Limerick City’s St Patrick’s Day parade grand marshal, Myles Breen, summed it up well: “What an audience.”

Six-time Irish amateur champion Con Sheehan got his professional career off to a winning start with a points victory over Jonathan Rice in Los Angeles.

We all know of folk who keep their Christmas decorations up all year round, to save on the hassle of taking them down. In Kilkenny, they may as well leave their black-and-amber colours on the streets, windows and telegraph poles on a continuous basis because come September (Sept-amber?) it’s likely they’ll be needed.

A senior trade union official says IAG will have to "do a lot" to convince members to back their bid for Aer Lingus.

The Fine Gael party convention took place over the weekend in Enda Kenny’s home county of Mayo. Here is all the latest news from Castlebar and what lies ahead for the Fine Gael Party

Can Ireland grab a ticket for Euro 2016 in France?

Firstly, this week I want to thank those readers who came to our Californian Wine Evening in Meades 126 Wine Bar on Cork’s Oliver Plunkett Street last month. 

PINOT Noir is one of the great misunderstood grapes but one you will be seeing a lot more of in the coming years if Chile has its way.

Serves 4

NOTHING beats a bit of Boucicault at Christmas.

Born Dionysius Lardner Boursiquot in 1820, ‘Boucicault’ — a man destined to become the most electrifying dramatist of the Victorian era — had a whiff of sensation about him from the start.

Ireland were celebrating last night after clinching the Boys’ Home Internationals title &for the first time since 2010 after a gripping final day at Forest Pines in North Lincolnshire.

Albert Manifold has been appointed as group chief executive of construction giant CRH, effective January 1, 2014.

Metallica's Lars Ulrich loves touring because it gets him "out of the house".

A major mover behind the Tipperary International Peace Prize has been honoured by his “own people” with a Person of the Year award.

A Galway man wrongly convic-ted and hanged for the murder of a family of five in 1882 will be remembered next month ahead of efforts in the British Houses of Parliament to declare the conviction a miscarriage of justice.

Ireland’s hopes of regaining the R&A Trophy in the Boys Home International Championship at Co Louth were dealt an opening day blow when they suffered a 9½-5½ defeat to defending champions England.

Connacht, who bridged a 28 year gap when capturing the title at Rosses Point last year, begin their defence of the Interprovincial Championship this morning with a difficult match against Munster at Royal Co Down.

Slash's musicianship may be "sloppier" on his next album.

Slash has started work on his second solo album.

A BRITISH holiday-maker saved the life of a toddler after catching her as she fell from a hotel balcony.

A British holidaymaker saved the life of a 16-month-old toddler after catching her as she fell from a hotel balcony, it was reported today.

Two men have failed in their appeal against their convictions for membership of the INLA linked to a tiger kidnapping plot in Cork.

A JUDGE described a publican as “totally lawless” as he gave him a three-month jail sentence for a breach of the smoking ban at premises in Castleblayney and obstruction of a HSE environmental official.

Further Adventures of James Joyce, Colm Herron. Dakota; €7.50

A paraplegic man was jailed for three years by the Special Criminal Court in Dublin today for INLA membership linked to a plot to a kidnap a Cork businessman.

Four men arrested during a garda investigation into an alleged INLA plot to kidnap a Cork businessman were jailed for INLA membership by the Special Criminal Court in Dublin today.

The Special Criminal Court has reserved judgment in the trial of three men accused of INLA membership who were arrested during a garda investigation into a plot to kidnap a Cork businessman.

A man from the North denied at the Special Criminal Court today that he was an INLA member when he was arrested by gardaí investigating a plot to kidnap a Cork businessman.

A Tyrone man accused of INLA membership told gardaí that he did not know what two men who have pleaded guilty to INLA membership were doing in his hotel room the night before the alleged offence, the Special Criminal Court heard today.

One of three men accused of INLA membership told gardaí that he did not know two men who last month pleaded guilty to membership of the same organisation, the Special Criminal Court heard today.

The trial at the Special Criminal Court of three men accused of INLA membership has heard that the INLA planned to kidnap a Cork businessman last year.

The trial at the Special Criminal Court of four men accused of INLA membership has heard that three knives, duct-tape and cable ties were found in the coal-shed of a house that two of the accused men had entered.

ONE of the surreal characters created by Myles na gCopaleen offered a service for those who wished to appear well-read but would rather play golf, go the pub or watch the footie.

Legendary singer Lionel Richie is delighted his daughter Nicole became a mother

The Special Criminal Court has remanded five men in custody today after they were charged with being members of the INLA.

WHILE the Genesis report as presented by the IRFU on Monday evening didn’t carry a single direct reference to the Irish coach, Eddie O’Sullivan, it has considerable implications for a man who has come in for fierce criticism from many quarters from the day the Irish World Cup challenge began to unravel.

A YOUNG Co Louth woman who suffers from an inflamed colon has been awarded more than €500,000 in damages by the High Court after a judge found her illness was not properly treated or managed by Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda and the HSE (North Eastern Health Board).

A young Co Louth woman who suffers from an inflamed colon has been awarded more than €500,000 in damages by the High Court today.

The body of a man from the North who was a victim of the Thailand air crash will be returned to his family home tonight.

A HOLIDAY of a lifetime turned to tragedy for 22-year-old Derry student, Aaron Toland, after it was officially confirmed yesterday that he was among the victims of Sunday’s air crash in Thailand which claimed at least 89 lives.

Bell is making some remarkably good films these days, maturing into a fine actor.