For the first time in Fine Gael history, Waterford failed to elect a TD in a general election after a surge of left-leaning transfers handed the fourth and final seat to Green Party newcomer Marc Ó Cathasaigh.

With the Dáil set to return later this month for the last session, those hoping for a summer general election might as well forget about it.

A round-up of the counts in Munster.

A number of county councillors in Waterford have expressed overwhelming opposition to a directly-elected mayor’s office for the city.

Claims that a lifeboat cannot be launched at low tide were made as part of a request for Office of Public Works funding for dredging at three west Waterford harbours.

A boy who dived into a harbour at Christmas and saved a young woman from drowning has been recognised for his valour.

A 16-year-old boy who jumped into a river and pulled a drowning woman to safety will be honoured for his courage in the wake of a near-tragedy.

Lismore Castle Gardens & Gallery was the stunning venue for the official launch, on Tuesday 23rd June, of the 15th Annual Tour de Munster cycle in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland (DSI).

Hoteliers and businesses are being urged to let tourists and locals avail of toilet facilities in the “only town in the country” without a public loo.

Large-scale social housing schemes “can be dangerous and lead to anti-social behaviour”, a county councillor in Waterford has warned.

A Waterford local authority wants the laws on data protection eased so that councillors can fully represent people making housing inquiries.

A local authority in the South-East has intimated it may consider dezoning development land where landowners are showing reluctance to make one-off sites available for housing.

A row is continuing in a west Waterford town over proposed by-laws to prohibit motor home owners from parking at scenic sites or in local car parks.

Nobody living in a leafy estate on the outskirts of a town in west Waterford expected an incident involving some rowdy, bottle-throwing youths to end up in the death of one of the gang.

The development of a €2.5m “underground experience” in old mine shafts dotting the cliffs along the Waterford coast is the next goal of the people behind the Copper Coast Geopark following the opening of their visitor centre at the weekend.

A Dutch man was due to be brought before a special sitting of Waterford district court last night in relation to the death of a 45-year-old teacher in a head-on collision.

Two communities in west Waterford were yesterday trying to deal with the shock of the double tragedy in Kinsale.

THE search was on last night for the lucky €16.7 million Lotto winner as rumours swept the sunny south-east as to the identity of who had snapped up the golden ticket.

A COCKTAIL of culinary treats will be served at the third Waterford Festival of Food in Dungarvan this weekend. More than 10,000 people are expected to attend the event, which will be worth an estimated €500,000 to the local economy.

THE families of four Dutch people killed in a plane crash in the Knockmealdown Mountains 20 years ago made the sad journey back to The Vee yesterday to attend a memorial Mass.

A LABOUR member of Dungarvan Town Council, who is set to become mayor next month, has claimed that when darkness falls all hell breaks loose on some of the housing estates.

TRADERS in Dungarvan’s 200-year-old Grattan Square are warning that some of the proposals from consultants for a €3 million revamp of the town’s most historic central landmark represents a high-risk strategy that will impact negatively on business and will put many of the 300 jobs involved in jeopardy.

ILLNESS has forced Labour’s Fiachra Ó Ceilleachair to resign as mayor of Dungarvan two months before his year-long term was due to end.

DUNGARVAN Town Council has prepared a draft anti-social behaviour policy document that will go on display for submissions from members of the public.

SCARCELY a wet week in his newly created senior post with Waterford County Council, Brian Rafferty has run slap bang into controversy with some of the elected councillors.

TWELVE acres of land purchased by Dungarvan Town Council for housing three years ago are to be sold to a private developer, to the dismay of the local mayor.

TWO Fianna Fáil members of Waterford County Council last night demanded to know if a private investigator had been hired to probe irregularities within the council’s own planning department.

WATERFORD County Council undercharged developers by €53,000, and the money, which would have been used to fund social housing, cannot now be recouped, a report has shown.

WATERFORD County Council is changing its bin collection cycle from the start of next month in a crisis bid to save money.

Neans McSweeney, South-East Correspondent

GARDAÍ are investigating alleged staff misconduct at one of the country’s largest county councils.

PLANS to construct a multi-million euro, 100-berth marina in Dungarvan Harbour appear to be dead in the water.

EVEN within the ranks of Fine Gael in his Waterford constituency yesterday, support for John Deasy’s defiance of the smoking ban was thin on the ground.