Noelle Murray’s disappointment at her “disgraceful” treatment by Shelbourne has been succeeded by the joy of joining double winners Athlone Town. Murray was the controversial casualty of Seán Russell’s clearout when taking over Shels in November, given the 35-year-old lifted three Women’s Premier Division titles, four FAI Cups and three WNL Cups over her nine years of service.
The impact of data centres at the substation has come to light before. Last year the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) said the substation’s capacity was “almost entirely used by data centres applications”. Ms Boylan said the document also highlights the impact of building more data centres outside Dublin. Ms Boylan said focusing on regional development of the facilities would be “moving the problem around the country”. The operator is progressing new projects to support development in the west Dublin and Kildare region, it said.
A garda told a court how he found an eight-year old girl bleeding after her mother allegedly attacked her with a large knife. Photograph: Frank Miller/The Irish TimesA garda told a court today how he found an eight-year old girl bleeding and “gasping for breath” after her mother allegedly attacked her with a large knife. The garda witness said he found the girl lying in a shower tray in blood-soaked clothing next to a discarded steak knife. The garda said the girl’s mother was sitting on the floor of the bathroom, was largely unresponsive to his instructions and was staring at her daughter. The witness said the accused told her she wanted to travel back to Ukraine to get psychiatric help.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has unveiled its master plan for the development of Dún Laoghaire Harbour under the banner of “a harbour for everyone”. It is notably ambitious and aims to reconnect the historic harbour to the adjoining town which has declined steadily from its Victorian heyday. The plan sets “guiding principles to reimagine Dún Laoghaire Harbour” and includes thirty separate proposals ranging from a saltwater swimming pool to a hotel. The presumption here is that the urban quarter – which envisions residential, office and retail use along with a hotel – will be attractive to the private sector. The masterplan is silent on the issue of private sector involvement.
As recently reported in The Irish Times, responsibility for electronic tagging is set to be outsourced to a private provider, framed as a practical response to prison overcrowding and operational strain. Electronic tagging is not simply a technical service or an administrative convenience. [ Prisoner electronic tagging first part of criminal justice system to be privatisedOpens in new window ]Responsibility for electronic tagging is set to be outsourced to a private provider. The argument that the State currently lacks the capacity to manage electronic tagging internally should give pause rather than comfort. The question Ireland should be asking is not whether outsourcing electronic tagging will relieve immediate pressure on prisons.
Shane O’Brien said uncertainty around whether Cullen Killeen will be available for Loughrea in their All-Ireland Club SHC final against Ballygunner on Sunday has not been a distraction for players. Killeen was shown a straight red card by referee Johnny Murphy following an off the ball incident involving Brendan Rodgers during injury time of Loughrea’s semi-final victory over Slaughtneil. The club contested the decision with the Central Hearings Committee but the one-game suspension was upheld. His last championship game was the All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Na Fianna just over a year ago. “It made the Christmas a lot easier,” O’Brien about having an All-Ireland final on the horizon.
Some of the images generated using the @grok handle on X featured children or young teenagers. When it became obvious that wasn’t enough, X initially said it would limit the ability to create images on the platform – to paid users. In recent days, it reportedly cut that off too, with Grok ignoring prompts to create the images. Crucially, it did not say it would remove the ability of Grok to create the images at all. That was the human element in all its glory at work.
Photograph: Bryan O’BrienThe construction of 14 steps and a ramp as part of a new entrance to a South Dublin park ended up costing more than €500,000 above the original estimated cost. The National Transport Authority (NTA) said the ultimate bill of more than €750,000 for the project at Deer Park in Mount Merrion represented “a significant increase over the initial cost estimates” provided by a local authority for the project. The Irish Times reported in November that the works, which involved the building of 14 steps and a ramp at Deer Park, had cost a total of €753,500 including VAT. The National Transport Authority said this figure set out in a cost report was “a potential estimate” and was not realised. The park at Mount Merrion is run by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, which developed the project, but funding was provided by the NTA.
