Lismore is gearing up for its seventh opera festival, with the hotly tipped Rachel Croash starring in a production of Così Fan Tutte, writes Cathy Desmond

Literary audiences will be in for a treat with some of the biggest names in travel writing taking centre stage at this year’s Immrama Festival of Travel Writing.

A Waterford biscuit company with a workforce of three is to market its luxury product in Harrod’s of London.

Des O’Sullivan reports of what are sure to be some prized lots at forthcoming sale.

The President Michael D Higgins has been meeting British Prime Minister David Cameron for lunch in Downing Street, on the second day of his State visit to the UK.

The word science comes from the Latin ‘scientia’ meaning ‘knowledge’. Scientists strive to understand nature, from sub-atomic particles to the structure of the universe, from the origins of life to saving lives.

THE month began with reports of a tornado in Galway. Or was it extra-strong wind? Within 24 hours, a restaurant owner had admitted that the striking image of the ‘tornado’ was a Photoshop fake.

If you think today’s health service is bad, try curing eye ailments with powdered human dung; piles and convulsions with earthworms; and ulcers with mashed millipedes.

THE life and work of the scientist Robert Boyle will be celebrated in his home town of Lismore next month.

A HERITAGE town is rolling out a new “living history” programme aimed at highlighting some of the famous people connected to the area over the years.

SIR Humphrey Gilbert was the Pol Pot of his generation when it came to amassing Irish skulls, many of which ended up being used as medicine by the English aristocracy.

An alcoholic who forced a student out of her car and threatened to kill her if she did not hand over the keys has received a four-and-a-half-year sentence for this and a bookies robbery.

LISTS that aim to honour greatness are usually no more than a snapshot of the moment we live in.

IN a tribute to Robert Boyle (March 6), you state that Ireland has produced a Nobel prizewinner for chemistry. I cannot find any evidence of this.

AWARD-winning science outreach centre CALMAST has arranged an action-packed south-east science festival, with events planned throughout Waterford and Wexford.

British Airways’ all-business-class London to New York service is expected to start in autumn next year and will include a fuel stop at Shannon in Ireland, it was announced today.

British Airways flyers were facing another hike in ticket costs today after record oil prices forced the airline to raise its fuel surcharges for the third time this year.

British Airways today announced an expansion of its American flights to take advantage of next spring’s transatlantic “open skies” policy.

British Airways is to increase the fuel surcharge for passengers on its long-haul flights from next week because of oil price rises, it was announced today.

IRELAND’S new focus on science in our schools augers well for the country and will help forge links with some of the world’s leading economies, maths experts say.

The Restaurant Show 2006 is on this month, from Monday 18 to Wednesday 20, at the Olympia in London. It is the only show dedicated to the restaurant trade.