Digicel Group, the mobile-services company owned by Denis O’Brien, is planning to raise $1.5bn-$2bn (€1.78bn) in an initial public offering as soon as this month, people with knowledge of the matter said.

I have, over the last week, being listening to both points of view as regards the state of Cork hurling. Both Donal Og and the county board have valid points but what seems to be lost in all this debate in the average player.

Irish-founded wind and solar company Mainstream Renewable Power has assembled a €60m warchest, much of which will come from the National Pensions Reserve Fund.

Joe Walsh, the former agriculture minister who was acclaimed as being equally at home in the parish hall or in the gilded buildings of Brussels, was laid to rest yesterday.

Droopys Nidge remains firmly on course for St Leger success.

THE decision by the Taoiseach to publicly support same-sex marriage will mean he is about to have a fight on his hands, firstly from conservative Fine Gael backbenchers but, more volubly, from the leaders of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

Midleton 2-18 Bishopstown 0-08

Martin Coppinger and Eddie Carr will face each other in the rescheduled All-Ireland senior final at Béal na mBláth on Saturday, August 24.

Water rationing will be extended to many more areas in the south-west due to the dry spell.

IT was all beer and skittles at Fota House last week.

A Co Meath housewife has won a GAA club lottery on the direction of a judge.

Toureen Bridge made quite an impression on his debut here late last month and he can land the nap in tonight’s fifth race.

PORTLAOISE’S pursuit of a record five Laois SFC titles in-a-row cleared its latest hurdle at the weekend, as they saw off rivals Arles-Kilcruise by three points on Saturday night to book a semi-final place.

THANKS to the kind sponsorship of the Youghal Track Supporters’ Club, there is free entry to Youghal Track for tonight’s meeting, which features the climax of the Premier Fantasy & YTSC Southern Oaks, and also includes the finals of the Shanagarry A4 Stakes and the Frightful Flash A2.

A LOVING mother whose mentally ill husband killed their two daughters before he committed suicide held back the tears as she tried to explain the impact the tragedy has had on her life.

LIKE Dr Pat Walsh (Letters, May 12), I too welcome the debate on Gallipoli in the columns of the Irish Examiner.

I WISH to congratulate the Irish Examiner for airing all the views of various correspondents to the letters page on the Gallipoli issue.

I WAS interested in the letter from Dr Pat Walsh (April 26) on the justification – or lack of it – for the invasion of Gallipoli by the British and French in 1915.

IN his letter (April 12), Mark Cronin reasserts the British view that the Turks bear responsibility for being invaded at Gallipoli because “the pro-German faction within the Turkish government was the controlling party in the lead-up to the war”.

AGAIN Dr Pat Walsh (Letters, April 5) ignores the facts in wishing to view British involvement in World War I against Turkey as part of an imperialist plot to dismember it.

IN his response to my article on Gallipoli (March 23), Mark Cronin (Letters, March 25) reveals that the propaganda constructed to justify England’s invasion of Mesopotamia and Turkey during 1914/15 has done its job well in Ireland to this day.

PUBLIC relations firm, Murray Consultants said its focus has shifted from product launches to crisis management as it records an 88% increase in pre-tax profit to just over €946,000.

Offaly 3-14 Waterford 2-8, Croke Park

THE pub culture has been changing in this country in recent years. The drift from the bars is matched only by the drop in vocations and the attendances at Sunday mass, which can probably be attributed largely to the culpable arrogance of prominent church people.

ONE of the country’s largest public relations firms has reported a surge in pre-tax profits for last year.

FROM big hearts come some huge results and this Evening Echo Cork Co SHC semi-final upset at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday was a whopper.

THE Government must come up with a compensation package for businesses and householders hit by flash flooding in Newcastle West late last week.

FIFTY passengers had to be rescued from a bus after it became semi-submerged in flood water that deluged a north Cork town.

PEOPLE in north Kerry are protesting about delays in replacing a bridge which collapsed a year ago under the weight of a truck carrying 250 pigs.

Former New Zealand star Pat Walsh died on Saturday at the age of 71 after a lengthy battle with illness.

THE final of the Hewitt College A3 Stakes at Curraheen Park is up for grabs with only half a length separating the two semi-final winners on Saturday night.

IT SHOULD have been a glorious summer adventure for the eight carefree pals who put to sea aboard a flat-bottomed boat.

SO close they can almost touch it. Midleton face St Flannan’s at Ennis tomorrow in the Harty Cup final and want to end 11 years of waiting.

A report on Indonesia’s 24-year occupation of East Timor blames over 100,000 deaths and massive human rights violations including starvation and the use of napalm primarily on Indonesian security forces, Timorese officials said today.

Stradbally 0-6 Nire 0-6

THE GAA will honour 15 of the best players from the teams who participated in the inaugural Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard Cup competitions at a function in Croke Park on Saturday, November 26.

Thirty hurlers who excelled in the summer's inaugural Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard Cup competitions are to be honoured at a function in Croke Park on Saturday, November 26.

PR firm Murray Consultants has appointed Pat Walsh as its new managing director.

Limerick 1-13 Waterford 0-10

WATERFORD'S narrow defeat to Kilkenny in this year's All-Ireland senior hurling semi-final was all the more heartbreaking when Cork, deservedly, went on to lift the title.

Fourmilewater 0-12 Ballyduff Upper 1-8