Lifford A 2   Avenue United A 2 ENNIS rivals Lifford and Avenue United A provided lots of entertainment in this premier league tie played at a windy and cold Cassidy Park on Sunday morning. A strong wind blew directly down the pitch, towards the goal at the changing room end of the grounds. Avenue played with the aid of this in the first half and they built up a 2-0 half-time lead. Lifford have reason to be disappointed with this scoreline as they contributed to the concession of the goals. The first came when a Dave McCarthy free deflected off Lifford’s Darren O’Neill and flew into the net for the lead score. Just after the half-hour mark, Avenue doubled their advantage at a time when there didn’t appear to be any danger. However, they lost possession and Mikey Mahoney passed to Dave McCarthy who found the net. Lifford piled on the pressure on the resumption but such was the …

TITLE holders, Dublin AUL, who are chasing a third title in-a-row, stand between Clare and a place in the semi-finals of this season’s Oscar Traynor Cup.

“I, as Taoiseach, on behalf of the State, the Government and our citizens, deeply regret and apologise unreservedly to all those women for the hurt that was done to them and for any stigma they suffered, as a result of the time they spent in a Magdalene Laundry.” That’s the key sentence in an emotional address by Enda Kenny in respect of the McAleese Report into State involvement in the Magdalene Laundries in Dáil Éireann on Tuesday evening. After delivering his speech, during which he made regular eye contact with Magdalene survivors and their families in the public gallery, there was a standing ovation from them and all TDs in the Dáil chamber.Mr Kenny then went a step further, in going to the gallery to talk to the women, to whom the apology meant so much.In his address, the Taoiseach paid tribute to Dr Martin McAleese and his team for their excellent work on the report. He also acknowledged the …

There is going to be increased pressure on the two Government parties to ease up on austerity and most of the pressure is going to come from within their own ranks. So far, however, all appeals – from inside and outside the parties – to lighten the burden on those who can least afford to pay for the bad debts of the banks, have fallen on deaf ears. Fine Gael and Labour appear to have been more concerned about how they are perceived in Brussels than how they are seen here at home.So is it any wonder that Fianna Fáil is now the most popular party in the State? Or, perhaps I should say, the least unpopular party because none of them is getting very high marks in the popularity stakes.An opinion poll in The Irish Times two weeks ago that put Fianna Fáil ahead of Fine Gael for the first time in years was widely dismissed because the poll …

There is going to be increased pressure on the two Government parties to ease up on austerity and most of the pressure is going to come from within their own ranks. So far, however, all appeals – from inside and outside the parties – to lighten the burden on those who can least afford to pay for the bad debts of the banks, have fallen on deaf ears. Fine Gael and Labour appear to have been more concerned about how they are perceived in Brussels than how they are seen here at home.So is it any wonder that Fianna Fáil is now the most popular party in the State? Or, perhaps I should say, the least unpopular party because none of them is getting very high marks in the popularity stakes.An opinion poll in The Irish Times two weeks ago that put Fianna Fáil ahead of Fine Gael for the first time in years was widely dismissed because the poll …

CLARE County Council doesn’t have the resources to take on all the unfinished estates in its functional area, it was claimed at this week’s council meeting.Councillor Joe Arkins put forward a motion asking for information on the number of housing estates that have been completed or partially completed that haven’t been taken in charge. He also sought information on estates that developers have applied to have taken in charge, the number of requests for taking in charge that the council has received from affected residents under Section 180 of the planning act and if the council has sought legal advice on the risks of not complying with such requests.In his reply, director of services Ger Dollard stated, “At present there are 142 housing estates in the county that the planning authority has an active interest in. These vary from estates which are substantially complete and the council is in receipt of Taking in Charge/Section 180 requests to unfinished housing developments …

Newmarket Celtic B 0   Moher Celtic 1 MOHER Celtic kept up their challenge for first-division honours with this hard-earned victory over Newmarket Celtic B at McDonogh Park on Sunday. After a scoreless first half, the visitors got the vital breakthrough midway through the second period. Johnnie Daly, whose first-half effort rebounded off the post, put in the cross which saw Willie Murphy fire home what roved to be the winning score. In the closing quarter, Newmarket piled on the pressure but Shane Keane in the visitors’ goal produced some impressive saves. Newmarket Celtic B: Trevor O’Donnell; Jamie Cronin, Derek Moynihan, Christopher Noonan, Conor Cusack, Martin Mulqueen, Eoin Kelly, Seamus Considine, Danny Conway, Kevin Feehily, Ciarán Crosby.Subs: Martin Frawley for Mulqueen; Martin O’Neill for Considine; Shane McMahon for Noonan.Moher Celtic: Shane Keane; Davy Commane, Alan Horan, Denis Murphy, Brian Conway; Cohen Phillipson, Alan O’Brien, Willie Murphy, Jimmin Dooley; Johnnie Daly, Jack Cagney.Subs: James Considine for A O’Brien; Sean Noonan for Cagney; …

LIKE many other people in Europe, I have a preconception about Sweden and the Swedish political system. From the health service to the education and social protection services, the perception around the continent is one of a progressive and enviable approach to citizen protection. It was interesting therefore to go to Stockholm last weekend to visit some friends and hear and see, first hand, the reality on the ground, which is a little different from these preconceptions. Stockholm is a city built on the many islands which make up the archipelago where it is situated. Although the temperature hovered around a fresh zero degrees during the day, the various waterways that snake through the city were solid with a thick layer of ice. One of the first things that strikes you about the city is how clean it is. Litter does not seem to be a problem. This can seem very odd to someone who lives in Edinburgh and grew …