Latest news with #Rafferty
Irish Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Man and woman jailed after dog found dead in yard with plastic in stomach
A man and a woman have pleaded guilty to number of animal neglect charges at Navan District Court. On July 18, 2025, Kevin Horace and Kayla Rafferty with an address at 20 Oaklawns, Clogherboy Park, Navan, Co Meath pleaded guilty to six offences each under sections 11, 12 and 13 of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. The charges related to two emaciated dogs, one of which died, due to its neglect. The court heard evidence that ISPCA Inspector James McCormack called to the defendants' address on February 26, 2024, in response to a report received. He saw two dogs in the back garden, both of which were in poor condition and one of which was already deceased and lying by the back door. There was no food, water or shelter available, and there was a black discharge from the dead dog's rear. The Inspector spoke to Horace and Rafferty under caution, and they admitted joint ownership of the dead dog, a long-haired Terrier that had been named Bruno. Ms Rafferty claimed ownership of the other dog, a Collie pup called Sheba. They conceded that the dogs had not been checked since the previous day, although it was lunchtime when the Inspector called, and they were not aware that Bruno had died. There was dog food and a bowl of water inside the house, but the dogs did not have access to them. The two dogs were removed for veterinary assessment, and both were found to be extremely underweight with body condition scores of just one out of nine. Their bones were prominent, and the stomach of the deceased dog was found to be empty other than for sharp pieces of plastic and dark black digestive juices. Their conditions were attributed to starvation. 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 was furnished with photographs taken by Inspector McCormack and heard that there was clear evidence that the two canines had been neglected, in total disregard as to their health and welfare, and exposed to unnecessary suffering over a prolonged period of time. It was also revealed that the two accused were offered the opportunity to take part in a formal interview but refused, stating that they were "too busy". Ms. Justice Eirinn McKiernan decided that the only appropriate sentence for the offences was a custodial sentence and sentenced both defendants to imprisonment for a term of two months on one offence with all other charges taken into consideration. She refused requests from Ms Rafferty's defence solicitor to suspend her sentence, even temporarily. Judge McKiernan also made two disqualification orders banning both Mr. Horace and Ms. Rafferty from owning, having any interest in, keeping, dealing in or having charge or control, directly or indirectly, of an animal, for life. Sheba the collie cross. (Image: Irish Mirror) Reflecting on the case, Inspector McCormack commented: "It was shocking to find Bruno dead in the yard, lying against the back door. His only hope was the occupants of the house, and they never came. Instead, he died in the yard from starvation, with only plastic in his stomach. He was failed utterly - a loyal companion left in the yard like unwanted trash'. He added: 'Sheba the pup was lucky that the call was made. Although very underweight, she got out in time, recovered fully, and now lives in a loving home. Sheba got a chance that her companion did not. I would encourage anyone to report any incidents of cruelty. We are there to help, sometimes the only voice they have." The ISPCA urges the public to continue reporting any suspicions of animal cruelty or neglect to its National Animal Cruelty Helpline by calling 0818 515 515, email helpline@ or report online here: If you can, please support the ISPCA by making a life-saving donation today to help rescue more animals from appalling situations just like this one: Get all the big crime and court stories direct to your phone on our new WhatsApp service. Sign up here.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
The Texas floods washed away their possessions. Volunteers are helping reunite them.
