The €11m Lotto ticket seller Noel McGowan, who is celebrating his third jackpot sales win, has a special celebration of his own this year.

Doctor to Michael Jackson is just one chapter in the story of Dr Patrick Treacy, says Richard Fitzpatrick.

If the phonetics are similarily explosive, and the brief word begins with that sibilant sixth letter of the alphabet, then it is easy enough to understand how an innocent five-letter word can stray into the low caste pen occupied by its shunned four letter fellows.

IRELAND has more than 6,000 lakes and, according to author John Dunne, we don’t appreciate them. They are, he thinks, a neglected part of our heritage.

Details have been announced of this year's Rally Ireland, to take place in the north west on Saturday and Sunday, October 15 and 16.