ANOTHER LIFE: LIVING WITH such a far horizon and so much that is still unknown about the sea, I seize eagerly upon any new maps of Ireland’s ocean. We have had those magic, sonic readings of the seabed, right out to the shelf edge, the great Rockall Trough and Porcupine Seabight, and the abyssal plain beyond. Now, with the contours of that vast and Tolkienesque landscape revealed, we have pictures of the human hunt for seafood spread out across it – pictures painted, appropriately, in swarming, tiny dots.

What study tips can help maximise your performance in the mocks and what can we learn from the experience of last year’s students? In his final article on the mocks,  BRIAN MOONEY helps you to make the most of the exams and gives a guide to six more subjects

Drop coincides with transfer of staff from immunisation clinics to mass vaccination centres for swine flu

Sign language is being promoted as a way to improve communication between young babies and their parents

 UPFRONT: MY VERY GOOD FRIEND is buying himself a drum kit. He hasn’t played drums in 20 years and lives in a house with two small children. I may not be an authority on child-rearing, but I think it’s safe to assume that Dr Benjamin Spock et al are not big on drum kits and little children being in close proximity.

Following Thursday night’s deal in Northern Ireland, five contemporary writers give their views on the political events of recent times

UCD researchers are designing ‘smart bridges’ that can indicate when repairs are needed, writes  DICK AHLSTROM