Brian Cowen has been leading tributes to former Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil TD Bertie Ahern following the announcement that he is to bow out of politics.

THE first thing to point out about last Saturday night, which saw the GAA begin its official 125th anniversary celebrations following Dublin-Tyrone in the NFL opener, is that, that kind of anniversary celebration is, by its nature, a bit of a challenge.

Armagh's 2002 All-Ireland winning captain Kieran McGeeney has announced his retirement from inter-county football in the wake of Joe Kernan's decision to step down as manager of the Orchard county.

FIANNA FÁIL yesterday selected a former senator and the son of a former TD as candidates in Mayo, one of the most difficult constituencies for the party in next year’s General Election.

DEFENCE Minister Michael Smith insisted yesterday he was only joking when he told another minister earlier this week that he would be “more dangerous on the way down” than in the Cabinet.

After the 1977 general election, the gerrymandering aspect was taken out of politics with the establishment of an independent Constituency Commission.