Ryan Tubridy and the Late Late Toy Show top the bill.

WE elected this Government to sort out the mess caused by the previous lot.

JUST 14,000 spectators are expected to attend Friday’s International Rules second Test at the Gold Coast’s Metricon Stadium.

THE first time I met Micheál Martin, I was certain he would become leader of Fianna Fáil.

MAYO’S Daniel Glancy made it a memorable second day on the trot for home players in the Green Property Irish Men’s Open at Fitzwilliam yesterday.

THE prospect of a clash of the two biggest Irish stars Down Under was wrecked yesterday when Setanta Ó hAilpín was unceremoniously dropped from the Carlton Blues line-up for this weekend’s AFL showdown with Sydney.

WHILE Championship football can be the most unforgiving of sporting arenas — just ask Joe Kernan this morning — Australian Rules isn’t too far behind its northern hemisphere cousin.

AT least Brian Cowen has turned on its head the old maxim that all political careers end in failure – his premiership began in failure and unravelled from there.

BY NOW Fianna Fáil loyalists will have begun to come to terms with the shock of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s Wednesday announcement.

HE hasn’t always been painted in a good light but a master of strokes can change impressions.

BERTIE is from Mars, Enda is from Venus.

LISTENING to some of the attacks on Mr Justice Alan Mahon over his handling of Tom Gilmartin reminds me of the story of Friedrich Riesfeldt, 46, of Paderborn, Germany, a highly conscientious zookeeper who cared passionately about his animals.

THE potential presence of Stuart O’Grady with Team CSC could add an exciting dimension to the inaugural Tour of Ireland (August 22-26).

A CHANGE of horse proved a judicious move for show jumper Cameron Hanley when he rode SIEC Concept to seventh place in Saturday’s World Cup contest in Vigo, Spain.

THE Irish Farmers Association (IFA) this week said it is “outraged” by the Department of Agriculture’s refusal to provide compensation for four breeders it says are at a financial loss as a result of swamp fever restrictions.

THE Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) executive has been issued with draft proposals on the setting up of an umbrella body for the equine industry as the initiative gains momentum.

ALAN KERINS will play no part in Galway’s bid for the Sam Maguire having committed himself to Conor Hayes’s hurling panel for 2006.

IRISH Junior 1500 metres record holder Colin Costello is to take up a scholarship at University of Arkansas, the number-one ranked US track and field college.

EUROPEAN gold medallist Alistair Cragg is considering an audacious attempt at the 4km and 12km titles on successive days at the World Cross-Country Championships in Saint-Etienne/Saint-Galmier next weekend.

John McDonnell has been named coach of the year following another successful season as men’s head coach at the University of Arkansas.

THE national executive of the Show Jumping Association of Ireland last Tuesday rescinded a Cork/Kerry Branch motion limiting the length of tenure of its secretary position.

AN Irish team that on paper condescended to be weak, tore up the script when it came second in last weekend’s Samsung Super League Nations Cup in Rome.

THE new Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) executive are to get an exclusive briefing on plans for the modernisation of the Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI).

NEWLY-ELECTED Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) chairman Charles Hanley has poured cold water on efforts to re-ignite plans for a unified equestrianism body.