Investment by food and drink companies In Ireland has accelerated this year, but there are concerns it is too narrowly based and that there are too few ‘scalable’ companies in the sector.

A major extension of facilities at a pharmaceutical plant near Cork harbour is the subject of a recent planning application.

A manhunt was underway tonight after a Garda detective was shot dead in in a botched hold-up.

A detective garda was shot and killed last night during an armed raid on a credit union in Dundalk, Co Louth.

A Garda detective has been shot dead tonight during a botched hold-up in Dundalk, Co Louth.

Seizures of illegal cigarettes have fallen 56% over the past four years, despite a continuing strong black market for smuggled tobacco.

They lived two doors from each other for most of their lives, but it took Facebook and a 4am crisis with a printer to bring them together.

The Court of Criminal Appeal has dismissed a convicted murderer's appeal against his subsequent conviction and his 10-year prison sentence for the possession of a firearm and ammunition.

The Special Criminal Court has ordered the forfeiture of €20,000 offered as an independent surety for the bail of a man charged with IRA membership and firearms offences.

The Court of Criminal Appeal has today reserved judgment in the case of a convicted murderer appealing against his subsequent conviction and 10-year sentence for the possession of a firearm and ammunition.

A SACKED bank manager has begun a High Court action against Bank of Ireland for damages, claiming he was wrongfully dismissed as a result of a “willful and malicious” conspiracy by senior bank officials.

“I USED to be on anti-depressants and had panic attacks. I told people I was happy but I wasn’t happy at all,” says 24-year-old Eadaoin Curran.

AN investigation has been launched following the death of a man in Garda custody.

The judge heading an inquiry into suspected Garda-IRA collusion in the murder of two senior RUC officers believes a November deadline is achievable.

EIGHT orders for repossession were granted in the High Court yesterday, including one against a solicitor who claimed the signature on the mortgage loan agreement was not hers.

Detectives were continuing to question two men today over the discovery of a suspected major dissident republican bomb-making operation in Co Louth.

The brother of Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams, who is facing charges relating to the sexual abuse of his daughter was reportedly a youth worker in Dundalk, Co Louth.

A Dundalk man was arrested after the car in which he was a passenger tried to drive through a garda roadblock, the Special Criminal Court heard today.

One of the men found liable for the Omagh bomb atrocity may challenge a judge’s ruling that he should face extradition to Lithuania – where he is wanted on arms charges – from the North and not the South, a court was told today.

A BUSINESSMAN has beenordered by the Commercial Court to repay to ACC Bank €12 million arising from loans made to him over a five-year period for property and other investments.

A Chinese company is set to create an undisclosed number of jobs by setting up its EU base in Dundalk, Co Louth.

One of the chief suspects in the Omagh bomb massacre is now dead, it was revealed today.

THE grieving families of women who died violently over the last decade gathered for an emotional vigil in Dundalk, Co Louth, yesterday.

AN ex-IRA man with two previous convictions for kidnapping and described as a danger to society and civilisation had his appeal against a 20-year sentence dismissed in the Court of Criminal Appeal (CCA) yesterday.

A supermarket manager was kidnapped and held overnight by a criminal gang who today stole a large quantity of cash.

A criminal prosecution may be taken over the death of a 21-year-old man in a hit-and-run incident in Dundalk, Co Louth, an inquest heard tonight.

AN IRISH director has taken his Hollywood remake of horror flick The Omen home after the Catholic Church threw his crew out of Croatia.

GARDAÍ say they are still actively probing the disappearance of a 22 year-old woman who was last seen 12 years ago today.

Bank of Scotland is planning to create 300 jobs at a new customer services centre that is due to open in Dundalk, Co Louth, this November.

A mother whose daughter went missing seven years ago wants a dedicated garda unit to be established to lead investigations into disappeared people, writes John Breslin.

Fruit importer Fyffes plc has stated that it has completed the disposal of its interest in its property joint venture in Dundalk, Co Louth.

Gardaí in Dundalk, Co Louth, have seized around four kilograms of cannabis resin that arrived in the post from Spain today.

Gardaí and Customs Officials in Dundalk, Co Louth have seized cannabis with a street value of

Gardaí have reported a shooting incident which occurred in Dundalk, Co Louth last night.

GARDAÍ are to send a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to a sophisticated counterfeit operation.

The FBI agent testifying against alleged Real IRA mastermind Michael McKevitt today rejected claims that he was a fantasist.

The father of a man killed in the Omagh bombing is asking the Government to say whether this week's announcement by prisoners linked to the Real IRA is part of a deal.

GARDAÍ have no intention of pressing charges against a teenage girl who admitted she made up claims that she had been sexually assaulted.

The trial of the only person to be charged in connection with the Omagh bombing was resuming in Dublin today.

Six men arrested by gardai investigating the activities of dissident Republicans were today appearing before Dublin’s Special Criminal Court.

A fire was reported this morning in the courthouse in Dundalk, Co Louth. The building was empty at the time and nobody was injured.

A garda sergeant has told the Special Criminal Court that there is no proof that a man suspected of involvement in the Omagh bombing was in possession of explosives prior to the attack.

The only man to be charged in connection with the Omagh bombing, in which 29 people died and more than 200 were injured, was facing the second day of trial today.

A computer parts manufacturer is to lay off 36 workers in Dundalk, Co Louth.