A 38-year-old man has been cleared of murdering but convicted of killing his housemate, who had failed to bring home ribs from the butcher.

A Laois man who raped and sexually assaulted his stepdaughter over an eight-year period has received a 14-year prison sentence.

Investigations are continuing after two people apparently suffered violent deaths in separate incidents yesterday.

Gardaí were continuing to question two men last night in relation to the fatal stabbing of a young man in Co Laois at the weekend.