Two men who died following a head-on road traffic collision were yesterday described by colleagues as dedicated to helping people with disabilities.

Patricia Messenger is the presenter of Cork Today radio show on C103. She is from Clonmel, Co Tipperary, but has been living in Cork since 1990.

Bay to Bay in a single day — that’s the latest challenge from charity cycling group Better Life Cycle.

Christmas bells peal out into the winter dark while angels rub shoulders with Santa Claus in a blaze of light on the roofs of houses going that extra festive mile for charitable causes.

KEITH Hanley, who stars in the Everyman pantomime, says that if it wasn’t for performing in the annual Christmas show every year, he would never have had the confidence to take part in The Voice of Ireland.

You’re told ‘I regret to tell you your child has autism. It’s incurable and for life, and there is nothing we can do for it.’ It would be more helpful if they said, ‘Congratulations! Your son has a certain genius gene’

Two centres for children with disabilities in the south have been found not to comply with regulations across all seven areas inspected.

Thousands will line the streets of Limerick this evening to greet torch bearers drawn from An Garda Síochána and the PSNI to herald the opening of the Special Olympics Ireland Games.

I was a shy child. I’m still shy. I do my talking on stage.

Charities and voluntary groups in the Mid-West last night hailed a new €40m fund which is being set up by Limerick sportsman and philanthropist, JP McManus to help their work.

A celebrity chef, a rugby legend, and some GAA stars of today and yesteryear are set to go head-to-head in a Total Wipeout-style family fun day for charity this weekend.

More than six weeks since he decided to step down as Cork senior football manager, Conor Counihan is enjoying life away from the intense pressures of the inter-county stage — but he’s still being kept busy

A special needs service has been hit with an effective funding cut because of a failure by County Cork VEC to adhere to rules on the payment of teachers’ wages.

Conor Counihan is expected to continue as Cork football manager next season but is said to be considering changing his management team according to tonight's Evening Echo.

How times change!

SHANE SWEETNAM is not discounting Ireland nabbing a medal at this month’s European Show Jumping Championships, but said everything would have to go the team’s way.

A COMPLAINT is to be made to the Ombudsman for Children about the reduction of support services for a seven-year-old Down Syndrome schoolgirl.

IT’S a certainty that Conor Counihan would never have made it big with the Cork footballers but for Imokilly winning the county football championship for the first time in 1984.

ARCHBISHOP Dermot Clifford has written to the National Council for Special Education asking them to review a decision to drastically cut the hours of a special needs assistant (SNA) caring for a seven-year-old schoolgirl who has Down syndrome.

It’s another massive weekend to savour with the highlight being the final of an absorbing looking Sporting Press Irish Oaks at Shelbourne Park on Saturday.

THE area of special needs will not be affected by any budgetary cuts, Education and Science Minister Batt O’Keeffe declared yesterday.

NO SHORTAGE of topics this week, is there?

THE caring, sporting, educational and professional contributions of people to their communities on both sides of the Cork-Limerick border have been recognised with Charleville People of the Year Awards, organised by the Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by the credit union.

A LIVERPOOL fan, little Evan Murphy had grown accustomed to going to sleep while looking at the curtains emblazoned with his favourite club’s crest and colours.

A FOUNDATION that provides a wide range of services for 280 children and adults with special needs on both sides of the Cork-Limerick border will go to the dogs in Cork on Thursday night to raise funds.