One that didn't get away

Ireland may have allowed the World Equestrian Games to slip through its hands but fishing folk around the country recently landed the European Angling Championships.

The coarse fishing competition, one of the biggest in the angling world, was scheduled to be held in Yugoslavia but for obvious reasons the venue had to change and Ireland immediately agreed to act as host.

Competitors from 21 European member states will converge on Lough Muckno in Castleblaney, Co Monoghan at the end of June in an effort to win the prestigious event.

Claiming to be the biggest participation sport in the world, the annual competition, however, still lacks a major sponsor. An estimated 20,000 people will arrive to dip their lines.