Valerie O’Connor goes to the opening of a new cookery school at the East Clare Community Co-Op in Scariff, where she discovers a vibrant and enterprising community spirit that makes her enthusiastic for similar ventures throughout the country

Potato growers from across Cork have united to support the Cork branch of the St Vincent de Paul for Christmas.

Raheny Shamrock’s Mick Clohisey and UCD’s Ciara Mageean will be two of the leading lights at the Irish Life Health National Cross Country Championships at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus tomorrow.

I’ve always been a ‘we’ rather than an ‘I’. It’s because of Stephen, my twin. We shared a wardrobe until we were 30.

AT first, it seems wrong to mention a sweet tooth to Stephen and David Flynn, the Wicklow twins who make up the phenomenally successful Happy Pear, but here’s the thing: kick-starting a health food revolution is not about denial, it’s all about making nutritious food lip-smackingly good.

An appallingly mean theft by a Wexford man who travelled to Cork City and stole an 82-year-old woman’s handbag resulted in him having his jail sentence increased on appeal yesterday from six to eight months.

Water supplies serving more than 800,000 people are at risk of contamination and in need of urgent investment, the Environmental Protection Agency has warned.

Surfers yesterday described Donald Trump’s €10m rock barrier plan to protect his golf resort at Doonbeg as “heavy-handed”.

The Irish Food Writers’ Guild announced the annual selection of the best of Irish producers and food heroes.

Food is the focus of a day-long business seminar in West Cork next week, featuring the high-profile Happy Pear brothers and Masterchef judge, Nick Munier.

Pitbull: Reality Bites on RTÉ2 on Thursday looks at whether some breeds of dog have been unfairly demonised in Ireland.

One in every five people in Ireland is afraid of flying, according to the European Aviation College, which is helping people with severe aviophobia overcome their fear.

Investment is required to bring “at risk” drinking water supplies that serve nearly 1m people up to future standards, the Environmental Protection Agency has warned.

THERE was a time in Ireland when country people felt their drinking water was safe when it came from spring wells. But that was long ago.

THERE was a time in Ireland when country people felt their drinking water was safe when it came from spring wells. But that was long ago.

Almost one third of private wells in Ireland are contam inated by E.coli from human and animal waste, making the water unsafe to drink.

More than half of the country’s septic tanks inspected under a controversial new testing regime have failed the test, according to latest figures from the EPA.

Raw sewage is being discharged into rivers and bathing areas at more than 40 locations around the country.

There was no fairytale ending to Davy Russell’s reign as first jockey to Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud at Tramore yesterday.

New utility company Irish Water has been warned it has a lot of work to do to guarantee safe drinking supplies when it takes up its role in January.

The increase sales of in car, lorry and 4x4 during the economic boom means Ireland’s pollution levels now exceed EU standards.

Marksman David Flynn was the hero as Roscrea edged out Lorrha 2-12 to 1-14 in a thrilling Tipperary SHC third round tie.

DISAPPOINTED by the failure of three promising screenplays to make it to the big screen, writer-director Terry McMahon did two things: First, he had the words “the art is in the completion. Begin,” tattooed onto his body.

EUROPE’S top cross-country runner, Fionnuala Britton will be one of the favourites for the gold medal when she leads the Irish women’s team into next month’s European cross-country championships in Slovenia.

LIAM HENNESSY, President of Athletics Ireland, was elected to the Council of European Athletics at the European Athletics Congress in London.

A 23-YEAR-OLD motorcyclist was acquitted by a jury of dangerous driving causing the deaths of two men in a crash between his and another motorcycle, on June 1, 2008.

A MIDDLE-AGED man in the catering business had a sideline in growing cannabis at home in order to make cannabis cookies, butter, alternative pizzas and wine for friends.

A middle-aged man in the catering business had a sideline in growing cannabis at home in order to make cannabis cookies, butter, alternative pizzas and wine for friends.

WITH Ciarán Ó Lionáird committed to competing and David McCarthy set to return from Providence, the task of putting together a medal winning under-23 team for the European cross-country championships should be completed on Sunday at the Woodies DIY national inter-county cross-country championships at Gransha Park, Derry.

Roscommon manager Fergal O'Donnell has made seven changes to his side to take on Wexford in today's All-Ireland SFC second round qualifier against Wexford at Wexford Park.

ALAN McCORMACK gave another sensational performance in yesterday’s Woodies DIY national inter-counties cross-country championships at Tramore Racecourse when leading Dublin to the team honours.

A row between Government departments is stalling the roll-out of speed cameras across the roads network, broadcaster Gay Byrne claimed today.

The Irish team are in a positive mood despite two withdrawals ahead of this weekend's World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh.

OUR BEN, who came into yesterday’s featured Wilf Dooly Chase at Tramore in the form of his life, suffered a fatal fall when breaking his neck at the second last.

Ray Ryan, Agribusiness Correspondent

A 55-year-old man is dead following a road accident in Co Kilkenny.

TONY MULLINS, fresh from a splendid Christmas, topped up at Tramore yesterday when Barrow Drive won the featured Wilf Dooly Chase in the hands of Barry Geraghty.