Cork GAA legend Seán Óg Ó hAilpín started his new year in style yesterday, marrying his long-time love in Cork.

Simon Lewis urges you to forget the excuses and get golfing this year.

Tipperary’s Dundrum House Hotel, a Georgian country mansion with golf resort and holiday homes on 220 acres near the M8, has been put up for sale by a receiver with a €2.75 million price guide.

Sold at the lower end of its €4 million to €5 million price guide to a consortium, is Co Kildare’s Moyvalley hotel and golf club, with 460 acres, apartments and courtyard cottages.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has given his clearest indication yet that Fine Gael will manage to “cut some rope” for their troubled coalition partners by reducing the expected budget adjustment figure by up to €500m.

Croke Park is set to hold the GAA’s Annual Congress every three years after a new hosting rota was agreed by the association’s Central Council.

A traffic problem at New Ross in September was just one of the factors in the National Ploughing Championships move to a midlands venue for 2013.

Almost 400 people attended the National Ploughing Association’s formal unveiling of Ratheniska, Stradbally, Co Laois, as the host venue for the 2013 National Ploughing Championships on Sept 24, 25 and 26 next, bridging a 70-year gap since the event was last held in the area.

On-farm usage of preventative vaccines has trebled in the past 10 years, according to global market research specialist GFK.

Farmers, vets and other animal health professionals are signing up to new guidelines on the responsible on-farm use of animal medicines.

Seanie Johnston's ability to play for Kildare, following his transfer from Cavan Gaels to the St. Kevin's club in his adopted county, is still yet unclear.

Seanie Johnston faces a race against time if he is to have the option of lining out for the Kildare senior footballers this year.

Delegates at today's Annual GAA Congress in Killenard, Co Laois have overwhelmingly voted in favour of a Central Council motion to back a new training ban schedule for inter-county teams.

GAA director general Páraic Duffy has promised the strongest marketing drive for the forthcoming All-Ireland senior championships.

Christy Cooney haspromised to delivera speech on thedivisive payments tomanagers issue in one of his last acts as GAApresident.

THEY soothed our senses, purified our pores and massaged the nine-to-five from our system.

NAMA is to introduce a deferred payments scheme in an effort to kick-start the property market as it yesterday released details of 847 properties that are in receivership or administration.

SALES of animal health products have increased 5% in the past year against a static market for the previous two years, the Animal and Plant Health Association (APHA) conference was told in Killenard, Co Laois, yesterday.

A Laois hotel and golf resort has gone into receivership today.

Revelations of the precarious1 state of Waterford finances has sent shockwaves through the GAA. So how are county boards battling the recession? Brendan O’Brien looked at the model used by tomorrow’s Leinster’s quarter-finalists, Laois.

A man has died in a crash in Co Laois this morning.

THE impact of the economic downturn on the GAA is to the fore again as Laois are on the lookout for a new sponsor.

The Heritage has all you’ll ever need — and then some, says Tommy Barker.

A Garda car has been rammed during a high-speed chase on the M4 motorway.

PETS are good for the physical and emotional health of people, young and old, it was claimed yesterday.

A father found murdered in his Co Laois home died from several blows to the head by a blunt instrument, it was confirmed today.

THERE was a celebrity line-out for Munster and Irish hooker Frankie Sheahan yesterday as he married long-time girlfriend Norma Murphy.

THE 10th anniversary edition of the AIB Irish Seniors Open, in association with Greenstar and Fáilte Ireland, will be marked in grand style with a record prize fund, a glorious new venue and a five-star field littered with former Ryder Cup players.

England's Jim Rhodes is the first round leader after the first round of the AIB Seniors Open at The Heritage at Killenard in Co Laois today.

Charlie Mulqueen, The Heritage

FIFTEEN YEAR-OLD West of Ireland champion Rory McIlroy has been selected to compete in the Nissan Irish Open Championship at Carton House Golf Club next month.

The European Seniors Tour will launch its 14th season with the now traditional “Caribbean Swing” on the islands of Barbados and Tobago in March.

The Laois County Board has announced that The Heritage hotel is to sponsor all of their county sides.

Charlie Mulqueen concludes that the massive investment pumped into The Heritage at Killenard, Co Laois, will prove worthwhile.

KENMARE’S Park Hotel scooped two awards at the hospitality industry’s annual sales and marketing awards at a ceremony in Dublin last night.

WORLD number eight Pádraig Harrington believes golf should be inducted into the Olympics for the 2008 Games in Beijing.

No expense has been spared on The Heritage, in Laois, Seve Ballesteros’ first course design project in this country. Charlie Mulqueen visited the €100m development.