The Irish Times and Littlewoods Ireland have been given chances to avoid criminal convictions for breaking e-privacy regulations by sending customers unsolicited emails.

Discount landline operator Yourtel has been fined €5,000 for unwanted marketing calls targeting Eir customers to tempt them to switch. It is the latest firm to be successfully prosecuted at Dublin District Court by the office of the Data Protection Commissioner. The case was brought after the watchdog received complaints from people about Yourtel repeatedly cold calling them against their wishes.

A 20-year-old man wanted by gardaí jumped out the upstairs window of his home in Cork in a desperate bid to get away, but broke both of his legs in the fall.

Insurance companies and law firms are to be inspected by the State’s data protection watchdog in a bid to stop the use of private investigators to unlawfully access individuals’ personal information.

Data protection bosses have issued strong warnings to credit unions, the ESB and members of the Garda Síochána following the prosecution of a private investigator for breaching data laws.

A private investigator has been fined €5,000 after he was convicted of breaking data protection laws by obtaining private personal information held by gardaí and the ESB.

A senior data protection official has described as "shameful and shocking" how a number of credit unions helped private investigators dupe civil servants into handing over citizens’ personal details.

Two female private investigators who pretended to be HSE and VEC officials were able to blag personal data from other civil servants to help credit unions find members who had defaulted on their loans.

The Carphone Warehouse company has been fined €6,000 for sending unsolicited “spam” marketing text messages to two customers.

The Carphone Warehouse company was today fined €6,000 for sending unsolicited “spam” marketing text messages to two customers.

Three companies have been left with court convictions for making unsolicited marketing phone calls and sending spam emails.

Dublin’s footballers and hurlers will treat the crowds with an exhibition match on New Year’s Eve at Round Tower GAA Club, Monastery Road, Clondalkin.

Four telephone companies were hit with monetary penalties yesterday for making unsolicited marketing calls and sending spam emails and text messages to customers.

Bord Gáis was prosecuted yesterday by the Data Protection Commission for sending an email promoting a charitable fundraiser which ended up netting €150,000 for St Vincent de Paul.

Embattled Justice Minister Alan Shatter said the Garda commissioner gave him details about TD Mick Wallace escaping penalty points and that he publicly revealed it to defend the integrity of the force.

There is a “solemn duty” on Government figures, including Justice Minister Alan Shatter, to protect personal data and not disclose it unless the person affected consents or there is a legal basis, the country’s top data protection chief has said.

Mobile phone operators 3G Ireland and Meteor, as well as retailer Carphone Warehouse, have admitted breaking data protection regulations by sending unsolicited text messages and spam emails to customers.

Mobile phone operators 3G Ireland and Meteor as well retailer Carphone Warehouse have admitted breaking data protection regulations by sending unsolicited text messages and “spam” emails to customers.

Meteor and eMobile have been spared criminal convictions for breaking data protection laws following the theft of two laptops which contained sensitive personal information about thousands of customers.

Mobile phone operators eMobile and Meteor have admitted breaking data protection laws following the theft of two laptops which contained sensitive personal information about thousands of customers.

Three insurance companies have been spared criminal convictions for possessing personal information on 15 people which was obtained by a private detective from a leak in the Department of Social Protection.

Three insurance companies have admitted breaking data protection laws by possessing personal information on 15 people which was obtained by a private detective from a leak in the Department of Social Protection.

Three insurance companies have admitted breaking data protection laws by possessing personal information on 15 people which was obtained by a private detective from a leak in the Department of Social Protection.

COMMUNICATIONS giants UPC and Vodafone received convictions for repeatedly sending unsolicited messages to customers.

SKY TV has backed down to threats of legal action from the Irish data watchdog over radical plans to provide personal information of subscribers to other companies.

John McGrath has been appointed as the new manager of the Tipperary senior camogie team.

THE Office of the Data Protection Commissioner said yesterday it had received a number of calls from people complaining they had been bombarded with text messages from election candidates.

HE’S played only bit parts in Toomevara’s run to this year’s Tipp final, missed out in their dramatic last-second semi-final win over Mullinahone, and for the two weeks since then has been an injury-doubt.

HOW OFTEN do you see a top-class hurling match in which every starting forward on both sides scores from play?

"AH FECK IT, I'll have to hurl again next year now, I thought I'd be retiring after this year."

Waterford champions Mount Sion take on Tipperary kingpins Toomevara in today's Munster club hurling final at Semple Stadium, Thurles.

EVEN if it wasn't a case of there being little else on the sporting front, for hurling fans throughout Munster and Leinster, tomorrow's meeting of Toomevara and Mount Sion in the Munster Club hurling final is a must-see event.

Toomevara 2-13 Na Piarsaigh 0-13

FEAR of defeat inspired Toomevara to an amazing comeback against Na Piarsaigh.

THERE was a time when county championship success meant rounds. Not of the pitch, but of pints and of pubs, with chests out, heads held high, and the all-important cup in tow.

FURIOUS Fermoy workers, backed by SIPTU, warned yesterday they will fight a ‘paltry’ redundancy offer at a local timber plant, due to close next month.

Toomevara 3-19 Thurles Sarsfields 3-16

DESPITE an ongoing knee problem, Allstar John Leahy could be tempted to make a dramatic return for his club Mullinahone’s semi-final clash with Toomevara in the Tipperary county senior hurling championship at Thurles tomorrow.

Tipperary minor hurler John Boland will miss the All-Ireland Final against Kilkenny on Sunday next following a ruling by the Management Committee that any player receiving a red card gets an automatic one month suspension.

TIPPERARY defender John Boland has been cleared to play in next month’s All-Ireland MHC final against Kilkenny.

Toomevara centre-back Tony Delaney is expected to be fit to take his place in tomorrow's Munster club semi-final clash against Ballygunner in Walsh Park, Waterford.