EDITORIAL THE battle lines have been drawn, or perhaps redrawn might be the more appropriate term, as we now know exactly what the four new areas are for the Clare County Council elections next year.  

COMMENT Alcohol abuse is the curse of the Irish and any attempts by the Government to change our attitude to drink must be welcomed. There are two sides to the argument about whether to ban the sponsorship of sports’ events by the alcohol industry. On one side, it can be argued that any such ban would deprive sports’ organisations like the GAA, the IFA or the IRFU of much-needed revenue in tough economic times. On the other side is the argument that sponsorship of sport by the drinks’ industry glamorises alcohol among young and impressionable people.