Five months of works on water pipes in the Merrion and Sandymount areas of Dublin begin today.

ERUDITE jester John Cleese, of Fawlty Towers and Monty Python fame, entertained key players in the Irish business and media worlds at the Thomas Crosbie Holdings (TCH) annual dinner in the company’s flagship headquarters on Cork’s South Mall last night.

One hundred-year-old pipes cracking under the pressure of modern Dublin are to be replaced with a multi-million euro investment.

ABSOLUTE drought was recorded in three counties this week, heightening the prospects of severe water shortages later in the summer.

DARINA ALLEN will be presented with a prestigious business award tomorrow night.

THERE were mixed emotions for the Irish after the opening weekend of the Paralympic Games in Athens.

The Irish Boccia team will today begin their attempts to gain qualification for the The Boccia World Cup in Christchurch, New Zealand from October 28 to November 8.

RESIDENTS whose homes were swamped two months ago when the river Tolka burst its banks are holding on to their sandbags - just in case it happens again, a committee of Dublin City Council heard yesterday.