President Michael D Higgins and wife Sabina yesterday visited the headquarters and training centre of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind in Cork to mark the organisation’s 40th anniversary year.

After four decades of outstanding service to the visually impaired community and over a decade working with families of children with autism Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind is set to launch their most important fundraising campaign since they first began in 1976.

More than 45,000 people in Ireland have a form of autism and the figure may be as high as 50,000, a study shows.

Guide dog owners have spoken movingly about how the unique partnership with their dogs has given them a new lease of life.

Irish Guide Dogs has been forced to close the waiting list for its autism assistance dog programme for a second time because of massive over-subscription.

Hundreds of autistic children are being denied the companionship of a life- transforming assistance dog due to a lack of funds.

DONATIONS from the public to one of the country’s best-known charities, Irish Guide Dogs For The Blind (IGDB) dropped by €1 million or 32% last year, figures show.

A SPECIAL fund has been established in honour of the late Examiner journalist Maureen Fox to help train a newborn guide dog.

DOZENS of autistic children will not get specialist trained assistance dogs next year because of Government cutbacks.

TRIGGS, football’s biggest canine celebrity, is sure to put his famous master in the shade when he makes his big screen debut this weekend.

STUDENTS at Bandon Bridge School in Co Cork will play host to soccer legend Roy Keane, after winning a competition run by the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind (IGDB).

CRUCIAL supports for the blind, visually impaired and children with autism are set to improve thanks to a multi-million revamp of a charity headquarters.

THE Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind organisation unveiled a €5 million service expansion plan yesterday, aimed at reaching out to more people.

THE Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind (IGDB) scored big time yesterday when Ireland’s top Roy Keane impersonator presented them with €20,000 — the proceeds of his hit record that captured the nation’s imagination.

Roy Keane once again put his rivals in the shade as he backed a bid to raise thousands of euro for much-needed guide dog training.

IT’S official. Roy Keane wants to put everyone in the shade — for a very good cause!

IRISH EXAMINER owners Thomas Crosbie Holdings Ltd (TCH) have appointed Tom Murphy chief executive designate of the Irish Examiner.

Thomas Crosbie Holdings, Ireland's fastest growing media company today announced that an internal candidate, Mr Tom Murphy, had been chosen as successor to Irish Examiner chief executive Padraig Mallon who is to leave the company at the end of November 2002.

THE Irish Examiner’s circulation continues to rise, selling an extra 600 copies a day with more than 210,000 people reading the paper daily, two key surveys on the Irish newspaper industry reveal.

Mr Padraig Mallon, Head of Advertising, has been appointed Chief Executive Designate at Examiner Publications (Cork) Limited.