The Central Bank’s famous Crann an Óir sculpture will remain in its current city centre location after the bank confirmed it would not be seeking to move the landmark to its new headquarters at North Wall Quay.

Willy Vlautin of Richmond Fontaine talks with Gerry Quinn about the band’s breakup and closing gigs

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today

Students from poorer backgrounds will suffer if the Government follows through on its commitment to merge institutes of technology.

Reduced pay and low hours are driving the best young graduates away from teaching as a profession, a leading union has warned.

The undermining of the contributions made by institutes of technology to society and to the economy was blamed for yesterday’s strike by 4,000 lecturers and researchers.

The Cats have two All-Irelands in a row and the momentum is building nicely. And, this could well be the team to win the historic five-in-a-row, according to Henry Shefflin.

The votes of fewer than 3,800 teachers have cast doubt over the most radical school reforms in decades.

Extra staff to design and deliver teacher training for the revised junior cycle are being recruited before unions vote on whether to adopt the changes.

The 17,000 members of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (Asti) have not been recommended by their leadership to vote for or against a crucial junior cycle reform package.

The possible resolution of the long-running junior cycle dispute has moved a step closer as leaders of a teachers’ union recommended their members back the final reform plan.

Almost 800 students who attempted higher-level Leaving Certificate maths in search of the bonus college entry points have failed the subject.

Students have been advised to consider all their options as they reflect on their Leaving Certificate results today.

Chances of the new public service pay agreement being passed by the trade union movement have been given a major boost after the executives of two of the largest unions recommended their members back the proposals.

The Teachers Union of Ireland is to recommend its members reject the new public sector pay deal.

Students have been advised to keep things in perspective, get plenty of rest, and eat well during the State exams.

Further talks between teacher unions and the Department of Education over the next five weeks will be key to the chances of a positive outcome on changes to junior cycle education.

A potential breakthrough in the long-running teachers’ dispute over junior cycle reforms will be considered by union leaders tomorrow.

Irish companies have more concerns than foreign employers about skills shortages and are less likely to collaborate with third-level colleges, a survey has found.

Calexico mix a myriad of influences but it all just seems to make sense, writes Gerry Quinn

Being the son of a billionaire means Emin’s music career comes from a place of love, says Gerry Quinn.

Dozens of teachers were prevented from attending junior-cycle English training by the picketing of venues by their unions yesterday.

Teachers and lecturers rose in applause at Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan’s intervention on behalf of colleagues who are in dispute with two colleges over the effects of a planned takeover.

Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan is disturbed by the idea of teachers blocking colleagues from upskilling themselves as the impasse on junior cycle reform shows no sign of lifting.

Teachers who want to take part in training for new junior cycle programmes may be blocked by pickets as union leaders seek further changes to reform proposals.

Teachers should not be expected to provide further extra work in return for any restoration of pay cuts of recent years, delegates at the Teachers’ Union of Ireland congress told their officials.

Over €1m in backpay will be paid by the Department of Education to up to 2,000 teachers over the next week — almost two years after revised salaries were agreed.

New assessment methods for junior cert students are to be covered in training which Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan plans to take place next month despite an ongoing union ban on 27,000 teachers attending.

The Teachers Union of Ireland is making a fresh appeal for more talks on Junior Cert reform.

Teachers unions say they are open to further talks, but that a strike remains on the cards following the rejection of new proposals to reform the Junior Cert.

AIB All-Ireland Club SHC semi-final: Gort (Galway) 1-15 Ballyhale Shamrocks (Kilkenny) 2-17

HE MAY have been 72 by the time it hit the record stores, but Gerry Quinn says musician Andy Irvine is justifiably proud of the CD and DVD of his 70th birthday concerts in Dublin’s Vicar St.

Up to 30,000 secondary school teachers are on strike again today in a row over Junior Cycle reform.

Thousands of students have this week begun oral Irish exams with teachers who are not paid by the State Examinations Commission ahead of a strike on Thursday over teacher opposition to such practices.

Gort 2-13 Portumna 1-10

No resolution looks likely before Christmas in the teachers’ junior cycle reform dispute as unions plan a third strike early next year if proposed talks do not end in a resolution.

A second day of strike action for teachers in the row over Junior Cycle reform has been announced for January 22.

The head of the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) expects changes soon to a policy that allows members mark their own students in a Junior Certificate exam after this week’s strike over school-based assessment for State exams.

There is no resolution to the teachers’ dispute in sight as Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan insists unions make concessions on assessment before talks on junior cycle reform can resume.

The President of the Teachers Union of Ireland has said he is "confident" that further strike action can be avoided at the country's secondary schools.

Ahead of next week’s planned one-day strike, second-level teaching unions have said they are willing to enter talks on the Junior Cycle — but only if their concerns about training and resource levels and the requirement to assess their own students are addressed.

There is no sign of a breakthrought in the teachers dispute, with up to 27,000 secondary level teachers set to engage in strike action next Tuesday.