Whenever The Menu finds himself down in his cups, gloomily pondering the future of the planet, it is invariably an encounter with youth that restores his moral equilibrium and faith in humanity.

There was a lot of excitement around both Real Sociedad, and the city of San Sebastian, when David Moyes took over the Basque club last November. 12 months on, an unhappy parting of the ways appears inevitable.

The grapevine species vitis vinifera (of which all wine grapes of quality are a member), can in theory be grown anywhere on earth between 30 degrees and 50 degrees Latitude.

Spring is late this year but at last the magnolias are staging their pink and white displays; the flowers of some species reach a third of metre in diameter.

Young seafarers from west Cork arrived home last night to a rousing reception after claiming, for the fifth time, the top prize in an international competition for maritime skills.

Crown Prince Felipe has ascended to the Spanish throne with guests feasting on tapas nibbles washed down with cava, in a budget buffet celebration.

Sean Cronin stares into the dregs of his Americano and up at the ceiling of the café in Clonskeagh as his thoughts slosh around and he struggles with a definitive answer.

Manchester United manager David Moyes has not had time to start Alex Ferguson’s autobiography – but it is clear he has picked up valuable lessons from his fellow Scot.

Ireland could deliver 65,000 jobs in social enterprises, should it reach the EU average of 6% of value of GDP versus its present 3% share.

Javi Martinez has no intention of leaving Athletic Bilbao this summer despite speculation linking him with some of Europe’s top clubs.

May I be permitted a few observations on the letter by Paddy Sleeman (Jun 26) in response to mine in which I recalled the 75th. anniversary of the return of the nationalist Irish Brigade from Spain.

Where once under-achieving Spanish players were more virility and machismo than style and substance, now they go in search of a hat-trick of major tournament titles.

Corporate Ireland needs to embrace alternative business models, including worker/ownership co-operatives, in order to move forward, according to one academic who claims we are 50 years behind competitor countries in regard to such thinking.

Alex Ferguson says Manchester United’s famed refusal to give in is the reason he believes they will win the Premier League.

A West Cork town opens its doors to the world this summer as famed Bantry Bay hosts a major international maritime event.

Basque separatist group ETA, which renounced violence last month after spending more than 40 years trying to shoot and bomb its way into achieving an independent state, now says surrendering weapons is on its agenda, a newspaper reported today.

Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams are in the Basque country today, where a major development is expected in Spain's peace process.

A WOMAN’S work is never done, especially when that work involves excavating the fears, hopes and traumas that lie at the heart of crime fiction.

US PRESIDENT Barack Obama’s security advisers were in Dublin yesterday putting the final touches on his one-day visit here.

WHO’S afraid of the big bad wolf? Just about everybody, it seems.

Spanish police have arrested at least 10 suspected members of groups outlawed for their links to the armed Basque Group ETA, the Interior Ministry said today.

BRIAN McLAUGHLIN did his best yesterday to dance around the importance of this coming week for Ulster.

Strikes against austerity measures caused transport havoc today in Madrid and led to clashes between police and picketers in the Basque region.

They’ve been one of France’s most successful club sides over the last decade yet what Biarritz Olympique truly crave is some European silverware, argues Ian Moriarty in Biarritz

Police sealed off the holiday island of Majorca today after two officers were killed in a suspected ETA bomb attack.

DOZENS of women and children escaped a massive bomb attack by Spanish separatists ETA which destroyed a police barracks yesterday.

Dozens of people were injured when a powerful car bomb exploded early today in northern Spain outside a barracks housing police officers and their families.

A car bomb exploded early today near a police barracks in the northern city of Burgos, injuring dozens of people, the Interior Ministry said.

French police have arrested the suspected leader of Basque separatist group ETA as part of cross-border raids, Spain’s Interior Ministry said today.

Planned new lyrics for the Spanish national anthem were ditched today after their content split the country.

IN his letter (November 26), Maurice Fitzgerald refers, erroneously, to Irish-only schools being opposed to the teaching of English.

A bodyguard was injured in a car bomb explosion in Bilbao in Spain’s Basque region today.

A Spanish judge jailed 17 members of Batasuna – the banned political wing of the armed separatist group ETA.

A backpack filled with explosives has been found near a town in the French Basque country, police there said today.

French police found an arms cache allegedly belonging to the armed Basque separatist group Eta, officials said.

Police found an arms cache in southern France today that allegedly belonged to the armed Basque separatist group Eta, Spanish authorities said.

FOOTBALL players from Havana to the West Bank will kit out on Irish soil today, as they give racism the red card.

A French anti-terrorist judge has filed preliminary charges against three suspected members of the armed Basque group ETA, including the organisation’s suspected logistics chief, judicial officials said.

Spaniards voted today in local and regional elections following an acrimonious campaign centring on major issues such as terrorism and the Basque conflict.

Hundreds of thousands of chanting, flag-waving Spaniards clogged the streets of Madrid to protest over what they called the government’s policy of appeasing the Basque separatist group ETA.

High-speed trains are running every hour from Cork to Dublin for the first time today.

Police found a bomb in Spain’s Basque region today, five days after a car bombing in Madrid that was blamed on the separatist group Eta and killed one person, shattering a nine-month cease-fire.

Gun-toting Basque militants claiming to speak for ETA said the Basque separatist group will “keep taking up arms” until the region achieves independence, a newspaper said today – the starkest sign yet that a fledgling peace process seems to be struggling.