Matthew Rafferty was scouring the flooded riverbanks of Texas Hill Country last weekend when he stumbled on a mud-soaked baby quilt. Rafferty, a Virginia firefighter who was deployed to hard-hit Kerr County to help with search and recovery efforts, folded it up and took it back to his hotel. He rinsed it off in the bathtub. He worried the drain might clog because of all the filth, tree roots and rocks that came out. But the tub survived and, after a trip to the laundromat, the quilt was virtually good as new. He posted a photo of the blanket on a Facebook group where people across central Texas are keeping track of things they've recovered from the devastation: waterlogged clothes, stuffed animals, Barbie dolls, marriage licenses, family photo albums. Rafferty eventually connected with the quilt's owner and hand-delivered it to her. 'I'm a father of 3-year-old twin boys. I know if I'd gone through something like these quilts, I'd want it back,' said Rafferty, 34. Rafferty is part of a loose network of first responders, volunteers and good Samaritans who have fanned out across the region to help reunite Texans with the cherished belongings, family heirlooms and everyday household knickknacks that were swept away when floods ripped through Kerr County over Fourth of July weekend, killing more than 130 people and leaving at least 100 missing. This week, NBC News spoke with people in the region about the objects that have turned up in the floods' aftermath — and why they matter. In some cases, seemingly trivial items have taken on far greater emotional significance in the wake of the deadly floods. These are some of their stories. The jewelry Patty Hyatt was inside her mobile home with her 8-year-old grandson and her new beagle puppy early July 4 when her son called. The floodwaters were rising fast and they needed to get to higher ground as soon as possible, he told her. Hyatt, a 67-year-old retired teacher, loaded everyone into her Toyota Tacoma and headed to her son's house, leaving most of her things behind. When she returned to the Old River Road RV Resort the following morning, her 42-foot Forest River home was gone, washed away by the floods. She was heartbroken. 'I just lost stuff, not loved ones,' she said — but most objects in her home were associated with special 'memories' and she was sorry to see them go. That's where Dondi Persyn stepped in. Persyn, 54, posted a photo of some of Hyatt's jewelry on 'FOUND on the Guadalupe River,' a Facebook page she created that she runs with the help of friends. The jewelry had turned up in Center Point, roughly 10 miles from Kerrville. Persyn, who used to own a vintage store, spent a night untangling and cleaning Hyatt's necklaces and bracelets by hand, restoring some of their luster. It turned out that during the flash flooding, Hyatt's orange clamshell necklace and other pieces had been fortuitously held together by a pink string — a bracelet that a student had made for Hyatt more than a decade ago. In that, Hyatt saw rich symbolism. 'The children have always held me together,' Hyatt said. 'They're still holding me together.' The totem pole Ten years ago, Shelby Johnson bought something on a lark from a merchant in San Antonio: a hand-carved and painted totem pole. She named it 'Oonka Oonka.' The totem pole was a highlight of her annual spring break parties, and it stood proudly on the back porch of her boyfriend's house, located on a secluded stretch between Center Point and the town of Comfort. Flash-forward to the chaos of July Fourth: Johnson, 53, and her boyfriend, J.R. Haas, fled to higher ground in their trucks before the floods deluged his house. When they returned, they discovered most of their possessions were destroyed, the house reduced to a 'disgusting, muddy mess.' They found the remains of one of her three cats, a kitten named Fancy, and realized Johnson's Volkswagen Jetta had floated down the road. Apparently, so had Oonka Oonka. The totem pole was found off a riverbank in Comfort by Cory Nicholson, a 40-year-old volunteer searcher and roofing contractor who posted his discovery on the Facebook page. The wooden sculpture had emerged intact and mostly unscathed. 'It was in close to perfect condition,' Nicholson said. Oonka Oonka has been returned to Johnson, who sees her 10-year-old purchase in a different light. 'He's turned into a symbol of survival now,' she said. The camp sign Brandon Hamrick and his wife, Shanndel, volunteered to help search for bodies just a day after raging waters tore through the region. They were combing through a riverbed near their home in Center Point on July 5 when they found a 2-by-2-foot wooden sign in the shape of a heart. It was a remnant of Heart O' the Hills, a summer camp for girls in the flood-battered community of Hunt. Hamrick, 47, wiped mud off the face of the sign. The white paint was torn and chipped in some spots, but he could make out inscriptions from campers — including one apparently dated 1992. 