Young people today are not merely witnessing nudity; they are exposed to stylised, performance-focused sex portrayed as normal. Pornography reduces sex to mechanics, bodies, movements, and acts, while omitting the elements that make sexuality meaningful: Connection, consent, affection, communication, and trust. Explain what porn is and what it isn’tMany young people assume pornography is like a documentary that reflects reality. Silence breeds shame, and shame leaves children managing the big questions alone. Through calm, consistent, and compassionate conversations, parents can help their children develop healthier understandings of sex, intimacy, and themselves.

Muraca is the artist who painted the wrap-around mural on the 'hut' on Cork's Marina. In July 1872, Cork Corporation formally adopted 'The Marina' as the new promenade's name. Muraca doesn't have an expertise in porcelain-making so he drafted in Cork artist Rebecca Bradley Young () to craft the leaves which give a tactile 3-d element to the work. Some of the paint work is initially emulsion so I had to go back and re-do some that was washed off. Italian street artist Raffaele Muraca at work on the pavilion on the Marina in Cork.

A leading solicitor has warned the GAA is facing a deluge of complaints arising from its ill-suited and excessive child and adult safeguarding rules. In front of the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) in October, Sally represented Monaghan club Corduff in a child safeguarding case. Citing Rule 1.11 (b) of the GAA’s Official Guide, which states the GAA “shall respect their (U18s) rights, wishes and feelings”, Sally made a successful argument and the minor game with Donaghmoyne was postponed. He suspects up to 500 social workers would be required to ensure the adult safeguarding rule as it reads is applied. Whereas in fact with safeguarding we are trying to fly an airplane and we haven’t finished building the thing.

In the past decade there has been a significant growth in the number of alternative schooling models, mainly at preschool and primary school level, in Ireland. In September 2025, another alternative schooling model – outdoor primary schools – was opened in Ireland. [ Have you heard about ‘democratic schools’?Opens in new window ]Fee-paying school The Outdoor Primary School (TOPS), in Greystones, Co Wicklow, which had a modest first intake of 14 pupils, shares the grounds with the SEC International School on the edge of the coastal town. She believes they make the transition from primary school to secondary school more easily because they are used to being on the move a lot during the day. “It’s important for children to spend time outdoors, and mainstream education is trying to implement more outdoor learning,” he says.

Since the ship arrived in the North Atlantic, the US has sent several P-8 aircraft to keep it under surveillance. Under long-standing Irish policy, foreign military aircraft are not permitted to use Irish airspace while on active military operations. [ Irish military aircraft sent to monitor fleeing oil tankerOpens in new window ]Irish and US sources said permission had been sought for the flight at a Government level. He said the aircraft would have a “due regard” status, an aviation term often used by military aircraft to indicate they would be undertaking unusual operations. A Defence Forces spokesman said it does not comment on operations but said “when necessary, specific intelligence-led maritime defence and security operations are executed as a stand-alone operation”.

“We don’t really have that term in Brazil because everybody is so mixed... like, how can you know? They are, I don’t know, from some place in Africa. While people’s identities are more fluid in Brazil, Calixto said that people of colour there can still experience racism. I think that’s Scotland.”When moving to Ireland, Calixto said that Dublin was never her first choice as she wanted to try living in a smaller city. You are not going to lose any of the Irish culture, you know, and it’s such a beautiful culture”.

The Irish language is having its moment — from the first-of-its-kind dictionary aimed at ending the need to understand Irish words through the lens of English, to a new president devoted to the use of Irish in the Áras, there is a new pride in speaking the native tongue. In itself, the census substantiates research from the Department of Education that among the younger citizens, “positive sentiment for the Irish language is widespread”. Budget 2026 saw record funding — €159m for the Gaeltacht, Irish language, and the islands, an increase of 29%. "The Irish language movement is a community, ultimately, where people connect with each other. The “groundbreaking” work provides people with a new way to understand, use and learn the Irish language — without relying on dictionaries in English or in other languages, publishers Foras na Gaeilge, the body responsible for the promotion of the Irish language, said.

