Plans for a €100m upgrade of the busiest junction outside of Dublin have been given general approval by people living close by.

THIRSTY thieves crossed a railway line and several hundred yards of rough terrain in pitch darkness yesterday morning to steal 35 kegs of lager and stout from a Diageo compound in Co Cork.

THE National Roads Authority (NRA) has confirmed it is preparing a major plan to ease gridlock on Cork’s two busiest junctions and plans to present its proposals to An Bord Pleanála by summer 2012.

THE Construction Industry Federation (CIF) is seeking a meeting with senior National Roads Authority officials amid claims it is stifling growth in Cork.

GARDAÍ have questioned a man in his 40s following the theft of €300,000 of steel girders which, they believe, were smuggled out of the country.

THIEVES, with “nerves of steel”, stole around 20 truckloads of steel girders worth €200,000 from a construction firm’s yard on the outskirts of Cork city.

HAVING a professional interest in transport matters, I read submissions to the Transport Department’s 2020 Sustainable Transport Study.

GARDAÍ have seized 110 cars in Cork city, many of which were a “deplorable condition”, as part of a new scheme to improve road safety.

TRANSPORT Minister Martin Cullen, still hasn’t signed the Railway Order which would enable work to start on Cork’s €139 million commuter upgrade.

SO, just how brave are you?

A PUBLIC inquiry which is due to examine the proposed reopening of the €90 million-plus Cork to Midleton rail line has received 35 submissions, it was confirmed last night.

PLANS for a major park-and-ride facility for rail commuters are to go before Cork County Council members for approval on October 17.

A FORMER monk turned stockbroker whose fradulent use of clients’ money led to the collapse of one of Cork’s oldest stockbroking firms had his prison sentence increased to five years yesterday.

A former monk turned stockbroker whose fraudulent use of clients' money led to the collapse of one of Cork's oldest stockbroking firms had his prison sentence increased to five years today.

A former senior partner at a leading stockbrokers in Cork who spent seven years training as a monk was jailed for three years today for defrauding clients of almost €5m.

A former senior partner at a leading stockbrokers in Cork who had spent seven years training as a monk is to be sentenced today for defrauding clients of €4.6m.

A junior partner in failed Cork stockbrokers, W&R Morrogh, has pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to fraudulently converting almost Stg £17,000.

NOT too many people know about the small enclave of old period homes in North Esk, just east of Cork city.

IARNRÓD EIREANN has spent €10,000 on 24-hour security to prevent Travellers from reconnecting to its electricity supply at a freight yard in Co Cork.

IARNRÓD EIREANN has put 24-hour security in place at a freight yard after senior railway officials were astonished to discover that Travellers had hooked up to their electricity supply.