Noonan told the Bloomberg Economic Summit in Dublin that although the Government expects to win the May 31 vote but will campaign hard – mindful of past voter rejections of EU treaties in 2001 and 2008.

Noonan warned that if Ireland was denied access to future European bailout funds, he would have no choice but to deepen the nation’s 4-year-old austerity program, increasing both cuts and taxes to keep the 2013 and 2014 deficits to a minimum. Given this, he described any treaty rejection as amounting to “a dangerous leap in the dark.”

Noonan: Ireland needs access to EU loans

He argued Ireland should be able to avoid a second bailout and return to borrowing normally on bond markets so long as the country can point to its continued ability to tap European loans if needed. Ireland’s 2010 rescue-loan package from the EU and International Monetary Fund is due to run dry by the end of 2013.

“We’ll get back into the markets in the second half of next year. But having access to cheap European money would be the kind of backstop which would encourage the markets to lend to us,” Noonan said, describing access to future European bailouts loans as “a kind of insurance policy.”

Watch: Noonan talking today to Bloomberg about Ireland’s access to bond markets and funding>

Opposition lawmakers also campaigning for a “yes” vote made even starker warnings, arguing that Ireland could face a Greek-style crisis of confidence if voters reject the treaty.

“Ireland could next year be facing the type of grave uncertainty being experienced by ordinary Greek people at the moment,” said Michael McGrath, finance spokesman for the main opposition Fianna Fail party, which supports the government’s pro-treaty campaign.

“If Ireland rejects the fiscal treaty, we will be reliant on market access to fund the country,” he said, noting that Ireland is expected to need to borrow around €36 billion in 2014 and 2015. “The irony is that rejecting the referendum will almost certainly increase the likelihood of Ireland needing a second bailout by virtue of the inevitable spike in borrowing costs that rejecting the treaty would unleash.”

Doubts that Greece will leave euro

Noonan added that he doubts that Greece will leave the euro, arguing there’s no external desire for the country to abandon the common currency. He said Greece simply needs to elect a stable government committed to the existing terms of its bailout.

“There’s no pressure on them to leave,” he said. “If Greece sorts itself out democratically, there’s no question whatsoever of Greece leaving the euro,” he said.

Read: Minister Quinn: Govt will implement treaty ‘without delay’

Despite a failed bid to host this summer’s European Championships nearly 10 years ago, the Irish and Scottish Association haven’t been deterred and with the help of Wales, hope to bring Euro 2020 to these islands in eight years’ time.

If successful the good news would be probable automatic qualification, to what would by then be, an expanded 24-team competition. In the coming month, those behind the push to host Euro 2020 will probably assert that the benefits, particularly economic benefits, from hosting a major tournament are far greater than the cost of hosting the event.

Major competitions are often bid for on the premise, that if successful, the competition will lead to job creation and increased tourist numbers. Economists Robert Baade and Stefan Szymanski have done some pioneering work in this area.

Sadly, despite what we might like to believe, hosting major sporting events rarely results in net income generation for the host country. During the 1994 World Cup, Baade examined economic activity in American host cities and found no evidence of increased economic activity as a result of the tournament.

According to Szymanski, the Olympic Games held in Greece in 2004 cost approximately $11.5 billion dollars to host, with infrastructural improvements alone costing $5 billion. The Games generated revenue of around $2 billion, 50% of which was retained by the International Olympic Committee. The Greeks were left to pick up the tab; somewhere in the region of $9bn and $10bn. The World Cup in Korea and Japan cost $35bn dollars to host.

The 2006 World Cup in Germany generated new revenue of just $2bn.

One hundred thousand welcomes

Evidence collected by Szymanski claims that neither job creation nor surges in tourist numbers are consequences of hosting major events. A previous study by Liverpool University, conducted to assess the economic impact on the region when it acted as a city host for Euro 1996, found that the 30,000 visitors to Liverpool during Euro 1996 created just 30 jobs, all of which were temporary.

More than 50% of spectators at the 2006 World Cup were German. Their spending did not create any new money nor increase economic activity. They simply switched to spending more on leisure activities.

More alarmingly, Szymanski finds that visitor numbers to Greece declined in the Olympic year (2004) from the previous year and rose slowly in the years after the Games. Szymanski says that hosting a major sport event is a bit like throwing a party. It’s fun but whoever got rich from that?

Given this evidence would we not expect countries to baulk at hosting major events? In fact, the opposite is true. Countries continue to clamour to host World Cups and the like. The reasons are often grounded in the prestige that such success bestows upon governments or associations.

Performers form the shape of the five Olympic rings during the closing ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

However, research by Kavetos, Szymanski and McCulloch provides us with another. Hosting these events makes people happy! Using happiness data from the European Commission and analysing the host countries of World Cups and European Championship from 1974 to 2004 the researchers found that citizens are likely to be much happier when their country hosts major finals.

In some cases the increased level of happiness lasted years after the event.

Myths about surges in economic activity and increased tourists numbers are not to be believed. Japan, Greece or South Africa are among a growing list of countries which prove that hosting international sporting events costs more to each state than can be generated in revenue from the event.

While Ireland does have the benefit of having two stadia ready to host European Championship matches, the infrastructural investment needed to bring Ireland up to the standard of being a host country would exceed any economic benefits that the finals could generate. If we want to host Euro 2020 it should be because we wish to be happier, not richer.

