It’s Gold Cup day in Punchestown and while I don’t know if we’ll have the race we had last year, with Sizing John, Djakadam and Coneygree providing a brilliant spectacle, it’s still a great race.

The Fitzgerald family, which controls some of the best-known pubs in the country, has booked a dividend windfall of €66.45m.

Normal service resumed for Willie Mullins who, after one winner but many reverses on day one, bounced back with a 194-1 treble, which included two Grade One successes, on the second day of the Punchestown festival.

A hurler, footballer, greyhound enthusiast, horseracing fan, and, most of all, a loving and proud family man.

The landlord of Dublin’s Café en Seine bar is refusing to consent to a bank-appointed receiver’s proposed assignment of a lease on the premises so it can be sold for €5m, it was claimed in the Commercial Court yesterday.

Willie Mullins Cheltenham Gold Cup dream is alive and kicking, following the game success of Sir Des Champs in the Bet Online With The Tote.com Gold Cup at Punchestown last night.

KNOWING Lar Corbett and the vast number of injuries he has disproved down through the years, the 2010 hurler of the year could line out for his county in next month’s NHL Division One opener against Kilkenny.

CUSTOMERS of a well-known publican could be swapping their favourite tipple for Newcastle Brown Ale if his latest investment venture kicks off.

Former Sunderland shareholder Charlie Chawke is putting together a syndicate to bid for Newcastle.

THE Irish-based Drumaville Consortium behind Sunderland has paid just over £20m (€21.5m) for its investment in the Premier League club, according to 2007 figures available from Jersey’s Financial Services Commission (FSC).

Former political lobbyist Frank Dunlop has described property developer Tom Gilmartin as a "delusional buffoon" during his evidence to the Mahon Tribunal today.

OWNER of landmark Dublin pubs Kehoes and the Stag’s Head Louis Fitzgerald, is planning to build a chain of hotels under his own name in the Dublin region.

FAMED by a certain generation of Dubliners as one of the city’s great live music venues, a new version of the Baggot Inn opened to a different fanfare last night.

THE Irish consortium that owns Sunderland football club is in line a for a pay day of almost €90 million when the Black Cats are officially promoted to the Premiership on Sunday.

THE Baggot Inn, one of the country’s most famous music venues, is to reopen next month, having been closed for seven years.

THE Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) will today announce the winner of the licence to operate a youth-focused radio station across the south-west.

Niall Quinn’s consortium today confirmed they have reached an agreement on a £10m (€14.41m) cash offer for Sunderland.

Tommy Barker looks back at a year when pubs adapted to the smoking ban and the arrival of new competitors.

LIMERICK mum-of-six Dolores McNamara is now one of Ireland's 60 wealthiest people.

IN the Stag’s Head pub they raised glasses in thanksgiving as the news came through.