'I could see the names of all these girls on there. I felt joyous, in a way, because I knew I could bring it back to them,' Hamrick said. He believed returning the sign to Heart O' the Hills could bring a small measure of solace to a community mourning the loss of Jane Ragsdale, the camp's co-owner and director, who died in the floods. (The camp was not in session during the disaster.) Brandon and Shanndel, who build custom pickup trucks for a living, found children's toys along the riverbed, too — a tiny doll with long blond hair, a 'Paw Patrol' stuffed animal. They gathered up as much as they could. The Hamricks plan to drive out to the camp to hand-deliver the sign to the surviving owners. The memorial bench Four years ago this month Patricia Jernigan's daughter Shannon died from breast cancer. She was 50. The two women lived together in Texas Hill Country. They enjoyed their lives in the area; Shannon was a material program manager for the supply chain at A7 Defense & Aerospace and in her spare time admired Kerr County's population of white-tailed deer. In honor of Shannon's life, Patricia installed a commemorative bench at Lehmann-Monroe Park, a 27-acre patch of land west of the Guadalupe River. The park was thrashed during the floods, and the bench was apparently swept away to nearby Louise Hays Park. That's where it was discovered by Orlando 'Orly' Ayala, a 38-year-old volunteer searcher. Ayala was digging through piles of debris when he spotted the bench at the base of a cypress tree on the night of July 10. 'I cleaned it off and I realized, 'Wow, this is really something,'' said Ayala. Patricia, 77, said she wants the bench to be reinstalled in Kerrville after the area is cleaned up. The plaque that had been affixed to the bench has gone missing, but she hopes it is found. That way, passersby and animal watchers can read the poem under Shannon's name — five rhyming lines Patricia wrote in her daughter's memory: When it comes to God's critters big or small she wanted to feed them one and all But when it came to deer, such gentle souls she loved to feed them with hands and bowls Forever we will love the heart of this baby girl. This article was originally published on Solve the daily Crossword
NBC News
4 days ago
- General
- NBC News
The Texas floods washed away their possessions. Volunteers are helping reunite them.
From jewelry to a heart-shaped summer camp sign, these are some of the objects found in the wake of this month's devastating floods. July 19, 2025, 7:00 AM EDT By Daniel Arkin Matthew Rafferty was scouring the flooded riverbanks of Texas Hill Country last weekend when he stumbled on a mud-soaked baby quilt. Rafferty, a Virginia firefighter who was deployed to hard-hit Kerr County to help with search and recovery efforts, folded it up and took it back to his hotel. He rinsed it off in the bathtub. He worried the drain might clog because of all the filth, tree roots and rocks that came out. But the tub survived and, after a trip to the laundromat, the quilt was virtually good as new. He posted a photo of the blanket on a Facebook group where people across central Texas are keeping track of things they've recovered from the devastation: waterlogged clothes, stuffed animals, Barbie dolls, marriage licenses, family photo albums. Rafferty eventually connected with the quilt's owner and hand-delivered it to her. 'I'm a father of 3-year-old twin boys. I know if I'd gone through something like these quilts, I'd want it back,' said Rafferty, 34. Rafferty is part of a loose network of first responders, volunteers and good Samaritans who have fanned out across the region to help reunite Texans with the cherished belongings, family heirlooms and everyday household knickknacks that were swept away when floods ripped through Kerr County over Fourth of July weekend, killing more than 130 people and leaving at least 100 missing. This week, NBC News spoke with people in the region about the objects that have turned up in the floods' aftermath — and why they matter. In some cases, seemingly trivial items have taken on far greater emotional significance in the wake of the deadly floods. These are some of their stories. The jewelry Patty Hyatt was inside her mobile home with her 8-year-old grandson and her new beagle puppy early July 4 when her son called. The floodwaters were rising fast and they needed to get to higher ground as soon as possible, he told her. Hyatt, a 67-year-old retired teacher, loaded everyone into her Toyota Tacoma and headed to her son's house, leaving most of her things behind. When she returned to the Old River Road RV Resort the following morning, her 42-foot Forest River home was gone, washed away by the floods. She was heartbroken. 