‘Down the park’ was for the hoi polloi, but City Hall was more bourgeois — the second leg of the Liam Miller Tribute event was an evening of glamour for the better known businessmen and professionals of Cork, where black tie was the order of the night.

While the subject matter of Jimmy’s Hall is serious, the play is also filled with joy, celebrating the power of music and dance in helping overcome intolerance and oppression.

Preparations are ongoing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the construction of one of the country’s most iconic buildings, Cork’s County Hall.

Basketball

GAA chiefs in Cork say they are confident that a standoff with City Hall over payments for public lighting upgrades around the redeveloped Páirc Uí Chaoimh will be resolved before the stadium hosts two Ed Sheeran concerts in May.

Having shot to fame on TV3's Gogglebox Ireland last year, a tea cosy in the likeness of our President quickly became the must-have household item in Ireland.

Culture Night takes place today, with a feast of free offerings all over the country. Ellie O’Byrne selects some of the highlights

Tommy Barker reports on this quality, ‘almost unique’ Blarney offering which is all things great and small

Jazz saxophonist Meilana Gillard has been based in Belfast since 2012. She plays Phil Grimes in Waterford on Wednesday, June 7, as part of her album release tour, writes Des O’Driscoll.

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

All aboard! Culture vultures are set to roam the streets of Ireland tonight sampling some of the estimated 3,000 free events in museums, galleries, theatres, churches, historic houses, and studios for Culture Night — but in Cork, they’ll travel in style.

The Lord Mayor of Cork sparked a war of words last night after refusing to address guests at the launch of a joint city and county council food promotion strategy yesterday in a row over protocol.

Paul Buckley bowled brilliantly at Newcestown to beat Kieran Murphy by over two bowls in the Munster intermediate championship quarter-final. 

The Dr Joe O’Keeffe-owned/trained Hard Station lit up yesterday’s Killeady Harriers point-to-point meeting at Ballyarthur by making all the running with John Barry in the winners of one.

Recognition of their relatives’ role was warmly welcomed by families of Cork’s Irish Volunteers and Cumann na mBan members in 1916 and the War of Independence.

Tommy Steele tells Ed Power about playing the big band legend, and how he was nearly typecast as a leprechaun

Thomas Bartlett and Paul Muldoon weren’t surprised that lines by Ireland’s great poet worked so well as song lyrics, writes Padraic Killeen

Looking for a holiday read? Eoghan O’Sullivan rounds up some of the best music-related books around at the moment.

Diamondsandrubies is bound for the Darley Irish Oaks after a sparkling display to hold off Legatissimo in a driving finish to the Sea The Stars Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.

Opera House, Cork

Colin O’Reilly has laid down a challenge to players hopeful of making the Men’s Premier League All-Star team competing at the Sino-European Championships in July.

This year’s St Patrick’s Festival has yet to take place, but plans for next year’s event are already under way.

Forget about The Tudors. A new series captures what it was really like in the era of Henry VIII, writes

Newly crowned WBO Middleweight champion Andy Lee has returned home to a hero’s welcome.

Holders C&S UCC Demons are involved in the game of the weekend in the Mens Premier National Cup when they travel to Dublin tomorrow for a clash against their great rivals Killester.

Roy Keane is relishing a return to Celtic Park next month for a Euro qualifier against Scotland which he reckons will be an uncompromising, no-holds-barred battle.

Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness has slammed as horrifying and disgusting the suspected torching of an Orange hall in Donegal – the second such attack within weeks.

1 Adare to Survive

Afonso De Sousa can overcome an absence of 187 days and land the Stadium-Light Up Your Night Race at Dundalk this evening.

A new lifeboat service went ‘live’ yesterday in a fishing village touched by one of the worst sea tragedies of recent years.

Theatre

Ken Loach and Paul Laverty tell Padraic Killeen about the incredible story of Jimmy Gralton and how his dancehall became a source of conflict with conservative forces.

For their historic state visit to London, President Michael D Higgins and wife Sabina have both shown considerable sartorial flair.

WHAT value Cork’s prime docklands sites now?

Basketball Ireland has announced details of the National Cup semi-finals programme for Cork next month.

Sizing Europe and First Lieutenant are among a classy entry of nine for the JNwine.com Champion chase at Down Royal on Saturday.

As Budget speeches go, it was workaday performance from Michael Noonan to a nation jaded by austerity.

Residents spokesperson, Graham Usher, has questioned the time the Government has taken to resolve the Priory Hall issue.