When Darren Clarke hits the British Open’s first tee shot at Royal Portrush at 6.35am tomorrow an ambition many years in the making — and many, many days of heartfelt persuasion too — will come to fruition.

Parish Priest at St John's Parish, Belfast, Father Martin J Magill commended 'the unification of our political leaders, for standing together in Creggan, on Good Friday" at Lyra McKee's funeral in Belfast today."

This is the full and unedited address by Father Martin Magill at the funeral of Lyra Catherine McKee in St Anne’s Cathedral Belfast this afternoon.

Pubs in a Meath village have agreed to stay closed on Good Friday for the second year to mark a 'long-standing tradition'.

Buveur D’Air will have to raise his game again if he is to land a record-equalling third consecutive Unibet Champion Hurdle, according to trainer Nicky Henderson.

Every now and then there comes a match which not only has the potential to define a season but also possesses the power to force a seismic change in the football tide; and Liverpool’s visit to the Etihad tonight is one such game.

Last week, we celebrated one of the great achievements of modern politics in these islands.

A family festival in Limerick at Easter depicted a teenage girl slitting her wrists, leaving children in tears.

On Easter weekend I was taken aback by two episodes of nastiness on social media, writes Gerard Howlin.

Pope Francis will visit Ireland later this year, but will find a different country to that which welcomed his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, almost four decades ago.

Yesterday morning was like any other Friday for Charlie’s, the early house on Union Quay.

"The task (of restoring the powersharing institutions) could not be more urgent."

All three pub owners in a Co Meath village have agreed to remain closed on Good Friday. They will ignore new legislation, which allows, for the first time in 90 years, publicans all over the country to serve alcohol that day.

There is no legal bar to publicans obtaining late-night licence extensions, allowing them to serve drinks into the early hours on Good Friday, the president of the Circuit Court, Mr Justice Raymond Groarke, has ruled.

A test case has been brought to ensure pubs in Dublin will be granted late bar extensions to serve alcohol after normal closing times on Good Friday.

Spirit of the City will take place from March 30 - April 1 at Cork's Cricket Club.

Punters can now enjoy a legal Good Friday drink in their local pub as politicians finally lifted a controversial ban after 91 years.

The ban on opening pubs on Good Friday could come to an end today.

Very few European nations are as familiar as we are with domestic terrorism but even here the passage of time makes it easier to forget or at least to look away from our toxic history of tit-for-tat murder and carnage.

A campaigner for victims of the Troubles has launched a High Court challenge seeking clarity over the State policy on the holding of a border poll in Northern Ireland.

The UK is failing to offer credible answers to the "hard questions" Ireland and the EU are asking about the fate of the border post Brexit, the Foreign Minister Simon Coveney has said.

With Christmas only around the corner it may seem strange to reflect back on Halloween, but this year I as I traipsed round with my child on a grisly quest for sweets I found myself somewhat unsettled by aspects of the whole festival.

With Christmas only around the corner it may seem strange to reflect back on Halloween, but this year I as I traipsed round with my child on a grisly quest for sweets I found myself somewhat unsettled by aspects of the whole festival.

Europe has called for a unique solution for the Irish border in the wake of Brexit.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said Brexit talks can only move forward if sufficient progress is made before October.

The Government will argue against any new technological or physical monitoring on the Irish border in Brexit talks over the future of its only land frontier with the EU.

Theresa May is to hold talks with the Northern Ireland political parties amid warnings an expected deal with the DUP to prop up her minority government will undermine the peace process.

Sinn Féin and other Stormont parties have insisted Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire could not chair the efforts to restore powersharing.

Not for the first time, Ireland looks like it will be centre-stage at this weekend’s meeting of European leaders in Brussels, writes Political Editor Daniel McConnell.

A cousin of mine is fond of telling a story from a day in school long ago, when her class was tasked with a question to take home to their parents: what was the most memorable event in their lives?

Welcome to Good Friday. Forgive me if I am sounding a little raspy, but I’ve woken up with the most dreadful thirst.

Plans to scrap the Good Friday alcohol ban will not end the block on sales in restaurants and other areas because of legal loopholes in the proposed legislation.

Plans to scrap the Good Friday alcohol ban will not end the block on sales in restaurants and other areas because of legal loopholes in the proposed legislation.

The Workers' Party has proposed a new public holiday to compensate bar and off licence workers for the proposed end to the Good Friday alcohol ban.

The DUP has accused Sinn Féin of not being serious about wanting to reach an agreement to restore the Stormont government.

The UK Government will not allow political talks to restore powersharing in the North to drift past Easter, Secretary of State James Brokenshire has warned.

A Limerick priest has given his blessing to pubs opening on Good Friday.

Michael Kerr samples the sights, sounds and tastes of Ireland’s first luxury rail tour on the Belmond Grand Hibernian - formerly known as the Orient Express - in Dublin.

Brexit has swept away assumptions about the partition of Ireland and presented a unique opportunity to press for reunification, Gerry Adams said as he launched a new Sinn Féin unity blueprint.

The mother of a teenager murdered and buried by the IRA was left mentally tortured as she tried to convince herself he had run away to marry, an inquest has heard.

Ever wondered who might play Paul O’Connell in a film about his life? Well you might be surprised at the Limerick man’s choice for the role.