SPECTACULAR fireworks and light shows heralded the start of 2009 in cities across the world, but here revellers made do with house parties and the faithful charms of the pub.

FORMER Beamish & Crawford boss Alf Smiddy has been honoured by vintners for his three decades of work in the industry.

THE Vintners’ Federation of Ireland has drafted a policy for its members to stop the practice of promoting alcohol at underage sports level.

The disgraced lecturer, Dr Niall McElwee, who resigned from his post after being charged with sexual offences against three teenage girls, worked part-time in a home for abused and disadvantaged children in Galway.

GALWAY CITY is unusual. There are the PDs riding high in the national polls with a vertigo-inducing 3% or 4%.

THE Taoiseach’s outspoken comments about ‘disgraceful’ publicans was yesterday slammed by the Vintners Federation of Ireland as “scandalous”.

CORK City and county vintners yesterday decided to support their colleagues in Kerry in not enforcing the proposed smoking ban in pubs, on the basis they could not implement it.

EIGHT prominent health board members, who are publicans, have criticised the Government’s smoking ban and called for a compromise deal.

ANOTHER Fianna Fáil TD has broken ranks with the leadership on the smoking ban.

THE Taoiseach’s failure to stem internal revolt over the workplace smoking ban was highlighted again last night as another junior minister openly flouted the Government line.

The Minister of State for Labour Affairs Frank Fahey has given his full support to the Government's smoking ban policy.

FIANNA FÁIL will this week move to quell growing dissent in the party ranks on the smoking ban, with the Taoiseach expected to give a private dressing down to a dissenting minister later this week.

The head of the Western Health Board resigned tonight in protest against Government plans to outlaw smoking in the workplace.

A PUBLICAN who heads a health board denies there is a conflict of interest in calling for the gradual phasing-in of a blanket ban on smoking.

Galway vowed action today after being named as the most untidy part of Ireland.