Pauline McLynn might never escape the associations with Craggy Island, but her role with Corcadorca on Spike will be one of the highlights of Cork Midsummer Festival, writes Ellie O’Byrne.

NOBODY likes a missed opportunity. Sometimes a game belongs to a certain time — if you don’t play it upon release, the moment is lost, writes Ronan Jennings. 

 

Some years back I used to shake my head at the insanity of having a minister of health who suffered from long-term morbid obesity.

Just how did a Japanese artist begin drawing characters from Father Ted and publishing them every day? Noel Baker finds out from Dublin-based sketcher Shota Kotake

WILL he go? Will he stay? Will he jump or will he be pushed? Will we ever be rid of him? Will he haunt soccer for ever?

Actress Pauline McLynn is hopping mad at the plight of millions of caged rabbits slaughtered for their meat across Europe.

And it's the anniversary of Dermot Morgan's death, too.

The Vice-President of the United States, Joe Biden, caused a little merriment over on these shores last night when the tweeted: "Father Ted is one of the reasons I’m proud to be a Catholic."

Many, many years ago I was involved in selecting an end-of-the-food-chain rugby team — Minor B Seconds — at a small, rural, end-of-the-world club. 

Drink, feck! Not a chance of a drop of it on Craggy Island.

From Dracula to Fr Ted and Boyzone, we have devised some of the most brilliant, but often annoying, things on the planet, says John Daly.

IT BEGAN with a four-hour car ride, a ferry full of merry priests, nuns, bishops and hairy babies, and it got stranger from there.

A HOT air balloon flight is often top of many people’s wish list and although it is pricier than a pair of socks or a soap on a rope, there are different options available and might be a good idea as a group present for that all-important family member.

Though hardly at his most eloquent, Enda Kenny still spoke for most TDs when he declared: “I am going to get rid of it this evening.”

The mayor of San Francisco Edwin Mah Lee served as grand marshal at the Cork St Patrick’s Day parade yesterday, making his first return visit to Leeside, having initially toured the city in 1969 as a high school student.

They tell me that Kaiser Chiefs had been set to share the billing with Aslan at Shamrock Rovers’ ground later this month.

IF you love camping but hate the rain, you have three choices. You can (a) stay at home and watch telly, (b) go camping in a country with a decent climate, or (c) cop out and rent a motor home.

Celebrity gardener Diarmuid Gavin has poured further fuel on the fire in the Sky Garden row by claiming that working with Cork City Council and Fáilte Ireland on the project was like “working with Father Ted... like Craggy Island”.

THE perils of writing about women in sport are easily delineated, yet hard to avoid.

MORE than a decade after the final episode of Father Ted, it seems the terms “feck”, “drink” and “girls” are still grabbing the attention of TV viewers.

IT was political speed dating, but Enda was the man they were all hating.

'Father Ted' star Frank Kelly is swapping Craggy Island for the Yorkshire Dales after landing a role in 'Emmerdale'.

She was more likely to bake cakes than show her buns as dowdy Mrs Doyle in 'Father Ted', but now Pauline McLynn takes on a most unholy role in TV’s 'Shameless'.

It would be extraordinary if busy gardaí decided to do something about the alleged “crimes” of incitement to hatred, indecency, and criminal damage, the reasons given for the questioning of Conor Casby, painter of the offending items

IN Tirana for Ireland’s World Cup qualifier against Albania back in 1993, I came across the kind of book you don’t find in Eason’s every day.

Richard Collins says some species of bird refuse to visit our little island.

A FATHER TED fanatic yesterday confessed to missing divorce proceedings to join the faithful at a festival celebrating the cult sitcom.

A Father Ted fanatic today confessed to missing divorce proceedings to join the faithful at a festival celebrating the cult sitcom.

Hundreds of “priests” and “nuns” gathered tonight for the official blessing of the Father Ted Festival in Ireland.

A week-long festival celebrating cult television sitcom Father Ted kicks off today in Co Clare.

A festival celebrating cult television sitcom Father Ted has become too big for “Craggy Island”, organisers said today.

A ROW has broken out between two neighbouring Aran Islands off Co Galway over an inaugural Father Ted festival next month.

A row has broken out between two neighbouring Aran Islands off Co Galway over an inaugural Father Ted festival next month.

I HAVE seen the opening and some of the closing ceremonies of Cork’s Capital of Culture celebrations for 2005.

It is crucial that the December Budget maintains a balance between increases in current spending and the needs of the economy to regain lost competitiveness, delegates at the annual Small Firms Association (SFA) lunch were told today.