For the moment, Cork football is free of all usual shackles. Cork football has had little to bask in over the past decade, so there’ll be no apologies for taking a second to stand and absorb their successful escape from the League’s second-tier. Of all that has been said and written about Cork football during Cleary’s tenure, and indeed before he assumed the gig, the consistent accusation of a county sorely lacking in consistency had no ounce of hyperbole attached. The most important thing was last Sunday. Last Sunday was a more important game than next Sunday,” he continued.

At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the "Do Not Sell or Share my Data" button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Terms and Conditions.

Photo by Stephen McCarthy/SportsfileAn average of 1.37 million viewers watched as Ireland were mercilessly dumped out of World Cup 2026 contention by Czechia in a gut-wrenching penalty shootout. But the euphoria did not last long as Irish fans at home and abroad watched Czechia climb back late on and stomp all over our dreams across RTÉ2. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/SportsfileLast night’s match recorded an average of 1.37 million viewers on its television coverage, peaking at 1.6 million and accounting for 78pc of people watching TV and making it the most-watched TV show of the year so far. At 10:34pm – just as Czechia sealed penalty victory – the TV viewership reached 1.6 million. RTÉ calculates the average audience based on the average number of vieweers tuned in across the duration of the given show.

Support local journalismLocal news, sports and entertainment when you want it. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the best local news, sports and entertainment coverage.

The value of retail sales in Ireland increased by over 2.1% in the year to February as the volume of sales was largely flat, new data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows. According to the CSO, in February, the volume of retail sales decreased by 0.8% compared to January but increased by 0.8% compared to February last year. If you exclude the motor trade, retail sales were up by 0.3% on the month and by 0.2% on the year. However, while there has been little increase in the volume of sales, the value of those sales are up more significantly. Value represents turnover or total expenditure whereas volume strips out the impact of price changes to reflect quantity sold.

Unfair commercial practices, largely on social media, are being used to promote skincare products such as face masks, serums and anti-ageing creams to girls as young as 10 to 12 years old, the regulator says. Photograph: iStockItalian regulators are investigating LVMH-owned beauty retailer Sephora and the luxury group’s Benefit Cosmetics brand over claims their marketing has allegedly fuelled “cosmeticorexia”, an unhealthy obsession with skincare among young girls. These marketing campaigns were carried out mainly via social media, the regulator said, leading young girls to “compulsively” buy such products. “The companies are said to have adopted a particularly insidious marketing strategy, involving very young micro-influencers, who would encourage young people, particularly vulnerable groups, to compulsively purchase cosmetics,” the statement said. Apps such as TikTok and Instagram are filled with videos of young girls and teenagers advising their peers on elaborate skincare routines, especially through a popular line of content called “Get Ready with Me”.

Evidence on grooming gangs may have been destroyed because of 'staggering' Home Office delays in ordering records to be preserved, a committee of MPs has warned. She said the information was central to the public inquiry into grooming gangs, which is set to begin next week. Last June, Baroness Casey of Blackstock's national audit on grooming gangs called for the Home Office to formally require relevant agencies to preserve their records. Mr Moore said: 'This is a staggering failure at the heart of government which once again undermines trust ahead of the national grooming gangs inquiry. A Home Office spokesman said: 'We have established the independent inquiry into grooming gangs to get the answers that victims and survivors of these horrendous crimes deserve.

JK Rowling has claimed she is still waiting for Olympic gender row boxer Imane Khelif to sue her for cyberbullying, as the author celebrated the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banning transgender athletes from women's events. Rowling, who has been vocal on the issue, used an image of Khelif to celebrate the IOC's new rules on Thursday. Hamilton claimed the framing of ban was wrong, noting that several sports have already banned transgender women from competing, and suggested it was more aimed at 'female athletes with sex variations'. Hamilton had retired from football last year, one day after the English Football Association confirmed transgender women would no longer be able to play in women's football in England. Semenya was assigned female at birth and identifies as a woman, but had a higher-than-normal level of testosterone for a woman.

