Ex-Rehab CEO and long-time Fine Gael adviser Frank Flannery ignored calls to appear before the Dáil’s public accounts committee last Thursday because he was having lunch with a senior Government minister.

Fallen British television personality Michael Barrymore has spoken of how he reached rock bottom and came close to killing himself after being branded a murderer after a man was found dead in his swimming pool.

ENTERTAINER Michael Barrymore was found with cocaine in his pocket after launching a foul-mouthed tirade at police, a court has heard.

Entertainer Michael Barrymore was found with cocaine in his pocket after launching a foul-mouthed tirade at police, a court heard today.

Entertainer Michael Barrymore today admitted cocaine possession when he appeared in court following an early-morning car collision.

LEADING business figures and former politicians including Sean O’Driscoll of Glen Dimplex and telecom tycoon Denis O’Brien have drafted an economic recovery plan that urges the Government to slash 30,000 jobs from the public sector.

British Home Office proposals requiring social networking sites like Facebook to log details of their users’ movements are completely unworkable, a privacy campaigner said today.

THE first leg of the semi-finals in the NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague provided a mild shock for UCC Demons who had to settle for a draw (78-78) at the end of a storming come-back by UCD Marian at Belfield but there was no such problem for the other favourites, DART Killester, who overwhelmed Neptune (85-63) at Neptune Stadium.

LIMERICK LIONS will be without their coach, Sasa Punosevac, for the remainder of the season after their partnership ended by “mutual consent” at Christmas.

EXPECT passion to rule when UCC Demons entertain Cork City rivals, Neptune, in the first derby game of the season at the Mardyke Arena tonight (8pm).

NEPTUNE coach Jim Nugent has a tough call this weekend when they travel to Belfast to play MDS Star in the Nivea for Men SuperLeague.

British state-owned nuclear firm BNFL reported wider annual losses of £303m (€459.5m) today after seeing costs increase at operations including Sellafield.

THE anguished family of a man found floating in British entertainer Michael Barrymore’s pool still do not know how he met his death.

The anguished family of a man found floating in entertainer Michael Barrymore’s pool still do not know how he met his death.

Entertainer Michael Barrymore rubbed cocaine on the gums of a man who later died after being found floating in the star’s swimming pool, an inquest heard today.