Tenants here report persistent problems – mould, damp, and sewage backwash, and more recently an infestation of rats – to their landlord. They don’t understand it what it is to live in these conditions — Neil MaloneyTheirs is the biggest landlord in the State – Dublin City Council. Dublin City Council was “awaiting a response” and in the meantime was “progressing design development”. We are sick of reporting it to [Dublin City Council] and getting nowhere.” Her rent is “about €50 a week”. Two decades on, issues remain with damp, mould, water ingress, collapsing roofs, cracks and defective heating systems.

Verona Murphy will have a splendid time in Los Angeles, as will Martin Heydon in San Francisco, but do we really need to send them both – not to mention the other six who are US-bound for St Patrick's Day? The real audience for the St Patrick’s Day mega-jolly isn’t actually the foreign dignitaries we are assured will be wowed by being in the same room as someone whose niece was in school with one of the Corrs. Which leaves the question of who is supposed to be taken in by the epic scale of this year’s display of Irish soft power. It’s time we let go of the fantasy of Ireland’s soft power sending a warm glow around the world, like the gentle hug of a Ronan Keating song. Shipping the entire Government off to drink green beer and hum along to Zombie for St Patrick’s Day might offer us brief assurance that all is well, but it’s an expensive form of therapy.

The great cliche we tell ourselves about ourselves is that we love talking about the weather. I’ll get the odd cold or sniffle, but like any red-blooded Irish man, going to the doctor is the last thing I consider. But because I go to the doctor so rarely, I’d forgotten how difficult it is to actually see a doctor. The only other option was the out-of-hours GP service. The out-of-hours GP service is, technically, for people who need urgent medical care.

My mum always used to say, ‘Her name isn’t Anne, it’s Anne Marie’. I have two aunties who are completely blind, and my great-grandfather was blind, so I’m afraid of losing my vision completely. It’s created an edginess in my life, and I’m aware of it all the time. I remember being really, really happy as a kid, but I was always trying to figure things out. Even though I’ve struggled a lot in life, I’ve tried very hard to align things, and because of that, I’m happier now than I’ve ever been.

By the end of Love/Hate, Tom Vaughan‑Lawlor knew things were getting out of hand. Love/Hate mania was very real – and people still shout “Howya, Nidge!” at Vaughan‑Lawlor when he’s out in public. He describes the attention as a blessing but admits that he did sense it was getting out of hand. As much as he understood that the cult of Nidge meant he risked overexposure, he wasn’t avoiding Irish television. I’m fortunate and I feel lucky.”Nidge, played by Tom Vaughan LawlorThere are often rumours of a Love/Hate revival and Vaughan-Lawlor doesn’t rule out a return.

Alcaraz raises his hands in apology as his latest drop shot sneaks just over the net. Djokovic can't believe it either way. It shows which way the wind is blowing in this second set, as Djokovic makes another error on his inside-out forehand, and brings up a break-point shout for his opponent. Djokovic is sprinting up to the net to hand the return, but fluffs his volley wide. And the Spaniard has the edge.

'To access this you need to organise a "care needs assessment". Once the care needs are assessed, they will carry out a financial assessment. Symptom Checklist'If there are complex health and care needs, CHC includes the entire cost of home carer visits or of a care home – and it isn't means tested,' says Lauren Pates, from Alzheimer's Society. 'The rest of the care fees will be subject to the means–tested social care system.' First, check what the Care Quality Commission (CQC) – the independent regulator of health and social care services in England – says about the home, go to cqc.org.uk.

Steadfast in his convictions, the Spaniard typically does not listen to the outside noise. Having gone three league matches without a victory, Leeds away had, strangely, become a crunch game for the Gunners. Not because Daniel Farke's men match up to Arsenal's in terms of ability or title ambition. The fervour around Odegaard's limited performances this season has been loud, supporters calling for Arteta to drop the midfielder. It is how a side responds to them across a campaign which dictates who will finish top on May 24.

James Martin is seemingly set to get hitched, as his girlfriend Kim Johnson appeared to confirm their engagement following reports of a Christmas proposal. The former Saturday Kitchen star previously steadfastly declared that his father, Ian, would 'never be a part of his life', following a bitter family rift. His former stepmother, Sarah Briggs, took exception to certain passages in the original version of the book that suggested she'd destroyed keepsakes from James's childhood during her marriage to his father Ian. He previously told the Daily Mail in 2016: 'Mum is my biggest fan and the most honest person I know. The proposal marks a sharp U-turn for James, after he previously insisted that he had no desire to ever tie the knot.

It is nearly two years since Ireland’s first National Park in the marine environment was announced. Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí includes the seas around the Dingle Peninsula and the Blasket Islands — but a new report from the Marine Institute highlights some of the serious problems facing wildlife in this area. The report looks at the practice of tangle netting... basically a lose ball of monofilament net that is weighted onto the sea floor and left to soak for anything up to a week and a half. Fishermen use the gear to target crayfish (sometimes called crawfish) which look very much like a lobster but without the pincers.

Weather alert system and flood-relief schemes set for overhaul after Storm ChandraMet Éireann says more flooding is possibleTáinaste Simon Harris. Photo: GettyMary Regan Today at 06:30Tánaiste Simon Harris has pledged to overhaul the system of weather warnings and ensure flood-relief schemes are not delayed by judicial reviews, as parts of the country recover from the devastation caused by Storm Chandra.

Premier League: Liverpool 4 Newcastle 1IF a player who cost £69m can ever be described as the bargain of the season then Hugo Ekitike might be just that after his two latest goals underlined what has been an effortless acclimatisation to the Premier League. It's 15 and counting for the prolific Frenchman as Newcastle were undone by a high-profile Liverpool summer signing - the only consolation for Eddie Howe being that it wasn't Alexander Isak. Florian Wirtz scores Liverpool's third of the night. Gordon's 36th-minute opener was more than deserved for the way Newcastle had pressed their hosts back. It capped a night to forget for Newcastle, who added to a damning statistic that has seen them now squander 50 points from winning positions against the Anfield club in the Premier League era.

The latest Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll was conducted on Friday, January 30. The sample size was 1,219. The margin of error is +/-2.8pc. Changes indicated are since the January 2026 poll (which was conducted on December 19) unless otherwise stated.

Katie Taylor: ‘Married life is amazing. I love being married and we’re just enjoying this time together. I don’t know what’s next for me but I am loving the season’

Premier League: Wolves 0 Bournemouth 2Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott were on target to earn Bournemouth a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Wolves at Molineux. Bournemouth had to work hard for their third league victory in four which compounded basement side Wolves to a first home defeat in 2026. Wolves did not do a lot wrong in the first period until Andre's error led to 19-year-old Kroupi firing in his eighth goal of the campaign. The goal opened up Wolves' soft underbelly and handed the control over to Bournemouth who could have made it two but Sa scrambled to deny Adli. Wolves continued to knock on the door but received no change, Yerson Mosquera thought he nodded Wolves level but the upright came to Bournemouth's rescue this time.