Keith Earls will step in for an injured Brian O’Driscoll when Ireland face Wales in the first game of this year’s Six Nations campaign, on Monday morning. Andrew Trimble will fill the left wing spot left vacant by Earls. Jonathan Sexton is preferred at outhalf over a benched Ronan O’Gara.
Jim Stynes has stepped down as president of Melbourne Demons. “As Melbourne enters what promises to be an exciting new season, and hopefully exciting new era, I see this an opportune time to step down as Melbourne president,” said Stynes, in a statement posted on the club’s website.
After 15 years of international success, Sharon Corr has managed to squeeze in a successful solo career, raise a family and become the face of Oxfam Ireland. She talks to Kerrie Kennedy about being a working mum, touring with Ronan Keating, and whether a reunion of The Corrs may be possible.
When devastating floods swept across Queensland last year, Dubliner Máiréad Doyle was amongst Red Cross volunteers bringing whatever small relief they could to the people whose homes and livelihoods had been destroyed. A year on the communities affected are doing their best to rebuild their lives and reach what Doyle describes as “a new normal”.
Spending months on end in the coldest, most isolated place on earth with no electricity and little fresh food seems unlikely to appeal to anyone – least of all a professional chef. But then not everyone is as determined as Dublin native Paul Cullen.
An Irish couple who were on board a stricken cruise ship that ran aground off the Italian coast are safe and well, officials said. The couple – Seamus and Carol Moore from Clonmel, Co Tipperary – have described the terror that unfolded as the liner keeled over.
Head coach Joe Schmidt insisted his Leinster side have a long way to go in the defence of their Heineken Cup title after qualifying for the knockout stages with a 23-16 win over Glasgow Warriors at Firhill. Meanwhile, Munster lack verve in their win over Castres while Connacht suffer loss again.
Robbie Keane has tipped his former club Tottenham as genuine title contenders after returning to the Barclays Premier League on loan to Aston Villa from LA Galaxy. Keane has joined Villa until the end of February and, subject to international clearance, is in contention to make his debut tomorrow against Everton.
The family of a young man who died after being struck by a car in Cairns say they are upset at a local council’s failure to erect a memorial for him. Donal Bolton, 23, of Ballinagar Co Offaly was killed when an out-of-control car collided with the bench he and his girlfriend were sitting on.
A major transport, tourism and business link from Ireland to Australia began overnight with the inaugural Emirates flight from Dubai to Dublin. The Irish capital is the airline’s 118th destination worldwide, opening up a new route to key markets in Australia, India, Thailand, China and the Philippines.
