ALTHOUGH the volcano is causing chaos elsewhere, such natural disasters may be Iceland’s saviour, as the country experiences an unexpected tourism boom.

ALTHOUGH your story of a German town considering the idea of identifying the source of dog poo by DNA was included in your lighthearted “world apart” column (March 3), it does raise important issues about the use of DNA-based identification and the creation of all-powerful databases which are open to abuse and will create far greater problems for a free society than those they will solve.

ALTHOUGH he may not get to bed before 3am, Barack Obama plans to make his first full day as president on Wednesday a jam-packed affair of prayer, diplomacy, war discussions and welcoming hundreds of visitors to the White House.

ALTHOUGH there has been a strong increase in the supply of cattle to the beef factories over the past week, the demand by processors is also holding very strong.

ALTHOUGH Ireland is one of four countries in the Council of Europe that does not recognise a sex change as legally valid on a person’s birth certificate, it appears the Health Service Executive (HSE) is applying a classic Irish solution to this newly emerging Irish problem.

ALTHOUGH Aer Lingus yesterday announced four new routes from Cork to continental Europe, commencing next summer, a long-haul destination is not on the schedule as yet.

ALTHOUGH in need of a lick of paint and looking modest enough on the outside, this semi-detached Edwardian villa in Rushbrooke, Co Cork, has lots more unseen room.

ALTHOUGH it’s been on the market for a couple of weeks now, there is still continuing interest in Arboretum, a detached bungalow off Cork’s Model Farm road.

ALTHOUGH Education Minister Noel Dempsey quoted John F Kennedy yesterday, his speech offered little to primary teachers except Winston Churchill’s “blood, toil, tears and sweat”.

ALTHOUGH not quite premier league, Sligo has, like its League of Ireland soccer team, been placed in the first division under the National Spatial Strategy. It is one of nine towns and cities earmarked for accelerated growth over the next two decades.

Patrick Mboma refers to Roger Milla as ‘‘a legend,’’ which is why he refuses to be compared to a man who put Cameroon on the world football map.