PAUL HESSION was devastated when he failed to make the final of the men’s 200m at the World Championships in Berlin last year, but the 27-year-old Athenry sprinter has converted that disappointment into an insatiable hunger which he has directed at this year’s European Championships in Barcelona.

Tens of thousands of people waited for hours today for the first public viewing of Pope John Paul’s body, shielding themselves from the blistering sun with umbrellas as they prepared to pay their final respects in the Vatican.

Budget airline Ryanair was flying high today after reporting another record month for passenger numbers.