A woman shot and killed by an ICE agent in the US on Wednesday was a devoted Christian who had previously travelled to Northern Ireland on youth missions. There has been an outpouring of grief for “amazing” poet Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother-of-three from Colorado Springs who was killed after her vehicle blocked a street in Minneapolis during an active ICE operation.

Gardaí carried out a dedicated road traffic enforcement operation throughout the 2025 Christmas period which began on Monday, December 1, 2025, and continued until Monday, January 5, 2026. Nearly 26,500 drivers were detected for speeding offences by gardaí, mobile safety camera vans and static safety cameras, operated by GoSafe. One of the most notable speeds detected during the garda operation was a motorist who was caught by gardaí driving 237kmh in a 100kmh zone on the N7 in Johnstown, Co Kildare. Gardaí seized nearly 3,000 vehicles for a range of offences under the Road Traffic Act, 1961, 59pc primarily for no insurance. In total, 190 people lost their lives in road traffic collisions on Irish roads in 2025.

Galway’s first year-round indoor market has closed its doors in the new year after operating as a community and trading space for six months. The Green Market in Moycullen opened on July 5, 2025, hosting a rotating mix of vendors, workshops, and community events. Open on Fridays and Saturdays, the market featured fruit and vegetable producers, local food and drink vendors, and artisan goods, alongside art exhibitions and repair cafés. Beyond trading, The Green Market functioned as a community hub, offering art and craft workshops, parent-and-toddler sessions, storytelling events, and a series of small lectures. During the holiday season, the venue held instrumental concerts, wreath-making workshops, and community carolling.

Former Leeds and Wales midfielder Terry Yorath has died at the age of 75, his family have said in a statement. Yorath won 59 caps as a rugged midfielder between 1969 and 1981 before taking charge of the Wales national team in 1988. Under Yorath, Wales reached their then-highest FIFA ranking of 27 in August 1993 and almost qualified for their second World Cup in the US in 1994. That same year he did start in the European Cup Winners’ Cup final loss to AC Milan. After World Cup heartbreak and his departure from Wales, Yorath managed Cardiff, the Lebanon national team, Sheffield Wednesday and Margate.

Jeremy Clarkson was left baffled after a Millionaire Hot Seat contestant tripped up over a basic days of the week question on Wednesday's instalment of the ITV show - but can you solve it? Jeremy Clarkson was left baffled after a Millionaire Hot Seat contestant tripped up over a basic days of the week question on Wednesday's instalment of the ITV show - but can YOU solve it? Millionaire Hot Seat hit our screens on January 6 2026, after filming started in November last year. Incorrectly guessing the answer, Jeremy waved goodbye to the player saying: 'I'm afraid we do now have to say goodbye, what a brutal game! Millionaire Hot Seat continues tonight on ITV1 and is available to stream on ITVX.

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Irish professor says findings have important public health implicationsA higher intake of food preservatives, widely used in industrially processed foods and drinks to extend shelf life, is associated with a modest increased risk of cancer, a new study suggests.

The latest monthly unemployment release from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 5pc in December, the same as in November. The figure shows the traditional surge in temporary Christmas jobs did not translate into a lower unemployment rate this year. December is typically a month when unemployment eases as businesses take on extra staff to cope with the festive demand. For the broader demographic of those aged between 25 to 74, the unemployment rate remained unchanged compared with November, sitting at 3.8pc. This year’s flat reading could suggest that businesses were more cautious, relying on existing staff, shorter contracts or reduced seasonal hiring compared with previous years.

Bait laced with contraceptives was suggested as an alternative to culling deerThe reintroduction of wolves, a national bounty for hunting feral cats and giving contraceptives to deer were among hundreds of proposals received by the Government following a public consultation on wildlife legislation. Many of the submissions called for fox hunting, hare coursing and snaring badgers to be banned, while others argued for these activities to be protected in any forthcoming legislation. They are not here for morons to entertain themselvesOne submission expressing support for the continuation of hare coursing also called for a national bounty for the control of mink, foxes and feral cats. Several submissions called for a ban on hare coursing, describing it as an “indefensible practice”. Another individual called for fox hunting to be banned, and claimed to have witnessed ­“toffee-nose prats” laughing as a fox was “ripped apart by hounds” after trying to rescue its cub.

11 essential buys to help you save time, money and effort in 2026How can you make life easier this year? We asked savvy shoppers for the one product that helps their days run more smoothly, from cooking to laundry to hairstylingOur expert picks of ordinary items can simplify difficult tasksMeadhbh McGrath Today at 06:30The new year often brings with it the pressure to load up our to-do lists and set ambitious resolutions. Rather than making things tougher for ourselves, we’re looking for simple, clever ways to make life that bit easier in 2026.

Brakes now on runaway costs as buyers are unable to borrow moreAsking price inflation is easing as borrowers hit their limits. The inability of prospective buyers to borrow more because of recent price surges has been blamed for the easing off in asking price inflation. It looks at asking prices as opposed to final prices, which are published by the Central Statistics Office. Asking price inflation is easing as borrowers hit their limits. The overall impression from this quarter’s MyHome data is of the market pausing for breath after substantial price gains,” he added.

Make 2026 the year you stop being adverse to conflict, writes JJ Clarke who asks the experts how to handle hostilities at work and elsewhereIn Ireland, we see ourselves as non-confrontational. The language of a skirmish here is not direct – for example, asking “Did I not make myself clear?” instead of stating “I said this to you already”. So how do we fight well? What language should we avoid? And are we really bad at it?

The disclosure that Department of Transport officials privately concluded Budget 2026 would not permit any new public transport services represents a depressing indictment of this Government’s priorities. That government maintained a 2:1 ratio of public transport funding over roads investment. The National Development Plan now allocates €10.1 billion to public transport and €9.7 billion to roads over the 2026-2030 period. The economic and social costs of inadequate public transport are well documented. Each year of under-investment compounds these problems and delays the benefits that an integrated, efficient public transport network would deliver.

Lawless said that if Ireland fully adopted modern construction, the shortfall in workers could fall to 40,000. The Minister expects “a lot of the new student accommodation” to be built through modern methods of construction. The Government was trying to provide “high-quality, high-spec student accommodation blocks, but with more shared spaces”, he said. So it’s about trying to get more occupancy and more shared facilities, which would be the norm in most student accommodation around the world.”Lawless said Ireland was “overspeccing” student accommodation, adding features beyond requirements. Lawless says he would be open to Ireland legislating to protect the zones around Ireland’s undersea cables better.

Explained: Ireland's online safety laws as concerns rise over Grok imagesThe safety of women and children online has continued to be a concern as the Grok AI tool on X has been criticised. The AI tool on social media platform X has created sexualised images of women and children, creating deep fake images and videos of people. This has led to calls for people to step away from the social media platform X, with Minister for Artificial Intelligence Niamh Smyth requesting a meeting with them. Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, has said the Government would have to make a “decision collectively” about its use of the social media site X. However, there have been calls for Ireland's online safety laws to go further.