Ireland's Mack Hansen on his way to scoring a try against Australia. Rating: 914 Tommy O’BrienHad a quiet first half but when he was brought into the game showed what a dangerous player he can be. Good work at the crossfield kick for Hansen’s third try. Photograph: Nick Elliott/Inpho7 Caelan Doris (capt)The natural leader took on several big carries, tackled well in defence when Australia were bringing up hard ball. But this looked more like the Ireland of old, every bit good for the win on a tough night to play.

As always, the presidential inauguration included all the major Abrahamic faith traditions, as if those were the only religious traditions in this country. Smaller religious traditions were included, but the larger Buddhist and Hindu traditions were left out. But this was not reflected in the version of religion that was represented in the presidential inauguration ceremony. It seems that the Irish State is simply blind to the realities of religion in contemporary Irish life. It is a projection of what matters to the Irish State.

“I hit two on the M3 going down to Dublin and then the M50 toll. It’s working out at the better part of €100 a week – on top of fuel and maintenance on the van. If they wish to use the southbound Dublin Tunnel (informally known as the Port Tunnel) at peak times an extra €1 will apply. “We have installed a new system at the Port Tunnel – largely at the behest of the haulage industry – to make it faster and more efficient. Many of these privately run tolls will lapse back into State ownership in about 10 years’ time.

During the past few winters I’ve been fortunate to introduce my teenage son to the joys of skiing. No film crew is needed to conjure a fake snowstorm on our arrival at the valley station to pick up our skis. Instead the real thing falls around us in heavy clumps, as we wrestle our unwilling feet into unwieldy ski boots. Back at the valley station we meet Johanna, our guide for the day. Back at the valley station I meet Mario Gruber, the managing director of the company that operates these cable cars.

For the second week in succession Andy Farrell was asked whether he had elicited the required response from his team. “The start was pretty good. I thought we really let ourselves go and attacked the game straight from the word go. I said to him before the game, ‘good players don’t need excuses, they can get on with it and just be themselves. It afforded them 70 per cent territory and position pretty much in that second half.

Minister for Housing James Browne at the launch of the new plan on housing and homelessness. Photograph: Sam Boal/CollinsThe Government’s latest plan to fix the housing crisis, published on Thursday, is largely a review and repetition of an earlier plan in 2021, Housing for All. “I think the pace and scale of constant changes to housing policy has become a problem in its own right. The new plan is called Delivering Homes, Building Communities: An Action Plan on Housing Supply and Targeting Homelessness, 2025-2030. The plan represents an “evolution rather than revolution” in housing policy and the more active role the State has played in the sector in recent years, he says.

Director of Public Prosecutions Catherine Pierse addressing the annual national conference of prosecutors in Dublin on Saturday. The Director of Public Prosecutions has called for more clarity in the law relating to obligations to obtain and disclose material, including counselling records, for trials of sexual assault offences. Director Catherine Pierse welcomed “a cultural shift” marked in two Supreme Court judgments about the responsibilities of the prosecution, defence and trial judges in relation to disclosure. In his appeal he argued the late disclosure of this “new evidence” had prejudiced his fair-trial rights and his conviction should be quashed. In dismissing his appeal, the Supreme Court said “some compelling basis” must be established for disclosure to be directed, involving showing the records were likely to be of real forensic value to the accused’s defence.

The origin story of the most important Irish band of the 21st century begins on a grey and misty Saturday in 1978, at a martial arts competition in south Dublin. True innovators are relatively rare in Irish rock; a case can be made that My Bloody Valentine are in a category of one. This was a contradiction with a sting in the tail: My Bloody Valentine gigs salved the spirit as they punched you in the gut. It’s still interesting, and it still blows my mind.”My Bloody Valentine feel much the same about their own music. There’s a huge gravitational pull towards it.”My Bloody Valentine play 3Arena, Dublin, on Saturday, November 22nd

Labour leader Ivana Bacik said the party had gained momentum, was growing and would stand by its values of equality, solidarity and fairness. Photograph: Dara Mac DónaillThe Labour Party leader has called on the Irish and British governments to commit to a timeline for referendums on a united Ireland. “As leader of a republican party, I am calling now on the Irish and British governments to set a clear timeline for the holding of a unity referendum,” Ms Bacik said on Saturday evening. In our new republic, just as now, the Labour Party will stand firm to ensure security for all our communities. In her closing remarks, Ms Bacik said Labour was “closely aligned in our values with the Green Party and Social Democrats”.

