In a year in which there are a number of lively veteran candidates for the John Smith’s Grand National, Oliver Sherwood’s Eric’s Charm comes into the race in fine form and could well give supporters a serious run for their money at a big price with Grand National 2010 betting, writes Elliot Slater. The 12-year-old fairly [...]

Who would have believed that the gardens created by Col. William Hall-Walker on a boggy site on his Tully estate between 1906 to 1910 would one day attract thousands of Visitors from all over the world. Designed by the Japanese landscape gardener Tassa Eida with the help of the farm workers over this four [...]

Some of Ireland’s leading women writers and feminists will gather at the Dublin Book Festival on Monday to celebrate International Woman’s Day. A posthumous book from Nuala Ó Faolain, A More Complex Truth: Selected Writings will be launched on the final day of the festival, which commenced on Saturday, while the legacies of feminism will be [...]

Anyone shrewd enough to have selected Razor Royale at fancy prices for the 2010 Grand National prior to his gutsy success in the Racing Post Chase, will be on very good terms with themselves now after the gelding’s ante-post odds tumbled following his neck defeat of Nacarat in a thrilling race, writes Elliot Slater. Trimmed to [...]

Saturday’s Grade 2 Bathwick Tyres Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton will hopefully answer some serious questions about the wellbeing of three contenders for the championship crown at the Cheltenham 2010 next month, writes Elliot Slater. Since he won the Champion Hurdle 11 months ago I have been very sweet on the chances of Nicky Henderson’s Punjabi retaining [...]

We would like to thank all those people who booked for the Genesis event tomorrow, it looks like we will have over 200 people, so a great night instore! We strongly advise you to arrive between 8.30pm and 9.30pm to take advantage of the FREE Wine (3 choices!) & Chocolates. There will also be a special Genesis [...]

UN-Habitat and the Government of Brazil have started preparations for the fifth session of the Urban World Forum, scheduled in Rio de Janeiro 22-26 March 2010. The Forum is one of the most open and inclusive gatherings of its kind on the international stage. It brings together government leaders, ministers, mayors, diplomats, members of national, [...]

The fashion stakes are set to be higher than ever, when legendary Irish milliner Philip Treacy, in conjunction with the Design Centre, will be on hand the Hennessy Gold Cup Best Dressed on Sunday 7th February 2010, when Ireland’s most glamorous ladies will demonstrate the ultimate in style and elegance in the hope of walking [...]

Leinster will be hosting their annual ‘Ladies Night’ in aid of Action Breast Cancer (A.B.C.) at the Magners League encounter against the Scarlets in the RDS on Saturday, February 20th. In addition to a bucket collection around the ground, the Official Leinster Supporters Club (OLSC) will be printing a limited edition t-shirt which will go [...]

Don Baker Band The Purty Loft, Dun Laoghaire. -Friday 13th November - 9pm start. €13 (€10 if booked in advance) Don with full band. On drums Danny Daly (Peter Green). On Bass Martin Crawford(Diana Ross). On Guitar Ken Gillick and on Piano Salvitori. Don Baker is a renowned singer-songwriter and bluesman, best known for virtuoso performances on harmonica [...]

Mermaid County Wicklow Arts Centre & the Courthouse Arts Centre urge you to attend a public meeting on Monday 23 November at 6pm in Mermaid, Main Street, Bray. Irish Arts funding in Ireland is seriously under threat. Complementing the National Campaign for the Arts, the County Wicklow Campaign is an initiative to bring together all [...]

Munster v Bristol Tickets Tickets for Munster’s first home game of the British and Irish Cup are now on sale online. Munster take on Bristol on Friday 27th November in Nenagh RFC, ko7.30pm. Buy Tickets Here Exclusive Online Offer The Munster Junior Backpack is this week’s web only exclusive offer, the backpack was €15 and is now [...]

Fingers Crossed Munster front row problems will ease somewhat with the return to action in Croke Park on Sunday of John Hayes and Jerry Flannery but it will be a case of fingers crossed from a Munster management point of view over the next three weeks with 13 of their squad on international duty. Read [...]

