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Only change after day of protest is we owe €70m more

UP to 75,000 yesterday took to the streets to protest at €4bn in proposed Budget cuts -- but the only thing that had changed by last night was that the country was €70m deeper in debt.

A beaming Brian O'Driscoll displays the UCD medal

O'Driscoll comes top of his class with college accolade

By Fiach Kelly

THE two Brians returned to their alma mater last night as grand-slam winning captain Brian O'Driscoll was awarded one of UCD's highest honours.

Thespians go to war over 'Hitler' show

By Grainne Cunningham

THE writer and actor of a provocative one-man show about Hitler got more than he bargained for at his opening night in Dublin.

Building company collapses with loss of 70 jobs

By Conor Kane

A BUILDING firm that employed up to 400 workers at the height of the property boom has ceased trading.

Garda forensic officer at Dawson Jewellers in Dublin

'Hero' jeweller grabs raider's loaded shotgun and foils heist

By Tom Brady Security Editor

Jeweller Ken McDonagh turned the tables on three armed thugs as they were plundering his premises yesterday -- and left one of them seriously ill in hospital.

TUV sorry over 'leprechaun' remark

A hard-line unionist party has been accused of an embarrassing climbdown after it apologised for branding Irish a "leprechaun language".

Alcohol has nothing to do with road deaths, insists Healy-Rae

By Colin Gleeson

Independent TD Jackie Healy-Rae has dismissed the 18-month wait for the new drink driving limit, saying that "alcohol has nothing whatsoever to do with the number of people being killed on our roads".

Internet rugby lovers make it a match

THEY were two lonely hearts wandering in cyberspace. But after meeting on Facebook, their relationship status now reads: married.

Ulster Bank racks up £85m operating loss in third quarter

Ulster Bank chief executive Cormac McCarthy said yesterday that half the 1,000 people targeted by a redundancy programme this year have already left the bank, as it unveiled an £85m (€97m) operating loss for the third quarter.

Entertainment

Boyzone 'too emotional' to tour

Ronan Keating has said a Boyzone tour is in doubt because the band is still too "emotional" after Stephen Gately's death.

Hollywood's next big thing
Obese, pregnant teenagers are rarely the subject of hit movies – but the US is falling in love with a heavyweight new star

'Betrayed' writer drags Clooney into row over film

Jon Ronson must have been thrilled when he learned that George Clooney and Ewan McGregor were to be cast in a film inspired by his book, 'The Men Who Stare at Goats'.

Eh? Oh? Kai. Wayne and Coleen rejoice at the arrival of little boy

WAYNE ROONEY and his wife Coleen were last night celebrating the birth of their first child.

Grieving Boyz' new album will be tribute to Stephen

Boyzone have revealed how they slept on the church floor beside Stephen Gately's coffin and raised a toast to their pal.

Twins triumph after 'nightmare'

The Grimes twins did their granny Emily proud last night when they managed to hang on to a spot on 'X Factor'.

Guard 'simply drives off with cash' in €11m heist

THE biggest French cash robbery in recent years was a non-violent affair: Tony Musulin, a security guard, apparently simply drove off with the money while his two colleagues were inside the central Lyons branch of the Banque de France.

Title race still open - Fergie

Sir Alex Ferguson does not expect the Barclays Premier League title race to take shape until after the next international break.

Beyonce wears Cheryl Cole dress at the MTV Europe Music Awards Berlin

Beyonce copied Cheryl Cole’s style with her choice of dress at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Berlin as she collected the first of her three awards.

Are four-year-olds too young to start school?

It is one of the most significant education decisions a parent can make. What is the best age to send a young child to primary school?

Bruce Arnold: Read beyond spats to true value of McWilliams' book

It would be a pity if the spats between David McWilliams and the various people who have taken mild offence at his remarks about them in 'Follow the Money' should distract us from the underlying value of what is really the only comprehensive road map through the economic crisis of the past year.

Selfish action by workers in secure jobs

THE public sector has begun its disruption of a country in meltdown. The single most selfish, childish and downright arrogant action I've ever seen taken by the protected public sector.