It’s Arabian nights and a bit of Scottish borders too for Esther N McCarthy this week as the first nip appears.

THE Old Man of Hoy, in Orkney, is a spectacular sight. This vertical pillar, rising from the sea, 60m out from a sheer cliff-face, is 137 metres high and about 30m thick.

Skibbereen festival examines the relationship between mental illness and creativity, says Richard Fitzpatrick

Archaeologists have discovered evidence of a permanent settlement which could date back to the Iron Age on one of Europe's most inhospitable islands.

Harris Tweed will head to his winter quarters as a stayer to note after dominating every yard of the Listed Noel Murless Stakes at Newmarket today.

Operations are resuming at airports around Ireland after the Irish Aviation Authority closed Irish airspace for six hours this morning after the volcanic ash cloud drifted over the country again.

The IAA has cleared Irish airports to open for full operations from 1pm today, it has been announced.

Hundreds of flights have been grounded as a volcanic ash cloud loomed over Ireland this morning.

ALL flights in and out of this country have been grounded since 7am as northerly winds have driven clouds of Icelandic volcano ash back into Irish airspace.

Air passengers faced further misery tonight as the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud returned.

RAF jets have been scrambled 20 times in the last year to intercept Russian aircraft over British airspace, it was revealed today.

Lady Deauville gave Paul Blockley his most important success of the season when displaying an affinity for the soft ground to land the EBF Upavon Fillies' Stakes at Salisbury.

Crunch talks between four countries – including Ireland and the UK – on territorial rights to a massive oil rich area in the north Atlantic have been postponed due to elections, it was confirmed today.

Irish diplomats today secured the basis of a deal which could resolve a decades-old dispute over territorial rights to a massive oil-rich area in the north Atlantic.

AT a time of large-scale use of pesticides in gardens, it’s strange that one of nature’s great pest controllers is coming under threat from such chemicals.

A SAILOR on a solo voyage from Kinsale to Iceland said he was glad to be alive last night after being rescued from a ferocious storm off the coast of Scotland.

British drivers are now experiencing big petrol price disparities, according to figures out today.

A huge operation involving British and American aeroplanes was launched today to try to rescue the crew of a stricken yacht.

The continuing storms have sparked rescues on the high seas. Two crews have been forced to abandon ship off the coast of Britain.

An international rescue operation is continuing off the Donegal coast for seven men missing after their trawler sank.