A pastor of an evangelical addiction programme has said his group will clear its name after former clients highlighted numerous concerns with its unregulated centres.

You probably wouldn’t bring your granny to 51 Shades of Maggie, a parody of the bestselling erotic romance, Fifty Shades of Grey.

It comes as a bit of a shock when Ronnie Quinn jokes by email that when he takes the phone call from the Irish Examiner, his English will have a “strong Julio Iglesias accent”.

Kilkenny kept up their fine form in the Liberty Insurance senior camogie championship when overcoming the challenge of Clare at Nowlan Park on Saturday.

Dermot Earley believes inter-county players will be paid to play in the future but also maintains the commitment required to play at the top level means careers will be shorter.

Auroras Encore could bid to emulate the legendary Red Rum by attempting to complete a rare National double in the same season.

Wexford and Galway took the field in their opening Division 1 Camogie League tie without many of the regulars that have graced both sides over the years.

Three races in France are among the possible options for Solwhit following his victory at Naas on Saturday.

Last season’s John Smith’s Grand National runner-up Oscar Time has been ruled out for the season with a leg injury.

TONY WATENE’S love affair with Gaelic Games began in an unconventional fashion.

Dancing Shoes enacts George’s skill but doesn’t shirk from his sadness, says Carl Dixon

AFTER years of trying, Tony McCoy finally earned the Grand National victory he so desperately sought when he and Don't Push It emerged victorious in 2010.

Know nothing about horse racing? Let us guide you to the best bets in this weekend's Grand National.

Sam Waley-Cohen will bid to become the first amateur jockey to ride the winner of the John Smith’s Grand National in over 20 years when he partners Oscar Time at Aintree tomorrow.

CORK Racecourse showed some real enterprise last evening when holding their first ever meeting for students.

TONY MARTIN expects decent spring ground at Aintree to bring out the best in Northern Alliance when he lines up in the John Smith’s Grand National on Saturday week.

LAST YEAR’S winner Don’t Push It heads 74 remaining entries for the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree on April 9.

ALL roads lead to Aintree on April 9 following the Grade 2 At The Races Bobbyjo Chase, won by The Midnight Club, at Fairyhouse yesterday as the first four home are all bound for the John Smiths Grand National.

“Recently Irish horses have done really, really well.”

Champion trainer Paul Nicholls has 10 of the 102 initial entries for the John Smith’s Grand National at Aintree in April.

DESSIE HUGHES stole the show at Thurles yesterday, completing a 70/1 treble with Rick, Western Charmer and Quiet Thought.

Tony Martin reports Saddlers Storm in “perfect” shape ahead of the Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Monday.

Noel Meade bagged a second Grade One inside the space of 24 hours as Hollo Ladies followed up Go Native’s Kempton success in the Paddypowerpoker.com Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown.

WILLIE MULLINS recorded his 18th bumper victory since November 1 when Alexander Seaview made a successful debut in the finale at Fairyhouse yesterday.

RUBY WALSH is a significant booking on Oscar Time, who is napped to land the 20% On Line Ticket Discount Novice Chase at Fairyhouse this afternoon.

Ireland beat Poland 5-3 in Donegal last night to take a two-bout lead into the second leg of the senior international series on Friday evening.

EQUUS MAXIMUS, who has proved largely disappointing since being launched over flights, is the nap choice in the Free Beer Play After Racing Maiden Hurdle at Limerick this evening.

BEAU MICHAEL can complete the hat-trick in the Grade 2 Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle at Fairyhouse this afternoon.

PUNTERS were left gasping for breath after 16-1 shot Gaspar, the outsider of the five runners, trounced his rivals in the Grade 3 Phil Sweeney Memorial Chase at a bitingly cold Thurles yesterday.

THE date for next year’s Cork City Sports has been put back to accommodate the US Olympic trials, the Russian championships and the Caribbean countries whose championships coincide with the US championships.

The largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter, will light up the night sky this week.

THE Christy Roche-trained Cool Running, who got off the mark over fences at Punchestown earlier in the month, outclassed his rivals in the Seamus Weldon Novice Chase at Killarney last night.

Diarmuid McMahon has been ruled out of contention for a place in the Clare team for Sunday's NHL Division 1A clash with Wexford.

DARREN SUTHERLAND insisted yesterday he is well on the road to a complete recovery following a career-threatening eye injury sustained during an international contest against Russia at the National Stadium earlier this year.

A FORMER Fianna Fáil councillor claimed at the Mahon planning tribunal yesterday the party whip on Dublin County Council was “in the pocket of developers” during the 1990s.

A number of writers have come together to demand an end to a loyalist campaign of intimidation against one of their colleagues in Belfast.

Gardaí have named the two youths who killed in an accident involving a motorcyclist in County Galway early this morning.

The Minister for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen today announced the appointment of a new board of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA).

BUILDING firms cannot be expected randomly to test their staff for drink and drugs and they won’t foot the bill for such checks, the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) has warned.

Moongazers will be out in force tomorrow night to catch a glimpse of the total lunar eclipse.

ROYAL ALPHABET, lucky to survive a blunder at the second, subsequently toyed with his rivals on the way to taking the Ballynonty Novice Hurdle at Thurles yesterday.

When Mick O’Dwyer left Kildare, everyone presumed his son went with him. Not so, as Karl O’Dwyer explains to Mark Gallagher.

IT took Brian Lacey some time before becoming accustomed to the Kildare dressingroom over the winter and spring.