Due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Irish farmers are facing rising fertiliser costs and potential supply shortages. Nitrogen fertiliser is a major input of Irish agriculture, widely used to drive high-yield grass growth for grazing livestock and to support tillage crops. What you can say with certainty is that the fertiliser price is on an upward trajectory and Irish farmers are very exposed to it. Mr Cashman also highlighted that Russia produces roughly another 20% of global fertiliser, which was disrupted by the war in Ukraine. Clover is one of the most practical and environmentally sustainable tools Irish farmers have available.

If you are looking for the best place to share in the thrills and spoils of Thursday’s action, below is a list of the best bars in Ireland to watch the match. Picture: Woolshed Bar & KitchenThis intimate venue on Parnell Street is well-renowned for its international coverage of all sports such as soccer, rugby and NFL. Humphreys Pub, DublinHumphreys Pub in Ranelagh, Dublin has a sizeable beer garden, ideal for socialising during and after the match. An Púcán, GalwayThe beer garden in An Púcán. Closing at 11:30pm on Thursday, it received the ‘Best Bar to Watch the Match’ at this year’s Bar of the Year Award 2023.

A single mother featured on Rich House, Poor House broke down in tears after receiving a life-changing gift from a millionaire couple. One participant, Lyndsay, lives in a two-bedroom grand floor housing association flat in Sussex with her 21-year-old daughter, Katie. Lyndsay currently lives off weekend work as a receptionist, as well as benefits, meaning they have just £91 weekly disposable income. On Rich House, Poor House, the mother and daughter exchanged homes with Rachel and Steve, a multi-millionaire couple who run a recycled gift packaging business. Rich House, Poor House airs on Channel 5.

Her case was that Michael McDaid “came bursting into the office that morning” and questioned her about her presence in a “hostile and irate manner”. She was “effectively barred” from the office by Michael McDaid and departed her workplace of more than two decades “uncontrollably shaking and distressed”, McCormack said. Michael McDaid was “not an employee or officer of the company” and had “no standing to issue any instructions”, the company’s solicitor, Donnacha Anhold, said. The company denied the second alleged encounter with Michael McDaid took place at all, Henry recorded in his decision, published on Monday. The adjudicator noted Doherty wrote to John McDaid about her encounter with Michael McDaid.

“Without more zoned land, we won’t be able to build at the level that’s required to meet the housing demand in this country,” Mr O’Flynn said. Last year, minister for housing James Browne wrote to all local authorities and instructed them to zone significantly more land for housing. Mr O’Flynn said any new land zoned by local authorities needed to pass a viability test and be made available in the short term. The Cork-based developer called for a national audit of local authorities to examine whether they are taking the government’s instructions seriously. Mr O’Flynn said the Government should deliver emergency legislation to force local authorities to zone land.

The league finals are the next big date in the hurling calendar - it’s the second biggest national hurling competition, but you’d have to ask if the GAA really cares about it. Having a double-header for Cork-Limerick and Clare-Dublin makes no sense to me at all. Cork and Limerick would sell out two stadia with the supporters they have, but now, with two games on, each county will only get a quarter of the tickets available. This is exclusive subscriber content. Sign in Continue reading for €5 Unlock unlimited access and exclusive benefits

Prospective postgraduate students have a diverse array of options to choose from, ranging from taught to research programmes, PhDs to master’s. Taught postgraduate courses can be a continuation of your undergraduate studies or in an entirely new area. All these awards are referenced on the NFQ for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and are listed by the higher education institutions on their websites. Additionally, the qualifax.ie website lists 2,170 postgraduate programmes at level-nine master’s and 246 level-10 PhD in 47 institutions in Ireland. There are also a growing number of postgraduate programmes taught through English in European universities.

Devotees of the Irish spud might be alarmed to hear that potato growers are hesitating about planting this year. “It’s the carry-over from last season,” says Jason O’Leary, a Co Wexford grower and chair of the Irish Farmers’ Association potato committee. “They’re nearly giving them away in the UK and France. Severe wet weather caused disruption for Irish growers this winter. Welcome to the world of potato farming where, 180 years after the famine, it remains a precarious business.

