According to the DCU National Centre for Family Business, these enterprises account for about 60 per cent of all companies in the State. “Family businesses are all around all of us: they’re the people who make your porridge, they’re your local hotel, the garage and the factory. Critically, Ireland’s family businesses employ local, they buy local, they support local and they vote local.”PwC’s 2025 Irish family business survey revealed that 83 per cent of Irish family businesses expect robust sales growth over the next two years, Dillon notes. More supports are needed to help Irish family businesses further scale their operations so they can remain family owned, Dillon believes. Why wait?” McGrane agrees: “Ireland’s family businesses are not just economic contributors,” he says.

It was an honor to attend the White House St. Patrick’s Day celebration as a guest of President Trump on March 17. Among the guests were Taoiseach Micheál Martin and his wife, Mary O’Shea, Cabinet members, Agency Administrators, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, policymakers, media voices, and cultural leaders shaping the future of both nations. Being invited by the President was especially meaningful as the reflection on the life of St. Patrick holds deep meaning. The White House has reminded Americans that “More than 1,600 years ago, Saint Patrick ventured through the emerald fields and ancient valleys of Ireland to introduce the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Celtic people. Saint Patrick’s story is not just history but also a call to action.

No undergraduate degree, but plenty of hard-won experience. A remarkable woman there, Anne Meaney, spotted me lecturing and introduced me to something that would change everything: recognition of prior learning (RPL). Now I am back at SETU, this time for a postgraduate qualification in teaching and learning. I was 48 when I started my undergraduate degree. I came into this without a traditional academic background, and RPL gave me a door I didn’t know existed.

But the clincher is: he’s an English comedy actor who can do a fairly good Irish accent. This might seem like faint praise, but to find a non-Irish person who can do an Irish accent in a comedy sketch is a big deal. We are often mistaken for being offended by terrible Irish accents, but personally speaking, it’s not that I’m fragile or hurt by them. My attitude to a bad Irish accent is like when you get a tradesman in, and they look at the complete hames you made of the job when you tried it yourself. Basically, what I’m saying is: Whatever you think the Irish accent is, half of it will do.

High Court ReportersThe High Court has granted a permanent injunction to Tesco, preventing a couple from trespassing on an 8-acre site it wants to develop in Galway city. The court heard they had been keeping the horses on the land at Briarhill Junction and using buildings on it as makeshift stables. Following the granting of the injunction, the horses had been removed and the site secured, David Dodd BL, for Tesco, told the court on Thursday. The Donovans had been served with the application seeking the permanent injunction but had not appeared in court, counsel said. Judge Brian Cregan was satisfied the papers had been served on them, and he granted Tesco the injunction sought.

The Welsh national team suffered a 4-2 penalty-shoutout loss against Bosnia & Herzegovina in the World Cup play-off semi-final after drawing 1-1 in regular time. U's striker Mark Harris came on in the 75th minute and scored one of his country's two successful spot kicks in the shootout. Oxford's four Northern Ireland internationals had their dreams of playing at a World Cup ended by Italy in a 2-0 loss earlier in the evening. READ MORE: Oxford United's Championship losses compared against rivalsThe Green and White Army suffered defeat in Bergamo in their World Cup play-off semi-final clash with the Azzurri. Oxford return to action on Good Friday when they welcome Hull City to the Kassam Stadium after the final international break of the season.

The judge approved three separate interim settlements for the next eight years. In the proceedings, it was claimed there was a failure to investigate the risks associated with prescribing the epilepsy medicine sodium valproate to their mother during pregnancy. She was prescribed sodium valproate, also known as Epilim, which is an anticonvulsant medication. The cases alleged the mother would have opted for alternative epilepsy treatment if advised of the alleged risks. Judge Leonie Reynolds approved three separate interim settlements for the next eight years.

Almost the entire index finished the day in the red, with Ryanair slipping 1.3 per cent to finish on €24.83. The FTSE 100 index closed down 134.67 points, 1.3 per cent, at 9,972.17. Germany’s 10-year bond yield, the benchmark for the euro zone, rose 10.5 basis points to 3.06 per cent, after falling 6 basis points on Wednesday on reports of ceasefire talks. Italian yields rose more than most of their peers, with the 10-year up 16 basis points at 3.99 per cent. That pushed the spread between Italian and German 10-year yields up to 92 basis points.

