Gardaí in County Offaly are appealing for witnesses following the discovery of the body of a man in his 70s yesterday afternoon.

LAtest: A 17-year-old boy is being questioned by gardai after a man was stabbed to death in Co Offaly.

Here's your lunchtime news bulletin...

A device discovered in County Offaly yesterday has been declared a viable bomb.

A man has been released by Gardaí investigating an assault on a young man in Bray.

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Denis Naughten has today welcomed the decision to allow a power station in the midlands continue operating until 2030.

A drive is getting underway to attract more visitors to Ireland.

Bord Na Móna says its new wind farm at Mount Lucas in County Offaly will provide energy for more than 45,000 homes.

Ruby Walsh retained his unbeaten record since his lengthy absence when partnering Old Castletown to an all-the-way win in the opening maiden hurdle in Tramore yesterday.

Gardaí have released a woman they were questioning about the murder of an 11-year-old girl in County Offaly.

A 23-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the murder of Christy Daly in County Offaly.

Gardaí have detained a man overnight in connection with the death of a woman in Dublin at the weekend.

Gardaí investigating a man's death in Co Offaly have said that a caravan and two cars were found burnt out at the scene of his death.

Gardaí are investigating after a woman was killed in a single-vehicle crash in County Offaly yesterday afternoon.

Former Taoiseach Brian Cowen is launching a career as a management consultant.

Gardaí are investigating the slaughter of 22 ducks in County Offaly.

Eugene O’Brien’s award-winning debut play, Eden, is coming to Cork’s Everyman Theatre as part of a nationwide tour.

Authorities are breeding corncrakes in captivity for the first time in Ireland in a bid to combat the endangered bird’s population decline.

Further to Dónal Hickey’s article re threats to drinking water (Nov 12), I wish to point out that the National Federation of Group Water Schemes met the HSE and the EPA in October to discuss growing concerns about the dangerous VTEC strain of E.coli in water supplies.

The Air Accident Investigation Unit and gardaí are investigating a fatal plane crash near Birr, County Offaly last night which claimed the lives of two men, one in his 30s and one in his 20s.

A Garda investigation is continuing this morning into the death of an 11-year old girl in County Offaly over the weekend.

A CONSERVATION milestone was reached last week; two coveys of partridges, raised in captivity at Boora Bog in County Offaly, were released at a secret location in north county Dublin.

A man has been charged today in connection with the first ever seizure of the drug crystal meth at Dublin Airport.

US Democrats living in Ireland who support President Barack Obama travelled from the four corners of Ireland for a celebration held in the president’s honour ahead of his visit today.

A man has died following a crash in County Offaly yesterday evening.

A 45-year-old Tipperary man who kidnapped and sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl after driving her to a remote woodlands in County Offaly nine years ago has been jailed for three years by Mr Justice Barry White.

THE Irish crew of Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle have been stripped of their victory in last week’s Rally of Scotland.

The Taoiseach Brian Cowen is to visit flood-hit areas in Westmeath and County Offaly today to meet with officials and the victims of flooding.

A Polish national has been convicted of raping and sexually assaulting his ex-girlfriend in her County Offaly home after tying up her boyfriend and attacking him with a knife and baton.

There are fears of job losses at a major pharmaceutical firm in Waterford.

The Christian Brothers in Ireland is apologising to all those who were sexually abused and hurt by its brothers.

A star was born today when local hero Shane Lowry became just the third amateur to win on the European Tour – at The 3 Irish Open on the third extra hole no less.

A jury has been told that an Offaly man abducted a 14-year-old girl in his car and drove her to a wooded area, where she claims he sexually assaulted her.

The man accused of money-laundering over £3m from the Northern Bank robbery denied confessing to gardaí that he had told Phil Flynn he could move £10m or £11m.

The Cork man accused of money-laundering gave direct evidence from the witness box today for the first time in his 34-day trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Former ICC Bank executive Denis O’Connell gave evidence today of travelling to Bulgaria in 2004 with the man who was later accused of laundering more than £3m from the Northern Bank robbery.

A father and son admitted under interrogation that they knew that millions of sterling notes in their possession came from the 2004 Northern Bank robbery, the prosecution claimed today as the men went on trial where they denied all the money laundering charges against them.

A jury was sworn in today for the trial of a Cork financial advisor and his son who are accused of laundering more than £3m (€3.33m) – arising out of the investigation of the 2004 Northern Bank robbery.

Taoiseach-in-waiting Brian Cowen will spend the next four weeks honing his leadership style and choosing his first Cabinet after today’s formal election as Fianna Fáil leader.

Two men were put on trial in Cork today for engaging in a conspiracy to acquire rocket launchers and Kalashnikovs to further a "war" in Limerick.

The jury in the trial at the Central Criminal Court of an Offaly farmer for the alleged rape of a teenage schoolgirl has been sent to a hotel overnight.

A convicted Clare sex offender has been found guilty by a jury of sexually abusing two of his daughters in a County Offaly town land and may now have a previous suspended sentence re-activated as a result.

The jury in the trial of a Clare man has viewed video recordings of his eldest daughter telling psychiatrists that he often sexually assaulted her and that she revealed this to her mother.