PERHAPS ominously for Kerry people, it’s been 16 years since Hill 16 last witnessed Dublin in an All-Ireland final.

IT wasn’t exactly jingle bells all the way at the nation’s cash registers yesterday as retailers reported a slow start to the traditional Christmas sales.

ARNOTTS is a name long synonymous with Dublin even prior to the company’s 18-year sponsorship of the Dublin GAA teams.

THE long-running battle for Arnotts, one of the country’s best known department stores, may come to a head this week with the lodgement of two indicative offers this week.

IRISH soccer supporters spending millions on World Cup trips combined with SSIS saving accounts, helped to push retail sales down in May.