RELATIVES of the victims of the Stardust tragedy have expressed surprise that a supermarket group has applied to build an outlet on the site of the 1981 inferno, in which 48 people died.

THE state has moved to designate Lough Derg as a special protection area (SPA) for birds.

THE HSE has confirmed it is preparing an application to Killarney Town Council’s planning department for permission to retain a large statue of the Sacred Heart alongside Killarney Community Hospital.

A SLUDGE treatment company which plans a €10 million upgrade to enable it to process hazardous waste faces a considerable challenge as An Bord Pleanála has questioned the validity of the planning application.

Cork County Council has approved planning permission for a major retail development to be built at the dilapidated former Seafield Textiles building in Youghal, Co Cork.

Dublin and the surrounding region will need enough extra water to fill 330 Olympic-sized swimming pools every day on top of its existing supply to meet demand by 2050, Irish Water has warned.

A long-serving county councillor has accused the Department of Education of turning its back on an east Cork village by failing to provide it with a national school.

There is no better testament to the Easter Rising than to begin building the new national children’s hospital next year on one of its most famous battle sites, the South Dublin Union, Health Minister Leo Varadkar said yesterday.

The signs summed up the story: “Our Road Is A Mess — We Want Progress.’.

A local authority has called in the country’s top planning referee to decide if two suburban neighbours should get a yellow card over painting their roofs red.

Gardaí suspect an arson attack on a house may be linked to a planning objection which has sparked furious debate in a Co Cork town.

The public will have a chance to express its view on Ireland’s future power network after EirGrid asked for submissions on its new draft strategy.

Cork City Council is awaiting further information from developers of the proposed reworking for residential use of a former bakery site in Togher.

Cork County Council officials have disclosed they are still intent on developing a 5,000-house town at Monard near Blarney.

An East Cork community is to lobby the Government for special heritage status for sites of interest in the area, which hosts a bomb factory dating from the War of Independence.

The Port of Cork’s plans for a €100m redevelopment of its cargo-handling facilities at Ringaskiddy have been hit with a further delay.

Cork county councillors will send a blunt “hands off” message to a minister that they won’t tolerate him interfering in their decision to ban industrial incinerators in certain areas.

Despite objections from environmentalists, councillors have voted unanimously in favour of a contentious new access road to Killarney National Park.

Plans to redevelop Ireland’s most expensive house, bought by developer Sean Dunne and his wife Gayle Killilea for €58m in 2005, have been rejected.

Residents of an East Cork community fear their locality may be chosen for a third Eirgrid development after the State-owned electricity operator indicated it would be carrying out tests in the area for a potential international connection with the continent.