Shane Dowling has been answering questions on all manner of matters, from Na Piarsaigh’s founding fathers to Sunday’s Munster Club hurling final against Sixmilebridge, when someone asks if he was pleased to see Clare win the All-Ireland.

A 10-year wait for the reinstatement of a helipad at one of the biggest hospitals in the country should be concluded by no later than early 2015.

The HSE has been asked to clarify its plans for providing helipad facilities for Cork University Hospital after a medevac helicopter had to land on a nearby sports pitch.

A mother has appealed for the safe return of her 14-year-old daughter who UK police believe has disappeared with a 35-year-old convicted fraudster.

Police in the North have arrested a 50-year-old man in connection with the suspicious death of a woman in north Belfast.

Cork Constitution will bid to benefit from some more French unpredictability when they go toe to toe with Garryowen in the last eight of the Munster Senior Cup at Temple Hill today (2.30pm).

A High Court challenge has been brought against Kildare County Council’s order that a telecommunications mast at Highfield, Newbridge, be taken down.

Tens of thousands of hours of CCTV footage have been seized by detectives investigating the murder of PSNI Constable Ronan Kerr.

IN what will be seen as a symbolic condemnation of the killing, both Taoiseach Enda Kenny and unionist First Minister Peter Robinson are both set to attend the funeral of murdered Catholic PSNI officer Ronan Kerr.

The bomb which killed Constable Ronan Kerr was the size of a lunch box and weighed up to half a kilogramme, police said today.

IT will be a quiet weekend for most clubs on the Munster junior rugby scene, as many of them set to make their final preparations ahead of the opening league matches the following weekend.

GARRYOWEN took full advantage of Cork Con’s slip-up at Blackrock College by surging to the top of the AIB All-Ireland League with a 45-7 demolition of Ballymena.

Nenagh Ormond made history this afternoon as they qualified for the AIB Cup's third round for the first time ever.

LADIES representing a dozen Irish golf clubs will tee it up alongside the world’s best in the AIB Ladies Irish Open Pro-Am at Portmarnock Links on July 10.

THE week long Six Nations Under-18 rugby tournament, which gets underway in Cork tomorrow, is estimated to be worth in excess of €500,000 to the economy of the city.

Zimbabwe’s opposition leader threatened to boycott elections next year as church leaders launched an outspoken appeal for democracy in the mounting challenge to President Robert Mugabe.

Government opponents in Zimbabwe, bloodied and defiant after police brutally crushed fresh dissent, today vowed to drive President Robert Mugabe from office in a campaign of protest they described as “war” against the nation’s rulers.

A defiant and angry Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has lashed out at Western support for what he called violent opposition activists and told his growing number of critics to “go hang”.

Zimbabwean opposition activists bruised, battered and bloodied – reportedly by police while in custody – have been temporarily released, their lawyer said.

The leader of the main opposition party was detained by police who shot dead a protester as they broke up a “Save Zimbabwe” prayer meeting in the capital today.

POLICE used tear gas and water cannons to break up a key rally of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in the Zimbabwean capital Harare yestertoday, arresting dozens of people, it has been reported.

HEALTH chiefs will fork out almost €80,000 this year on a deal that allows staff of Munster’s biggest hospital to park on the grounds of two sports clubs.

There was fresh trouble in Belfast tonight as police pledged to get tough with loyalist demonstrators who have caused major disruption for days.

Fresh trouble broke out in Belfast today after police launched a series of raids in the loyalist north of the city.

Police launched a series of raids in loyalist north Belfast today as they hunted those behind the street violence of recent days.

THIRTY two police officers were injured after loyalist terrorists unleashed one of the "most dangerous riots" across Belfast and beyond, Chief Constable Hugh Orde revealed last night.

A Belfast loyalist accused of attempted murder has been freed from jail following a prosecution decision to drop the charges against him.

World no. 69 and Irish no. 2, Australian-born Liam Kenny, is the top ranked entry for the Munster Open Squash Championships at Cork clubs, Silversprings, Highfield and Sundays Well on the weekend of October 1-3.

THERE are some consolations for not playing an All Ireland hurling final tomorrow — such as getting the nod on the prestigious sale of a €1 million-plus property.

WITH the majority of clubs on a break from competitive action, before next week’s opening games in the Heineken Munster Junior Cup, the main action is in the lower grades this weekend.

THE Heineken Munster Junior Clubs Challenge Cup semi-finals dominate the weekend’s junior rugby program with two Second Division sides, Cashel and Skibbereen, in the way of a repeat of last season’s final between holder’s Nenagh Ormond and Bruff.

A Protestant couple and their two children have escaped injury in a suspected pipe bomb attack on their home in the loyalist Highfield estate in west Belfast.

A teenager suffering from the human version of Mad-Cow disease yesterday began a controversial and untested treatment which his family sees as the only hope of saving his life.