Morning Briefing – Local Irish News
Irish Times - Belfast unrest: PSNI chief Jon Boutcher says violence since Monday’s knife attack reached levels akin to the worst days of the Troubles, condemning “racist, mindless, vile thugs” and urging calm; Thursday night was quieter. Ethnic minority residents report fear of leaving home; DUP leader says the stabbing victim is improving. - Public spending: The Department of Education has overspent by €4bn since 2022, the DPER secretary general told the Public Accounts Committee. Government will provide an extra €646m; PAC chair says taxpayers are “sick and tired of waste.” - Courts: Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Emmett Cullen found not guilty by reason of insanity over a Limerick hotel incident that caused €40,000+ in damage and involved three alleged assaults; unanimous jury verdict. Former Cork City FC manager Ger Nash faces dangerous and drink-driving charges after a crash in Midleton; gardaí said he smelled of alcohol. Delivery truck driver Justinas Marinskas acquitted of careless driving causing the death of 78-year-old Eileen Dalton in Dún Laoghaire. - Property/legal: High Court orders occupiers to vacate former pub Ardee House in Dublin’s Liberties within three days after alleged breaches that saw up to 40 additional people on the premises. - Education: Leaving Cert higher-level construction studies paper praised for accessibility and practical focus (walls/roofs, household extensions, lifetime adaptations). - Workplace relations: WRC told a witness for fisheries officer James Doherty is now afraid to testify due to alleged intimidation by Inland Fisheries Ireland after emails sent to staff who had appeared at earlier hearings. - Community/sport: Mexican expatriates pack Dublin’s Button Factory for the World Cup opener against South Africa, reflecting a growing community (3,300 Mexican citizens recorded in the 2022 census, with more since).