Joe Dermody takes a look at this week's latest appointments in the business world.

The impressive 2018 winners will face the top-three teams in the all-time roll of honour.

The North would vote more strongly to remain in the EU if there was another Brexit poll, a study suggested.

Mark Christie won the Great Ireland Run in 29:30 in the Phoenix Park yesterday and also secured the national 10km title.

A Conor O’Carroll hat-trick powered Trinity College Dublin to a second successive Ryan Cup title at the expense of Queen’s University Belfast at CIT on Saturday.

If you watched Ireland’s U20s take on Wales in Dublin last Friday evening then chances are that the sheer size of the Leinster loosehead prop Andrew Porter stood out every bit as much as the abandon with which Nigel Carolan’s offloading side played.

Armagh and QUB footballer Ciaran O’Hanlon will go before the Central Appeals Committee tonight in an attempt to have a 12-week suspension handed down by the GAA’s higher education committee overturned.

Ireland 3 New Zealand 25: The fairytale did not happen but neither did the nightmare.

Had things gone differently, then former Limerick minor hurler Stephen Fitzgerald might be preparing for a big one in the Gaelic Grounds instead of being part of an Irish squad bidding for glory at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Italy.

When Róisin O’Sullivan held aloft the O’Connor Cup in March of 2012, UCC’s first in 22-years, the expectation was the Western Road nursery would enjoy a prolonged stay at the summit of third-level ladies football.

Ireland U20 coach Nigel Carolan still believes ‘the championship is there for the taking’ ahead of tomorrow night’s crucial RBS 6 Nations clash with Wales (Parc Eirias, Colwyn Bay, 7.45pm).

Ryan Cup Roundup

One imagines Nigel Carolan and the rest of his U20s management team have spent many an hour poring over footage of England’s opening Six Nations loss to Wales in Colwyn Bay this last two weeks.

UCD football manager John Divilly believes the credibility of the Fitzgibbon and Sigerson Cup competitions has been seriously damaged by the eligibility controversies involving players from IT Carlow, IT Sligo and QUB.

The hurlers of IT Carlow and Limerick IT face three games in five days in their bid to annex hurling’s Fitzgibbon Cup.

Uncertainty hung over the Fitzgibbon Cup last night as IT Carlow’s appeal dragged into the early hours.

Uncertainty surrounds the Fitzgibbon Cup after IT Carlow last night confirmed they were appealing their expulsion from the competition.

Ireland U20 Six Nations: Ireland’s U20s did all that was expected of them, and maybe more, in beating Italy 47-15 seven days ago but a truer reflection of their collective worth lies in store tonight as they host Fabien Pelous’ French side at Dubarry Park in Athlone (7.05pm).

Ireland’s U20s and Women’s: Both teams enjoyed ultimately comfortable openings to their respective Six Nations campaigns last Friday.

IT Sligo and QUB officials have slammed the GAA’s Higher Education committee for claiming both third-level institutions fielded ineligible players in the Sigerson Cup.

Queens University Belfast have confirmed they will contest their expulsion from the Sigerson Cup.

IT Sligo have been thrown out of the Sigerson Cup, for fielding an ineligible player against Queens University, while QUB have not been reinstated after it also emerged that they fielded ineligible players.

Irish rugby was relatively slow to cotton onto the benefits accrued from assimilating players with southern hemisphere backgrounds into the national team, but that process has belatedly taken hold in recent years.

Ireland Women's Coach Tom Tierney has named six uncapped players in their squad for their 6 Nations opener against Italy in Florence on Friday night (6pm Irish Time).

Rogue employers who operate modern forms of slavery in the North to increase profits should be tackled, an expert said.

Armagh made virtually certain of a place in the semi-finals of the Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup with a 2-11 to 0-14 win over St Mary’s at the Athletic Grounds.

Holders Tyrone are on the verge of a place in the Dr McKenna Cup semi-finals following their 1-12 to 0-3 win over St Mary’s at Omagh today.

An ash cloud crisis even worse than the Icelandic eruption which grounded thousands of flights four years ago could be imminent, scientists have claimed.

The social skills and self esteem of young people suffering emotional, behavioural and developmental problems was dramatically improved when theirmedical treatment was enhanced by music therapy.

Criminalising the purchase of sex will be up for debate in the northern parliament at Stormont next week.

Cyberbullying is associated with school-aged children and teenagers but online abuse has escalated so that politicians, celebrities and their families are being targeted, writes Kelly O’Brien.

Scientists in the North say they have made a breakthrough in the fight against a hospital superbug which killed four babies.

First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness moved today to deny a developing rift over political powersharing in the North.

Queens University, Belfast made history on Saturday when winning their first Intervarsities O’Connor Cup at Waterford IT with victory over DCU (4-10 to 1-9).

Kildare and Meath will contest the 2013 Bord na Móna Kehoe Cup final following semi-final wins today, while Roscommon advanced to the Shield decider.

The food industry is being asked to reconsider how they treat crustaceans after Belfast researchers found evidence that crabs are likely to feel pain.