'I just lost stuff, not loved ones,' she said — but most objects in her home were associated with special 'memories' and she was sorry to see them go. That's where Dondi Persyn stepped in. Persyn, 54, posted a photo of some of Hyatt's jewelry on 'FOUND on the Guadalupe River,' a Facebook page she created that she runs with the help of friends. The jewelry had turned up in Center Point, roughly 10 miles from Kerrville. Persyn, who used to own a vintage store, spent a night untangling and cleaning Hyatt's necklaces and bracelets by hand, restoring some of their luster. It turned out that during the flash flooding, Hyatt's orange clamshell necklace and other pieces had been fortuitously held together by a pink string — a bracelet that a student had made for Hyatt more than a decade ago. In that, Hyatt saw rich symbolism. 'The children have always held me together,' Hyatt said. 'They're still holding me together.' The totem pole Ten years ago, Shelby Johnson bought something on a lark from a merchant in San Antonio: a hand-carved and painted totem pole. She named it 'Oonka Oonka.' The totem pole was a highlight of her annual spring break parties, and it stood proudly on the back porch of her boyfriend's house, located on a secluded stretch between Center Point and the town of Comfort. Flash-forward to the chaos of July Fourth: Johnson, 53, and her boyfriend, J.R. Haas, fled to higher ground in their trucks before the floods deluged his house. When they returned, they discovered most of their possessions were destroyed, the house reduced to a 'disgusting, muddy mess.' They found the remains of one of her three cats, a kitten named Fancy, and realized Johnson's Volkswagen Jetta had floated down the road. Apparently, so had Oonka Oonka. The totem pole was found off a riverbank in Comfort by Cory Nicholson, a 40-year-old volunteer searcher and roofing contractor who posted his discovery on the Facebook page. The wooden sculpture had emerged intact and mostly unscathed. 'It was in close to perfect condition,' Nicholson said. Oonka Oonka has been returned to Johnson, who sees her 10-year-old purchase in a different light. 'He's turned into a symbol of survival now,' she said. The camp sign Brandon Hamrick and his wife, Shanndel, volunteered to help search for bodies just a day after raging waters tore through the region. They were combing through a riverbed near their home in Center Point on July 5 when they found a 2-by-2-foot wooden sign in the shape of a heart. It was a remnant of Heart O' the Hills, a summer camp for girls in the flood-battered community of Hunt. Hamrick, 47, wiped mud off the face of the sign. The white paint was torn and chipped in some spots, but he could make out inscriptions from campers — including one apparently dated 1992. 'I could see the names of all these girls on there. I felt joyous, in a way, because I knew I could bring it back to them,' Hamrick said. He believed returning the sign to Heart O' the Hills could bring a small measure of solace to a community mourning the loss of Jane Ragsdale, the camp's co-owner and director, who died in the floods. (The camp was not in session during the disaster.) Brandon and Shanndel, who build custom pickup trucks for a living, found children's toys along the riverbed, too — a tiny doll with long blond hair, a 'Paw Patrol' stuffed animal. They gathered up as much as they could. The Hamricks plan to drive out to the camp to hand-deliver the sign to the surviving owners. The memorial bench Four years ago this month Patricia Jernigan's daughter Shannon died from breast cancer. She was 50. The two women lived together in Texas Hill Country. They enjoyed their lives in the area; Shannon was a material program manager for the supply chain at A7 Defense & Aerospace and in her spare time admired Kerr County's population of white-tailed deer. In honor of Shannon's life, Patricia installed a commemorative bench at Lehmann-Monroe Park, a 27-acre patch of land west of the Guadalupe River. The park was thrashed during the floods, and the bench was apparently swept away to nearby Louise Hays Park. That's where it was discovered by Orlando 'Orly' Ayala, a 38-year-old volunteer searcher. Ayala was digging through piles of debris when he spotted the bench at the base of a cypress tree on the night of July 10. 'I cleaned it off and I realized, 'Wow, this is really something,'' said Ayala. Patricia, 77, said she wants the bench to be reinstalled in Kerrville after the area is cleaned up. The plaque that had been affixed to the bench has gone missing, but she hopes it is found. That way, passersby and animal watchers can read the poem under Shannon's name — five rhyming lines Patricia wrote in her daughter's memory: When it comes to God's critters big or small she wanted to feed them one and all But when it came to deer, such gentle souls she loved to feed them with hands and bowls Forever we will love the heart of this baby girl. Daniel Arkin Daniel Arkin is a national reporter at NBC News.
