It's official! Thanks in no small part to Colin Farrell, the Irish accent is now the sexiest in the world. French men can only hang their heads in shame as they came FOURTH - just ahead of the Australian accent.

Up to 50,000 people are predicted to gather at Knock in Ireland today for an apparition by the Virgin Mary. Dubliner Joe Coleman, the man who predicted the apparition said Our Lady would be visible to those "with an open heart."

Grand Slam winner Stephen Ferris is out of the Ulster Squad for Sunday's game against Leinster with a hand injury.

One of the first movies that Robert Pattinson made, "The Haunted Airman," will be released on DVD in the United States next week.

Hundreds of people are flocking to a rural shrine in Donegal amidst reports of a weeping statue of Mary and flashing crosses in the night sky.

Rory McIlroy has been praised by his fellow European pros after he starred in last week’s Britain and Ireland win over Europe in the Vivendi trophy, and is being tipped to be a big hit at next year's Ryder Cup.

Mac Cionnaith argues that the use of terms such as “hardliners” and a “paramilitary driven socialist all Ireland agenda” in a recent article by Niall O'Dowd paints a false picture of éirígí for the Irish-American community.

Celtic rounded off a busy pre-season campaign by going down to a narrow 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday afternoon.

WITH VIDEO: Henry Louis Gates Jr., the black professor at the center of the racial story involving his arrest outside his Harvard house, has spoken proudly of his Irish roots.

The High Court in Belfast has upheld a 270-year-old ban on the use of the Irish language in court proceedings in the North. Caoimhin Mac Giolla Cathain had taken the case after his application for an occasional drinks license was returned. He was told that his application could not be considered because it was not in English.

Irish star Evanna Lynch will carry the flag for Ireland in the new Harry Potter movie, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." But Evanna's not the only Irish connection in the Harry Potter film.

British and Irish Lions rugby manager Ian McGeechan has made eight changes to his side for the final test in the Castle Lager series versus the South Africa Springboks in Johannesburg on Saturday.

Stephen Ferris has been forced to withdraw from The British & Irish Lions squad due to injury.

Leigh Halfpenny and Luke Fitzgerald will both make their first ever starts for The British & Irish Lions in Saturday’s clash with The Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

The British & Irish Lions rugby team turned in a far more convincing display in their second outing on this year’s Tour of South Africa, defeating the Xerox Golden Lions 74-10 in Johannesburg on Wednesday night.

The Doherty or O'Doherty name has many variations, including (O) Dougherty, Daugherty, Docherty, and Doharty. The name, derived from the Gaelic O'Dochartaigh, means (descended) from Dochartach. Dochartach was a descendant of the infamous "Niall of the Nine Hostages," who was king of Ireland in the fourth century.

Three Irish people were on board the Air France plane which disappeared over the Atlantic overnight. The plane is feared to have crashed in the Atlantic with 228 people aboard after losing power in a massive thunderstorm high above the ocean. The flight left Rio de Janiero at 5pm EST yesterday and was due to arrive into Paris at 4.15am EST.

Dublin native Ray Carroll is a professional artist who has made a name for himself in contemporary Irish art circles as a painter who explores the deep spiritual, mystical elements of ancient Celtic art and architecture. Using oils, acrylics and charcoals, Carroll creates masterpieces that reflect the soul of Ireland, from its ancient Celtic days to its modern-day natural beauty. But while painting, Carroll doesn’t set out to do so.

Irish Canadian model Coco Rocha has taken the fashion world by storm with an unforgettable face, modish look and vivid persona.

Paul O'Connell thinks that the British & Irish Lions are a lot stronger than the squad that failed in 2005.

Rob Kearney will start for Leinster in Saturday’s Magners League clash with Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade.

Irish golf sensation Rory McIlroy has sparked a war of words after dismissing the Ryder Cup as an "exhibition game." McIlroy, who is playing at the Irish Open in Baltray this week, said the Ryder Cup was just "not that important." The golfer, who celebrated his 20th birthday on May 4, said "It's not a huge goal of mine. It's an exhibition at the end of the day. In the big scheme of things it's not that important an event for me."

Munster forward Alan Quinlan will discover if his place on the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa is under threat next Wednesday.

