It will be a special occasion for CJ Stander to play in his hometown George on Saturday, says Munster coach Johann van Graan.

The Munster squad arrived into 25°C heat in South Africa at the start of a two-match tour which will also double up as preparation for their Champions Cup semi-final showdown with Racing 92 in Bordeaux.

Munster Rugby were last night remaining tight-lipped over reports in South Africa that Bulls centre Dries Swanepoel is set to sign a short-term deal with the province.

Developer Johnny Ronan’s development group has stated that it is ‘bewildered’ and ‘disappointed’ by the Bord Pleanála decision to refuse planning permission for its 22 storey tower at George's Quay in Dublin.

A former publican who claimed an ex-AIB investment manager defrauded her has lost a High Court action claiming losses and damages.

Big things are cooking in the basement of Krüst bakery on George’s St. No, it isn’t the ‘cronuts’ that the café first introduced to Ireland a couple of years back, but something altogether more high-tech.

A shoe thought to belong to a missing Japanese woman, whose partner’s body was pulled from the sea on Sunday, has been found on a beach.

A shoe believed to belong to a missing Japanese woman, whose partner’s body was pulled from the sea on Sunday, has been found on a beach.

Wishfull Thinking continued to defy his advancing years as he put up a bold display of jumping to make virtually every yard in the Betfred Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon.

MARQUEE REPORT: Over the next week performers at Live at the Marquee in Cork include the Coronas (tonight), Nathan Carter (Sunday), Bob Dylan (Monday) and Tom Jones (Thursday).

Australia has to do more than just win the Epsom Derby on June 7, he has to virtually bolt in if Aidan O’Brien’s blushes are to be saved.

Jack Bauer is back in 24, while Billy Connolly says goodbye. And there’s also the Eurovision semi-final.

Two people have been charged by gardaí this morning after a stolen van collided with a number of vehicles in Dublin city last night.

Long Run may set his own pace as the 2011 Gold Cup hero bids to reclaim his William Hill King George VI Chase crown at Kempton on Wednesday.

Another of John Hales’ army of greys handed Paul Nicholls the last of jumping racing’s major prizes to have eluded him as Al Ferof took the starring role in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

Nathaniel produced a tremendous performance on his first run of the year to land a thrilling Coral-Eclipse at Sandown this afternoon.

HE has turned 40, fallen to 89th in the world rankings and lost his most benevolent sponsor.

A new clot-busting drug approved for use on the NHS cuts the risk of dying after a heart attack.

Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has revealed he had considered taking the flight which crashed at Cork Airport today.

THE husband of murdered Mauritius honeymooner Michaela Harte accompanied her on a final journey home yesterday, wearing her engagement and wedding ring on a chain around his neck.

Master Minded made a triumphant return to action as he landed the Amlin 1965 Chase at Ascot.

Flybe is to introduce three new services to Britain following Ryanair’s decision to pull out of George Best Belfast City Airport.

Japan will play Mozambique in a hastily-arranged final pre-World Cup friendly tomorrow as Takeshi Okada’s side seek a much-needed confidence boost ahead of Monday’s opener against Cameroon.

Fame And Glory gave Aidan O'Brien his fourth win in the Coronation Cup at Epsom with a battling display under Johnny Murtagh.

Horse racing tips for selected courses in Ireland and the UK.

LONESOME George, the famous Galapagos tortoise, is described in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s rarest living creature.

While Ryanair cuts its flights from Dublin today, it was expanding them 100 miles away across the border in Belfast.

While Ryanair cuts its flights from Dublin today, it was expanding them 100 miles away across the border in Belfast.

The multimillion-pound upgrade of the Westlink in Belfast took a major step forward when the Broadway Underpass opened today 13 months ahead of schedule.

Getaway is on course to further enhance Andre Fabre’s superb record in the Coronation Cup at Epsom on Friday.

British supermarket chain Asda today announced plans to create more than 9,000 jobs through store openings, extensions and business expansion.

British supermarket chain Asda today said it had achieved “very positive” quarterly results, despite the impact of a more difficult retail environment in the UK.

MONET’S Garden claimed the scalp of Gold Cup hero Kauto Star in a highly-charged renewal of the Bonusprint.com Old Roan Chase at Aintree yesterday.

The International Rugby Board has announced the dates and teams for the first two events of the 2007/08 IRB Sevens World Series.

A 19-YEAR-OLD man is due to appear in court this morning over the fatal stabbing of his friend.

TESTING conditions would not undermine Paul Nicholls’ confidence in Kauto Star for the William Hill – Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown tomorrow.

South Africa today said goodbye to former president PW Botha, a man who in life was associated with some of the worst excesses of apartheid, but whose death has shown the strides a bitterly divided country has made toward reconciliation.

CONNECTIONS of top-class Japanese raider Heart’s Cry are looking forward to unleashing their charge in Saturday’s £750,000 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot.

OUIJA BOARD mowed down her rivals in the final half-furlong to win the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot yesterday.

Twenty-six England fans were detained or arrested in Nuremberg before, during and after the victory over Trinidad and Tobago which carried their team into the knock-out stages of the World Cup finals, British police in Germany said today.

Ross Fisher has put himself in the best position to tackle the windy weather expected to blow across the Fancourt Links in George today and he intends to use the conditions to his advantage.

GARDAÍ have set up a working group with gay representatives to tackle a rise in homophobic attacks.