Final preparations are underway ahead of tonight's New Year's Eve celebrations

New traffic management plans being considered by the National Roads Authority could see a ban on cars driving thorugh Dublin city centre.

New restaurants in Dublin are to create nearly a 100 jobs.

New restaurants in Dublin are to create nearly a 100 jobs.

Forty five new jobs are being created in Dublin.

Traffic restrictions are in place in Dublin today as New Year celebrations take place in the city centre later.

WETRAVEL2, an offshoot of Topflight, are promoting a range of long-haul destinations for the coming year.

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI has made just two changes from the senior Irish side which started against the U23s on Tuesday for this evening’s training game against the Irish Juniors at Gannon Park (5.30pm).

PURVEYORS of Irish sporting and general history will be interested to learn that the Croke Park Stadium Tour will once again be serviced by a shuttle bus service for the summer months, and that it will include an extended service to the new Glasnevin Museum.

WASN’T it Queen Elizabeth who first used the phrase “annus horribilis” to refer back to a particularly bad period in her long reign?

LENT starts today — a fitting comedown from the hysteria of America’s Super Duper Tuesday, which yesterday tossed pancakes aside to captivate every corner of the world.

A Dublin pub will be turned into an impromptu voting centre this week when US Democrats living in Ireland ballot for the party’s Presidential nominee.

AN Irish pub may play a role in the US presidential race.

A 16-year-old boy charged with possessing a stolen laptop computer and credit card has been released on bail by the Dublin Children’s Court.

Campaigners will today launch a petition outside Green Party headquarters demanding Minister for the Environment John Gormley re-route the controversial M3 motorway.

A 15-year-old boy, who took part in a spate of slick ATM scams where people had €200 stolen from under their noses, has been remanded on continuing bail pending sentence.

A 15-year-old Romanian boy, who took part in a slick ATM scam and stole €200 from under the noses of people as they had been withdrawing money, has been remanded on bail pending sentence.

The Leinster squad to face Munster in Thomond Park on Wednesday December 27th (KO: 3pm) has been announced.

Michael Cheika has announced an extended 27-man Leinster Squad to prepare for their Magner's League date with Munster on St Stephen's Day at Thomond Park.

Leinster coach Michael Cheika will have an unchanged squad when his side meets Agen in the Pool 2 Heineken Cup clash at Stade Armandie on Saturday.

BIARRITZ OLYMPIQUE have been given more time by the ERC to finalise arrangements for the club’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Munster on April 3.

Alan Amsby, Ireland’s best known drag queen, was formerly the MC at Mr Pussy’s Cafe on Suffolk Street in Dublin. It was opened by Bono, Jim Sheridan and Gavin Friday but is now a sandwich shop.

IN THE introduction to the Avoca Café Cookbook Part 2, Simon Pratt expresses his fervent hope that this new book will become a dog-eared favourite in kitchens everywhere like its predecessor, the Avoca Café Cookbook.