Given the current depressing mood which has prevailed in Ireland since 2008, it’s high time for some happiness.

• Robbie Butler, an Economics lecturer at University College Cork, has written extensively on soccer economics. Check out some that here.

Read more at Corkeconomics

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Where the Heineken Cup final will be won and lost…

The fighting is part of an intensified government campaign against the group’s strongholds in southern Yemen, where the militants have held a swath of territory, including the provincial capital Zinjibar and several other towns, since last year.

Yemeni forces for the first time are receiving help in the fight from US troops, who are operating from a desert air base near the main battle zones to help coordinate assaults and airstrikes, according to Yemeni officials.

On Tuesday, Yemen’s military launched a four-front assault, using warplanes and heavy artillery to clear the way for an assault by ground troops on towns where al-Qaeda fighters are either operating or in control.

Hit-and-run gun battles

Military officials said tribal militiamen fighting alongside government forces killed 13 militants Wednesday who had attacked a strategic hilltop, Youssef Mountain, overlooking the town of Lawder in Abyan province. Government forces seized the area a day earlier in heavy fighting.

Two militiamen were killed in the fighting, the officials said on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to brief the media.

On another front in the provincial capital of Zinjibar, hit-and-run gunbattles between government troops and al-Qaeda fighters left four soldiers dead, according to a military hospital official.

Also, a security official said a Jordanian surgeon was arrested on suspicion he was heading to Zinjibar to join al-Qaeda.

All officials were speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to talk to the media.

Read: ‘Undetectable’ underwear bomb plot thwarted says CIA

At a tense Oireachtas committee meeting this afternoon Tom Savage, the chair of the RTE Board, said the programme had caused the greatest editorial crisis that RTE had experienced in years.

He told the committee that the Board is embarking on an unprecedented examination of the programme-making culture in RTE in an attempt to prevent similar mistakes in future. “RTE accepts the findings and can offer no excuse,” he said.

The director-general of RTE said that two more legal cases are being taken against the broadcaster as a result of the programme.

A number of TDs and Senators said there were issues with a number of other RTE programmes which may need to be investigated for journalistic techniques.

“There’s a gospel of RTE,” said Independent TD Mattie McGrath. “The more they get away with it, the more they do it”.

Why did RTE not waive legal privilege?

(The committee meeting this afternoon. Screengrab via Oireachtas.ie)

Several TDs sharply criticised RTE for not handing over information to the investigator about how its legal team dealt with the programme.

Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuív questioned whether RTE’s legal department had advised against the broadcast – and said that if it had, then serious questions arose as to whether RTE executives ignored legal advise. If the legal department didn’t advise RTE to hold back on boardcasting the programme then another set of questions in relation to legal advise arises, Ó Cuív said.

Bob Collins of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland had told the committee that the report into Mission to Prey had expressed regret that RTE did not choose to waive legal privilege in order to put forward a greater account of exactly what legal advice was given around the programme. He emphasised that RTE had been entitled to make the decision.

However RTE’s director-general Noel Curran says the broadcaster was never asked to waive legal privilege.

He told the committee that one of the most surprising things arising from the report was the number of people who criticised RTE for not waiving privilege.

“We were not asked that by the investigator,” Curran said. He told the committee that the investigator had come back to the broadcaster several times for information but had never mentioned the issue of privilege. The issue was mentioned twice in the investigator’s report, both times in a factual manner without offering any comment.

Curran said that “if we had known that this was a serious issue, if we had felt that the investigator was being hampered, and if we had been asked in those circumstances” to waive privilege then it would have been considered. However he said the broadcaster was unaware of it being an issue until after the report was published.

The director-general said that the legal affairs section of RTE advises programme-makers of the risks involved. It does not tell programme-makers whether they can broadcast programmes or not because otherwise not a lot of  shows would go out, Curran said. He added:

This programme has been a massive shock to the system for everyone in RTE.

Investigation in all RTE current affairs programmes

(Bob Collins and Michael O’Keeffe of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland at the Oireachtas committee earlier today. Screengrab via Oireachtas website).

Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuív called for an independent review into all current affairs programmes on RTE radio and television to ensure that they meet standards set by the BAI to ensure that issues like the Mission to Prey programme do not happen in future.

“The Gallagher and Reynolds affairs have thrown up serious concerns regarding RTE that are far wider than the two programmes in question,” he said.

He called for a review of randomly selected current affairs programmes from the last year to be carried out.

Previously: RTE board pledges reform in ‘robust review’ with Rabbitte >

Though it was replaced by the euro ten years ago, there is around €360 million in outstanding Irish notes and coins still in existence around the country, according to figures from the Central Bank.

Now the idea of one shopkeeper in Clones has spawned into a whole campaign in the town with over 40 shops, pubs, and other businesses getting involved by accepting customers’ old punts and giving them back change in euro vouchers which can be spent in other businesses in the town.

“My son, Ciaran, saw a documentary on the BBC about a town in Spain that had done it with the pesata and had had phenomenal success,” Tony Morgan, the owner of Lipton’s shop, told TheJournal.ie yesterday.

“It grew from there, we said we’d try that in the shop and see how it goes and from the business point of view it’s been very positive. I would have been laughed at initially but but once it started working…”

Now as part of the Embrace the Punt campaign, the businesses offer an exchange rate of IR£1 = €1.20.

