Pressure on airlines and passengers eased tonight after the large plume of volcanic ash which hung off the coast of Ireland was blown across the Atlantic.

Most Irish airports are set to operate normally until 4pm tomorrow, aviation authorities said this evening, however warning that there is an “increased risk” of disruption from the volcanic ash cloud.

NATIONAL Olympic rowing manager Mike Heskin believes the Government must begin to invest in the development of specialist sports programmes for children, if Ireland is to achieve its sporting potential.

THURSDAY’S ugly storm clouds passed and sunshine returned to Shunyi Park yesterday but it proved another grey, miserable day for Irish rowing.

THIS wasn’t in the script. Ireland’s lightweight rowers were supposed to sail through to the Olympic semi-finals on Thursday with their heavier brethren set for the roundabout repechage route.

MANAGER Mick Deegan is banking on his Dublin side’s All-Ireland JFC title success to inspire the county’s senior team to similar glory in September.

ROSCOMMON survived a late Kerry rally to secure a deserved victory in a poor All-Ireland JFC semi-final at Ennis on Saturday night.

THE ship came in for a voluntary group working with drug users and homeless people yesterday.

THREE Irish crews have qualified for the semi-finals at the Rowing World Championships at Dorney Lake, Eton.

The Irish women's lightweight double of Sinéad Jennings and Niamh NiCheilleachair became the second Irish crew to advance to the semi-finals of the Rowing World Championships in Eton this morning, by defeating the defending world champions Germany to win their repechage in a time of 7.17.26.

EVER wondered what it is like to dive over 200 metres beneath the waves on a single breath?

UCC 1-12 NUI Galway 2-7

TWO Irish rowers who nearly died when their boat capsized in a transatlantic race have not ruled out another attempt at the challenge.

The two Irish rowers rescued from the mid-Atlantic after their boat capsized last Sunday are finally back home in Ireland.

TWO Irish rowers who cheated death after being capsized mid-Atlantic described how a massive wave pulverised their boat to “matchsticks.”

THE US coastguard was last night coordinating attempts to reach the two Irishmen competing in an Atlantic rowing race who were reported to have sent out distress signals.

Fears were raised for the safety of two Irish men taking part in a gruelling transatlantic rowing race tonight after they sent out distress signals.

The middle of the Atlantic Ocean in a 22 foot rowing boat may not be the most comfortable place in the world, but for Gearoid Towey and Ciaran Lewis, the support they’re getting from home is making it worthwhile, as Declan Colley discovered.

An Irish Olympic rower is making his final preparations for an epic journey across 3,000 miles of open seas in a bid to become the fastest man to row across the Atlantic.

Michael Moynihan

Two Olympians, a national swimming record holder and a champion hang glider will represent Ireland in an international sports event in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil next month.

Ireland’s lightweight double of Sam Lynch and Gearóid Towey were shackled into fourth in the Olympic B final at Schinias this morning, as their first Olympics as a partnership ended in disappointment.

Lightweight double sculls duo Sam Lynch and Gearóid Towey have seen the end of their Olympic dream after they were pipped at the post by Japan in semi-final B.

Sam Lynch expressed his satisfaction this morning after a confident heat display by Ireland's lightweight double sculls in Schinias, has seen them directly through to next Thursday's Olympic semi-finals.

Olympic hopefuls Sam Lynch and Gearoid Towey will begin their quest for glory in Athens on Sunday week, August 15.

A toddler was brought back to life more than seven hours after he was discovered face down in a garden pond, it emerged today.

Ireland’s lightweight four stroked to a World Cup silver medal at the Olympia Regattaverein in Munich this morning, defeating current World champions Denmark for the third time this week but losing out to Olympic contenders Italy.

The 27-year-old rower will be partnered by Sam Lynch in Ireland's lightweight double boat at the Olympics in Athens and, after winning bronze at last year's World Championships, the duo have earnest and realistic hopes of fulfilling their dream of Olympic gold, but even so, Towey is confident that not even a gold medal will increase his public persona.

THE lightweight double of Sam Lynch and Gearóid Towey and the coxless four, stroked by Paul Griffin, both had semi-final wins on the Idroscalo lake in Milan yesterday to ease through to Sunday’s A finals at the World Championships.

Roscommon football boss Tommy Carr has dropped wing-back Paul Noone for the All-Ireland quarter-final clash with Kerry on Bank Holiday Monday at Croke Park.

NEARLY €5 million was paid by the State to the Danish firm that is refusing to testify about its role as independent consultants to the second mobile phone project eight years ago.

FORMER civil servant Fintan Towey told the Moriarty Tribunal yesterday he stood over the evaluation report that selected Esat Digifone as winner of the competition for the state’s second mobile phone licence.

A KEY member of the project team that evaluated bids for the State’s second mobile phone licence strenuously denied at the Moriarty Tribunal yesterday that civil servants deliberately decided against taking notes of crucial meetings.

FORMER civil servant Fintan Towey yesterday denied the reason department officials took no notes of a key meeting with Esat Digifone was to conceal what was being discussed before the GSM2 licence was issued.

THE speed at which Michael Lowry announced Esat Digifone as winner of the competition for the State’s second mobile phone licence surprised former top civil servant Fintan Towey, the Moriarty Tribunal heard yesterday.

A KEY member of the project team that selected Esat Digifone as winner of the State’s second mobile phone licence competition eight years ago has denied he was engaged in “cooking the books.”

MICHAEL LOWRY would have been equally happy if the Persona consortium had won the competition to run the State’s second mobile phone network, according to a member of the civil service team that evaluated the six bidders.

SENIOR civil servant Fintan Towey viewed a letter showing Dermot Desmond’s early involvement in Esat Digifone as the consortium’s attempt to boost its prospects of winning the State’s second mobile phone licence competition.

JUST weeks before civil servants chose Esat Digifone as winner of the State’s second mobile phone licence competition, Michael Lowry was under pressure from bidders who were concerned “the competition was sewn up and the media favourite had the licence in the bag”.

Fionnán Sheahan, Political Reporter