A couple of momentary mental lapses couldn’t stop reigning Limerick and Munster champions Na Piarsaigh reaching a seventh Limerick senior final in 10 seasons.

A proposed €180m motorway linking Cork City to Ringaskiddy will be “going into the bedrooms” of residents living along the route, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin told a planning hearing yesterday.

Three families have launched a legal action in the High Court seeking to compel the HSE to deliver assessments of need for children who might have a disability within the designated timeframe, in a move which could affect thousands of families.

Minister of State for Disability Issues Finian McGrath says the alarming number of children awaiting disability assessments is “unacceptable” as waiting lists continue to rocket.

The HSE failed to process as many as 2,500 applications from parents to have their children’s needs assessed on foot of a disability — despite a legal requirement to do so within six months.

Irish Examiner reporter, Noel Baker, meets a group of parents who are uniting in a fight for their children’s education.

A Leigh Griffiths double gave Celtic a narrow but deserved 2-1 win over Motherwell at Fir Park to strengthen the Hoops' grip on the Ladbrokes Premiership title.

Our readers have been sending us their selfless selfies in aid of St Vincent de Paul for a month and now we are rewarding the best of the best.

Na Piarsaigh (Limerick) 4-14 Sixmilebridge (Clare) 0-8

NA PIARSAIGH 0-20 PASSAGE 3-9

Na Piarsaigh 2-13 Kilmallock 2-12

GIG WISE:Christy Moore has announced a return to Leeside, playing at Cork Opera House with Declan Sinnott on Thurs, Nov 7.

DR STUART NEILSON dislikes tying his shoelaces, walking through crowded streets, and refuses to take off his jumper on sweltering sun holidays because he hates the feeling of air on his bare skin.

Health Minister James Reilly faces questions over funding autism services in his Dublin political heartland amid claims that other parts of the country have been left “in limbo” awaiting resources.

SATURDAY

The budget is a body blow for parents with autistic children.

MUSIC NEWS: She’s conquered Britain, America and the world, now Adele is following in the footsteps of music legends Shirley Bassey, Paul McCartney, Tina Turner and, er, Sheena Easton.

Autism charity Shine’s chief executive has said three special needs children being taught in a windowless store room at a new €4.2m primary school “are being treated like second-class citizens”.

Children with autism are having their home tuition halted and instead are being ordered to attend new special needs units, according to one of the country’s leading autism support groups.

The announcement that 91 classes for children with special needs are to be introduced to schools next month has been welcomed by disability groups.

Many of the country’s leading amateur golfers have signed up for the Killarney Scratch Cup, to be played over the Killeen Course on Saturday, July 21.

“No complaints,” was the reaction of veteran Na Piarsaigh forward Damien Quigley after Saturday’s comprehensive extra-time loss to Loughgiel Shamrocks in this All-Ireland Club SHC semi-final at Parnell Park.

Crusheen (Clare) 0-9 Na Piarsaigh (Limerick) 1-13, Thurles

LAST Sunday was a real test of character for both Na Piarsaigh and Crusheen, especially the final 10 minutes of their Munster Club decider.

IT’S nice to have the guesswork out of the way which is where we all were in the lead-up to the drawn game.

NO matter who wins this game tomorrow a new name will be etched on the Billy O’Neill Cup, one dream still running, another dashed.

LIMERICK’S Na Piarsaigh GAA club is bucking a national trend.

KILMALLOCK were sensationally dethroned as Limerick senior hurling champions last evening by former kingpins, Patrickswell.

PARENTS of special needs children said they face further cutbacks after the Department of Education confirmed children signed up for the free preschool year will have specialist home tuition hours cut.

PARENTS of children with autism have joined academics and ABA professionals in warning that Department of Education proposals to transform autism education will “eradicate the teaching of ABA in this country” and adversely impact upon a child’s ability to reach its full potential.

TUTORS and parents at some of the country’s 13 ABA schools for children with autism have raised concerns about Department of Education proposals to give them full special school status, describing it as “the death of ABA schooling in Ireland”.

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

IN his letter (March 15), Kieran Kennedy highlighted then Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe’s lip service to schoolchildren with special needs, while in practice the minister sought to restrict the role of the Special Needs Assistant (SNA) to one of “care” at the expense of educational support.

THE number of parents refused a grant towards the cost of caring for a disabled child has almost tripled since the Department of Social and Family Affairs (DoFSA) took over the scheme from the Health Service Executive (HSE).

MIKE McCARTHY plays his first competitive game for Kerry since the All-Ireland final back in September 2006 after being handed the number six jersey by Kerry boss Jack O’Connor for tomorrow’s home qualifier against Sligo in Tralee.

Adrian Morrissey and Eric Bradley have been pencilled in to start for Wexford in Saturday's All-Ireland SFC second round qualifier replay against Roscommon at Dr. Hyde Park (throw-in 3pm).

PARENTS of autistic children claim there has been a massive increase in the numbers being refused a vital home care allowance since the scheme was taken over by the Department of Social and Family Affairs.

Wexford 1-8 Roscommon 0-11 (aet)

WATERFORD last night received a major boost for Sunday’s Munster SHC final against Tipperary at Semple Stadium when co-captain Stephen Molumphy was named to lead the attack in a sector notable again for the exclusion of 2007 Hurler of The Year Dan Shanahan.

A TIGHTENING of the rules under a home tuition scheme for autistic children puts the onus on parents to find fully qualified teachers, narrowing the range of graduates they can choose from.

PARENTS of children with special needs are traditionally a silent force but throughout Cork they are vowing to make themselves heard through the ballot box.

PARENTS of children with autism have criticised the Department of Education amid claims that home education grants and special needs assistants in schools have been cut.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy has set his sights on Tiger Woods' course record in the Irish Close at the European Club.