, bullet-proof Range Rover to have lunch with Irish President Mary McAleese, who lobbied for 14 years for the visit - the first by a British monarch since Irish independence in 1922.
A 33-motorcycle police escort led the way through the unusually empty streets of Dublin - cleared to ensure no anti-British extremists could launch an attack.
Hours beforehand, republican dissidents tried to undermine the visit with real and hoax bombs.
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Related Coverage
Second bomb found ahead of Queens visit
Queen arrives in Ireland The Australian, 3 hours ago
Queen heads to Ireland as bomb defused The Australian, 4 hours ago
Explosive device on Dublin bus sparks alert The Australian, 8 hours ago
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London on alert after bomb threat The Australian, 16 hours ago
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Irish army experts defused one pipe-bomb on a Dublin-bound bus overnight. A second device in west Dublin was deemed a hoax late yesterday.
Irish and British officials were keen to stress that the Queen's visit to Dublin, Kildare, Tipperary and Cork would proceed as planned - accompanied by the biggest security operation in the republic's history.
"This is the start of an entirely new beginning for Ireland and Britain," said Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny. "I hope the welcome she gets will be genuine and memorable for her and her party."
On her first day in Dublin, the Queen was visiting Trinity College - founded in 1592 by Elizabeth I - and laying a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance, a central Dublin memorial that honours two centuries of Ireland's rebel dead.
More than 8000 police, two-thirds of the country's police force, shut down key roads in central Dublin and erected pedestrian barricades for several kilometres. About 1000 Irish troops were being kept in reserve as potential reinforcements.
Ms McAleese said Britain and Ireland were "determined to make the future a much, much better place".
The Queen arrived a century after her grandfather, George V, visited an Ireland that was still part of the British Empire.
The royal visit will be a minefield of painful memories. The base southwest of the capital where the couple's plane landed is named after Roger Casement, an Irish nationalist executed for treason by the British in 1916.
The royals' first port of call, Aras an Uachtarain, Ms McAleese's official residence, dates back to 1751 and was used to house the viceroys who oversaw British rule in Ireland.
The Queen's arrival coincides with the 37th anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings by the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force, with 34 people killed, making May 17, 1974, the deadliest day of three decades of the Troubles.
However, co-operation between London and Dublin provided the essential bedrock for the Anglo-Irish Good Friday peace accord in 1998.
IRA disarmament and a Northern Ireland coalition government of the British Protestant majority and Irish Catholic minority eventually followed.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, who arrives tonight in Dublin, said the success of Northern Ireland peacemaking has allowed "the natural friendship, comradeship, shared experiences and warmth that we have for each other to really come out."
He said the Queen's tour of Ireland would "be a huge step forward for that process".
Ireland's European struggle to prevent national bankruptcy - the Irish have spent three years raising taxes and cutting spending, and six months ago received a potential E67.5 billion credit from international lenders - has found its greatest champion in Britain.
Mr Cameron's government offered a particularly low-interest loan, declared Ireland's revival a strategic British interest, and pressed other EU members to cut the Irish more slack for managing their debts.
From: AP
May 18, 201112:00AM
Image
Video
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, arrive in Ireland for the first visit by a monarch since 1911. Source: Getty Images
Second bomb found ahead of Queens visit
Watch
Second bomb found ahead of Queen's visit
A bomb was defused in Ireland ahead of a visit by Britain's Queen Elizabeth scheduled to start on Tuesday.
.
.
.
Play
0:00 / 0:37
Scrubber
mute
Share
Fullscreen.
Police secure the area in O'Connell Street in central Dublin ready for the arrival of Queen Elizabeth II. Source: AP
THE Queen, undeterred by real and fake bombs, last night began the first visit by a British monarch to the Republic of Ireland, a four-day trip to highlight strong Anglo-Irish relations and peace in Northern Ireland.
The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, touched down at the Casement Aerodrome southwest of Dublin at 11.55am (8.55pm AEST).
She was greeted by an Irish army honour guard and eight-year-old Rachel Fox presented her with flowers.
The Queen then boarded a bomb-proof, bullet-proof Range Rover to have lunch with Irish President Mary McAleese, who lobbied for 14 years for the visit - the first by a British monarch since Irish independence in 1922.
