This year’s Macroom Food Festival (Sept 23-25) sets out under the thematic heading of ‘Blás na hÁite’, which is as it should be for the lovely Cork town and its glorious hinterland, heaving with some very fine producers, farmers, and growers, many of them great favourites of The Menu. 

A new greenway and a woodland recreational area are among a range of ambitious new amenity, cultural, and tourism projects being pursued by a dynamic new lobby group launched in north Cork.

The public have until June 17 to have a say in naming the Pavilion of Light in Fitzgerald Park as Ireland’s favourite building.

A West Cork town is set to introduce a unique bike hire scheme which is aimed at both tourists and locals.

All the horror, heroism and heartbreak of the Lusitania’s sinking started to unfold on the dreary quays of Queenstown some six hours after the liner was torpedoed, writes Ray Ryan

Mitchelstown Flower & Garden Club are presenting a Floral Demonstration with Teresa Collins on Thursday, April 30, in the Town Hall at 8pm. Everyone welcome.

Work on restoring a 17th century Tholsel is expected to start next month in Co Tipperary following confirmation of government funding for the project.

A woman who let loose with a torrent of racial abuse against an innocent Asian woman on a train in Australia says she is deeply ashamed of her behaviour.

Chart star Robbie Williams has been given one of his greatest honours after years of amassing awards – the Freedom of the City of his native Stoke-on-Trent.

Soccer legend John Hartson, who beat cancer, has urged men to check their tackle regularly in a bid to catch signs of testicular cancer early.

WITH the May weekend fast approaching we thought we should make a bit of a song and dance about the fact today is International Dance Day and tomorrow, International Jazz Day.

Same sex couples will be able to marry in England and Wales from the stroke of midnight tonight.

¦ Blarney & District Garden & Flower Club presents a spring gardening night with DJ Murphy on Thursday, February 27, in Whitechurch Hall at 8pm. Everyone welcome.

USA: A US TV news presenter has apologised for falsely saying that President Barack Obama had offered to pay for the operation of a museum of Muslim culture “out of his own pocket” during the government shutdown.

The diaspora returning to Ireland has proved a perfect opportunity for people to unearth the stories behind their family trees, writes Arlene Harris.

It is reported that children have received letters from Revenue demanding payment of the property tax.

Hiding arms, providing safe houses, and monitoring enemy movements all part of republican women’s role, writes Niall Murray

A WEST Cork town is planning to beat the budget blues next week by “eating cake” — Marie Antoinette-style.

Jonathan deBurca Butler gets a whistle-stop taste of a confident, vibrant, lived-in city with the ‘swagger of a matador ‘, before moving on to devour delightful Toledo, Seville and Cordoba

A TOWN park in Co Waterford will be taken over by colourful, crafty “pigs” next week as part of a novel event to announce details of a food festival expected to draw thousands into the south-east.

A suspected fake bride and groom were marched through a busy city centre after they were arrested on suspicion of taking part in a sham marriage ceremony, officials in Britain confirmed today.

COMEDY genius Tommy Tiernan will stage a unique night of storytelling and comedy in one of the highlights of an arts festival in west Cork.

THE Lusitania liner took just under 20 minutes to sink off the coast of Cork 95 years ago this month, but the memory of the devastating loss of over 1,100 people continues to live on in Cobh where remembrance wreaths were placed on mass graves at a cemetery in the town yesterday afternoon.

A 20-year-old man is today being questioned by police in connection with an assault that left a 30-year-old man in a serious condition in hospital.

People in the North will today show their anger at the upsurge in terrorist violence as two men continue to be quizzed over the murder of a policeman.

Armed police have been shot at after being called to an incident at a west London residential street.

WATERFORD’s first-ever Festival of Food kicks off tonight, with foodies young and old well catered for over the weekend.

A WET field at the bottom of a lane in Donegal seemed an unlikely spot to find a half-dozen All Blacks during the week. Michael Moynihan reports.

CHILDREN participating in the West Cork Arts Festival in Skibbereen have an opportunity to paint the town red over the next 10 days.

Rugby came home today when England’s World Cup winners received the freedom of the town where the game was born.

Thousands of Australian anti-war protesters, many of them students in school uniforms, pelted Sydney police with bottles and chairs grabbed from cafes today, and then hurled more bottles outside the office of Prime Minister John Howard.

Two people were arrested in Northern Ireland today following the seizure of weapons in a crackdown on dissident republican terrorists.