Instead, it has only reinforced the sense that the State is trapped in an absurd loop of its own making. Yet even as the terms of his release were being discussed, Mr Burke repeatedly told the court he intended to go back to the school. The fact that events have unfolded exactly as Mr Burke foretold only further amplifies the absurdity. The judge was explicit that the decision was taken in the interests of justice, to allow Mr Burke to prepare his case. The Irish Dental Association’s warning that the public dental service is in a state of crisis should not be dismissed as sectoral pleading.

Irish boxing star Kellie Harrington sports the new Boxing Ireland crest ahead of this weekend's National Championships Finals. Offaly star prepares for National Finals as Boxing Ireland rebrandsIn the build-up to this weekend's National Elite Boxing Championships in Dublin – at which Offaly, Westmeath and Roscommon will be proudly represented – the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) has announced a rebrand to become Boxing Ireland. Boxing Ireland reflects the reality that boxing and boxers are built different. Boxing Ireland CEO Gary Stewart said: “Boxing Ireland is a brand built to honour the past, empower the present and really put our purpose as a community front and centre. The new identity says unequivocally that we are Boxing Ireland, and proud of it.”The organisation's President Anto Donnelly added: “Now is the time for Boxing Ireland.

Why, when the harm is this serious, does the public mainly hear that Coimisiún na Meán is merely “engaging with the European Commission”? Under the EU Digital Services Act, the European Commission leads oversight of very large online platforms such as X, particularly on systemic risk duties. Coimisiún na Meán has said it is engaging with the Commission and with An Garda Síochána regarding Grok. It’s time online platforms did too. Lucy Gaffney is a former Chair in Irish broadcasting media with a background in business.

My wife put her finger on it halfway through the first episode of Seven Dials (Netflix). I was looking forward to this adaptation of an Agatha Christie mystery. They go to separate beds because this is Enid Blyton, and Gerry wakes up dead with seven alarm-clocks (dials, geddit?) The inquest suggest suicide but Bundle isn’t having it and uncovers an international conspiracy headquartered in a night club called The Seven Dials. All of the characters, including you have to presume the people who killed Gerry, are terribly nice.

But to what extent can technology also be used to prevent this explosion in the generation and sharing of deepfake content of real people, without their knowledge or consent? Modern AI image generators are typically built using diffusion models, which are trained by taking real images and gradually adding random visual distortion, known as noise, until the original image is no longer recognisable. But retrospective alignment does not remove capability; it simply limits what the AI image generator is allowed to output. Research by Nana Nwachukwu, a PhD candidate at Trinity College Dublin’s Centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology, highlighted the frequency of requests for sexualised images on Grok. In early 2024, non-consensual AI-generated sexual images of Taylor Swift, produced using publicly available tools, spread widely on X before being removed because of a combination of legal risk, platform policy enforcement and reputational pressure.

But if you are both happy being snuggled in slankets, lounging in loungewear, sharing close emotional intimacy rather than re-enacting the Kama Sutra in another room, you’re all good. That said, sometimes when you both do want to heat things up, switching gear from cosy intimacy to erotic intimacy can feel almost task-like. It may be counterintuitive, but it’s been my experience as a therapist that increased emotional intimacy is often accompanied by decreased sexual desire. Similar research in Turkey and Italy around the same time showed how sexual desire plummeted the longer we were locked up together. Turning off phones, TVs, taking the time to connect.”This does not mean you automatically have physical sex, it just means making time for sexual intimacy.

A shower flooding the entire bathroom floor, a mysteriously clogged sink making it impossible to wash your hands, bins left overflowing for weeks on end. Jane Cowan: 'I know there’s nothing sexy about shower socks. I know there’s nothing sexy about shower socks. Dealing with a random guy’s urine on my bathroom floor doesn’t feel particularly educational. As far as I know, there’s no university credit for living in squalor.

A former aide to Catherine Connolly during her campaign for the Áras is launching her own campaign to fill the vacant Dáil seat left by the now Uachtarán na hÉireann in Galway West.

The Department of Housing has announced that it will host an Irish pavilion at the major international property investment event Marché International des Professionels de l'Immoblier (MIPIM) in March as it seeks investment for housing development. The event attracts numerous international property developers each year and presents an opportunity for Ireland to attract private investment to support the supply of new homes across the country. Investment is at the heart of our ambitions to deliver the homes needed. According to the Department of Housing, an estimated €20bn per year in development finance is required to deliver at least 300,000 new homes by 2030. The Irish delegation to the event will include Government representatives, national agencies, regional authorities, private sector partners, and subject matter experts.

This marks a quiet turning point, a move away from perfection and towards homes that feel more tailored to your taste. Here is a closer look at how this shift will influence design in the year ahead. Restorative spacesAnother defining shift for 2026 is a move towards homes that do more than look good. Rooms feel considered rather than overstyled. In 2026, good design is not measured by how much a space contains, but by what has been thoughtfully left out.

Photo: GettyThe squeeze on household budgets continues as new figures show prices rising across a range of goods and services. The price of a pint of stout has now topped €6 nationally. Prices were up by 2.8pc in the year to December, according to the consumer price index, or inflation, figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Food prices continue to rise, with increases in the price of staples such as cheese, butter, milk and bread. In December 2025, the national average price of a pint of stout in licensed premises was €6.09, up 27c in the year.

Ticket sale date announced for Les Mis at Esker Arts CentreTickets will go on public sale for the Colin Hughes Promotions produced Les Misérables at Esker Arts Centre on Friday, February 6, at 10am. The school edition of the renowned musical will go on stage at the Tullamore venue for six performances only from March 9-14. Valjean promptly breaks parole but later uses money from stolen silver to reinvent himself as a mayor and factory owner. Javert vows to bring Valjean back to prison. Eight years later, Valjean becomes the guardian of a child named Cosette after her mother's death, but Javert's relentless pursuit means that peace will be a long time coming.

Pedro Enriquez Eduardo, a best friend of the accused, testified by video link from Brazil today that Miller sent him a video of Bruna kissing another person that New Year’s Eve. Pedro and Felipe and Felipe’s wife, Ludmilla Milo Faria, kept talking to Miller until gardaí arrived. Ray Boland cross-examined the witness in detail about her evidence that Miller said he was going to "kill" the Argentinian man. He said that at the New Year’s Eve party in the Oyster Tavern, he and Bruna were dancing and kissing. Asked how Bruna reacted, Leticia said: “She was scared because she did not expect him to be there.

Tom Óg O’Brien with Dingle footballers and brothers, Niall Geaney (left) and Dylan Geaney, after Dingle defeated St Finbarr’s in the Munster final at Semple Stadium. The Curraghboy man who has starred for both St Brigid’s and DinglePrevious Next Image 1 of 1 Tom Óg O’Brien with Dingle footballers and brothers, Niall Geaney (left) and Dylan Geaney, after Dingle defeated St Finbarr’s in the Munster final at Semple Stadium. Yet Curraghboy native Tom Óg O’Brien surely has a more informed view than most observers. “St Brigid’s will have a huge hunger to do it after the Glen defeat. He is a leader for Dingle but St Brigid’s aren’t short in that department, either.

Paul Murphy TD (left), Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, and Pa Daly TD pictured outside the High Court, Dublin, last December. Ministers of state attending Cabinet (or super junior ministers) are appointed by the Government on the nomination of the Taoiseach. Super junior ministers participate in Government meetings but do not vote. On Thursday, Attorney General Rossa Fanning told the three judges that Mr Daly and Mr Murphy want to apply for their legal costs. There was agreement for this among lawyers for Mr Daly and Mr Murphy.