A 33-motorcycle police escort led the way through the unusually empty streets of Dublin - cleared to ensure no anti-British extremists could launch an attack.
Hours beforehand, republican dissidents tried to undermine the visit with real and hoax bombs.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
Related Coverage
Second bomb found ahead of Queens visit
Queen arrives in Ireland The Australian, 3 hours ago
Queen heads to Ireland as bomb defused The Australian, 4 hours ago
Explosive device on Dublin bus sparks alert The Australian, 8 hours ago
Lockdown for Queen's Ireland visit Herald Sun, 11 hours ago
London on alert after bomb threat The Australian, 16 hours ago
.
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
Irish army experts defused one pipe-bomb on a Dublin-bound bus overnight. A second device in west Dublin was deemed a hoax late yesterday.
Irish and British officials were keen to stress that the Queen's visit to Dublin, Kildare, Tipperary and Cork would proceed as planned - accompanied by the biggest security operation in the republic's history.
"This is the start of an entirely new beginning for Ireland and Britain," said Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny. "I hope the welcome she gets will be genuine and memorable for her and her party."
On her first day in Dublin, the Queen was visiting Trinity College - founded in 1592 by Elizabeth I - and laying a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance, a central Dublin memorial that honours two centuries of Ireland's rebel dead.
More than 8000 police, two-thirds of the country's police force, shut down key roads in central Dublin and erected pedestrian barricades for several kilometres. About 1000 Irish troops were being kept in reserve as potential reinforcements.
Ms McAleese said Britain and Ireland were "determined to make the future a much, much better place".
The Queen arrived a century after her grandfather, George V, visited an Ireland that was still part of the British Empire.
The royal visit will be a minefield of painful memories. The base southwest of the capital where the couple's plane landed is named after Roger Casement, an Irish nationalist executed for treason by the British in 1916.
The royals' first port of call, Aras an Uachtarain, Ms McAleese's official residence, dates back to 1751 and was used to house the viceroys who oversaw British rule in Ireland.
The Queen's arrival coincides with the 37th anniversary of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings by the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force, with 34 people killed, making May 17, 1974, the deadliest day of three decades of the Troubles.
However, co-operation between London and Dublin provided the essential bedrock for the Anglo-Irish Good Friday peace accord in 1998.
IRA disarmament and a Northern Ireland coalition government of the British Protestant majority and Irish Catholic minority eventually followed.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, who arrives tonight in Dublin, said the success of Northern Ireland peacemaking has allowed "the natural friendship, comradeship, shared experiences and warmth that we have for each other to really come out."
He said the Queen's tour of Ireland would "be a huge step forward for that process".
Ireland's European struggle to prevent national bankruptcy - the Irish have spent three years raising taxes and cutting spending, and six months ago received a potential E67.5 billion credit from international lenders - has found its greatest champion in Britain.
Mr Cameron's government offered a particularly low-interest loan, declared Ireland's revival a strategic British interest, and pressed other EU members to cut the Irish more slack for managing their debts.
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Jedward welcomed home
Jedward welcomed home
Sunday 15 May 2011
Jedward were welcomed back home this afternoon by hundreds of screaming fans at Dublin Airport's Terminal 2.
1 of 1 Jedward welcomed home to Dublin They may not have won the Eurovision - but John and Edward gave Ireland back some pride by finishing eighth, the highest position for an Irish entry since 2000.
Although one of the pre-final favourites, Jedward failed to gain enough votes to mount a serious challenge as first-time winners Azerbaijan took the crown.
Check out our gallery of the boys returning home here: http://www.rte.ie/ten/2011/0515/jedward.html
Other favourites France and the UK also failed to make a telling impression during the vote, finishing way down the final table in 14th and 11th place.
The Grimes twins arrived back in Dublin slightly later than expected, just after midday, and seemed delighted to be greeted by around 500 screaming teenage girls.
Jedward immediately staged a spontaneous press conference at the airport, and seemed genuinely pleased with the experience of performing in front of a massive TV audience.
"We're Jedward not victims," they said in response when asked if they felt they were victims of the block voting system, a common occurrence in the contest's recent history.
