A Terence MacSwiney play was watched over the weekend by his grandson — almost 80 years after his own mother played a lead role in the last Cork production.

Dippy the Diplodocus has become a monster trending hit on Twitter as supporters rally to stop him being put out to pasture by the Natural History Museum — and being replaced by a blue whale from Wexford Harbour.

From 1978 to 2003, generations of young people dancing like their lives depended on it — along with a host of roadies, rock stars and DJs — passed through the labyrinth of bars and dance floors that was Sir Henry’s nightclub in Cork city.

Fitzgerald Park on Cork’s Mardyke is once again open fully to the public in all its floral and artistic glory, flanked by Diarmuid Gavin’s controversial Sky Garden and the restored Fr Mathew Fountain.

Flotilla produced a record-breaking performance when getting up in the final strides to land the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas) at Longchamp yesterday.

THE organisers of the Dublin: One City, One Book Festival, which is the focal point for a month of literary events in April, have chosen well with this year’s selection, James Plunkett’s Strumpet City.

The year she was born Ireland was part of the United Kingdom and King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra visited the country.

The London Olympics will be opened by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said today.

BUCKINGHAM Palace has been swamped with a record number of well-wishing letters following Queen Elizabeth II’s state visit to Ireland.

With 72 Royal Ascot winners already under his belt, Henry Cecil could be forgiven for taking his foot off the gas as the years roll on but the legendary trainer has one of his strongest ever teams this year.

A ROYAL in the Rebel County.

A not fully-fit Frankel was still far too good for the opposition as Henry Cecil's budding superstar made a more than satisfactory start to his season in the totesport.com Greenham Stakes at Newbury today.

YOUR issue of June 25 carried a large photograph purporting to be Queen Victoria passing through Dublin in 1853.

MONTEROSSO could be supplemented for Sunday’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh.

Monterosso could be supplemented for Sunday’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh.

THE Winter Olympic Games opened in Vancouver, Canada, early this morning (Irish time). The controversy over the Irish bobsleigh team prompted memories of earlier controversies about Irish participation in the Olympics.

Henry Cecil’s duo Phoenix Tower and Multidimensional are among a field of nine declared for the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown on Saturday.

John Gosden is hoping the decision to bypass the Vodafone Derby with Bronze Cannon can pay off at Royal Ascot on Friday.

Henry Cecil expects to have "eight or nine" runners at Ascot next week as the Warren Place maestro aims to add to his staggering tally of 70 winners at the Royal meeting.

Michita is just 10-1 for the Juddmonte Oaks with Blue Square after her devastating performance in the Height of Fashion Stakes at Goodwood.

Seven days on from his Juddmonte Oaks candidate Dar Re Mi tasting defeat at York, John Gosden unearthed another possible contender as Michita strode away with the Height of Fashion Stakes at Goodwood.

Michael Jarvis will bid to enhance his impressive Royal Ascot record when he sends out a strong team next week.

Norway opened celebrations today for the 100th anniversary of the arrival of its first royal couple in modern times.

The takeover of Allied Domecq will see a number of the most historic scotch whiskies coming under French ownership.

A PROPERTY which could be said to chart the changes in the upper echelons of Irish society is now on sale in Connemara for the princely sum of €400,000.

Protesters demonstrated outside a hospital in the heart of West Belfast today against a visit by Prince Charles.

Royal advisers were today meeting to finalise the details of the funeral for Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.