Ireland’s artisan or speciality food sector is worth in excess of €615 million, with some 350 producers employing more than 3,000 people.

Relics of an ascendancy which once humoured and bestowed comfort to the Earls of Dunraven over several centuries are destined for new homes after a marathon two-day auction in the Adare Manor hotel.

Paralysed jockeys and rugby players will be amongst the first to benefit from using an exoskeleton suit which has been purchased by a horseracing charity.

FIVE years ago, Mairead Devlin and her friend, Mary O’Driscoll, formed a small theatre company to perform plays in nursing and care homes, and to encourage the residents to get involved.

All-Ireland champions Galway got their League Division 1 campaign off to the worst possible start falling to a determined Kilkenny outfit in Ballinasloe.

University of Limerick finally ended Waterford Institute of Technology’s long reign as Ashbourne Cup champions, having a point to spare after a hard-fought final at Queen’s University.

BALLYLONGFORD

With a rate of €55.88 Mallow Town Council put out its stall as the cheapest place to set up business in Co Cork — and it has paid dividends even during the recession.

A Supreme Court challenge has been launched aimed at blocking a Dublin hotelier’s attempt to privately prosecute officials at IBRC for alleged deception.

Farmers and householders were counting the cost of a mini tornado which ripped through a rural community.

An attempt to halt a Dublin hotelier’s private prosecution against officials at the IBRC for alleged deception has failed, a judge was told yesterday.

An attempt to halt a Dublin hotelier's private prosecution against officials at the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC) for alleged deception has failed, a judge was told today.

A Cork town has vowed to fight realignment of county-wide commercial rates.

“Simply awesome,” was how Kildare-born Aoife Clark de scribed Fenyas Elegance last night, after the pair finished runners-up at Chatsworth Horse Trials in England in the mare’s first outing at three-star level.

It’s all about horsepower at the Racing Home for Easter Festival in Mallow.

An Bord Pleanála’s caseload has fallen by more than two thirds since the peak of the construction boom, yet it is still only dealing with 80% of the cases on time.

A private prosecution brought against two officials at IBRC (formerly Anglo Irish Bank) for alleged deception has been adjourned, pending the outcome of a legal challenge.

Two officials at IBRC (formerly Anglo Irish Bank) have brought a High Court challenge over a customer's private prosecution against them for alleged deception.

There are calls on the HSE to introduce English language fluency standards for doctors from outside Ireland employed in the Republic of Ireland.

It may centre on three days of bumper-packed horse racing but the Easter weekend in Mallow will offer festival fun for all the family.

ANGRY county councillors are seeking a meeting with the new chairman of An Bord Pleanála after the planning appeals board refused an application for a much-needed primary school in Co Cork.

FROM an organic farming perspective, the year just passed was an eventful one.

AN unnamed group has claimed responsibility for breaching security at Shannon Airport last week and damaging an aircraft used by US military personnel.

THE former chairman of An Bord Pleanala, John O’Connor, received a lump sum payment of €364,617 when stepping down from the role this year.

NEARLY 1,900 complaints were made by the public last year to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about waste sites the agency had licensed.

FOUR of the country’s top bathing spots have failed to meet basic water cleanliness marks.

Four of the country’s top bathing spots have failed to meet basic water cleanliness marks.

The Court of Criminal Appeal in Dublin has quashed the appeal of Mary Kelly, who was convicted in 2004 of criminal damage to a US military aircraft at Shannon Airport.

I WAS delighted to hear Micheál Martin on Ireland AM last week. I am so glad he cares so deeply for autistic children.

THE organisers of a Cork racing festival have decided to introduce a best dressed man competition after they were criticised — in a tongue and cheek fashion — by a judge for being sexist.

‘MARY Kelly’ is most likely to claim for medical expenses on the third day of her August holiday.

A SCHOOL principal today begins a sad and lonely task in the Co Limerick hamlet of Ballyorgan which nestles in the Ballyhouras mountains.

A RESOLUTE Kildare recovered from a poor start to win the Gala All-Ireland Junior A final with a 3-10 to 2-8 victory over Armagh in Ashbourne on Saturday.

A goal from super sub Louise Walsh in the dying minutes ensured that Kildare would be All-Ireland champions for the first time in 20 years when denying Armagh in the Gala All-Ireland junior A final in Ashbourne by 3-10 to 2-8.

TEARS filled the eyes of a Mexican teacher as she fulfilled the wish of her late father, Captain Ruben Ocaña.

A woman arrested over a pipe bomb attack on a community worker’s home was released today, police said.

A pipe bomb damaged the home of a community worker in north Belfast today – the third attack on the property this year.

IRELAND needs to take serious action – in addition to those already planned – if it is to meet its 2020 greenhouse gas emission targets, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

THE 2020 Strategy Committee for agri-food, forestry and fisheries is drawn from senior experts and participants in all aspects of the sector.

A SURGE in greenhouse gas emissions from residential homes indicates a “disappointingly small” response from Ireland to the climate change crisis.

IRELAND will be well represented at the UN climate change conference which gets underway in Copenhagen today, with Taoiseach Brian Cowen and representatives of various government departments due to attend, but how have we been performing on the environment in general?

THE Department of the Environment has assigned blame for prolonged pollution problems in drinking water supplies to local authorities for failing to take priority actions.

Livestock, tractor laps and the Lisbon Treaty were the key talking points today at the opening of this year’s National Ploughing Championships.

CURA has finally apologised to three women who were expelled from the Catholic pregnancy counselling agency after raising concerns about a leaflet containing details of agencies providing abortion information.