The twins added that they "loved taking part in the Eurovision" and were delighted with the news that 'Lipstick' went to Number one this morning in Sweden.
Sunday 15 May 2011
Jedward were welcomed back home this afternoon by hundreds of screaming fans at Dublin Airport's Terminal 2.
1 of 1 Jedward welcomed home to Dublin They may not have won the Eurovision - but John and Edward gave Ireland back some pride by finishing eighth, the highest position for an Irish entry since 2000.
Although one of the pre-final favourites, Jedward failed to gain enough votes to mount a serious challenge as first-time winners Azerbaijan took the crown.
Check out our gallery of the boys returning home here: http://www.rte.ie/ten/2011/0515/jedward.html
Other favourites France and the UK also failed to make a telling impression during the vote, finishing way down the final table in 14th and 11th place.
The Grimes twins arrived back in Dublin slightly later than expected, just after midday, and seemed delighted to be greeted by around 500 screaming teenage girls.
Jedward immediately staged a spontaneous press conference at the airport, and seemed genuinely pleased with the experience of performing in front of a massive TV audience.
"We're Jedward not victims," they said in response when asked if they felt they were victims of the block voting system, a common occurrence in the contest's recent history.
The twins added that they "loved taking part in the Eurovision" and were delighted with the news that 'Lipstick' went to Number one this morning in Sweden.
UK woman named as Jennifer Mills-Westley Ms Mills-
.
854ShareFacebookTwitter.Beheaded UK woman named as Jennifer Mills-Westley Ms Mills-Westley had retired some years ago, her family said
The British woman stabbed and beheaded in a shop on the Spanish island of Tenerife has been named by her family as 60-year-old Jennifer Mills-Westley.
Her daughter Sarah said she was "full of life, generous of heart and would do anything for anyone".
She said her mother was enjoying her retirement, travelling between Tenerife and France and visiting her other daughter in Norfolk.
Spanish media said a Bulgarian man, 28, was arrested in Los Cristianos.
Witnesses said a man entered a Chinese supermarket in a shopping centre and stabbed then beheaded her, before dropping the head outside.
He appeared to choose his victim at random, according to a local official.
Ms Mills-Westley's daughter Sarah said: "Mum retired a number of years ago and was fully enjoying her retirement travelling between Tenerife and France where she spent time visiting her daughter and grandchildren, and her other daughter in Norfolk.
"She was full of life, generous of heart, would do anything for anyone.
"We now have to find a way of living without her love and light and we would ask at this difficult time for some privacy as we try to come to terms with our loss."
'Incredibly well-respected'
Ms Mills-Westley, a grandmother of five from Norwich, retired to Tenerife after working as a road safety officer at Norfolk County Council.
Leader of the council Derrick Murphy said the news was "absolutely devastating" for those who used to work with her.
"We offer our sincere and deepest sympathies to Jenny's friends and family, in particularly her two daughters and five grandchildren," he said.
"As you can imagine, the terrible news obviously has come as a great shock to us... she was an incredibly well-respected member of the staff."
Ms Mills-Westley's former neighbour, Stella Watts, said she was a "kind, lovely lady" who used to take her to hospital to visit her sick partner.
Local officials have been analysing CCTV footage of the attack which shows a man walking into the supermarket - which sells Chinese food and tourist souvenirs.
Witnesses said the man attacked the woman without saying a word.
"Apparently this gentleman without any motive or any reason... entered the shop and then cut this woman's neck and took the head in his hand outside," said local councillor Manuel Reveron.
A security guard then managed to wrestle the man to the ground, he said.
"I parked my car and saw a man running out with something bloody in his hands and a security guard chasing him," one witness was quoted as telling local radio.
Click to play
AdvertisementEyewitness Colin Kirby describes the aftermath of the attack in Tenerife
"He threw it to the ground, it almost hit me and what he had been carrying was a woman's head."
In a video posted on YouTube, Colin Kirby of Tenerifemagazine.com said security guards held down the suspect until the police arrived.
"The security and the police had to hold people off - they were queuing up - they were trying basically to kick the hell out of the guy," he said.
Christina Perez, a legal representative at a nearby court, said she and her colleagues ran indoors for safety.