The old money is taken by Morgan down to Dublin every month who exchanges it for euro at the old Central Bank rate of £IR1 = €1.27 with the difference going towards funding the campaign and local events.

The campaign has produced this promotional video:

YouTube: Tony Morgan

The idea has been embraced by the Clones Chamber of Commerce whose president Finbarr Dunwoody told TheJournal.ie: “It was crazy enough that we noticed as a chamber that it might actually work, there was a good advertising possibility in it.

“It was something to draw people from elsewhere to show that you can go to the butchers or go to the pub for a pint and generally encourage more people to come and embrace the whole idea.”

While there is nothing wrong with the businesses trading in the old Irish punt, the Central Bank said that it is not legal tender.

“Irish pound notes and coin are no longer legal tender. However they can be exchanged for euro at the Central Bank of Ireland either by post or in person,” the bank said in a statement to TheJournal.ie.

The €360 million is broken out into €234m in notes and €125m in coin (the discrepancy relates to the figures being rounded-up). The businesses in Clones even accept old coins on an even money basis.

Morgan said that there wasn’t huge amounts of money coming in through the scheme but it was a welcome boost during a difficult time for all businesses in the area due to the hike in the VAT rate which is now higher than in shops across the border in Northern Ireland.

“It’s tough everywhere,” he said. “The VAT rate hike has put it up to us. We sell a bar and a can for a euro, but you can’t put it up to one euro two cent. So it’s big time affecting the margin.”

To those interested in disposing of their old punts, Dunwoody explained how it might work: “If you bring in 20 punt into the town. You’ll have a spending power of €24.

“Then if you spend a fiver, we will give you three cards worth a fiver each and then four euro in change, then you can go and buy two pints, or do a bit of shopping in Super Valu.”

He added: “It’s the whole craziness of the idea, I think it’s fantastic, there’s an awful lot of interest and while the town is economically stagnant, any sort of a self-supported idea can only bring some benefit to it.”

Read: Spanish town introduces old currency alongside euro to boost economy

The Rathmore defender won five All-Ireland medals and two All-Star awards during a brilliant career with the Kingdom, but informed Jack O’Connor last week that he would not be returning to the panel this summer.

Kerry open the defence of their Munster title on 27 May against Tipperary and Murphy, who won four All-Irelands in goal behind O’Sullivan, feels that the 33-year-old’s experience will be sorely missed.

“He’s been a great player for us down through the years and has played many great games for Kerry,” Murphy told GAA.ie. “He was one of the stalwarts of the team for the last 12 to 13 years and will be a huge loss to us, of course.”

He was a very tight man-marker as well when he had to be, so he was the ultimate corner-back. He had that number four position down to a fine art. I was lucky to play with him.

VIDEO: Munster championship takes off in Mallow

Two debutants in Galway side to face Roscommon

Tipperary’s Paul Curran says the return of Lar Corbett to the fold has brightened the mood in the Premier County and Eoin Brosnan outlines Kerry’s ambition in Munster ahead of their clash with Tipperary on 27 May in Thurles. Check it out:

YouTube credit: officialgaa

Here’s your ‘Lar Corbett back in training’ pic of the day

Two debutants in Galway side to face Roscommon

Chiellini suffered a muscle strain in his right thigh in the biancoeneri’s final Serie A game of the season against Atalanta.

The 27-year-old will miss out on Juve’s appearance in the final of the Coppa Italia this Sunday.

But after undergoing scans on the problem, is expected to return to full fitness in (the remarkably precise prediction of) 20 days.

The Azzuri’s other injury worries are also expected to be fully fit in time for the clash with the world champions.

Football Italia reports that Daniele De Rossi (fractured hand), Riccardo Montolivo (thigh) and Sebastian Giovinco (knee) will all be fit for the June 10 fixture in Gdansk.

Ireland play Italy in the final Group C match on June 18.

23 days to Euro 2012: Joxer gets a makeover

Rio out, Carroll in as England announce Euro 2012 squad

Liam Lawlor, 43 from Lower Belan in Moone, was last seen in the Portlaoise area.

He is described as 5 foot 9 inches in height, of strong build with short brown hair. When last seen he was wearing a blue shirt with a red tie, a brown jacket and dark coloured trousers and boots.

Anyone with any information about Lawlor’s whereabouts is asked to contact Athy Garda Station on 059 863 4210

Ronan McLaughlin of the L.E. Ciara spotted the shark from the east coast pier and reported the sighting to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group.

Pádraig Whooley, IWDG’s sightings co-ordinator said that while sighting of basking sharks are not uncommon at this time of year, they are quite rare along the east coast.

Whooley told TheJournal.ie that unfortunately McLaughlin didn’t take any pictures of yesterday’s visitor. However he is urging people to keep their eyes peeled in Dún Laoghaire, as basking sharks rarely travel alone and “where there is one, there are likely to be more”. IWDG run whale-watching courses at Cape Clear for those who want the chance to spot them in a less rare setting.

On 2 April around 50 basking sharks were sighted off Loop Head in Clare .

Other sightings around the country in the past month include three dolphins in Killiney Bay on 13th May, a minke whale at Cape Clear Island in Cork on 12 May, and another basking shark at Power Head in Cork on 9 May.

Basking sharks can be 20 to 30 feet in length and while the dorsal fin is usually visible, it may also be possible to see the tail fin above the surface of the water.

