Benash, the oldest horse in the field at nine, can land the nap in the €540 Average Tote Placepot Dividend Maiden at Ballinrobe tonight.

Google is facing calls to do more against child pornography after Mark Bridger was found guilty of murdering April Jones.

A major market drifter, Discoteca defied the odds when completing a hurdling hat-trick for Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown House Stud in the jogforjockeys.ie Hurdle in Bellewstown yesterday.

Former champion Pat Smullen was seen at his brilliant and determined best when getting odds-on favourite Ceol Rua home a narrow winner of the Ladies Day At Ballinrobe Maiden in Ballinrobe last night.

Laganbank, a costly failure at the track last time, returns to the scene of the crime in the first division of the beginners chase at Roscommon tonight and is the nap choice.

A hard-hitting student video showing the dangers of cyber-bullying is to become part a national programme that aims to keep kids safe online.

Absent for two years since winning a novice hurdle at the 2012 Punchestown Festival, Arvika Ligeonniere made a hugely impressive return to action and chasing debut in the Punchestown For Events Beginners Chase at Punchestown yesterday.

Racegoers were treated to a display of vintage Paul Carberry on the opening day of the new jumps season in Ballirnobe last night as former champion Paul Carberry completed a magnificent 927/1 four-timer on Six Stone Ned, Fairymount Lord, Turnonthegas and Corskeagh Royale, his first and last winner trained by Noel Meade.

OUT of luck on Await The Dawn at York on Wednesday and set for a return to the Knavesmire today, Joseph O’Brien took the riding honours at Wexford last night, recording a last-gasp double on Snap Alam and Monte Carlo.

AMATEUR Kevin Power was suspended for fourteen days following his ride on runner-up Optimum Force in the Conyngham Cup at Punchestown last evening.

SUBLIMITY, who won the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in 2007, will be retired after running in the Motivate Challenge Supported By Failte Ireland Hurdle at Punchestown tonight.

ANDREW McNamara doubled-up on Equation and her former stable-companion Fearnwood Girl in last night’s maiden hurdle action in Sligo.

Tourism chiefs in Donegal are vying to make the county the number one choice for people holidaying at home.

FEW sportsmen are tougher than jump jockeys. And David Casey proved the point emphatically when scoring on Boulavogue in the Ballybin Hurdle at Fairyhouse yesterday.

THE Tánaiste arrived into a dragon’s den of more than 700 angry primary teachers first thing yesterday but managed to escape without swords being drawn.

KIERAN Kennedy, CEO of Shine, autistic spectrum organisation, says (Letters, March 15) “the present situation is only reinforcing exclusion.

BRIAN O’Connell bounced back from the controversial defeat of Dunguib at Cheltenham to register a double on Barney King and Caim Hill at Down Royal yesterday.

PASSENGERS at Dublin airport suffered long delays yesterday after a deadlock between aviation chiefs and air traffic controllers grounded flights for four hours.

A survey of Ireland's main trade unions has reportedly found that their leaders are paid salaries of up to €172,000.

SCHOOL management, principals and parents have joined forces to help fight the war on bullying and discrimination against gay and lesbian students.

A VAN LOAD of toilet roll has been donated to a school which was forced to ask pupils to bring their own paper in an effort to save on its scarce resources.

TWO out of three primary schools have lost English language teaching posts as a result of Government cutbacks, a teachers’ union survey has found.

PRIMARY teachers will be balloted for industrial action if partnership talks break down, their union leader told a conference for principals yesterday.

PRIMARY teachers will be balloted for industrial action if partnership talks break down, their union leader told a conference for principals yesterday.

SCHOOLS could face staffing difficulties if they are not allowed to bring in substitutes for teachers out sick with suspected swine flu, second level principals have claimed.

The union representing primary school teachers has warned that the recommendations made by An Bord Snip in its report published today would cause "devastation" in the sector.

A TEMPORARY teaching job at a Dublin school attracted nearly 1,200 applications from qualified graduates, it emerged last night.

THE Department of Education has been accused of telling schools to cut pay and hours for secretaries and caretakers to fund shortfalls in money for books, buildings and other school necessities.

TWENTY-ONE race maiden Red Rock Canyon finally opened his account when justifying odds-on favouritism in the Tote Jackpot Races 3 To 6 Maiden at Roscommon last night.

ONLY seven of the 119 primary schools told earlier this year that they are to lose classes for children with special needs have avoided any cuts after appealing the decision.

PAT O’CALLAGHAN is principal of Burncourt National School, a two-teacher school in south Tipperary, where the 35 boys and girls find the internet a vital research tool, particularly for subjects like geography, history and science.

ALMOST 1,000 schools have been approved to have building works carried out during the summer holidays – nearly two years after they applied.

The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) has said the decision to close 128 special classes in primary schools without warning must be reversed.

THE country’s female-dominated primary teaching profession will have a woman as its most senior union official next year.

DAVY Russell excelled on the Paul Nolan-trained favourite Moskova as she completed a hat-trick over fences in the Ashbourne Mares Chase at Fairyhouse yesterday.

The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) is vowing to continue campaigning against cuts in the primary school sector.

SCHOOLS are to be offered grants to help reduce their spiralling water and energy bills, including funding for insulation similar to that recently announced for homeowners.

STRIKE action by more than 60,000 teachers can be avoided if the Government restarts talks with the union movement, their leaders said at the weekend.

MORE than 60,000 teachers are set to take industrial action in the coming weeks after ballots of their three unions all resulted in backing of the move in protest at the Government’s handling of the economic crisis.

WILLIE MULLINS continued his build-up to next week’s Cheltenham Festival by recording a double with odds-on favourites Apt Approach and Citizen Vic at Fairyhouse yesterday.

THE decisions on which schools keep some of their language support teachers for newcomer children will not be political, Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe insisted last night despite accusations of a U-turn on how staff will be allocated.

THE 364 primary schools whose pupils will be in bigger classes from September because of the loss of classroom teachers has been revealed for the first time since the measure was announced in last October’s budget.

EDUCATION MINISTER Batt O’Keeffe’s decision to cut special needs classes is an absolute disgrace.