A new online GP referral system for Covid-19 testing crashed shortly after going live today.

The president of the Intensive Care Society of Ireland, Dr Catherine Motherway has said that the health service “will try to save the most lives” while facing the challenge of Covid-19.

Normal service resumed for Willie Mullins who, after one winner but many reverses on day one, bounced back with a 194-1 treble, which included two Grade One successes, on the second day of the Punchestown festival.

Dungourney (Cork) 1-17 Fenor (Waterford) 0-8: A classy second-half goal from Dungourney corner-forward Jack Griffin was the spark the East Cork club needed to claim control of this Munster junior club hurling final yesterday in Mallow.

A return to the Galway Hurdle is on the agenda for The Game Changer, who got Davy Russell back amongst the winners with a pillar-to-post victory in the Wallstone Financial Novice Chase yesterday evening at Limerick.

A security company for taxis has installed a free CCTV system in the cab of a Cork driver who was recently assaulted.

Home energy consumption fell by almost one third since 1990, figures show.

A group concerned about the impact of pylons are impressed by an innovative biomass project, writes Claire O’Sullivan

I refer to yesterday’s press release from the SEAI, and the assertion by its chief operations officer, Dr Brian Motherway, that “we have a transparent and functioning planning process, which has proven itself capable, time and again, of making objective decisions”.

Ireland’s national and household energy bills could be slashed significantly if the Government fully adopts renewable energy tools such as wind farms, a leading group has claimed.

The Government risks a €7m-a-month fine because it is more than three years late bringing EU renewable energy rules into Irish law.

Briar Hill appears likely to go up in trip when he returns to the Cheltenham Festival in March following his rather workmanlike victory in the Slaney Novice Hurdle at Naas yesterday.

Cork IT’s powerful second-half start laid the foundations for victory over Imokilly in round three of the divisions and colleges section of the Cork SHC at Riverstown last night.

TRANQUIL SEA, winner of the race a year earlier, duly outclassed his three rivals in the Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase at Clonmel yesterday.

THE Tom Mullins trained Fosters Cross ran his rivals ragged to land the featured carlton.ie/galwaycity Handicap at the first stage of the Ballybrit festival last night.

If James Motherway’s Bluesea Cracker wins the Grand National, she’ll become the first mare since Nickel Coin back in 1951 to win the race. But Declan Colley says it will cause a sensation for reasons other than her sex.

James Motherway has been forced to rule Bluesea Cracker out of Saturday’s rearranged Coral Welsh National at Chepstow.

SIZING AUSTRALIA finally got off the mark over fences when producing a game display to land the Liams Legends 2010 Beginners Chase at Thurles yesterday.

ADRIAN MAGUIRE’S Anshan Dreams followed his win in a maiden at Tipperary with a smooth success in the INH Stallion Owners’ EBF Novice Hurdle at Cork yesterday.

James Motherway is still on cloud nine after Bluesea Cracker gave him the biggest success of his career in the Powers Whiskey Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse yesterday.

Car buying choices have moved significantly towards more energy-efficient cars since the introduction of the new Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) and motor tax rates for private cars, according to data published today by Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI).

TDs and senators have called on the energy regulator to stall all proposed gas and electricity price increases for a year to ease costs for cash-strapped businesses.

Rookie rider Paul Townend was the toast of Ballybrit as Indian Pace gave him the biggest victory of his fledgling career in the Guinness Galway Hurdle.

Rookie rider Paul Townend was the toast of Ballybrit as Indian Pace gave him the biggest victory of his fledgling career in the Guinness Galway Hurdle.

CONSUMERS are spending 70% more on energy bills because we are living in bigger homes and have more luxury appliances.

YOUNGSTERS are improving their communication skills thanks to modern forms of writing like text-messaging and email, educationalists insisted yesterday.

UNFINISHED business!

“I'M going back to school tonight”, quipped 16-years-old Patrick Mullins, after he had partnered Diego Garcia to a smooth victory in the Denny Havasnack Race at Tralee yesterday.

DAY two of the Allianz Sciath na Scol finals at Pairc Uí Rinn yesterday produced a mixed bag with two evenly contested games and two one-sided affairs.

Newtownshandrum 0-15 Cloyne 0-9

DECLAN MOTHERWAY will allow himself a victory jig at Páirc Uí Chaoimh tomorrow if Cloyne win the Cork County SHC title for the first time.

Cloyne 6-9 Sarsfields 0-8

Pat Keane

GATE receipts from this year’s hurling and football championships are set to top the €25 million mark following another bumper year for the GAA.

By Michael Ellard Cloyne 5-14 Ballyhea 0-12 BIG, rangy full-forward Conor Cusack grabbed the headlines by scoring four goals and making the fifth, as Cloyne trounced Ballyhea in this permanent tsb Cork SHC first round replay at Kilworth on Saturday.

Cloyne 5-14 Ballyhea 0-12