An unhealthy culture of secrecy surrounds our civil servants despite the fact they are a valuable source of historical information, writes Ryle Dwyer

ANGLO-IRISH relations were seriously scarred by the Haughey government’s attitude during the Falklands War in 1982.

TRIBUTES were paid last night to a Irish civil servant, Dermot Nally, who played a key role in the peace process. Mr Nally died suddenly last night in St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin, aged 82.

PHILIP DEIGNAN’S performances to date in the Tour of Germany would indicate he has hit form at precisely the right time in advance of the Tour of Ireland professional cycle race which gets underway with an exciting stage from Kilkenny to Cork tomorrow week.

BRIAN KENNEALLY from Kilkenny, a member of the Meath Myhome.ie/BDBC team claimed the glory of stage victory while German Tony Martin held onto the yellow jersey when the FBD Insurance RÁS concluded in Skerries yesterday.

MARK SCANLON will make his return to international cycling in a familiar green jersey when he lines up with the Subway Eat Fresh Irish team for the start of the FBD Insurance RÁS in Naas on Sunday.

A GARDA detective sergeant who helped foil a string of Real IRA terror attacks in the mid-1990s and a key player in the Morris Tribunal is to stand trial today for illegal possession of a gun.

A Garda Detective Sergeant who helped foil a string of Real IRA terror attacks in the mid-1990s is to stand trial tomorrow for illegal possession of a gun.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern faced fresh pressure tonight to release a report his Government commissioned on the Omagh bomb after a County Donegal policeman was cleared of six corruption charges.

A number of key suspects in the Omagh bombing have never been interviewed by police, it was claimed today.

DAVID McCANN finally earned himself a place among Irish cycling's legends by claiming victory in this year's FBD Milk Ras, fulfilling an ambition he harboured since he was runner-up to Tommy Evans eight years ago.

Double Olympian David McCann all but sealed victory in the 2004 FBD Milk Rás this afternoon as the Belfast amateur’s solo breakaway at 107km saw him claim the seventh and penultimate stage, 149km from Carrick-on-Suir to Tullow.

DAVID O’LOUGHLIN produced a sensational performance to claim victory at the top of Seskin Hill but the yellow jersey of the FBD Milk Ras remains, and only just, with Slovenian Valter Bonca.

DAVID McCANN finally got just reward for his endeavours all week when he won yesterday’s marathon fourth stage of the FBD Milk Rás that took the riders from Charleville to Caherciveen with a first brief but testing visit to the Kerry mountains.

David McCann of Ireland took the fourth stage of the FBD Milk Rás from Charleville to Cahirciveen this evening.

The fourth stage of the FBD Milk Ras is due to get underway in Co Cork today.

DERMOT NALLY, who has spent all of his racing career in Spain, made a dramatic return to his native Cork yesterday when he screamed into Charleville to win the third stage of the FBD Milk Rás.

An Irish rider has won the third stage of the FBD Milk Rás.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell has told the Dáil that the Government is prepared to publish an edited version of the Nally Report into the 1998 Omagh bombing.

TDs are due to discuss the Nally Report into the 1998 Omagh bombing when the Dáil meets later today.

ONE of the more surprising features of the newly-released State papers was the eagerness of British Prime Minister Ted Heath to establish a power-sharing executive in the North with an all-Irish dimension.

THE Nally Report into the Omagh bombing has met with a cool response from the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman’s office and an outraged reaction from the families of the 31 victims.

SERIOUS allegations concerning garda mishandling of intelligence in advance of the Omagh atrocity were completely without foundation.

The Minister for Justice Michael McDowell is expected to reveal significant details from the long-awaited Nally Report in the Dáil this evening.

THE first indications of the findings of the Nally Report into the Omagh atrocity will be revealed later today.

Claims that gardaí failed to act on warnings before the Omagh bombing must be investigated by the Northern Ireland police ombudsman, relatives of victims said today.

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell has been criticised by relatives of those who died in the Omagh bombing for his failure to release at least a summary of a report into allegations that gardaí failed to act on intelligence that might have helped prevent the atrocity.

DESPITE a ferocious last lap challenge Ireland’s Mark Scanlon had to settle for 20th place behind Francesco Chicchi of Italy in a spectacular finish to the men’s U-23 race at the world cycling championships in Zolder, Belgium, yesterday.

RIGHT now Ireland would appear to be awash with world championship medals what with Sam Lynch’s rowing gold from Seville on Saturday and Dermott Lennon’s equestrian gold from Jerez on Sunday.

THE Irish U-23 and junior teams for the world cycling championships in Belgium will be the best prepared ever according to Ciaran McKenna who heads the High Performance Committee responsible for team preparation those days.