Taste is the fascinating name which Jackie Murphy has given to her restaurant in Monkstown, Co Dublin. Taste and see … is an open invitation and well worth responding to because chef Michael J. Murphy is providing quality fare at a gourmet level. Jackie’s taste is reflected in the comfortable environment she has created, [...]

If a Chinese restaurant is good enough for Chinese people living in Dublin, it is the best recommendation for local customers and visitors to the capital city. The Good World Restaurant in South Great George’s Street, Dublin 2, which has been pleasuring the taste buds of its clientele for the past 18 years, conforms to this [...]

When it comes to Italian restaurants, the Topolis at 37 Parliament Street in Temple Bar is the real deal. Even the homemade bread has the rub of the garlic. Its location adjacent to the City Hall with its adjoining civic open space places it close to a popular focal point for tourists. The location’s main [...]

Surely the real source of enjoyment on a holiday is to experience something different. Expenditure on air travel and hotel accommodation just to experience more of the same is not the brightest idea for a vacation. Globalisation has standardised many elements in the tourist industry – not all of them bad, mind you – but [...]

Dublin is blessed with easily accessible coastal beaches and harbours such as Howth and Dun Laoghaire, but the distant backdrop to many a city street is a mountain. Visitors who have tasted the pleasures of central Dublin, including Temple Bar can drink in the spectacular scenery of the adjacent Wicklow and Dublin Mountains from the [...]

The Farm Food Restaurant in DawsonStreet, Dublin 2, is quite an exhilarating place to dine and wine. The experienced owner Desmond Coffee, who has been more than 30 years in the food and drinks business, diligently honours organic food not as a fad or a diet, but as a lifestyle choice for a growing clientele. [...]

South William Street is a prime area for strolling and browsing, pedestrians dominate, cars are intrusion, cafes and restaurants spill onto street pavements, people relax on the flower bedecked steps of Powerscourt Town House, the cobblestones harkback to a previous era … but once a dull back street, it has undergone a metamorphosis and grabbed [...]

The O’s Are Back Lions Ronan O’Gara, Paul O’Connell and Donncha O’Callaghan are all named in a Munster match day squad for the first time this season as is Keith Earls for Sunday’s sold-out Musgrave Park Magners League clash with the Dragons (5.05pm). Read More O’Callaghan Rarin to Go Donncha O’Callaghan makes a return to action for Munster in [...]

Four Changes For The Irish Visit Munster coach Tony McGahan makes four changes to his starting XV, from the side that took the field against Sale Sharks. Read More Introducing Toby Morland 26 years of age, Toby Morland was drafted into the Munster squad to cover for Tomas O’Leary while he returns to fitness. He was scrumhalf on the [...]

All Quiet On The Southern Front The Munster gyms in Cork (Forge Hill) and Limerick (UL) are eerily quiet these days while the squad are away in Portugal on a week long training camp. Read More Munster U20s Season Build-Up The U20s under the watchful eye of Coach Anthony Foley have been busy for the past few weeks in [...]

Bodytime Massage What’s not to like about massage, Studies show that massage therapy improves circulation, increases blood flow, soothes nerves, helps release tension, reduces blood pressure, eliminate toxins, improves skin and muscle tone and helps improve posture. read more about Bodytime Harmony Festival of World Cultures Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th August 2009 Health & Harmony Fair, a global [...]

French International Prop For Munster Following on from the acquisition of Springboks centre Jean de Villiers, Munster today completed their squad for the coming season with the signing of French international prop Julien Brugnaut from Dax. Read More Howlett’s Preparation Interrupted Doug Howlett’s preparation for the coming season has been interrupted after he picked up a calf injury in [...]

Lions Team For Final Test The British and Irish Lions look to end on a high as they play their final test game against South Africa this Saturday in the Coca Cola Park, Johannesburg. Read More Catching Up With Danny Barnes We caught up with the first year academy player as he recently returned from the IRB Junior World [...]

