Midnight Mass From Oz

RTE's Midnight Mass from Oz last night was a splendid undertaking and was well produced. It was celebrated beside Hyde Park Barracks, near the famous waterfront Sydney Opera House, where many 'convicts' from Ireland were sent for stealing handkerchiefs, and such stuff, during the Penal times.

The programme was laced with little anecdotes of historic importance, and during the Mass a virtual sea of football jerseys, from counties on both sides of the border, were to be seen as our young displayed their pride in being Irish.

President Mary McAleese was linked up live, and gave one of her usual customary free-flowing little talks, for which she is now famous.

Happy Christmas

The Dundalk Times wishes all it's readers a very Happy Christmas.

Man Dead In Faughart Fracas

A 37 year old Dundalk is dead, and another man is injured, following a late night fracas at a car park at St. Brigid's Shrine at Faughart.

The two men had been sitting in a car when it was rammed by another vehicle, and in the ensuing tussle one man was run over by a car, and he died later in hospital, and the other was injured.

Earlier in the night a man was attacked with a machete, when he confronted the gang as they attempted to steal his car in Mary Street North and he received 45 stitches in his arm at the Louth Hospital.

As they attempted to drive off in the car they collided with several other vehicles in the street, at which point they were forced to abandon the vehicle, and then forced a woman driver of a Mitsubishi seven seater to give up her car which was later used in the ramming.

Some time following the Faughart incident, an Escort van was hijacked in Bessbrook, and it later collided with a Garda van at the Faughart scene as they drove back into the south.

Graveyard Shooting

It would appear that no place is sacred when it comes to settling scores.

A man who was attending a funeral at St. Patrick's Cemetery, Dowdalshill, Dundalk, today(Monday11th Dec) was injured when shooting broke out at the graveside. He was taken to Louth County Hospital for treatment, and his condition isn't known at this time.

Gardai are investigating the incident.

Simply A Matter Of Time

Motorists who frequently pass the Ballymac Service Station will no doubt have been confronted by one of the many 40ft trucks which constantly make a 180 degree turn back towards the roundabout as they leave the station.

Because of the price saving in the south it is extremely popular with the northern Ireland truckers, and they block both sides of the road as they leave the station, much to the shock of passing motorists.

It seems as if it is simply matter of time a before there is a major incident.

Christmas Mass, Ticket Only,

Over the past week much media attention has been given to the fact that a Dublin Parish Church has announced plans to limit admittance to Christmas Mass to those who have previously obtained a ticket.

It sounds like something from a Killinascully episode, but apparently the move is being made because of overcrowding, and safety issues.

If they give the tickets to Ticket Master, who will apply a booking fee, plus a surcharge for credit cards, they won't have any problem with overcrowding.