Beware of the dolphins! Expert tells swimmers not to ‘act the maggot’>

Washed-up 35-foot sperm whale dies in Waterford>

City stunned bitter rivals United with two late goals against QPR to clinch their first title in 44 years and with the financial backing the Sky Blues have, Shearer anticipated another off-season of big spending.

“I think they (Manchester City) will spend again in the summer,” Shearer said at the Premier League 20 season awards last night.

“They can outbid anyone, they can pay bigger wages than anyone and when that happens, inevitably you’re going to get the best players, so yes I can see them ruling for quite some time.”

Shearer lamented Newcastle’s failure to qualify for the Champions League after a sensational season and said they may not be able to sustain the type of success they have achieved.

“I don’t know (if Newcastle United can sustain their form). They’ve had a magnificent season, it’s a shame they just missed out on that fourth spot,” he said.

“Even so I congratulate (manager) Alan (Pardew) and all his players but the hard work for Newcastle really starts now because when you finish in that position everyone wants you to improve and get better.  Hopefully the can, whether or not remains to be seen.”

Rio out, Carroll in as England announce Euro 2012 squad

Young guns: King names U21 squad to face Denmark and Italy

But he’s far from the only NBA star to make waves because of their style. In the past few weeks, the NBA has become obsessed with lens-less glasses, loud blazers, and eye-melting colors.

What we’ve learned is that NBA hipsters come in all shapes and sizes — from LeBron’s big pink sweater to Amar’e Stoudemire’s too-small denim vest.

We assembled the 16 most obnoxious looks.

Click here to view slideshow »

Read more at Business Insider

Where the Heineken Cup final will be won and lost…

‘God has been great to me these last few years’ – Katie Taylor on Olympic qualification

The diamond, first owned by de Medici but since passed through royal families around Europe, was sold by the Royal House of Prussia through Sotheby’s in Geneva and was bought by an anonymous bidder.

Known as ‘Le Beau Sancy’, the diamond is described in a jewel classification report cited by Sotheby’s as an example of the most chemically-pure type of diamonds.

The auction house listed the jewel as a “modified pear double rose-cut diamond weighing 34.98 carats”. The diamond fetched double its reserve price.

In the centuries following the French queen’s coronation, the diamond has passed from Marie de Medici to royals families in the Netherlands, England and Prussia.

Here Sotheby’s David Bennett describes the diamond’s clarity, unique cut and how it got its name:

(Video uploaded by SothebysTV)

There were widespread reports last night and this morning that the Manchester United centre-half was to be omitted and they have proven correct.

John Terry, Joleon Lescott and Gary Cahill have been picked in that position with Glen Johnson, Phil Jones, Leighton Baines and Ashley Cole making up the backline.

In midfield, he has surprisingly gone for nine players as there are places for Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry and Scott Parker, although the Spurs player is struggling to shake off an ankle injury. Arsenal pair Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are also joined by Ashley Young and James Milner on the flanks.

Liverpool winger Stewart Downing also gets the nod despite having an under-par season at club level.

England will travel with just four strikers – Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, Andy Carroll and Jermain Defoe – but Rooney is suspended for the opening two games.

They play France, Sweden and co-hosts Ukraine in Group D.

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Man City), Rob Green (West Ham), John Ruddy (Norwich).

Defenders: Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Man United), John Terry (Chelsea), Joleon Lescott (Man City), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Leighton Baines (Everton).

Midfielders: Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Gareth Barry (Man City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Scott Parker (Tottenham), Ashley Young (Man United), James Milner (Man City).

Forwards: Wayne Rooney (Man United), Danny Welbeck (Man United), Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham).

Stand-by: Jack Butland (Birmingham), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea).

Young guns: King names U21 squad to face Denmark and Italy

VIDEO: Eamon Zayed scores again as Persepolis seal Champions League progress

IT HAS BEEN another extraordinary season in the Heineken Cup, with incredible drama and excitement from the opening round of fixtures right up to the semi finals three weeks ago.

This is the competition that just keeps on giving.

The final beckons on Saturday, which will see an Irish invasion to London as champions Leinster look to make it two in a row as they face a familiar foe in Ulster.  Those who think Joe Schmidt’s side will cruise through this final are mistaken.

This will be a battle royale, make no mistake. But where will this final be won and lost?

Prepare for Warfare

Ulster have played with a physicality in this season’s Heineken Cup that has been quite staggering. Their ferocity in the contact area and work at the breakdown has been powerful and the Ulster eight is littered with big, strong men who thrive at the collisions.

The inclusion of Chris Henry in the squad is significant as he is a vastly underrated player, who will aim to deprive Leinster of as much good ball as possible and his presence will aid the Ulster defensive effort no end. Henry is powerful, quick and a nuisance for the opposition.  Presuming he is fighting fit, the back row trio of Henry, Ferris and Wannenburg is formidable.

It is likely that Leinster will pick Kev McLaughlin ahead of Shane Jennings so as to bring some more physicality of their own to the table, but even at that, there is very little in it. Lest we forget that Stephen Ferris is a human wrecking ball and will be frothing at the mouth at the prospect of getting his paws on Jonny Sexton. Leinster, on the other hand, will look to have Ferris chasing the shadows of their midfield for the afternoon.

