A dissident republican group behind dozens of gun and bomb attacks on security forces in Northern Ireland has declared a ceasefire.

Stephen Martin has stepped down as the CEO of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) to pursue other career interests, it has been announced.

The current political instability in Britain is likely to impact the country’s economic growth this year, said Standard & Poor’s chief economist for the European, Middle East and Africa.

Birmingham manager Gianfranco Zola enjoyed a badly-needed win as his team secured a 2-1 success against local rivals Wolves at Molineux.

The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) has a new president for the first time in 28 years after Swim Ireland’s Sarah Keane was swept in to the position with a vote at the body’s EGM in Dublin’s Conrad Hotel late last night.

Pat Hickey has been released from a Brazilian jail.

AFTER an interview extending over four hours on Thursday Rio police said Irish Olympic officials, Kevin Kilty and Stephen Martin, had co-operated fully and were very helpful.

The Government’s Olympics ticket touting scandal inquiry may be extended past its 12-week deadline if the scale of information uncovered makes the current schedule unworkable.

Latest: Former Brazil World Cup winner turned Senator Romario has stated he tipped off authorities to the alleged ticket touting operation.

Brazilian police have confiscated the passports of three more Irish Olympic officials and are pursuing three others, including FAI chief executive John Delaney and Pat Hickey’s successor Willie O’Brien.

A bomb attack on a prison officer in Northern Ireland may be the first of a number of dissident republican murder bids launched to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising, police have warned.

A driver has been arrested for suspected attempted murder after a teenager was hit by a car during a riot in Belfast.

A Northern Ireland road safety advert has been banned on TV before 9pm as it shows horrifying scenes of young children being crushed by a car.

The Olympic Council of Ireland has recognised Seamus O'Connor's impressive performances in snowboard events by selecting him as the Irish flag bearer for Sunday's Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics closing ceremony.

A hugely encouraging final practice run has skeleton racer Seán Greenwood in confident mood ahead of his Olympic debut tomorrow.

Ireland’s Seamus O’Connor remains confident a place in the final of the slopestyle snowboarding event can be secured tomorrow morning.

The doomsday scenarios surrounding the Winter Olympics seemed as plentiful as the snow which covers the sprawling complexes of Sochi and its hinterland.

Olympic Council of Ireland President Pat Hickey is not worried by the security concerns surrounding next month’s Winter Games in Sochi.

Alpine skier Conor Lyne will lead a five-strong Ireland team to the Winter Olympics in Sochi next month.

Police in the North have today apologised after raiding the home of a Sinn Féin Lord Mayor as part of a probe into republican activity.

Show jumper Denis Lynch has been required by Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) to attend a meeting in Dublin today to put his case as to why he should be allowed to participate in the Olympics.

Ireland has an excellent chance of having a women’s sevens rugby team at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio after a spectacular and dramatic debut by a new squad at the European championships which ended in Moscow at the weekend.

Thirty months have skipped past since Sonia O’Sullivan was named chef de mission for the Irish 2012 Olympic team and, as she admits herself, she still struggles to come up with a definitive answer when asked just what that entails.

The Olympic Council of Ireland chief executive Stephen Martin is counting down the days to the London Games. Want a flavour of his July?

Irish Olympic Council of Ireland CEO Stephen Martin believes Euro 2012 will help to focus attention on the Irish athletes competing at the London Olympics.

Alert Ryan Tubridy, engage Ian Dempsey, trouble Ray D’arcy and dispatch Paul Collins from barracks; we may have another bandwagon to mobilise.

Two explosions in Derry forced elderly residents to leave their sheltered accommodation last night.

EARLY this morning, many of Ireland’s Olympic hopefuls gathered at the Tollymore National Outdoor Centre on the edge of the Mourne Mountains.

It is only a matter of time before dissident republicans kill police or civilians, it was claimed today.

The Real IRA has been blamed for attacks on the homes of two police personnel in Co Derry.

RÓISÍN UPTON’S whirlwind 12 months came to a fitting end at the Burlington Hotel on Saturday night, as she was named U18 Female Player of the Year at the sixth annual ESB Electric Ireland Irish Hockey Awards.

A military grenade thrown at police in the North landed at the feet of two young children, a senior officer said.

Dissident republicans suspected of planting a car bomb at a courthouse in the North were intent on causing murder and destruction, the Stormont Justice Minister has said.

AFTER RECEIVING a walkover from top seed Daniel Glancy in the opening round, Glasnevin’s Paul Keoghan was quickly jolted back to reality last night at the National Indoors Tennis Championships at David Lloyd Riverview when Mike Johnston defeated him 6-4 6-1.