Black Amber Templeogue were crowned Hula Hoops National Cup champions with a 68-62 point win over UCD Marian at the National Basketball Arena this evening.

Goodnight Everyone, a charming tale about a little bear trying to stay awake as night falls, is Ireland’s best children’s book.

Upwards of 500 people are to lose their jobs at the Hewlett Packard (HP) global print plant in Leixlip, Co Kildare, within the next 12 months.

Two men have died in separate road accidents in Co Meath and Co Kildare last night.

The Irish arm of retail giant Tesco is attempting to slow the store expansion of German rivals Aldi and Lidl here.

Mortgage debt campaigner and CEO of private ambulance firm Life Line Ambulance, David Hall, yesterday partially blamed the HSE for his company recording losses of €436,412 in 2014, though he said the business returned to profit last year.

Captain Bryan Sheehan starts at right half-forward as one of two changes to the Kerry side for Sunday’s Allianz FL Division 1 final against Dublin at Croke Park (throw-in 3.30pm).

John Coughlan previews the weekend’s basketball action.

The State is facing almost 900 claims for compensation from members of the gardaí who have allegedly suffered harm in the line of duty, it has been confirmed.

TODAY

High-profile mortgage debt campaigner David Hall has shared a pot of almost €800,000 in pay and rent from his private ambulance firm over the past two years.

Team Montenotte moved to the top of the Women’s Premier League with a hard earned 64-55 win over Liffey Celtics.

Team Montenotte’s unbeaten record in the Women’s Premier League is sure to be tested when they play joint leaders Courtyard Liffey Celtics at Upper Glanmire Sports Centre tomorrow.

Paul Kelleher has experienced the highs and lows of basketball in recent seasons but the UL Eagles coach is confident his new role in Limerick will be a success.

Holders C&S UCC Demons are involved in the game of the weekend in the Mens Premier National Cup when they travel to Dublin tomorrow for a clash against their great rivals Killester.

Revenues at one of the best-known names in retail, Des Kelly Interiors have levelled off after plummeting 50% since 2008.

Thirty years back, we had fewer skills and less education, yet the social divide wasn’t as severe, writes Kyran Fitzgerald.

Kildare 1-10 Meath 0-09

Corofin (Galway) 2-6 St Gall’s (Antrim) 1-8

Reigning Kildare champions Sarsfields were pushed all the way by last year’s IFC champions Monasterevan in Newbridge but eventually booked their place in the quarter-final by virtue of a 3-16 to 0-9 win.

A score from a 2009 Bohs v Leixlip underage tie has been lighting up the internet, described as "the greatest solo goal ever scored in amateur football".

The Conference of Religious of Ireland’s (CORI) recent statement on the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill includes views which I could share.

An Bord Pleanála has granted permission for a crucial 40-acre expansion at Intel in Leixlip, which it is hoped could create thousands of jobs.

Sarsfields prevailed in a closely-fought Cork Club SHC final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh this afternoon, beating Bishopstown 1-15 to 1-13 to take the title for the third time in five years.

Permission for a 162,000 square metre development at Intel's Leixlip site in Co. Kildare has been granted.

We, the undersigned, call on the Government to establish a constitutional convention that is capable of fulfilling the Programme for Government’s commitment to “a real shift in power from the State to the citizen”.

There’s something sick about any Irish Government going to Europe to plead and bargain, just to get a little bit of a delay in the payment of a just a portion of what the Irish people are being forced to pay of other people’s losses and still other people’s debts.

There was all-too-rare good news on the jobs front yesterday, with the creation of almost 550 new positions in Galway, Kildare, Sligo, Limerick and Cork.

An investigation is underway after an explosive device was hurled through the front window of Co. Kildare home at 8pm yesterday evening.

DIAGEO has confirmed its intention to invest €153 million in upgrading and expanding its iconic Guinness Brewery at St James’s Gate in Dublin over the next two years.

DCU Saints maintained their unbeaten record in the Nivea for Men’s SuperLeague when demolishing Bord Gais Neptune 87-60.

Gardaí are seeking the public's assistance in tracing the whereabouts of a 16-year-old girl missing from her home in Leixlip.

CHAMPIONS Moorefield recovered from a shock defeat to Carbury last time out by beating Round Towers in the third round of the Kildare senior football championship.

CHAMPIONS Moorefield were sensationally beaten by Carbury in a dramatic Kildare SFC tie that saw county star Eoghan O’Flaherty kick the winner from a free.

MUCH is being made — properly so — of the abuse of human rights of the mothers, children and orphans who were incarcerated in Magdalene homes run by the churches and facilitated by the State.

CELBRIDGE were the major casualties after the round-robin series of the Pfizer Kildare senior football championship concluded on Saturday.

The scale of the Pfizer jobs cuts sent shock waves around the world as 6,000 jobs were axed with the firm aiming to restructure its global network.

GARETH SMITH insists he has no regrets about his decision to turn his back on his native Dublin in favour of Cavan, despite Pat Gilroy’s extensive sweep of the Leinster county for new talent.

Kildare manager Kieran McGeeney has received mixed news ahead of his side's 2009 Leinster GAA Senior Football Championship first-round clash with Offaly on May 24.

DIAGEO, owners of Guinness and Baileys in Ireland, said sales in the third quarter of its financial year were flat.

Technology giant Intel is slashing its Irish workforce by up to 300 just three weeks after the multinational's chief said there was no immediate danger of cuts.

AN Iraqi launches a missile at an American and misses the target.

I KNOW I am not alone in being confused about the banking crisis. As someone with just about enough to pay the bills, I am never going to be a market player, but I get a feeling I am not yet in a position to drop into my local bank manager and tell him where to stick his deposit.