The first Irish equines exported to China under a ground-breaking protocol signed last July arrived last Monday.

A woman has been arrested by detectives probing the suspicious death of a mother-of-one found with suspected head injuries after a party.

Swiss-based show jumper Niall Talbot won the grand prix in Lisbon yesterday with Nicos de la Cense to round off a successful weekend for the Irish in the Portuguese capital.

Show jumper Denis Lynch rounded off his World Cup challenge yesterday in 14th place in Gothenburg, Sweden.

A man and a woman have received suspended sentences at Trim Circuit Court on drugs charges arising from the death of Katy French five years ago

Ollie Townend set himself up for a crack at a €50,000 bonus with victory yesterday at the Johnson & Perrott Land Rover International Horse Trials in Ballindenisk, Co Cork, on a horse nicknamed Imperial Disaster.

A sun-drenched day in Ballindenisk, Co Cork that fell into the halcyon category, yet Sarah Ennis was “not happy”.

Katie Taylor had her Bray bash, John Joe Nevin was feted in Mullingar, while Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan got the red carpet treatment in Belfast.

William Whitaker gave Britain its second feature win in as many days at Millstreet International Horse Show yesterday, but Alexander Butler also laid down a marker ahead of tomorrow’s €50,000 grand prix.

Eventer Sam Watson is targeting a big performance in the four-star show at Burghley, England, at the end of the month, having won the feature three-star class at Camphire, Co Waterford, yesterday.

It wouldn’t come as a big surprise to find that Ireland show jumping manager Robert Splaine is putting the controversy over Denis Lynch behind him, and he would be forgiven for, briefly, taking his focus off the Olympics today, as he aims to engineer a get-out-of-jail performance in Hickstead.

SHOW JUMPER Denis Lynch rounded off a good weekend at the World Cup show in Vigo, Spain, when steering Abbervail van het Dingeshof to fifth place in yesterday’s grand prix.

A largely rookie Irish team swept all before them at the Finnish Nations Cup in Ypaja this afternoon to claim the trophy on an aggregate score of just five faults over two rounds.

FAILINGS in mental health units across the country including “serious deficits” in services, “unacceptable” living conditions, and “insufficient” bathing facilities, have been highlighted in the 2008 Inspector of Mental Health Services report.

SALESIAN College of Horticulture in Warrenstown, County Meath, is to close at the end of the current academic year.

A 26-year-old man died earlier today following a road crash in Co Meath.

A SUICIDAL teenage abuse victim who has spent the past eight weeks in a general hospital awaiting a psychiatric bed went home yesterday after doctors told her there was still no specialist bed available.

CLEM McMAHON was relaxed as he stood outside arena one at a sunny Millstreet Horse Show yesterday, taking a passing interest in his rivals as they attempted to better his time in the jump-off of a Boomerang qualifier.

Paul O'Shea got his domestic season off the mark today winning the latest round of the Boswell Equestrian Centre National Grand Prix League, staged at Coilog, Co Kildare.

A YOUNG boy last night who talked of killing himself at the age of six, put a face to the plight of children who cannot get proper treatment for serious mental health problems.

ARMY rider Lieutenant Brian Curran-Cournane notched up his second IJM TimberFrame League grand prix win on Carraig Dubh yesterday at Millstreet Horse Show, having only teamed up with the bay gelding less than two months ago.

A TWO-YEAR-OLD boy was killed in a freak accident on Saturday after getting his head stuck in a partially opened window of a car door, at his home.

Gardaí have released the names of three road accident victims who died this weekend.

FINGAL County Council will seek a continuing injunction in the High Court today as part of the anti-bin charge campaign row.