"Poor Sepp Blatter," wrote John Cleese on Twitter last Friday. "Just a couple of hundred rotten apples, and he has to carry the can".

Teacher Emmet Ryan felt trapped, over-worked and under-appreciated in his London job. He tells Colette Sheridan how he broke the rut.

Sir Patrick Stewart, Helen Lederer and Hugh Bonneville are just some of the stars bringing a series of statues to life by giving them a voice.

Often described as one of the few plays from the 18th century to have enduring appeal, Oliver Goldsmith’s Restoration comedy, She Stoops to Conquer opens at Cork’s Everyman on May 20.

The 4th Earl of Chesterfield’s name isn’t one that many of us will have come across in our days learning history in school but the man born as Philip Dormer Stanhope left quite a mark on Ireland and much, much more besides.

FOR character recognition, manual co-ordination, and delightful fun, The Big Barn Dance by Jenny Arthur (Caterpillar; €11.50 HB) is the bee’s knees. The full spreads in this sturdy board book each focus on a particular farm animal. Press the right identifying button on the attached strip panel and the relevant creature will moo, baa, quack etc. Excellent entertainment for age 18 months and up.

DURING these hard times when, after a decade of splurging by the Bertie Gang, we’re now expected to trim our wallets and expectations, all in the noble cause of patriotism, it might be timely to remind ourselves of Samuel Johnson’s adage regarding the calibre of those who take refuge in this notion.

It was Samuel Johnson who famously proclaimed in 1775 that “patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel”.

ALCOHOL will “contribute greatly” to the future health of the nation, a lobby group representing 6,000 publicans told an Oireachtas committee yesterday.

Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty protested his innocence after being quizzed by police following an anti-drugs operation.

Scotland's largest independent regional brewer Belhaven is being taken over by Greene King in a £187m (€275.7m) deal, it was announced today.

TO anyone of a rational disposition, the sight of old or middle-aged men in bowler hats and orange sashes marching to commemorate a battle fought over 300 years ago seems absurd.

Samuel Johnson, who became a billionaire by expanding the wax company started by his great-grandfather into the consumer products giant SC Johnson, died of cancer, his family said.