The Irish Times has previously calculated charging a Volkswagen ID.4’s 77kWh battery from a public charging point costs about €40, giving you a realistic range of about 450km. [ Two in five Irish people planning to buy an electric vehicle in next two yearsOpens in new window ]A spokesperson told us: “All ESB public chargers are equipped with MID-certified meters, ensuring that customers are billed precisely for the electricity they draw from the charger. When it comes to public charging, the cost of putting energy into your battery rises considerably. High power charging – above 150kW up to 350kW – costs 66c per kWh, and again, these prices are for ESB chargers, which should be considered as the general benchmark rather than a rule. The Irish Times contacted the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI), the keepers of all things measured and measurable to find out if EV chargers can be more tightly regulated.

The study showed a decline in attention, memory, reading and maths skills, problem-solving abilities and overall IQ. “They are predictable effects of highly stimulating technologies – and all the social media companies know about interacting with developing brains. “Too much screentime also reduces physical movement and outdoor play and puts a strain on the eyes, posture and overall physical wellbeing. In our programme, students learn that dopamine motivates repetition, and social media platforms are deliberately designed to trigger it. “So, digital literacy has to include understanding that social media companies are competing for attention because attention equals profit.

The final four URC rounds sandwich “European” semi-final weekend, before finals weekend in Bilbao, and then the URC knock-out run-in. The stakes are high, be it silverware on two fronts or qualification for the quarter-finals and beyond in the URC and hence for next season’s Champions Cup. But, like two seasons ago when consigned to a semi-final loss away to the Bulls, Leinster have already suffered five defeats. In the Champions Cup, Leinster host Edinburgh on Easter Sunday with the prize of a home quarter-final against Harlequins or Sale six days later. Now Zebre away this Friday is a must-win ahead of Leinster (home), Munster (away), Stormers (home) and Glasgow (away).

Troy Parrott during Republic of Ireland training in Dublin on Monday ahead of Thursday's World Cup qualifier semi-final against Czech Republic in Prague. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/InphoTroy Parrott was the last man into the Republic of Ireland camp this week ahead of the crucial World Cup playoff against Czech Republic in Prague on Thursday night. O’Shea was nervous watching Parrott play to the final whistle, but he admitted he feels this way about all the players. That strategy will probably be used against Czech Republic at the Fortuna Arena. “One of the keys to winning the game is to eliminate Parrott,” said Tomáš Holeš, the veteran Czech defender.

The family of Natalie McNally celebrate outside Belfast Crown Court on Monday, after Stephen McCullagh was found guilty of her murder. Family and friends of Natalie McNally (32) jumped to their feet and cheered the moment a jury foreman delivered its verdict; Stephen McCullagh, McNally’s partner and father of her unborn child, was guilty of her murder. Sitting directly behind him in the gallery were Natalie McNally’s parents, Noel and Bernadette. Natalie McNally's parents Noel (second from right) and Bernadette outside the court on Monday. Natalie McNally's mother Bernadette after the verdict was delivered.

This ESRI report is going to make that task all the harder by creating a public narrative that retrofitting is failing – or makes little difference even when you get it done. While you can never be complacent, the reality is that deep retrofitting of our domestic buildings increased tenfold between 2019 and 2024. The latest review for the European Commission puts us as the number one country in Europe when it comes to improving domestic energy efficiency levels. It will be a shame if the ESRI report undermines that. More than half of the roughly €1 billion in revenue being raised is going back to the public as retrofitting grants.

The results of a major investigation into the business of Aughinish Alumina, published today, provide worrying evidence about how alumina produced in Co Limerick is entering the Russian military supply chain. The supply chain starts when bauxite from Africa and South America arrives on the Shannon estuary for processing into alumina. The Aughinish plant is owned by Rusal, a Russian company, which also owns smelters in Siberia to which much of the output from the Co Limerick plant is exported. Nor is it possible to prove definitively that the output of the Co Limerick plant is used in arms production. But industry experts point out that aluminium producers such as the big Russian smelters would not typically use alumina from specific suppliers in different ways.