Robert Hume is intrigued by the life and habits of William Thompson, the eccentric ’Red Republican’ from Carhoogarriff in West Cork

Microsoft has named 22-year company veteran Satya Nadella as its next chief executive, ending a protracted search for a new leader after Steve Ballmer announced his intention to retire in August.

Shane Long has been defended by his West Bromwich Albion manager Steve Clarke after an apparent show of anger from the player at his omission from Ireland’s games against Germany and Kazakhstan.

Defender forced to retire after mental scars from injury failed to heal

Former Ireland international John Thompson says he’s still recovering from the horror challenge which forced him to retire yesterday at just 31.

Mansfield 1 Liverpool 2

Rare treasures, writes Des O’Sullivan, will feature at Limerick Fine Art Fair

Wolves 4 Notts County 2 (after extra time)

A RENEWED appeal for information was launched over the weekend in relation to missing Offaly woman Fiona Pender.

FARM leaders, north and south, have pledged to work together to oppose trade talks that have re-opened between the European Union and the Mercosur group of South American countries.

Fulham 4 Notts County 0

TIGHTENING milk supply resulted in a price increase of more than 10% at last week’s auction by United Dairy Farmers.

Angry fans gathered outside Newcastle United’s ground to protest at manager Kevin Keegan’s apparent second departure from the club after less than eight months in charge.

Cork has reached the top 10 in The Academy of Urbanism's selection of contenders for the European City of the Year Award for 2009, announced today.

Everton 0 Oldham 1

A PATIENT at the Central Mental Hospital died from injuries incurred while he was being restrained by staff during his transfer from one part of the facility to another, an inquest has heard.

A PSYCHIATRIC nurse was savagely attacked by a mental hospital patient whose death is now being probed, an inquest heard yesterday.

Some members of the legal profession and other court-watchers are cringing over the way Judge Larry Seidlin wept – no, sobbed – on live, national TV as he announced a ruling in the dispute over where Anna Nicole Smith should be buried.

Independent energy provider Energia has secured its first ever gas supply contract in the North, valued at €1.48m, which has been awarded by milling firm John Thompson’s of Belfast.

We may be spoiled for choice with TV legal dramas, but New Street Law (Acorn, €34.99) is a better series than most in this genre.

An online fundraising auction in memory of a Nottingham Forest player who died of liver failure has been boosted by a donation from Roy Keane, it emerged today.

Reading manager Steve Coppell will ring the changes for his side’s Carling Cup trip to Oxford.

Central defender Jon Olav Hjelde has signed a 12-month contract with Nottingham Forest.

Nottingham Forest manager Joe Kinnear’s centre-half crisis has deepened with the news John Thompson is set to for surgery.

Brian Kerr makes no excuses for giving some of the Republic of Ireland’s squad players a taste of senior international football in the Unity Cup.

Brian Kerr believes it might take up to three years before the Republic of Ireland get the benefits of playing in the Unity Cup.

Cross-dressing comic Eddie Izzard is making a film about his life.

Two men accused of placing a bomb beneath the car of a man with links to loyalist terrorists were remanded in custody today.

Police in the North have arrested three men in connection with a failed bomb attack on an associate of former UDA commander Johnny Adair in Britain last year.

Gary Doherty will tomorrow night get the chance to stake his claim as a defender for the Republic of Ireland.

TOTTENHAM’S Gary Doherty will start at centre back for the first time in an Irish shirt tomorrow night as Brian Kerr pledged further experiments in the challenge against Czech Republic at Lansdowne Road (7.30 pm ko).

Republic of Ireland boss Brian Kerr has called up three uncapped players for Wednesday’s friendly against the Czech Republic at Lansdowne Road.

A Cork man was today found guilty of the murder of Mr Gerard Hackett, aged 49, at the Central Criminal Court.

The State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, today told a jury at the fourth day of a murder trial of a Cork man accused of murder that the victim "died from head injuries as a result from a sustained and severe assault".

A jury at the fourth day of a murder trial of a Cork man accused of murder today saw the alleged murder weapons, including a bloodied concrete block, a four-foot metal pipe, an iron bar, a six-foot metal gutter and a spear-like metal bar.

Nottingham Forest 0 West Ham 2

Robbie Keane insists he will shut the Republic of Ireland goalscoring record out of his mind as he refocuses on leading his country to the 2006 World Cup finals.

Ireland boss Brian Kerr looked to the future after his side shrugged off lingering Euro 2004 disappointment with a 3-0 friendly win over Canada.

BRIAN KERR yesterday expressed his regret that injuries had robbed him of the opportunity of seeing Celtic sensation Liam Miller and his former team-mate, Colin Healy of Sunderland, in action against Canada at Lansdowne Road tomorrow.

THE litany of public sector computer systems running way over budget and proving inadequate to the job required was lashed by the taxpayers’ watchdog yesterday.

Don Givens has been handed a new two-year contract as manager of the Republic of Ireland Under-21s.

MANCHESTER City’s rising star Stephen Elliot, who scored a hat-trick for the U21s in their recent 5-1 victory over Poland in Gdansk, retains his place in Don Given’s squad for their European Championship qualifier against Switzerland in Neuchatel this day week.

Republic of Ireland U21 manager Don Givens has a full strength squad to choose from for Friday’s European Championship qualification clash with Russia in Waterford (6pm).