Fifteen men were yesterday arrested at the funeral of a dissident republican in Northern Ireland.

Since 1898, Dublin Fire Brigade ran the ambulance service and the emergence of the log book of the brigade’s headquarters in Tara Street from 1916 bears witness to the efforts to deal with the battle waging on the streets and the people affected, writes Las Fallon

On our farms right now many cattle are spending a good deal of their day backed up against a sheltered ditch.

Two young boys saw their father repeatedly slashed across the face with a carpet knife in an unprovoked assault at a daylight “ambush” at a graveyard in Ennis two years ago.

The appearance of poet Sylvia Plath on Leaving Certificate English Paper 2 will have brought joy to a huge proportion of the 35,000 higher-level students yesterday afternoon.

The English papers faced by about 53,000 Leaving Certificate students were based on themes of storytelling and humour.

A lottery player drove for more than two hours hoping to cash in on some Lotto luck — and it paid off.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan’s home village was directly affected by the closure of its three nearest AIB bank branches, which shut yesterday along with 41 others across the country.

The non-appearance of Sylvia Plath or Seamus Heaney was the talking point for most higher level Leaving Certificate English students last night.

The months of planning — and hopefully the nerves — came to an end as almost 117,000 students took English papers for Junior and Leaving Certificate yesterday morning.

THE Waterford senior hurling championship is down to the last four, with two derby pairings this weekend.

EAVAN BOLAND’S appearance in the poetry section of the higher level English Paper 2 brought smiles in most Leaving Certificate exam centres yesterday.

LEAVING Certificate English higher level Paper 1 had a theme of mystery running through it.

A Garda’s son, who was jailed for six years for the manslaughter of a talented teenage boxer, has failed in a bid to take his appeal against his conviction to the Supreme Court.

Sarsfields (Cork) 2-15 De La Salle (Waterford) 0-22, (after extra-time)

DURING a not entirely successful shortcut out of Dublin on Friday afternoon, I found myself driving through Ballymun.

KEVIN MORAN of De La Salle says he and his colleagues are more determined than ever to win the Waterford senior hurling title, having collected their first county only two years ago.

THEY must wait until next weekend to discover their opponents, but De La Salle will be in confident mood ahead of the Waterford SHC final after the impressive manner of their victory in Walsh Park yesterday.

SIPTU has told Aer Lingus it will have to bear any costs to the union’s members if the company’s 2008 “leave and return” scheme is found to be flawed.

GALWAY’S Ger Farragher says he and his teammates are making the most of their opportunities while the Portumna players are preparing for their All-Ireland club final date with Ballyhale Shamrocks.

Derry 0-14 Donegal 0-10

A YOUNG Clareman, John McGovern, yesterday began a six-year jail sentence for the manslaughter of Michael Doherty who, at 14 years of age, was little more than a child when he was stabbed to death outside a chip shop on a June evening in 2007.

A garda’s son has been sentenced to six years in prison for the manslaughter of a 14-year-old Traveller boy in Ennis almost two years ago. He was found guilty of the crime while being cleared of murder during a trial in February.

Westmeath 1-7 Donegal 0-15

Donegal 0-11 Tyrone 0-8

CORK captain Graham Canty has been passed fit to play for Cork and resumes his centre-back position for Sunday’s NFL showdown with Fermanagh at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

DONEGAL 2-10 MAYO 1-13

As the Garda launches its knife awareness campaign, recent court cases offer a brief glimpse into the growing knife culture and underline the need to tackle it, writes Cormac O’Keeffe.

Kerry 2-13 Donegal 0-11

Donegal 0-11 Fermanagh 1-05, Ballyshannon

EXPECT another major food safety crisis before the industry gets its act together, Irish experts warned prophetically, at the British Cattle Veterinary Association meeting held recently in Killarney.

A teenager charged with murdering a 14-year-old boy outside a fast food restaurant in County Clare has been sent forward for trial in Dublin.

IRELAND’S epidemic of death by stabbing has reached such alarming proportions the country risks being dubbed “stab nation”.

A teenager is due in court today in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old boy in Co Clare over the weekend.

Brendan Devenney will get a well-earned rest this weekend as he sits out Donegal's final game in NFL Division 1A before the league's knock-out stages come into view.

Limerick 2-12 Donegal 4-6

The third round of the Allianz NFL kicks ahead this weekend as Tyrone and Donegal look to consolidate their position at the top of the table.

CHAMPIONS Waterford IT put their Ulster Bank Fitzgibbon Cup title on the line when they take on Limerick IT in the opening round in Limerick tomorrow in the game of the round.

Cork manager Billy Morgan has made six alterations to the side that won the McGrath Cup for tonight's NFL Division 1A encounter with Donegal (Pairc Ui Rinn, throw-in 7.30pm).

A YOUNG father died days before Christmas, and was found slumped against a train station wall, killed by a cocktail of rohypnol, drink and heroin, an inquest heard yesterday.

Sligo IT 1-10 Mayo 0-9

John O'Mahony has made his first team announcement since his appointment as Mayo manager.