South Africa scrumhalf Grant Williams runs in to score a try during the Autumn Nations Series match against Italy in Turin. Photograph: Stefano Rellandini AFP via Getty ImagesAutumn Nations Series: Italy 14 South Africa 32South Africa shrugged off a red card for the second successive match to power to a 32-14 win over an Italy side which threw away a golden opportunity to earn a rare win over the Springboks in Turin on Saturday. Franco Mostert was shown a red card after 11 minutes but Italy failed to make their extra man count, with Paolo Garbisi guilty of missing kickable penalties. Yellow card: Van Staden (51 mins). Red card: Mostert (10 mins).

Mack Hansen is mobbed by his Irish team-mates after completed his hat-trick of tries in the first half against Australia. SCORING SEQUENCE – 7 mins: Hansen try, Prendergast con, 7-0; 11: Hansen try, Prendergast con, 14-0; 18: Ikitau try, O’Connor con, 14-7; 28: Hansen try, 19-7; 40: McReight try, O’Connor con, 19-14. Half-time: 19-14; 56: Prendergast drop goal, 22-14; 62: Crowley pen, 25-14; 70: Doris try, Crowley con, 32-14; 74: Pollard try, 32-19; 78: Baird try, Crowley con, 29-19; 80: Henshaw try, Crowley con, 46-19. IRELAND: Mack Hansen (Connacht); Tommy O’Brien (Leinster), Robbie Henshaw (Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster), James Lowe (Leinster); Sam Prendergast (Leinster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster); Paddy McCarthy (Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster); James Ryan (Leinster), Tadhg Beirne (Munster); Ryan Baird (Leinster), Caelan Doris (Leinster, capt), Jack Conan (Leinster). AUSTRALIA: Max Jorgensen (NSW Waratahs); Filipo Daugunu (Queensland Reds), Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii (NSW Waratahs), Len Ikitau (ACT Brumbies), Harry Potter (Western Force); James O’Connor (Leicester), Jake Gordon (NSW Waratahs); Angus Bell (NSW Waratahs), Matt Faessler (Queensland Reds), Allan Alaalatoa (ACT Breumbies); Jeremy Williams (Western Force), Tom Hooper (Exeter Chiefs); Rob Valetini (ACT Brumbies), Fraser McReight (Queensland Reds), Harry Wilson (Queensland Reds, capt).

Autumn Nations Series: England 33 New Zealand 19A perfect 10 wins in a row is a reliable indicator of a team on the rise. Borthwick predicted this week that George Ford would one day assume the England head coach mantle and the outhalf’s stock as a playmaker has rarely been high. Within three minutes of the restart England took advantage to register their second try, the influential Sam Underhill crashing through Barrett to score. England outhalf George Ford successfully kicks a drop goal against New Zealand. – GuardianENGLAND: Freddie Steward; Tom Roebuck, Ollie Lawrence, Fraser Dingwall, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso; George Ford, Alex Mitchell; Fin Baxter, Jamie George, Joe Heyes; Maro Itoje, Alex Coles; Guy Pepper, Sam Underhill, Ben Earl.

Taoiseach Michéal Martin at the opening of UCC’s Domain of the Dinosaurs exhibition at the Glucksman gallery in Cork. So, did the Taoiseach learn anything about what is needed for political survival as he surveyed the skeletal remains of some of the most fearsome creatures to ever walk the Earth? Prof Fiona Kearney, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, UCC president John O'Halloran and Prof Maria McNamara. Photograph: Clare KeoghSharing top billing in the Coillte herbivore section with Scelidosaurus is its fellow Mesozoic herbivore, the five-metre-long Iguanodon. The Domain of the Dinosaurs Exhibition runs at the Glucksman gallery at UCC from Sunday until April 12th 2026.

Hundreds of people turned up in Dublin for a National Climate March to end fossil fuels, as the Cop30 global climate negotiations continue in Belém, Brazil. “I have so many concerns,” she said, adding that people her age are feeling “anxious and afraid” about their futures due to climate change. Photograph: Chris MaddaloniFriends Mehret Flynn and Eoin Reinhardt, both aged 16, travelled from Blessington, Co Wicklow, because climate change is a “huge existential issue”. “I can see the changes in my community, all of the storms are insane,” Ms Flynn said, adding: “This isn’t the normal climate, and it’s because of climate change. Ms Cairns said climate change has “fallen off the Government agenda”, while also pointing to an “outrage fatigue” among members of the public, who are already dealing with “crises” in areas such as housing, healthcare and Gaza.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland leaves the 18th tee on day three of the DP World Tour Championship 2025 at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/GettyRory McIlroy moved into a share of the lead on Saturday at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship as he looks to finish his season in style with a fifth worldwide victory this year and a seventh Race to Dubai title. Hatton gives McIlroy something to think about as he can win the Race to Dubai should he win the tournament and McIlroy finishes worse than tied eighth. Marco Penge, second in the Race to Dubai, is out of contention on four under. McIlroy said Hatton will not be on his mind as he is in a better position than him.