More than 1,000 drivers have avoided a conviction and penalty points on their driving licence so far this year because they made a donation to a court poor box.

Street and beach cleaning may be outsourced by Cork County Council as officials “toy with the idea” of concentrating more outdoor staff into maintaining 12,000km of roads, parts of which are in a serious state of deterioration.

GLORIOUS autumnal conditions favoured the Royal Cork Offshore Day and, in a light to moderate south easterly breeze Class One sailed around the Cork Buoy, down to the Bullman Buoy off Kinsale and back to the finish at Roches Point.