Johnny Sexton last night dismissed speculation linking him with a return to Ireland by confirming that he has no intention of cutting short his stay in France.

Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte has admitted it’s been “a bad week for the Government” as Labour and Fine Gael brace themselves for a backlash in the local and European elections over controversies surrounding Justice Minister Alan Shatter.

The two garda whistle-blowers had “no basis” for continuing to trawl Garda computer data and disclosing it outside the force once they had reported their allegations of malpractice, the State’s data watchdog has said.

It wasn’t surprising that Paul McIver was ebullient at the final whistle. Seeing his players overcome a top side when reduced to 14 men is inclined to put any backroom team in good humour.

The former garda confidential recipient, Oliver Connolly, declined a request by the Department of Justice to repudiate an alleged transcript of a conversation he had with a garda whistleblower.

The man who delivered pizza to actors during the Oscars ceremony revealed he thought he was only going to be feeding backstage staff at the awards ceremony.

Martin O’Neill is relishing the prospect of a return to Celtic Park in November.

The GAA will next month embark on a six-week blitz of the 32 counties to educate Gaelic football referees on the forthcoming black card rule.

A packed courtroom yesterday erupted into laughter after ‘Guantanamo Granny’ — 79-year-old anti-war activist Margaretta Darcy — blew a whistle and declared: “I am a whistleblower”.

Already battered and bruised from Sunday’s exertions in Toulouse, Connacht will be without Michael Swift for the return leg on Saturday in the Galway Sportsground.

Pat McEnaney is against the introduction of the black card in hurling but does see a use in having two referees.

Pat McEnaney is against the introduction of the black card in hurling but does see a use in having two referees.

IT WAS tough on Joe McHugh last week. Not a wet second into the job and already people were questioning his abilities.

A planning application to transform the State’s largest toxic waste dump into vast public parkland as part of a €40m clean-up is due to be lodged within weeks.

IN DUBLIN to promote my book, the taxi drops me at a Georgian house-hotel next to the Dáil.

As Limerick won a first Munster senior hurling title since 1996 at the Gaelic Grounds on Sunday, one man with a grandstand view has a unique link to Limerick past and Limerick future.

Saturday’s siege will come from all angles but amidst all the chaos and carnage that Cardiff will deliver Rory Best knows that Paul O’Connell will lead Ireland’s ground offensive just as he has 99 times before.

Aston Villa 2 West Brom 0

The referee at the centre of Diego Maradona’s Hand of God goal at the 1986 World Cup has broken his silence about his decision to award one of the football’s most controversial goals to Argentina — and has claimed it was not his fault.

Whistleblowers whose concerns are ignored within their own organisation cannot be criticised for taking their complaints elsewhere, according to a former Garda commissioner.