Season Starts on Monday Just six weeks after they signed off on season 2008/2009 the first of the Munster squad assemble to begin preparations for season 2009/2010. Read More O’Callaghan Misses Out The Lions have made five changes for the second Test that includes Simon Shaw being brought in to partner Paul O’Connell and no place in the 22 [...]

Munster Team News Denis Fogarty will have the company today of Tomas O’Leary and Jerry Flannery for the long haul flight to Denver Colorado where the Munster hooker will join the rest of the Ireland A squad to prepare for the Churchill Cup. Read More 09/10 Heineken Cup Pool Draw Next Week The draw to decide the Pools for [...]

OXEGEN is set to be invaded by a brand new stage this summer. Heineken Green Spheres will descend upon Europe’s favourite rock and roll weekend in Punchestown this July, bringing the best summer sounds from legends and those in the making. Heineken Green Spheres pitches its tent with the fans and will transport them to a [...]

GREEN DAY ANNOUNCE TWO IRISH CONCERT DATES TICKETS ON SALE THIS FRIDAY 01 MAY AT 9.00AM Green Day have confirmed they will play two Irish concert dates in October. The band will play The Odyssey Arena, Belfast on 20 October and The 02, Dublin on 21 October, 2009. Tickets will go on sale Friday 01 May at 9.00am from [...]

Sheahan and Horgan Included in Munster 22 Two of Munster’s longest serving players, Anthony Horgan and Frank Sheahan will make their final appearance in the Munster jersey that they graced for the past twleve years, when they line out against Ospreys in Thomond Park tomorrow night (7.45pm). Read More Quinlan’s Lions Hopes Dashed Alan Quinlan’s hopes of joining his [...]

O’Driscoll Leads Munster in Cardiff In the absence of Paul O’Connell who was named in the squad earlier in the week, Munster will be led by Mick O’Driscoll for their final away game of the season, Sundays (4.35pm) Magners League clash with Cardiff Blues in the Arms Park. Read More Munster Welcome New Competition Twelve teams from the English [...]

Players On The Mend Although all eyes will be on Croke Park tomorrow for the RBS Six Nations Ireland England game, Munster management will already have their focus firmly fixed on the Magners League trip to Newport tomorrow week.

After over twenty years in the making, the greatest graphic novel of all time finally reaches celluloid. Guided by Zach Snyder - the man who brought 300 to life - Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’s groundbreaking work is a dense, multi-layered, and often nihilistic look at America in a parallel 1985. Richard Nixon is still President, having passed a [...]

One Change for Munster The Munster side for tomorrow’s Heineken Cup return clash with ASM Clermont Auvergne, shows just one change from the side that started in the game in Clermont last Sunday. Read More Video: Focus on Saturday On the Munster View - Tony McGahan, Shaun Payne, Paul O’Connell and Marcus Horan talk about the task at hand, [...]

Captain & Coach Looking Forward to Thomond Park Game Speaking at the Media Briefing yesterday in Limerick’s Castletroy Park Hotel, Ireland coach Declan Kidney described taking charge of his first Ireland Test match at the New Thomond Park on Saturday week as a “huge honour”. Read More Video: Irish Camp in Limerick On the Munster View - we here [...]

O’Driscoll Leads Munster in Ravenhill Mick O’Driscoll will lead Munster on Saturday evening when the league leaders resume their Magners League campaign in Ravenhill. Read More Video: Thoughts on Ulster Clash and Squad Update On the Munster View - Manager Shaun Payne on returning to Magners League action, and player updates. Denis Fogarty on starting against Ulster. This video is [...]

This coming November Ergodos will present young, up-and-coming English clarinetist Jonathan Sage in a tour of Ireland. The diverse and exciting tour programme features specially-commissioned works for clarinet and electronics by English composer Alex Harker and prize-winning Irish composer Jonathan Nangle; music for basset clarinet (an 18th-century extended clarinet) by Scottish composer William Sweeney and [...]