Northern Ireland has passed another year without the power sharing institutions collapsing, although the pace of executive function has been sclerotic. However, the Northern Executive and Assembly must improve its operations and have greater ambition. Northern Ireland faces many challenges, not least a malfunctioning health system, an under-resourced police service, a defective water supply, climate change, pollution – most egregiously exemplified by the green algae on Lough Neagh – and other pressing matters such as creating jobs, housing, addressing educational under-achievement and improving infrastructure. The British and Irish governments have appointed a special interlocutor, Fleur Ravensbergen, to assess whether these organisations can be persuaded to clear the stage. They must confound the cynics and lead the Stormont Executive and Assembly in making Northern Ireland work for the common good.

Rural Ireland is being driven off the road by new punishing government imposed fuel taxes, transport charges and levies, with devastating consequences for small family run businesses across rural Ireland. - Advertisement -According to Hyland, “Every extra penny at the pump and every levy on our livelihoods is another nail in the coffin of the haulage industry but also on small business in rural Ireland. Haulage companies are being pushed to the brink, with some already forced out of business, as fuel taxes, increased tolls, new port charges and carbon taxes rise relentlessly. “Government take the easy option every time and hike taxes on transport – which disproportionately impacts on rural Ireland, where there is no viable public transport alternative. “They don’t seem to grasp the damage they are doing to the Irish economy and to rural Ireland in particular.

Right on cue comes the beginning of Hollywood’s awards season. A time of year filled with squillion dollar frocks, relentless movie promotion, and fierce speculation about plastic surgery. On Sunday night, awards season kicked off with the Critics Choice Awards, taking place in Santa Monica. Jessie Buckley is the frontrunner to pick up the Best Actress award for her performance in Maggie O’Farrell’s historical drama Hamnet at the 2026 Oscars. And Buckley is already off to a strong start after being awarded the Best Actress at the Critics Choice.

US president Donald Trump speaks with reporters on board Air Force One on Sunday. President Donald Trump said that while Ms Machado is a “nice woman”, she lacks support and respect inside Venezuela. Speaking of its president Claudia Sheinbaum, he said: “The cartels are running Mexico. She’s not running Mexico… Something is going to have to be done with Mexico.”He has also doubled down on coveting Greenland, insisting in a recent interview: “We need Greenland.”The capture of Maduro was audacious. As former friends are now cast as threats, the Trump administration appears to feel there’s no need to consult with “allies”.

Adult diagnosis of ADHD: ‘I’m passive and quiet, so it never occurred to me that I had it – but it all makes sense now’When Will Gannon was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, joining an online support group made a huge difference in terms of peer support and practical skills like time managementWill Gannon: ‘The feeling of safety that participants have in the group means they stop feeling paralysed and work more efficiently.’ Photo: Gerry MooneyErin McCafferty Today at 06:30Can you imagine feeling out of kilter with others for most of your life, but not knowing why? This was the reality for Will Gannon until recently. The 64-year-old father of two from Templeogue in Dublin, dropped out of college at UCD in second year.

My dad gave me a health check as a gift for Christmas – and it may have saved my lifeDenis Dwyer, a 44-year-old filmmaker and author living in Co Wicklow, on his battle with prostate cancer and being inspired by his father DermodDenis Dwyer. Photo: Steve HumphreysAs told to Tanya Sweeney Today at 06:30We all remember an experience when we’ve been stopped in our tracks unexpectedly. The moment when you get a call or receive news that you didn’t see coming, and which turns your world upside down.

Drivers urged to exercise caution as travel conditions remain difficultTemperatures will remain close to freezing today despite weather warnings associated with the cold snap expiring, but further wintry conditions may be on the way. Sharp frost and icy stretches of road will still be prevalent across the country today with drivers urged to exercise maximum caution. While the worst of the cold snap is behind us, Met Éireann forecaster Michelle Dillon said there was still likely to be further sleet and maybe snow later this week, before temperatures gradually recover to average values for this time of year. "While it'll still be cold at times, we are going to see a move away from the severe cold of late," he said. Gardaí and the Road Safety Authority (RSA) have asked motorists to drive with care amid fears the poor road conditions could cause traffic chaos.

The week after the Paris Olympics. Even in the emergency department, you got a lot of patients and their relatives saying that you look very familiar and all that good stuff. The Paris Olympics was almost like a home Games in a way. A gold Olympic medal, and I’d like to do an emergency medicine training scheme. Philip Doyle is taking part in ‘Dancing with the Stars’, which is on RTÉ One at 6.30pm on Sundays