A large group of local people gathered in 2021 in the shadow of the historic St Manchan’s in Lemanaghan to protest at plans by Bord na Móna to build a wind farm in Lemanaghan bogLemanaghan bog heritage group hits out at 'misleading' descriptionOpponents of a plan to build a wind farm on the historic landscape of Lemanaghan Bog in West Offaly have described as “misleading” their characterisation as a “small opposition group” by proposers of the project. The remarks were made in January 2025 at a meeting between the joint developers of the major energy project, Bord na Móna and SSE Renewables, and officials from An Coimisiún Pleanála. The project has since been designated as a Strategic Infrastructure Prohect (SID) which allows it to bypass the Offaly County Council planning process and proceed directly to the State planning board. Responding to the remarks about their campaign of opposition to the proposed wind farm project, the members of the Lemanaghan Bog Heritage and Conservation Group pointed to the fact that “over 2,000 submissions” were made to Offaly County Council calling for the removal of the zoning of Lemanaghan Bog as an area open to consideration for wind energy. The Lemanaghan Bog Heritage and Conservation Group, which has spearheaded a vigorous campaign of opposition to plans for the construction of a wind farm on the historic bog, claims that, for many people in the local commmunity, Lemanaghan is “not simply a tract of bogland” but as a“sacred historic landscape, containing over a thousand years of history, tradition, and archaeology.

“We know that we’ll be playing a really good Sligo team. They played some really good games in the Leinster Development League. “We’ve had five challenge games against really good teams. You don’t know really where you’re at properly until you get stuck into the championship. “The games come thick and fast, it is tough going.

Pollen Forecast for Ireland: What Allergy Sufferers Can Expect This WeekendFor many of us, the last few days have been a welcome break from the blustery, cold and wet weather, but for others the dry days may pose a risk. Met Éireann have released a forecast for the weekend ahead, which will be mainly dry, but as always when spring comes running in so do higher pollen levels. Tree Pollen is on the rise, with Alder, Cypress and Yew trees releasing pollen into the air, and these trees are usually first to start pollinating in the Spring. The overall risk for most of the country over the next few days is moderate, but this may still pose a significant challenge to people with respiratory illnesses or hay fever. Below is Met Éireann’s graph showcasing the affected areas and the pollen level:

JD Vance has denied that he is out of step with Donald Trump on the Iran war. However, Mr Vance still hasn’t decided whether he will run, the outlet’s sources also said. “I know what you’re trying to do,” Mr Vance said Monday, when confronted about his previous statements on American interventionism. “We get along very well on this,” Mr Trump told reporters last week. This comes after Politico reported that Mr Vance privately expressed scepticism about the US attacking Iran before Mr Trump made his final decision.

US actor and martial artist Chuck Norris has died aged 86, his family has confirmed. “To the world, he was a martial artist, actor, and a symbol of strength. Chuck Norris during a campaign event for Mike Huckabee, then a Republican US presidential hopeful, in Des Moines, Iowa, in January 2008. His first wife Dianne Holecheck passed away in December, the pair shared two children, Mike, an actor, and Nascar champion Eric Norris. Norris also had a daughter called Dina from an extramarital relationship during his time in the US air force.

England boss Thomas Tuchel has admitted he is yet to speak to Trent Alexander-Arnold after appearing to end his World Cup hopes by leaving the Real Madrid star out of his latest squad. 'Not yet,' Tuchel replied, before responding 'I don't know' when asked if Alexander-Arnold believes his England career could be over. Alexander-Arnold, however, only made a single group stage appearance against Belgium in 2018 and played just 33 minutes against Wales at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Tuchel stressed he has not closed the door to Alexander-Arnold being part of his squad at the World Cup, stating 'I know what Trent can give us'. A source told the Sun: 'The break-up was tough but both Trent and Estelle knew it was for the best.

Michael Carrick gives worryingly honest injury update on Man Utd starMatthijs de Ligt has been sidelined since November and Michael Carrick admits that his Manchester United season could be over as he struggles to regain fitnessView 2 Images Matthijs de Ligt hasn't played in 2026 due to injury (Image: Getty Images)Michael Carrick has confessed that Matthijs de Ligt might not play again for Manchester United this season as his injury woes continue. ‌De Ligt had been a regular until he copped his injury in the win at Crystal Palace. Before that he had played every minute this season, all of which came under Ruben Amorim, but Carrick hasn't been able to call on him once. Carrick said on De Ligt's recovery: "It's difficult to say, just because it's taken that much time. Man Utd 'accept' Elliot Anderson price tag as summer transfer plans become clear READ MORE :"It's like any injury.

Scottish walker rushed to hospital after falling from popular sea cliffThe walker was transported to hospital. Emergency services at the scene (Image: Fife Jammer Locations)A Scottish walker has been rushed to hospital after falling from a sea cliff on Thursday. Medics have since confirmed one person was rushed to hospital for treatment where their condition remains unknown, reports The Record. Article continues belowA spokesperson for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “We received a call at 11.41am to attend an incident at Elie Chainwalk. “An ambulance was dispatched to the scene, and one patient was transported to the Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy.”

