A man who has admitted raping two young girls who went missing from a birthday party is to be sentenced at the Central Criminal Court.

There have been warnings of a crisis in group water schemes because it is claimed trustees of such schemes will be unwilling “to act as tax collectors’’ when Irish Water introduces charges in 2014.

A burglar was arrested after the woman in the house he had broken into sat on his back and stopped him escaping, a court has heard.

Portlaoise 2-08 Arles-Killeen 1-08

Sligo 0-05 Leitrim 0-08

Leitrim 0-8 Sligo 0-5, Markievicz Park

Mary Immaculate College Limerick caused the shock of the Irish Universities Collingwood Cup by edging out holders UCC 4-2 on penalties in the semi-final at UL after the game finished level at 1-1 after extra-time.

DOWN kept their championship season motoring along at Páirc Esler on Saturday but there was little to suggest the journey through the scenic route will be as rewarding as last year.

Down 1-16 Leitrim 1-08

Leitrim manager Mickey Moran has made five changes in personnel for the Down clash to the team that lost the Connacht semi-final to the Rossies a month ago.

Leitrim 0-06 Roscommon 2-12

LEITRIM finished with 13 men as Wicklow collected the points at Carrick-on-Shannon yesterday.

Mayo motored into the Connacht FBD League final courtesy of a 1-11 to 0-2 hammering of Leitrim at Ballinamore, while Roscommon beat GMIT in the competition’s other game today.

NUI Galway and Roscommon produced deserved wins in the opening round of the Connacht FBD League this afternoon.

THE first income tax hike in a quarter of a century will see everyone pay more taxes.

Brian Lenihan has brought in an effective, efficient but indiscriminate tax regime to plug the massive hole in the Exchequer coffers, a leading financial advisor said tonight.

Kerry native Mick O'Dwyer continues to have the midas touch wherever he goes - Wicklow's historic 0-13 to 0-9 victory over Kildare in the Leinster championship yesterday may have been a shock to many but their manager O'Dwyer knew his side had it in them to pull off a shock.

Laois 0-13 Kildare 1-10

IRELAND may find it difficult to continue attracting international investment as employment costs surge by 14% over the last three years.

Laois manager Liam Kearns has made eight changes to his side to face Dublin in tomorrow's O'Byrne Cup Final at Tullamore.

Billy Sheehan will deputise for crocked Laois captain Gary Kavanagh in Sunday's Leinster SFC semi-final against reigning champions Dublin (Croke Park, throw-in 2.00pm).

Brave Carlow's Leinster SFC run came to an end at O'Moore Park today as Laois set up a repeat of last year's final against Dublin with a 1-17 to 1-09 defeat of their neighbours.

KERRY and Galway will provide plenty of pyrotechnics in Sunday’s Allianz Football League final.

Kerry 1-15 Laois 0-10

Armagh 2-17 Laois 1-11

LAOIS selector Declan O’Loughlin is adamant that his team will secure an All-Ireland quarter-final spot if they can avoid a repeat of the slow starts that handicapped them so badly against Offaly and Dublin.

AS Paddy Christie waxed lyrical on the Lower Hogan Stand, the Laois players lined up below him desperate for it all to be over.

Brendan O’Brien

JASON SHERLOCK has been given a starting place on the Dublin team for next Sunday’s Bank of Ireland Leinster SFC final at Croke Park, while former Austin Stack’s clubman Billy Sheehan retains his place on the Laois side.

DESSIE FARRELL has made a dramatic and unexpected return to the Dublin football panel ahead of their Leinster final against Laois on July 17.

SEAMUS MOYNIHAN and William Kirby are omitted from the Kerry team for Sunday’s Munster SFC semi-final against Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds.

LAOIS’S Kevin Fitzpatrick will sit out the start of the championship following his decision this week to undergo surgery on a troublesome groin injury.

PORTARLINGTON, Monday, 8.47pm. An evening for ducks and dogs, though the 30 players unlucky enough to be out in the deluge look more like drowned rats.

All-Ireland champions Tyrone blasted their way into the quarter-finals with a 14-point demolition of Laois at Croke Park.

JUST as well Laois manager Mick O’Dwyer is a pragmatist. And that he enjoys golf!

Laois have made two changes and a number of positional switches from the side that drew with Westmeath for Saturday's Leinster SFC final replay at Croke Park.

LAOIS have axed full-back Colm Byrne and right-corner forward Ian Fitzgerald for their Leinster SFC final replay with Westmeath at Croke Park on Saturday.

Laois 1-13 Meath 0-9

MICK O’DWYER makes one change in personnel to the Laois team that defeated Carlow in the previous round for Sunday’s Leinster SFC semi-final against Meath with Padraig Clancy in at left half forward for Mick Lawlor.

SQUEAKY bum time in Carlow for Laois folk yesterday but Mick O’Dwyer still preferred to focus on the positives from the game and not the first 65 minutes of anxious nail-biting.

YESTERDAY morning on radio, Mick O'Dwyer jokingly quipped that he was beginning to wonder if Laois would ever win another game.