The former Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork says that the death of a teenage boy following a house party in the city has sent shock waves through the community.
18-year-old Alex Ryan from Millstreet had been on life support at Cork University Hospital after ingesting a psychedelic drug in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Gardaí believe that Mr Ryan took ill after he snorted a powdered form of the drug 'N-Bomb'.
Five other people who swallowed the same drug also took ill but were later discharged from CUH after receiving treatment.
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85 million people are being affected by a huge snow storm in the eastern United States.
Almost a metre of snow's fallen in some areas, while hundreds of thousands of homes have no power.
At least 18 people have died as a result of weather-related accidents over the weekend.
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The Taoiseach says voters have to make a stark choice in next month's election - to keep the recovery going or put it at risk.
Enda Kenny's told his party's Ard Fheis in Dublin last night that if re-elected Fine Gael will hire 10,000 more gardaí, nurses, doctors and teachers and abolish the Universal Social Charge.
He admitted he didn't get everything right in Government, but insists only Fine Gael has the policies to reward people for the recovery they worked and suffered for.
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Sinn Féin has dismissed Fine Gael's claim that Ireland's economy is recovering.
Gerry Adams criticised Taoiseach Enda Kenny's Ard Fheis speech last night, describing it as an exercise in "empty election promises and auction politics".
Sinn Fein TD Mary Lou McDonald, says Fine Gael and Labour have so far only helped the rich in society.
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The parents of an Irishman who died after falling from a houseboat in Australia are expected to arrive there today.
27-year-old Niall Quinn from Silverbridge in Armagh, who was staying on the boat with friends, fell from the top deck of a boat into the Murray River.
It is believed that Mr Quinn hit his head as he fell in.
Mr Quinn was on holiday in Victoria in Australia at the time of the incident.