‘If the opportunity came around, I would be more than ready’ – Edwin Edogbo wants to win his first cap against FranceSeán’s older brother on verge of making his long-awaited Ireland debut and is ready to seize the momentEdwin Edogbo and assistant Ireland coach Simon Easterby during a squad training session at Quinto da Lago in Portugal. Photo: Brendan Moran/SportsfileCian Tracey Today at 06:30Last week was quite the week for the Edogbo family, as Edwin’s first call-up to the Ireland squad was followed two days later by his younger brother Seán delivering an impressive man-of-the-match performance on his Munster debut.

Sometimes, I think about how certain things in life must be just so simple for men. And this isn’t some jealousy born from period shame or anything like that, just to clarify. And I’ll keep everyone in my life up to date on the details of my menstrual cycle. And, as has been the case every month for nearly the past decade of my life, everything made sense again. I’m not ashamed of my menstrual cycle, I’m bloody fed up with it.

The first day of the Dublin Racing Festival needs to survive a 2.30pm inspection on Friday due to heavy rainfall overnight. On Tuesday the course was unraceable with deep standing water on the back straight. However, due to the efforts of the ground staff it was able to be drained away and was drying up nicely.

The Rye Growers’ Guide was officially launched by Teagasc at the 2026 National Tillage Conference. The guide is a comprehensive new resource designed to support Irish tillage farmers in optimising rye production for feed and food as well as for use in the drinks industry. The guide provides detailed, science-based information on best agronomic practices, crop nutrition, disease control and the role of rye in enhancing crop rotations and reducing input requirements. This new Rye Growers’ Guide will help farmers make the most of rye’s potential while supporting Ireland’s ongoing transition toward more sustainable tillage systems. Copies of the Rye Growers’ Guide were made available to conference attendees and will be available from Teagasc Oak Park or local Teagasc advisory offices.

Eva OsborneA bill to abolish the three-day waiting period for abortion on request has been introduced in the Dáil. As a result of the Repeal the Eight Referendum in 2018, termination of pregnancy up to 12 weeks on request was legalised. Psychotherapist and sociology lecturer at TUS, Karen Sugrue, said the waiting period causes distress. "This has been identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO), by the United Nations, by our own Irish Family Planning Association as being deeply problematic," she said. People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger said “termination of pregnancy is a health procedure that is extremely time sensitive”, according to The Irish Times.

Robbie Keane says reunion with Martin O’Neill may be ‘written in the stars’By Jonathan Veal, Press AssociationFerencvaros boss Robbie Keane says it is “maybe written in the stars” for his side to be drawn against Martin O’Neill’s Celtic in the Europa League play-offs. Ferencvaros could also face Bulgarian side Ludogorets when the draw is made on Friday, but Keane thinks fate might hand him a tie with the Scottish champions. “There is going to be a lot of talk, because I played for Celtic, but I don’t really care,” he said. “That’s what Martin does. So maybe it’s written in the stars, myself against Martin.

Food prices are continuing to rise at a faster rate than the general level of inflation. This index is different to the consumer price index which also measures inflation. Rising food prices are a strain on family budtgets. Earlier this month SuperValu cut the prices on 500 grocery staples SuperValu aimed at winning back market share for the company. The supermarket chain has reduced prices by up to 10pc.

“There needs to be at least 20,000 completions [to June 2026] to be on track to meet Government housing targets for this year,” she said. In the Government’s new housing plan unveiled in November, it set a target of building 300,000 homes through to 2030. It is clear from the 2025 figures that output will have to ramp up significantly to reach this goal. It came after all estimates pointed towards the house building figures for 2025 missing the originally set target of 41,000 by a significant margin. Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O'Callaghan accused the Government of "running away" from its 41,000 figure because its housing plan is "in tatters".

