Night hunters, or lampers, pursuing rabbits and hares have been urged to seek farmers’ permission following complaints about risks to livestock and, furthermore, amid rising fears of rural burglaries.

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Alan Kelly, has attracted some criticism for apparently overruling civil servants when deciding on spending on greenways, specifically the route along the disused rail line that links Mullingar to Athlone.

The Irish Centre in London’s Camden Town is re-branding as it celebrates its 60th Paddy’s Day, writes Claire Droney.

Leitrim 2-05 Roscommon 1-07

Leitrim 2-05 Roscommon 1-07

The news this week that the popular Great Western Greenway in Mayo has been blocked by a landowner comes as no surprise; it was only a matter of time before this happened, and we can only be thankful that it didn’t occur at the height of the tourist season.

Ryanair has sacked a pilot who appeared on a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary on Monday night, which raised concerns over fuel policies and safety at the airline.

Welcome to Ireland, Troika; your presence is not always wanted, but, it has to be admitted, that you do bring a dash of reality to public figures who have unrealistic expectations.

Athlone IT 1-13 IT Carlow 0-6

Laois' momentum-building run through this year's All-Ireland SFC qualifiers has earned manager Justin McNulty another season at the helm.

Laois manager Justin McNulty hailed what he felt was his team’s best performance over the last two years, as they dumped Monaghan out of the All-Ireland championship with a six point win in O’Moore Park yesterday.

Justin McNulty dedicated his team’s win over Monaghan to his selector John Mulligan, who had to step down from his position earlier this year due to illness.

Justin McNulty will continue as Laois manager despite serious reservations raised about his tactics at last night’s county board meeting in Portlaoise.

Finally, a member of government has stepped off the fence and told it like it is.

JOHN Mulligan is mistaken to say that Irish local authorities are “bloated” (Letters, Dec 21) when local authority staffing has fallen by 20% since 2008.

TWO current media topics suggest that Europe has a long way to go before we can consider ourselves civilised.

MINISTER Phil Hogan’s new property tax, however inevitable, appears to be premature.

LIKE most Irish people, I continue to be shocked and saddened at the abuse of children by people in authority, and to be surprised that any decent people still remaining within the Catholic Church hierarchy seem unable to strongly condemn the abusers and the so-called Canon Law that shields them.

THE most famous victory in the history of the Kilmacud Crokes club?

Kilmacud Crokes, Garrycastle, Skyrne and Rhode have advanced to the semi-finals of the AIB Leinster Club Senior Football Championship following today's matches around the province.

IN his letter (October 23), John Mulligan states that genuine reform of local government needs to happen. I agree.

CHAMPIONS Portlaoise withstood a spirited second half Moorefield rally to emerge victorious from a pulsating AIB Leinster club SFC tie at O’Moore Park yesterday.

WHILE the Government struggles to cut costs in essential services like health and education, it continues to miss an open goal that can deliver ongoing annual savings of hundreds of millions of euro.

SENATOR Dan Boyle has called for the resignation of Ivor Callely from the Seanad. He refers to the drip-feed of allegations around his colleague and the consequent need for the Seanad select committee on members’ interests to consider these allegations.

CAVAN are on the lookout for a new senior football manager after Tommy Carr last night decided to bring the curtain down on his two-year reign in charge.

Laois boss Sean Dempsey has become the latest casualty in senior inter-county football management, following his failure to be reappointed for a third year.

FORGIVE my cynicism when I hear pay levels are likely to be restored in the public service once reforms have been achieved.

ISN’T it great to see that at least one citizen didn’t miss a foreign junket because her passport was out of date?

I listened, open-mouthed, to the defence of Cardinal Brady’s position by Msgr Maurice Dooley (RTÉ, March 15).

GAA chiefs are set to investigate the unruly scenes during yesterday’s All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final in the Gaelic Grounds, as 13-man Portlaoise crashed to defeat against Clare champions Kilmurry-Ibrickane.

KILMURRY-IBRICKANE boss Michéal McDermott dedicated yesterday’s All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final triumph to defender Declan Callinan, who missed the game through a controversial suspension.

Portlaoise (Laois) 0-8 Kilmurry-Ibrickane (Clare) 1-14

I THOUGHT Steven King’s column on the subject of the hijab (February 10) was a very reasoned and well structured piece that treated the subject with respect.

THIS one felt good.

AN infusion of fresh blood is the key to Portlaoise’s progression to another Leinster final.

PORTLAOISE may be favourites to win their seventh Leinster Club SFC title at Tullamore on Sunday, but they are expecting a titanic battle against Garrycastle.

HE was once on the books of Glasgow Celtic, but, on this display, Paul Cahillane is sure to come to the attention of Laois boss, Seán Dempsey.

Portlaoise (Laois) 1-9 Clara (Offaly) 0-3

THE Leinster Council will meet this evening to decide on the venue for the provincial club football semi-final meeting of Portlaoise and Clara which was abandoned shortly after half-time yesterday.

MORE than 700 gardaí have retired from the force this year and the number could swell further before the budget next month.

CREDIT to Seneschalstown for fighting the good fight for 30 minutes.

Portlaoise (Laois) 3-12 Seneschalstown (Meath) 1-6

Portlaoise (Laois) 2-21 Mattock Rangers (Louth) 0-2

THIS was no thriller but Portlaoise won’t care. Yesterday was all about the numbers – a sixth county title and their first three-in-a-row since 1987.

THE European Central Bank rightly urges careful consideration by NAMA when valuing developers’ assets. However there is one area where particular care needs to be taken and where the valuation expertise of the estate agency sector may not be appropriate.

HOW on earth did something so daft as the blasphemy provisions of the Defamation Bill ever make it out of the Oireachtas?

A MEDIATOR with the Northern Ireland peace process has been engaged to assist in ending the enduring conflict between Travellers and the settled community.

Mediators could be trained to resolve Traveller feuds and family rows, it emerged today.

THE reluctance of the religious congregations to pay the cost of their decades-long orgy of abuse and cruelty has shocked all decent people, but really comes as no surprise.