The latest addition to our stellar team of rugby writers reflects on the ups and downs of a magnificent playing career — and reveals the reasons why he's chosen to move to Paris to kick-start his coaching career.

Mice raised without bacteria in the gut showed distinctly autistic patterns of behaviour, choosing to interact with objects more than other mice, scientists at University College Cork (UCC) have found.

THERE are three reasons why a managed exit by Ireland from the eurozone is the most urgent economic priority. But first consider this reality.

WATCH them riding on, the three musketeers, Alan Shatter, James Reilly and Phil Hogan!

The latest addition to our stellar team of rugby writers reflects on the ups and downs of a magnificent playing career — and reveals the reasons why he's chosen to move to Paris to kick-start his coaching career.

A TD has said those behind misleading anti-abortion leaflets being circulated in her constituency which contain graphic images and purport to come from her are "sick people".

The sleek white Lauren L yacht has become Cork's latest tourist attraction, and you have to admit, it definitely adds a touch of glamour to the place.

Paddy Power are today refunding all win and each way singles to customers who backed Ireland's Ryan Dolan for last night's Eurovision.

A man was killed and two others were taken to hospital with gunshot wounds today following a "serious incident" understood to involve a serving British soldier.

A man who mugged an 83-year-old lady in Cork city centre thought he could outrun his pursuer — but found to his cost the chaser was training for a marathon.

It is believed the Minister for Finance Michael Noonan told the IMF that he will look to Contingent Convertible Capital (CoCo) Notes if the banks need additional capital buffers following the stress tests.

From the old barracks in Ballincollig VMware is plotting to become one of the world's largest companies by annexing a large portion of the $50bn (€38.8bn) cloud and virtualisation markets in the near future.

INCOMING Chartered Accountants Ireland president, Brendan Lenihan, will represent 22,000 members in the year of its 125th anniversary.

The significant level of job vacancies in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector highlights a "severe" shortage of suitably skilled applicants in the Irish workforce, a new study has warned.

Staff at SouthWestern's base in Clonakilty, Co Cork, are to develop a database for sheep, goats, and deer in England as part of a €7m five-year state contract.

Split mortgages are the most effective way of keeping insolvent borrowers in their homes while ensuring that the taxpayer, through ownership of the banks, can share in the upside of the economic recovery, according to the governor of the Central Bank, Patrick Honohan.

Three out of four hotels in Ireland say they expect business to pick up in the next three years, while more than half saw their turnover increase last year.

One of the Norwegian exploration prospects in which Irish-founded company, Tullow Oil, has a significant interest, has been partially abandoned after its chief operator found no evidence of hydrocarbons from exploratory drilling.

Food company Kinsale Gourmet has secured an export order worth €250,000 on foot of a trade mission to the UK trade fair IFE in March.

Two Irish test cases for the mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI) were settled in Dublin's district court yesterday with the plaintiffs receiving compensation.

Teacher unions and others that remain opposed to €300m public sector pay cut proposals will be subjected to laws cutting higher salaries and other work changes, Enda Kenny said yesterday.

University College Cork intends to be largely self-funding within five years, saving the Irish taxpayer millions of euro a year.

The British parliament is to investigate if security services could have done more to prevent the murder of a soldier hacked to death in a London street after it emerged that his suspected killers were known to intelligence officers.

British police arrested two more people yesterday in a hunt for accomplices of two British men of Nigerian descent accused of hacking a soldier to death on a London street in revenge for wars in Muslim countries.

It is believed the Minister for Finance Michael Noonan told the IMF that he will look to Contingent Convertible Capital (CoCo) Notes if the banks need additional capital buffers following the stress tests.

ULSTER SFC QUARTER-FINAL:Donegal v Tyrone For too long, we've been decrying the anti-climactic starts to thevarious provincial championships. Now we have a genuine no-holds barred contest in Ballybofey.

Joe Schmidt has opted against speculating whether Sean O'Brien will miss the opening weeks of the British and Irish Lions tour after omitting the injured flanker from his squad of 23 for today's RaboDirect Pro12 decider.

First volume of Margaret Thatcher's authorised biography is predictably flattering, but not a hagiography, says Shaun Connolly

Highlights include Colin Stafford Johnson's new series on the Shannon, and highly-rated new spy drama The Americans.