A DUTCH barge was due in Waterford yesterday evening ahead of today's operation to raise the wreck of the sunken trawler, the Pere Charles.

The fishing vessel sank off the Dunmore East coast last January, claiming five lives.

Skipper Tom Hennessy, his uncle Pat Hennessy, Billy O'Connor, Pat Coady and Andriy Dyrin all died in the tragedy. It is thought the barge's crane will also raise the Maggie B which sank in March 2006, drowning two fishermen.

Team may not travel to Pakistan

THE coach of the Irish women's cricket team, which is due to travel to Pakistan on Friday to take part in the World Cup qualifying tournament, has said they are assessing whether they will be allowed to travel after a state of emergency was declared in Pakistan yesterday. "We just heard the news from Pakistan a couple of hours ago, and are waiting to see whether we can travel, " said Irish team coach Miriam Grealey. "If the tournament is cancelled, then South Africa is on standby to host the tournament but we don't know when that will be. I hope if we are not able to travel it will be because the tournament was cancelled rather than us not being allowed to go."

She added that as the tournament is to be held in Lahore, which is far away from Islamabad, it may not be at risk.

Investigation into Limerick attack

GARDAI in Limerick are investigating a shooting in the city on Friday. One man was injured in the estate of Hyde Avenue.

Gardai received reports of gunfire in the Hyde Road area of the West inner city just before 10pm. When they arrived on the scene the shooters had already fled. Shortly afterwards, a 38-year-old man presented himself at the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick with gunshot wounds to the hand and the back of the neck. His condition was is stable.