A POWERFUL production of Lyle Kessler’s play Orphans by Ballyduff Drama Group of west Waterford won the Bryan MacMahon Trophy, the top award in the open competition at the North Cork Drama Festival, now in its 54th year.

OLYMPIC 49er sailor Tom Fitzpatrick (Howth YC) set an Irish record when he won the Allianz Irish Helmsmans’ title in a blistering five race final at Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club on Belfast Lough yesterday.

Ireland’s Alistair Cragg had to settle for 12th place in tonight’s thrilling 5,000metres final in Athens.

Ireland’s Alistair Cragg will compete in the 5,000metres final in Athens tonight.

Star sailing class duo Mark Mansfield and Killian Collins secured another top-10 finish in Athens today but could not improve their overall position.

Irish sailors Fraser Brown and Tom Fitzpatrick have provisionally finished 16th in 49er class at the Olympic Games in Athens.

Star sailing class duo Mark Mansfield and Killian Collins will be looking to build on yesterday’s top-10 finish when the action gets underway this afternoon.

Ireland's Star class competitors, Mark Mansfield and Killian Collins endured another poor day on the Saronic gulf, as in shifting wind conditions, they pulled their keelboat to 17th and ninth in races 7 and 8, remaining last overall of a fleet of seventeen.

Irish duo Mark Mansfield and Killian Collins will be looking to move up the Star sailing class standings in today’s two races.

Ireland’s sailors made little or no impact around the Saronic Gulf today, as Howth duo Tom Fitzpatrick and Fraser Brown remained 16th overall in the 49er fleet and Sydney veterans Mark Mansfield and Killian Collins tailed off again in the Star, finishing 15th to stay in last place.

The fickle ways of the seasonal Meltemi winds failed to favour Royal Cork duo Mark Mansfield and Killian Collins this afternoon, as a 13th place finish in race 5 saw them down to last overall in the Star fleet.

Sonia O’Sullivan is due to compete in the final of the 5,000m event at the Olympic Games in Athens tonight.

Malahide sailor David Burrows slipped from a starting 14th to 22nd in the 11th and final race of the Finn class in Athens this afternoon, finishing 12th overall, 78 points behind British gold medallist Ben Ainslie.

Team Ireland is in action again later today in Athens.

49er pairing Tom Fitzpatrick and Fraser Brown picked up a second place finish on a day of delays but improved conditions for Ireland’s sailors on the Saronic gulf.

THE epic of the very bitter and long drawn out battle for the Star Class place to represent Ireland at Athens 2004 finally came to a close yesterday at Gaetq, Italy with the final race of the World Championship.

OLYMPIC athletes will receive more than €2m out of a total of €5.3m in funding announced by Sports Minister, John O’Donoghue, yesterday.

THE offshore winds continue to frustrate and confound many of the Irish team at the pre-Olympic Regatta on the Saronic Gulf off Athens yesterday, although operator error continues to play a large part.