Psychiatric unit
"Everybody is shocked. It's a very safe area. You can usually go anywhere you want in the day or at night. This is really not normal."
Police sources told Spanish media the suspect had a police record.
Dominica Fernandez, of the Regional Interior Ministry, said the attack appeared to be random and that the suspect was well known in the area.
Regional newspaper La Opinion said the suspect had received treatment at the psychiatric unit of a local hospital in February after being involved in previous violent incidents.
The BBC's Maddy Savage said this kind of violence was extremely rare in the Canary Islands which attract more than 10 million tourists each year.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are in touch with the next of kin and are providing consular assistance.
"Consular officials in Tenerife are in contact with local authorities about this tragic incident and our condolences go out to the family at this difficult time."
854ShareFacebookTwitter.Beheaded UK woman named as Jennifer Mills-Westley Ms Mills-Westley had retired some years ago, her family said
The British woman stabbed and beheaded in a shop on the Spanish island of Tenerife has been named by her family as 60-year-old Jennifer Mills-Westley.
Her daughter Sarah said she was "full of life, generous of heart and would do anything for anyone".
She said her mother was enjoying her retirement, travelling between Tenerife and France and visiting her other daughter in Norfolk.
Spanish media said a Bulgarian man, 28, was arrested in Los Cristianos.
Witnesses said a man entered a Chinese supermarket in a shopping centre and stabbed then beheaded her, before dropping the head outside.
He appeared to choose his victim at random, according to a local official.
Ms Mills-Westley's daughter Sarah said: "Mum retired a number of years ago and was fully enjoying her retirement travelling between Tenerife and France where she spent time visiting her daughter and grandchildren, and her other daughter in Norfolk.
"She was full of life, generous of heart, would do anything for anyone.
"We now have to find a way of living without her love and light and we would ask at this difficult time for some privacy as we try to come to terms with our loss."
'Incredibly well-respected'
Ms Mills-Westley, a grandmother of five from Norwich, retired to Tenerife after working as a road safety officer at Norfolk County Council.
Leader of the council Derrick Murphy said the news was "absolutely devastating" for those who used to work with her.
"We offer our sincere and deepest sympathies to Jenny's friends and family, in particularly her two daughters and five grandchildren," he said.
"As you can imagine, the terrible news obviously has come as a great shock to us... she was an incredibly well-respected member of the staff."
Ms Mills-Westley's former neighbour, Stella Watts, said she was a "kind, lovely lady" who used to take her to hospital to visit her sick partner.
Local officials have been analysing CCTV footage of the attack which shows a man walking into the supermarket - which sells Chinese food and tourist souvenirs.
Witnesses said the man attacked the woman without saying a word.
"Apparently this gentleman without any motive or any reason... entered the shop and then cut this woman's neck and took the head in his hand outside," said local councillor Manuel Reveron.
A security guard then managed to wrestle the man to the ground, he said.
"I parked my car and saw a man running out with something bloody in his hands and a security guard chasing him," one witness was quoted as telling local radio.
Click to play
AdvertisementEyewitness Colin Kirby describes the aftermath of the attack in Tenerife
"He threw it to the ground, it almost hit me and what he had been carrying was a woman's head."
In a video posted on YouTube, Colin Kirby of Tenerifemagazine.com said security guards held down the suspect until the police arrived.
"The security and the police had to hold people off - they were queuing up - they were trying basically to kick the hell out of the guy," he said.
Christina Perez, a legal representative at a nearby court, said she and her colleagues ran indoors for safety.
Psychiatric unit
"Everybody is shocked. It's a very safe area. You can usually go anywhere you want in the day or at night. This is really not normal."
Police sources told Spanish media the suspect had a police record.
Dominica Fernandez, of the Regional Interior Ministry, said the attack appeared to be random and that the suspect was well known in the area.
Regional newspaper La Opinion said the suspect had received treatment at the psychiatric unit of a local hospital in February after being involved in previous violent incidents.
The BBC's Maddy Savage said this kind of violence was extremely rare in the Canary Islands which attract more than 10 million tourists each year.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are in touch with the next of kin and are providing consular assistance.
"Consular officials in Tenerife are in contact with local authorities about this tragic incident and our condolences go out to the family at this difficult time."
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