Caulry's Jack Connaughton who was selected to play in goals for Westmeath against Longford on Saturday. Photo: Ben McShane/SportsfileLate cancellation of Lake County’s O’Byrne Cup clashPrevious Next Image 1 of 2 Jack Connaughton was selected to play in goals for Westmeath against Longford on Saturday. Photo: Ben McShane/Sportsfile Image 2 of 2 Referee Kevin Williamson with Westmeath manager Mark McHugh and secretary Keith Quinn before the postponement of Saturday’s game at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park. There was frustration as the Westmeath versus Longford O’Byrne Cup game was called off ten minutes before the start on Saturday at Glennon Bros Pearse Park. The Kilcar man and Donegal All-Ireland winner from 2012, previously served as coach alongside Dermot McCabe at the 2022 Tailteann Cup winners.

Ukrainian artist, Natalia Yakorieva, is surrounded by wellwishers at her "Petals and Pulse" exhibition when it went on display in Athlone last year. Ukrainian artist to launch solo art exhibitionA solo exhibition by Ukrainian artist Natalia Yakorieva has opened at the Atrium space, County Buildings in Mullingar, and will continue until January 30 next. The exhibition captures moments of stillness and motion, reflecting the artist’s own journey from Ukraine to Ireland, and her ongoing commitment to sharing beauty, resilience, and humanity through art. Natalia Yakorieva's "Petals and Pulse" exhibition received huge acclaim when it went on display at Athlone's Civic Centre in May 2024, and she is hoping for a similar reaction in Mullingar. The public is warmly invited to attend the exhibition.

Cost rental homes at the Dun an Ri development in Coosan, Athlone. Applications open for seven cost rental homes at Dun an Ri in AthloneApplications for seven 'cost rental' homes at Dun an Ri in Athlone are now open. The housing body is delivering a mix of cost rental and social homes at Dun an Ri, with this delivery comprising of 37 homes in total. The seven homes now available under the cost rental scheme at Dun na Ri include three two-bedroom duplexes and four three-bedroom duplexes. The latest addition of seven cost rental apartments being advertised is in the same block.

Amorim's departure reignites the 'manager vs head coach' debateJames CoxIn truth, the writing was on the wall for Ruben Amorim for a long time. However, his explosive Manchester United departure has once again reignited the 'manager vs head coach' debate in football. "I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the coach of Manchester United. When Unai Emery was appointed as Arsenal head coach in 2018, it ended 22 years of Wenger's leadership as manager. Most would prefer to be called a manager, but in modern football head coach is a far more common title.

Centuries from Travis Head, his third of a dominant series, and Steve Smith, his first, combined to grind England into the SCG dirt on the third day of the fifth Ashes Test. Resuming on their overnight 166 for two, Australia made largely untroubled progress to reach stumps on an imposing 518 for seven, a lead of 134. Head followed soon after lunch, getting too far across his stumps as he tried to paddle-sweep Bethell's left-arm spin. By stumps, he had none for 141, which was close to being the worst analysis by an England seamer in Test history. Five others have gone wicketless while conceding more in an innings, though none has come close to Potts's economy-rate of 5.64.

Opposition leader María Corina Machado speaking to supporters in Caracas, Venezuela, in January 2024. She even offered him the Nobel Peace Prize she was awarded in October, a prize Trump has coveted for years. She said that she had not spoken to Trump since October, when she dedicated the prize to him. His government’s repressive measures were highlighted by the award of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. María Corina Machado had been banned from leaving Venezuela but secretly travelled to Norway in December after winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

Headline inflation in the Irish economy moderated to less than 3 per cent in December. Euro zone inflation was clocked at 2.1 per cent in November. Grocery price inflation is a key pressure point for households and has also led to an acceleration in restraurant costs. But food price inflation, a reflection of higher farming costs, has pushed the headline rate up again. With headline inflation for the euro zone hovering at 2 per cent, the European Central Bank’s (ECB) target rate, Frankfurt has halted a series of interest rate reductions.