The battle up front is set to be a seismic one, with the set piece proving as crucial as ever. The return of John Afoa will mean the Ulster scrum is a weapon and Cian Healy will have a task on his hands containing the Kiwi. The caveat to that of course is that Healy is a powerhouse in the loose.

The lineout will be intriguing with the probable selection of McLaughlin for Leinster offering them another option in this facet of the game. Richardt Strauss will need to improve his darts from the semi final while Ulster should encounter no such problems with Rory Best.

Looking at the two packs, it is difficult to predict who will come out on top. One thing is for certain; it is going to be ferocious. Ulster are incredibly combative but Leinster aren’t exactly the shy and retiring type either. Throw the likes of Brad Thorn, Sean O’Brien, Cian Healy, Stephen Ferris, Dan Tuohy and Johann Muller into the mixer and you are going to get fireworks.

Go Wide

It is when you start drifting outside of the packs that a gulf starts to emerge between the two sides. Ruan Pienaar is a class act and a match winner but Paddy Jackson is a relative novice, who Leinster will surely target should he be named at fly half. Gifted though he is, Jackson doesn’t have the benefit of Heineken Cup final experience; something which his opposite number has in spades.

The Ulster 10 does have shades of Jonny Sexton three years ago in terms of his confidence and indeed ability, but the Leinster playmaker has since matured into a truly world-class operator for his province. Jackson is not there yet.

The Leinster back three are a class apart and key for Ulster will be cutting them off at source. This will mean preventing Jonny Sexton and Brian O’Driscoll from putting the trio into space with their inventive passing game.

The Leinster attacking game has been honed by the perfectionist that is Joe Schmidt and every detail, down to the exact angle of a decoy running line, will have been constructed with the purpose of putting their strike runners into space.

Of course, Ulster have of plenty of talent of their own in the wide channels in the shape of Andrew Trimble, Darren Cave and Craig Gilroy but Leinster definitely have an edge here. Both Rob Kearney and Isa Nacewa would be very close to a current world fifteen, while Fergus McFadden isn’t a bad sub to bring in either.

Prediction

This Ulster side should not be underestimated and you would have to imagine their pack will tear into the Leinster eight from the outset. Once Leinster start getting quick ball and find their groove, they won’t be stopped. Ulster will look to prevent this from happening by being as disruptive and destructive as possible in everything they do.

You can see this game being very tight for at least 60 minutes but given the quality that Leinster possess behind the scrum, they will have enough firepower to get that all decisive score. It is extremely difficult to envisage Ulster preventing Schmidt’s side from scoring a try for eighty minutes. Leinster by 6-9 points.

One thing is for certain; this game will not be for the squeamish.

Twitter: @TomFoxy

Read more at Setanta Sports

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NOEL KING HAS named four uncapped players in his Republic of Ireland U21 squad for the upcoming matches against Denmark and Italy.

Watford’s Sean Murray and Aston Villa winger Samir Carruthers will both link up with the panel after the U19 European Championships elite qualification round, which begins in Portugal on 26 May.

Torquay United’s Eunan O’Kane and John Egan of Sunderland are the other uncapped players included for the friendly against Denmark on 28 May and the European Championship qualifier against Italy on 4 June.

Captain Rob Kiernan has not been included as he is undergoing treatment on an injury, but may join up with the group later.

“We’ve assembled a good squad that we will be looking to build on our previous performances,” King said. “At this stage of the season some players have not played for a couple of weeks so the Denmark game will be extremely important.

“Italy are a very well-prepared side that recently beat Scotland 4-1 in a warm-up game so everything is geared towards being prepared for that fixture.”

Republic of Ireland U21 squad

Ian McLoughlin (MK Dons FC), Aaron McCarey (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC), Mark Connolly (Unattached), Shane Duffy (Everton FC), Greg Cunningham (Manchester City FC), Niall Canavan (Scunthorpe United FC), Lanre Oyebanjo (York City FC), John Egan (Sunderland FC), Jeff Hendrick (Derby County FC), Eunan O’Kane (Torquay United FC), Richie Towell (Hibernian FC – on loan from Celtic FC), Aidan White (Leeds United FC), Conor Clifford (Chelsea FC), Samir Carruthers (Aston Villa FC), Conor Hourihane (Plymouth Argyle FC), Sean Murray (Watford), James Collins (Shrewsbury Town FC), Rhys Murphy (Arsenal FC), Aaron Doran (Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC), Robbie Brady (Manchester United FC).

VIDEO: Eamon Zayed scores again as Persepolis seal Champions League progress

23 days to Euro 2012: Joxer gets a makeover

The 25-year-old Bray native was ready to take on Michaela Lacatus of Romania in the last eight of the AIBA World Boxing Championships in China when she received news that progression to the semi-final was assured as her opponent had suffered a neck injury.

And with French fighter Estelle Mossely losing her bout to Tajikistan’s Mavzuna Chorieva, qualification for her first Olympic Games was guaranteed for the three-time world champion, who is currently fighting in the 60kg lightweight category.

“It’s a dream come true. I just can’t believe it really,” Taylor told Paul McDermott of the Irish Sports Council.

It’s taken years and years of hard work to get here and now I’m going to be an Olympian and join the five other lads who qualified which is an amazing achievement.

“I’d like to thank everyone for their prayers over the last few weeks because I couldn’t have done this without them. God has been so great to me these last few years in my career and I’d be nothing without him.”