Welsh star Tom Shanklin has been ruled out of action for 16 weeks with a shoulder injury, meaning he will miss the British and Irish Lions’ tour to South Africa.

Cathal Dervan on a double confirmation last weekend, that of his youngest son Ciaran, and of Leinster as Kings of Ireland after their victory over Munster in the Heineken Cup semifinal

Teams from England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland will battle it out in the new competition starting next year.

A penalty shootout was was needed to separate Leicester Tigers and the Cardiff Blues in the second semifnial of the Heineken Cup this weekend.

A rare wave of sentimentality has swept Ryan Giggs to the PFA Players' Player of the Year award for the 2008-2009 season, with the Manchester United star claiming the first senior individual accolade of a career that has spanned 18 years.

This was one of those weeks that The Wolfhound just could not decide who merited his first prestigious “Wolf Droppings” award. Sometimes, there’s just one idiot too many out there for a single winner. So, Wolfie has had to split the award in half between two half-wits: New York Times employee Paul Krugman and elderly British outpatient David Starkey.

Three Lions from Ireland’s contingent of 14 have been nominated for the Bord Gáis Irish Rugby Union Players Association Players’ Player of the Year Award.

Paul O'Connell was named as Lions captain Tuesday, and there are 14 Irish players on the traveling tour to South Africa this summer.

The incredibly fertile Irish warlord, Niall of the Nine Hostages, is thought to have 3 million descendants worldwide

After an all-day downpour on Saturday, a sustained period of glorious sunshine greeted Philadelphia today, as the World Irish Dancing Championship drew to a close. The sunshine brought a fitting end to what has been an incredibly successful week.

After an all-day downpour on Saturday, a sustained period of glorious sunshine greeted Philadelphia today, as the World Irish Dancing Championship drew to a close. The sunshine brought a fitting end to what has been an incredibly successful week.

The schedule has been released for next season's RBS 6 Nations Championship. Ireland will kick off at home to the Italians, and then face tricky away trips to France and then England.

Ireland skipper Brian O'Driscoll has been voted 2009 RBS Player of the Championship.

Two Italian teams are set to be introduced into the Magners League from the 2010/2011 season.

Cathal Dervan's day on Saturday was almost as dramatic as that of the Irish Rugby team and Bernard Dunne.

Magners Irish Cider has confirmed that it has extended its sponsorship of the Magners League until at least May, 2011.

The dates have been confirmed for the inaugural Four Associations Tournament between Scotland, Wales, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in Dublin in 2011.

I’ve been living in New York for over a year and half. Rarely have I ever felt homesick. But I did feel a twinge of homesickness this past Saturday because I spent a part of the day in an Irish bar, watching Ireland beat Wales in rugby.

Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll heaped praise on team-mate Ronan O'Gara following a narrow victory over Wales in Cardiff, which saw the Irish claim their first Grand Slam for 61 years.

Irish fans celebrated around the world today as Ireland won the rugby Grand Slam for the first time since 1948. Whether it was the glassy-eyed supporters who stayed up all night in Sydney or bleary-eyed fans that got out of the bed at the crack of dawn in Honolulu to watch the game, the roar that greeted Stephen Jones missing the last minute penalty for Wales could be heard round the globe.

Paul McNaughton insists that Ireland are paying little heed to Wales boss Warren Gatland's 'mind games' ahead of Saturday's crunch RBS 6 Nations clash in Cardiff.

Ireland has gone rugby mad, according to bookies Paddy Power, who report Saturday’s Six Nations and Grand Slam decider as their biggest match in rugby betting history.

Wales coach Warren Gatland has made eight changes to his side for this Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations decider against Ireland at the Millennium Stadium

Wales coach Warren Gatland has upped the ante ahead of the RBS 6 Nations showdown between Wales and Ireland on Saturday by suggesting that his players hate Ireland more than any other country.

Three Irish players have been included on the nominations list for the RBS 6 Nations Player of the Tournament

Ireland coach Declan Kidney has named his team for the RBS 6 Nations decider against Wales on Saturday.

A shoulder injury sustained against Scotland could rule Denis Leamy out of Saturday's six nations decider against Wales.