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Past Two Weeks

Aug 18

Dublin loses its voice
Folk hero and Irish music legend will be waked at home today as preparations get under way for a celebration of his life at his funeral tomorrow. For more details, please click Irish Independent.
Related story: Here's to you Ronnie -- tributes pour in for 'true icon'

Waterford faithful cry tears of joy and relief
Shock and awe. Whatever they felt about surprising, the bookmakers, and the hurling analysts, clearly stunned their own supporters at yesterday. For more on this story, please click Irish Independent.

Celebration of climber's life
A rural community which nestles on the flatlands by the southern shore of the Shannon Estuary yesterday gathered to mark the life of one of their own who conquered the highest reaches on earth. For more on this story, please click Irish Examiner.

No respite from rain in sight after weekend weather chaos
A major mopping-up operation will get under way today after a chaotic weekend which saw roads closed, hundreds more houses flooded, sporting fixtures cancelled and a train derailed. For more on this story, please click Irish Independent.

Haughey family keeps Regatta ties alive on a day for ducks
Clad in yellow oils for what he said was "a soft day", Conor Haughey, eldest son of the late former Taoiseach, officially started the main race of the Dingle Regatta yesterday, keeping alive the tradition begun by his father in the early 1970s. For more on this story please click Irish Independent.

Pearl selection to be a glittering affair
The face of this year's Galway International Oyster Festival will be selected on September 11 at a glittering gala banquet to be held in the Ardilaun Hotel. For more details, please click Galway Advertiser.

Donegal's mission impossible?
St Patrick's Purgatory, Lough Derg, boasts breathtaking scenery and magnificent buildings. But pilgrims don't go there for the view. For three days, they fast and pray barefoot, rain, hail or shine. To read this story, please click BBC.

Aug 17

Alex Ferguson's long goodbye
This season's Premier League could mark the beginning of the end for Sir Alex Ferguson. But until he retires, he looks ready to face down every challenge, including the one from a revitalised Chelsea. Sir Alex Ferguson is learning to play the piano ("I've no left hand to speak of") and says he has started to notice that there are plenty of good last-minute travel offers on the internet for a well-heeled retired couple with time on their hands and a curiosity about the world. For more on this story, please click Belfast Telegraph.
Photo Credit: BBC.

Zutons round off Belsonic with show to remember
Belfast's biggest summer outdoor music festival was brought to a dazzling finale last night as The Zutons rocked the city. For more on this story, please click Belfast Telegraph.

'It scares me but we all have to go some time'
Tributes pour in for legend who put Dublin on world music map
MUSICIANS, entertainers, politicians and artists paid tribute to the legendary singer Ronnie Drew, who died in his native Dublin after a long battle with cancer. For more on this story, please click Irish Independent.

Super-rich list shrinks as slump hits home
Big names still expected to feature in slightly smaller millionaires' club
Horticulture student Greg Smyth, who became Ireland's latest millionaire with his €9m lotto win last Wednesday, joins more than 30,000 Irish people who have six-figure sums to their name. But the downturn in the global and national economy suggests that the addition of the golfer's son to the millionaires' list could be bucking the trend. For more on this story, please click Irish Independent.
Photo Credit: Guardian

Instruments of change
Church organs, and the music written for them, are enjoying something of a revival in Ireland. Catherine Foley on the popularity of a complex but often breathtaking instrument. For more on this story, please click Irish Times
Photo Credit and Caption: Cashel Anglican/The restored Bevington organ in St Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny.

Thousands take to streets for Streets
Thousands of runners and walkers turned out for the annual FUTURE Streets of Galway 8K road-race which took place on Saturday evening last. Again this year, male runners slightly outnumbered the female runners as 55 per cent of finishers were male and 45 per cent female. Almost 85 per cent of all finishers were unaffiliated to any official running club, showing the special appeal of the Streets of Galway race to the wider population outside of competitive or club running. For more on this story, please click Galway Independent.