Birol, in a Financial Times interview, said politicians and markets were underestimating the scale of the disruption, with ‌around one-fifth ⁠of global oil and gas supplies effectively stranded ‌in the region. Oil prices have swung on average by more than $10 a day since the war began, with open attacks on energy infrastructure heightening volatility. “The long shadow of the energy crisis is far from lifted,” said Hebe Chen, a senior market analyst at Vantage Global Prime in Sydney. The risk of a global inflation shock has also complicated the policy outlook for global central banks. Investors in bond markets around the world are rushing to bet on higher interest rates amid the jump in energy prices.

The conversation about the manosphere has been given fresh legs by Louis Theroux’s recent Netflix documentary, titled Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere. “The research I have done indicates that most manosphere content that Irish boys and men engage with comes from the US and the UK,” she says. [ Louis Theroux – Inside the Manosphere: A tentative dip into the world of toxic masculinityOpens in new window ]So where are all the Irish manosphere influencers trailing in the wake of the individuals Theroux has profiled? According to researcher Darragh McCashin, an assistant professor in psychology at Dublin City University, Irish content tends to be less obvious. [ How to speak to young men about masculinity influencersOpens in new window ]Whether the manosphere will have a lasting impact on attitudes among Irish men as they get older is unclear.

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific, Australia’s Quantas, Malaysia’s AirAsia, Scandinavian airline SAS, and Air New Zealand, have all implemented temporary or permanent surcharges based on air fuel increases. So can we expect price hikes for flights closer to home and will they put a dent in out holiday plans? They have a schedule which it builds around all these flights coming into Dubai connecting to all these flights going out of Dubai so there’s only some tweaks they can do. Wizz Air UK has announced it would operate tailored chartered flights between the UK and the US for European football teams and supporters travelling to the US. Anticipation of ludicrously inflated prices is already a talking point for fans hoping to book transatlantic flights from Ireland.

Liverpool owners FSG abandon multi-club plan in surprise U-turnLiverpool’s current owners Fenway Sports Group had been exploring the prospect of purchasing another club and despite talks having taken place, the Reds’ plans have been shelvedView 2 Images Liverpool's owners FSG were previously looking at purchasing another club (Image: Getty Images)Liverpool owners FSG have abandoned plans to launch a multi-club model despite talks having taken place. FSG chiefs confirmed plans to purchase a second football club when Michael Edwards was tempted back to the club in 2024. ‌It has also been reported that FSG looked into buying a minority stake in Ligue 1 giants Monaco but chose not to pursue a deal. And according to The Athletic, plans for FSG to become a multi-club ownership model have been shelved, with no immediate suggestion that those plans could be revived any time soon. The Reds have won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup, League Cup and more since 2019.

Ireland’s Mark English on the way to winning his heat of the 800m at the 2026 World Indoor Championships in Toruń, Poland. Gold-medal favourite Eliott Crestan from Belgium was the fastest qualifier in 1:45.21“So thankfully one round out of the way,” added English. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/InphoThe early morning start didn’t bother Bori Akinola as he got Ireland’s interest off to an encouraging start. Making his first appearance on the World Indoor stage, the 24-year-old finished third behind Jamaica’s Bryan Levell, who ran 6.53. But why not sub-6.50?”Friday’s Irish schedule – evening sessionMen’s 60m semi-finals – Heat 3 (7.30pm): Bori AkinolaMen’s 60m final, 8.22pm.

Stephen White of Irish Wine Estates in South Offaly standing among his pilot plot of vines planted in 2024. South Offaly winery hopes to bring unique offering to “silver tourists”A new vineyard project in rural South Offaly is hoping to put the Midlands on the wine tourism map, with plans to attract visitors seeking a quieter, more relaxed Irish experience. “I’m a farmer’s son from South Offaly,” Mr Whyte explained. Previous Next Image 1 of 1 The site where Stephen proposes to build a visitior centre for Irish Wine Estates. “We planted a pilot plot in our back garden, a very fancy name for the back garden,” Mr Whyte said.

Man Utd issue statement after former coach Jose Mourinho hired dies aged 67Silvino Louro, who followed Jose Mourinho as his goalkeeping coach for almost 20 years, has died at the age of 67 with tributes pouring in from the likes of Manchester United and Real MadridView 2 Images Former coach Silvino Louro has died at the age of 67One of Jose Mourinho's long-term backroom staff members, Silvino Louro, has died aged 67 after reportedly succumbing to a long-term illness. ‌Louro was Mourinho's trusted goalkeeping coach and followed the Special One for two decades, including during his most successful periods. ‌It means he helped put the likes of Petr Cech, Iker Casillas and David de Gea through their paces. View 2 Images Silvino Louro worked under Jose Mourinho at the likes of Man Utd, Real Madrid and ChelseaPorto reached the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday night with a 2-0 win over Stuttgart. Article continues belowBenfica wrote in a statement: “Sport Lisboa and Benfica expresses its deepest sorrow over the passing of Silvino.