An investigation has been launched following claims a judge fell asleep in court, causing a child rape trial to be halted.

Sergiu Ciobanu, the Moldovan native who runs with Clonliffe Harriers, will start favourite to win tomorrow’s annual Ballycotton 10 mile road race in East Cork — the 37th edition of this classic event.

Sean Hehir wore out two things in the run-up to his Dublin Marathon victory — his shoes and his mammy.

One of Ireland’s richest men, billionaire telecoms and media tycoon Denis O’Brien, has avoided a €57m tax bill over a lucrative share trade.

Arlene Hunt has taken a risk by setting up a publishing company to launch The Chosen, but believes it’s the right decision, Declan Burke reports

Arlene Hunt

Greystones 23 Blackrock College 22

Blackrock College 25 Dolphin 9

Hundreds of campaigners today created a giant human harp in Co Meath to mark Tara Heritage Day.

Hundreds of people are expected to turn up at the Hill of Tara this afternoon to create the image of a harp.

Campaigners battling the development of the M3 motorway near the historic Hill of Tara will take their protest to America this weekend.

Actor Stuart Townsend will take time out from Hollywood this weekend to protest against the routing of the M3 motorway near the Hill of Tara, campaigners said.

The penultimate weekend of the Nivea For Men SuperLeague approaches and it's all to play for at the top of the North and South Conferences.

ABRAKEBABRA Tigers will include Kieran Donaghy when they host DART Killester in the NIVEA for Men SuperLeague at the Tralee Sports Complex tomorrow night.

NEPTUNE coach Sasa Punosevac feels they can spring a surprise when they travel to Clontarf tomorrow night to play his old club, DART Killester, in the SuperLeague Cup qualifier.

There are three second-round games in the SuperLeague National Cup this weekend with a place in the quarter-finals of the competition at stake.

WHAT a difference a year can make. Twelve months ago, the teams from the Southern Conference were dominating the NIVEA for Men Superleague but, after taking a hammering over the cross-conference weekend, a lot of them are heading into the first round of the cup this weekend with one eye on the back door.

The Nivea For Men SuperLeague and Women’s SuperLeague Championships will take a break this weekend and will make way for the National Cup competitions.

Actress Daryl Hannah says she is “not thrilled” about being arrested at a protest to save an urban farm in Los Angeles.

UCC DEMONS and Limerick Lions will provide an all-Munster final in the SuperLeague National Cup on Sunday week after yesterday’s semi-finals saw them dismiss Merry Monk Ballina and DART Killester, respectively, at the National Basketball Arena.

THE battle for National Cup glory reaches the penultimate stage this weekend when the semi-finals will be decided, with the focus on the National Basketball Arena where the men and women of the SuperLeague will face intriguing ties on Sunday afternoon.

TRALEE TIGERS are determined to build on their confidence-boosting victory in Limerick last Monday when they travel to UCD tomorrow in week four of basketball’s NIVEA for Men SuperLeague.

AFTER the excitement of the senior men’s cup last weekend some clubs will be searching through the debris over the coming days to see if they can salvage anything.

The annual GOAL Mile at the CIT Track in Bishopstown on Christmas morning saw one of the biggest turnouts in the history of the event, despite the cold conditions and snow showers.

CATHAL Lombard’s own athletics club yesterday expressed disappointment at the admission by the Cork runner that he took a banned performance-enhancing drug.

A woman committed suicide after shooting dead her mother and the minister at a church today.

There is no possibility that Bernhard Langer’s winning total of 19 under in 1987 will be equalled at Portmarnock this week,insists Charlie Mulqueen.

GOLF tourism interests throughout the country are hopeful but openly nervous as to what the coming season holds in store.

A 22-month-old girl named Miracle was found standing beside the decomposing remains of her pregnant mother, surviving alone for at least five days before police broke down their door.