Heaney to head Tara celebrations
Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney will head up a celebration of Tara at the controversial site of the M3 motorway, organisers announced. He will be joined by Pulitzer prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon and a host of Irish musicians and poets at the Feis Teamhra, or turn on Tara, Co Meath,today. For more on this story, please click Irish News
Photo Credit: BBC.

Aug 16

Passer-by pulls man out of Foyle
Chris Peters and another passer-by rescued the man from the Foyle
A man has been rescued from the River Foyle by a passer-by.
Chris Peters was on his way to visit his parents near Derry City Council's offices on Thursday evening when he spotted the man in the water. For more on this story, please click BBC.

Fans set to turn out for Ulster Grand Prix
Thousands of race fans are expected to brave the wet conditions and flock to Dundrod today for the final day of the Ulster Grand Prix. Some have come from parts of Europe and as far as Australia to watch some of the world’s top riders compete on one of the toughest circuits in the world. For more on this story, please click Belfast Telegraph.
Photo Credit: Road Racers

Bank Holiday travellers face delays as airport staff strike
Thousands of Northern Ireland air passengers travelling to the UK could be facing Bank Holiday chaos after baggage handlers and check in staff at Gatwick and Stansted have voted to strike. For more on this story, please click Belfast Telegraph.
Photo Credit: World News

A wig fit for a wag
Football star Robbie Keane may now be a Red, but his wife is less keen on switching colours. Claudine, the wife of the new Liverpool striker, was yesterday back in Dublin sporting a new "red" hairdo. However, it had little to do with the famous colours of the Anfield giants. For more on this story, please click Irish Independent.

Hated plaza hits road
IT's one of the most hated buildings in Ireland, but in just two weeks time the notorious M50 toll plaza will be no more. No longer will cars and trucks be forced to queue for the privilege of paying the toll allowing them to bypass the city. On Saturday, August 30, it will be removed and our picture of lines of waiting motorists will be consigned to history. For more on this story, please click Irish Independent.

Golf caddy becomes millionaire
Greg Smyth, caddy son of professional golfer Des Smyth, won the huge midweek lotto jackpot of €9.42m. The 24-year-old, who was caddying for his dad over the summer break, almost trebled his famous father’s entire career earnings from the €4 quickpick. His father is currently playing in the Champion's Tour in America. For more on this story, please click Irish World.

Mother of all Fleadhs
Athletes from across the world may be limbering up in Beijing right now, but we have a different kind of Olympics about to happen on our very open doorstep. Making a very welcome comeback for 2008 is the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann, rightly described by many as the Olympics of traditional Irish music, culture, song and dance, and a huge treat for both practitioners and lovers of the genre. For more on this story, please click Irish World.

Aug 15

Bann fish attract aquatic visitor
Crowds watch the porpoise from the footbridge in Coleraine town centre.
The people of Coleraine are well used to welcoming visitors to the area in the summer - but nobody was prepared for the aquatic visitor who swam into town on Wednesday. For more on this story, please click BBC.

Phoneline help for exam students
Disappointed pupils are urged to talk to counsellors
Help is being offered to A-Level students feeling emotionally distressed because of their exam results. Lifeline is a free telephone counselling service, funded by the DHSS and operated by Contact Youth. For more on this story, please click BBC.

Supermarkets cut cost of groceries in major price war
Grocery bills could cost a little less this weekend after Northern Ireland’s major supermarkets announced a new round of price cuts on a variety of goods. For more on this story, please click Belfast Telegraph.
Photo Credit: Packaging Gateway

Duffy pops out to The Markets for her first gig of winter tour
Duffy - the UK’s biggest selling artist of the year - is to kick off her autumn/winter tour in Belfast. The Welsh pop star with the soulful, Sixties-influenced voice, will play St George’s Market on Tuesday, November 25, as part of a 12-date tour. For more on this story, please click Belfast Telegraph.

David Healy out in the cold
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson last night confirmed David Healy’s worst fears when he revealed that the Northern Ireland scoring sensation is facing long spells on the bench this season. For more on this story, please click Belfast Telegraph.

