British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s troubled visit to the Middle East made a ‘‘very very significant’’ contribution to reviving the stalled peace process, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw insisted today.

Newport director of rugby Ian Macintosh tried to remain upbeat despite his side’s 29-21 Celtic League defeat to Munster at Musgrave Park, Cork.

North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds today conducted a tour of the Protestant community embroiled in the North Belfast school protest to highlight the sectarian and economic problems he said were the root of the dispute.

Robbie Fowler today apologised to Liverpool number two Phil Thompson over their training ground bust-up.

You would imagine, tactically, Nemo Rangers’ management will detail Alan Cronin to man-mark St Finbarr’s Stephen Sherlock from the off next Sunday in the replay of the Cork SFC final.

Sportsfile photographers Seb Daly and Brendan Moran captured a particularly wonderful moment for Galway manager Micheál Donoghue’s family in the moments after Fergal Horgan blew the full-time whistle at Croke Park last Sunday.

Not many counties have managed the full set in the one calendar year but this was all about the moment Galway captain David Burke trotted up the steps of the Hogan Stand just after five o’clock and raised the last bit of silverware high above his head.

England put on a good display of attacking football, but they emerged from their trek into the jungle with a 2-1 defeat in their World Cup opener thanks to Mario Balotelli's winner in the draining heat of Manaus.

Michael Clifford questions the failure of gardaí to interview a whistleblower who was a witness to an assault on a prison officer, and the lack of urgency in pursuing the case