Liam Rosenior set for awkward Chelsea reunion after calling out star's behaviourFuture Chelsea forward Emmanuel Emegha was suspended at Strasbourg during new Blues boss Liam Rosenior's time at the French club, and the two are set to be reunited again at Stamford BridgeView 2 Images Liam Rosenior has previously called out Emmanuel Emegha during his time at Strasbourg (Image: Mark Runnacles/Shutterstock)New Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior has previously disciplined a Blues player during his spell as Strasbourg boss. The French Ligue 1 outfit suspended on-loan Chelsea forward Emmanuel Emegha in December for breaching 'the values, expectations and rules' of the club. ‌And the 22-year-old has already sparked concerns about his discipline before reuniting with Rosenior this summer. The statement read: "Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace has decided to suspend Emmanuel Emegha for its next Ligue 1 match, this Saturday, December 6, in Toulouse. View 2 Images Emmanuel Emegha is set to join Chelsea next summer (Image: Getty Images)‌When the suspensions were announced, Rosenior attributed them to 'clumsy comments to the press'.

In Ireland, where architecture has long been a modest, landscape-attuned craft, Gehry’s philosophy arrived as both a provocation and an opportunity. Even the Criminal Courts of Justice, austere and monumental, demonstrated a willingness to let public architecture carry symbolic weight. The Irish instinct for architectural modesty reasserted itself, and iconic architecture was deemed too risky, too brash, too incompatible with the national temperament. But today, the refusal of architectural ambition reads more as stagnation than as humility. Ireland could use a little of Gehry’s spirit now, a willingness to build with meaning, in architecture and in all public life.

Jamie Laing has acknowledged he will 'never be as tired as my wife' after he sparked outrage for a post that set 'unrealistic expectations' for new mothers while praising Sophie Habboo. Now, Jamie has shared a candid post where he admitted that he will never be as tired as his wife as he looked after their baby boy. He then penned: 'First rule since becoming a dad: Accepting that no matter how tired you are, you're definitely never as tired as your wife.' Before Ziggy's birth, Sophie had shared how she was not going to allow anyone to kiss her child. And I'm gonna say this on this podcast: If anyone comes and kisses my newborn baby, I will punch you in the face.'

A report analysing the impact of proposed fee scales was prepared on behalf of an interdepartmental group on environmental legal costs. The draft fees model for successful court applicants provides for total fees ranging from about €41,000 to €80,500. The draft fees contrast with an average €180,000 paid to successful applicants following full hearings in some of the 45 cases examined by Fieldfisher. His proposed fee structure is based on “trigger points” during a hearing and identifies separate fees for solicitors and senior and junior counsel. A trial judge will decide the level of legal complexity in cases and will have discretion to allow higher costs in certain cases.

Who will fight for Greenland? “If the United States were to choose to attack another Nato country, then everything would come to an end,” she said. Stephen Miller said on Monday night that the annexation of Greenland was now established US policy. “The United States should have Greenland as part of the United States,” he said. “There’s no need to even think or talk about this in the context that you’re asking, of a military operation.

Food prices and energy costs continue to put pressure on household budgets, but inflation moderated slightly last month. This figure is for what is called the “flash estimate” of the EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) for Ireland. The indes for Ireland increased by 0.6pc since November 2025, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Energy prices in this country were up by 2.4pc in Ireland in the year to December, the CSO said. The EU Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices is lower as that index excludes mortgage interest repayments, motor tax, home insurance (building and contents), and property tax.

Thanks to Thatcher, the UK was in worse shape than us, Canada was too cold and America was ... well ... America. Six months later, on a cold August morning, we sat our bags down in the arrivals hall at Sydney Airport. There is a weight in the greyness of the sky that I had forgotten. I’m pushing 70 now, loving every minute of retirement and looking forward to our next visit to the west of Ireland. Ray Farrell and his wife Marian emigrated to Australia in 1983 and live in Alfords Point on the edge of Sydney.

Taking three days’ leave from March 18th gives someone a six-day stretch. By the August bank holiday, which this year falls on the 3rd, you might want to consider another trip away. At this stage of the year, a person following this guide will have taken 23 days’ leave and had a total of 49 days off in five distinct blocks. If we assume the reader has 25 days’ annual leave – more than some but less than some others – they still have two days to play with. This year Christmas Day falls on a Friday, so obviously St Stephen’s Day – also a public holiday – falls on a Saturday.