Zoo reels in the years with long-forgotten footage
IT'S a trip down memory lane, back to Dublin Zoo in the "roar" old times -- when elephants rambled freely in the grounds, the chimps' tea party was held at four o'clock and nobody particularly minded if you fed the animals. For more on this story, please click Irish Independent.

Bookie pokes fun at 'boozy' Dubs fans
DUBLIN GAA fans have taken on the chin a gentle slagging by Paddy Power bookmakers which claims they are notorious for holding up the start of matches due to their "fondness of drink". For more on this story, please click Irish Independent.
Photo Credit: Images inductrial

Aug 14

Centre gears up for festive rush
With only 134 shopping days left to Christmas, a Northern Ireland contact centre has said it is gearing up for a seasonal rush.
Belfast-based Gem said it will recruit 300 staff to handle services for Play.com over the festive season.
Recruitment manager Marcella McKeever said an online ordering surge at Christmas was now a tradition. For more on this story, please click BBC.

NI students top of A-level class
Northern Ireland A-Level students have again outperformed those in England and Wales, with 35.4% gaining an A grade compared to the 25.9% overall figure. For more on this story, please click BBC.

Festival celebrates air pioneer
When Amelia Earhart set off on her record-breaking transatlantic flight in May 1932, she was aiming for the bright lights of Paris.
Instead, bad weather and mechanical problems forced her to land in a field near Derry - and the city's link with the pioneering aviator was born. For more on this story, please click BBC.

Music event kicks off in city
The Belsonic music festival kicked off in Belfast on Monday with a spectacular performance by the Flaming Lips.
Billed as Belfast's biggest music event this summer, some of the biggest bands of the moment are performing over the course of the three-day event at Custom House Square. For more on this story, please click BBC.

Supermodel Kate plans an Irish wedding
Kate Moss plans to marry boyfriend Jamie Hince in Ireland this winter.
Supermodel Kate Moss is to tie the knot before the end of the year in an idyllic ceremony in the Republic of Ireland. The stunning clothes horse plans to wed boyfriend Jamie Hince this December and has just announced the Emerald Isle as her venue of choice. For more on this story, please click Belfast Telegraph.

Weather rains on tourism industry
The extreme weather conditions have further hit the tourism industry, which was already suffering its most challenging period in a number of years. The sector has been hit by the weak US dollar, the credit crunch and declining consumer confidence internationally, while oil prices have also had an impact. "Trading conditions this year are very tough, probably the toughest in a number of years," Failte Ireland's Paul Keeley said. For more on this story, please click Irish Independent.
Photo Credit: Ireland Logue

Black chat
Mary Black is one of our most enduring female vocalists, whose music has stood the test of time and trends perhaps more than any other. From Dublin folk clubs, to De Dannan to her years as a solo artist, she has always had a quality that manages to capture people’s hearts. For more on this story, please click Irish World.

Aug 13

How Murphy the stolen gnome went around the world in 48 photographs
It is a mystery of pint-sized proportions, featuring an altruistic act of kindness copied straight from the film Amélie, which tells the story of a Parisian waitress who decides to change the lives of those around her for the better. For more on this tory, please click Belfast Telegraph.

Big race roars out of history with Clady run
Seasoned bikers with long memories will blaze a trail again up the Seven Mile Straight on the eve of the Belfast Telegraph supported Ulster Grand Prix this Friday. For they will go on a re-run over the famous Clady course on which the race used to be staged. For more on this tory, please click Belfast Telegraph.

Tragic sailors recalled in poignant ceremony
Families and friends of six sailors from Northern Ireland who died when their boat sank off the Cornish coast over 40 years ago gathered at the weekend for a memorial service to their loved ones. For more on this tory, please click Belfast Telegraph.

Harrington on trail of FedEx loot
After his Grand Slam glory, Padraig Harrington is about to join American golf's $38m gold rush. Harrington gave a Tigerish performance at The Open and US PGA. Now he wants to follow Woods down the yellow brick road to victory in the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup series. For more on this tory, please click Irish Independent.

