A young girl suffered two sexual assaults carried out by her neighbour at a First Communion party for her sister, it has been alleged in court.

Delays in the trial of a man accused of causing the death by dangerous driving of eight people in Co Donegal were “simply not good enough,” a judge said in court when the case was called yesterday.

Families of victims of one of the country’s worst ever car crashes are being hugely distressed by delays in a court case, a judge has warned.

A judge has asked legal teams to “get their heads together” to allow one of Ireland’s most serious alleged dangerous driving cases to go ahead.

Donegal school caretaker Michael Ferry, today sentenced to 18 years for the rape and sexual assault of four boys, was not identified after a 2002 sexual assault conviction as his victim did not wish to upset Ferry's ill mother.