The New Year’s Day papers

Well here we go: 2011 is upon us. In the papers today there's news of FF money problems, Bertie's still making the headlines, the Revenue, and Wayne Rooney

The Front Pages

Happy New Year! As you’d expect, all the broadsheets use pictures to depict the heralding in of 2011. Beyond that, it’s business as usual in newspaper land as the news refuses to have a day off this Saturday 1 January.

Fianna Fail might want to put 2010 behind them and start with a clean sheet as they hurtle towards a general election, but just a few hours into the new year and The Irish Times is leading with the story that the party don’t even have a clean balance sheet.

“Fine Gael has €2.25m for election but FF in deep debt: Fianna Fáil sources claim that the party owes €3million” reads The Times’ main headline.

Fine Gael can draw on €1million from their recent superdraw. Fianna Fáil’s superdraw back in March raised just under €600,000, but that’s just not enough to plug the financial hole they’re in.

On a positive note, the number of road deaths for 2010 was the lowest since records began. December’s tally of 10 deaths was the lowest for five decades.

Of course, this can only be a positive story once that figure gets down to zero.

Over on the Irish Independent there’s news that Gardai are investigating Revenue officials after internal audits uncovered evidence that they falsified individual tax records and defrauded the State.

According to the Indo, two officials – both of whom have access to details of every tax payer in the country – are being looked into. One of them falsified receipts so that friends, her boyfriend and his family could claim refunds on non-existent medical conditions.

Another official actually hiked up his ex-wife’s tax liability, which is a bit harsh (although we don’t know what the ex-wife is like).

The Irish Examiner leads with news that swine flu cases are on the increase, with 34 people currently hospitalised, five of those in intensive care. Out of a total of 120 confirmed influenza cases that were notified on 30 December, 106 of these were cases of swine flu.

The Examiner features a picture of the Sydney skyline as fireworks lit up the New Year (above).

The Sports Pages

The Irish Independent says that, for the third year running, there are a large number of Irish football followers of the strong opinion that Giovanni Trapattoni's New Year resolution should be to attend more matches.

Although, as the paper’s writer Daniel McDonnell points out, there hasn’t been a lot of on-pitch action from Irish players in the Premier League for Il Trap to see in recent times.

The Indo reports that Gerard Houllier will bid to make peace with some of the senior players in his Aston Villa squad with whom he’s clashed in a bid to revive the English midlands’ team from their current slump. Among them, our own Richard Dunne.

The Irish Times talk of the return of long-term absentee Kevin McLaughlin, who will start Leinster's Magner's League clash with Connacht at the RDS alongside Seán O’Brien and Shane Jennings in the backrow of Joe Schmidt’s side.

Meanwhile down at Thomond Park, Magner’s League leaders Munster have made nine changes to the side that beat Connacht on Monday, as they face Ulster tonight.

Jerry Flannery returns to the bench from injury, with Damien Varley staring alongside Wian du Preez and Peter Borlase in the frontrow.

Ulster will welcome back Rory Best to their starting line-up as the hooker returns from injury.

The Daily Telegraph feature a candid interview with Wayne Rooney in which he admits that he was wrong to demand assurances over Manchester United’s ambition and described his World Cup campaign as a 'disaster'.

He reveals that by staying at Old Trafford he’s managed to keep his missus happy as she was still within easy reach of her family in Liverpool and he dismissed the rumours that he may have moved to Manchester City.

“People said I was odds-on to go to Man City. That was never the case. There was no way I'd have gone there, but I know I've made the right decision. I've made myself happy," the spud-like soccer star says.