Sammie Szmodics out of hospital and ‘on the mend’ after collision in play-offDamian Spellman, PARepublic of Ireland striker Sammie Szmodics has been released from hospital in Prague after being knocked unconscious during Thursday night’s World Cup play-off defeat by the Czech Republic. Szmodics was carried from the field on a stretcher and taken straight to the hospital, where Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson later revealed he would spend the night under observation. A Football Association of Ireland spokesperson said on Friday morning: “Sammie Szmodics was transferred to hospital yesterday having sustained a head injury during extra time of the play-off against Czechia. And thank you to the medical staff who acted so quickly to help me. On the mend.”

Eamon Dunphy says Hallgrímsson should go 'back to dentistry' after play-off defeatEamon Dunphy says Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson should go "back to dentistry" after the penalty shoot-out defeat to the Czech Republic on Thursday. Dunphy was critical of Ireland's game management, as they took an early two-goal lead thanks to Troy Parrott and an own goal. Writing in his column for the Irish Daily Mirror, Dunphy criticised Ireland's response to the Czech Republic's first goal, and said the blame lies with the manager. This is basic game management. Moving forward, Dunphy called for Hallgrímsson to leave and said the team has gone as far as they can go under his management.

Daily Mail Sport's compelling journalism has been recognised by the prestigious Sports Journalism Awards - the media industry's Oscars - with 15 nominations across digital, print and broadcast including Sports Publisher of the Year and Newspaper of the Year. Cricket Journalist LAWRENCE BOOTH, Data Journalist JAMES SHARPE and Rugby Correspondent NIK SIMON are all on the shortlist for their respective fields of expertise. HEATHER DEWAR has been recognised for her work for the Scottish Daily Mail in the Regional Journalist category. The winners will be announced in London on April 27. The full list of Daily Mail Sport nominations is below.

Parents have been told to limit screentime to an hour a day for under-fives and keep them off social media in new Government guidelines. Under the guidance, screentime for children under two should be avoided other than for shared interactive activities, with one hour or less for two to five-year-olds. Parents will also be asked to think about their own screentime in front of children. Now it's time to have your say in the Daily Mail's latest poll – should under-fives face a one-hour limit on screentime each day? In yesterday's poll, Mail readers were asked: 'Can new director-general Matt Brittin restore trust in the BBC?'

Hayes' wife died from breast cancer in September 2025 and he said the last four years of their marriage ‘were their best together’Colm Hayes and Lucy Kennedy. Hayes's driving skills inspired an entertaining debate on the breakfast showColm Hayes and Lucy Kennedy have become close friends during their time co-presenting their breakfast show. Colm Hayes and Lucy Kennedy have become close friends during their time co-presenting their breakfast show. I genuinely love him, he’s one of my favourite people and he’s ridiculous.”“We’re best friends,” Hayes added. Colm Hayes and Lucy Kennedy.

Economist Austin Hughes, who oversees the compiling of the index, said this month’s survey paints a picture of a nervous Irish consumer whose thinking has become materially more negative of late. This suggests that this month’s sentiment reading might be interpreted as a marked downgrade rather than a complete collapse in Irish consumer confidence. This month’s reading marks a big turnaround from an improvement that resulted in an 11-month high in last month’s sentiment survey. This month’s index shows a large ­deterioration in consumers’ expectations for their financial circumstances over the next 12 months. This element of the survey declined to its weakest point since March 2022 when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatened a marked escalation in living costs for Irish consumers, Mr Hughes said.

Would you leave a six-figure salary for a new career? Meet the people who followed their dreams and never looked backÉdaein O’Connell chats to people who left their steady roles in the tech industry and teaching to follow a more creative path – and while they now earn less, they explain why they have no regretsCaoimhe De Fréin started her own business. Photo: Mark CondrenÉdaein O’Connell Today at 06:30When Caoimhe de Fréin was made redundant from her role in the tech industry in December 2023, the shock was immediate. “I just remember this fear overtaking me. You sit back and can’t help thinking: what’s next?”