D Tuesday, December 22, 2009 METRO Q3: Dublin Zoo had a competition to name its baby elephant. What name, sounding like a Dublin term of endearment, won? To P7 We might have some freezing fog at night-time and thatll prove tricky and dangerous for people driving. Cavan was hit by the heaviest snow- falls with 17.8cm lying in some plac- es, while road temperatures fell to al- most -5C in parts of Munster and south Leinster. Nicola Hudson, AA Roadwatch controller, said driving conditions were treacherous nationwide. Many national roads were treated, however a lot of secondary roads re- main frozen... and very few routes have gone above freezing, she said. Bus ireann said it was forced to cancel several local services in Lim- erick and Kerry, while other services faced delays. Dublin Airport remains open, but several flights were affected by the extreme weather in other parts of the world. Ryanair said some flights had experienced delays but no cancella- tions had been forced so far. Ruff and ready: A dog dressed in an overcoat and its own booties is ready for whatever the weather in Kiev, Ukraine, will bring Picture: Reuters Summer holiday figures are down The number of Irish travelling abroad last summer fell for the first time in 18 years. Two million people went overseas between July and September down 12 per cent on last year. The Central Statistics Office said it was the first drop since 1991, with holiday trips down 17 per cent. Visits to Ireland also plummeted, with tourists using B&Bs down a third. Big freeze to last until ChristmasFORECASTERS last night warned of freezing fog and overnight tempera- tures plummeting to -5C, with the big chill set to continue until Christ- mas Day. Despite adding a picture-postcard look to the festive season, the Arctic weather has caused treacherous driv- ing conditions with snow, ice and black ice on most roads. At least 30 school bus routes around the country were cancelled forcing schools to close, while road safety chiefs also warned driving tests could be postponed. Early morning motorists are also facing frozen roads, with drivers urged to take extreme care. Met ireann said more than 20cm of snow was dumped in parts of Ulster, while those hoping for a white Christmas may see some flakes as they wake, before making way for wind and rain. Forecaster Pat Clarke said: This cold snap of weather is going to con- tinue up until Christmas morning. By colm Kelpie Adams defends abuse allegation GERRY ADAMS has defended his handling of the allegation of sexual abuse against his brother Liam. The Sinn Fin president had urged his brother to give himself up to police in the North to answer charges of abusing his daughter. Mr Adams said: I wouldnt say that I handled this perfectly... But I tried to do my best by ine and I tried to do my best by others within my family and as far as I could, we tried to ensure that no other child was at risk. Mr Adams made the allegation as he revealed his father committed years of abuse against members of his own family. Gerry Adams: Tried to do his best DOZENS of people have died across Europe as days of snow storms and sub-zero temperatures swept the continent, causing traffic chaos for millions. At least 29 people froze to death in Poland as temperatures fell to -25C, while in Germany a figure of -33C was recorded. Severe weather also continues to cause widespread misery and disruption for travellers across Britain, with freezing conditions in some parts closing roads and delaying flights and trains. More snow and sleet is expected, with Scotland likely worst hit as the cold snap persists for the next few days. Europe braced for chaos index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html