Dowling In Tipoki Out Ian Dowling has recovered from the knock he sustained last weekend against Montauban and is included in the Munster side for Sunday’s clash with Sale Sharks but Rua Tipoki failed a fitness test this morning and is ruled out. Read More Quinlan Puts It In Perspective Alan Quinlan refuses to spend too much time looking [...]

Three Changes for Munster Munster coach Tony McGahan makes three changes, from the side that started against Glasgow Warriors six days ago, for the opening Heineken Cup game against French side Montauban in Thomond Park tomorrow (Fri) evening (8pm). Read More Quinlan Can’t Wait As far as Alan Quinlan is concerned, Friday night can’t come, quick enough, the Heineken [...]

Horgan & Quinlan Back in Munster Starting XV Anthony Horgan and Alan Quinlan return to the Munster starting XV for the first time this season, for Saturday’s Magners League encounter with Glasgow Warriors at Thomond Park. However Tomas O’Leary is a late withdrawal with a leg injury. Read More Quinlan Delight Alan Quinlan’s return to the Munster starting line-up [...]

A Narrow Win For Munster A try from out-half Conan Doyle converted by Tadhg Bennett gave Munster A a 7-6 win over Ulster A in Musgrave Park on Wednesday afternoon. Read More Munster Youths Face Leinster Challenge Munster Youths Head Coach John O’Sullivan has named his team to face Leinster in their interprovincial clash in Bruff on Saturday. Read More Eight [...]

Almost As You Were For Munster Munster coach Tony McGahan, makes just one change, from the 22 that featured in the win over Edinburgh last time out, for Sunday’s encounter with Newport-Gwent Dragons at a sold-out Musgrave Park on Sunday evening (6pm). Read More Meet Justin Melck He played in the 2004 Under 21 World Cup in England at [...]

Hayes Out Of Munster Side John Hayes has been withdrawn from the Munster side for this evening’s Magners League clash with Edinburgh (7.30pm) with Tony Buckley on his way to Scotland this morning as replacement. Read More Glory for Galwey at Golf Classic Former Munster Captain and rugby legend Mick Galwey and the Munster Sports Travel team took the [...]

Howlett At Full Back For Munster Although he retains most of the side that were involved in the 46-22 win over the US Eagles less than a week ago in Hartford, Munster coach Tony McGahan has gone for Doug Howlett to start at full-back in tomorrow’s night’s game against London Irish at Musgrave Park (7.30pm). Read More Irish [...]

Shaken or stirred Just as you like it at Harvey Nichols First Floor Restaurant Bond fanatics should make their way to Harvey Nichols First Floor Restaurant, Dundrum this Autumn to enjoy some of the best martinis in town – whether you like your martini shaken or stirred, dirty or smoky, with a twist of lemon or an [...]

O’Driscoll Leads Munster Mick O’Driscoll will captain Munster in the opening game of the season, against the USA Eagles, in Rentschler Field this Saturday, ko 3pm(EDT). The fixture will be televised live on Setanta Ireland at 8pm. Read More In Pics: Munster On Tour The squad carried out their training session in Harvard University yesterday afternoon, and spent the [...]

Setanta Cup Challenge USA Rugby will host its second annual Setanta Challenge Cup, featuring the USA Eagles versus the 2008 Heineken Cup champions, Munster, at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn., on Saturday week, August 23 at 3 p.m. (EDT). Read More Canyon International & Oceanico Group Sponsor Munster Rugby Golf Classic Canyon International Property Ltd and the Oceanico [...]

Full Strength Munster For Boston Munster coach Tony McGahan will take a full player complement with him for the season’s opener against the US Eagles in Hartford, Connecticut on Saturday August 23rd.

Players Move Upstairs Three players who retired from the senior squad at the end of last season - Anthony Foley, Mossy Lawlor and John Kelly - will remain involved with Munster at various levels. Read More 2008 Meteor Munster Sevens Tournament Munster Rugby officially launch the Meteor Munster Seven’s Cup, the second annual club sevens rugby tournament in the [...]