Montpellier are going much better this season and sit seventh in the Top 14, in large part to their big pack and the best defence in that championship. They also have the kind of squad depth that can see them rotate and remain competitive – witness how Montpellier won this competition in both 2016 and 2021. Possible finishing order: Connacht, Montpellier, Zebre, Ospreys. So opportunity could knock for Benetton, Lyon (winners of the Challenge Cup in 2022 and finalists last season) and the Lions, who are seventh in the URC. Possible finishing order: Racing, Stade, Ulster, Cardiff.

Photograph; iStockNearly half the Irish population rely on private health insurance while the cost of private claims has risen by a third since the pandemic. These were among the findings of new report on the extent of private health insurance in the Republic commissioned by Insurance Ireland from consulting firm Milliman. The report found that 2.5 million people (46 per cent of the population) availed of private health insurance last year. Listen | 38:18It also noted that the growth in private health insurance has been mirrored by the growth in the number of private hospitals in Ireland. They also flagged that employer-sponsored health insurance was seen as an important benefit for attracting and retaining talent.

Fingal County Council published a report in 2023 identifying Clonshaugh in north Dublin as the preferred site for the drainage and sewage developmentThe Greater Dublin Drainage project, seen as a key piece of infrastructure enabling house building and growth in the capital, is to move forward after a judicial review was settled. The drainage project, which is to include a new treatment plant in Clonshaugh that will serve up to 500,000 people, was identified as necessary more than a decade ago. When it originally sought planning permission for the project in June 2018, Uisce Éireann it expected it would be complete and operational by 2025. “It is a major step forward in addressing wastewater infrastructure in Dublin, unlocking greater development potential by providing essential increased wastewater treatment capacity. Mr Browne added that the Government was “committed to driving forward the Greater Dublin Drainage project and other key infrastructure projects”.

Netflix has agreed an $83 billion (€71 billion) takeover of Warner Bros Discovery, in a deal that hands it one of Hollywood’s most celebrated studios and creates a global entertainment powerhouse. Under the takeover, WBD will continue with the planned spin-off of its cable television networks, including CNN, Discovery and Turner, into a separate company before the studios and streaming businesses are sold to Netflix. In an auction that kicked off in October and was overseen by WBD boss David Zaslav, Netflix saw off competition for the businesses from Paramount and Comcast. Netflix has promised to maintain Warner Bros’ theatrical releases for films. The combination of Netflix and WBD will prove a test for regulators in the US and Europe, where both companies have extensive operations.

Taxi drivers during a recent protest against Uber outside Government Buildings in Dublin. In a statement on Friday afternoon, Taxi Drivers Ireland said that they had decided to suspend the planned six day action and associated protests after agreeing to talks at Government Buildings next week. Taxi drivers are planning a series of protests in Dublin from Monday, December 8th. Tuesday: Protest near Dublin Airport between 4.30pm and 7.30pm, targeting “all holding areas and access locations outside of airport grounds”. Thursday: Protest near Dublin Airport between 4.30pm and 7.30pm, targeting “all holding areas and access locations outside of airport grounds”.

Photograph: ODAITThe ongoing excavation at the site of the former Mother and Baby home in Tuam, Co Galway, recovered more remains during November. All the remains discovered to date are of infants who were in coffins, based on initial assessments, the latest update from the office said. “There were no surface or ground level indications of the potential for a burial ground at this location prior to excavation.”The home operated between 1925 and 1961. There was a military barracks on the site prior to that, and prior to that again, a workhouse. As well as the excavation process, DNA samples are being taken from people to identify remains found at the site.

Once upon a time, back in the glory days of the Champions Cup, the tournament was a more intriguing and layered middle-distance, nine-game run to the title. And the penny has now dropped for the 24 teams on the starting blocks embarking upon this weekend’s opening round of the 2025-26 Champions Cup. In 2023-24 La Rochelle won away to the Stormers by 22-21 in the Round of 16 and Harlequins won their quarter-final in Bordeaux by 42-41. Bayonne away in the fourth round could be very difficult for Leinster if the French side are still in contention. Possible finishing order: Leinster, La Rochelle, Stormers, Harlequins.

Close to the top end is the almost extinct practice of what was euphemistically termed as the squirrel grip. The squirrel grip was at its prime in the long forgotten days when both sets of forwards would enter every ruck. This was squirrel grip territory. Unlike the extinct squirrel grip, the action that still sits at the pinnacle of the dog act table is regrettably still with us. For professional rugby players, discipline is a way of life.

Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without a Christmas tree. Every December Andy Kenny aims to make Willie Bermingham Place, the housing scheme for older people, a little bit brighter by bringing more than 20 Christmas trees direct to its residents. This year marks the 10th anniversary since Kenny’s first Christmas tree delivery to the housing development in Kilmainham but he is simply following in the famous footsteps of his uncle Willie Bermingham, who founded Alone in 1997. He has been dead over 30 years but people still ask me about him, and his legacy lives on.”The eponymous Willie Bermingham Place is just one example of that ongoing legacy. She hadn’t had a real tree since she was a child, and it just brought back all the memories for her.”Kenny and Theo joined forces to bring Christmas cheer in the form of beautiful fir trees to Willie Bermingham place.

Who is Tommy Meskill, RTÉ’s new co-presenter of the Six One news? “Sir, – It appears that news presenter Tommy Meskill is running a one-man show in Montrose for RTÉ. [ RTÉ shuffles presenter roles with Sarah McInerney moving to Morning IrelandOpens in new window ]“Many 20-year-olds are capable of taking on senior positions. His appointment is one of several missing pieces on RTÉ’s presenter line-up that have now fallen into place following an expression-of-interest process – a step recommended to RTÉ by the Government’s expert advisory committee last year. The new presenters succeed Áine Lawlor, who stepped back from the programme, and Mary Wilson, who retired from RTÉ.

A right whale off the coast of Argentina: There are only “six or seven instances” of documented cases of right whales appearing in Irish or European waters. File photograph: GettyA specimen of a rare species of whale spotted off the coast of Donegal last summer was recently sighted almost 5,000km (more than 3,000 miles) away in Boston. In July 2024, the North American right whale, a species that is usually found in waters surrounding America, was spotted in Donegal Bay. The most recent sighting of the endangered whale was “very significant”, said Pádraig Whooley, a sightings officer with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group. Prior to July 2024, there had not been a confirmed sighting of a right whale in Irish waters for more than a century.

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy produced a late scramble to make the cut at the Australian Open. Photograph: William WEST / AFP via Getty ImagesRory McIlroy grabbed three birdies in his ​last four holes to make the cut at the Australian Open on Friday, ‍while Portugal’s Daniel Rodrigues and Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen set the pace at Royal Melbourne ‍on nine-under par. Smith, the 2022 British Open champion, posted six birdies ‌without ​a ‍blemish on his second-round card. Portugal’s Rodrigues shot a seven-under 64, soaring up the leaderboard with a bogey and eight birdies on his card, while an eagle ⁠at the 14th helped Dane Neergaard-Petersen to a 66. “It’s really making you think out there,” said McIlroy, who completed the career Grand Slam ‌with his win at the Masters this year.

Photograph: Alessandra Tarantino/APWomen deacons are not to be allowed in the Catholic Church, it was announced on Thursday. A Vatican Commission said in a report that it “rules out the possibility of moving in the direction of admitting women to the diaconate understood as a degree of the sacrament of Holy Orders”. In 2022, an island-wide consultation with practising Irish Catholics found that 96 per cent favoured the ordination of women as deacons and priests. The commission was the second set up by Pope Francis to make recommendations on the issue of women deacons. Quoting arguments for and against allowing women deacons, Thursday’s announcement noted how an argument against led to deadlock at the commission.

It has a floor area of 44sq m (475sq ft), with accommodation consisting of two bedrooms, a bathroom, an open-plan livingroom and kitchen with a handcrafted sandstone fireplace. There is a gravel driveway up to the house and a garden to the front, where the views across Donegal Bay can be best appreciated. It is in good condition and has three bedrooms, a livingroom, kitchen with dining area, bathroom, utility and boot room. This one-bedroom apartment in the tower has a total floor area of 48sq m (517sq ft), which includes a balcony. Price: €389,616 ($695,000)€389,616 ($695,000) Agent: ayre.com.auApartment in VilamouraPortugal: AlgarveThis one-bedroom apartment is situated in Vilamoura, one of the more popular resorts in Portugal.

The five credit unions involved in the initiative are Member First Credit Union, Health Services Staff Credit Union, Comhar Linn Into Credit Union, First Tech Credit Union and St Raphael’s Garda Credit Union. The initiative, which is being spearheaded by five credit unions along with the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) and the Credit Union Development Association (Cuda), is a significant step for the industry after the Central Bank of Ireland announced landmark changes to the credit union lending framework earlier this year. The five credit unions involved in the initiative are Member First Credit Union, Health Services Staff Credit Union, Comhar Linn Into Credit Union, First Tech Credit Union and St Raphael’s Garda Credit Union. Essentially a treasury function serving all member credit unions, the mechanism is seen as a step towards the creation of a corporate credit union, an idea detailed in the 2023 Credit Union (Amendment) Act. The move follows the Central Bank’s decision in August to widen the financial crisis-era limits on credit union lending from 15 per cent to 30 per cent of total assets.