AN ELITE unit of heavily armed gardaí will begin patrolling the streets of Cork from this morning.

A HEAVILY armed and highly trained Garda unit is to hit the streets of Cork from Monday week.

Two men who attempted an armed robbery on a bookmaker returning from Fairyhouse Racecourse on the day on the Irish Grand National have had their jail sentences reduced from eight to six years by the Court of Criminal Appeal.

REGIONAL Garda firearm squads are to be set up despite the reservations of lower and middle-ranking gardaí.

THE coalition deal worked out between Fianna Fáil and the Greens may extend to the Seanad elections, with both parties seriously considering an electoral pact.

An opinion poll has predicted that the five sitting TDs in Mayo will all retain their Dáil seats at the upcoming election.

Fine Gael would struggle to take three of the five Dáil seats in County Mayo if an election were to be held in the morning, according to an opinion poll commissioned by the Western People.

A NEW opinion poll for Mayo suggests Enda Kenny’s profile as Fine Gael leader may not be enough to secure the party three seats in the constituency.

FIANNA FÁIL members should not ignore the houses of “blueshirts” or “provos” when canvassing for votes, Junior Minister Brendan Smith told delegates.

THE editor of the Sunday Independent, Aengus Fanning, has apologised for any offence caused by his newspaper’s coverage of the death of a garda who died while giving birth to twins but defended the story as being of “interest to the public”.

There is an appalling scarcity of civilian support staff for the Gardaí, a conference heard today.

Campaigners protesting against the Shell gas pipeline in Co Mayo failed to disrupt today's Fianna Fáil selection convention in Castlebar.

CIRCUIT Court Judge Brian Curtin has lost his Supreme Court challenge to an Oireachtas inquiry, which could lead to his removal from office if allegations of possession of child pornography are proved to be true.

LAWYERS will be paid at a much reduced rate if tribunals drag on longer than dates announced yesterday by the Government.

STAFF at a Dunnes Stores outlet in Limerick are threatening to strike amid allegations of bullying by management.

HEALTH MINISTER Mícheál Martin is facing increasing opposition from TDs within his own party over plans to ban smoking in pubs.

ANN Walsh wept as she described to the Barr Tribunal yesterday how she learned on the evening TV news her first cousin and godson John Carthy had been shot in the Abbeylara siege.

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern is prepared to call the bluff of up to a dozen rebel Fianna Fáil TDs clamouring for restoration of the first-time house buyers’ grant or then introduction of replacement support measures.

MINISTER for Finance Charlie McCreevy is under growing pressure from party members to row back on plans to abolish the first-time buyers grant for housebuyers.

A Fianna Fail backbencher has openly criticised Charlie McCreevy's massive cuts to public spending as announced in yesterday's book of estimates.

Beverley Cooper-Flynn has retained her seat in the Mayo constituency on the 10th count.