RTÉ News
16-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Armagh's Ethan Rafferty takes to road for All-Ireland glory in 2025
Had things gone according to plan, Ethan Rafferty would have been involved last weekend in the All-Ireland football championship semi-finals. The reigning champions looked on course during the early stages of their last-eight clash with Kerry, before the Kingdom hit the overdrive button to dethrone the Sam Maguire holders. One silver lining is that the exit allowed the 31-year-old switch sporting focus to his other passion, road bowling. While one All-Ireland dream was gone, on Sunday he realised another. The Grange clubman took the All-Ireland senior road bowls title in west Cork, defeating Arthur McDonagh to become the first bowler to win intermediate and senior titles in successive years. 🏆Ethan Rafferty, All-Ireland Road Bowls Champion 🟠⚪️👏👏 🗣️"One down, one to go" 💪 Congratulations Ethan 🤜🤛 — Armagh_GAA (@Armagh_GAA) July 14, 2024 It marks something of a family monopoly on the Hughie Traynor Cup as he succeeds his brother Colm as champion, while the previous two editions were won by first cousin Thomas Mackle. Last year Rafferty's aunt, Dervla Toal-Mallon, took the senior women's crown. To the uninitiated, road bowls – or bullets as it is known in Armagh – is a sport where competitors throw a solid metal ball (Rafferty and McDonagh were throwing a 28-ounce bowl) along snaking country roads in the fewest shots. "It's the same concept as golf," says Gretta Cormican, a key figure in Ból Chumann na hÉireann (Irish Road Bowling Association). "You go from A to B in the least amount of shots. There is a start and finish line and it is usually over a distance of around a mile and half for the senior final." Once a popular sport right across Ireland, road bowling is played primarily in Cork and Armagh, and Cormican, the 1998 women's world champion and seven-time All-Ireland winner, outlines distinct styles between the two counties. "The Cork style is to swing your arm right around. The Armagh boys don't swing the arm, they run full holly into it, jump and release the bowl underhand." While McDonagh had to negotiate four matches to emerge from Cork (known as the Munster championship), Armagh currently only has three senior bowlers. With Mackle injured, it was a best of three Ulster decider for the Rafferty brothers. "It was awkward enough, yet enjoyable at the same time," Rafferty says. "I'd consider Colm a better player than me. He was in good form, but I nipped him in Ulster. It was good craic, but as soon as it starts, you want to win." Last year he claimed the intermediate title the day after lowering Kerry colours in the All-Ireland football semi-final. The Kingdom's revenge mission in Croke Park a fortnight ago allowed him to fully commit to targeting a senior crown. The lead-up wasn't overly intense, a couple of evenings hitting the local roads with friends and father Peter. A half an hour here and there, often before club training with Grange "to keep the eye in". His family and friends made the trek south to Castletownkenneigh in west Cork to see if the silverware would remain in the Orchard County, joining the huge crowds gathered roadside for the seven events down for decision (the All-Ireland series is broken into three series, with each series hosting seven grades). Rafferty wasn't the only recognisable GAA face. In the women's intermediate final, Armagh camogie captain Gemma McCann beat decorated former Cork footballer captain Juliet Murphy with the last throw. Rafferty's final was a little more comfortable. Leading from start to finish, his first two bowls paved the way for victory. McDonagh's late rally was in vein, Rafferty producing a scintillating last shot to keep his lead over a bowl. "I knew I had got him at arm's reach," he said. "When I went a shot up, I knew I just had to keep beating his mark. "You have to be shrewd, talk yourself down and keep throwing your shots. Keeping a level head in vital." As the celebrations continued in Clonakilty, the messages came in thick and fast, Armagh team-mates among those to congratulate the new champion. "Some of them would never have heard of it before, sometimes I would be explaining it," he said. Doing well last year, more of the lads picked up on it from that "I always say I must get a bit of a gathering of the boys to throw for charity and have a bit of craic." Earlier in the year the roving keeper admitted he wasn't sure if he would be in a position to continue road bowls at such a high level. He and his partner Danielle are due to welcome a baby in the next four weeks, so his schedule will have even less openings. Can he see himself defending his title? "I don't know. We'll see. If I can fit it in, I'll try my best. Bullets is a good release from football. It's a different element of focus."
RTÉ News
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Fair City on Thursday: 'How much are you in for?'
James's financial problems take centre stage in Thursday's Fair City on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player. He has taken out a high-interest loan from a loan shark and is now feeling the heat. "How much are you in for?" demands James's mother Emma as Rafferty walks to their table. "I am not keeping secrets from your father!" she adds. "Please," begs James as Rafferty eyes his son suspiciously. Fans can find out what happens next on Thursday on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player at 8:30pm.