Property prices set to plunge 40pc from their peak
The housing market is going through a drastic correction at the moment which will see prices fall as much as 40pc from their peak, according to a survey of economists. Prices will continue declining for the rest of this year, with no return to price growth until 2009 at the earliest, the economists believe. For more on this tory, please click Irish Independent.
Photo Credit: Teije

Free culture No strings attached
Culture vultures can gorge themselves on the arts next month when museums, galleries, theatres and cathedrals welcome them in, free-of-charge. A host of venues across the country are talking part in the first National Culture Night by staying open until 11pm on Friday, September 19. For more on this tory, please click Irish Independent.
Photo Credit: Flicker

Geldof's girl gets hitched in Las Vegas
Peaches Geldof has married in Vegas, to a boyfriend nobody knew she had. By The 19-year-old married American singer Max Drummey last week during her trip to the States. Her new hubby is a 23-year-old Harvard anthropology graduate and frontman with rockers Chester French. For more on this tory, please click Irish World.

Aug 12

Small town's secret of long life
People living in Ballymoney can expect to live longer than anyone else on the island of Ireland, a survey has found. That is one of the findings of a study into health and social care indicators in Northern Ireland and the Republic. For more on this story, please click BBC.

A bird in the hand Legal aid on call
THE long arm of the law wasn't quite long enough to keep Eddie the golden eagle at bay yesterday. "Legal eagle" Eddie joined Rachel McDaid, Legal Line MD, in St Stephen's Green to pose for photographer Jason Clarke at the launch of Ireland's first legal advice phone service. For more on this story, please click Irish Independent.

'Monsoon-like' rainfall brings chaos to Dublin
A massive clean-up operation was under way in Dublin yesterday after record rainfall brought chaos to the city. Dejected Armagh GAA fans travelling from Croke Park on Saturday where their side was beaten by Wexford were among those caught up in the mass floodings when they returned to find their cars stranded. For more on this story, please click Belfast Telegraph.

Luck of the Irish puts Rheinisch in kayaking final
Kayak slalom athlete Eoin Rheinisch qualified in 10th place, and is now in the kayaking final at the Olympics in Beijing. His final time, thanks to a huge bit of luck, was 88.85. He had a nail-biting wait as he very slowly went down the leader board. For more on this story, please click Irish World.

Murder and mayhem in Galway city
You're always welcome in Galway, but it wasn't always like that, according to recent historical research. The people of Galway are famous for their hospitality and the warm they extend to visitors, although this may not have always been the case. For more on this story, please click Irish World.

Ancient fair begins in Cavan
One of Ireland's oldest annual traditional fairs takes place today in Co Cavan. The Muff Fair, near Kingscourt, will have a large showing of horses and ponies from every part of the country. The event is famed for its old-style haggling and bartering, such as sellers giving a “luck penny” to buyers. For more on this story, please click Irish World.

Where the usual is very unusual
After a snag with its licence, a Donegal hotel decided to offer something different - a booze-free bar. Could dry venues be the next big thing? FROM THE OUTSIDE of the Carrig Rua Hotel, in Dunfanaghy, Co Donegal, everything seems normal enough. The site comes at the end of the once-bustling fishing port, offering commanding views of the surrounding area, including Killahoey Strand. For more on this story, please click Irish Times.

Aug 11

High-flyer course for €135,000
The waiting is nearly over for 50,000 Leaving Cert students who will receive their results on Wednesday, and for some the next step will be Ireland's most expensive degree course . For details, please click Irish Independent.
Photo Credit: tropicalisland.de

Exploring Ireland’s cultural and historical links to Liverpool
A series of films and art exhibitions to explore historical and cultural links between Ireland and Liverpool will take place in the city this summer. For details, please click Irish Post.
Photo Credit: Art in Liverpool

No time for a tipple as Meyers meets O'Toole
Reformed hell-raising actor, Peter O'Toole - currently starring in a brilliantly self-effacing TV advert - is apparently an idol of Tudors mainman Jonathan Rhys Meyers. For more details, please click Irish Independent.
Photo credit: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Book Review: I Never Fancied Him Anyway by Claudia Carroll
Claudia Carroll's latest novel 'I Never Fancied Him Anyway' is decent, light-hearted fun, much like her other recent offerings. but this girlie romance is much more rooted in reality. To read the review, please click RTE.

