Well known Cork Republican Frank Kerrigan was laid to rest after a funeral mass in the North Cathedral today.

A record breaking Irish audience tuned into RTÉ Television's coverage of Ireland's historic RBS Six Nations victory over England at Croke Park on Saturday. An average of 1,052,000* viewers and 70% people who were watching television on Saturday tuned in to RTÉ Two from kick-off at 5.40pm to the final whistle. The audience peaked at 1,207,000* viewers during the 77th minute of the match. RTÉ Two's coverage of Ireland v England is the most watched programme on Irish television so far this year. *Source: AGB Nielsen Media Research

Customers of AIB's internet banking facility are today being targeted by fraudsters who send emails purporting to have originated from AIB. The emails claim that 'a card associated with [a customer's] account has been reported lost or stolen' before prompting AIB customers to enter personal and security details relating to the account.

A claim made by Táiniste Michael McDowell that plans for an incinerator in his local constituency of Dublin South East had ‘collapsed' has been refuted by Dublin City Council (DCC) and An Bord Pleanála, and dismissed by fellow constituency candidates as irresponsible, misleading and 'blatant electioneering'. (Picture: An Phoblacht) 

The Shell to Sea campaign staged a protest today at Shell headquarters in Dublin "to show solidarity with the peoples around the world who are paying the price of Shell's profits, including the people of Erris, County Mayo" where a natural gas refinery and pipeline is being constructed. The Anglo-Dutch energy company today announced profits of approximately €19bn, up nearly 33% on 2005 profits.

Surgical operations were cancelled in St. James's Hospital, Dublin yesterday due to a lack of intensive care beds. The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) has expressed deep concern about the situation and believes that surgical cancellations were inevitable as hospital activity increases for the months of January, February and March each year. 

Concern is mounting for the health of three detainees being held under 'national security certificates' at Canada's Kingston Immigration Holding Centre (KIHC), otherwise known as ‘Guantanamo North'. Mohammed Mahjoub was detained by Canadian authorities in June 2000 and has been on a liquids-only hunger strike for sixty seven days. Hassan Almrei and Mahmoud Jaballah were detained in 2001, and have been without food for fifty six days. The men are protesting against the conditions of their detention and the secrecy in which evidence against them is being kept.

Nuala O'Loan's much publicised report on collusion between British forces, including the police, and unionist paramilitaries has awoken many in this state to the reality that was the "nationalist nightmare" for decades. The truth and evidence has eventually leaked out - like blood from underneath a locked door!

Controversy surrounding the future chairperson of the Afican Union (AU) through 2007 is likely to dominate the eighth summit of the African Union (AU) which opened in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, yesterday under the themes 'Science, Technology and Scientific Research for Development' and 'Climate change in Africa'. Although candidates for the AU chair, due to be elected on Monday 29 January, have not been confirmed, Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, is expected to be elected to the position.

Over 5,000 people from more than 90 countries are participating in an online campaign to persuade the US government to close the country's prison camp at Guantánamo, Cuba. The campaign, organised by Amnesty International, involves a virtual flotilla that will 'sail' to Cuba for the duration of the campaign. The campaign will run until 26 June, International Day for the Protection of Victims of Torture.