Asked if it was the best moment of her career so far, she replied: “We’ll see at the end of the week if I retain my title. It’s important to go to the Olympics as a current world champion.

“We’ll enjoy this victory, well, walkover and the qualification and tomorrow I have to start focusing for the next fight. It’s a huge fight but it won’t be hard to motivate myself and I’m looking forward.”

Next up for Taylor at 8am Irish time on Friday is Chorieva, who has already qualified herself. On the awarding of additional places by the International Olympic Committee’s Tripartite Commission, she added that there is a responsibility to make sure the best female talents are on show in London.

“I think there are a few wildcards still to be given out and it’s so important that they give them to the best boxers out there.

“There are so many great boxers out there who deserve to be in the Olympics and we need to showcase the best female talent in the world. So I hope they make the right decision.”

Listen to audio of the interview here

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Karen Kiernan, director of One Family has said that she’s surprised that this issue is being prioritised, as she understood that it wasn’t going to be looked at until next year.

Kiernan told TheJournal.ie that there are bigger issues concerning her organisation, in particular budget changes introduced last year and the fact that one parent families have less money in their pockets.

She said that there are a lot of negative changes happening at the moment that require more urgent attention.

According to Senan Moloney in the Irish Daily Mail Burton will tell the Dáil today that she’s wants the Government’s approval to amend the Civil Registration Act.

The legislation would ensure that fathers are named on birth certificates and Minister Burton has said that the main reason for the proposal is to ensure that each child has as much information as possible about their identity.

Irish law does not currently require a father’s details to be included in the birth certificate, though married parents would routinely include both details. There are a number of options for unmarried parents to register a child’s parental details if they so wish.

The formal register of births only records the names of the child and its mother, however.

Blunt instrument

Karen Kiernan says that this proposed legislation is a ‘blunt instrument’ and that what is needed is an information campaign about how to register a child’s father. In response to concerns that mothers fear that their social welfare entitlements will be affected if a child’s father is named, Kiernan said this is not the case.

She said again that an information campaign would create awareness and remove that fear. She did acknowledge that this social welfare issue may change in the future though.

She said that while it is important for children to know where they come from, legislating on this issue is not the answer.

Issues such as sperm donors, cases of violence, abuse or rape, and where a father simply refuses to be named have all been highlighted as necessary exemptions to the legislation.

In January the Families Fathers and Friends group welcomed the proposed new legislation, but said problems with family law could only be truly reformed by the creation of specialised family courts.

The move was recommended in a 2010 report by the Law Reform Commission which said that two names should be present on the birth certificate of a child, with very limited exceptions.

New law may make it compulsory to include father’s name on birth cert>

The independent not-for-profit organisation which works with people with disabilities says that the new posts will be created in areas such as training, education, health and social care, IT, sales, marketing, management and administration.

“Rehab has a significant growth strategy for 2012 to 2015 in all of its areas of activity. We are currently looking further afield at new opportunities and hope to have some important new developments to announce later this year,” the group’s CEO Angela Kerins said.

Seventy-three of the new jobs are currently being recruited, this will rise to 150 in the next year with the remaining 177 jobs becoming available for applications in the next three years.

In addition to this, the company said that 115 new jobs have been created on the Rehab Group construction projects in Limerick, Portlaoise and Sligo.

Minister for Jobs Richard Bruton welcomed the announcement and said that he hoped there would be similar announcements from Irish companies under the government’s much publicised Action Plan for Jobs.

He said: “Rehab is an Irish organisation which had success in its original field, branched out into new sectors, competed and succeeded in export markets and created large-scale employment.

“Today’s announcement that it is to create 750 new jobs over the next three years is very welcome.

“I am determined that, through continued implementation of the Action Plan for Jobs, we can see more Irish companies replicate this success and drive the sustainable jobs recovery that we need.”

As well as operating health and education services in the UK and Ireland, the company also claims to be Ireland’s largest processor of glass recycling, exporting as much as 100,000 tonnes of glass per year.

In addition to the Irish jobs announcement, 350 new positions will be created in the company’s overseas operations with 80 people already recruited this year.

Read: Rehab chief on €234k gets extra €23k from State boards membership

Read: Rehab CEO ‘donates fees for State boards work to charity’

The convoy was was struck by a roadside bomb in Khan Sheikhoun yesterday; the mission later said that no injuries were reported but three of the vehicles were damaged.

A UN spokesperson said that rebel forces had given the observers shelter in the town. The AP reports that the head of the observer mission Major General Robert Mood said this morning that he had spoken to the observers by phone and they said they were “happy and safe where they are”.

The six observers have since been evacuated from the town.

No one has claimed responsibility for yesterday’s roadside bomb attack.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the bomb attack came shortly after Syrian regime forces opened fire on a funeral procession in the town, killing up to 20 people. The activist group called on the UN team to investigate the funeral attack thoroughly and bring the perpetrators to justice.

- Additional reporting by the AP

Bomb strikes UN observer vehicle after attack on funeral >

Sony Pictures officials say the Oscar-winning writer will write a screenplay based on the Steve Jobs biography written by Walter Isaacson.

Sony Pictures co-chairman Amy Pascal says Sorkin will make the film about the late Apple founder “everything that Jobs himself was: captivating, entertaining and polarising.”