David Beckham showed true colours with gesture to ex-Arsenal star after horror injuryAaron Ramsey remains without a club following his exit from Mexican side Pumas UNAM earlier this season but has opened up on a heartwarming gift from England icon David BeckhamView 2 Images David Beckham sent Ramsey a shirt after his leg break (Image: Getty Images)Aaron Ramsey has revealed that David Beckham sent him a signed shirt after his shocking leg break. Over 15 years since his injury, the former Arsenal man has revealed that he was sent a touching present by England and Manchester United icon Beckham. ‌Asked if he collects shirts, Ramsey said: “I’ve got a couple of shirts that really mean a lot to me. The one that stands out for me though, is I’ve got a David Beckham shirt personalised when I broke my leg. That’s definitely one that meant a lot and especially going through what I was going through at the time.”JOIN US ON FACEBOOK!

Reform candidate pulls out criticising party's selection process'Desperately disappointed for the people of the area that [local] candidates have been leap frogged and forgotten'View Image Reform UK councillor in Merthyr Tydfil Andrew Barry (Image: Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council)A Reform candidate for the upcoming Senedd election has withdrawn and criticised the party's selection process - accusing it of overlooking local candidates. ‌Andrew Barry, a former Independent councillor in Merthyr Tydfil, had put himself forward as one of Reform UK's candidates for the upcoming Senedd election on May 7. Reform's final candidate list in Pontypridd Cynon Merthyr is headed by former Conservative Jason O'Connell, a councillor in Torfaen who has been an Independent and a Conservative before joining to Reform. ‌The second name on the list is Gareth Thomas, who previously stood as a General Election candidate for Reform in Merthyr Tydfil in 2024. The third name on the list is Steve Bayliss, who previously stood for Reform in the Pontypridd constituency in 2024.

His imagination invents a savage tiger to take revenge on both the teacher and Kenny Griffen, the boy who sniggers loudest. Gap between fears and realityTheir newly launched platform Let’s Talk SPHE is a much-needed addition to the education landscape. “I am only ever asked about the most extreme topics, like Louis Theroux’s manosphere documentary, AI girlfriends, or Adolescence. When I talk to young people, they have shared concerns.”Let’s Talk SPHEShe explains that Let’s Talk SPHE starts with students, not adults. She won’t go viral for saying it, but she thinks they’re alright.

Italy’s financial police ‌have seized assets worth about €20 million in an ‌investigation into financial fraud allegedly targeting Swiss actor Ursula Andress. Property, artworks and financial assets in and around Florence were allegedly purchased with money stolen from the original Bond girl by financial advisers. They were traced to the purchase of 11 real estate properties, 14 plots of land cultivated as vineyards and olive groves, along with artworks and financial assets in Florence and the neighbouring Tuscan countryside. Andress told Swiss newspaper Blick in January that she had been defrauded out of 18 million Swiss francs by her long-time financial adviser over an eight-year period. The investigations in Italy and Switzerland identified “significant connections” between some of these transactions and Italy, particularly the ‌Florence area, ⁠prompting Italian authorities to intervene, the statement added.

Concerns have been raised by welfare organisations as to whether forced swim tests remain appropriate. Photograph: iStockThe forced swim test (FST) should not be used on animals in depression and anxiety studies, according to new guidelines from the medicines watchdog. In these tests, rodents are placed into inescapable containers of water, where they then struggle to escape and stay afloat. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) has been lobbying for a ban on the use of this test due to the harm it causes to the animals. It also recommended that researchers consult their ethics committee and their designated veterinarian before including this test in a project proposal.

Former Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness outside the Dáil in July 2025. Photograph: Alan BetsonMairead McGuinness has been appointed as the European Union’s next special envoy for religious freedom. The European Commission has now appointed her as special envoy for freedom of religion or belief outside the European Union. McGuinness was a Fine Gael MEP for many years and served as Ireland’s European commissioner between 2020 and 2024. She added: “As special envoy, she will work closely with the European Commission, the European External Action Service [EEAS], EU member states, local governments and organisations, religious groups, and civil society.

Irish drone delivery company Manna is reported to have landed tens of millions in funding as demand for its services soars. The group, which is led by Bobby Healy, is close to announcing a $50 million (€43.4 million) fundraising round, which is said to include a commitment from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF). Manna Air Delivery has made over 250,000 flights since its inception, with operations in Ireland, Finland and the US state of Texas. Manna has completed more than 250,000 drone deliveries across Europe, and 60,000 from its hub in Dublin 15. Manna recently teamed up with the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin to test the possibility of making urgent medical deliveries by drone, eliminating traffic delays for the city centre hospital.