The HSE is paying solicitors €207 an hour to tell courts it can’t afford to compensate patients for damage caused to them in hospitals.

A High Court judge yesterday said it was “highly regrettable” it took the HSE five years to admit liability in the case of a little boy who was catastrophically injured at his birth at Waterford Regional Hospital.

For a good four days there, from Saturday morning through to Wednesday, the Facebook feed went unfed and unchecked, Twitter managed to survive without @Rackob and the internet lost a good few hundred page hits.

Kilcohan Park may have to take a backseat for a few days after Thomas The Tank, owned by Waterford racing manager Kathleen Lennon and trained by her father, Denis, was crowned the Boylesports Coursing Derby champion of 2013.

Just two days to the semi-finals of the Connolly’s Red Mills Irish Laurels at Curraheen Park and, thankfully, still no negatives emanating from any of the kennels involved.

Stand by for some special action at Shelbourne Park on Saturday night where the second round heats of the College Causeway/Killahan Phanter Easter Cup are expected to provide some red-hot racing.

Since the deal took effect at the start of January, the SIS coverage of Shelbourne Park racing has been restricted to far flung fields.

JOHN McGRATH has been appointed Racing and Commercial Manager at Youghal with effect from Monday, December 19.

AFTER a hugely consistent year, Piercestown Sand claimed a well-deserved big race success when emerging triumphant in the final of the Red Mills Waterford Masters at Kilcohan Park on Saturday night.

DESPITE the gloomy economic climate, it has been a tremendous year for greyhound racing.

While Milldean Panther’s performance in the final of the Razldazl George 525 final at Shelbourne on Saturday will attract most attention, the major event is the Red Mills Masters which reaches the semi-final stage at Kilcohan Park.

EIGHTEEN of Ireland’s best will tonight bid to join Laurels winner Razldazl Rioga, Derby runner-up Dream Walker and local qualifier Piercestown Con in the semi finals of the Red Mills Waterford Masters at Kilcohan Park.

THE Pat Hennerty Sales Irish Laurels is the centrepiece of a magnificent card at Curraheen Park on Saturday night.

WITH the Derby now history for another year, the focus down south will now swing to the Pat Hennerty Sales Irish Laurels which will kick off at Curraheen Park on Friday night of next week.

A massive crowd is expected to pour through the turnstiles of Shelbourne Park for tonight's semi-finals of the Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby and punters will be hoping for kinder results than seven days ago.

The Ladbrokes.com Irish Derby is building up to a wonderful climax and we are in for some magnificent racing at Shelbourne on Saturday when the quarter finals will be backed up by the second round heats of the Derby Plate.

THE Queen might not have made it to the Aviva Stadium — or even to dear old Dalyer to doff her crown to the Jodi Stand — but Irish football had its own reasons to feel the hand of history on its shoulder this week.

THE Ballincollig express train Leeview Jet will make a rapid return to action when he contests the Red Mills Waterford Masters which kicks off at Kilcohan Park on Saturday night.

LAST weekend’s Hennerty Sales Laurels winner Tyrur Enda will be returning to Munster for his final outings of the season after owner PJ Fahy decided to run the champion in the Red Mills Masters, which commences at Kilcohan Park on Saturday week.

The high quality of racing in the opening round will have whet the appetites of southern greyhound followers and we can anticipate a massive attendance at Curraheen Park on Saturday for the second round of the Cashmans Bookmakers Irish Laurels.

Classic action returns to Curraheen Park this weekend with the start of the 2009 Cashmans Irish Laurels and many of the best in training will take their chance in the Southern classic.

THERE are four Kerry- owned speedsters involved in the quarter-finals of the Paddypower.com Irish Derby at Shelbourne Park tomorrow night and there will be plenty of support with the Kingdom’s fans in town for Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final against Meath.

GARDAÍ in Waterford are investigating a shooting at a house in Waterford yesterday, the third of its kind in two weeks.

TENSIONS are high after a weekend shooting linked to a violent feud between Traveller families in Cork and Waterford.

EMPLOYEES at a Waterford-based multinational plant have donated money from their weekly pay packets to help visually impaired Russian children.