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Around Ireland Unlucky bottle

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

By Patrick Markey

Wexford man Con Gunning was sober for almost two decades when he was convicted of drunken driving recently. But, unlike many others in similar situations, his claims that it wasn’t his fault turned out to be true.

Gunning, who had not drank for 17 to 20 years, ended up being convicted of drunk driving at Arklow court, according to the Wexford People. And it was all because Gunning had taken a drink from a coke bottle. Unfortunately, an employee working on building Gunning’s new house had poured alcohol into the soft drink container.

"I knew something was wrong because I had not taken a drink for years and I thanked the Garda because I was actually glad to be stopped," Gunning told the court.

At the time he was stopped, Gunning, who is from Killurin, Enniscorthy, was driving his pregnant wife back to her mother’s to stay as the couple had been arguing over the house not being completed.

Gunning was fined £40 and lost his license for two years. The driving ban will not come into effect until April 6 next year, after his wife gives birth.

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Noisy neighbors

Residents of Limerick’s Nicholas Street are hoping that not everyone gets into the Christmas spirit this year. In fact, residents were so upset about noisy revelers, they recently managed to have a court suspend more than 50 Christmas parties — including one for the local gardai — following their objections to late-night drinking exemptions.

The Limerick Leader reports that Nicholas Street residents have been successful in halting late-night drinking parties at the Castle Lane Tavern, which is managed by Shannon Castle Heritage and Banquets Ltd. — a subsidiary of Shannon Development.

"We will again object, unless suitable arrangements are made," a spokesman for the residents said. "The noise is unbearable at present. The residents feel strongly. We have people who have had heart bypasses, and they can’t put up with this. The judge in the district court said he had heard enough, after hearing evidence from a number of the residents."

A spokesman for Shannon Heritage said the organization was surprised with the objections in court, as the residents had not objected to the recent renewal of the license.

The spokesman said that Shannon Heritage had done everything possible to minimize noise, including putting in sound-proof roofing. However, they were willing to meet the residents to try to sort out matters. In their latest attempt to appease the residents, Shannon Development have agreed to install double glazing in all the houses.

Dangerous calls

A warning to all those mobile phone addicts: your hand-held friend could be damaging your health.

A Wexford doctor, who developed a benign tumor, which he had removed, has blamed the growth on his mobile phone, reports the Examiner newspaper.

Dr. James Stacey, from Dungarvan, developed the tumor where his mobile phone used to touch his skin when he carried it in an inside pocket.

"I noticed the lumps beginning to appear at the point where the ‘rial made contact with my body,’ " Dr. Stacey said. "Fortunately the tumor was benign and I was able to have it operated on and removed."

However, he said he so alarmed that he started to look into evidence regarding the potential harm caused by devices such as mobile phones.

"The body is a conductor, and equally there is no doubt that large amounts of radiation are hazardous," Stacey said. "It makes sense therefore to keep the mobile phone ‘rial an inch or so away from the skin, and some mobile phone companies are now designing products that do that by enclosing the ‘rial inside the casing," he said.

Despite his concerns, Stacey acknowledges that the mobile phone is a wonderful invention which he relies on.

Stacey’s comments follow a wave of concern in Britain that mobile phones could endanger health. More than 20 cases are pending in the UK to force phone companies to admit liability that they have caused cancer.

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