Last night’s rip-roaring Munster minor football phase-one qualifier in Newcastlewest ended with Seán Murphy’s goal three minutes from time giving Limerick their first championship win in the grade since 2010.

Limerick 3-8 Waterford 0-12

Clare 2-17 Limerick 3-07

Based in West Cork, Global Shares provides international companies with employee share schemes, and after a bumper 2012, it is now looking to hire additional staff for its Clonakilty headquarters, writes Trish Dromey

The Arts Council has shown that investment in the arts yields significant returns. So why is it being cut, asks Alan O’Riordan

A bright start helped Mickey Ned O’Sullivan-coached Coláiste Gobnathan, Ballyvourney overcame the spirited challenge of Coláiste Mhuire, Askeaton to win this Munster Vocational Schools Junior B Football final, played at a sun-soaked Firies yesterday.

SINCE Dáil Éireann was established in 1919 there have been 125 by-elections. All but 11 of those were held within six months of the vacancy occurring. But the current Dáil has three vacancies, two of which are already more than six months old and the third well over a year and heading for a record delay.

George Michael “cried like a baby” when he was jailed yesterday.

ONE week before the Flood family were lowered into their graves, they were swimming together at a hotel pool outside Wexford town.

THE parish priest of Cloughbawn yesterday said people were left lost, helpless and frightened by last weekend’s murder-suicide of a young local family.

A family of four killed in a suspected murder-suicide carried out by the father will be buried together on Friday.

THE four bodies of the Flood family were last night released to grieving relatives anxious to bring their loved ones home for burial in Wexford.

A MULTI-million euro Cork-based employee share scheme company will create up to 50 jobs in Clonakilty over the next two years following the announcement it has secured $3.25m (€2.3m) in funding.

A REPORT published yesterday on the International Sport Horse Show (ISHS) at Punchestown for the years 2002-2004 gives a rare insight into the running of a major equestrian event.

BUDDING students who want to learn in state-of-the-art surroundings and join one of Ireland’s most successful sectors are being enticed into a new three year degree programme at Waterford Institute of Technology.

FORMER lobbyist Frank Dunlop has linked one of the country’s best known businessmen, Joe Moran, with allegations of planning corruption over the rezoning of lands near Swords, Co Dublin, in the early 1990s.

IFG Group Plc, Ireland’s smallest publicly-traded financial-services company, will beat its target of doubling earnings per share by 2007 as the business benefits from a reorganisation, chief Executive Officer Richard Hayes said.

FINANCIAL services provider IFG announced yesterday that former GPA high flyer, Colm Barrington, has joined the board as a non executive director.

SHARES in IFG slid 6% yesterday after the troubled financial services group announced pre-tax losses of €6.7 million for the year to December.

Financial services group IFG made losses before tax of €1.4m last year. In addition, goodwill of €7.4m has been written off in relation to the closure of the group's pension release business.

FINANCIAL services provider IFG Group’s shares are rated a buy by stockbrokers Dolmen and NCB in advance of the company’s 2004 interim results next Monday.

IFG chief executive Richard Hayes has upped his stake in the troubled financial services company.

US drugs giant Pfizer admitted it had found an increased risk of heart attacks with patients taking its top-selling painkiller Celebrex – but has no plans to remove it from the market.

MORTGAGE refinancing will be the next big thing in the Irish financial services market, according to a leading player in the sector.

Financial services group IFG has reported profits before tax of €2.59m, up from €1.154m for the same period - the six months to the end of June - last year.

FINANCIAL services group IFG yesterday signalled its painful restructuring was at an end as it reported a €1.7 million profit last year after a €32.8m loss in 2002.

IWP boss Joe Moran says he is not planning to take the company private despite its continuing struggle to define itself.