Padraig Harrington won his second straight major with victory in the 90th USPGA Championship at Oakland Hills.
The double Open champion held off Sergio Garcia and Ben Curtis on a dramatic last day to end two shots clear at three under after a 66. For more on this story, please click BBC.

Texting saved stricken aeroplane
Text messages saved an aeroplane which lost electrical power and communication abilities last November, a report has revealed.
Problems emerged soon after the light aircraft left Kerry Airport en route to Jersey with five people on board. For more on this story, please click BBC.

Going green is made Easier
Irish Ferries launch Sail Rail option to attract eco travellers. Passengers keen to reduce their carbon footprint and avoid airport check-in and security hassles are invited by Irish Ferries to take advantage of a new product that it has on offer. For more on this story, please click Irish World.

Aug 10

Carrying the flag for Ireland
Sailing star Ciara Peel carried the Irish flag at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics and struggled to come to terms with the enormity of it all. “ It's just an amazing feeling and it is such an honour.” For details, please click RTE.

Eze does it for Bono and pals
Even Hollywood heavyweight Robert De Niro was so starstruck when he popped into Bono's Mediterranean hideaway this summer that he couldn't resist whipping out his camcorder. For more on this story, please click Irish Independent.

Walsh wins Scottish Fringe award
Irish playwright Enda Walsh has won the Fringe First award for the second year in succession at the Edinburgh Festival. Her play The Disco Pigs was made into an acclaimed film. For details, please click RTE.

“Ireland just has to put best foot forward”
So says Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley who for many came to symbolise the Celtic Tiger era and the emergence of the new Ireland. For more on this story, please click Irish Independent.

No faults' for amazing Eddie
As her new husband stole the hearts of the RDS audiences after years in the doldrums, Canadian beauty Kathi Ballentine described how his "blue eyes" swept her off her feet the moment they met. For more on this story, please click Irish Independent.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Parnell home hosts school
Sir Anthony O'Reilly will open the 2008 Parnell Summer School at Avondale House -- the ancestral home of legendary politician Charles Parnell -- in Rathdrum, Co Wicklow today. For details, please click Do Chara - Your Irish Friend

NI hotels' 'best year ever'
Hotels in the North of Ireland have enjoyed their best ever year of business, says an industry survey. The survey, carried out ASM Horwath, discovered that demand for rooms outdid supply in certain areas, like Belfast. For more details, please click Irish World.

Aug 9

Aloysius O'Brien, RIP
The St. John's Newfoundland farmer spoke Leinster Gaelic - or Irish of the books - a dialect now extinct in Ireland, which was passed down to him from his Irish-born grandmother. He was 93. For more details, please click Canada.Com.
Photo Credit: Geological Survey of ireland/Mt. Leinster

Beijing 2008
Hundreds of countries yesterday set aside their differences to participate in the most spectacular opening to the Olympic Games in history. Keep up to speed with all the latest news - please click Irish Independent.

Thousands attending city parade
About 15,000 Apprentice Boys and spectators accompanied by 120 bands are taking part in the annual celebration. For more on this story, please click BBC.

Adventurer remembered 150 years after Eiger ascent
Armed with little more than tweed clothing, hobnailed boots and a rope, Wicklow man Charles Barrington became the first person in the world to climb the Eiger. For more details, please click Irish Independent.
Photo Credit: Tom Dempsey/Photo Seek

Robert Shaw to receive village honour
He became more associated with the fictional Amity Island, but Jaws star Robert Shaw is to be commemorated in a small Irish village he made his home. For more on this story, please click BBC.

Fiona joins cast of Wilde film
Acclaimed Irish actress Fiona Shaw has joined the cast of the new adaptation of Wilde's only published novel. The cast also includes Ben Barnes, Colin Firth, Ben Chaplin and Max Irons, Jeremy Irons’ son. For more details, please click Irish World.

