Laois are through to the semi-finals of the EirGrid Leinster U-20 championship this Saturday after a dramatic penalty shootout win over Westmeath last night.

We probably didn’t think it could come to this, writes Declan Bogue.

The strength and power of Armagh’s Oisin O’Neill and Tyrone’s Conn Kilpatrick, around the middle third, was too much for Maynooth.

The Irish Government raised concerns over claims made by a British Conservative minister that some lawyers in Northern Ireland were “unduly sympathetic to the IRA”, weeks before Pat Finucane was killed.

Almost 60% of Dublin city council’s social housing tenants are behind on their rent, amounting to an unpaid bill of €33m.

A senior director at Quinn Industrial Holdings, John McCartan has said it is up to the authorities on both sides of the border to “live up to their responsibilities” to stop the campaign of intimidation against the company.

“Any proper individual with a sense of morals would condemn that,” he told regional radio station Northern Sound.

Cork will play Dublin in next weekend’s All-Ireland U20 football final after reeling in a seven-point second-half deficit to overcome 14-man Tyrone.

Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan’s rejection (viz, Sean O’Rourke RTÉ Radio 1, July 8) of a 43-year-old apology together with a statutory Inquiry into the 1976 Sallins mail train robbery/miscarriage of justice case should come as no surprise to me, to my family or to the other families whose loved ones were wrongly accused, beaten in garda custody and imprisoned in connection with it.

The move came after the second day of cross-examination by Counsel for Cogan's Bar and restaurant of Maurice Durnin, who claimed to be suffering from chronic, "burning" pain.

A pensioner who has claimed he has had pain since he allegedly slipped on a floor of the Co Clare pub where he worked 10 years ago and twisted his ankle has told the High Court he "walks through the pain".

Goals from Michael Doran and Dan McCormack ultimately separated Laois from Westmeath in a gripping tie in Mullingar last night.

Dublin claimed their eighth TG4 Leinster senior title in a row, but the scoreline doesn’t do justice to Westmeath who only fell out of contention thanks to late goals from Niamh McEvoy and Nicole Owens at netwatch Cullen Park.

A Limerick man has been remanded in custody after he was charged with attempted murder in connection with a shooting in Mulhuddart, in Dublin.

The 50th anniversary of Charles de Gaulle’s unannounced visit to Ireland will be remembered in Co Kerry today.

THE DECLAN BOGUE INTERVIEW: Twenty-five years ago, Pete McGrath led Down to their fifth and his second All-Ireland title. A year of rifts and bridge building; of violence and sorrow, of one magnificent match, and of vindication.

“Martina Elaine Keegan died on the 14 February 1981 from extensive burns and carbon monoxide poisoning, received when fire broke out at the Stardust Club, Kilmore Rd Artane, Dublin, on that date.”

Families of the Stardust fire victims have renewed their call for a fresh inquiry as independent TDs prepare to bring a motion before the Dáil backing their campaign.

Eight years on since Danny Hughes claimed an All-Star in Down’s improbable and glorious run to an All-Ireland final against Cork, he is still angry with football.

Stardust relatives are working with technical experts to create a computer-generated simulation of the fire that they believe will demonstrate definitively how it started.

Whenever a young person dies in horrific, unexpected, and extreme circumstances, his or her parents, family, and close friends want answers: How did it happen? Why did it happen? Who is responsible?

Survivors of the Stardust fire and families of the dead have vowed to continue their fight for a fresh inquiry despite a Government-commissioned review concluding there was no new evidence to support another investigation.

The families of the Stardust tragedy victims are to learn tomorrow if the Government will open up a fresh inquiry into what happened.

Cork City manager John Caulfield hopes that last night’s FAI Cup second round blowout against Athlone Town at Turner’s Cross will provide confidence to the team as they seek to clinch the league title.

The holders and league champions-elect Cork City brushed aside the token challenge of Athlone Town to reach the last eight of the Irish Daily Mail sponsored FAI Cup at Turner’s Cross tonight.

Sligo survived a brief but real scare in the Bronx tonight before their experience and class told late on to see off a spirited New York.

A one-point defeat by Roscommon brought a mix of pride and bitter disappointment to New York’s Gaelic football family last year, and it has whetted appetites for Sligo’s visit to Gaelic Park in Sunday’s Connacht SFC preliminary round tie.

Dave Connell's charges suffered defeat in their opening UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship Elite Round fixture against Scotland, losing 2-1 courtesy of a ninety-fifth minute penalty.

Families of the Stardust fire victims have decided they will not engage with the latest review of evidence from the disaster, claiming they were misled as to what the review would entail.

A Dublin man who killed a young mother after falling asleep at the wheel has won his appeal against the two-year sentence he received.

A judge said his heart was broken on hearing “the very, very moving” account of what a child said about how her mother treated her.

A judge has dismissed the case against a man accused of stealing money from a cash machine because he said the State had failed to prove the bank existed.

A man who sexually assaulted his four young daughters in a “horror of a home” has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

A man who sexually assaulted his four young daughters in a “horror of a home” has been jailed for four and a half years.

A man who killed a young mother and seriously injured her 15-week-old child when he hit them with his car while in “a micro-sleep” has been jailed for two years.

Cases against two convicted criminals, who re-offended while under suspended sentences, have been dropped as a result of Tuesday’s High Court ruling.

Cases against two convicted criminals who re-offended while under suspended sentences have been dropped as a result of Tuesday's High Court ruling.

A man who drank a litre of vodka and took two grams of cocaine before he knocked down and killed a toddler in the Phoenix Park last year has been jailed for five years.

A Dublin man who drank a litre of vodka and took two grams of cocaine before he knocked down a toddler in the Phoenix Park last year has been jailed for five years.

A travel agent who set up a charity which sent terminally ill children to Lapland has been given a suspended sentence for stealing over €18,000 from the organisation.

A travel agent convicted of stealing from a charity he founded for terminally ill children may avoid a prison sentence if he can repay the stolen money.

UL 0-12 Queen’s University 1-8

A judge has rejected a State application to confiscate the “hard-earned” income of two prostitutes which was stolen and later recovered.

A boxer who attacked a friend with a knife has fired his legal team after receiving two years in jail.

A man who was due to be sentenced for being a passenger in a stolen car jumped out of the dock and tried to throw a glass of water at the judge.

A man who was due to be sentenced for being a passenger in a stolen car jumped out of the dock and tried to throw a glass of water at Judge Patrick McCartan (pictured).