Watching Roy Keane and the Irish players striding into Celtic Park past the statue of Jimmy Johnstone was to be reminded that, to paraphrase Martin O’Neill, some pre-match "distractions" are definitely more distracting than others, writes Liam Mackey.

THE REPUBLIC of Ireland failed the test of nerve at a raucous Celtic Park last night as Gordon Strachan's Scotland jockeyed themselves into Euro 2016 qualification contention.

Scotland 1 Republic of Ireland 0

Coillte has dismissed criticism of a massive tree-felling operation in one of the State’s largest national parks, insisting the work had to be done.

Donegal selector Damien Diver is using regrets about his own career to warn the current squad not to ever get blasé about playing in Ulster finals.

The Europe-wide ‘earthquake’ election results represents a wake-up call to the business-minded politicians in government currently supposed to be representing the people.

Celtic 3 St Mirren 0

I was appalled at the recent RTÉ Prime Time debate about organic growing which was clearly done with an intent to polarise the issue of organic food versus conventionally produced food.

Adam Matthews and James Forrest have joined Charlie Mulgrew in signing new deals at Celtic, the Parkhead club have confirmed.

Skipper Scott Brown claimed Celtic gained a point rather than dropped two against Benfica in their Champions League Group G opener at Parkhead last night.

Celtic Media Group, publisher of the Anglo-Celt, Meath Chronicle, and Westmeath Examiner newspapers, has been bought in a management buyout for €5.5m.

Norwich chief executive David McNally has refuted reports that the Canaries have made an approach to Celtic for manager Neil Lennon.

Sweden international defender Mikael Lustig will officially become a Celtic player on Sunday after his transfer to Glasgow was completed, the Clydesdale Bank Premier League side confirmed today.

WE at CELT (Centre for Environmental Living & Training) have been lobbying local TDs and councillors and calling for a ban on fracking in Clare and for the whole country.

FARM training body Teagasc is on a drive to train landowners on how to maximise their profits from forestry.

CLARE 2011 is a series of forestry events in Co Clare up to October 19.

THERE is still an obsession in Ireland with the mantra of “export-led economic growth” whilst businesses are closing down and others failing to start up and other countries are all now feeling the pinch and exports are struggling to do much more than tread water.

St Mirren 0 Celtic 2

WILDFIRES have burned thousands of hectares of Ireland’s countryside this year.

REDUCING carbon emissions is the reason more than 130 world leaders made the journey to Copenhagen before Christmas.

THAT infamous night in November, when Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland collided in a crucial World Cup qualifier at Windsor Park in 1993, stands out in the minds of many of us who were there as one of the most tension-filled and downright hostile sporting events we have ever attended.

Celtic 1 Parma 0

Celtic 3 Dundee Utd 3

STILIAN Petrov has revealed he could finish his career at Celtic after signing a contract extension with the club.

ROY KEANE has been shown a few cards in his career, but nothing like the display which greeted him on his Celtic home debut against Kilmarnock on Saturday.

Celtic 0 Republic of Ireland 1

WHEN Clive Woodward was announced as coach of the 2005 Lions tour to New Zealand, we all made a couple of assumptions.

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has refuted claims from Hibernian star Grant Brebner that his players refused to shake hands with their opponents after being sent crashing out of the CIS Insurance Cup last week.

Celtic 1 Blackburn 0

Aberdeen captain Derek Whyte expressed his disappointment with Celtic’s ‘‘ungentlemanly conduct’’ after the 2-0 win over the Scottish Premier League leaders at Pittodrie.