Fashion and homeware retailer Laura Ashley is to leave its long-held Cork city centre shop on St Patrick’s Street, after 30 years trading there at the Merchants Quay Shopping Centre: it is moving instead to suburban retail park.

Declan Bonner, the Donegal manager, commended the resolve shown by his young side as they came from four points down late on to overcame Meath in a frost-bitten Ballybofey on Saturday night.

Graham Reilly crowned his first Championship game as Meath captain with a thrilling display to help secure a Leinster SFC semi-final clash with Kildare.

The Irish franchisee of car and van rental firm Europcar has been acquired by its parent group for an estimated €26m. Since its Paris flotation last year the French rental group has targeted the purchase of its better-performing franchisees with a reported war-chest of around €500m available.

The row between the National Maternity Hospital and St Vincent’s Hospital over their co-location plans has deepened after a top obstetrician said the latter’s insistence on giving its Catholic-ethos board control over its new neighbour made no sense.

The war of words in the National Maternity Hospital row grew more entrenched over the weekend, as both sides accused the other of peddling mistruths.

Mick O’Dowd has ruled former skipper Kevin Reilly out of Meath’s Leinster championship opener with Wicklow and admitted it’ll be a ‘bonus’ if the stricken defender does return at some point in the campaign.

Roscommon 2-10 Meath 0-14

Meath 0-13, Laois 0-13:

Meath 4-10, Westmeath 0-11: Meath started a busy month of football with a goal rush that pleased manager Mick O’Dowd at Páirc Tailteann on Saturday night.

Allianz FL Division 2 Round 2: Meath 0-13 Kilare 0-11: It was payback time for Meath footballers following a dismal performance in their opening round defeat to Galway and they delivered in front of their supporters at Pairc Tailteann on Saturday night.

Tina Mcintyre is attacked on Coronation Street and The Good Wife returns in an unfortunately late slot on RTE.

Donegal 1-12 Meath 1-12

Meath defender Bryan Menton insists they don’t need a slice of rivals Dublin’s vast sponsorship pie to catch upon the All-Ireland champions.

Wicklow 1-12 Meath 1-17

He may have been one of the best players of his generation but Trevor Giles was always an understated superstar and that penchant for modesty is alive and well these days as he works on the minds and bodies of those following in his footsteps.

Body language tells us a lot.

Meath 2-21 Carlow 0-09

A TALE of two victories.

MEATH boss Seamus McEnaney last night handed out senior championship debuts to U21 duo Bryan Menton and Ciaran Lenehan for Sunday’s Leinster quarter-final against Kildare in Croke Park but the involvement of veteran forward Graham Geraghty remains unclear as the list of Royal County substitutes has yet to be released.

SEAMUS McENANEY’S stock was already low in Meath after the opening three rounds of the Allianz League but it plummeted further yesterday after a dismal display at Páirc Tailteann.

A young father who threatened to kill himself and his ex-partner when he suspected she was seeing someone else after they had broken up has had his sentencing adjourned for six months.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy is still on course for the Radisson SAS West of Ireland title at Rosses Point after producing a stellar performance to beat Scrabo’s Ryan Boal with a birdie at the 20th in the first round.

Dunmurry's Darren Crowe is determined to break his title hoodoo in the Radisson SAS West of Ireland championship at Rosses Point.

WHAT began as a mini revolt was last night threatening towards widespread rebellion as publicans around the country opened their doors to smokers.

GIVEN their experiences of the last few days the team behind the failed Irish and Scottish campaign for EURO 2008 can be forgiven for not wishing to rush headlong into launching a bid to stage the event in 2012.

A COPY of Machiavelli’s political epic The Prince and an intimate knowledge of television game show The Weakest Link appear to be the prerequisites for any future bid by Ireland and Scotland to stage the European Championships.

The Football Association of Ireland will begin its search for a new general secretary today following the resignation of Brendan Menton yesterday evening.

The Football Association of Ireland begins its search for a new general secretary today following the resignation of Brendan Menton yesterday evening.

LIKE Mick McCarthy, the end of Brendan Menton’s tenure was not a case of if but when.

THE FAI’s general secretary, Brendan Menton, last night stressed that his decision to step down from the key administrative position was geared to hasten the implementation of the Genesis evaluation report.

A whole new era lies ahead for the Republic of Ireland following the publication of the hard-hitting Genesis report which has already resulted in general secretary Brendan Menton resigning.

Brendan Menton, general secretary of the Football Association of Ireland, has tonight resigned following the publication of a hard-hitting report into the organisation’s role during last summer’s World Cup.

Brendan Menton, General Secretary of the FAI, has tendered his resignation following a damning report on the association's handling of the Republic of Ireland's World Cup trip this summer.

THE Football Association of Ireland’s report into the Saipan disaster will be made public this evening and the reaction of key players in the organisation should make for reading as interesting as the report itself.

THE FAI has welcomed a commitment by the Government that a final decision on the construction of a national sports stadium will be made by the end of next month.

The Euro 2008 UEFA inspection team insist they have no doubts Ireland will be able to provide two stadia as part of the joint bid with Scotland for the Championships.

FAI PRESIDENT Milo Corcoran, was yesterday elected to a prestigious post with UEFA in which he will have responsibility for under-age football.

CROKE PARK was identified yesterday as a future venue for a Champions’ League final if the GAA relax their rule banning football in advance of Euro 2008.

THE FAI will pursue at diplomatic and UEFA level the issue of violence towards visiting supporters in Moscow where some Irish fans were seriously hurt prior to the European Championship tie against Russia.