Ibrahima Konate has already made feelings clear on 'the next Van Dijk' who could join LiverpoolIbrahima Konate has made his thoughts clear on Liverpool's transfer targetsView 3 Images Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk are Liverpool's first-choice centre-back pairing (Image: Robin Jones/Getty Images)Ibrahima Konate once dismissed comparisons between Liverpool target Dayot Upamecano and Virgil van Dijk. The Spanish giants have also been linked with Konate, whose Liverpool contract runs out at the end of the campaign, with discussions over a new deal at Anfield continuing. The Frenchman has enormous respect for the 34-year-old, as demonstrated by his response when asked to draw parallels between Van Dijk and Upamecano back in 2023. ‌Harvey Elliott's Aston Villa reality spelled out after Unai Emery lifeline READ MORE :"But Van Dijk, I put him on a different planet. View 3 Images Dayot Upamecano continues to be linked with Liverpool (Image: FC Bayern via Getty Images)Whether they 'get there' as Liverpool colleagues is yet to be determined.

‘I was at Man Utd from the age of about five to 10, and then I quit playing. I fell out of love with it really, I got a bit ill’Ireland U-21 star thriving after blood condition forced him to quit football for a spellHarry Vaughan during pre-season training at Bohemians. Aidan Fitzmaurice Today at 10:33He’s still only 21 so it’s early days in the career of the English-born, and now Dublin-based, Irish footballer Harry Vaughan, but he’s already managed to win the attention of some impressive names.

Cllr Tom Farrell sought an update on the plans. Plans for Pigeons safety work could be ready later this yearWestmeath County Council is hoping to publicise plans for safety work on the N55 at The Pigeons later this year. The council plans for the project were outlined in response to a question from Cllr Tom Farrell at the recent Athlone Moate Municipal District meeting. Cllr Farrell asked for an update on the progress of a proposed safety scheme on the N55. Part 8 planning, by which a local authority enters public consultation on its own proposals, will be required later in 2026, the council concluded.

Eva OsborneHomeowners have real concerns for the day ahead after flooding in the wake of Storm Chandra is set to be exacerbated after Met Éireann issued more rain warnings for Friday. Carlow, Dublin, Kilkenny, Louth, Wexford, Wicklow, and Waterford came under a status yellow rain warning at 12pm. Meanwhile, in the north, Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone, and Derry will be under a status yellow rain warning until 6pm. Mayor of South Dublin County Council, Pamela Kearns, said homeowners are "absolutely terrified" because of what they have gone through already. The scale of the flooding in some areas has heaped pressure on forecaster Met Éireann, the Government and local authorities over whether the warnings were sufficient.

‌Saliba and Timber have been key cogs in the leanest defence in the Premier League, with Arsenal shipping just 17 goals this term. Both were absent on Wednesday night as the Gunners conceded twice - but Mikel Arteta has confirmed both players are back in contention to feature at Elland Road. ‌"Yeah, they are okay," the Spaniard said when he was quizzed on their availability on Friday. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us - and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.

It comes as yesterday, Minister for Housing James Browne accused Met Éireann of holding back information on the severity of Storm Chandra. Meanwhile, Mr O’Brien said Met Éireann has a “very difficult job” and "they do it very well", adding that he would like to see river flood forecasting "accelerated". "I don't accept that a further 10 years are required for the river flood forecasting. What we need is even indicatives, and you can actually put warnings on the warnings, if you understand what I mean. I think where data is available, particularly around river flood forecasting, that should be provided.

Organisational psychologist Lynne Forrest: 'Too little stress causes boredom, but too much stress leads to overwhelm, anxiety, and burnout.' Employers and their employees should aspire to a better work-life balance to manage stress, says organisational psychologist Lynne Forrest. “The Yerkes-Dodson Law explains stress as a bell curve, with performance rising in line with stress to an optimal peak, before it declines if that stress becomes excessive,” Forrest says. Volunteerism can also make people feel a sense of goodwill and impact on people’s stress levels. In many ways, workplace stress is a system issue and it’s up to them to play their part in fixing it.”