An appeal to Catholic parishes to take in refugees could see several thousand families from Syria and other conflict countries rehomed across the country.

I was astonished by Jennifer Hough’s article (Irish Examiner, May 26) re the Roscommon vote on same-sex marriage. She implies it was a stain on the Roscommon family escutcheon.

A bishop who was praised earlier this year for his “strong leadership” and “very positive work” by the child safety watchdog for the Catholic Church has decided to resign for health reasons.

Twenty men have begun studying for the Catholic priesthood with a variety of qualifications already behind them.

A woman who was abused for 10 years in the diocese of Clogher said he latest report from the Church’s child protection watchdog illustrates “how unsupportive” Bishop Joseph Duffy was to clerical abuse victims.

Ian Elliott, the Catholic church’s own watchdog on child protection measures in Ireland, has detailed the policies now in place to prevent child abuse in several dioceses.

There have been three allegations of child abuse made against priests in the diocese of Kilalla since 1975, according to a report into child protection practices.

DESIGNED as territories of spiritual and temporal control, Ireland’s diocesan structures date from the Synod of Kells in 1152. The bishop was a spiritual ‘capo’ and a lord who ruled.

A HSE audit of child protection guidelines in the Catholic Church has found shortcomings still remain in a number of dioceses.

Rural bus stops operating in some parts of the country are to be shut from today.

A priest who resigned eight months ago has married in a hotel not far from the church where he ministered.

Christy Ring hurled at senior inter-county level for Cork for 24 seasons, from his debut in 1939 to his retirement in 1962, during which time he became the most storied hurler of all time.

Communities will be involved in any plans to radically reorganise the amount of dioceses in this country, according to the summary report presented by the Vatican team who visited the country last year.

THE Vatican is believed to be meeting resistance from Irish archbishops to its plans to cut the number of dioceses by up to a half — meaning the country would need fewer bishops.

IRELAND’S awful summer has seen the worst top temperatures for almost 50 years and the coldest August for two decades with forecasters writing off the rest of the summer they branded a “stinker”.

IRELAND’S soggy summer is the coldest since records began 25 years ago — and forecasters last night wrote off the rest of summer, warning of regular washouts and no hot weather.

THE mortality rate among heart patients who attend Roscommon Hospital is four times higher than the rate among patients attending University Hospital Galway, the health minister claimed last night.

TWO men are being questioned over the seizure of €84,000 of cannabis plants.

NUI Galway and Roscommon produced deserved wins in the opening round of the Connacht FBD League this afternoon.

The High Court has made an order winding up a firm with 45 employees which is part of the Hanly group of construction and quarry operating companies.

A man in his forties was killed in a crash in Co. Kilkenny yesterday - bringing to three the number of people who died on the roads over the weekend.

Two people have been killed in overnight traffic accidents.

Motorists were warned to avoid travelling today due to hazardous driving conditions as the big freeze continued into the New Year.

MICHELLE GILDERNEW has praised farmers’ resilience and initiative in livestock and bloodstock breeding despite economic downturn.

THEY’RE in neighbouring counties, but the best and worst of the Tidy Towns entrants are poles apart when it comes to impressing the judges.

Six Irish trainee priests will take part in a special ceremony with Pope Benedict today marking the Flight of the Earls.

A man has died in a road crash involving a school bus in Co Roscommon this morning.

THE highest temperature in 30 years was recorded in the sun-soaked summer of 2006 according to weather records released for the past year.

THE Court of Criminal Appeal yesterday imposed a three-year suspended sentence on a Roscommon man who killed two people in a road accident in 2004.

Up to 8,000 households in County Roscommon have been left without water following a diesel oil spill at a reservoir.

Around 5,000 homes in Co Roscommon have had their water supplies cut off as a result of pollution in a local lake.

A parish priest in Sligo has stood aside from active duties following allegations being made against him, it emerged today.

A male rear seat passenger was killed in Co Roscommon this morning when the car in which he was travelling struck a tree.

IT’S not all about visibility. Hughie Baxter’s image is everywhere in the North West constituency.