A lifeboat crew has been praised for their heroic efforts in saving a stranded dolphin from almost certain death.

With a saddlebag full of chocolate and a straw bonnet on the bould Neidín, The Menu is taking to the highways and byways once more.

The Menu returns once again with his Yuletide roundup of the very best of 2014 to fill the Christmas Hamper as well as his food awards, The Munchies, a tip of the hat to those who labour long and hard to make local, sustainable Irish produce to a world-class standard.

There is an aisle? It’s all go, gongs and gills at the fish-mongers’ section of Cork city’s famous food-friendly English Market.

A love-struck young man has gone to eggs-traordinary heights to give his girlfriend a Kinder-surprise with a romantic difference.

An anonymous donor has added to the joy of a seaside community by adding €4,000 to the €7,000 raised from the recent auction of Rory Gallagher’s rehearsal amp.

The coastguard has repeated its safety warnings after two men died in diving accidents over the weekend.

Increasing hopes of sunshine enhance a hectic June bank holiday weekend in the south-west. Forecasters are pointing to ‘reasonably fine weather’ which should attract large crowds to a plethora of festivals, exhibitions and other exciting events through Cork and Kerry as well as the Mid-West.

GIG WISE: Is Ed Sheeran the next Garth Brooks? After already selling out three dates at the O2, the Suffolk singer-songwriter has announced yet another concert, on Friday, October 3.

WHEN the pager sounds, you respond immediately.

WHILE there will always be charlatans in the restaurant trade — as in all walks of life — the huge surge in promoting local produce on Irish menus is, for the most part, genuine.

TRAGEDY was averted off the coast of Cork last night after a fishing boat started taking on water in the midst of heavy seas and force eight gales.

Waterford Coastguard helicopter and Ballycotton coastguard and Lifeboat were launched this afternoon to assist a pleasure craft off East Co Cork.

Two fishermen have been rescued off the coast of Cork after their trawler ran into problems this morning.

A 61-year-old man tragically drowned yesterday afternoon after he got into trouble swimming in Ballycotton Bay, Co Cork.

Members of the Ballycotton lifeboat have come to the aid of a stricken Irish registered fishing vessel off the County Cork coast.

A HUGE air and sea rescue operation was mounted last night after the discovery of children’s clothing on the beach near where tragic Robert Holohan’s body was found two years ago.

The search for the Carlow man missing from the naval vessel, the LE Roisin, has been extended to cover a 60-square mile area off the east Cork coast.