PETER Kelly, aka Franc, likes to surprise his wife Eadaoin on Valentine’s Day. The mystery drive will lead to either a beach or forest destination for a winter picnic. “We might go for dinner afterwards, to a hotel, or we might stay in some little country house or B&B, wherever the direction takes us,” says the Cork-based event designer and presenter of RTÉ’s Say Yes to the Dress.

So that’s Friday nearly wrapped up. Here’s some of the stories we published on irishexaminer.com today which we hope will help you make sense of it all this evening.

The famed wedding planner is reluctantly parting with this charming West Cork home, says Tommy Barker.

With so many demands on their time, how do Christmas dads keep going during the festive season? Esther McCarthy talks to four celebrities about juggling it all. 

Broadcaster Ray D’Arcy’s wife Jenny is also his producer —so what are the challenges they face? Arlene Harris talks to to three couples about working and living together.

The baby boom continues at Dublin Zoo as a second Asian elephant to be born in the last six weeks arrived on Tuesday.

Áilín Quinlan talks to Peter Kelly and others about wrapping up and heading to the woods for seasonal fun.

A mother of three children with autism has brought a High Court action arising out of the social protection minister’s refusal to pay her the domiciliary care allowance in respect of her youngest child, Éadaoin, 2.

The engine on a light aircraft cut out before it crashed killing two friends, air accident investigators have revealed.

Former US President Bill Clinton has told scholarship award winners that he himself got his education thanks to a scholarship programme.

Engine failure is being investigated as the primary cause of a light aircraft crash which killed a flight instructor and a trainee pilot.

The wedding planner’s TV slot is about making the mundane memorable, says Ailin Quinlan

“There were no mobile phones then, so it was like: ‘Maybe, I’ll give you a call’”

THE man credited as the driving force behind the Navy’s determined counter -narcotics campaign retired yesterday after nearly 40 years battling the import of drugs into this country.

“I USED to be on anti-depressants and had panic attacks. I told people I was happy but I wasn’t happy at all,” says 24-year-old Eadaoin Curran.

SHE was looking forward to her first teenage disco this weekend, had just got tickets to see Rihanna in concert next year and was being tipped to play international ladies’ soccer for Ireland.

THE best friend of the teenager killed in a sledding accident in Cork at the weekend attended her funeral Mass in a wheelchair yesterday.

FRIENDS of tragic Aoife Downey got to say a special goodbye to her last night.

SCHOOL pals of Aoife Downey have been comforting each other ahead of this evening’s removal for the 15-year-old killed in the tragic weekend sledding accident.

TRIBUTES poured in last night for teenager Aoife Downey who was killed in a tragic sledging accident in Cork at the weekend.

Éadaoin Ní Challaráin has just missed out on a final place in the Women's K1 Slalom.