The job spec is simple; you must be enjoy a bit of craic, be able to dance, and be prepared to appear in public with your face painted, in a wig, and clad in anything from the wife’s a nightgown to skimpy belly-dancing costume.

When Donal Donnelly escaped from a Belfast prison, 12,000 men were sent to capture him but despite their efforts he remained free for 36 years writes Jonathan deBurca Butler.

A YOUNG Irishman who is being treated in England for a devastating spinal injury used modern technology last night to sample the traditional wren celebrations in his home town.