Two of our world’s conflicting but defining forces — the growing threat of climate destruction and the mountains of polluting waste generated by our relentless consumerism — collided yesterday when it was announced that An Bord Pleanála (ABP) granted planning permission for a controversial €160m Indaver waste incinerator in Cork Harbour.

Major design changes to Cork’s €140m flood defence scheme have been unveiled that will see demountable flood defences, rather than walls, used to protect the most historic city centre areas.

The Taoiseach and two government ministers have been warned they face a grassroots revolt over controversial plans to extend Cork’s city boundary.

ONE OF the promoters of a proposed animal by-products processing plant in south Tipperary said he was confident that the facility would get enough raw materials to function.

The mystery owners of Ireland’s most expensive house were the subject of a heated exchange at yesterday’s Bord Pleanála appeal hearing over plans to build homes on the site.

THE South Gate is the gateway to the medieval city of Cork. The present bridge was built as early as 1713.

Dublin commuters could face significant disruption due to a cancelled public meeting on the future traffic and pedestrian arrangements on College Green.

It is the first time Cork City Council will have issued such fines, which are designed to motivate the development of vacant sites and to reduce land hoarding.

Plans by one of Munster’s leading hotel groups to break into the Dublin market have suffered a major setback after its proposal for a €50m new five-star facility was rejected.

Cabinet ministers and the Attorney General privately expressed concerns that €130,000-a-year directly elected mayors in Cork, Limerick, and Waterford could become too powerful, a confidential memo reveals.

IT MAY seem ironic, but developers of golf links in sensitive coastal areas are hoping Environment Minister John Gormley will listen more favourably to their case than Fianna Fáil ministers have in recent years.

Concern has been expressed about a windfarm project in Co Cork which will feature the same type of turbine which collapsed on a mountainside in the North last week.

THERE were fresh calls last night to change the country’s oil exploration taxes, which are the lowest in the world.

A planned upgrade to the country's only cable car service looks set to go ahead after objectors to the proposal withdrew their concerns at an oral hearing.