Hi °C | Lo °C 
The magical Midwest and a whistle-stop tour of the Great Lakes
Visiting the Great Lakes region of North America for the second time confirmed that it’s a great place to see.
Family who lost their teenage daughter to meningitis campaign for a potentially life-saving vaccine
One of the most traumatic experiences for any parent is said to be the burying of their child.
Young mum went from size 22 to slim and confident 10
Having always believed there was “a skinny girl inside me wanting to get out”, young mum Dawn Herron embarked on a dramatic weight loss journey dropping from a hefty size 22 to the svelte size 10 she is today.
Meat Loaf is giving up life on the road
More than 35 years after he released Bat Out of Hell, Meat Loaf is giving up life on the road, but retirement? He won’t do that!
PUB OF THE YEAR: The Derg Arms, Castlederg
You can’t keep a good pub down! The Derg Arms is back in contention for the Sunday Life Readers’ Choice prize at Pubs of Ulster’s 2011 Pub of the Year Awards — the only bar to make the shortlist for the second year running.
TRAVEL GUIDE: Gleneagles Hotel, Scotland
If your passion is posh cars that you can only dream of driving, never mind owning, keep an eye on the jobs pages for “Doorman, Gleneagles Hotel, Scotland”.
TRAVEL GUIDE: Haworth, Yorkshire
Having fallen in love with Haworth and its spectacular surrounding countryside on my first visit to West Yorkshire, it's easy to see why one of its most famous inhabitants — Emily Bronte — was crippled with homesickness when forced to leave her beloved moors.
PUB OF THE YEAR: The Spaniard, Belfast
Hola, amigos! Now I must admit I have a soft spot for Spain, having been there on holiday.
TRAVEL GUIDE: Glenapp Castle
You know you're somewhere special when there's a helicopter service on offer, and when your room has a name all of its own — not to mention a croquet lawn outside.
PUB OF THE YEAR: Dorman's Opera, Magherafelt
There's not many of us who would claim to enjoy nothing better than a night at The Opera — unless you live up Magherafelt direction.
TRAVEL GUIDE: Cape Town
As the sound of gunfire crackled in my ears I suddenly feared my darkest nightmare was about to come true.
TRAVEL GUIDE: Isle of Mann
Squelching round the grounds of Castle Rushen on a dark, grey, drizzly morning, I’m interrupted by a sprightly old lady with twinkling green eyes who taps me gently on the arm, correctly identifies me as a tourist and promises earnestly (and I quote verbatim), “I’ll wish good weather for you before lunch”.
PUB OF THE YEAR: Blake's, Enniskillen
Getting into Blakes of the Hollow is easy. Getting out of Enniskillen’s most famous pub is an altogether trickier challenge.
When the storm blew itself out
Alex Higgins is dead. I thought the four-word text on the afternoon of Saturday July 24 last year was a joke at first.
TRAVEL GUIDE: Loch Earn
If you're in search of a ‘picture-postcard perfect hideaway’ to recharge your batteries, after A Hard Days Night or two, then look no further than the spot which the Fab Four ‘Beatled' themselves away in!
TRAVEL GUIDE: Cromore Village
As a Larne-born man I’m no stranger to the wonders of the Antrim Coast. As a youngster I remember family day trips to Portrush, the entertainment mecca of Northern Ireland in my youth and the closest many of us could ever get to a Disneyland or an Alton Towers.
PUB OF THE YEAR: The Bush Tavern, Ballymoney
A bird in the hand might be worth two in the bush — but a wedding party you’ll never forget is only a fiver a head at The Bush!
TRAVEL GUIDE: Fermanagh
This was the road trip I’d always dreamed of. Me, my brother Mark and ‘me da’ Alec, heading off for the weekend fishing and shooting in Fermanagh to treat the aul fella.
PUB OF THE YEAR: The Hole in the Wall, Armagh
It's housed in a building that’s nearly 400 years old and used to be a jail.
TRAVEL GUIDE: Cyprus
This week on Getaways we head to Cyprus to explore the benefits of going off the beaten track to compare green holidays, or what’s known as agro-tourism, with a bigger and busier resort holiday.
In pictures: UK Soap Awards
New suspects in Maddie probe
In Pictures: North West 200
In Pictures: Balmoral Show
Nice-but-dull Kate's annoying baby bump pose
FHM's sexiest women - Kunis knocks Tulisa off her perch
Latest News
Did the pope perform an exorcism? new
Religious observers are asking: "Is Pope Francis an exorcist?" after an incident in St Peter's Square.
Queen 'deeply saddened' by deaths new
The Queen said she was "deeply saddened" by the loss of life and devastation caused by the tornado in Oklahoma and sent her "deepest sympathies" to all those whose lives have been affected.
New Prisoner Ombudsman appointed new
Tom McGonigle, a Criminal Justice Inspector, is to be the new Northern Ireland Prisoner Ombudsman.
Latest Sport
Johnson backs Di Canio methods new
Sunderland winger Adam Johnson is in favour of manager Paolo Di Canio's hardline approach to the job if it brings about an improvement in results.
De Laurentiis eyes Dzeko deal new
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has played down suggestions he wants Rafael Benitez to be the club's new head coach and claimed the delegation that visited England on Monday was hoping to secure an exchange deal with Manchester City for Edinson Cavani.
United top TV earnings new
Manchester United earned a record £60.8million in Premier League TV money after winning the title - but even the club that finishes bottom next season will exceed that income due to the top flight's huge new broadcasting deals.
Latest Showbiz
Michael 'in shock' says eyewitness new
George Michael fell from his vehicle on to the carriageway of the M1 motorway, an eyewitness has claimed.
James Caan not a fan of Hollywood new
James Caan says he's not impressed by today's films.
Comedy scriptwriter Braben dies new
Comedy writer Eddie Braben, the third man behind the success of Morecambe and Wise, has died at the age of 82, his manager said.
