Former New Zealand lock Brad Thorn is retiring at the end of the season following a glittering 21-year career in which won the biggest prizes in rugby league and union.

After tackling international drug dealers, spotting who has been gouging in the ruck should be a piece of cake for a retired Naval Service commander who has been appointed a citing commissioner for the Six Nations.

A brainstorming session by representatives from seven nations 7 years ago was key to Wednesday’s €80m cocaine bust, writes Sean O’Riordan

The West Cork coastline has long been a favourite drop-off point for drugs traffickers as they’ve seen it as an easy ‘back-door route’ into Britain.

Increasing excise duties continue to put at risk an industry which directly employs 63,000 and supports a further 30,000 jobs, contributing €2bn to the exchequer.

History was made by two law enforcement officials when they became the first Irishmen to be presented with an award by Britain’s Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) for their role in seizing nearly €1bn of drugs.

Stade Francais player Jerome Fillol has received a 14-week ban for spitting in Peter Stringer’s face.

Peter Stringer was "disgusted" at being spat on by his French opposite number Jerome Fillol in Bath's 36-20 Amlin Challenge Cup defeat to Stade Francais.

The man who broke a code which helped jail the British gangster who organised €500m drug shipment says this county “will be in grave danger of further large importation attempts” if there are any cuts to the Naval Service.

THE man credited as the driving force behind the Navy’s determined counter -narcotics campaign retired yesterday after nearly 40 years battling the import of drugs into this country.

“FOR years my wife said there was only one other woman in my life,” Lt Cdr Peter Twomey said.

ONE of the largest and most daring drugs seizures ever made in the north Atlantic put “Ireland Inc” on the map as a force to be reckoned with in the global fight against trafficking.

MORE than 250 people were involved in the joint operation which led to the biggest seizure of drugs in the history of the state.

Local people were not really surprised at the latest landing in Castletownbere, writes Donal Hickey.

Three men being quizzed tonight after being caught in the Atlantic Ocean with cocaine with a street value of more than half a billion euro are suspected mules.

Isolated parts of Ireland’s rugged coastline have long been a haven for international drug smugglers targeting European dealers, it was claimed tonight.

OFFALY is getting ready for an official visit from the most powerful man in the world.

THE EARLY morning knock on the door of an isolated farmhouse in West Cork didn’t only herald the arrival of air-sea rescue helicopters. It led to the biggest drugs case in the history of the State.

Spanish police testified in Cork today that they detained the 'Lucky Day' yacht and arrested the two crewmen on board - four days after €440m worth of cocaine were discovered off the coast of West Cork.

CORK’S city fathers yesterday saluted the 30th birthday of their adopted naval vessel, which has clocked up enough miles to get it to the moon and back.

REPS4 — the next Rural Environment Protection Scheme — must provide sufficient returns to support landowners to continue farming high value nature areas.

A Government minister visited Wexford today to express his sympathies to the families of those bereaved in the Rising Sun tragedy as the search went on for the captain of the ship and a diver killed during the search operation.

The captain of the Irish Navy flagship L.E. Eithne today insisted to a murder trial jury that the rescue procedures in place when a young sailor went overboard were carried out with speed and efficiency.

The captain of the Irish Navy flagship LE Eithne has denied that a young sailor who died after allegedly being assaulted and dropped from the side of the ship could not swim.

Former Tipperary senior hurler Seamus Power has been appointed Manager of the U21 hurling side for the coming year.

Tipperary have unveiled a new U-21 management team with Seamus Power, a former senior star, taking over from Noel Sheehy.