The age gap between Peter Siddle and his partner Hannah Burgess has been turned into a punchline on a popular sport podcast. 'Peter Siddle, they're calling him Nathan Cleary ... yeah, 40/20,' Farquhar said, referring to the long 40/20 kicks NRL star Cleary is famous for perfecting. 'He just notched up his 100th game and took to Instagram, had a socials post with his girlfriend. Since then the couple have posted photos of them catching up after Siddle's matches and wining and dining. A month ago, Siddle congratulated Burgess when she posted photos from her university graduation.
The Connacht Football Association is taking over the administration of football in Mayo after the current committee stepped aside amid a row over rent charged to the county’s new League of Ireland squad. Hostilities spiking at committee level, where some members are also associated with Mayo FC, led to the Connacht FA intervening in an attempt to broker a peace settlement. This effort entailed meeting with the committee in Westport on Tuesday night, after which all eight members of the league resigned. It is now planned that the Connacht FA will assume temporary charge of league affairs until an emergency general meeting is convened within the month for clubs to elect a new committee. “Each member agreed to stand aside in the best interests of the Mayo League.”
A design image showing what the Athlone boardwalk and outdoor pool could potentially look like. Public information evening on Athlone boardwalk and outdoor pool to take place next MondayWestmeath County Council is to host a public information evening next Monday on plans for a riverside boardwalk and outdoor swimming pool on the eastern bank of the River Shannon in Athlone. The information evening will place on Monday, January 19, from 4pm to 8pm in Athlone Civic Centre. The project also includes the design of an "iconic" outdoor urban swimming pool on the Shannon, which will be accessible from the boardwalk. The council says the proposed outdoor pool will "present a flagship attraction to facilitate a safe river swimming environment" and it is hoped that the proposed development will "attract visitors to a revitalised waterfront".
Looking back over the five years since Liscarroll Engineering began selling in Northern Ireland, Sean McGowan reflects on the lessons learned. “We haven’t had a bad experience, not one.”Sean McGowan, director of Liscarroll Engineering: ‘We’re growing. [ Trade between Republic and Northern Ireland now ‘an oasis of calm’, businesses toldOpens in new window ]“Then, you can easily springboard into Britain. If you’re a Northern Ireland business, the same is true. Liscarroll Engineering.
The Wallingford-born actor, 37, plays Prince Fiyero in the Wicked Films, also starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, which are adapted from the musical of the same name. Ariana Grande (Dave Hogan for One Love Manchester/PA)Mr Bailey added: “I remember having four hours to learn how to do a dance move. Mr Bailey said: “It’s darker, and I’ve got a sense it’s going to go there politically as well. Both Mr Bailey and Mr Goldblum are part of the Jurassic Park franchise. Mr Goldblum played Dr Ian Malcolm in the original 1993 adventure/sci-fi while Mr Bailey stars as Dr Henry Loomis in Jurassic World: Rebirth, which is yet to be released.
Scott Robertson has stepped down as New Zealand coach following an internal review of the All Blacks’ performance. Speculation over Robertson’s future has mounted since December amid reports of friction between senior players and All Blacks staff. “The mid-point in the Rugby World Cup cycle is the right time to look at the All Blacks’ progress over the first two seasons. The team are set to play a significant 2026 schedule and the tournament in 2027 remains the key goal,” New Zealand Rugby (NZR) chairman David Kirk said. I am incredibly proud of what this team has achieved and of the progress we have made,” Robertson said.
Mortgage rates fall to lowest in nearly three years as experts note ‘wide variance’ between offerings. The equivalent euro zone average rate was 3.33 per cent, the regulator said, making Ireland the sixth most expensive country for home loans in the bloc. The difference between the average mortgage rate in Ireland and the euro zone average, however, is the smallest since December 2023. Daragh Cassidy of mortgage comparison site Bonkers said it is “unlikely mortgage rates will change much over the coming months” but that the expected entry of Revolut into the Irish mortgage market “could push rates down a bit” depending on how competitive it is. He said there is “wide variation” in market offerings and a “big difference” between lenders such as Avant Money and mortgages from familiar names like AIB and PTSB on variable rate mortgages.
