This year’s Irish Film and Television Academy awards promise to be the most exciting yet, with superstars Colin Farrell and Michael Fassbender being tipped for a gong.

The first thing we should ask about major series Titanic (tomorrow, TV3/UTV, 9pm) is why the schedulers didn’t get that sinking feeling when they put it in a slot immediately after a show entitled Dancing On Ice — The Final.

There’s a great scene in the Oscar-nominated short film Pentecost by Irish director Peter McDonald where the local parish priest gives the altar boys an impassioned pep talk before the biggest Mass of their lives.

You can really imagine the problem.

Some of the biggest names in Hollywood have paraded down the red carpet ahead of the 84th Academy Awards.

For a silent movie, The Artist is generating a lot of noise.

The Oscars are heavily influenced by nostalgia this year.

A year-and-a-half after she died of cancer aged 49, the daughter of a Cork father and a Limerick mother has been nominated at this year’s Oscars for her adapted screenplay, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Two short Irish films - 'Pentecost' and 'The Shore' - have received Oscar nominations today in the Short Film/Live Action category.

With Brendan Gleeson securing a Golden Globe nod for the phenomenally successful The Guard, the Irish film scene looks healthier than most other indigenous sectors and the closing credits for this feel-good story show no sign of rolling just yet, writes John Daly

ACTORS Michael Fassbender and Brendan Gleeson have been nominated for Golden Globe Awards while Irish drama Albert Nobbs, which was filmed in Dublin, has received three nominations.

A short Irish film about an altar boy’s love of football has been shortlisted for an Oscar nomination.

RETAILERS in the country’s most exclusive shopping area have pleaded for Government help to get out of leases they say are forcing them to pay exorbitant rents.

1.WHY aren’t there more Irish rugby players with tattoos? Every second Welsh player last weekend had some kind of ink curling out from underneath a sleeve, leaving the boys in green looking a little... pasty in comparison.

BRIAN KENNEALLY (Myhome.ie/BD BC) was rewarded for his courage with a sensational victory after riding clear of the breakaway group a mile from the finish of yesterday’s 91 mile second stage of the FBD Insurance RÁS from Templemore to Loughrea.

Cork 0-13 Armagh 0-12, O'Moore Park, Portlaoise

Armagh 1-16 Monaghan 1-9, Omagh

Fresh from helping Crossmaglen to the AIB All-Ireland club football title last month, Paul Kernan, John Hanratty, Stephen Finnegan and David McKenna will be on hand tomorrow to help Armagh in their Cadbury's Ulster Under-21 football final showdown with Monaghan (Omagh, throw-in 3.30pm).

Ginger McCain equalled his previous best seasonal total when Regal Heights’ victory at Ayr put the Aintree legend on 22 for the campaign.

The Irish are on the way to the New York Film Fleadh, with six features, two documentaries, 10 shorts and four Stateside premieres.