Sorkin won the adapted screenplay Academy Award for 2010′s “The Social Network.” The 50-year-old writer was nominated in the same category for 2011′s “Moneyball.”

His other credits include “Charlie Wilson’s War” and “A Few Good Men.” He also created TV’s “The West Wing.”

Actor Ashton Kutcher is set to play Jobs in a separate project, called “Jobs”.

Read: Apple archive reveals why Steve Jobs chose the name ‘Apple’

Read: Steve Jobs to be honoured with posthumous Grammy award

The artist formerly known as the Fresh Prince, who is currently on tour to promote the upcoming Men in Black III, stopped by Imperial College London for pre-Olympic training with some Team GB athletes.

Smith played Muhammad Ali in the boxer’s biopic and regularly shot some hoops as the title character in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, so the basketball and boxing sessions probably weren’t too testing.

He seems to have struggled with the hurdles and triple jump though.

Click here to view slideshow »

(All images by Ian West/PA Wire/Press Association Images)

She’s done it: Katie Taylor qualifies for London

Poulter relishing challenge of Volvo World Match Play

This was the scene at the Oatfield sweet factory in Letterkenny, Co Donegal this morning as sweet-making machines were removed from the building in anticipation of production at the factory coming to an end.

The traditional Irish sweets, including Emerald caramels and Chocolate Orange boiled sweets, have been produced in Donegal since 1927. Sadly, last month TheJournal.ie reported that 15 jobs were to be lost as production is being moved to the UK.

All photos taken by TheJournal.ie reader Guy Le Jeune.

Click here to view slideshow »

Read: 15 jobs to go as Oatfield factory to leave Donegal>

According to BBC News, body parts and tissue samples were kept in 67 cases of suspicious and unexplained deaths between 1960 and 2005 without notifying the families.

The PSNI confirmed that the number includes significant parts of the body such as organs, skulls and bones.

The revelation came after an audit by the Human Tissue Authority in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is understood some of the samples belong to victims of the Troubles.

SDLP Policing spokesperson Conall McDevitt said he was deeply concerned about the matter. The South Belfast MLA is also the chairman of the Policing Board’s Human Rights and Professional Standards Committee.

Speaking to Morning Ireland today, he said the revelations show a “real lack of acknowledgement of the potential impact on the families of this type of information coming to light in this way”. The audit was not due to be published formally until next Monday.

Speaking at the House of Commons, British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was “extremely sorry that this report has been leaked,” adding that it was a “time of huge anguish” for families.

Although the PSNI are legally entitled to retain body parts, McDevitt said they are under an “undoubted moral, ethical and human duty” to tell family members of the circumstances to ensure there is no revictimisation or retrauma.

I am told it is not an uncommon practice but only done in exceptional circumstances. I think the issue here isn’t so much the retention of the tissue or body part, but it was the absolute failure to notify the families.

The PSNI is now sending trained Family Liaison Officer to visit the affected families to inform them of their options.

“We know this will be an incredibly difficult time for those families involved and we will provide all the possible support we can to them,” police said.

In a statement issued, the PSNI added:

Under the powers available to police to investigate crimes, there is no requirement to get consent from families to seize this kind of evidence. It still remains the case that police can retain human tissue under the powers in the Police and Criminal Evidence (NI) Order (PACE) and are not subject to regulation by the Human Tissue Authority. However, all police now routinely review the reason for all continued retention of samples and endeavour to adhere to the guidance issued by the Human Tissue Authority.

Answering a Question to the Prime Minister about the matter this morning, Cameron said that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland will ”listen carefully” about what form of inquiry needs to be held but said that the public should wait until the report has been published in full next Monday “so that everybody can see what went wrong and why this has happened.

-Additional reporting by Hugh O’Connell

Strauss-Kahn is seeking at least $1 million (€782,000) in damages from Nafissatou Diallo, stemming from her allegation that he had forced her into sex in his Manhattan hotel suite in May 2011.

Strauss-Kahn’s legal filing says he is seeking compensation for the loss of his job, defamation, false imprisonment and the cost of his legal fees – as well as unspecified punitive damages. It also states that the sexual encounter between the two was consensual, and that her story was a “malicious and wanton false accusation”, reports the Guardian.

The former French politician was arrested on foot of the allegations and questioned by police last year, however the charges against him were later dropped after questions were raised about Diallo’s credibility.

In response to prosecutors dropping the charges, Diallo recently opened a civil case for undisclosed damages against the former IMF chief.

Strauss-Kahn attempted to have Diallo’s civil action thrown out based on his claims of diplomatic immunity – but his request was rejected by a New York judge earlier this month, reports the Wall Street Journal.

In response to Strauss-Kahn’s counter-claim, a lawyer for Diallo dismissed the assertion that she participated willingly in sexual activity and said that Strass-Kahn’s action highlighted his “misogynistic attitude”.

More recently, Strauss-Kahn has faced accusations linking him with a prostitution ring in France, as well as claims by a Belgian prostitute that she was raped by Strass-Kahn and three of his friends in December 2010.

Read: Fresh rape claim in Strauss-Kahn case

Read: Strauss-Kahn says he was set up in the aftermath of maid scandal

Read: DSK “charged over prostitution ring”

YouTube Credit: MRsalahTV3

IT WASN’T A derby-winning hattrick, or scored in front of 80,000 supporters, but Eamon Zayed added another important goal to his Persepolis account last night.

