Marriage proposals from men seeking good wives; butter, milk and potatoes as part payment of wages - such are the anecdotes that populate the pages of a new social history documenting the colourful history of the country's first nurses' trade union.

Trish Dromey talks to two Limerick brothers whose start-up seeks to change how aircraft lessors do business

Dolphin 22 Old Wesley 10: Relief for Dolphin who jumped from the bottom spot in Division 1B of the Ulster Bank League and have now given themselves a fighting chance of avoiding the dreaded drop.

A book of evidence was served yesterday on a priest accused of indecently assaulting a boy at a school in Co Cork about 35 years ago.

Kya deLongchamps takes a look at the work of the late, great Maureen O’Hara and John Ford’s fictional Inisfree — ‘another name for Heaven’. 

THURLES, but not as we know it.

A city famous for its stouts and craft beers is now set to shake up the spirits world thanks to the humble spud.

The renowned cottage used in the film The Quiet Man is finally set to be declared a protected structure.

Among the many newsletters I subscribe to — The New Taxidermy, The Modern Man’s Guide to Panache — is The New Yorker’s daily offering, which never fails to uplift, educate, and spell out the pressing concerns of the Manhattan middle class, writes Michael Moynihan.

The ECB has dropped its interest rate to 0.05%. What we are witnessing is the death throes of banking as we know it.

People say Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney slipped up on radio when he said Irish people already pay €1.2bn for water in existing taxation. He did not.

Frances Fitzgerald got one thing right this week: she said not being a lawyer helped as Minister for Justice.

The Taoiseach says it reflects the will of the people to have a government majority on the banking inquiry.

Economist Jim Power says the ideas of independents and those who question austerity, etc, scares the living daylights out of him (Irish Examiner, May 28). He hopes all will return to normal and by 2016 the people will continue to go with the status quo of political parties.

Nama are taking a court case to try and prove they are not liable to provide Freedom of Information as they are not a public body. Amazingly, this may be the first bit of truth and transparency we have had in Ireland for quite a while.

The Central Bank of England and the German Central Bank have both said that debt is not loaned by commercial banks but is created ‘out of thin air’.

Since our economic commentators won’t ask this, I will.

Ardscoil Ris 2-13 Scoil na Trionóide Doon 0-04

A slice of history for the young hurlers of Ardscoil Rís on Saturday at the Gaelic Grounds as they became winners of the first all-Limerick Harty Cup final by claiming a third title in five years for the north city school.

The more that people cry foul at the excess — fraud, incompetence, golden circles — that passes for daily life in Ireland, the more the answer is obvious.

Brian McCormack believes Leinster club final opponents St Vincent’s will be adding the real footballer of the year to their line-up this weekend.

The All Blacks had a security breach on their recent trip to England. Somebody read their motivational message when they inadvertently left the door to their team room open.

Portlaoise 1-9 Moorefield 0-8

Last days of Roman Empire update: Ireland exits troika package and is now back in the markets.

After watching RTÉ do a hatchet job on anyone who questions the current system of anarchy I thought long and hard about a response. It used to be that if you questioned your wider surroundings you were a conspiracy theorist.

In a visitor attitude survey carried out by Fáilte Ireland in 2010, 20% of overseas visitors said their holiday decisions were influenced by film and television. Film tourism, or “set-jetting”, has become big business by raising the awareness of previously little known tourist destinations, and prompting a surge of visitors to their locations.

Castlelyons 0-13 Newcestown 0-11

A Quiet Man festival is launching an X Factor-style search for Ireland’s bestMichaeleen Flynn lookalike.

The term “debt forgiveness” for the people is starting to arise again in the public discourse. As usual this is about five steps behind where the actual story is.

Minister Hayes made the best possible case recently for the retention of the Seanad, despite it being deeply flawed.

“In our view, the code could potentially slow the increase in mortgage arrears in Ireland, and may allow lenders to start repossession proceedings sooner.

Next week the eternal flame from JFK’s tomb will make its first ever expedition anywhere.

The day of reckoning is nearly upon us. For almost five years “experts” have parsed, diced, analysed, scrutinised and pontificated on the financial chaos in our world.

My new year’s wish is the same this year as last: I dearly wish the people would see that they hold all the power to be able to reject the dysfunctional and corrupt monetary, legal and state systems that are imposed on them daily.

Ballymun Kickhams 0-11 Portlaoise 0-08

Ballymun Kickhams 0-11 Portlaoise 0-8

Portlaoise (Laois) 1-11 Emmet Óg Killoe (Longford) 2-05

St. Brigid’s completed a famous three in-a-row of AIB Connacht Club SFC titles as they got the better of Ballaghaderreen in today’s final in Castlebar.

Duhallow 0-13 Douglas 1-9

We should really take a moment to acknowledge the fact that a US federal judge has cleared the Vatican of being “employers” of a certain notorious paedophile priest (Letters, Aug 22).

A first-half Mark Sugrue goal proved crucial in this tight meeting at Caherlag on Saturday, helping Bandon to just about see off a competitive Castlelyons team.

We are to have a constitutional convention where 66 randomly selected members of the public will work with 33 politicians to redraft our constitution. What a fantastic opportunity.

There was tremendous relief for Castlelyons following victory in Round 3 of the Cork Premier IHC at Rathcormac last evening.