Man in 80s dies in fire at house in Co Westmeath
A man in his 80s has died following a housefire near Castlepollard in Co Westmeath.
Emergency services were alerted to the fire at about 1am on Wednesday.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
His body was removed to the mortuary at Regional Hospital Mullingar.
READ MORE
Gardaí are investigating but it is understood that foul play is not suspected.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Broadcaster Andrea Gilligan on the Leaving: ‘There was very genuine fear I could fail the maths exam'
Andea Gilligan, broadcaster and presenter of Newstalk's Lunchtime Live, sat her Leaving Cert in Sligo Grammar School in 2003 and repeated it in 2004. What is your most vivid Leaving Cert memory? The weather. It was a fab summer and I remember leaving the exam hall each afternoon and heading back to the dorm (I boarded) and getting straight back into study. Who was your most influential teacher and why? READ MORE There are two that stick out: my Irish teacher Mrs Connors and my business teacher Mrs O'Donnell. They were hugely encouraging and went above and beyond to help me. What was your most difficult subject? Maths. I was so poor at it. I remember there was very genuine fear that I could fail the exam. Thankfully, I didn't. And your favourite? History, geography, business studies. I was always much better at practical subjects. Can you recall what grades or points you received? Not the points, but I know I definitely got 2 A1s in business, and geography. I remember being very disappointed overall. I felt I should have done better. How important were the results for you ultimately? At the time, they were hugely important. They obviously dictate what you're going to be studying and where, to the extent that I changed my mind on my CAO form and ended up repeating my Leaving Cert. What did you go on to do after secondary school? I went to NUI Galway – now University of Galway – and did an arts degree (public and social policy). It was a denominated course, so you studied legal, economics and politics for the three years of the undergrad degree. I loved the course, and then I completed the masters in journalism at NUIG also. What would you change about the Leaving Cert? I think the A-level system in Northern Ireland is far superior – three subjects studied at a more in-depth level would likely suit more students. Also, I think continuous assessment and project work would alleviate a lot of pressure on students. What advice would you give to your Leaving Cert self? It's not the end of the world! My Leaving Cert plans look nothing like what I'm doing now. I changed career plans completely, and it's served me well! In fact, I couldn't be happier with the career I ended up in. In conversation with Tony Clayton-Lea.
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Gardaí were waiting when Dublin man arrived to collect €1m drug consignment
Lee Corrigan, Chapel Gate, Aylesbury, Tallaght, Dublin 24, was sentenced to five years imprisonment, the final two-and-a-half years suspended. He pleaded guilty to attempting to possess 49kgs of cannabis valued €998,100, for sale or supply at Toolfix, Ecco Road, Dundalk, on January 4, 2023. The defendant did the job for "a few days' pay' because he was under pressure over a drugs debt. He said he was asked to collect something. He was shocked to discover the value of the consignment. Dundalk Circuit Court heard that the day before a pallet had been delivered to the premises. It was not addressed to Toolfix but had its eircode. The managing director was not familiar with the company the delivery had come from. Also, it was for a brand of tools they didn't stock. He opened the boxes and hidden inside were clear plastic vacuumed-packed bags of what looked like cannabis. He contacted Gardaí. Toolfix later received a call from a man saying that a pallet had been incorrectly delivered to them and that he would send someone to pick it up. When Mr Corrigan arrived in a Ford Transit van Gardaí were waiting and arrested him. Inside the vehicle investigators found a letter purportedly to be from FedEx stating that it had incorrectly made a delivery to Toolfix instead of another commercial premises. The document was of poor quality containing grammatical mistakes. Gda Ashley McEvoy continued that Mr Corrigan told Gardaí he smoked 1g of cannabis every couple of days. ADVERTISEMENT He admitted being caught red-handed. He was asked to collect something and suspected it was around €1,000 of cannabis. He was shocked at the amount of cannabis A man had sent him a screenshot of Toolfix. The defendant added that he 'stressed out' and in debt for 'a couple of thousand'. He had previous convictions for possession and possession for sale or drugs and had been fined €400 for each offence in the district court. Gda McEvoy said it had not been indicated to Gardaí that a threat had been made to Mr Corrigan's family. It was stated on his behalf that he was in a 12-year relationship and that his daughter had been born shortly before this incident. Mother and child were still in hospital at the time. It had been a difficult pregnancy. He was under a cocaine debt and made a decision to collect these drugs. Mr Corrigan was employed in a mechanics firm where he was well regarded and had been promoted. He had missed his sister's wedding in Liverpool because of the bail conditions. Judge Dara Hayes said that the previous offending was of an entirely different magnitude. It was of concern that the defendant minimised his role to the probation officer. It was the recommendation of the Probation Service to finalise the matter. Mr Corrigan had mental health difficulties and was assessed at low risk of reoffending. He was clearly much loved by his family. He had taken steps to put things right in his life. However, the judge added that to be entrusted with the responsibility of collecting this amount of cannabis was a significant involvement in serious criminality. A five-year sentence was imposed, the final two-and-a-half years suspended on condition the defendant places himself under Probation Service supervision for 12 months post release. A destruction order was made for the drugs. Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Now he can be named: The Dublin scout leader and the men who accuse him of abuse
On Sunday, April 7th, 2024 there was a fatal road traffic crash in Churchtown, a suburb in south dublin. It happened early in the morning when a pensioner driving an old red van hit a tree. Unusually, the name of the dead man was not released though The Irish Times was able to report, through confidential information received at the time, that the dead man had been due in court the following day. He had been charged with more than 100 counts of sex abuse offences involving young boys dating back to the 1980s and 90s. His five victims were ready to give evidence but his death denied them any hope of justice. READ MORE He wasn't named at the time for legal reasons. But we are naming him now, thanks to the bravery of his victims, who since his death just over a year ago have met and given each other support. Neville Kearns lived in suburban Dublin and won the trust of the young teenagers who became his victim. One, who we are calling Chris, came in to studio to tell his story. Irish Times reporter Orla Ryan has talked to three of the men and explains why they chose to name him now and what it means to them. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
