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Dublin: 6 °C Friday 24 May, 2013

The 9 at 9: Friday

Nine things to know on this rainy Friday morning…

Image: Christ D 2006 via Flickr/Creative Commons

EVERY DAY, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine stories you need to know as you kick off your day.

1. #AOIFE PHELAN: A 24-year-old man will appear in court later today, expected to be charged in connection with the murder of Aoife Phelan. The 30-year-old au pair, who was four months pregnant, went missing on 25 October. Gardaí discovered her body on Wednesday morning.

2. #REFERENDUM: A vote on children’s constitutional rights in Ireland will go ahead tomorrow despite a decision by the Supreme Court that a Government website and booklet was not impartial or fair. Minister Frances Fitzgerald has insisted that her department had acted “in good faith” when putting the contents together and had “the best intention to ensure compliance”.

3. #CONFLICT: Syria’s embattled president Basar Assad has told Russia Today that he is not a ‘Western puppet’. In a video interview, he said he has to live and die in his own country. He warned that “the price of foreign invasion” would be “more than the whole world can afford”.

4. #CATHOLIC CHURCH: An inquiry into claims there was a cover-up of child sex abuse within the Catholic Church in New South Wales, Australia will be established. A senior police official has gone public with evidence that the church’s hierarchy “covers up, silences victims, hinders police investigations, alerts offenders, destroys evidence and moves priests to protect the good name of the church”.

5. #ARSON PSNI officers are investigating reports of an arson attack at an electrical substation on a Quinn Group wind farm in Derrylin. They believe the fire, which caused substantial damage to the business, was started deliberately.

6. #COURTS: A 14-year-old girl and a 58-year-old woman were jailed for contempt yesterday after a judge blamed them for leading a “full scale riot” in court. The teen’s brother and the woman’s son had been found guilty of sexual assault, attempted rape and oral rape. RTÉ reports that the girl was sentenced to four days in prison, while the woman was imprisoned for seven days.

7. #TESTS: Fertility clinics in Cork and Dublin are to begin screening for genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis, according to the Irish Examiner. The Irish Medicines Board has granted a license for embryo biopsy but the Cork Fertility Centre said it will not test for Down’s syndrome.

8. #DISTRAUGHT: Next month’s distressed property auction will seen an entire street go under the hammer. Market Place in Clonmel consists of 18 units and building and the reserve price for the whole lot is €900,000.

9. #@BENEDICT: The Pope is preparing to join Twitter with his own personal handle, it was revealed yesterday. Who will his first spat be with?

  • Over on DailyEdge.ie: Stars getting tattoos and eating hot wings, Adele on sex, and Rihanna for Croker?… It’s The Dredge

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Comments (17 Comments)

  • If that is indeed true about NSW then it’s basically a mirror image of this country’s shameful legacy.

    Reply
  • Is there anywhere in the world where the catholic church has not left behind it a generation of abused and damaged children. It just seems so common now to see this we don’t even get shocked anymore.
    I know there are and have been some very fine members of the church but I do seriously have to question the celibacy rule. This to me is what has caused this awful abuse. If priests and nuns could have lived their lives as lay people I really don’t think there would have been the levels of abuse that we have seen so far and it’s not gonna stop. Obviously there are people who will commit violence against children no matter what the situation, and there have been some very evil people in the church over the years but this rule is only 1 thing that needs to change.

    Reply
    • The very fact that abuse has happened world wide is proof there is a major problem. The church must change radically to stop this.

      Reply
    • I don’t think celibacy has anything to do with it. Priests who have problems with their vow of chastity have affairs with adults or go to prostitutes. Not having sex with grown-ups doesn’t make you want to rape kids. Most abuse occurs within families where there are no such vows. Paedophiles are drawn to power positions involving kids; the are paedophiles first, the priests. The evil in the church was in its facilitating the abuse, making sure it stayed hidden and making sure it went on and on.

      Reply
  • this referendum result is going to be dragged through the courts no matter what the result, its tainted now and and as the law says if there is any doubt then you must say no

    Reply
  • What’s this? the catholic church involved in a cover up, Well Holy Shit! next you’ll be accusing them of child abuse.
    Easy now! if jesus hears about this, there will be tables overturned and furniture flying everywhere.
    Down with that sort of thing.

    Reply
  • Shame on kenny and his corrupt government, showing complete disregard fir the laws of the state. Vote no on Saturday and really protect your kids…..

    Reply
    • Brian
      If Kenny were corrupt, what has that got to do with Children’s Rights which we are voting on tomorrow. Or are you saying that by voting no we can punish Kenny by rejecting the proposed Amendment?
      If either reflects your view and either must, you are entirely corrupt yourself.

      Reply
    • @Garry: Because it’s more about being seen to be doing something about a problem than actually solving it.

      Reply
    • The State has an unenviable record in protecting the rights of children since its foundation. Does it not say a lot about us as a race that its felt that a constitutional amendment is needed to protect the rights of children.
      As the Information distributed contains “mis-statements” ( lies, for the uninitiated). The question must be asked, what other lies are we being fed. Sorry its a no from me.

      Reply
    • Has anyone heard any of the ministers of this so-called government apologise for their “mis-statements”?

      Reply
  • @ Ciaran I do agree with your point regarding pedophiles putting themselves in positions where they have access to children I’m not saying because of the vow if chastity that children have been abused but I do believe that celibacy plays somewhat of a role in this however the cover up that has followed these crimes against children is disgraceful and how they have been allowed to get away with it is beyond me.

    Reply
  • What’s this? a cover up by the Catholic church! never! how did that happen? Someone is trying to discredit these lovely people, wait ’til jesus hears about this, there will be furniture thrown around and tables overturned. We have’nt heard the end of this.

    Reply

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