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Martin wades into abortion debateAs the Dáil committee hearings continue on the abortion bill, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has waded into the debate saying it is important that Christian believers "be, and seen to be, on the side of life, especially when life is most vulnerable".
Payment cuts see families pay rent shortfallLimits on rent supplement payments set by the Government are forcing thousands of families to make undeclared top-up payments to landlords to secure places to live.
- WORLD
Anger as North Korea launches another missileNorth Korea fired a short-range missile from its east coast, a day after launching three more of these missiles, a South Korean news agency said.
How Star Trek predicted the futureWHEN Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry first dreamed up the concept of a television show based in the unexplored universe of Outer Space in 1964, the world was a very different place.
- BUSINESS
Warnings over future of eurozoneThe eurozone is heading towards a break up unless there are moves towards much closer political and fiscal union, according to chief economist with State Street Global Advisers, Chris Probyn.
Bruton defends corporate tax rateIreland will be able to maintain its current corporation tax code in the face of international pressure to prevent multinational corporations avoid paying their fare share of tax, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton said yesterday.
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Mayo’s statement of intentGalway 0-11 Mayo 4-16 Five minutes to go in Salthill yesterday and James Horan was still cajoling his men to sew it into Galway.
Wilkinson inspires Toulon to gloryASM Clermont Auvergne 15 Toulon 16 Not for the first time this season, a matchday performance and the result have made a mockery of the statistics.
- LIFESTYLE
What Lenny did nextLENNY Abrahamson has directed three feature films: Adam & Paul, Garage and What Richard Did.
Clothes maketh you madTrying on clothes, said Ewart, produced "sensations which bring deep peace and perfect contentment" to the female mind.
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Scream Blue Murder set for quick return to listed company
By John Ryan
The Tommy Stack-trained Scream Blue Murder is set for a quick return to listed company following her facile, all-the-way victory in the opening Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Maiden at rain-sodden Bellewstown last night.
On ground which had turned to ‘heavy’ following torrential rain from lunchtime, the Oratorio filly, well-beaten in the listed event won by Sky Lantern at Naas last time, stretched clear to slam Desert Of Dreams by almost five lengths.Having watched Scream Blue Murder give Wayne Lordan his 31st success of the season, Fozzy Stack commented: “We’ve always thought a lot of this filly. She’s better than a Bellewstown filly, although she didn’t fire the last day in Naas.
“There are very few opportunities for two-year-olds over five furlongs and she’ll run in the listed race in Tipperary next Saturday (the Danehill Dancer Tipperary Stakes).”
On his first visit to Bellewstown as a trainer (his daughter rode in the amateur event), Aidan O’Brien saddled I Have A Dream to win the Essential Drogheda Magazine Maiden. The Galileo colt, off the track since October and a significant market-drifter, came from behind under Joseph O’Brien and outstayed his rivals, scoring by almost four lengths from hurdler/chaser Benash and prompting his trainer to comment: “It’s tough going out there but he might get further on the evidence of that performance.”
Winner of a flat maiden at Ballybrit three years ago and now a Grade 1-winning chaser, Blackstairmountain will head for the Galway Plate in the wake of an effortless win in the Meath Farm Machinery Amateur Race.
Confidently handled by Patrick Mullins (he put up 2lb. overweight at 11-2), Blackstairmountain challenged down the outside before coasting clear to beat Asiya by ten lengths. The winning rider confirmed: “This was his prep run for the Galway Plate and he’ll take beating there. He handles that ground, as long as he can stay on the bridle.”
The Chris Hayes-ridden Statue Of Dreams, labelled “a funny old bugger” by his trainer James McCabe, and Pat Flynn’s improving filly Faleena (Danny Grant) captured the five-furlong handicaps. Kevin Prendergast, 80 on Thursday, was on the mark when Lucked Out (Declan McDonogh) proved best in the Irish Stallion Farms Auction Maiden.