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Just heard on the radio that 2 Limerick hurlers, Brian Begley and Maurice O'Brien have dropped off the panel.This is on top of the St Galls men in Antrim, all the Laois players, and most baffling of all, Ger Brennan from Dublin.

Have players reached breaking point?

Belfast Telegraph
British soldier murdered in 1977
Tuesday, May 20, 2008

By Deborah McAleese

Police investigating the murder of SAS officer Robert Nairac over 30 years ago today arrested a suspect.

The 57-year-old man was arrested in south Armagh and taken to the serious crime suite in Antrim for questioning after being arrested by the PSNI's crime operations serious crime branch early this morning.

It is believed the arrested man had been living away from Northern Ireland for several years, but had returned to the province where he has been living under an assumed identity.

Police could not reveal any more details as the investigation is ongoing.

However, it is understood officers have been in contact with the authorities in the US to discuss the possible extradition of two more suspects.

Captain Nairac, an SAS-trained Grenadier Guard, was kidnapped from the Three Steps Inn in Drumintree near Jonesborough on May 14, 1977.

He aroused suspicion when he sang rebel songs. He was seized during a struggle in the pub's car park and taken across the border to a field at Ravensdale, Co Louth, where he was interrogated and beaten for over an hour, and then shot dead.

His body has never been found and his name recently appeared on the list of the Disappeared.

At the time of his death, the 29-year-old Oxford University graduate had been working as a liaison officer with an SAS detachment, briefed to make contact with all the relevant intelligence outfits.

By night he would go undercover to local bars. But during the day he would walk the streets in patrol uniform.

It has never been established why Captain Nairac visited the Three Steps Inn on the night he disappeared. One theory is that he was there to infiltrate local republican circles.

However, his fake identity as Danny McErlaine, a member of the Official IRA from Ardoyne, had come under suspicion by republicans.

Shortly before 9.30pm that evening, he left his base at Bessbrook Mill barracks in an unmarked, military issue car and drove directly to the bar, armed with his 9mm Browning pistol.

He entered, ordered a pint of Guinness and talked to locals before joining the pub band to sing Irish rebel songs.

Later he was noted to have been acting strangely, making frequent visits to the lavatory and preoccupied with the disappearance of his cigarettes.

Members of the pub band sensed he was in danger and offered him a lift, but he refused.

After 11pm, as Cpt Nairac walked from the bar to his car, he was attacked by a group of men, bundled into a car and driven towards the border.

He was tortured, beaten and shot in the head. Throughout his abduction and torture Cpt Nairac never revealed his true identity.

According to Major Clive Fairweather — a seasoned SAS officer in Northern Ireland at the time Nairac was here — who was interviewed by journalist John Parker for his book Death of a Hero, Cpt Nairac fought back and made several attempts to escape.

"He fought very hard for his life .... He had gone through an enormous amount of punishment but his wits were still there and he was still speaking in an Irish accent and sticking to his cover story, his own established cover story," he said.

Six people were convicted for their part in the killing. Five of those convicted were from Northern Ireland and one from the Republic but police believe three other members of the IRA were involved. It is understood two of them are now living in the United States.

Captain Nairac's disappearance still remains one of the biggest mysteries of the Troubles. In over 30 years, no-one has ever said how he died or what was done with his body.

How do you do it!!!!

Its wrecking my head, doing an advert up in word and the printers want it in pdf or jpeg format.

Help!

What was the story with his goal celebration yesterday?

I heard on the news it was something to do with his brother

A legendary piece of film making

I think they have had enough time to sort it out, they are holding up the rest of the country and one wonders if a smaller county would have received the same amount of time to get their house in order.

But at the same time it would be a great pity if it would have to go that far.

[From RTE]

From RTE

O'Sullivan has chosen on form
Tuesday, 15 January 2008 17:00
Eddie O'Sullivan has chosen to inject some youth into Ireland's creaking squad with Cian Healy and Jonathan Sexton among the fresh faces.

Prop Healy and fly-half Sexton have been included in a 33-man party for the RBS 6 Nations that does not include injured lock Paul O'Connell.

The uncapped Leinster duo have been rewarded for their fine form this season, but both are rookies - even at provincial level.

Healy, 20, has made just eight senior appearances for Leinster while 22-year-old fly-half Sexton has also impressed and will compete with Paddy Wallace to become Ronan O'Gara's understudy.

Wingers Rob Kearney, Luke Fitzgerald and Tommy Bowe and number eight Jamie Heaslip further reduce the average age of the squad.

'First and foremost I feel this squad reflects the form of the players in the Heineken Cup and Magners League,' said O'Sullivan

'I'm excited to introduce some young blood into the mix for the Six Nations. Some of the younger players have really put their hands up through their performances and have earned their spot in the squad.

'At the same time it again threw up some tight calls, especially in the back row, which always seems to be the same every time we select a squad.

'However, I think we have the balance right going into the championship.'

O'Sullivan has refused to confine his attention to the youth ranks in searching for new additions to the squad, however, with hooker Bernard Jackman and locks Mick O'Driscoll and Leo Cullen far more seasoned campaigners.

Johnny O'Connor, who won the last of his 12 caps against England in 2006, has played his way into the reckoning for the number seven jersey with a string of standout displays for Connacht.

Competition for back row places is fierce and Leinster openside Keith Gleeson was unfortunate not to be included, losing out to the younger O'Connor.

In all, there are 22 survivors from the original squad that performed so abysmally at the World Cup.

Isaac Boss has paid the price for his slump in form by being axed with Peter Stringer and Eoin Reddan the only scrum-halves selected in the 33.

Brian Young, Brian Carney and Frankie Sheahan have also been dropped, while Denis Hickie retired after the tournament in France.

Munster prop Tony Buckley, a late call-up when Simon Best was struck down by illness at the World Cup, replaces the Ulster front row for the Six Nations.

O'Connell, Best and Stephen Ferris have not been considered due to injury.

O'Connell has been sidelined with a back problem sustained during the World Cup and is almost certain to miss the opening two Six Nations games against Italy and France.

But if the feared Munster lock, traditionally Ireland's vice-captain, requires surgery he will miss the entire competition.

The addition of rookies such as Sexton and Healy will be welcomed in many quarters, but they could yet prove to be little more than window dressing.

Other than O'Connell and Hickie, who are unavailable, O'Sullivan could select the entire 22 from the World Cup when he names his team for the opener against Italy on February 2.

-O'Sullivan declared in December he did not see the need for radical changes, despite Ireland crumbling as their finest hour beckoned, and his loyalty may shape his thinking once again.

Ulster prop Brian Young, Munster winger Brian Carney, hooker Frankie Sheahan and Boss have all been dropped.

Ireland squad:

Forwards:
N Best, R Best, T Buckley, L Cullen, S Easterby, J Flannery, J Hayes, C Healy, J Heaslip, M Horan, B Jackman, D Leamy, D O'Callaghan, J O'Connor, M O'Driscoll, M O'Kelly, A Quinlan, D Wallace.

Backs: T Bowe, G Dempsey, G D'Arcy, G Duffy, L Fitzgerald, S Horgan, R Kearney, G Murphy, B O'Driscoll, R O'Gara, E Reddan, J Sexton, P Stringer, A Trimble, P Wallace.

Good to see a bit of change, cant believe he didn't call up Keith Gleeson though

Any word of whether they are going up or not?

I think the decision was to be announced at 12:00

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=5639661

I'm speechless