U.S. boxing great Muhammad Ali has accepted an invitation to visit the Irish town his great-grandfather left almost 150 years ago. The town council of Ennis, in County Clare on the west coast of Ireland, invited Ali.

A WEEK-LONG festival celebrating cult TV sitcom Father Ted kicked off today in Ireland. The Lovely Girls contest, Craggy Island World Cup, the Golden Cleric awards and Buckaroo speed dating are among the highlights of TedFest II in Kilfenora village in Co Clare, on the island of Inis Mor.

By PAT FLYNN POOR water pressure prevented fire fighters from saving a business from being destroyed, the owner claimed yesterday. Gerry Bredin, of Bredin's hardware store in Ennis, Co.

The two sides are holding their first full day of talks at the Labour Relations Commission today after the pilots agreed to abandon a planned two-day strike in order to facilitate the discussions.

By PAT FLYNN AER Lingus has refused to budge on its plan to move its Shannon- Heathrow slots to Belfast, but has not ruled out the possibility of developing other short- haul services from Shannon in the future.