The former Derry City marksman was on the scoresheet as the Iranian giants qualified for the knockout rounds of the Asian Champions League.

The Tehran outfit needed a win away to bottom club Al-Shabab to guarantee their place in the last 16 but fell behind to an early goal on seven minutes.

Al-Shabab looked set to go in at half-time in front before Zayed popped up to head home the equaliser two minutes before the break. The goal takes his Champions League tally to five, one behind the competition’s top scorer, former Brazilian international Ricardo Oliviera.

Persepolis went on to win 3-1, qualifying as group runners-up and setting up a tricky tie away to Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia in the knockout stage which begins next week.

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A surveyin Wicklow and Wexford has identified a number of areas that may contain gold deposits. The work was carried out as part of an ongoing exploration of the area by an Irish company which has been searching for gold in the region.

“Gold in the Wicklow hills has been known for over 200 years but finding commercially viable deposits is a far more complicated issue,” said John Telling of Connemara Mining.

Connemara Mining carried out a survey from the air to look for gold deposits in the area as part of an ongoing exploration of the area with Canadian company Hendrick Resources.

The results of the survey are being processed in Canada and are due within six weeks. However John Teeling said an expert has examined the raw data from the survey and believes that the results could be significant:

“He believes that he has identified previously unknown ‘potential’ targets for gold deposits,” said Teeling.

These are targets that could not be identified from conventional ground-based exploration. Final results from [Canada] are due within six weeks following which the next stage of exploration will be decided.

The Irish company had announced a joint venture with a Canadian exploration company back in February to mine for gold after tests found that an area of around 130 square kilometres was likely to have significant amounts of gold in the rocks and the rivers.

The companies are licensed to explore the area, but if large quantities of gold are found then companies involved will have to apply for a licence to mine the resource.

Previously: Gold digger: Irish company to mine for gold in the south-east >

The bridge at Ballysmuttan near Manor Kilbride in Blessington will be officially opened and dedicated this afternoon, at the suggested of area councillors in West Wicklow.

Members of Garda Jones’ family will be present and are expected to play some music. The Garda Commissioner and Cathaoirleach Sylvestor Bourke will speak and a plaque will be unveiled to commemorate his bravery.

The 25-year-old was off-duty at the time and was trying to help people affected by the floods when he was pulled into the River Liffey. His body was recovered at Ballyward Bridge at Manor Kilbride.

Sylvestor Bourke told TheJournal.ie that Jones was very well liked in the area and was well known as a senior county footballer.

Bourke said the tragedy must be heartbreaking for his family and he confirmed that members of the family will provide musical accompaniment during the commemoration ceremony. Jones is survived by his parents and his brother and sister.

The Taoiseach Enda Kenny and the Justice Minister Alan Shatter were among the mourners who attended his funeral last October.

The scene at Ballysmuttan Bridge in County Wicklow in October 2011 where young off duty garda Ciaran Jones was swept to his death in a surge of the River Liffey across the bridge as he tried to warn a motorist not to cross.Photo: Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Tributes paid to young Garda lost during flooding>

Praise from GAA president for Garda lost during Wicklow flooding>

Fast forwarding from around 1000 AD to 2003, this video shows Europe’s borders and how they have changed down through the years with the demise of old empires, the formation of new countries and a fair bit of change going in Ireland.

All rounded-off with some tense, epic music.

If you’ve got three minutes, watch this one (we’d recommend you go full screen for full effect):

And if you have 10 minutes or so, check out this one which is slowed down and annotated with all the details (again, full screen is recommended).

YouTube: Harru no’ stæsj?

Hat tip: Daniel Knowles

The 36-year-old Englishman defeated Luke Donald (2 and 1) in the final of last year’s tournament at the Finca Cortesin Golf Club on the southern coast of Spain.

Poulter has also won the 2010 WGC Match Play Championship and is a two-time Ryder Cup champion. The outspoken Englishman loves the one-on-one nature of match play and hopes to use this week’s tournament as a springboard for selection in Jose Maria Olazabal’s European Ryder Cup team.

“I love the cut and thrust of match play and find it a refreshing change from the usual stroke play format we play week in week out on the tours,” Poulter said yesterday.

“The fact it is Ryder Cup year, and I think, it will make it (the Volvo Match Play) even more exciting with every match from the group stages to the final giving a chance to all aspiring team members to impress Captain Olazabal before Medinah.”

Poulter starts tomorrow, grouped with Australia’s John Senden and unseeded 21-year-old Tom Lewis. The local supporters at Finca Cortesin have three Spaniards to cheer on with Sergio Garcia, Alvaro Quiros and Rafael Cabrera Bello all set to play this week.

Germany’s Martin Kaymer is the top-seed of this year’s Volvo World Match Play Championship and comes into this week’s tournament on the back of a decent enough performance at the Players Championship in Florida. The 27-year-old recovered from an opening round of one over to end last week’s tournament on five under and tied for 15th.

Kaymer is the only world top 10 golfer to play at Finca Cortesin this week. Sweden’s Peter Hanson will also fancy his chances in Andalusia. Hanson finished made it to the quarter-finals of the WGC Match Play Championship in February with wins over Luke Donald, Ernie Els and Brandt Snedeker.

The 34-year-old Swede also finished tied for third at the Masters last month.

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