Want to star in a Snow Patrol video?
Fans are being invited to play a starring role in a new video to launch their fifth album which is being shot in central London next Monday, August 11. For more details, please click Belfast Telegraph.

Aug 8

Olympics Preview - Irish hopes
Four years on from Athens, the Olympics is once again upon us, tantalising Ireland's young hopefuls with the chance to carve their names into sporting folklore, For more details, please click Irish World.
Photo Credit & Related Story: Irish Independent

Peelo honoured to carry Tricolour
Sailing star Ciara Peelo will carry the Irish flag at today's opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, watched by some 91,000 spectators in the Bird's Nest Stadium and an estimated TV audience of four billion. For more details, please click RTE.

85,000 expected at Kilkenny festival
More than 85,000 people are expected to attend the 35th annual Kilkenny Arts Festival which kicks off in Kilkenny city tonight. Organisers say this year's festival will be the biggest yet with over 100 events featuring 300 artists. For more details, please click Irish Times.
Photo Credit: Static Flicker

A rich day of fashion fortunes at the RDS
A Leaving Cert student won the Best Dressed ladies' title with a sculpture hat made from hair. And an American kite surfer won Best Hat with a chapeau of spinning horses. For more details, please click Irish Independent.

Floods and the threats of cyclones, it must be summer in the north
Martin McKenna from Maghera contacted the BBC's news website after capturing a massive storm cell over the Sperrin Mountains. He said it was an incredible sight and "menacing looking". For more details, please click BBC.

Obama ancestry traced to 18th century Dublin
Genealogists have uncovered fresh evidence of Barack Obama’s Irish ancestry revealing the US presidential hopeful descended from an 18th century Dublin property mogul and wigmaker. For more details, please click Irish Times.
Photo Credit & Related Story: BBC

Nothing rains on Frank's parade
Angela’s Ashes' author Frank McCourt took a trip down memory lane yesterday when he visited the city which made him a bestselling author and Pulitzer prize winner. For more on this story, please click Irish Independent.

Aug 7

Digger' Dowling, real hero of the Great Escape, RIP
He was a master tunnel-builder who helped pull off the "Great Escape", the daring but ultimately tragic bid for freedom from a prison camp in Nazi Germany made by scores of British servicemen. For more on this story, please click Belfast Telegraph.
Photo Credit, Related Story & Caption: BBC
This simple plaque in English and Polish now marks the entrance to escape tunnel Harry, which was concealed under a heating stove in prisoner hut 104 at Stalag Luft III.

Weekend Lotto jackpot hits €8m
Saturday’s lotto jackpot is heading for €8m after no-one won the top prize in the midweek draw. To avoid the inevitable rush to buy a ticket and play from the comfort of home, please click Irish Lottery.

Punters vote with their feet in latest gallop poll
There was little sign of the economic downturn at the RDS yesterday with the volume of pre-sold tickets for the annual Dublin Horse Show up compared with previous years. For more on this story, please click Irish Independent.
Photo & Related Story: Return of the Mack ensures a rainy opener

Rural postie bearer of good weather news
Michael Gallagher, a postman from the isolated valley of Glenfin in Donegal is famous for predicting of the weather using ancient methods learned from families in the Blue Stack mountains. For more details, please click Irish Independent.
Related story: The irish World

When even a diet of bread and water can break the bank
From slices of bread for 95 cent to teabags worth €1.70, it's the small additions that you need to keep an eye on in restaurants - and it’s not just the prime tourist spots that are making eating out in ireland so expensive. For more details, please click Irish Times.
Photo Credit: The Daily Green

Ulster Scots festival features city’s siege
Visitors to Londonderry are enjoying the second Foyle
Ulster Scots festival which runs until Friday 8 August and features the story of the city's siege, reenacted on the walls. For more details, please click BBC.

Obel Tower crane looms over Belfast
The huge crane was raised last week as construction of the superstructure of the Obel Tower — destined to be Belfast’s tallest building — got under way. For more on this story, please click Belfast Telegraph.