The name probably means nothing. If some radio sports show were to have a panel discussion about top coaching and top coaches in this country, it’s doubtful Liam Moggan’s name would crop up. His profile is hardly prominent.

Olympic medallist Cian O’Connor joked yesterday that “unfortunately” he would not gain any advantage from last year’s Olympic showjumping fences at this week’s Millstreet International Horse Show.

The Irish coach tourism and transport council says that the Government’s decision to extend the essential users rebate to coaches will help save jobs and stabilise the industry.

Private bus operators claim they could save the State up to €30m per annum if they were allowed to tender for 350 subsidised bus routes currently operated by Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus.

Private bus operators have said they could save the state up to €30m a year if they were allowed to tender for subsidised bus routes.

Given the large number of inaccuracies in his short letter on CIE financing (Sep 4) it would appear that Gerry Mullins, CEO of the Coach Tourism and Transport Council, either does not understand how the inter-city coach market works, or was trying to mislead your readers.

So, let’s recap. Minister Varadkar gave the CIÉ companies €36m because they are broke and he wanted to avoid loss of services.

Spiraling fuel costs could result in a loss of jobs in the tourism sector, according to the Coach Tourism and Transport Council.

High Government taxes on diesel are killing the Irish coach tourism industry, it was claimed.

The “secret” details of the €36m bailout for CIÉ shows the Government has broken its promises on openness and transparency, according to private bus operators.

“This means everything to me. This bronze medal is worth much more than the gold I won in Athens,” said Cian O’Connor last night after his stunning performance in London yesterday with Blue Loyd.

Let us not get overly-excited about the retention of a 9% VAT rate for some enterprises in the tourism industry.

Private coach operators have warned the Government’s plan for a major revamp of public transport in rural areas could be unworkable.

Motorists who signed up to the green agenda and low emission cars have been hit the hardest in Budget 2012.

A CASE to have the €180 million school transport service operated by Bus Éireann put out to tender by the Department of Education is to be heard by the High Court.

PRIVATE coach operators have asked the Competition Authority to investigate the awarding of the school bus contract to Bus Éireann without tender.

The Coach Tourism and Transport Council of Ireland (CTTC) has called on the Government to open up more routes to private bus operators.

BUS and coach firms have claimed rising fuel prices are having a detrimental effect on tourism in Ireland.

I REFER to your recent article that said schools may cancel school tours in order to make up for teaching days that were lost because of heavy snowfalls.

You can’t keep a good thing down. It is an aphorism that, as 2010 came to a close, seemed apt for Cameron Hanley, as he returned to winning ways, notably at the four-star shows in Salzburg, Austria and Dresden, Germany.

IRELAND’s show jumping team selector Paraic Geraghty has accepted the post of Turkish team manager, joining the growing number of his compatriots involved in the sport in the Middle East country.

IN his letter (March 11), Michael Geary suggested the Cork Marketing Partnership’s efforts at the Shanghai Expo would be worthwhile because they would promote business tourism, and not the regular tourism that the Irish visa system discourages from China.

IN his letter headlined ‘Chinese visitors run into Irish wall’ (March 6), Gerry Mullins appears to have a complete misunderstanding of Cork Marketing Partnership (CMP) and World Expo 2010.

WHAT? Cork is spending money at the Shanghai Expo to boost tourism from China (Irish Examiner, March 3).

Tough visa requirements for certain nationalities visiting Ireland are strangling the tourist industry, it was claimed today.

THE Commission on Taxation is expected to recommend a crackdown on super-rich tax exiles when its report is published today.

WEST Cork exhibitor Seamus Lehane had a highly successful visit to Limerick Show, where he took both the young horse and filly championships.

RUFUS, the horse of show jumper Rodrigo Pessoa, has tested positive for a banned substance at the Olympics, bringing to six the number of horses to have done so.

DENIS LYNCH lines out in the final of the show jumping in Sha Tin, Hong Kong, today, (midday approx) with a medal a distinct possibility.

Ray Ryan, Agribusiness Correspondent

OLYMPIC CHAMPION. Two words which have struggled to find a home in the Irish lexicon cheered a nation last night.

THE commanding officer of the Army Equitation School, Lieutenant Colonel Gerry Mullins, is to retire.

THE announcement of Eddie Macken as Olympic team trainer by the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) selectors this week, will, hopefully, bring the curtain down on the unfortunate controversy that had sprung up around the position.

EDDIE MACKEN was officially announced yesterday as trainer to the Irish Olympic show jumping team following a meeting of the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) selectors and the Olympic High Performance Committee.

A NOTE of disharmony emerged this week in the Olympic show jumping camp, with some of the long-list of riders ensuring Eddie Macken was installed as team trainer in place of original choice Lieutenant Colonel Gerry Mullins.

WITH the Olympic year in the offing, chief show jumping selector Peter Leonard is confident Ireland can produce the goods and win the country’s first gold medal in the code.

AN Irish team that on paper condescended to be weak, tore up the script when it came second in last weekend’s Samsung Super League Nations Cup in Rome.

THE dispute between the RDS management and the equestrian committee over the adoption of a new code of practice for the annual horse show has resurfaced, with another casualty.

DERMOTT LENNON has become the gold standard for Irish showjumping since his imperious performance last Sunday at the World Equestrian Games in Spain.

IRELAND’S Dermott Lennon crowned himself king of the world yesterday, winning the individual title at the World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain.